Skyward®'s 2017 Leader in Excellence Award

Round Lake Area Schools – District 116, is located in the northeast corner of Illinois. RLAS-116 is committed to trying new approaches to increase student achievement. Last year, they implemented a standards-based gradebook at the high school and adopted a district-wide 1:1 device pilot program. They’ve also started offering Project Lead the Way/Gateway Engineering courses at the middle and high school levels and an Elementary Scholars program for 4th and 5th graders who excel in reading and math. 

RLAS-116’s efforts have led to successes across the board. A top priority at RLAS-116 is reducing the achievement gap, which cannot be done without accurate records. The district put several Skyward tools to use in pursuit of this goal, including Skyward’s Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) Query tool. The ODBC tool helped remove tens of thousands of duplicate export file records, eliminating the need for third-party vendors. Roster files are kept up to date through automatic data transfers, making it easier to measure student success.

The district also made a commitment to save $25,000 in printing costs. To work toward a paperless model, they started using True Time and New Student Online Enrollment, automated their suspension process, and began emailing fee statements to families. They reinvested the money going paperless saved into their students, an approach that has proven successful. In the past two years, RLAS-116’s graduation rate climbed from 72% to 86%. In addition, over the past three years, the number of enrollments in Advanced Placement courses increased by 64%. The district believes this success stems from their investments in the best methods and technology available.

RLAS-116 has received an assortment of awards. Thanks to its collaboration with Skyward and its use of the finance module and budgeting capabilities, the district earned a Certificate of Excellence for Financial Reporting. Eight of its schools were recognized by the Midwest Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Network for their successful implementations of PBIS during the 2015-16 school year. In addition, three of its schools boasted top 10 finishes in the county’s attendance week competition.

A Skyward partner since 2005, RLAS-116 administrators and staff actively participate in Skyward-sponsored events, conferences, and webinars, and have worked with Skyward to enhance the products and services available.