Veracross Evaluation Report_finalISS

Submitted to the Leadership Team and Academic Council at the International School of Stuttgart Prepared by Anja Junginger!

M a y 2 0 1 4

!! !

Evaluation Report

Summary Through the implementation of the Veracross student information system, the International School of Stuttgart hopes to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all information pertaining to students, grades, classes, and organizational supports (calendars, documents, etc.) for all constituents. Additionally, the school hopes that learning will be improved as a result of greater transparency about student progress, increased debate about the effectiveness of the assessments and assignments developed by teachers, and greater curricular and organizational alignment across the school. The expected outcomes consequently include greater student and teacher accountability, clearer assessment tasks and assignments, and thus better learning results and less confusion about where to find organizational and student progress information. !The focus of this program evaluation is to analyze stakeholder perspectives about Veracross in relation to its design, as well as to its current level of implementation. In order to find out this information, much of the data collection was reliant on surveys. Ultimately, the evaluator hoped to gain stakeholder perspectives about the effectiveness of the tool and its usefulness in meeting their needs, as well as to find out what those needs are. The views being targeted are the students, parents, and teachers in the Upper Schools on both school campuses, with an emphasis on grades 6-10. The audience of the program evaluation is the school's leadership teams (administrative and academic) as well as the Database Manager. It is hoped that actions can be taken as a result of the evaluation findings that will improve the ongoing implementation of the program at the International School of Stuttgart. The activities that have taken place so far in the program implementation have focused on stakeholder communication, professional development and support, as well as implementing the technical steps needed to get the portal open and running according to the school’s needs. No baseline data or previous evaluation documentation exists, and the purpose of this evaluation is formative in nature, and goals-based. Surveys are the main tool being used to gather qualitative data, as well as initial interviews with the Database Manager and Director to clarify the objectives. !The findings indicate that the majority of all stakeholders quite strongly buy-in to the idea of having a student information system and wish for it to be implemented effectively. The narrative data from students and parents definitively shows a wish for consistency and reliability of information in order to be informed about student progress. There seems to be a real desire to fully rely on Veracross across all areas of the curriculum and an awareness of the positive benefits of using the program responsibly, however, according to the data, the current situation does not allow for this reliability. Therefore there should be further investigation into strategies which will ensure that all teachers have the tools and knowledge to be able to provide consistent and reliable information to students and parents.

Description of the program evaluated In order to improve communication about individual student learning as well as to manage and communicate whole school processes, a new student information system called Veracross was introduced to the school community in September 2014, however the preparation in the background went on for over two years and a dedicated database manager was hired for the 2012-13 school year in order to lead the implementation. The implementation was very high-stakes for the school Director

and for the Board, and significant funds were dedicated to the endeavor. The school is now using Veracross as the main portal to all information regarding student progress, school events, and for administrative workflows. The intended users are the students, teachers, and parents as well as the school administration. Each of these stakeholders bring different levels of expectations and perceptions related to the usefulness of this tool. While seeing the benefits, many teachers for example, are feeling pressured by the multiple demands placed upon them to plan for and document student progress using tools they are not familiar with. Many students and parents, on the other hand, have felt a lack of control and lack of clarity about the curricular expectations and student progress. They wish for a greater sense of transparency, while still maintaining an acceptable level of data security. The features of the tool include a variety of calendars and views, attendance, a gradebook/assignments, teacher planning tools, a class website, a resource library, and reporting tools. The expectations are that all teachers actively use the system to inform parents and students about assignment requirements, to give feedback, and to report on student learning in grades 6-12. Ways for Veracross to be used in the elementary schools is under discussion and is not part of this evaluation, nor is the use of Veracross by the administrative staff.

• Program Objectives The reasons for implementing Veracross are focused on improving communication, transparency, and student learning. Therefore, this evaluation specifically focuses on the following program objectives:

• Further developing the student information system that supports a transparent and reflective partnership between students, their families and the school.

• Supporting various digital forms of communicating information to support student learning.

!The resulting questions guiding this evaluation are:

• Are stakeholders provided with the information they need and want? • Is the information easy to find and access? • How does the use of Veracross impact student-teacher-parent relationships

and interactions? • What effect does the information provided have on student actions?

• Program Components Veracross offers different modules and interfaces for different users and purposes. The focus of this evaluation is on the portals accessed by students, teachers, and parents in the MYP for academic and general informational purposes. !Teachers have the most active interaction with the tool, as they can use the features of the Academic Module to share assignments, give individual feedback, and post grades all via the Gradebook, post class information via the Class Website, notify students and parents of issues using Contacts, and store resources in the Library. They also have access to a variety of calendars and student information and can use the Planner for their short-term planning. Students and parents mainly view the

information posted by the teachers, excepting the ‘submit’ feature where students can submit assignments to the teachers via a dropbox-like feature. Additionally they can contact teachers using the directory. The main use for students and parents is to see feedback and grades and to be informed about school events. As with any technology tool, it is only as good as the users make it. As the teachers, aside from administration, are the main sources of data-input to support transparency and communication, the success of the tool rides not only on its ease of use, but also on the content provided. Both perspectives will be examined.

Evaluation Method

• Participants The sample frame chosen for this the evaluation includes MYP students, teachers, and parents on the Degerloch and Sindelfingen campuses. The students sampled were those in Degerloch taking a technology class this semester, as well as all students on the Sindelfingen MYP Campus. This was based on convenience, as the technology teachers were the most willing to administer the surveys during class time and the Sindelfingen Campus is significantly smaller, so all relevant students were surveyed. The actual resulting total sample size comprises 36% of the entire MYP student population. All 450 parents in the sample frame were sent the survey. Staff parents were excluded. The response rate resulted in a random sample of 13% of that total population. All teachers in both Upper Schools were surveyed during a staff meeting, with a response rate of slightly over 50%. For further nominal data about the participants, see Appendix B. Prior to sending out the surveys, the evaluator conducted two separate interviews, one with the Director and one with the Database Manager. The information provided was used to fine-tune the objectives, as well as the surveys. Both parties were asked the same questions, which included finding out their perceptions about the strengths and weaknesses of the program and implementation, as well as the questions that they hoped to have addressed through the evaluation.

• Procedures At the time of evaluation, Veracross had been implemented for 5-6 months. Teachers, students, and parents all had access to their respective portals, and these were being used to varying degrees. The first phase of the evaluation process began during this implementation phase, with no involvement of the evaluator during the phases of needs assessment and program planning. The evaluation began with researching school strategic planning documents as well as with informal discussions with the Database Manager in order to ascertain the objectives worth evaluating. These were confirmed during the later separate interviews with him and with the Director. Up to this point most of the data gathered was qualitative, along with some monitoring data related to how often people were logging in and other nominal data needed to define characteristics of the population. This data was also used to inform development of the surveys. The surveys were administered over a 3-week period, beginning with students, then teachers, then parents. Finally the data was analyzed to identify levels of satisfaction with the content and functionality of the program, as well as to identify any effect of this on stakeholder actions and interactions. Ordinal data was calculated and is presented as percentages, and the qualitative narrative data was coded into categories including communication, use of the Gradebook, and general use of Veracross, as these emerged as the main areas

of stakeholder comment. Sindelfingen and Degerloch student data was kept separate during the analysis in order to create a clearer picture for each campus related to student perspectives.

• Data Sources Google Forms was used to create three surveys (Appendix A), which were the primary tool used to collect the qualitative data. Each stakeholder group had a survey customized to their needs and perspectives, although the overall structure and content remained aligned. All surveys gathered nominal data so that the results could be sorted and compared in a variety of ways. The bulk of the surveys generated ordinal data using Likert scales for rating attitudes relating to the impact of the program as well as stakeholder levels of comfort with it. Participants could strongly agree, agree, disagree of strongly disagree with these statements. There was no neutral option included. Students and parents could also indicate the type of information they wished to receive from the school. Lastly there were self-assessment questions related to their sense of competence in using the program, which were rated on a scale from easy to difficult. All surveys allowed for narrative comments related to positive and negative opinions, suggestions, and overall impressions of the program. A few issues need to be mentioned regarding the validity of the data collected from the surveys. The first is of a technical nature, as it was noticed that in the responses from the students, one particular respondent’s data was duplicated 40 times. It is not clear why this happened and thus this data was deleted by the evaluator and not considered. The second issue is that the response rate of the parents was quite low. While both positive and negative responses were represented in the final data, it should be noted that this data may still be biased due to the nature or perspective of the type of parent who responded to the survey. This is also why parental data was not stratified any further. The interviews were structured by following a series of predetermined questions, although some open conversation did ensue beyond answers to these questions. The questions were designed to ascertain perceptions about why we are implementing the tool and how it is going, what opinions the interviewees have about the features of the tool, and what they would like to get out of the evaluation (see Appendix A).

Results

• Link to school mission and general satisfaction Teachers and students show the highest rate of sensing a "disconnect" between the use of Veracross and the school mission, with 30% in total not seeing any connection at all. Conversely, 70% of all stakeholders did see a strong connection. “To actively support” remains the most common choice across all stakeholders, however parents and Degerloch students showed the most diversity in their responses, choosing other points of connection. Overall satisfaction with Veracross amongst students and teachers was over 70% across the board, with teachers the highest at 90% (see Appendix B), and 88% of teachers feel comfortable using the program.

• Evaluation Questions Do stakeholders have the information they need/want?

The charts above give an indication of the type of information parents and students are interested in having. Knowing about the students’ challenges and achievements ranks as the top priority for parents and students alike. Over 70% of all students want to know about their grades and their areas of strength and weakness and the narrative survey results correlate well with this data, as most of the comments centered on exactly this desire. The results regarding events and resources are more mixed. Degerloch students are up to 33% uninterested in knowing about ISS academic and social events, whereas in Sindelfingen there is more interest in this type of information. Parents were also less interested in social events, in relation to academic events and resources. The narrative comments (see Appendix C) gave another view on the type of information wanted. These comments showed a tendency to focus on the lack of accurate and timely information in the Calendar and Gradebook from the parental and student perspective, a desire for less information in the Directory from students, and both teachers and parents often commented on the lack of clarity of the Calendar.

Is the information easy to find/access? 25% of parents feel they are not able to find the information they need, however it needs to be examined if this is due to technical issues and not knowing how to work the system or if it is due to the fact the information is simply not there. In looking at

achievements

challenges

class program

social events

academic events

learn. resources

Not interested

Somewhat interested

Very interested

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Degerloch students

Very interested

Somewhat interested

Not interested

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Sindelfingen students

Very interested

Somewhat interested

Not interested

KEY Students: I want to be informed about…. 1-my grades 2-what I do well 3-what I can do better 4-upcoming and late assignments 5-what is happening in my classes 6-what is happening at ISS 7-programs and events 8-learning resources

4%!

21%!

52%!23%!

Parents: I can find the information I need

strongly disagree disagree

agree

strongly agree

parents' sense of competence in using specific tools on Veracross, it seems that they have a relatively high level of technical ability (see Appendix D), as only 2-4% listed any one tool as being very difficult to use, and only 6-23% noted that some tools are somewhat difficult to use, with the Assignments tool identified as the most difficult to navigate.

The data found in the charts below gives an indication of the level of satisfaction students and parents have with the communication through Veracross. 36% of parents disagree or strongly disagree that they are well informed about their child’s progress. Students in Degerloch feel generally better informed than in Sindelfingen, with only 16% disagreeing with the statement, as opposed to 36% in Sindelfingen.

What affect is being had on student actions? 30% of teachers think their students are more organized as a result of using Veracross while actually 60% of students feel they are more organized in Degerloch, and 40% in Sindelfingen. 60% of Degerloch students and 40% of Sindelfingen students also feel that they make more effort as a result of information in Veracross, while only 30% of teachers would agree or strongly agree that they notice this (see Appendix F). How does use of VC impact on student-teacher-parent relationships? Regarding communicative actions taken as a result of using Veracross, the perceptions vary. 55-62% of students claim to have spoken to their parents because

2%! 16%!

45%!

37%!

Sifi students: Generally I can find the information I need

1!

2!

3!

4!

4%!12%!

50%!

34%!

Degerloch students: Generally I feel well informed about my progress

1!2!3!4!

16%!

24%!34%!

26%!

Sindelfingen students: Generally I feel well informed about my progress

1!2!3!4!

14%!

24%!42%!

20%!

Parents: Generally I feel well informed about my child's progress

strongly disagree disagree

agree

strongly agree

2%!5%!

50%!43%!

Degerloch students: Generally I can find the information I need

1!2!3!4!

of something they saw on Veracross, and 36-46% have spoken to a teacher. 72% of parents claim to have spoken with their child and 50% to a teacher. 49% of teachers claim to have had contact with parents or students as a result of Veracross communication (see Appendix G). Outcomes of Interviews The interviews with the Director and Data Manager showed that both believe that Veracross can enable shifts in the learning culture of the school. Both showed awareness of the issues with the Gradebook and Calendar, but they also believe that the Gradebook and Calendar are both fundamental to achieving their objectives. Both talked about how the use of Veracross would help to uncover underlying issues in how things have always been done in relation to academic communication, and that it would support the school in making improvements, but that it is not the only solution. !

Discussion The use of Veracross at ISS has the purpose to improve student learning and parental confidence through better and more meaningful communication and transparency. The role of this program evaluation was to see, a few months into the implementation of Veracross, how stakeholders are responding to use of the tool. The focus of data collection and analysis has been on how much the tool is improving communication and connection amongst the stakeholders. Attitudes towards using Veracross were also measured to see if there is any resistance to the implementation and which features or expectations should be improved or clarified. The findings indicate that the majority of all stakeholders quite strongly buy-in to the idea of having a student information system and wish for it to be implemented effectively. The data from students and parents strongly shows a wish for consistency and reliability of information in order to be informed about student progress. There seems to be a real desire to fully rely on Veracross across all areas of the program and an awareness of the positive benefits of using the program responsibly, however, according to the data, the current level of implementation does not allow for this reliability. For teachers the key ideas that came through were focused on the need for a myriad of technical improvements, as well as a need for better support and training. This would potentially indicate that teachers are either not using the tool effectively due to lack of knowledge or training, or are hampered in its effective use due to technical constraints. The anomaly in the data is that teachers also indicated a high degree of buy-in to, and confidence in using the tool, which would signal that it is being used effectively, however parents and students say that it is not. This implies that there needs to be further investigation into strategies which will ensure that all teachers have the tools and knowledge to be able to provide consistent and reliable information to students and parents. The survey results were useful in determining general acceptance levels, stakeholder sense of competency, as well as for gathering concrete ideas and suggestions for improvements. The fact that 90% of parents feel a strong connection between the use of Veracross and the school’s mission indicate that it is a good match for the school, however a few of the narrative responses also indicate the opposite. A small percentage of parents mentioned not agreeing with a ‘big brother’ approach to monitoring their children, and either don’t use it or only to a very limited

degree. One family even refused to complete the survey for this reason. Another parent commented, “The best source (of information) is the child and the direct exchange with teachers as well as comments on assignments.” Nonetheless, these were more outliers in the data rather than the norm, but still worth considering. Students can also identify connections to the school mission, and 60-70% feel that Veracross is a useful tool for ISS, as do 91% of the teachers. The teachers also had many positive statements to make about the tool, such as, "Really, the entire system is a strength, since we haven't used anything like this in the past. I find the planner helpful, as well as the quick communication options with parents. I think we'll also see more value as we implement and improve implementation of the calendar and resources tools, as well as the community as a whole gets more comfortable with the tool." Overall, the acceptance rate is high, as is the sense of purpose for the tool in the context of the school. It is also notable that 88% of teachers actually feel comfortable using Veracross (see Appendix E for details). The narrative comments however indicate a desire for more effective professional development and clearer requirements, as well as better training for students. Even with this initial strong acceptance, the narrative comments indicate that many parents are dissatisfied with the timeliness and accuracy of data found in tools such as Assignments and Calendar, which would indicate that it is the implementation, and not the program itself, that leads to not getting the information they desire. Although for parents the Assignments tool came out as the most difficult of all the tools to understand, this was only at 22%, and therefore not largely significant. Rather the comments that arose again and again asked for a timely posting of grades and consistent use by all teachers. Students also echoed this sentiment quite strongly, and showed a desire to be able to rely on Veracross for their organizational purposes. Possibly teachers, 70% of whom did not think that, or know if, Veracross influences student organization in a significant manner may be underestimating the impact of posting assignments, grades, and feedback in a consistent and timely manner. They may also be hampered by the program itself, as was often indicated in the technical-focus of the narrative comments from teachers. Thus, the Assignments tool appears to be contributing the most to parental, as well as to students' dissatisfaction, in part due to its structure, but mainly due to the inconsistency of information presented, which is directly in conflict with their desire to have information about progress. !The question that arises is, if a solid majority of teachers agree with the implementation of Veracross and feel comfortable using, why is there such a strong perception of inconsistent and ineffective use on the part of students and parents? The school may want to look again at professional development models and support for teachers, as well as how expectations are followed-up on and communicated. This may also require further formalization of policies and processes to support effective use, although much of this is already underway. Additionally, many of the suggestions for improvements given by all stakeholders should be examined as to their feasibility and validity. Certainly even a few steps in trying to meet the requests made would further enhance the already positive buy-in and promote a culture within which the use of Veracross can only benefit. In particular improvements to the Gradebook and Calendar are required, and further training in deeper use of tools such as the Library, Website, and Planner would enhance the experience of all users, thereby leading to further transparency and meaningful communication.!

Appendix A

Parent Survey

Teacher Survey Student Survey

Interview Questions

5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms

https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 1/9

Parent Veracross Survey 1The purpose of this survey is to collect information about our newly implemented student information system Veracross. Your responses will help us to better understand how it is being used and how to make improvements. All information is anonymous. Thank you!

* Required

1. How many years have you been at ISS? *Please round down if you came mid-year.Mark only one oval.

0-2

3-5

5-7

more than 7

2. What do you consider to be your home country? *Please choose according a 'best fit'.Mark only one oval.

Germany

Japan

United States/Canada

India

Other European

Other Asian

Other:

3. Have you used a student information system at another school? *A tool similar to VeracrossMark only one oval.

yes

no

4. How many times per week do you log on to Veracross? *Consider this on averageMark only one oval.

Never

1 time

2-3 times

4 times or more



5. What parts of our ISS mission do you think Veracross helps us to support? *Choose all that applyCheck all that apply.

to inspire

to challenge

to actively support

none of these

Skip to question 13.

Lower Schools

6. What campus is your child on? *Mark only one oval.

Degerloch Skip to question 7.

Sindelfingen Skip to question 7.

I do not have a child in the Lower Schools. Skip to question 13.

Lower SchoolsThe purpose of these questions is to determine how comfortable you feel navigating the site, and what information you are looking for.

7. Please rate the ease of using the following parts of Veracross:Mark only one oval per row.

Very difficult Somewhat difficult Fairly easy Very easy Never used it

DirectoryCalendarMy familyThe Home page

8. I can...Mark only one oval per row.

Yes No Never tried

find the email of another family atISS.find school handbooks.find the class website.change my family's profileinformation.change my password.



9. Generally I can find the information I need.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4 5

Strongly disagree Strongly agree

10. Any comment about this?

11. I want to be informed aboutMark only one oval per row.

Very interested Somewhat interested Not interested

My child's achievementsMy child's challengesWhat is happening in theclassroom programWhat is happening across theschool socially (sports, PTA, etc)What is happening across theschool academically (curriculum,forums, etc)Resources available for learning,in the school and community


MYP

13. Which campus is your child on? *Mark only one oval.

MYP Degerloch Skip to question 14.

MYP Sindelfingen Skip to question 14.

I do not have a child in the MYP, take me to Grades 11 and 12. Skip to question 29.

MYPThe purpose of these questions is to find out more about how easy you find the site to navigate, if



you are finding the information you want, and how Veracross is impacting student learning.



DirectoryCalendarAssignmentsClassesMy familyThe Home page


Yes No Never tried

find the email of another family atISS.find school handbooks.find my child's timetable.find my child's grades.find class websites.change my family's profileinformation.change my password.find the assignments my child hasdue.


1 2 3 4







My child's achievementsMy child's challengesWhat is happening in theclassroom programWhat is happening across theschool socially (sports, PTA, etc)What is happening across theschool academically (curriculum,forums, etc)Resources available for learning,in the school and community

19. Generally I feel well informed about my child's progress.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4



21. My child and I have talked about their learning based on what we have seen in Veracross.Mark only one oval.

yes

no

22. I have contacted a teacher as a result of something I saw on Veracross.Mark only one oval.

yes

no

Grades 11 + 12IB and ISS HS Diploma



23. I have a child in Grades 11 or 12.Mark only one oval.

yes Skip to question 24.

no Skip to question 38.

Grades 11 + 12Please answer these questions based on your child in grades 11 and 12.


1 2 3 4



1 2 3 4


26. Any comment about the above?


yes

no


yes

no

Skip to question 38.

Grades 11 and 12The purpose of these questions is to find out more about how easy you find the site to navigate, if you are finding the information you want, and how Veracross is impacting student learning.





DirectoryCalendarAssignmentsClassesMy familyThe Home page


Yes No Never tried

find the email of another family atISS.find school handbooks.find my child's timetable.find my child's grades.find class websites.change my family's profileinformation.change my password.find the assignments my child hasdue.


1 2 3 4







My child's achievements

My child's challengesWhat is happening in theclassroom programWhat is happening across theschool socially (sports, PTA, etc)What is happening across theschool academically (curriculum,forums, etc)Resources available for learning,in the school and community


1 2 3 4




yes

no


yes

no

Overall impressions



Powered by

38. In your opinion, what are the strengths of Veracross?

39. In your opinion, what would help to improve Veracross, as well our implementation of it?

5/6/2014 Teacher Veracross Survey - Google Forms

https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1wSxKow4e2C3zLGTQc-wLIEPlPGUc7v6MABoUg7jQHHM/edit 1/4

Teacher Veracross SurveyThe purpose of this survey is to collect information about our newly implemented student information

system Veracross. Your responses will help us to better understand how it is being used and how to

make improvements. It should take you less than 5 minutes to complete. Thank you!

* Required

1. Have you used a student information system at another school?A tool similar to Veracross

Mark only one oval.

yes

no

2. What program(s) do you teach in? *Check all that apply.

MYP Sifi

MYP Degerloch

DP/HS Diploma

3. How many years have you been at ISS? *Please round down if you came mid-year

Mark only one oval.

0-2

3-5

6 or more

4. What parts of our ISS mission do you think Veracross helps us to support?Choose all that apply

Check all that apply.

to inspire

to actively engage

to challenge

none of these

Using VeracrossThe purpose of these questions is to determine how comfortable you feel navigating the site and

using it for what you want to do. You will have a chance to give more detailed written feedback at the

end.





Directory

Calendar

Planner

Library

Search

Home

6. Please rate the ease of using these areas:Mark only one oval per row.

Very difficult Somewhat difficult Fairly easy Very easy Never tried

Gradebook

Website

Contact

Reporting

7. Generally I feel comfortable using Veracross.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4


8. Overall, I feel that Veracross is a useful tool for ISS.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4


9. How would you rate yourself as a user of Veracross?Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4

Never use it if I

can help it

Actively use all parts of it, leading to a

blended learning environment



10. Are there any comments you would like to make about any of the above?

Impact of using VeracrossThe purpose of this section is find out if Veracross is having any impact yet on student achievement.

If you don't know, choose the neutral button in the middle (#3).

11. My students are showing more effort as a result of the feedback I give on Veracross.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4 5


12. My students are more organized as a result of using Veracross.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4 5


13. Parents and/or students have contacted me as a result of something I posted on VeracrossMark only one oval.

1 2 3 4 5


Overall impressionsPlease tell us anything else that you think would help to provide better training and to make better

use of Veracross.

14. In your opinion, what are the strengths of Veracross and what has helped you in ourimplementation process?



Powered by

15. In your opinion, what would help to improve Veracross, as well our implementation of it?

5/6/2014 Student Veracross Survey - Google Forms

https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1Ru4JZ-BhKSriNfLoAZ5xWw7c1Z3R_HTuk-1wqinFTDM/edit 1/4

Student Veracross SurveyThe purpose of this survey is to collect information about our newly implemented student information system Veracross. Your responses will help us to better understand how it is being used and how to make improvements. All information is anonymous and it should only take 5 minutes. Thank you!

* Required

1. Have you used a student information system at another school? *A tool similar to VeracrossMark only one oval.

yes

no

2. How many times per week do you log on to Veracross? *Consider this on averageMark only one oval.

Never

1 time

2-3 times

4 times or more

3. What parts of our ISS mission do you think Veracross helps us to support? *Choose all that applyCheck all that apply.

to inspire

to challenge

to actively support

none of these

Your program

4. Which campus are you on? *Mark only one oval.

MYP Degerloch Skip to question 5.

MYP Sindelfingen Skip to question 5.

Grade 11 or 12

Using VeracrossThe purpose of these questions is to find out more about how easy you find the site to navigate, if you are finding the information you want, and how Veracross is helping your learning.





DirectoryCalendarAssignmentsClassesThe Home page


Yes No Never tried

find the address of a friend at ISS.find my timetable.find my grades.find my class websites.change my password.find the assignments I have due.submit an assignment.



My gradesWhat I do wellWhat I can do betterUpcoming and late assignmentsWhat is happening in my classesWhat social events are happeningat ISS (dances, sports, etc)What program/group events arehappening (MUN, Ambassadors,Student Council, etc)Resources available for learning,in the school and community


1 2 3 4




9. Generally I feel well informed about my progress.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4


10. I think I am showing more effort as a result of the feedback I get through Veracross.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4


11. I think I am better organized as a result of using Veracross.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4



yes

no

13. I have talked to my parents about my learning based on what we have seen in Veracross.Mark only one oval.

yes

no

14. Overall, I feel Veracross is a useful tool for ISS.Mark only one oval.

1 2 3 4


15. Any comment about any of the above?Optional



Powered by

Overall impressions

16. In your opinion, what are the strengths of Veracross?

17. In your opinion, what would help to improve Veracross?

Interview Question

What do you think are the reasons we use Veracross?

What baseline data would you want to collect now to inform an evaluation in the future?

What system feature do you think is the most powerful?

What are the most common complaints that you get? What do you need to explain the most?

Do you think communication is improving?

What data do you monitor and why?

What data reports can you produce from the system to show how communication/transparent partnership is being improved? (to Database Manager only)

What groups would be good to target in the evaluation?

Appendix B

Nominal Data

Have you used another student information system?

Yes No

Teachers 46% 54% Parents 31% 69% Students 16% 84%

How many years have you been at ISS?

0-2 3-5 More than 5

Teachers 38% 25% 38% Parents 48% 19% 33%

8% 13%

40%

39%

Sifi students

1

2

3

4

11%

11%

38%

40%

Degerloch students

1

2

3

4

Overall, I feel Veracross is a useful tool for ISS.

2.44%

7.32%

51.22%

39.02%

Teachers

strongly disagree

disagree

agree

strongly agree

41%

17%

25%

17%

Parent Nationalities

Germany

Japan

United States/Canada

Other European

What parts of our ISS mission do you think Veracross helps us to support?

20%!

Degerloch Students

none of these to actively support to challenge

to inspire

12%!

Sifi Students

none of these

to actively support to challenge

to inspire

29%!

Teachers none of these to actively support to challenge

to inspire

11%!

Parents

to actively support to challenge

to inspire

none of these

Appendix C

Narrative Comments-Consolidated What they would like: Parents Students Teachers Communication

• A search feature for the calendar

• Reliable updating of the calendar

• Include LS information • Have everything in one place • Important messages to still be

sent by email/as notification, especially if there are issues

• Clarification of the calendar color coding and a key

• Continued emphasis on person-person interaction when focusing on student learning

• That the information posted is correct

• Managebac and other sites to be discontinued

• Report cards to be printed

• A chat function; to use VC as a communication tool

• Personalize the calendar • Less information in the

directory • Print report cards

• Better more customizable and accurate information in the calendar

• Use the calendar to track student assessments (Sifi)

• A separate teacher calendar

• Stop using Sifi website • Still have verbal

communication about things at meetings rather than relying on VC calendar

• Automatic notification about student activity

• Comment box for EAL

Gradebook

• A ‘live’ report overview for all subjects on one page

• Show highest criteria possible – ex. 5/6 not just 5

• Feedback comment on assignments

• Consistent use by all teachers

• More standardized task structures and better display to parents and students

• Include related documents for assignments posted rather than going somewhere else for these

• See all upcoming tasks on one page

• More notes and information about given assignments

• Timely posting of grades • Consistent use by all

teachers • More feedback beyond just

the grade • To see when work was turned

in/timely status update

• Show highest criteria possible – ex. 5/6 not just 5

• Assignments posted in advance

• Rubrics posted with assignments as feedback tool

• A better sense of what the report card will say

• Put the assignment dropbox IN the assignment message

• Have the dropbox, assignment, and grade all in one place

• Enter comment in same place as where the grade is

• Better dropbox set-up and easier way of attaching documents

• fewer clicks to enter grades • No ‘assessment types’

dropdown • MYP grades to be visible in

the gradebook • Better data analysis

features for DP • VC to automatically check

for students with multiple tests on one day

• Better way to deal with multiple phases in a class group

• Have subject criteria max points automatically shown

• To have an overview of all students grades and assignments at a grade level

• Set the same assignment for multiple classes

• EAL to see all students’ assignments and due dates

• To be able to sort students differently

• Download all Dropbox documents turned in at once, rather than singly

• Don’t attach everything to an assignment, students should get it in class and still use paper planners

General use:

• Support documents and training

• Mobile app • Ability to toggle to parent or

student view as a teacher (so they can help the parent/student with issues)

• More user-friendly • Do not include birthday

calendar (security)

• Make and post goals • Less clutter • Better design and colors • Customizability • A C&S page so no more

Managebac • Change username

• Seeing what parents and students see

• Sharing and PD with support; Wed Q&A

• Differentiated training • Focus on how to use

planner and class website • Easier room reservation • Make it possible to

generate info reports from data (for teachers)

• customizability Issues they are having: Parents Students Teachers Assignments, grades

• Not updated correctly and reliably

• Not understanding MYP grading

• Hard to understand the grade data entered

• Can’t find the grades • Don’t understand which

grade comes from where on rotational subjects such as science or humanities

• How to link assignment calendar to personal

• Consequences at home due to misleading information

• Not enough information about assignments to know what to do/lack of clarity

• Hard to find assignments • Dropbox is hard to find •

• Lack of clarity about weighting of grades

• Grades not saving • Coping with different

assignments for different students in one class (ie language)

• Combined classes in a combined gradebook

calendar

General use:

• Too many links and

cumbersome • Too slow • Changing family profile

information is slow and time-consuming

• Newcomers have to request an account?/families midyear

• Problems logging on after password change

• concerns about data safety and security

• Not clear where to send mails to teachers – which email

• Calendar difficult to understand

• Getting lost where they are; navigation issues

• Teachers don’t know how to use it

• Not clear about requirements

• Lacking proper training

• Homepage too cluttered • How to send one email

to multiple addresses • Accessing contacts;

using the directory • Use of planner is too

cumbersome • Library tool too difficult • Use of discussion

boards • Unsuited to our

environment • Inaccurate calendars

and class lists • Slow • Students aren’t using

it; no clear expectations

• Students aren’t trained in it

• Although good, too much info for EAL students

Appendix D

Is the information easy to find/access?

directory

calendar

assignments

classses

My family

home page

Parents

Never used it

Very difficult

Somewhat difficult

Fairly easy

Very easy

[Directory]

[Calendar]

[Assignments]

[Classes]

[The Home page]

Degerloch students

Very difficult

Somewhat difficult

Fairly easy

Very easy

Never used it directory

calendar

planner

library

search

home page

gradebook

website

contacts

reporting

Teachers

Never used it

Very difficult

Somewhat difficult

Fairly easy

Very easy

0.00%$ 20.00%$ 40.00%$ 60.00%$

[Directory]

[Calendar]

[Assignments]

[Classes]

[The Home page]


Very difficult

Somewhat difficult

Fairly easy

Very easy

Never used it

0.00%$ 20.00%$ 40.00%$ 60.00%$

[Directory]

[Calendar]

[Assignments]

[Classes]

[The Home page]

Degerloch students

Very difficult

Somewhat difficult

Fairly easy

Very easy

Never used it

Appendix E

Teacher data stratified by number of years at ISS:

Group Respondents Used another SIS Comfortable with VC use (3/4)

0-2 years 16 12 15

3-5 years 10 6 10

6+ years 15 0 11

12%$

49%$

39%$

All teachers: Generally I feel comfortable using Veracross

strongly disagree

disagree

agree

strongly agree

Appendix F What affect is being had on student actions?

17%$

12%$

37%$

24%$

10%$

Teachers: My students are more organized as a result of using Veracross

strongly disagree

disagree

don't know

agree

strongly agree

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I think I am showing more effort as a result of the feedback I get through Veracross.

I think I am better organized as a result of using Veracross.

Sindelfingen Students strongly disagree

disagree

agree

strongly agree

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I think I am showing more effort as a result of the feedback I get through Veracross.

I think I am better organized as a result of using Veracross.

Degerloch Students strongly disagree

disagree

agree

strongly agree

22%$

10%$

39%$

19%$

10%$

Teachers: My students are showing more effort as a result of the feedback I give on Veracross

strongly disagree

disagree

don't know

agree

strongly agree

Appendix G

!

55.26%

36.84%

44.74%$

63.16%$

I have talked to my parents about my learning based on

what we have seen in Veracross.

I have contacted a teacher as a result of something I saw

on Veracross.


no

yes

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

strongly disagree disagree Don't know agree strongly agree

Teachers: Parents and/or students have contacted me as a result of something I posted on Veracross

61.82%$

46.43%$

38.18%$

53.57%$

I have talked to my parents about my learning based on

what we have seen in Veracross.

I have contacted a teacher as a result of something I saw

on Veracross.

Degerloch students

no

yes

71.70%$

49.06%$

28.30%$

50.94%$

My child and I have talked about their learning based on what we

have seen in Veracross.

I have contacted a teacher as a result of something I saw on

Veracross.

Parents

yes$no$

Veracross Evaluation Report_finalISS

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