Sample home screen of mock students displaying the Infinite Campus webpage. Photo Credits: Infinite Campus
Brennan Smith
"Change is the only constant in life," historian Heraclitus once said. Yet, change can be difficult and unsettling, especially when it disrupts normal routines and practices. During the summer of 2024, the Department of Public Instruction implemented a new student information system in Watauga known as “Infinite Campus.” The transition from the previous system, PowerSchool, was originally intended to improve the efficiency of the old system. The change seemed sudden for students, leaving them with one primary question: Why did we change our old ways of doing things?
The decision’s impact wasn't limited to just students. Many within the school community were left wondering why Watauga changed to Infinite Campus. However, the change didn’t come from Watauga High School at all. It was determined at the district level.
"When I arrived last year, I was informed that the district had already decided to implement the new system at the start of the year to avoid switching halfway through,” said Scott Stickler, Watauga High School principal. “The new system is designed to provide all the functionality of PowerSchool along with additional benefits that the school previously had to pay for separately. The system offered a comprehensive package to the counties, and the new system was presented as a more cost-effective solution that meets all our needs."
With the implementation of the new system came many challenges, one being the unfamiliarity of the new system. Administrators, teachers, and students alike all needed to learn how Infinite Campus worked and how to navigate the system in order to use it effectively.
“The district has an implementation team that has been working with DPI and Infinite Campus for the transition,” said Laura Carson, Instructional Technology Facilitator at Watauga High School. “Data Managers were the first to be trained to ensure a smooth process for enrolling students and making sure schedules were built. Training was provided for the Instructional Technology Facilitators for them to provide support for teachers. Teachers were provided with online training videos, support guides, and virtual sessions. Ongoing training is being provided by the district and as needed for individual teachers.”
Another significant challenge that came with the implementation of Infinite Campus was ensuring student transcripts were handled correctly. Seniors are concerned that accurate written transcripts won’t be ready before early college admissions.
"Some of us from the central office, along with school-level staff like myself, Mr. Machon, and Ms. Turner, reached out to the Department of Public Instruction for support,” said Strickler. “With early admissions deadlines approaching, the new system unfairly disadvantaged our students applying for UNC system schools, as they couldn't produce accurate transcripts. Fortunately, after speaking with Ms. Reyes, updates to Infinite Campus now allow for transcript production, though a few additional steps are needed. We aim to have the transcripts ready by the end of the month."
Despite some issues the student body has been having with the system, the administration is aware of the user problems and is working their hardest to address them in a timely manner.
“I believe the administration is aware of the difficulties users have been experiencing and we are working closely with our district support team and data managers to help address the issues; we are always looking to improve and move forward,” said Carson. “We all need to be flexible to make the necessary adjustments and learn together what works for our students and with teachers.”
With Infinite Campus also came the addition of “Securly FLEX.” Originally, there were also growing pains with the new FLEX scheduling system. Although many issues have been fixed, administration is still working closely with the company to better the system.
“Just for some background, Securly FLEX bought out Edficiency. The new platform is still working on adding the features we used,” said Carson. “We are working closely with Securly FLEX support to smooth the issues with the new platform. I feel as if we have already smoothed out most of the issues. The main feature that we are waiting on from the new platform is auto-assign. This feature assigns students automatically to classrooms instead of specific ‘catchall’ locations. We are hoping this feature will be available by the end of the month/first of October.”
While the transition has faced its setbacks, it's important to recognize the school's primary focus: that teaching and learning remain strong.
“I see that while we have challenges with computer programs and technology, my focus is on the classroom,” said Strickler. “Within the school, I see students engaged in learning and our staff doing an excellent job teaching. We're also supporting each other and moving forward together. At the end of the day, that's what I define as success in our school. Of course, I would love for all our computer programs to function perfectly and for everything to work smoothly, but as long as we are caring for one another and providing the best possible high school experience, that's what matters most to me."
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