Which one to go for?

[GrumbleDook]

I really like SIMS too but perhaps that's because I have never worked on another MIS. My Brother's school uses CMIS and he has written a lot of his own code to pull out sql data and link in with it. It does look good, and yet I know personally at least one school who have done the whole CMIS thing and found the softare to be full of bugs, and the suport to be abismal. (Thats was a few years ago now, perhaps they've got their act together?)

 

Agreed that CMIS is full of bugs, we use it here, and I have written a bunch of php/sql scripts to get required information directly out of the database.

 

I'm considering making our scripts into the beginnings of an open source project. Any interest ?

 

What I'd really like to see is some sort of FLOSS MIS, schooltool is a good start, how many schools are there in the UK ? This could probably be developed for a 10th of the cost that we all currently pay.

 

And if the DFES wanted changes then they could implement a module themselves.

 

Any back to reality

 

Normally I would point out FreeMIS but it looks as if the main site has been hacked ... I'll ask over on SchoolForge what has happened.

[kxv2020]

I would go for SIMS... personally because it does the job you need it to do and our LA supports it!! And we are very happy with it!!!

 

SIMS is getting better every time a new release comes out... - I have found in experience a MIS on a web platform can be tedidious.

 

How much did Capita pay you for that post?!

 

 

I want to know too!!!! :violent3:

 

Capita paid me zilch!!!!

 

As we have used SIMS from DOS to .Net it seems to have evolved so much and that is truly amazing in terms of Software Engineering. I know SIMS can be a pain sometimes but it seems to have working trouble free for some time now. We do have the occasionally blip, but every system surely does. It’s just amazing that I now see teacher’s using our SIMS as a one stop integrated solution for their teaching and learning – for eReg, Profiles, Assessment Manager and it all seems to be tying up together nicely (which gives you a warm glowing feeling inside :? ) to support and enhance teaching and learning which is what we are here, utimately to do. The .net report writer is also so much better than RepGenLite!!!

 

 

Maybe I’m just passionate ... my next mission is to move SLUETH to SIMS.net.

[GrumbleDook]

Maybe I’m just passionate ... my next mission is to move SLUETH to SIMS.net.

 

Someone after my own heart.

 

Sleuth has made such a difference here but the lack of integration, the bugginess and the downright stupidity of it at times annoys me.

 

I have said to them, quite openly, that unless I can see a decent level of integration, and hopefully web access, then we will start migrating in August.

 

Their response was so non-commital it is unbelievable.

[webman]

GrumbleDook: They are working on closer integration between Sleuth and SIMS.

[GrumbleDook]

@webman

They said that 2 years ago ... and then 18 months ago and then 12 months ... and 6 months ... and 3 months ... and last week.

 

I know it is improving, but cock-ups with the implementation of the access runtime and the lack of ability to use the system remotely (Sleuth on a TS box? they have no idea what to do and we are paying the price, having rebuild a box due to cocked up instructions)

 

The idea behind it all and the behaviour management strategies are fantastic and worth paying for on their own ... but this is another case of vapourware in my experience ...

 

I still recommend it to other schools, but now with the warning of 'what you see is what you get ... this system is an out of the box system that will get you started ... but 2-3 years down the line you are likely to want to move ... make a choice whether you are willing to do that!'

 

If your experience has been better than mine then good ...

 

How have you found the updating utility?

[kxv2020]

I totally agree with you Grumbledook... the system in principle is fantastic..its just the recording and entering the data into their database that's the problem!!

 

Thats why we want to move to SIMS, keeping the strategies of SLUETH in concept but just entering and storing the data in SIMS behaviour and achievement; I'm not sure that it'll work ... that's what I've got to see!

 

I think the link with SIMS is just going to be an automatic report generator feeding the students into the system everyday IIRC!