Indianapolis, Indiana
9,200 Students

After struggling with reporting inaccessibility and inaccurate data storage problems with their Harmony student information system (SIS), Franklin Township Community School Corporation was looking for a Web-based system that enables secure and reliable access to information. By choosing Infinite Campus for its wide range of functionality including custom reporting and data management tools for all stakeholders, Franklin Township pioneered SIS excellence in Indiana.

Challenges
Franklin Township had been using a system that was unreliable and no longer met their needs. They found data stored incorrectly with no option for local corrections. Their vendor denied local access for custom reporting. Time was wasted and available information for administrative decision­-making was often inaccurate.

“Franklin Township needed an SIS that could integrate with our technology and help us manage our growing enrollment. Infinite Campus was exactly what we were looking for,” says Ron Blackgrave, Franklin Township Assistant Superintendent of Operations. “We wanted an innovative company, poised to meet our needs today, as well as prepare us for the future. Infinite Campus was everyone’s first choice.”

Solution
Infinite Campus provided Franklin Township with a system that offered secure access to all district personnel with data analysis tools to meet district needs already built into the system. Administrators could extract information at a key stroke. Teachers manage assignments, grades and assessments from school or home, providing flexibility and efficiency.

Franklin Township relies on Infinite Campus to track data for special education and intervention. Counselors and special education case managers are not only using included special education features, but are using them to drive state record keeping procedures. “We restructured our special education department reporting to utilize Infinite Campus and with all the changes in the state special education reporting we are not experiencing any issues with giving the state the data they request,” says Blackgrave. “All of the information we need to access, from response to intervention (RTI) to individual education plans (IEP), is all right there with Infinite Campus.”

As the first Indiana district with Infinite Campus, Franklin Township is exploring new data management territory. With a team of business analysts and software developers dedicated to delivering a solution that meets the state reporting needs of Indiana districts, Infinite Campus was ready for the challenge. The reports that determine state funding revenue for the district are built-in to the product and Franklin Township now has an SIS it can count on.

Data-driven awareness of student achievement plays a big part in Franklin Township student academic success. The district recognizes that close attention to the achievement levels of every student improves the chances that every child can graduate. “Before, we did not have the data to know which of our students were performing well,” says Blackgrave. “Now I can assure you that every principal in our buildings knows which kids are reading on level and which ones need more help.”

Results
In regard to the return on investment Franklin Township is seeing, Blackgrave offered, “It’s not just the bottom line. It’s what you can get from the system that benefits the district. Its accurate data, easy access and built-in functionality that’s important. These are not necessarily quantifiable at first glance, but over time, there is a tremendous savings.” Blackgrave continued, “Here is an intangible return on our investment: Infinite Campus makes teachers happy. That can’t be measured in dollars, but is extremely important to the success of our district. ”Teachers now enjoy a flexible, integrated system for managing lesson plans, grades, assessments, assignments and parent communication. Grades can be updated from home and teachers can spend more school hours in front of students.

As use and knowledge of Infinite Campus increases at Franklin Township, additional features are on the table. The benefits of an integrated system to handle all data management needs have become clear.

“Our goal is to have every district operation draw its information from Infinite Campus,” says Blackgrave. “It has become the ‘go-to’ spot for all our data management needs.”