Qmlativ and SMS 2.0 Tools to Help Your District during COVID-19!

At lot has changed for our schools this year. Here are some of the tools available in Skyward’s SMS 2.0 and Qmlativ to help your district in this new learning environment.

Digital Student ID Cards (SMS 2.0)

Using digital Student ID cards means students can pull up an individualized barcode in Student Access on a mobile device that can then be used to scan through a barcode scanner device from STAi. This eliminates the need for a student to physically touch a keypad to enter their Food Service PIN when purchasing meals at school.

Has Internet Flag and Has eLearning Device Flag (SMS 2.0) / Technology at Home (Qmlativ)

The Has Internet and Has eLearning Device flags in SMS 2.0 and the Technology at Home feature in Qmlativ allow districts to track which students are equipped with the connection and the hardware necessary to engage in remote learning. These features will help you to identify students who are not equipped, so that you can develop alternate strategies to maintain engagement with those students. These fields have also been added to Data Mining, New Student Online Enrollment, Online Forms, and Online Registration.

Method of Instruction (SMS 2.0 and Qmlativ)

Method of Instruction allows districts to classify how each student has selected to receive instruction, for example, Remote, In-Person, Hybrid, etc. This data can be seen administratively in Student Profile or by the student’s teachers in Teacher Access.

Learning Management Systems

Districts are relying heavily on Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Canvas (a WSIPC Cooperative Purchasing Partner) to provide remote instruction to students while school buildings are closed. Our API provides a free one-way connection from Skyward to an LMS (class roster information) or a paid two-way connection to/from Skyward (class roster information and grades writeback).

Alternatively, Skyward also has a built-in LMS in SMS 2.0 called Course Learning Center that is available for districts to purchase as a SaaS module. The Course Learning Center keeps all of a teacher’s assignments, handouts, reading materials and paperwork together in one place. Instead of having stacks of handouts, all course information can be stored online. Students can browse through all the projects and notes at any time. When it’s time to turn in their homework, students simply submit it through their digital locker and it’s available for their teacher to grade.

No Deposit - Do not Print Deposit (Qmlativ and SMS 2.0)

Districts can choose to go paperless by electing to not print deposit advices. This employee-specific option is seamlessly integrated with the payroll run process. Any employee configured with a Print Deposit Option of No Deposit - Do not Print Deposit, will automatically be excluded from the print package during the Print Deposit step. All pay check details will still be available in Employee Access for staff and can be printed at their discretion.

Time Tracking (Qmlativ) and True Time (SMS 2.0)

If an employee's annual salary is dependent on meeting an hourly requirement, Time Tracking or True Time can help with tracking those work hours. Annualized Salary Pay configurations use employee information to calculate the expected hours of work for salary employees during any given week. This allows overages and underages to be calculated when an employee submits their electronic timesheet. If an employee's paid time off should be used instead of receiving leave without pay, this is also an option. Any additional pay due to the employee or leave without pay that should be docked is then pulled into your payroll run for processing.

WSIPC is a non-profit cooperative that provides technology solutions (including SMS 2.0 and Qmlativ), services, and support to K-12 schools. WSIPC’s purpose is to help schools do more with every dollar and to empower them with the tools to work smarter. To learn how your district can become a part of the WSIPC Cooperative, contact us at info@wsipc.org or 425.349.6600.

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