Common Questions From Administrators About ParentEdge

We get quite a few questions from administrators asking us this or that about ParentEdge.  In an effort to try and make life as easy as possible for our user-base we are going adding a common administrator section question to our blog / website.  Here you will be able to see many of the same questions you might have and what our usual answer is to them.  Of course this is by no means definitive or our way of saying don't bug us.  We would love to hear any questions you might have!  We just hope this makes your life a bit easier if you do need a question or two answered quickly...

What is the full process for setting ParentEdge up?

We require a simple export from your student information system with specific data fields.  Those data fields vary based on the grade level of the school.  Elementary and secondary schools have slightly different requirements.  Once we have the data we then import it into the ParentEdge system.  Teacher and parent accounts are automatically created and linked together based on a student's schedule or teacher (depending on grade level). 

Teachers are notified through email of their username and password and given instructions on how to login.  Parents are notified through email of their username and password and given instructions on how to login and change their contact information. 

The messages are sent out beginning on the day the principal wants.  Each day from there on messages will be sent out automatically at a time chosen by the principal.  This time can be changed whenever needed.

What are the specific points of data required for the export?
Elementary School Data: Student first and last name.  Parent phone number.  Parent email.  Student's teacher.  Teacher's email address.

Secondary School Data:  Secondary schools require to simple exports one for student information and one for teacher information. 

Student: Student first and last name.  Parent phone number.  Parent email. Student schedule including course number, section number, and period number for each class.

Teacher: Teacher first and last name. Teacher Email. Teacher schedule of courses taught including course name, course number, and section number.

How do we make changes to student information once setup is complete?

Each school is provided with a production login that allows them direct access to the student database.  Using this schools can add or delete students, change contact information and change schedule information for each student.  We (ParentEdge) can also take care of any changes if you simply notify us.

How do we add new students?

New students can be added using the production access as explained above.  However, the easiest way to add new students to the ParentEdge system is directly through the ParentEdge website.  Parent of new students can simply go to www.parentedge.com/parentsupport and fill out a form to be added automatically to the system. 

How many phone numbers and emails can be associated with each student?

1 phone number and 3 email addresses per student.

When are messages sent out?

Messages are sent out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  No messages are sent on days when school is not in session.    Messages go out at the same time each day.  That time is chosen by the school's principal. 

Will the data ever be shared with anyone else?

No, school data will never be shared with any party for any reason unless subpoenaed by law enforcement. 

How are parents notified?

Parents will receive a welcome email containing login information and a detailed explanation about ParentEdge and its functions.  Parents can use the login information to access ParentEdge and change their contact information and opt out of receiving messages.  Parents also receive a welcome text messages stating: You will be receiving homework updates from your child's school.  Std messaging and data rates may apply.  To opt out simply reply STOP to this message.  We also have handouts that can be given to parents.  Full sheet letters explaining ParentEdge along with half-sheet handouts etc…

Where does the text and email actually come from?

The text message will be sent from a virtual phone number specifically created for your school.  It will have the same area code as the school.  All emails sent from ParentEdge come from the address: parentedge@schooledgemobile.com. 

What exactly do teachers have to do each day?

Secondary Teachers: All teachers need to do is login, enter their homework information and click save.  A secondary teacher would only need to enter homework information for each unique course they teach, not each individual section of the same class.  That's it.  Most teachers seem to prefer logging in on a Monday and entering homework info for the entire week.  They can do so without ever having to navigate away from the initial login page. 

Elementary Teachers: Basically the same setup as the secondary teacher.  However, the elementary teacher will have more space to enter information as they are the only teacher on a student's schedule in the system.  They login, enter their homework or parent notification message and click save.  Done.  Most elementary teachers prefer to put in all their info for the week on a Monday and save it as well. 

Do teachers need to set anything up or enroll students/parents in the system?

No, teachers do not have to do anything beyond entering homework information. 

What happens if a teacher doesn't enter information for a day?

At the secondary level, that teachers class is not included in the messages sent out.  At the elementary level, no message is sent out that day to the teacher's class. 

How is teacher training handled?

The ParentEdge interface is very, very easy to understand and requires minimal training for teachers.  There is a short 5 minute video on our website, one for secondary and one for elementary schools, that usually is more than enough for teachers to get a very good idea of how the system works.  In addition, we have documents of varying length and detail that can be provided to teacher as well to be used as a quick reference sheet or a detailed walkthrough of ParentEdge. 

 Can teachers send messages to one single individual parent?

No, ParentEdge doesn't, at the moment, allow for a teacher to message an individual parent in the classroom.  Whatever the teacher enters into the system is sent to all students in that course. 

Can administrators see what teachers are entering for homework each day?

Yes, administrators will be provided with a login that allows them to see what homework teachers have entered for the week.  This account lets principals see who is using the system and what they are entering for homework. 

What other features does ParentEdge currently have for administrators?

The administrator account allows for principals to generate a weekly homework report for the building.  This report shows what all teachers have entered during the week.  Finally, administrators also have the option of checking out daily and yearly statistics to see how many messages ParentEdge has sent out to parents during the school year.

Can administrators send messages to individual parents or group messages to the school population?

Currently that feature is not in place.  It will be added at some point during this school year though with the capability of individual parent messaging and group messaging.  Our thinking is that it will be particularly useful for counselors and other administrators needing to contact parents regularly.  The major feature will be allowing administrators to have a real-time text message conversation with parents through the ParentEdge system.  

ParentEdge Daily: Be Realistic

Daily Education Tip: Parents, try to talk with your students every day about school without pressuring them.  Is this an obvious one?  Yes.  Is it easy to do? Yes and no.  It all depends.  Just make sure your kids know you care about school and how they are doing in it.  Again though, don’t pressure them too much.  In the long run this can have a very negative impact on their overall success in school and life.  A little bit of encouragement and pushing can go a long way.  However an overbearing amount of intense pressure to get a perfect score on everything is not good.  If your child can achieve that they will whether you go overboard demanding it.  If they can’t do that well on everything no amount of pressure will make it possible.  Be realistic, love your children, and support them.

ParentEdge News: We will be updating all of the schools that will start their new semester in the next few weeks.  Student schedule data will be re-imported to insure that ParentEdge sends out homework text messages with the correct homework information for each class.  This will only be done for the schools whose students switch schedules for the new semester.

Quick Tips: Getting Ready to Take a Test (the non studying part)

Sometimes all kids think about before they take a test is how they need to study.  There is no thought about how to physically and mentally prepare for a big test they are taking.  That needs to change.  Here are a few tips to help out.  Most will be obvious but it seems that everyone overlooks them anyway:

• Get some sleep the night before the test.  Studying until the bell rings the next day for first hour doesn't really help a student prepare for a test.  They need to get some rest.  You can only cram so much into one night of studying.  Get some sleep. Staying up a bit to study is fine but try to get to bed by midnight.

• Eat breakfast before school. I know this is sound advice for every school day but it is rarely followed by some students.  However, it is absolutely key on test days.  If your test is in the morning hours you must eat something before you come to school.  Preferably that food should have a good mix of protein and carbs to keep you energized and ready throughout the morning.  A bunch of sugar from a red-bull or 5-hour energy doesn't cut it at all.

• Relax, it isn't the end of the world. Lots of kids build up certain tests to be the end all be all of their entire academic life.  "If I fail this test, my future is ruined" etc...  That is no way to go into a test and it is no way to think in general.  No test in high school, no matter how big it seems, holds that much sway over your future.  If you do poorly on one test it will not ruin your life.  Obviously you want to do well but if for some reason you don't there is always tomorrow.  Remember that.

10 Emergency Test Cramming Tips

Nobody likes to do it but sometimes cramming for a test is simply unavoidable.  You put off studying, didn’t look at the review guide, and waited until the night before the test to even think about preparing.  Though I obviously would suggest that you not make this your normal strategy for test studying, if you do find yourself in this precarious position there are a few things you can do to help yourself out:1. Figure out what to study – When studying on a limited time budget you need to make sure you aren’t wasting time.  Your first priority should be to figure out what exactly will be on the test and stick to only studying that information.  Look at the review guide, look at your notes, and think about what has been talked about in class.  Pick out the most important concepts from there, perhaps the ones that are mentioned the most, and focus your studying on those. Don’t waste time on something if you think it won’t be on there or if it will only be in one question.

2. Don’t get overwhelmed – This is huge.  Do not let yourself get overwhelmed by anxiety and nervousness when thinking about everything you are going to have to study in a short amount of time.  Simply take it one minute at a time, focus on the problem or concept you are studying only and then move on.  Stay positive and focused.

3. Don’t burn yourself out – There will come a point at some during the night where you simply need to be done studying.  No amount of energy drinks is going to make that extra hour of time you want to put in at 4:30 a.m worth it.  Get some sleep!  Even if it is only a few hours, it might make the difference for you on the test.  Even if you cram everything into your brain the night before by staying up the whole night, it won’t do you any good if you are too incoherent to even write your name on the test.

4. Focus on the study guide – This goes along with #1 but it needs to be said again.  The study guide given to you by your teacher is the best place to focus when studying.  It was obviously designed to make you aware of the problems and concepts that will be on your test.  Use it!

5. Don’t bother asking teacher for help ­ - Just to save you some time, don’t bother emailing your teacher or professor at 11:30 p.m, or even 7 p.m, the night before a test.  As a teacher I can tell you that more than likely they aren’t going to respond to you.  Why? They probably aren’t too concerned with the fact that you waited until the very last minute to start studying for a test.  Don’t waste your time waiting for a reply.

6. Do ask your friends for help – Generally you know a few people in the class and they might be studying at the same time you are.  Perhaps they are even trying to cram everything in just like you waited to do.  If so, give them a call, text them, get in contact with them somehow.  They are going to be far more willing to help you.  My only suggestion though, don’t rely on them solely for help.  You have to figure it out yourself.

7. Don’t just look at solved problems, do them yourself – Don’t solely rely on looking at problems that are worked out for you, especially in math and science.  Trust me, you need to practice doing them yourself.  Simply looking at the solution isn’t going to cut it when it comes to you working something out on a test.  I can’t tell you how many times I have had students say they looked at the solutions over and over again without trying it themselves.  They then are shocked that they didn’t get that question right.  Try it yourself!

8. Use the Internet – If your friends have abandoned you for sleep and you are just stuck on something turn to the Internet for help.  Obviously, you have some hook up to it if you are reading this.  Use it.  There are an incredible number of resources out there that can help you out.  YouTube is a great place to look for educational videos that explain every concept under the sun.  If you are confused and need help, just search for it on the net.  Trust me.  The answer to your question is out there, you just have to find it.

9. Move around, don’t just sit there – There is nothing worse for learning than sitting still at a desk for 6 straight hours.  If you want to make your time spent studying more valuable, move around a bit.  Every hour take a 5 minute break to walk around, get a drink, do a few jumping jacks, or basically anything that gets you out of your chair and moving around.

10.  Eat breakfast in the morning – I know this is obvious or at least sounds obvious but do it anyway!  Eat before you leave for school or go to class.  It will make a difference.  If you just spent your entire night studying, you need to eat.  Your brain and test score will appreciate it!

I hope these tips help in your cramming session. Next time, print a little note out reminding yourself to study before the night before!

3 questions all parents should be able to answer

It's hard to talk with your kids about anything once they get to be a certain age it seems.  It can be especially hard to talk with them about school if they are struggling.  Even if you find the right time when they happen to be in an agreeable mood you still need to ask your kids the right questions to make any conversation about school meaningful.  I can't tell you how many times I've asked parents about their child's study habits, where they do their homework, what time they do their homework, do they worry about tests, etc...  I rarely get an informed answer back.  Now in my opinion that's not the fault of the parents.  Its more just the reality of teenage life today for kids, they like to keep things private from their parents.  What I've done here is compile a list of questions that parents should be able to answer about their kids educational life.  If there are some I missed please let me know.  I will be updating this list regularly:

1. When your kid studies for a test, how do they actually do it?

Being able to answer this questions is very important.  Most parents just think, my kid studies and that's enough.  However, in many cases that studying is perhaps barely taking place or in reality isn't at all.  Does your kid listen to music while they study? Do they text with friends? (Not always a bad thing depending on the kid. This can lead to some serious help for hard classes.) Do they use their computer while studying? Is the TV on?  Where do they study? Do they use notes? Do they use online tutorials? Are they actually doing the practice problems themselves?  As you can see, there is a lot more to studying than most parents realize.

2. When and where does your child do homework?

A lot of this overlaps with the previous question but it is just as important.  Getting into a positive and regular routine in for doing homework is essential to academic success.  The reality of class today (irregardless of whether you agree with it or not sadly) is that most required classes in school can be passed as long as all the work is completed.  In discussions with many teachers the majority agree that almost all the failures they have are a result of students not completing work instead of doing poorly on assessments.   If you are concerned with your student succeeding in class, ensuring they do their work is very important.

3. What are your child's personal expectations and what are your expectations for them?

It is very important that these two questions have the same answer.  In reality it is an entirely different blog post which I will cover soon.  I can say though that I've witnessed kids who have one view of themselves and their parents who have an entirely different view of their child in school.  This is a very important thing to get on the same page about.  Having expectations differ between parent and child can lead to significant stress and struggle for kids in class.  Whether expectations are high or low they need to be in sync and they need to be realistic.  More to follow on this tomorrow.

This really is just the beginning but these are 3 very important questions you should be able to answer about your child.  Please feel free to share this with others who may benefit from it as well!