This school year, Seminole County Public Schools began using a new suite of software, Skyward, to manage its over-60,000 students’ grades, schedules, and more. Replacing the older Schools Administrative Student Information program, better known as SASI, and its now-defunct parent-access platform, P.I.N., Skyward offers a range of new options for teachers, administrators, and students.
Though it is not without its problems, and there have been a few hitches in the transition, many teachers and school administrators are optimistic about the additional functionalities available through Skyward and what it can do for Seminole County’s students.
Though the Family Access module—which allows students and their families to access their information stored by the district—is just a small part of the program, it is one of the most-noted changes made.
Many students, like sophomore Michelle Zhong, have praised the new system and its ability to give students their “accurate and current grade” in real-time, unlike P.I.N. Both students and their parents appreciate the ability to see their grades as the teacher updates them, with no delay. And because Skyward is accessible through web browsers, teachers can input grades—and students can see them—no matter where they are.
Educational Technology Facilitator Ms. Lynn Cullum agreed, stating that “parents like to be able to see things quickly.” Students have also taken note of the more user-friendly interface on Family Access. Zhong said that she “particularly likes that…the student’s grades are all in one place.”
Additionally, a new feature, Student Access, will be implemented as soon as the district decides to make it available, Cullum said. With Student Access, students will be able to have their own accounts with which they can log in and check their grades. They will no longer have to use their parents’ accounts—with permission, of course—whenever they want to check their grades. Seminole High School teacher and Athletic Director Mike Powers remarked that, although getting used to the new software will take some time, these changes will “revolutionize education in Seminole County.”
Still, the transition from SASI was not as smooth as expected. Ms. Marilyn Van Winkle, an FTE (a state-employed worker who manages Seminole’s reports to the state) at Seminole who spends much of her time working with Skyward, felt that the transition was “not as easy as we had hoped.”
Cullum noted that, though she has heard some positive comments from teachers, the district and school face a lack of time for training, which ultimately results in some difficulty in learning to use an entirely new program. Powers felt the same way, and stated, “We’ve been using SASI forever, and it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.”
A few glitches have persisted, as well. Many students recall scheduling errors, both at Seminole and other schools, and many teachers have dealt with problems in their gradebooks. As Van Winkle said, “It’s a work in progress. We’re learning along with the county as we go.” Cullum related that, “When switching software, there’s always a period with glitches.”