[SIMS] Online Parental Engagement

[beeswax]

We have a Moodle VLE which we wish to keep, and are looking for something to integrate data from SIMS and present it in Moodle. So far we have looked at SchoolAnywhere and SchoolsICT (ZLink), but we'd also like to look at alternatives, possibly SLG. Most of the posts here regarding SLG have either been about configuration or cost, and while these are important factors we initially need to see how well it presents information to the relevant parties. If there's anyone in the Rochdale area using SLG, and willing to share your knowledge, then I'd be grateful if you could get in touch.

[number34]

We use INSIGHT from TASC and have a link to it from our VLE\webpage. It takes all of its data from SIMS and we are very pleased with it.

[vikpaw]

There are i believe a couple of free tools that people have coded themselves to do it.
SLG is going to be expensive, as it needs to be on sharepoint, and if you have your VLE on moodle, you might be best looking elsewhere.
I think @penfold did some work on sims2moodle, and now manages SIF type stuff.
Also SalamanderSoft will do SIMS to Moodle - speak to @rpwillis

[penfold]

Wasn't me. I haven't done anything with SIMS sorry.

[Quackers]

Insight from TASC Software , it costs us £500 a year (they base it on school size). Plus they will add features for you. For example last week we wanted it to display some info, emailed them, that afternoon a new build was released, feature added, and its a 2 min job to update to the latest version. Best support from any company i have ever used. PM me if you want to take it for a test drive can give you a login to ours.

We do have the Sims Learning Gateway to, but i do not like it, its way over priced, slow to add features, and support no where near as good as TASC.

[SmithR]

Got to agree TASC INSIGHT is excellent and cheap compared to others, we installed it November last year and rolled it out to parents by Jan.
View all info from SIMS as well as their own software PARS, links into active directory if you add admission numbers to a employeeID field so it automatically gives students access to their information,
links into our Kitchen System NRS, We customised it so it fits in with our school branding.
I agree about the featuere request to @Quackers

[jasn]

Is that TASC pars as cheap as the insight/ is it done on the same basis of cost per school size?

[SmithR]

Yes TASC PARS is based on school size based as well, and id say its cheap as well.

[beeswax]

Wasn't me. I haven't done anything with SIMS sorry.

I think it's @penfold_99

[vikpaw]

I think it's @penfold_99

Ah, my bad. i thought it was strange, but i may have been mixed up. not so easy to check when on an iPhone. Hope you find what you need.

[penfold_99]

Yes it was me, sims2moodle has evolved into the sif based ZiLink for moodle.

[vikpaw]

I wonder what exciting things the other 97 Penfolds have been getting up to!