Do you want to know the importance of school records management to most successful schools? Are you interested in finding out how they use the records they collect to make plans and improve school administration? If so, then keep reading.

Parents and teachers are interested in students’ records for different reasons. Parents want to be able to keep track and monitor their child’s progress in school. Good schools typically have the same motives. In addition, schools collect and keep records to enable effective school management; cost efficiency, maintenance and fine tuning operations.

There are many types of records that can be kept in a school. While most schools only keep compulsory records and haphazardly too, innovative schools meticulously keep all sorts of records: Health records, admission records, attendance, lesson plans, time tables, reports, disciplinary records, school diary etcetera and use them for constant improvement.

Here are a few inside tips we’ve gathered:

1. Go unofficial

This means that some of the most useful tips are often gotten from informal or unusual data, like classroom behavioral trends, learning gaps and the likes. These data can really aid  in bringing about classroom adjustments that go a long way to improve the quality of personalized education you are able to offer.

2. Share

Student records are exchanged regularly among all concerned stake holders. School management, teachers and parents work in sync to implement all new strategies that will affect students.

3. Optimize

Innovative schools know that records aren’t just collected to be kept. They are there to aid in informed decision making. How do you make major decisions in your school? Good schools keep relevant data to manage every aspect including guidance counselling, student and staff promotion, planning, forecasts, growth, expansion etc.  Even time table records are analysed to discover which combos work best to optimize learning.

4. Long-time storage

When collecting data, think long term. You’d be surprised at how useful previous data can be in making decisions for your school today, if only it were available to reference and compare. Good record keepers know that data is long term and store it properly in the safest, most affordable medium.

5. Automated Records Management

Investing in a school management system is perhaps one of the easiest and most effective ways quickest ways institutions make the best sense of student data. The computer software organizes data in ways that are easy to interpret and put to use. It can even provide reports, process results, students transcripts and keep data securely for as long as necessary.

How do you plan on making improvements with the records you keep? Tell us in the comments. Happy Records and Information Management Month! #OrganizeYourFilesWeek

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