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Four SIS Trends for 2022

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• February 18, 2022


Trend One: Interoperability

While a student information system should be the backbone of your operations, schools often need to connect to additional system. To help in that effort, it’s important that your vendor provides a wide variety of data integration options that allow you to analyze and share data with third-party applications.

In the year 2022, your SIS vendor should subscribe to open interoperability standards to ensure data is transferred from your SIS to your third-party vendors consistently and securely. Not only should your SIS vendor subscribe to these standards, but they should be their primary method of integration. When your SIS provider relies on open standards, and not on custom or proprietary API’s, the burden on districts to manage integrations is smaller and less expensive. To make your district’s commitment to the use of open standards by your vendors public, consider signing the Standards First Pledge from 1EdTechl.

Trend Two: Innovation & Evolving Functionality

We all know it… Change is hard. It’s difficult to break the mindset of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” However, the reality is that society is changing, and so is the educational landscape. New processes, new procedures, new goals, new initiatives… And you deserve the technology and the tools to support these new efforts. Is your SIS vendor keeping up with the demands of the ever-changing K12 community?

This year, districts are no longer going to rely on a vendor that is set in their ways. An SIS should be able to grow and evolve along with you. If you have workflow inefficiencies in your schools, look to your vendor to improve these processes. Don’t take “we can’t do that” for an answer – expect that your vendor has a creative solution, or that it’s on their roadmap. If that isn’t the case, perhaps it’s time to look for a vendor that is willing and able to innovate.

Trend Three: Readily Available Training & Support

Districts need an SIS that provides ongoing training and responsive support. Many districts find their SIS has all these great features upfront, but after implementation it falls apart simply due to lack of ongoing support and training opportunities. In 2022 districts are feeling this pain more than ever with the staff shortages, and the inability to provide the knowledge transfer to new hires.

A Student Information System is an investment. To maximize this investment, your staff need training opportunities both during implementation and ongoing for the years to come to use your system to its fullest. 

In 2022 you should expect to have on-demand training, virtual learning events, and training resources tailored to specific roles within a district (counselor, teacher, administrator, health, etc).

Trend Four: Stability 

It’s never a good sign when you find yourself in a relationship saying, “I feel like I don’t know you anymore!” This is even more troubling when you are talking about your vendor that supports a crucial system in your district.

In 2022, districts are avoiding partnerships that have a history of acquisitions or even end-of-life notices. It’s important to look at the track record for the businesses with whom you are partnering. If history shows that ownership and leadership has changed dramatically with a vendor, it’s doomed to repeat itself. What will that mean for the development and support of your system?

This year, you'll see more districts partnering with vendors that have a history of consistency and stability – this fosters trust between vendor and customer. Understand their vision and plans for the future.

Four SIS Trends for 2022 - Webinar Recording