report assist

[Steven_Cleaver]

We use a package here called Aim High for reporting & have used this for about six years now, it extracts information from MIS system, SIM's CMIS etc staff can install a small package on their laptop so that they can then do reports at home on laptops then upload them onto the school system very simple to do so staff only need minimal training.

 

It has been so succesful that we now use this system for assessment, producing colour coded assessment reports and also use it for teacher Assessment, are pupils reaching targets etc.The company that provide the software also write reports to extract the information and create reports etc as part of their maintenance support upgrades are also part of the support contract.

[HodgeHi]

My first year at the school was a nightmare when this came about. I installed it on all the machines in the ICT suite as a stand alone. The following year i installed it as a network client because the teachers had a week off time-table to get them done. Great. But what happened? Most of them didn't do it and then came to me asking for it to be installed on their laptop so they could do them at home. So 1 network and 15 stand-alone installs later and i could relax. Last year, me and the boss had a meeting to discuss how we would do it.

 

We decided to copy the disc 15 times, one for each member of staff and an instruction manual on how to install it and use a memory stick to save the reports to and left them to it.

 

I supported the ones that still struggled even though we gave them a virtual hand to help them through.

 

I hate that time of year. We have the new release every year. I would love to see an alternative. I think the boss would as well.

Edited November 30, 2008 by HodgeHi
Because i can't type properly

[Metchley]

I'm always surprised when 'Rays Learning' is recommended when people ask about report-writing software. It's probably good for what it does, but it doesn't seem to do a great deal.

 

I'll come clean and do a bit of spamming since other people seem to be getting away with it.

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<-- If you think others are getting away with it, please report them -->

An comments welcomed of course, polite or otherwise.

Edited March 28, 2010 by vikpaw
Unauthorised Advertising

[contink]

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An comments welcomed of course, polite or otherwise.

If I can find some time I might pop this on a spare laptop and let a few teachers take a look at it..

 

One thing that immediately jumps out at me before I do anything like testing the software though.

 

1. The website... Ok, so it's nice to have a pretty one but that's basic beyond basic... Doesn't sell and teachers like pretty.

 

2. Documentation... Erm... is there any? I know you have a word doc for installing the demo but a user guide with screenshots is a must.. Techs in particular are going to want to know if it's an MSI, compatible with their setup etc... so a FAQ, etc... needs adding

 

3. Flash demo? Again it's about selling the product... There's none of that going on aside from the "User Comments" which are great but you need waaay more.

 

 

I know what you'll say... but I'm a coder, not a marketeer... I'd think seriously about finding someone who can help you improve the site and invest the time in the screenshots, demo, etc... Coders will love you but the headteacher has the purse strings..

 

Anyway, I'll comment on the actual program when I get the time to sit down and look at it properly.

Edited March 28, 2010 by vikpaw
Removal of Quoted SPAM

[Metchley]

Thanks for comments, contink - noted and agreed with.

 

BTW, the manuals (.doc files) are downloaded with the programs - accessible from the 'Help' menu item.

 

The priority was to keep it simple for the teachers and put any complexity that couldn't be avoided in the admin program. It needs an administrator who knows what he is doing to run the show- but school secretaries manage OK with a bit of support - though not many users are getting the best out of it, I don't think.

 

Thanks again for the feedback.

[rocknrollstar]

I'm always surprised when 'Rays Learning' is recommended when people ask about report-writing software. It's probably good for what it does, but it doesn't seem to do a great deal.

 

 

OK, Ray's Learning isn't complex software, but as you say it is good for what it does. I wish that more software was good for what at what it was meant to do. In my earlier years of teacher, Ray's Learning let me complete report writing in half the time of other teachers doing it 'manually'. Works for me!

[Metchley]

Good. I'm not decrying the program. If your school uses a Word template then Ray's Learning allows you to use statement banks.

 

All I'm saying is that it's only a partial solution. From am individual teacher's point of view it might be a Godsend but is doesn't address collation checking and printing problems. A 'Proper' report system is about more than statements.

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Edited March 28, 2010 by vikpaw
SPAM

[laserblazer]

Ha ha, I've been racking my brains to remember how I did it last year. I knew I'd written it down somewhere. This year I plan to get one of the admin assistants to help me and make notes as we go along. Then she can do the lot next year Our biggest problem with ReportAssist is that we have 540 kids in 18 classes and 30+ teachers each teaching every year group. Edited April 8, 2009 by laserblazer

[Metchley]

Laserblazer,

 

18 classes, 3 year groups and 540 kids might sound a lot, but think of 30 classes in 7 year groups with 1000 kids, for 4 report sessions per year. And imagine it run by a non-technical admin secretary.

 

For the secondary version you import two files from SIMS, the pupils and their classes and the teachers and their groups. Then it's just a click of a button and a file is made for each teacher, put on the server, and off they go. They can write on a workstation or download it to write at home. Each teacher gets just the kids he needs (although he can add if any are missing for some reason), and the process is pretty well instantaneous.

 

All the files are collected at the end with a single click, and then you've got all the reports for checking/printing in the database. Again, more or less instantaneous.

 

For the primary version you've got a bit more work - you've got to select the classes to give to each teacher, unless you've got all that on your SIMS, in which case it's like the secondary system.

All the files are put on the server and collected by the program from the server when they are finished.

Edited March 28, 2010 by vikpaw
Editing out some blatant spam

[laserblazer]

I would love to change but the HT bought ReportAssist without consultation and it's hard to get him to bite the bullet and let us get something else. I believe that RA did originally have a secondary school version but they just couldn't support it. The other difficulty is that the actual report writing bit isn't too bad and the teachers like it (after we completely rewrote the statement banks!) so they won't want to change either.

[NewOrder]

What happens if a memory stick is lost or a laptop stolen?

 

I assume both are encrypted?

[ComputingData]

With RA, it looks like the files are in an access database that passworded (a 2 min hack to 'crack') - it's then zipped - but renamed to something other than .zip - lol!

 

With ElementaryReports - it's compressed but not encrypted. If installed to the recommmended U3 smart memory sticks then they can have hardware encryption turned on - I think it's AES-256?

 

Don't know what PL report systems does with regard to encryption, etc...

[Metchley]

With the Inform programs the teacher files are encrypted.

On their return they are stored in the (.mdb) database unencrypted (for speed of access).

 

The database is password protected, but as you say, that is not secure.

However, there is only one database and it is on the server so you can set strict permissions for it.

[organmaster]

Our school uses R.A. 2008, I have never encountered such a crap programme in all my days of working with ICT. It has been the most problematic and troblesome package I have ever used.

 

If it crashed once it crashed 10 times. It wouldn't save and then lost the majority of the reports.

I hate the fact that the company hold you over a barrel by saying that you don't get support unless you have the most up todate package.

 

When trying to open the reports in work they wouldn't work, due to having typed them at home.

It was hell.

 

Surely there must be a better programme and company that offer better customer service than these Report Assist guys.

[rocknrollstar]

I've got to say that we have had a few issues with RA2009. Although the tech support have been extremely helpful, there were definite issues with doing reports this year. A teacher's file became corrupt on the server/client version, so all the teachers had to almost start again for their reports for that class. At other times, the work didn't quite save. It can certainly be a bit grumpy.

 

Next year, we will be going back to some sort of tick box system through Word. Or even Google Docs for multiple concurrent users. Or perhaps a custom Moodle module...

[sparkeh]

This is the final year we are using RA. *performs a little jig*

 

After one of the SMT lost all his reports and had to do them again and the annual issues of merging reports, it was decided to knock up our own simple template.

[laserblazer]

Looks like our new Dep. Head is going to push us the same way after I have got RA down to a fine art. The trick is to always import and export to a memory stick and to back up the report folder every time you plug it in. I've done that this time and it has saved me endless heartache.

[contink]

On the subject of alternatives...

 

This (Classroom Monitor) is in one of my schools after they finally had their fill of Report Assist. It used to be a local app but I think they moved it to a SaaS style system which makes the issue of "I need this on my staff laptop" a thing of the past.

 

Perhaps most telling is that I haven't had any support calls about it... Report Assist on the other hand...

[laserblazer]

On the subject of alternatives...

 

This (Classroom Monitor) is in one of my schools after they finally had their fill of Report Assist. It used to be a local app but I think they moved it to a SaaS style system which makes the issue of "I need this on my staff laptop" a thing of the past.

 

Perhaps most telling is that I haven't had any support calls about it... Report Assist on the other hand...

 

I don't suppose you have a feel for pricing? Looks like it might cost a bit but if it does the job.

[contink]

I don't suppose you have a feel for pricing? Looks like it might cost a bit but if it does the job.

 

I don't but I can ask the head at the school that uses it.. Probably be useful to get an updated review of it from the staff too.