Directors as Fearless Software Consumers of Early Childhood Family Engagement and Child Data Management Software, Fran Simon, M.Ed,
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A presentation of tips for consumers of early childhood education program management software at the NAEYC Annual Conference, 2018. Includes links to 20 product comparison reports and profiles of 20 systems.
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Directors as Fearless Software Consumers of Early Childhood Family Engagement and Child Data Management Software, Fran Simon, M.Ed,
- 2. My assumptions about why you are here… You are considering purchasing software to make your work more efficient, effective, and professional, 01 You want to know how to select software products that will work for your program, 02 Andor you want to learn a little about the products that are currently available, 03 Or you work for a company that sells child data management or family engagement software. 04
- 3. A little about me… Early Care and Education | Technophile B.A. & M.Ed Early Education Child Care Administrator 15 years Marketing & Tech Executive ECE Curriculum Publishing Engagement Executive National ECE Association Biz Consultant to NPOs & Companies in ECE, Author My personal mission is to connect Early Education
- 7. Types of products reviewed *Customer Relationship Management We will cover products self-identified as:
- 8. About the products In this survey
- 10. Free Child Data Management Systems Cake Limited functionality unless you upgrade Designed for child care
- 11. You get what you pay for!
- 13. How I defined Child Data Management Systems • Attendance • Authorized adults • Enrollment • Food records • Head Start reports • Health records • Immunizations Records • Nutrition records • Online registration Help with compliance and program management
- 14. Child data management systems surveyed • Brightwheel • Child Care Sage • ChildPlus (Head Start) • COPA (Head Start) • Kangarootime • Procare • Sandbox Software • SmartCare Product identified as
- 15. Family communication systems How I defined • Calendar • Daily reports • Email newsletters • Family directory • Menus • Online registration • Family messages (email, photos, video) • Parent portal • Photo gallery • Program texting to families • Teacher to family texting Products that automate two‐way Family/School communication
- 16. Family Communication Systems • Bloomz • Child Care Sage • Educa • EzSmiles • HiMama • LifeCubby • Sandbox Software • SmartCare Product identified as
- 17. How I defined Payment Processing & Financial • Check in, check out • Invoicing and financial management • Online registration • Real time staffing management • Subsidy payment management • Time tracking for children • Time tracking for staff • Tuition payment
- 19. How I definedHow I defined Customer Relationship Management CRM Tracking technology for managing interactions with customers (families) and potential customers from the time they inquire to the time they leave your program. • Inquires: phone, email, contact form on website, social media • Email • Marketing tools • Online registration • Waiting lists
- 21. How I definedHow I defined Backoffice A combination of financial and child and child data management Software only administrators use
- 22. Backoffice • EzCare 2 • EzCare Online Product identified as
- 23. How I definedHow I defined Assessment, Screening or Monitoring Systems used to capture information, monitor, and report about children’s abilities and development. • Assessment/Screening items uploaded • Assessment /Screening developer added • Progress monitoring checklists • Pedagogical observations or Learning Stories • Work samples‐ videos, photos • Child portfolios • Alignments to State Preschool/HS Standards
- 24. Child or Program Assessment & Screening • ASQ • CLASS • GOLD • COR Advantage • Others Not reviewed todayNot reviewed today • COR Advantage • Kaymbu
- 29. Family communication systems Child & Family Data Management Systems • Payment Processing & Financial • Family engagement • Customer Relationship Management • Assessment and screening Overlap Often connect with each other in “real‐time” through APIs or data imports.
- 31. What program management problems do you want to solve with software? Communication challenges Administration processes Programmatic or pedagogical
- 32. Main Office Regional Admins Site 1 Teachers Classes Children…. Parents Child(ren) Site 2 Teachers Classes Children Parents Child(ren) For what size/structure program are you purchasing software? Superuser Access Site AccessSite access Authorized Access
- 34. Tried and true Innovative Perhaps more stable on computers Perhaps better on mobile Better understanding of customers Still learning and responding When was the product launched?
- 35. With which devices does the product work? 2001 1998 199520171985
- 36. What is SaaS and what is the cloud? Software and services that run on the Internet, instead of locally on your computer.
- 37. How does the company provide technical support? Technical Support • Onboarding training included • Phone or chat support 24/7 • Phone or chat support 9‐5 • Onsite support INCLUDED • Onsite support for Fee $$ • Online knowledge base • Webinars, videos • User's Manual Passive, but immediate Interactive, but NOT immediate
- 38. Implementation • In‐app prompts & help • Online coaching • User groups (live/online) • Monitored online forum • Assigned account manager How does the company provide technical support? Interactive and personal Immediate
- 39. What is the company’s reputation? • Responsiveness to customers • Understands ECE programs’ needs • Product reliability • Ease of use • Product delivers what is promised • Customers find it sustainable • Parents and children benefit
- 40. How are the ratings? Does it matter?
- 41. • Where is the data hosted? Is it on a dedicated server? • How is it monitored? • How is the system encrypted? • What are the sign‐on, access and authentication policies? • What is the backup and recovery plan? Is the system secure?
- 42. Is the product HIPAA and/or FERPA compliant? (And, are your processes compliant?) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act includes: National standards for the protection and confidential handling of protected health information. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act includes: Federal privacy laws that gives parents certain protections regarding their children's education records.
- 43. How does the product connect to others? Option 1: API: Application Programming Interface Allows separate software systems to interact with one another, this case, to share data you enter so you only must enter it once, and it continually stays up to date. Option 2: Manual Export/Import Manually export data from one system and import it into the other. Depending on the functions of both products, this process may have to be repeated routinely.
- 44. Consumer Tips
- 46. Intentional ECE leaders must be “educated consumers” 1. Assess needs 2. Research products 3. Analyze 4. Compare 5. Select 6. Plan for implementation 7. Assess use 8. Improve
- 48. Pathway to selecting systems for your program Intentional, systemized, and collaborative • Assign a project leader • Gather a team & identify needs • Identify functions & prioritize • Gather a list of products • Google! • Go to software review sites • Ask for recommendations • Select 2‐4 products to review • Demo • Participate in a trial or pilot • Use real data in real scenarios • Score with rubrics & select PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION
- 49. Tips for Product Demos • Private vs. group demos • Make sure you see the functionality for all types of users • Show the mobile device as well as the desktop version • Have all user types participate in demos: Admins |Teachers |Parents • 360 degree look at the functionality • Tune out the hype / Tune in on tech • Ask “what if” questions
- 50. Desktop & mobile interfaces should… REQUIRE 3 CLICKS OR FEWER GET TO ANY FUNCTION INTUITIVE TO NAVIGATE PROVIDES ACCESSIBLE HELP HAS ON‐SCREEN PROMPTS AND HELP OFFERS CLEAN DESIGN LOADS QUICKLY OFFERS CLEAR ERROR MESSAGES BROWSER /OPERATING SYSTEM CONSISTENCY
- 52. • When used poorly = Product misevaluation • Free = No investment= No use, no value On the other hand… Free trials are controversial for software providers (and they should be for consumers, too.)
- 53. Trials and pilots are GREAT for INTENTIONAL consumers. Valueless if you just play around Create a plan for trials!
- 56. Ensuring implementation sustainability Getting the most from your investment • Get buy‐in before the purchase • Develop a rollout plan • Ensure staff have basic skills needed • Get onboarding support • Plan for coaching and mentoring • Monitor use