USER GROUP MEETING
ATTENDEES: Mike Glenn & Trudy Staley, User Support; Ken Westwood & Stefanie Campbell, Bluffdale Elementary; David Vicchrilli & Sharon Harris, West Jordan; Annette Huff & Tina Dickinson, Jordan Hills; Laura Finlinson & Jolene Hullinger, Peruvian Park; Luann Leavitt, Welby; Sharyle Karren & Connie Robinson, Willow Springs; Joel Pullan & Natalie Terry, Herriman; Kalene Neff, Altara;
Mike Glen introduced the new Blog site for secretaries to use as a communication tool bet___˜ween the school and Information Systems. He noted that the site will be viewed by all the schools and departments and should not be used for complaints. It is intended to be used as a tool to get information, create solutions and answer questions. It was concluded that part time assistants in the school should have access as well to the site. Mike noted that when reading the blog, the comments are posted newest to oldest.
Go to jsd.skyward.blogspot.com.
AGENDA ITEMS:
1. Skyward is too slow processing. Data entry on attendance can be done on some days in 10 minutes and yet it takes one hour on other days. Elementary schools try to wait until the h___çigh schools and middle schools are done so the system will move faster. They promised that Skyward would be faster than the Delta system and itÕs not.
Answer: With regard to SkywardÕs recent processing problems, Mike informed the group that most of the recent problems have been corrected. Skyward runs an end of month report and updates, which are global. Expect some problems in October, November, January, June and July. Dave asked that the schools receive some prior warning for planning purposes. When trying to print, a white screen comes on and freezes the screen. Tina Dickinson said to double click outside the screen and it corrects it.
2. The financial program has regressed. Why canÕt we have the data automatically generate the reconciliation report instead of creating a separate balance sheet? Quicken is able to roll everything into one report.
Answer: The accounting department is creating a one step reconciliation to refine the process. It should be ready some time___ð this year.
3. Immunization screens did not roll over correctly at the start of the year. We end a year in compliance and then start the year out of compliance and needing to redo our work. A date of 1914 appeared? Help!
Answer: In most schools the rollover was successful. Mike also noted that the state enforces the immunization rules and they may not be the same requirements in Skyward. We need to correct Skyward to agree with the state. Those changes and updates will come through Michelle Smolik in Information Systems to the schools.
4. No one was taught how to properly Òno showÓ a student in the first 10 days of school. When the secretary offered to clean it up she did not have clearance to do so. Fake dates were created because the system indicated the student had attended, when they were actually a Òno showÓ. Someone with the correct clearance will have to go back and correct those errors.
Answer: Clarification is needed in the first ten days. Mike will notify Planning and___ÿ Student Services to send a written explanation along with the recent memo on no show codes.
5. Repeated log-in is required up to 7 times. Also in the middle of entering data on the student screen, the system will kick you off.
Answer: This has been resolved.
6. It would be nice for UBI purposes, if Skyward let us enter Positive Contact in a way that it wasnÕt counted the same as all of the other problems. I want it to be able to sort data more specifically. Not being able to find attendance totals by month and having to calculate them by hand was a pain.
Answer: Mike stated that the discipline module needs to be changed so that it is not tied to discipline offense, just behavior in elementary. He suggested that a focus group for elementaries meet to decide which codes would be better used to speed up the process.
7. It would be very helpful to be able to access Skyward from home to increase our productivity as well. It would also be helpful without interruption for us to experiment and expl___ãore the screens.
Answer: Mike informed the group that everything will be web based starting in December. Parents will be able to access the screen in elementaries and view lunch accounts, immunizations, and possibly grades depending on the school. This includes employees as well.
8. When we reconcile absences on AESOP each month, some reconciled dates have been taken off. Shellie in the sub office said that it seems to happen when she has to fix a school problem and it ta___Ñkes off the reconciled absences at all the schools. This is making double the work for the secretaries.
Answer: AESOP is not tied into skyward. Notify the sub office.
9. In the SBA there are problems when trying to put in receipts and checks. The screens donÕt always work the way they should when trying to print. A blank screen shows up and then we have to go back to the beginning without it freezing up again. The little shortcuts and secrets to get around the problems would be helpful to know. Please send us written directions.
Answer: As this occurs, please post the problem on the blog if it can wait.
10. Some of the changes we requested in the requisition screens are still needed. Such as: A running total on the screen as items are entered. We need to be able to see this on the screen while entering items for budget purposes. We need this on both the Inventory Screen and Purchasing Screen.
Answer: Mike stated that the request has not been ___*forgotten. The priority list is based on the funding and essential needs. He will try to give this a higher priority this year.
11. We are liking Skyward. However, some schools have wiring problems and need more tech support.
Answer: Mike informed the group the UEN lost a lot of money for tech support. If you have major issues, please send Ron Bird a note. They are finding routing problems that need to be corrected.
12. Refresher courses would be helpful. Now that we have had a chance to work with Skyward we would like to understand certain aspects of it better.
Answer: Send your specific training needs to User. Also, provide a list of the most commonly used reports and labels needed by the schools. They can be created by the programmers so that they do not have to be cloned and then ___Vredone at every school. An inquiry will be sent out by this committee to the school secretaries.
13. The district often works on a traditional schedule. It is difficult to work with the schedule during the roll over in July when we have less than two weeks before the teachers return. What will happen this July when the district splits?
Answer: The schedule will still remain the same. When the district splits, the schedule will not change when doing the rollover.
14. When we try to clone other reports from another user, such as in our own school, we are finding that the same report does not clone in the same way, i.e., labels, and various reports. We would like to share the same reports/screen in each school.
Answer: See #12
15. Written directions for enrollment of students who do not attend the boundary school but are getting ___%special services, i.e., speech, is needed. The amount of FTE differs. The directions vary from student services and information systems. This affects the membership report, class lists, etc., depending on how the report is printed.
Answer: Special Ed will be need to provide directions. All the resource teachers need a course added to Skyward so that they can provide services for students who come from outside the school boundary, on home school, or private school. Those students will be counted in the enrollment as part time. Trudy cautioned that any student under five years of age must be enrolled through the preschool program.
WISH LIST:
-Online Grades -
-Phone Calling Capabilities for elementaries (absentee calling)
-Testing Reports - create an individual student report with testi____ng results - user friendly to print by class each year.
-Class lists with ESL students in italics or a special key selection when creating a class list (when scheduling for placement w/ESL teacher)
-Emergency Contact - other than immediate family - Enter by family instead of by each student.
-Hearing and Vision access for all teachers
-Test Reports and information by student, rather than waiting for boxes of reports from the district after July/August
The next meeting - February; date undecided.
