A task force sought to determine the information needs of the Tulsa Public Schools (Oklahoma) by studying goals of the school district, identifying all processes necessary for operation of the school system, and conducting interviews with 48 key members. A detailed information systems matrix was constructed to show the interrelationships between…

A poorly designed data processing system in a school district testing office may cause a delay in the creation of test results, produce inaccurate results, or utilize more resources than are necessary. Therefore, the authors present a model of a data processing system as a basis for comparing systems in terms of the basic functions they must…

Directed to local superintendents of schools and local coordinators who desire assistance in developing and implementing student information systems in their districts, this guide summarizes material presented in the Alabama State Department of Education's LEA Basic Data Systems: A Manual of Developmental Activities. It describes Alabama's…

Intended to assist school administrators in developing both student information systems and total information systems, this guide contains suggestions which, when considered in terms of local characteristics and concerns, can be used to create such systems to support administrative decision making, state and federal reporting, guidance, research,…

This report (1) describes a Nebraska school district's implementation of a central data processing capability and (2) summarizes study findings researched in cooperation with International Business Machines (IBM). In the mid-seventies, the district hired data processing personnel and introduced microcomputers into buildings; lack of…

This report examines the data processing services provided to Eugene (Oregon) School District 4J by the Oregon Total Information System (OTIS) and provides recommendations to the district administration to aid policy-making and planning in the area of computer services. The report focuses primarily on the use of the computer for management…

The New York City Public School System has mandated an Integrated Student Data System (ISDS). This integrated system will include data already maintained in independent computerized files, as well as data that have not been computerized in any systematic way. This paper explores general issues about data accuracy for a system that covers all the…

This paper describes the first-year results of Distributive Information Systems for Campuses (DISC), a project implemented in the Austin Independent School District (Texas). The goal was to increase the data access and information-generating capabilities of campuses by decentralizing data manipulation functions, while maintaining centralized data…

This paper explores ways in which technology (especially microcomputers) can improve the access to and utility of educational data for school improvement efforts. The paper focuses on the product and project options available to the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's Database and School Profiling program, which offers technical and…

This monograph introduces educational administrators at a variety of levels to the basic concepts and procedures in the successful implementation of educational computer systems. In the first section, the units and functions of the computer are defined, and the administrative, research, and instructional applications of educational computing are…

This report comprises a detailed evaluation of three IBM microcomputer-based school information management systems: Student Information and Records System (SIRS) by Management Information Group, The School System (TSS) by Columbia Computing Services, and Computer Educational Management Accounting System (CEMAS) by Computerlib. These three systems…

This report presents an evaluation instrument through which school districts and schools can identify and select computer-based school information management systems (SIMS) suited to their needs. These selection criteria were identified through a survey questionnaire and interviews at 18 representative schools in the Edmonton (Alberta) Public…

In the past decade significant advances have taken place in the development of management information systems (MIS) to support managerial decision making. Recent literature has shown, however, that educators have yet to make full and efficient use of these computer-based systems. A number of authors have discussed factors that may affect…

This report presents an information needs assessment for an office automation plan to be undertaken for the School Building Services Branch of the Alberta Department of Education. This exercise complements the work of two senior committees within the Department: (1) the Electronic Information Processing Needs Study Steering Committee, and (2) the…