After using a different student information system (SIS) for less than a year, Paterson Public Schools had to transition midyear to a vendor that could meet state reporting requirements for them as a large urban district. The district then chose and quickly implemented Infinite Campus in 2014.
Infinite Campus has been easy to use and robust enough to handle the large district of over 30,000 students. Although other student information systems claimed to be able to manage a district their size, their experience with other systems proved that to be false.
“As a company, Infinite Campus has always been responsive to our needs, especially when it came to implementing their SIS mid-year and within a very few months,” said Eileen Shafer, Paterson Public Schools Superintendent.
Switching from the prior vendor to Infinite Campus was done mid-year and in record time, largely due to the support that was received from Infinite Campus. Paterson was in danger of being out of compliance with state reporting requirements, but Infinite Campus gave them the ability to meet state deadlines.
“I would recommend Infinite Campus to other districts because it is a robust, easy-to-use, web-based system. It provides Academic Services the tools needed to implement decisions they make that will improve instruction. It also provides the reporting tools necessary to meet state and local reporting requirements,” stated Shafer.
Favorite Tools and Features
Some of Paterson’s favorite features include the reporting tools that make it easy to monitor district data, and give staff the information needed to drive instruction. Also, Grading and Standards gives them the ability to standardize grading across the district, as they have implemented a district wide course catalog and grading framework that is pushed down to teacher grade books.
“Infinite Campus has saved Paterson dollars and staff resources with online training tools. They have given staff access to resources so that they can refresh their knowledge of a particular tool and learn new features at their own pace,” said Shafer.
Superb Support and Services
Infinite Campus has always been responsive to district needs and has worked with staff until they are satisfied that the problem is resolved.
This was never more evident than during the final months of the 2019-2020 school year when the district needed to provide instruction and grades during a government lockdown.
“The assistance that we received from Infinite Campus allowed us to implement a new grading system and ensure that all students received a report card,” said Shafer.
About Paterson Public Schools
Paterson Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Paterson, New Jersey, just west of New York City. With more than 40 languages spoken in its classrooms, the Paterson Public School District is among the most diverse in the state.