Managing Student Files Electronically An Introduction to Laserfiche – An Electronic Content Management System

Managing Government Records Presidential Memorandum to reform records management and practices to develop a 21 st century framework for the management of Government Records Openness and Accountability Minimizing Costs and Operating Efficiencies Directive requires agencies to eliminate paper and use electronic recordkeeping.

Arizona Law Arizona Revised Statute § (D)  “records management” means the creation and implementation of systematic controls for records and information activities from the point where they are created or received through final disposition or archival retention, including distribution, use, storage, retrieval, protection and preservation. Arizona Revised Statute §  …”records” means all books papers, maps, photographs or other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, including prints or copies of such items produced or reproduced on film or electronic media, made or received by a governmental agency in pursuance of law or in connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by the agency as evidence of the organization, functions policies, decisions, procedures, operations or other activities of the government, or because of the informational and historical value of data contained in the record, including records made confidential by statute.

Where are Student Records Maintained Today?  Infinite Campus  eIEP Pro (Special Ed)  Cumulative Files  Discipline Files  504 Files  Health Files  English Language Learner Files  Gifted Files  Legal/Custodial Files  McKinney-Vento  Before and After Care Program Records  Versatrans – Transportation Records  STRS

How are records maintained?  Paper, electronic, audio and video formats.  In various systems.  Managed by:  Schools, departments and individuals  Can be difficult to manage those records appropriately.

Records Management Responsibilities  Establish and maintain an active, continuing program for the economical and efficient management of the public records of the agency  D. "records management" means  the creation and implementation of systematic controls  for records and information activities  from the point where they are created or received through final disposition or archival retention,  including distribution, use, storage, retrieval, protection and preservation.

Student Records  Permanent Student Records Permanent public records; quality; storage; violation; classification  A. Permanent public records of the state, a county, city or town, or other political subdivision of the state,  shall be transcribed or kept on paper or other material which is of durable or permanent quality  and which conforms to standards established by the director of the Arizona state library, archives and public records.  Non-Permanent Student Records  Maintained according to retention schedules, most records are retained for four years after student leaves with the exception of bullying records, juvenile records, CPS reports, etc.

What is the benefit of going to electronic records management?  Accessibility  Those persons needing to access records are able to find them easily  Security  Lessens the probability of losing paper documents.  Only those that need access have access  Management  Managed in accordance with law and policy

Scanning  Schools will begin scanning “paper formatted” student records into the Laserfiche system.  Electronically generated records may be migrated into the Laserfiche repository.  Laserfiche is the districts’ repository for ALL district records.  Students  Finance  HR and beyond…

Perceptions  If we’re going to manage student records electronically, why do we need to keep the paper?  State Law indicates we MUST retain PERMANENT records on PAPER or other durable sources (microfilm)

Perceptions Why can’t we just keep the student files on paper and keep going the way we have?  All records are moving towards electronic; either they will be digitized or are born digital.  Currently records are kept in many different locations throughout the district; moving to an electronic format allows all student records to be in one place.

Perceptions Why don’t we just scan the non-permanent files then; since we have to keep the permanent on paper anyway… that’s just doubling our work.  It is a lot of work up front. Preparing your files, removing staples, ordering items in categories. Isn’t that what you must do eventually when you archive?

Perceptions  Why do we have to keep the paper after we’ve scanned?  Because this is a new system, it is required by the state (and good business practices) that we have checks and balances during implementation. This means auditing and ensuring that all items are being scanned appropriately.  You’ve heard the term “garbage in/garbage out”; we must ensure the integrity of the data within the system.

 Once we have documented success rates determined by auditing, we will be able to scan and destroy those records that are not permanent.  There has to be a period of time and a high percentage of accuracy in which to ensure the success of the program.  It’s difficult to explain to someone why their record was inadvertently destroyed and we have no record of their school grades or attendance.  How would you feel if you applied for a job and the school you went to lost your records and couldn’t prove you graduated and you lost that job opportunity?

District Expectations Cabinet has mandated the following schedule:  High Schools  All 9 th grade records scanned by March 1, 2017  Standard Archiving Records process – must be scanned before sending to District Archives  Elementary Schools  All 8 th grade records scanned by March 1, 2017  All Kindergarten records must be scanned in by March 1, Begin scanning all new Kinder documents upon enrollment.

Rewards  All Student Records accessible on-line  All former paper based student records are held in one place  Records are secure  Your year-end 8 th grade files are ready for transition to high school  Student records are electronically moved (within 24 hours) from one district school to another school after withdrawal/re- enrollment

Who is Scanning? The district is purchasing one desk-top scanner for each school site, placed with the DRT. The DRT currently has a Laserfiche full-user license within the Student Records LF repository. The DRT will be responsible for scanning in all school site records for each student at the K-8 level. Registrars and DRT’s at the High School will share those duties.

Training Opportunities  The Records Department has scheduled mandatory training for DRT’s and Registrars through iPal, for each Monday in October except for those dates taken for DRT and Administrative III meeting dates.  Training will consist of record types, ordering documents, scanning documents and auditing your documents.

When can I start?  Once mandatory training for your school site has been completed, your scanner and Laserfiche repository will be set up at your site later that same week.  At that time, your Laserfiche scanning process becomes “live”.  Training Guides will be accessed through the Laserfiche Student Record repository to assist with guidance in scanning your records.

Who can access the records?  School office staff, Admin III, ART, Principals, Assistant Principals and School Nurse or Health Assistant, ELL Specialists, Guidance Counselors and ESS Coordinators and Admin I will have access through a Weblink/Student Records portal.  Additional access will need to be set up by placing an IT work-order that will be routed to the Records Department.  Training for Access through the Student Records Portal Weblink will be made available.  Weblink access is read-only.

Facts and Figures  Based upon August 31, 2016 enrollment numbers:  Average #8 th grade student files =107  Average # of Kinder files = 83  Average #9 th grade files = 465 Based upon prepping and scanning 15 minutes per file, 4 files within one hour.

Facts and Figures continued…  Only one hour per day prepping and scanning your files, if you have 107 files it will take only 26 days! This information is based upon actual work completed this summer scanning one year of archiving and two years of withdrawn or graduated Willow Canyon students (maintaining all non-permanent records). This was based upon a standard sized high school file.

Questions?