Overview

January 24

Student Information Systems (SIS) are integral to K-12 administrative operations. Unfortunately, many schools still rely on outdated SIS digital infrastructure.

In a recent Center for Digital Education survey, education leaders across the country identified the most common SIS challenges as:

Limited integration with other platforms
Shortages of skilled IT talent
Many manual processes and a lack of automation capabilities

SIS modernization can help schools overcome these challenges, but transforming SIS presents its own challenges and complexities. Education leaders in the CDE survey cited security concerns as the most significant barrier to moving to cloud-based infrastructure, along with:

Unpredictable costs that make budgeting difficult
Loss of control of on-premises systems
Regulatory compliance concerns

Review additional survey data and explore how SIS modernization enhances security measures and elevates data standards during a 30-minute interactive webinar hosted by the Center for Digital Education on January 24 at 10 am PST/1 pm EST. Join the session to hear from education leaders, including the Assistant Superintendent of Redlands Unified School District, as well as the Director of Data Exchange and Integration of Aeries Software.

Speakers

Jason Hill

Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Redlands Unified School District

Jason Hill is the Assistant Superintendent, Business Services at Redlands Unified School District. As a lifelong educator, he began his career as a high school teacher who taught computer networking, web design, graphic design, and video production, before moving into administration to focus on computer systems and integration. During his initial years at Redlands USD, he moved Aeries into a fully web-based platform running on local Microsoft Web Servers. He later helped move the product from local servers into the Aeries-hosted cloud, all while building connections to third-party vendors and creating connections through the Aeries API.

Chris Brown

Director of Data Exchange and Integration, Aeries Software

Chris Brown is the Director, Data Exchange and Integration at Aeries. He oversees the management of varying integrations within the Aeries ecosystem as well as the onboarding of districts onto the hosted AWS environment. He has held a variety of roles during his eleven years at Aeries and nearly five years in local school districts that have allowed him to use his skillset in SQL, critical data reporting, system upgrades, and advanced ETL solutions. Chris is currently enrolled in the Accelerated Information Technology Bachelors and Masters Program at Western Governors University.

Dr. Ann Lee Flynn — Moderator

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Education

Dr. Ann Lee Flynn, CEO of Flynn Strategies, LLC, provides research, planning, and event management to education companies and non-profit organizations. For 27 years, K-12 education and district leadership were Dr. Flynn’s focus as Director of Education Innovation for the National School Boards Association. Dr. Flynn established NSBA’s “20 to Watch” for emerging ed tech leaders and the Technology Innovation Showcase for start-up firms; hosted more than 75 school district site visits; conducted management audits; developed online courses; directed the T+L Conference and represented the association at global gatherings including WISE in Doha, Qatar. She is a published author and continues to serve on NCTET as a past-Chair for the organization. Dr. Flynn earned her doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Virginia and her BSE and M.Ed. from the University of Arkansas.

Webinar

Student Information Systems: Trends, Priorities and Challenges in 2023