Choosing school board management software may seem a simple matter: Just get something cheap with an online platform to post agendas and minutes of board meetings and you're good to go. That approach is a formula for buyer's remorse. School boards that have lived with their board management software for a while suggest several crucial features that make all the difference. The best such software addresses 10 key considerations:
Software offers three levels of protection: 0-bit encryption, 128-bit encryption or 256-bit encryption. Anything less than 256-bit encryption is not enough; more encryption creates more obstacles that hackers would have to break through to reach data.
To further deter hackers, the software should store the school board's files on a private, cloud-based server. Data stored on the cloud without a private server is easy to penetrate. Most popular file-sharing apps store data that way.
The best software, though, adds features that enhance transparency further. Ideally, it empowers the school board to provide links on the agenda to the reading materials referenced. Doing so saves the labor, stress and expense of mailing out board packets. It also lets the public come to meetings more prepared. In addition, great software lets the school board supplement meeting minutes with footage of meetings in their entirety.
The buyer's questions become: Does the software manufacturer know the most recent iteration of the regulations? And: Do they provide adequate accommodations? Some software requirements claim ADA compliance when their product does not actually provide it.
Still, school boards often get no training in using their software to keep data secure. A 2017 NSBA survey of 482 members of representative school districts found that 67% of respondents sit on school boards that require no cybersecurity-related training whatsoever; 26% of them have no idea if their board requires such training; and only 12% have received mandatory cybersecurity training. Of those, 40% receive it only once, and 60% receive it once a year.
The gold standard is to include cybersecurity training in new board members' onboarding process, require it of the entire board four times a year (or at least two times a year), and reinforce it at meetings with tabletop exercises. The trainer should be an IT/IS officer or a qualified outside consultant. The software company should provide webinars, videos and manuals that help individual board members learn the system and handle issues as questions arise in their daily practice.
The key is an online archive. On it, a district can store all of its founding documents, historical records, legislation, policies, budgets, RFPs, maps'any documents that become a matter of public record. Digitizing public records is a requirement of more and more states as each adapts to new technological possibilities.
Using the board management software for public records pays handsomely. By integrating these functions, the school board can provide links in the agenda to any historical documents that help participants prepare for meetings. Since public records can be voluminous, it is important to choose software that does not charge incrementally beyond a certain amount of storage.
Good board management software keeps everybody on the same page. When any board member suggests changes to a document, the document on the board portal refreshes in real time so that future commenters all see the first contributor's remarks. Those remarks are furthermore date stamped and color coded to identify the person making the suggestions. A super-editor can have sole authorization to decide when to selectively accept changes.
These 10 considerations help a school board choose board management software that continues to delight them by solving a host of problems that they routinely face. Using the best tools, the school board can reach new levels of transparency, responsibility and productivity. Public confidence grows, and greater community engagement ensues. The community as a whole provides a more professional, supportive context for students, who are now that much more likely to excel.
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Does the software keep materials secure?
Software offers three levels of protection: 0-bit encryption, 128-bit encryption or 256-bit encryption. Anything less than 256-bit encryption is not enough; more encryption creates more obstacles that hackers would have to break through to reach data.
To further deter hackers, the software should store the school board's files on a private, cloud-based server. Data stored on the cloud without a private server is easy to penetrate. Most popular file-sharing apps store data that way.
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Can the school board use it to comply with sunshine laws?
The best software, though, adds features that enhance transparency further. Ideally, it empowers the school board to provide links on the agenda to the reading materials referenced. Doing so saves the labor, stress and expense of mailing out board packets. It also lets the public come to meetings more prepared. In addition, great software lets the school board supplement meeting minutes with footage of meetings in their entirety.
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With such software, does the public see none of the confidential material that the school board sees?
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Does the board management software keep public materials compliant with Section 508 of the ADA?
The buyer's questions become: Does the software manufacturer know the most recent iteration of the regulations? And: Do they provide adequate accommodations? Some software requirements claim ADA compliance when their product does not actually provide it.
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Does the software company provide training support?
Still, school boards often get no training in using their software to keep data secure. A 2017 NSBA survey of 482 members of representative school districts found that 67% of respondents sit on school boards that require no cybersecurity-related training whatsoever; 26% of them have no idea if their board requires such training; and only 12% have received mandatory cybersecurity training. Of those, 40% receive it only once, and 60% receive it once a year.
The gold standard is to include cybersecurity training in new board members' onboarding process, require it of the entire board four times a year (or at least two times a year), and reinforce it at meetings with tabletop exercises. The trainer should be an IT/IS officer or a qualified outside consultant. The software company should provide webinars, videos and manuals that help individual board members learn the system and handle issues as questions arise in their daily practice.
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Does the software help the school board comply with the state's public records act?
The key is an online archive. On it, a district can store all of its founding documents, historical records, legislation, policies, budgets, RFPs, maps'any documents that become a matter of public record. Digitizing public records is a requirement of more and more states as each adapts to new technological possibilities.
Using the board management software for public records pays handsomely. By integrating these functions, the school board can provide links in the agenda to any historical documents that help participants prepare for meetings. Since public records can be voluminous, it is important to choose software that does not charge incrementally beyond a certain amount of storage.
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Do materials stored on the software become searchable?
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Can the software simplify collaborative editing?
Good board management software keeps everybody on the same page. When any board member suggests changes to a document, the document on the board portal refreshes in real time so that future commenters all see the first contributor's remarks. Those remarks are furthermore date stamped and color coded to identify the person making the suggestions. A super-editor can have sole authorization to decide when to selectively accept changes.
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Does the software provide a means for board communications other than email?
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Can the board monitor progress toward goals with the software?
These 10 considerations help a school board choose board management software that continues to delight them by solving a host of problems that they routinely face. Using the best tools, the school board can reach new levels of transparency, responsibility and productivity. Public confidence grows, and greater community engagement ensues. The community as a whole provides a more professional, supportive context for students, who are now that much more likely to excel.