Handout - Magnet Schools of America
Contents
1. Providing parents with up to date information on their application and placement status will not only keep your parents happy but your staff as well With better parent involvement the day to day phone calls about application status requirements and more are decreased allowing the process to be as hands off as possible The Smart Choice Application component provides parents with a quick and easy online application process That translates to happy parents and fewer support calls Forcing the parents to be accountable for the information the provide your school or district you can rest easy that each application is filled in to its entirety and is ready to be processed once submitted MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page7 coorta AK firefly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES The Application component features a multi step application which is accessible through a web based user portal Applicants utilize a single sign on account to submit multiple applications for one or more children within a household in an easy and efficient process This application collects basic information including student information household and guardian information as well as program specific required information Applications can also collect unique program assets such as essays tests portfolios preference rankings and more The Smart Choice platform is configured to serve the needs of each school or s2. Allow both administrators and applicants to automate the appeals process Upon being assigned or placed in a wait pool through the lottery the applicant is notified via email automatically If the parent feels that the placement in the wait pool or lack of placement was given in error they will have the option to begin the appeals process online Submissions are easily made and tracked through the online parent portal Administrators can review filter and manage all appeals and track details regarding the reason approval or denial and more Schedule a demo or consultation today www smartchoicetech com 337 269 0299 info smartchoicetech com MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 25 h 4 f IM amp Na V OU Asy f f AKTE AR AK Ofiretly 2 J N m Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES Client References The story of the Smart Choice commitment to service and quality products can best be told by our clients Pleases consider contacting our client references Contact Lou Kruger Executive Director of Recruiting amp Counseling 814 633 5200 Website http slosmagnetschools org Contact Donna Hudson Director of Student Assignment 919 560 2059 Website http dpsncapplication com Contact Dr Randall Domingue Public Information Director 837 521 7000 Website http lafayettechoice com Contact Enid Rey Director of School Choice 860 713 8876 Website http hoschoice c
3. including when they were moved who made the move and the reason for the move MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 19 l AKKXEEE XE A firefly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart PIT TECHNOLOGIES This history tracking feature keeps the process fair honest and transparent by allowing administrators to recall the complete movement history of a student MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 20 AXTXEEEAI A Ax Oiretly Smart choice TECHNOLOGIES The Future Connected Connectivity is important in the world of education With multiple systems being used to house student data transportation details grades and more processes and methods for connecting these systems and services makes for a more seamless and automated process Easily connect student data to the application or enrollment system or allow GPA to be routed into the application for reference and eligibility checks The sky is the limit in regard to what and how processes can be connected to better serve your students district and make the most of your time Some schools or districts may require additional steps or processes and with the ability to add on these processes as they are needed helps districts keep costs down by only using what they need Tools that offer modular features that can be tacked on or taken off as needed offer a truly tailored experience for your district that can grow and evolve with your district s application and selecti
4. design option to give your school or district application and recruiting sites a more personalized look and feel This feature is especially effective for schools that require consistent branding across all online content Custom design takes the look and feel to the next level to deliver a high impact experience needed to effectively market your schools programs or themes The Smart Choice Payment Integration module allows you to add online payment options to your applications and enrollment forms using many of the most trusted online MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 22 ictor 9fety Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES payment processors Smart Choice will work with you to find the best payment solution to fit your needs whether you re a small school or large district The Smart Choice Letter Builder makes district or school communication easier than ever The Letter Builder provides an online toolset that makes it quick and easy for administrators to create print and distribute hundreds or thousands of letters to parents and students The Smart Choice Online Enrollment module provides an effective toolset for the online enrollment process following student selection Once a student s seat is accepted by the parent this module allows parents to move directly into the enrollment process Parents login to the system and complete the required forms answer questions gather information
5. ensure that your applicants have the ability to submit and manage your applications from anywhere increasing your reach Equity of access doesn t just apply to how the application can be accessed but also to ensuring that it can be accessed in an understandable manner to your demographic Setting up automatic translation features for your application or recruiting website application forms rules parent notifications and more create the ability for the widest number of applicants to feel comfortable reviewing submitting and managing the application process MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page6 cortas firefly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES Online forms are not all created equal especially in regards to an often lengthy process like student applications Creating a process that makes it easy for parents to submit all forms from one account with the ease to save their progress for completion later create a sense of usability that will Keep parents happy and the application process smooth Let your online forms do some of the thinking for you With features like duplicate checks grade to dob verification address restrictions and more online forms can help ensure that you collect your student data in a way that is clean and efficient with less manual fixes for your administrative staff Online forms that are customizable and allow for dependent fields allow for the most automated application process
6. placement at other programs delinquent deadlines and more spots open up Real time wait list management tools allow the system to do the heavy lifting for you these vacancies can be filled in real time as they become available taking the guess work out of who comes next Tools that allow for movements to be allowed or restricted based on your policy or program by program also keep the flexibility of the system open and allow you to make exceptions when needed When it comes to wait lists its never as simple as moving 1 student up as a vacancy becomes available Most of the time you have very specific instances like What happens when a student is placed at their 2nd choice school Do they stay on their 1st choice s wait list What happens if an opening comes up at their first choice What happens if one of their siblings gets moved up These sorts of scenarios are part of a real life placement process Tools that take into account a magnitude of scenarios that are specific to your district s rules regulations and processes will help to automate and often cumbersome process that is prone to error We live in a time where instant gratification is expected Communicating when parents during the selection process is a time sensitive process Instant notification and MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 17 ictor 9fety Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart choice TECHNOLOGIES communication in multiple avenues is
7. 28 AM Recruitment through Selection Best Practices for a Fair amp Honest Process 10 13 2014 A Y KF TKR Rr Ofirefly I Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES Table of Contents TAG CF COREE S cis 003 weninesossinn riei aae 2 About Smart Choice M s sse 3 SYSTEM OVENVIEW isses 4 Presentation Description es 5 Pe IG O raria rnr aia RAR 6 Administration mene Ee 19 Wait List Management 17 The Future Connected cree 21 Client References eee 206 MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page2 orcoortX ax 9fety Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES About Smart Choice The Smart Choice system was conceived in 2004 as an online application and application management system Created by then high school junior Casey Bienvenu it was a school project for the career academy he was attending the Academy of Information Technology program at Carencro High School Casey s system was so well received that the Lafayette Parish Schools System adopted it as its district wide choice application and application management platform Since then the platform has grown and evolved into a full featured system and includes many of the features that our clients know and love today In 2012 Smart Choice was incorporated and contracted with Firefly Digital to exclusively market implement and support the platform As a project manager technology analyst and web marketing consultant for school district s acro
8. and more are best as they offer the most flexibility and conform to the standard school level hierarchy Never be consumed with questions about why or how something was done again An administrative system that tracks changes emails placements and more make it simple to keep tabs on your recruitment and selection process Not only do these tracking tools allow a school or district to easily isolate specifics about an application but it also keeps internal staff honest and keeps the entire process completely transparent What good is the data without a way to analyze it Reports are one the most important parts of the application and lottery process Whether reports are needed on a district state level or for more of an internal or personal use having tools that allow you to run or create reports specific to your district and process are important Saving sharing reformatting and restricting reports are also important features to ensure that the data that you collect MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page9 iro rx Ax Oielly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES can work for you for years and years to come to help streamline and guide your processes into the future The ability to grow change and adapt is key when working through your processes and systems New programs forms restrictions priorities and more will always come up so ensuring that you are backed by a toolset that can easily be adapted to
9. ations that go out through to a parent s email address can also be transported to their mobile device in the form of a SMS or text message Parents will be prompted to opt in for these services upon submitting an application and all notifications including eligibility changes deadline notifications and more will be sent directly to the parent s mobile device This pro feature does require the district to select a 3rd party text messaging service with suggestions from Smart Choice for the best solution based on district size All 3rd party fees and text message fees are the responsibility of the district This module will facilitate the automated and web based process for student transfers based on your board policy Provide parents the ability to submit manage and update transfer applications form their main parent dashboard or a separate location depending on the district s need This allows them to submit applications check status review MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 24 ictor RA 9fety Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES confirmations and more Many actions trigger email notifications for direct communication with parents Administrators are able to review edit manage and approve or deny transfer applications as well as manage the process Things like transfer reasons codes deadlines letters and more are all manageable for the transfers process through the administrative portal
10. chool system Applications collect specific information required by the district and or program based on each s unique specifications and requirements That means the platform can be customized to fit just about any need Once applications are submitted applicants are able to manage all applications from a web based dashboard This makes the process of submitting additional applications and ranking applications by preference quick and easy for each student The dashboard allows parents to monitor the status of any submitted applications as well as view important updates or notes from administrators about their applications If an application is accepted parents have the option to accept or decline the child s seat If an application is not accepted parents have access to a real time wait list which provides a rank for each student not placed within the program MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page8 ak R Xf TE AK firefly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart choice TECHNOLOGIES Administration With a varying level of school or district administrators being part of the application and selection process its important to ensure that each user has the correct level of access With sensitive data safeguards need to be available that make it easy to manage the administrators that have access to the system and what they can do and see User management that can be restricted by action and by school program grade level
11. eller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES Following lottery selection for students not selected parents are notified of their students wait list status and rank The system allows for selected applicants to accept or decline their seat within the program When seats are declined and become available wait list students are automatically moved into open seats on the selected list and parents are notified of the changes When a parent accepts their child s seat within a program or school the student s placement is locked in on the selected list at the original placement rank and is noted in the administration dashboard as accepted If a parent declines a seat within a program or school the student s name is removed from the selected list and the first student on the wait list is automatically moved up onto the selected list This keeps the process of filling seats fair and efficient When a student moves on to the selected list the newly placed student is notified of their acceptance by e mail and they too have the option to accept or decline their placement The Wait List component also provides a manual move option This allows administrators to move applicant positions within selected lists and wait lists if necessary All applicant position moves within and between the selected lists and wait lists are tracked in each student s application record allowing administrators to view movement history
12. ings to meet district or school selection criteria policies e Supports sibling and twin pairings e Supports pathways and priorities e Cutoff numbers managed for each program and each grade for generating accepted and waiting lists e Run lottery on one or multiple programs at once as well as specific grades MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 14 POPE AK O firefly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES e Support for multiple pools with ability to merge append new lottery results to previous lottery results e Lottery test mode allows test lottery runs e Lottery audit report records and logs all test and official lottery runs e Email parent notification of lottery placement e Option to turn on off lottery notifications e Wait list management tools e Export lottery and wait lists for use in external programs e Print notification letters and mailing labels in bulk Pro Feature e Mobile access to lottery results Pro Feature The Smart Choice Lottery component is configured to select students based on your school or district s selection criteria making sure that each lottery is fair efficient and tailored to your needs Each lottery run generates lists of randomly selected students based on the programs specific selection criteria twin and sibling pairings and other school district specific selection criteria It also generates waiting lists for each group class and program Usi
13. ith each process of recruiting or selecting students for your schools challenges arise where best practices have to be referenced Not only to get the best methods or techniques but to also follow a standard that has worked for others These best practices can be identified for each part of the process and can often make the process of an online application lottery wait list and enrollment process as efficient as possible MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 5 DAK EXELAK Ofirelly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart choice TECHNOLOGIES Applications Collecting applications online is no new venture and with many online form systems or capabilities out there its important to understand that not all online forms are created equal The form is the starting point where most schools or districts start but realistically there are so many behind the scenes questions processes and details that determine how your form will need to be collected and formatted in order to conduct your selection the way that you need to in order to adhere to your policy while being fair and transparent In order to create an application most widely accessible to your applicants the online application must be available to them in a number of ways We live in a world where we can access content from a number of sources throughout the day with a touch of a button Ensuring that your applications are web based and mobile optimized or responsive will
14. ively manage the growing administrative load created by the rapid growth in attendance within these selective and open enrollment programs Smart Choice gives administrators a trusted means to implement and manage an automated and paperless student application process and selection lottery blind lottery in a timely and effective manner MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page4 af J at a IM N X f AN gh e 27 Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES Presentation Description How can you and your district better serve your students and community during the recruitment and selection process while maintaining standards and magnet best practices Get an all inclusive guide to creating managing and executing a seamless online application and lottery for your magnet program or school with a toolset made with magnet schools in mind With the Smart Choice platform learn to design a recruitment and application process that is proven and trusted across the country Develop an internal process that is easy effective and manageable Discover how a fair honest and transparent lottery can transform your process and program credibility In three simple steps your district or program will be on its way to a world class automated process from recruitment to selection A METHOD OR TECHNIQUE THAT HAS CONSISTENTLY SHOWN RESULTS SUPERIOR TO THOSE ACHIEVED WITH OTHER MEANS AND THAT IS USED AS A BENCHMARK W
15. ized by district school and even individual program Each step of the application process can be created by your team with the Smart Choice Form Builder and changes to the application can be made just as easily MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 12 WERXTPEARL AK O firefly Smart K Choice TECHNOLOGIES No two lotteries are alike Priorities preferences ranking details exceptions and rules need to be able to be adapted to meet your board policy exactly Not only does this ensure that your district is in compliance but it also takes out the guesswork of any complaints appeals discrepancies that come up post placement A lottery selection algorithm based specifically on your policy makes sure you aren t falling into the challenges that come along with out of the box randomizing solutions or the tedious task of manual selection Response amp Confirmation Processes Experience goes a long way in the process of selection When you use the word Sibling or Zone Preference you want your software provider to understand that that means to you You want a team that has worked with schools magnet programs and the complexities that come along with the selection process as a whole Choosing a team that has worked through challenges with other schools and districts and can offer insight and suggestion on how other schools and districts have handled challenges of their own can be a huge benefit for the flow of your selection
16. meet these changes is key Although changing to any new system is a challenge with some growing pains expected you want a system that is easy to use and understand Tools with a clean and organized layout easy to understand buttons and labels and an intuitive flow make for managing your application and lottery process the most enjoyable experience for any team The Smart Choice Administration component provides system administrators with powerful features packaged into a system that s fast efficient and easy to use That means your team can do so much more in less time The administration area creates a place for district staff to manage and review submitted applications This component features a user management module allowing super administrators to create new admin users and restrict their access to certain applications and actions depending on their role within the district MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 10 h 4 IM M Na V UD Asy f f Ox AAA firefly N IN JN 7 Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES Applications can be sorted and filtered by a number of different data points making it easy to find the application in question Applications can be manually input through an easy to use interface making manual data entry for paper application digitization simple and effective The Smart Choice system was created in a way that allows for thousands of student applications
17. ng the parent notification component status updates can be made in real time ensuring all parents are notified of their student s placement or wait list rank and status with just one Click The system allows for selected applicants to log into their dashboards where they can accept or decline their seats Once a parent accepts a seat the student s placement is locked in and notated in the administrator s running list for reference MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 15 cortas firefly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES If a parent declines a seat the student s name is removed from the selection list and the next student on the wait list is assigned the seat and notified of their placement via e mail This process creates an easy to manage centralized and real time wait list a powerful feature set that eliminates errors and the need to managing multiple documents Reports are also available within the lottery component designed to protect the integrity of the lottery selection process Useful for auditing purposes these reports log and track all test and official lotteries run by date time and user MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 16 Dico tX AR Ofiretly J Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES Wait List Management Managing a living wait list without an automated real time to do so is almost impossible without an automated tool When vacancies become available due to declines
18. om Contact Theresa Porter Director of Recruitment 225 922 5443 Website http ebrmagnet org MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 26 ictor XR AK Ofrely Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES Contact Sherry Kully MSAP Grant Coordinator 818 241 3111 ext 649 Website http gusdmagnetandflag com Contact Tim Caitlin Child Welfare amp Attendance Super 662 926 5566 Website http abcschoolsofchoice com Vill HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT Contact Jennifer Todd Grant Supervisor 713 556 6734 Website http houstonisdschoolchoiceapplication com Contact Pete Licata Assistant Superintendent Career Choice Options 561 434 8000 Website http mypbchoiceapp com Contact Lisa Hollingsworth Student Assignment Coordinator 541 790 7553 Website http 4jschoolchoice com Contact Jan Reckley Magnet Grant Project Coordinator 317 964 4134 Website http magnetapp Itschools org MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 27 Park PEAT AK Ofety Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller
19. on process Change is something to always keep in mind when implementing tools for selection and recruitment Tools that allow you and your team to make changes or adaptations are key along with tools that can be further developed and customized throughout the years This allows for the utmost accommodation to your ever changing processes keeping the tools that you have invested in work for you over a longer period of time MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 21 ictor XR A 9fety Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES There are many additional features and modules that can be incorporated into any implementation of the Smart Choice system to further enhance the district and parent s experience The Pro Features available are explained below The Smart Choice platform integrates with many student information systems Capabilities vary from one system to the next but generally include integration of student information to pre populate student application forms address verification and sibling relationship verification Smart Choice ON THE GO is a feature rich mobile extension of the Smart Choice system provides a way for parents and students to submit and manage their program applications via smart phone or tablet device On the Go is not just convenient It extends the online application process to families that may not have access to a computer Smart Choice offers a custom website
20. on requirements review deadlines and more The Smart Choice Audition amp Test Scheduling module provides a set of online scheduling and tracking tools for programs that require testing interviews evaluations or auditions The module makes scheduling and tracking these appointments efficient for both applicants and administrators and eliminates scheduling errors The Smart Choice Online Recommendations module makes completing teacher recommendations simple and hassle free The online module provides a request feature and a completion and verification feature reducing a tedious and time consuming process to a few simple steps MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 23 ictor XR A 9fety Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES Included with your package is a specific amount of hours of training time via web conferencing software If more time is needed to train administrators throughout the school year a multi level session can be setup to accommodate the needs of the district Creating a custom training package provides you your team and your applicants easy to understand instruction to effectively use your Smart Choice system through additional sessions written or online materials and video training sessions e Full System User Manual e Video Tutorials e User Manual by User Permission e 1 Day Training Session e 2 Day Training Session To provide additional access for parents all notific
21. process Tracking the application movements as described above is always important but tracking and auditing the actual selection process can be essential Knowing how or why a student was placed or not placed with the ability to show that detail is invaluable in any selection MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 13 POPE AK Ofitelly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES process Not only for reference or dispute placement auditing and tracking also keeps internal staff honest and a provable blind lottery process When a house is built a blue print is developed and signed off on by all parties for good reason to ensure that what is being built accommodates all of the needs presented and creates a clear plan of work to be done The same goes for the development of technology Developing detailed documentation not only ensures that the application and lottery process that is built or developed adheres to your specific process and criteria it takes the guess work of how something will work and what types of results will be seen The Smart Choice Lottery component is the blind lottery parents teachers and administrators can trust to be fair and secure Smart Choice provides multiple safeguards to protect the integrity of your school system s blind lottery process e One click lottery e Secure password protected system e Random algorithm ensures fair placement of applicants e Custom sett
22. ss the country Mallory s expertise brings educational institutions a better understanding of how to serve their schools and communities In addition to her professional experience Mallory brings a personal relationship to her work with choice schools having two children who are enrolled in a selective enrollment program Through this personal experience and new experiences with each school district that she works with Mallory is able to strengthen her knowledge of the school choice culture Mallory continues her involvement in the School Choice movement as a Specialized Director on the Magnet Schools of America Board of Directors 337 269 0299 malloryGsmartchoicetech com MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page3 D d Xf EXEL AK firefly Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart Choice TECHNOLOGIES system Overview The Smart Choice platform is a powerful online Student Application amp Lottery Management software system for schools and school systems with selective enrollment or open enrollment programs including magnet schools choice schools charter schools career academies and gifted amp talented programs This powerful online student application amp blind lottery management software system is composed of four primary components e Online applications e Program and application administration e Student selection lottery e Wait list management The Smart Choice platform is designed to effect
23. the best route to keep your parents happy and engaged but also keeps your district at the forefront of technology and parent satisfaction Not only being able to determine how your wait list functions how vacancies are filled etc you must also be able to adjust processes on a program by program basis as necessary These sorts of adjustments are important to fit all of the exceptions of your district and its wait list processes adhere to your policy while being as automated as possible The Smart Choice Wait List component allows administrators to manage a centralized real time wait list eliminating errors and the tedious process of updating multiple documents Working together with the Smart Choice Lottery component the Wail List component automatically manages selection results and notifications in real time e Real time selection list and wait list updates e Automated wait list creation based on available seats and eligible applicants e Automatic movement from wait lists to selected lists when selected seats are declined by parents e Manually move applications within wait lists or selected lists e Movement history and reason for movement tracking for administrators e Email notifications of wait list status and rank e Export student selected lists and wait lists MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 18 h 4 at IM ery Ofirefl AOIR RATAAN Ofiretly i 2 J N m Exclusive Smart Choice Res
24. to be submitted and stored with virtually no limitations to the amount of data that can be housed within the system Applications can be reviewed and updated in bulk and the reporting system allows for data to be used in a variety of 3rd party applications like Microsoft Office for creating award letter mail out labels for instance Applicants are notified directly from the system through bulk e mailing features automatic deadline reminders award or wait list status updates and even real time dashboard messages keeping parent district communication open Administrators can easily add new programs to the system through a simple to use interface Managing grade levels that are accepting applications turning on optional steps of the application as well as including program specific guidelines for user review are all easy to accomplish within the Administrative Component Settings like open and close dates of applications periods email notifications and acceptance options are also easily able to managed by specific personnel The Form Builder allows administrators to completely customize not only the steps of the application but also individual fields making the Form Builder a simple yet effective way to create applications to fit your school or district MSA Baltimore 2014 10 13 2014 Page 11 ictor XR 9fety Exclusive Smart Choice Reseller Smart PIT TECHNOLOGIES By using the Form Builder applications can be custom
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