Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Back to school forms

Walton: schools contacted for what forms they send home
two groups of forms: some that are specific to schools individually, which are universal
sorted out: free/reduced lunch, ER contact form, CORI request form
CORI requires signature and photo ID, so can't be done online
emergency contact form: most schools send home a card, information data entered, "if you have multiple students, you're filling out multiple cards...not very efficient"
possibly switch to online for those possible: make it part of Parent Portal
Parent Portal taken offline over summer; working on fully implimenting student information system
free/reduced lunch form: USDA did release some recommendations about electronic collection of this information, now allowed to be collected electronically
12 districts in MA are now doing this (School Lunch app); some concerns about going to an online form
parents who have computers and internet connections might fill it out online, but that may not get everyone
concern about costs
Novick: not arguing that we need to go all electronic
what about health forms for nurses? emergency forms repeats some of the same information; can we update that as well?
also could standardize what we're doing with free and reduced lunch forms? (as what schools require from parents is different)

No comments: