As a proactive Technology and Communications Manager, Julie Johnson from Spectrum
High School is continuously striving to optimize performance at the public charter.
A high-quality SIS that provides easy cross-functional collaboration from one easyto-
use platform for all stakeholders has become invaluable.
Julie Johnson, Communications and Technology Manager, Spectrum High School
Julie Johnson, Communications and Technology Manager, Spectrum High School
When the pandemic hit, Infinite Campus went to work building tools that were critical to our district for navigating the distance learning and hybrid environments.
What challenges did you face before using Infinite Campus SIS and what motivated you to solve them?
Spectrum started in 2006 and as we’ve grown
throughout our 15 years. With this growth,
scheduling became a bigger challenge each
year. The Infinite Campus Schedule Wizard is
impressive. It allows staff to set multiple
parameters to control how courses are
placed, such as making sure a traveling
teacher is scheduled in one location in the
morning and the other location in the
afternoon. And then, after our requirements are
set, the wizard can do powerful analysis to
arrange courses and student placement to
maximize filling students’ requests.
If you were talking to a district using an outdated SIS that is lacking functionality and regular enhancements, what would you tell them?
When the pandemic hit, Infinite Campus went
to work building tools that were critical to our
district for navigating the distance learning and
hybrid environments. The Blended Learning
Groups tool enabled us to quickly adjust to a
balanced 50% capacity across all schools. Not
only was there a tool to create the blended
learning groups, but included was the ability to
share this information on the portal within a
student's schedule. Infinite Campus also made
it easy to quickly change a student’s Blended
Learning Group, which was a necessity during
the quickly changing landscape.
When state reporting requirements change, I am
always confident that Infinite Campus will
have the necessary modifications to their
product.
How has Campus SIS improved your day-to-day?
Having the tools needed for state and federal report-ing have been big time savers. The introduction of the Pivot Designer was very timely because it allowed us to create blended learning schedules along with student rosters.
Infinite Campus has teacher tools with time-saving options built-in for efficiency. The Control Center was added for quick attendance and scoring options. Grade Book has a fill scores option so teachers can quickly fill-in the most common scores and make adjustments if needed to any student(s) who scored differently. Teachers also appreciate the ability to add an assignment across multiple courses and sections. T
he addition of voice recording and text messaging to Campus Messenger is another enhancement that we use and appreciate.
What are your favorite tools in our SIS?
My personal favorite tool is the Ad Hoc Reporting. Having the ability to customize and extract data is wonderful. We use Ad Hoc Reporting often, whether it be to get student addresses to the transportation company, generating an honor roll or for sending a customized message.A favorite among our teachers is the advisory tool. Teachers are better able to meet the needs of struggling students when they know who they are. The advisory tool shows student grades, attendance, and missing work all in one area.
Infinite Campus would rate at the top for the best support available. They don’t just close tickets, they resolve the issues.
Does Infinite Campus save the district dollars and/or staff resources?
Yes, in several ways. Spectrum recently purchased Campus Online Registration to reduce data entry when new families enroll at our school. The development of OneRoster API to allow integration for grade pass back has saved countless hours for our teachers. Lastly, having a Food Service POS system within Infinite Campus which adjusts the lunch costs for students who qualify for free and reduced meals, saves us time and money..
How responsive has Infinite Campus been to your questions or concerns? What would you tell someone about our support?
In my role as technology manager, I have had lots of opportunity to work with different technical support teams. Infinite Campus would rate at the top for the best support available. They don’t just close tickets, they resolve the issues. If I submit a ticket with a need to have it addressed more quickly, I can follow-up with a phone call and speak with a live person. This is not true with all tech companies; often, it is extremely difficult to reach an actual person when requesting support. I have found Infinite Campus Support technicians to be very responsive and effective in resolving an issue.
What would you tell other schools/districts about the Infinite Campus SIS and integrated products/suites? About Infinite Campus the company?
We are happy with our SIS. Infinite Campus has a great product which they continue to enhance and make even more valuable. It is apparent that they are committed to maintaining a high-quality SIS. In addition to the core product, we utilize several integrated products: Online Payments, Food Service, Messenger with Voice and most recently, Online Registration. Having these additions means we do not have to log in to another system or integrate data across multiple platforms.
If I had to describe Infinite Campus in one word, I would say responsive. They are a proactive company that really listens to what schools need and they build tools to meet those needs.
How have you benefited from using a fully integrated SIS?
A fully-integrated SIS saves time, improves communication, allows access to relevant data based on role, ensures accurate state and federal reporting, maintains historical records, etc.
Teachers are better able to meet the needs of struggling students when they know who they are. The advisory tool shows student grades, attendance, and missing work all in one area.