The South Australian Education department has picked Civica to deploy a new digital schools management solution across the state’s 900-plus public schools.
The deal will see the software and service provider's Civica Education Suite introduced to all government preschools, primary schools and high schools, as well as other educational institutions.
The cloud-based school management solution will deliver “school administration, finance, teaching and learning tools, timetabling, library management, parent engagement tools including a community portal” in partnership with Frog Education and EdSmart.
It is intended to capture information on around 185,000 students as they progress through schooling to improve understanding about individual education needs and allow 30,000 teachers and school administrators to personalise education.
Schools will also have access to business intelligence tools baked into Civica but based on Yellowfin products. The BI tools will help the department measure and compare school performance to assist education officers and school principals run reports that compare learning outcomes across classes or against standards.
SA Education chief information officer Scott Bayliss said the department was “pleased to partner with Civica to develop a platform that will modernise and transform school and preschool operations”.
“The education management system will be a powerful digital tool with a comprehensive suite of features to streamline school management tasks and support our teachers to provide individualised learning and track and report on each student’s progress,” he said, adding that the tools would help to improve student outcomes and ease administrative pressures for teachers and early childhood workers.
Another promised outcome is “a dedicated and secure parent portal” that will report on students' progress and be accessible by parents and carers.
“It will be an important enabler for school improvement and support our aspiration to become a world-class education system that ensures learning management is a priority,” Bayliss said.
Civica’s managing director for libraries and education Simon Jones said the schools management solution would “improve the education outcomes of students and families across South Australia”.
“We look forward to our journey with the department where we can make a positive difference to students’ lives,” he said.
Civica and SA Education spokespeople declined to reveal the value of the deal, which is commercial in confidence.
