Montgomery Public Schools Consider New Software to Track Graduation

Montgomery Public Schools is considering HiEd, a software program that allows high school students and counselors to track the student’s progress toward graduation. The software program, which costs more than $100,000 annually, was presented to the Montgomery County Board of Education during an Oct. 7 meeting.

The program looks at students’ transcripts and shows them which courses are offered and are needed to graduate, as well as what is required from the state’s four-year colleges to be admitted. The program also shows athletic requirements for NCAA eligibility, which involves a sliding scale based on GPA and ACT and SAT scores.

The program would alleviate a school counselor’s tight schedule and keep students up-to-date on their academic progress.

The cost is a per student rate, averaging between $18 to $25, depending on the size of the district. MPS has eight high schools with about 8,000 students. An estimated cost for the district is $126,000.

HiEd launched two years ago and is being used by 17 schools, including Troy City Schools, just outside Montgomery.

"When you’re dealing with a large student population, it does get difficult to see where a student stands as far as college acceptance and scholarship opportunities,” Troy City Schools Superintendent Lee Hicks said to a local newspaper. “It does free up time for counselors as well as administrators."

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • sapling sprouting from a cracked stone

    Lessons in Resilience: Disaster Recovery in Our Schools

    Facility managers play a pivotal role in how well a school weathers and recovers from a crisis. Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, or a man-made event, preparation determines resilience.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • iPark 87

    Building a Future-Focused Career and Technical Education Center

    A district superintendent shares his team's journey to aligning student passions with workforce demands, and why their new CTE center could be a model for districts nationwide.