It’s never been easy being an educator, and the challenges are tougher than ever. As with many industries, paper processes are part of the problem. They add costs and waste time. Parents and teachers fill out forms. Administrative staff must enter data manually. Access to student data is often inefficient. Records may be filed in various locations. Pulling information from those paper records takes time and money away from classrooms.
Dwindling Resources
As local, state and federal governments cut funding, school districts must do more with fewer resources and less time. Administrative tasks cut into the time educators can devote to lesson planning, tracking progress and customizing teaching methods. Teachers spend hours grading papers and filing documents, leaving less energy for education itself.
That’s changing as technology becomes available to transform document-based processes. Teachers seem to agree with this approach. One study found that 89 percent of teachers think education technology improves student outcomes.
When schools can streamline back-office tasks, meet government mandates and better manage student data and performance, academic outcomes improve. When schools cut administrative costs, including back-office processes, they recover funds that can go into classrooms instead.
Digital Transformation In Education
Student relationship management (SRM) programs and digital learning are recognized as key factors in addressing today’s education challenges effectively. They offer many compelling advantages:
- Often hosted in a secure cloud, SRM streamlines administrative processes like registration and keeps data in one location.
- Files transfer automatically when a student switches schools.
- SRM reduces administrative time, translating into more efficiency and productivity.
- Administrators, staff, students and parents have secure access to confidential student data.
- Digitizing learning management makes it easier for teachers, students and parents to connect through integrated websites.
- SRM digitally analyzes student strengths and weaknesses to help personalize teaching.
- It minimizes time spent grading papers, freeing teachers to focus on lesson planning.
- Student data can be correlated with personalized instructional strategies
- Gaps, struggles and patterns in each student’s learning process can be identified automatically.
- Schools can more easily implement and comply with national Common Core learning standards.
There’s a lot to be learned from successful digital transformation stories. Visit xerox.com/HarrisHill to watch a short video and find out how Harris Hill Elementary School uses digital learning to tailor education.
