More Catholic schools recently are turning to technology to communicate with parents about student activities and achievement.
Starting last fall, four schools in Arkansas contracted with Web site hosting companies to help them provide important information to parents and students 24 hours a day. One other school has been using this technology since 2005.
These new school Web sites are increasing communication between parents, teachers and administrators.
What if your child is missing a homework assignment? Previously the student had to call a classmate to find out.
Interim reports are not out yet but you want to know how your child is doing in math.
What’s the cafeteria serving today?
Typically schools send written communication to parents on a weekly or monthly basis about assignments or school calendars. Now parents can get the same information any time of day from any location where they have Internet access.
Schools are choosing these options over the schools’ public Web sites because information is private, secured and specific to the students’ classes. Each teacher has his or her page that can be updated from any computer with Internet access.
Of the five schools interviewed, three schools are using Edline, which calls itself "the world’s leaders in K-12 Web site hosting and portal solutions."
These schools contract with Edline to customize a special Web site just for those with approved access. The schools are Immaculate Conception, Fort Smith, and Christ the King and Our Lady of the Holy Souls, Little Rock. Through Edline, homework assignments, attendance, grades, sports activities, calendar of events and cafeteria menus can be viewed and printed.
Paula Frank, a computer teacher at Christ the King School in Little Rock, helped launch Edline at the school in August. Since then, 300 of the 400 parents in the school have signed up. Seventh and eighth graders also have access to their assignments and test dates.
All parents can view the school’s calendar, teacher birthdays, sports schedules and cafeteria menus. Parents and teachers are also exchanging e-mail messages on a regular basis through the Web site. The school is looking to expand its use of Edline to include grades, test scores and attendance.
"Hopefully Edline will replace the paper report cards," Frank said.
Printed calendars and schedules are no longer being distributed by the school, cutting down on paper costs and reducing the opportunities for students to lose assignments or reminders between the classroom and home, Frank said.
"As the students get older, the slips of paper start getting left on the floor," she said. "It’s (Edline) a good backup."
Other schools using Edline chose to use different components of the Web site.
At Immaculate Conception School in Fort Smith, principal Sharon Blentlinger said, "All parents and students have accounts. Teachers put assignments on their page on a daily basis and update grades weekly. I put my monthly letter and our monthly lunch menu on it."
At Our Lady of the Holy Souls School in Little Rock, principal Illeana Dobbins said starting Jan. 30 parents of students in third through eighth grades can access updated test scores and overall grades every two weeks. One feature that Dobbins appreciates as a mother of two boys in the first and seventh grades at Holy Souls is the "combined calendar" feature.
"What this does is I can click and get a combined calendar. It puts on one calendar both of their activities," she said.
Dobbins said improved "parent communication" is the reason Holy Souls contracted with Edline. Another benefit is reduced paper costs.
"We were sending home a lot of paper," she said. "Now I can e-mail all the parents or I can e-mail just one class."
St. Vincent de Paul School in Rogers chose to contract with another Web site hosting company called the Pinnacle System, which bills itself as a "complete electronic student information management solution for schools."
Principal Kristine Grelle said parents started getting access to attendance, discipline and grades in late November.
"The teachers love it," Grelle said. "We were handing out report cards until this year."
Grelle said she likes Pinnacle because, with one click, parents can get online and see a summary of their child’s grades.
"It is just like looking at the teacher’s grade book," she said. "It is very user-friendly."
What happens when a student’s grade drops below a certain level or an assignment is missed? Parents can ask to receive an e-mail message to alert them.
"It gives them the opportunity to talk to their kids along the way," not just when progress reports are sent home, Grelle said.
Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock was the first Catholic school to contract with one of these Web site hosting companies.
Sister Lisa Griffith, the dean of academics, said the school started using K12planet in 2005.
"The parents can keep up with the kids without badgering the kids," Sister Lisa said. "It’s huge in the area of communication. The parents don’t feel like there are any surprises" about grades.
Mount St. Mary is not using K12planet for a calendar of events or attendance.
"As of right now we use it mostly to report assignments and grades," she said. "We are beginning to use it more and more as a communication tool for announcements, reminders and sharing of general information for parents and/or students."
Sister Lisa said the only negative to the Web site is parents are more likely to approach teachers and administrators about their child’s test scores and grades without consulting their child.
"When you hit high school, the daughter needs to take responsibility" (and speak to the teacher), she said.
Vernell Bowen, superintendent of schools, said more schools are likely to look at contracting with Edline or similar services, but finances also have to be considered. Schools pay between $1,000 and $3,000 a year to the companies for Web hosting and training.
