As a school director, you are responsible for processing a massive amount of information and heading a widely variant array of education, business, and social mediation objectives. Fortunately, you are also living in a technologically forward-thinking society that has enabled some very exciting advances in the way schools conduct operations. Here is what every school director needs to know about administrative technology:

Administrative Applications you may be Familiar with

There are a number of applications that administrative technology can have, and these are generally handled by specialty software. For example, programs like LaserFiche, Versatrans, ParentLink, InfiniteCampus, PDExpress, and TripDirect are popular software programs developed to facilitate and/or automate a wide array of typical school administrative tasks.

What, exactly, can Administrative Technology do?

There is no simple answer to this question, as these days, administrative technology can be used to address any and every aspect of school operations you can imagine. This includes grade keeping and reporting, teacher wiki (website) development and hosting, transportation (bus) scheduling, budgeting, tracking student involvement in extracurricular activities, recording attendance, reporting on department changes, fundraising, library engagement, and much, much more.

How important is it to have an Administrator for Administrative Technology?

It would be a mistake to underestimate the value of a highly trained and specially qualified staff member when it comes to installing, customizing, and training school faculty on the school’s administrative technology strategy. Given the depth and breadth of administrative technology functionality in the school system, there is no getting around the necessity for an individual who knows how to implement the technology in the most efficient way possible.

Administrative Technology’s Role in Data Collection and Reporting

One of the most important functions of administrative technology of all types is data collection and reporting. The Department of Education (DOE) has issued some mandatory guidelines for schools in this regard, as covered by regulatory acts like the Full Time Equivalent (FTE), CCRPI (a data collection protocol), Student Data Record (SDR), End of Pathway Assessments, Pre-ID, and the HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Scholarship program. When you implement a current administrative technology strategy, you are ensuring that your school’s practices fall in line with governmental standards for educational data collection and reporting.

As you can see, administrative technology is an integral part of modern school functioning, standardization, and governmental compliance. It is not something you can afford to overlook. Consider all of these finer points when assessing your own school’s need for, and use of, administrative technology and be sure to check out sites like www.fedena.com for more information. Chances are, there are some weak links in your current-standing strategy – and it might be time to hire an educational administrative technology expert to bring your operations into the now.

Image credit – Wikimedia Commons