Purchasing and Implementing a Student Mangament System at JCSS
Purchasing and Implementing a Student Mangament System at JCSS
Introduction
Jefferson County School System has purchased a new System for Student Management and just like any new technology it takes time to adjust. But there were quite a few issues in the implementation process that could have been avoided. I will explain what went well in the implementation process of Jefferson County School System. I will examine the complaints as well as complications with the system and explain what should have been done better. And lastly I will point out what could have been done to improve the results of the implementation process.
Background
Jefferson County School System (JCSST) is a school system that educates about 10,000 students in 18 different schools, consisting of fourteen elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. In 1970 administrative computing had begun for doing student scheduling, grade reporting and keeping record of student enrollment. In 1976 the school corporation purchased a DEC PDP 11/34 computer, and the student management applications were converted from the university computer. During the next few years, financial applications were added and more student management applications were developed. As the years went by and Technology changed, JCSS has been keeping up. Now they have four Dell servers operating under UNIX and PC’s and Pc’s in all JCSS locations are connected to the system via a high-speed TCP/IP network. Now the newly hired superintendent Dr. Henry Greene and a small task force of Administrators decided that JCSS systems should be replaced with purchased software and it should utilize and integrate database and report-generation software. This task force also suggested that the programming staff of the data processing department would no longer be needed if these recommendations are accomplished.
Discussion
Everything started off well, a task force of administrators was established and a task of
Introduction
Jefferson County School System has purchased a new System for Student Management and just like any new technology it takes time to adjust. But there were quite a few issues in the implementation process that could have been avoided. I will explain what went well in the implementation process of Jefferson County School System. I will examine the complaints as well as complications with the system and explain what should have been done better. And lastly I will point out what could have been done to improve the results of the implementation process.
Background
Jefferson County School System (JCSST) is a school system that educates about 10,000 students in 18 different schools, consisting of fourteen elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. In 1970 administrative computing had begun for doing student scheduling, grade reporting and keeping record of student enrollment. In 1976 the school corporation purchased a DEC PDP 11/34 computer, and the student management applications were converted from the university computer. During the next few years, financial applications were added and more student management applications were developed. As the years went by and Technology changed, JCSS has been keeping up. Now they have four Dell servers operating under UNIX and PC’s and Pc’s in all JCSS locations are connected to the system via a high-speed TCP/IP network. Now the newly hired superintendent Dr. Henry Greene and a small task force of Administrators decided that JCSS systems should be replaced with purchased software and it should utilize and integrate database and report-generation software. This task force also suggested that the programming staff of the data processing department would no longer be needed if these recommendations are accomplished.
Discussion
Everything started off well, a task force of administrators was established and a task of
References: Brown, C. V., Daniel D., Jeffrey H., Wainright M., and William P. Managing Information Technology for DeVry University, 7th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions. VitalBook file (p. 506 - 515)