Kansas City-Area School District Selects Skyward
Skyward’s student information system topped Shawnee Mission School District’s “wish list” to serve the needs of almost 27,500 students
The Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD), located just outside of Kansas City, selected the Student Management Suite from Skyward Inc., an industry leading K-12 school administrative software provider, to meet the district’s 21st century technology needs. After evaluating systems from vendors across the country, SMSD chose Skyward because its system best satisfied the district’s need by providing the flexibility, connectivity and accessibility it wanted in a student information system.
The district issued a request for proposal (RFP) in early 2013 to replace its student information system (SIS) at the time, which lacked functionality and newer features to adequately serve the district’s 45 schools and almost 27,500 students. Leigh Anne Neal, associate superintendent of communications for the Shawnee Mission School District, explained that teachers are excited to begin using the system to assist with daily management tasks.
“Over the past few years, it became clear that our aging SIS was outdated,” said Neal. “Purchased in the 1990s, it simply wasn’t keeping pace with our district’s demands. In a district our size, we needed a system that can ensure data accuracy and serve our diverse needs on a daily basis. Before the selection process began, an 18-member SIS review committee created a ‘wish list’ of what they wanted to see in a new system. After reviewing proposals, watching presentations and evaluating the information, Skyward offered a solution that was a good fit for what the district was looking for in a system.”
Skyward software implementation at SMSD began during the summer of 2013, and training will continue over the course of the 2013-2014 school year, with the SIS being fully operational for the 2014-2015 school year. SMSD’s selection of the Skyward Student Management Suite is consistent with many other districts throughout Kansas, as more than half of the largest 25 public school districts in the state also use Skyward to manage student data.
With Skyward, SMSD will benefit from a comprehensive web-based system that integrates attendance, grading, scheduling, discipline and demographic information in one centralized system to minimize data entry and ensure accuracy.
For more information on the Skyward administrative software and IT consulting services for K-12 districts, visit www.skyward.com.
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Ray Ackerlund
Skyward, Inc.
800-236-7274 ext: 1319
Katie Waite
C. Blohm & Associates
608-216-7300 ext. 26
About Skyward
Skyward is a leading provider of K-12 school administrative software that surpasses districts’ needs in state reporting, improves operational capabilities, and opens communication between schools and families. Today, the Skyward School Management System™ is used in more than 1,600 school districts worldwide, ranging from districts with as few as 50 students to statewide implementations supporting more than 800,000 students. Founded in 1980, Skyward serves school districts with its integrated student, finance, and human resources suite of products and is proudly made and supported in the United States. To learn more, visit www.skyward.com.