New Web-based system keeps schools, parents connected

By Jeff O'Brien

Monday, Sept. 22, 2008 | 5:39 p.m.

With the click of a mouse, thousands of parents and students throughout the Las Vegas area can now access a vast online network that provides up-to-date information on everything from homework grades to student absences and upcoming assignments.

More than 300 schools in the Clark County School District are now wired into the ParentLink system, a $1.4-million web-based communication network that went live on Aug. 1.

The system is replacing both the EdLine and InTouch networks, programs the district had been using for several years but which became too confusing for customers.

"Some schools would use EdLine and others would use InTouch," said Philip Brody, chief technology officer for the district. "We wanted one system for all our schools so it would be less confusing for parents and teachers."

The search for a new online system began in the winter of 2007, when the district released a new set of requirements. Within a month it received six project bids. The final three were EdLine, InTouch and ParentLink — with a nine-member technology committee from the district reviewing the proposals.

"ParentLink was the overwhelming favorite of the committee," Brody said. "It had a very elegant sort of architecture that was easy to navigate. It also provided much more content in Spanish, which was a big plus."

The ParentLink system has a wide variety of capabilities, first and foremost being the ability to provide up-to-date information on homework and test grades. The system is being used at elementary schools all the way up to high schools.

Parents and students are given their own personal "pin" codes to log onto the system, and students can even select which courses they want to take the following semester — but only with their parents' approval.

At Sig Rogich Middle School, which is the largest middle school in the district at 1,784 students, Principal Susan Harrison said her teachers are diligently posting each student's updated grades on ParentLink.

"It seems to be a very user-friendly program for parents, and almost every one of our teachers has been uploading new information by the end of each day," Harrison said.

ParentLink also has the ability to inform parents of student absences — every day at every school, the system generates a list of the children who were absent. From 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. every weeknight, the system places automated calls to parents to confirm their child's absence.

"If a student wasn't supposed to be absent that day, their parent will definitely find out about it," Brody said.

The ParentLink system can also make automated phone calls or send e-mails to parents reminding them of upcoming events such as open houses or immunization procedures.

And in the case of a school emergency, ParentLink can use its 460 high-speed telephone lines to contact thousands of parents within a matter of minutes — whether it be to inform them of evacuation procedures or to tell them everything is under control and there's no need to come to the school.

"The entire system is web-based," Brody said. "There is no hardware or phone equipment at any of the schools. But parents can still access the core functions of the system, such as the latest grades, via telephone."

The mainframe of the ParentLink system is located within DataSide, a secure facility in downtown Las Vegas that serves as a storage site for commercial and business networks.

ParentLink was set up in the spring and summer of 2008 before it went online Aug. 1, and although it will take a few more weeks to iron out the wrinkles, Brody said it's a vast improvement.

"It's much more efficient at letting us communicate with parents and parents communicate with us," Brody said. "It really improves the education of our children."