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PrologueStudent information systems, also referred to as student data systems and student management systems, are programs that enable school districts to organize and manage students attendance, contact information, demographics, and health information. Some of these systems also integrate with grading and lesson planning programs.

Interviews

SASIPowerSchoolLimited to district serverGrading in IntegradeUsed for taking attendanceUsed to access students demographic and health informationWeb-basedGrading in an integrated gradebookUsed for taking attendance, grading, and accessing students demographic and health informationMore user-friendly interface (Pearson, 2009)Parent communication centerEasy generation of various reportsWhats the Difference?

EnhancesObsoletesSASI gave the student information system a user-friendly Windows interface. Access to student information was no longer limited to district office personnel. Teachers learned to use SASI and it enabled them to immediately enter attendance so that accurate lunch counts could be determined.SASI made the DOS-based student information system, Columbia, obsolete. Columbia did not include attendance or grading tools. Because it was DOS-based it was not user-friendly, and only district personnel used it, while teachers took attendance and recorded grades by hand.RekindlesReversesIn the 19th and early 20th century, teachers had acce3ss to students personal information. As class sizes increased, especially in middle and high schools, they did not have instant access to students personal and demographic information until it was computerized and teachers were given access to it in SASI. Access to SASI was limited to school district servers. Pearson discontinued technical and customer support for SASI when it replaced it with PowerSchool. SASI only enabled teachers to record attendance and access student demographic information. It did not include a grade recording feature.SASI Tetrad

5EnhancesObsoletesPowerschool includes all SASIs features and more. It is web-based and allows school personnel to log into the system from anywhere with Internet access. It includes a grading utility and a report generating feature not included with SASI.PowerSchool made SASI obsolete because the company that produced both products discontinued technical and customer support for SASI and offered all SASI customers free site licenses. PowerSchool has a more user-friendly interface, is more convenient, and has more features than SASI. RekindlesReversesPowerSchool rekindles the ability for teachers to work and access student information from home. They used to bring home paperwork if they wanted the information, but now they can easily access it from anywhere with Internet access.PowerSchool could someday be replaced by an attendance taking mechanism that requires no time or effort on the teachers part, such as eye scanning technology that records students presence in school from the first time they enter a classroom door each day. This would be especially useful in large lecture classes, and could also enhance school security. PowerSchool Tetrad

6PowerSchool FeaturesEvolutionary TechnologiesThe principle of evolutionary technologies explains why SASI originally emerged, having evolved from a DOS-based student information system called Columbia. The basic need was the same: to keep track of student demographic and health information. The tool used to keep track of this information evolved as computer technology evolved. The DOS based program was the most appropriate tool for computers at that time, with DOS operating systems. When Windows became the standard operating system for school office computers, it made sense to replace Columbia with a student information system designed for a graphical interface.

Now that mobility, flexibility, and convenience are the significant trends in computing technologies, PowerSchool is the evolution that offers these benefits by being web-based rather than confined to school servers. The basic task that is performed by the tool remains the same, but now teachers and other school personnel are able to access the tool from anywhere and anytime they choose.

SASIPowerSchool

Rhymes of HistorySASIPowerSchoolIn the 19th and early 20th century, teachers had access to students personal information. They had very small class sizes, often with all grades combined in one room schoolhouses. Teachers may have been friends or family members of students parents. As class sizes increased, especially in middle and high schools in which teachers may have had more than 150 students throughout the day, they did not have instant access to students personal and demographic information. SASI computerized information about students and gave teachers convenient and instant access to it.PowerSchool rekindles the ability for teachers to work and access student information from home. They used to bring home paperwork if they wanted the information, but now they can easily access it from anywhere with Internet access.

In addition, PowerSchool has was described by users, including the teachers interviewed, as very user-friendly. This rekindles the simplicity of pen and paper, but with the power and speed of technology.

Disruptive TechnologiesSASI was a disruptive technology because it was a radical departure from the DOS-based Columbia system that was used only by data entry personnel. I believe that Columbia is just one of many systems that were obsolete by the bigger disruptive technology takeover of Windows and Macintosh graphical user interfaces making DOS obsolete.

PowerSchool, on the other hand, is a natural extension of SASI, its most significant difference being that it is an Internet-based program that can be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection. Therefore, PowerSchool is not a disruptive technology.

SASIPowerSchool

Science FictionNeither SASI or PowerSchool appear to be inspired by science fiction. They both are just electronic versions of student information systems previously stored in manila file folders, rolodexes, and teachers attendance books.

SASIPowerSchool

Increasing Returns and Red QueensSASI was an evolution of the DOS-based Columbia system to a graphical interface information system. It was one of many student information systems, and many systems still exist (Edtekki, 2009). PowerSchool is simply the next generation of student information systems produced by Pearson, Inc., the same company that produced SASI. There are many student information systems on the market; there have never been only one or two frontrunners. PowerSchool and SASI never competed with one another because PowerSchool is produced by Pearson, the company that produced SASI. Therefore, neither Red Queens nor Increasing Returns had any bearing on the emergence of SASI, or its replacement by PowerSchool.

SASIPowerSchool13Debbie Wolfer, Data SpecialistClick to return to InterviewsClick to go to Part 2 of Debbie Wolfers InterviewDebbie Wolfer, Data SpecialistClick to return to InterviewsThe Future of Student Information SystemsOne of PowerSchools main functions is to keep student attendance records. Teachers still must do this manually by logging onto PowerSchool and marking if students are absent. The goal of many technologies is to replace redundant actions that require minimal cognitive functions with automation, freeing humans time for more complex activities. PowerSchool could someday be replaced by an attendance taking mechanism that requires no time or effort on the teachers part, such as eye scanning technology that records students presence in school from the first time they enter a classroom door each day. This would be especially useful in large lecture classes, and could also enhance school security.

The Future of Student Information SystemsAnother function of PowerSchool is to enable teachers to enter grades. Teachers must log onto PowerSchool and type in grades. This is usually done outside of teaching time. In the future, teachers may have handheld devices that they can speak into, allowing them to input information that links to students records throughout the day, and eliminating the need to go to the computer, log onto a program, and type. These kinds of technologies are already being used in some school districts (Edtekki, 2009).

SASIPowerSchoolThe EndReferencesEdtekki. (2009). Student management system. Tangient LLC. Retrieved from http://edtekki.wikispaces.com/Student+Management+Systems. Freefever. (2009). Animated fire clipart. Retrieved from http://www.freefever.com/animatedgifs/fire5.html. Pearson. (2009). PowerSchool. Retrieved from http://www.pearsonschoolsystems.com/products/powerschool/. Random Good Stuff. (2009). Animated evolution clipart. Retrieved from http://content3.clipmarks.com/image_cache/kdupuis/512/303CDE0B-2FEC-463F-8A10-DD3C7B7B6369.gif. Thornburg, D. (2008a). Red queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Creative Commons.

Thornburg, D. (2008b). Emerging technologies and McLuhans laws of media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Thornburg, D. (2009). Evolutionary technologies. Vodcast: In Laureate Education, Inc. Emerging and future technology. Baltimore: Author. Thornburg, D. (2009). Evolutionary technology [Podcast]. In Laureate Education, Inc. Emerging and future technology.