Optimiz-Ed

Student data management in public schools has become increasingly complex over the past several decades. School office staff must understand the legal requirements of student registration and attendance, in addition to the ways in which accurate reporting of educational data impacts funding and accountability. In Georgia, there is no common, formal training program for non-certified office staff to attain the knowledge necessary to effectively perform their job duties. Often, new employees only receive brief and inadequate training from the person they are replacing. In addition, leadership preparation programs for administrative staff often do not cover the importance of effective management of student data or major reporting requirements such as FTE and Student Record. This program ensures that school office staff have the necessary knowledge to earn maximum funding, report data correctly for accountability purposes, and comply with Georgia and federal laws related to student enrollment, attendance, and data privacy.

Each module includes required readings or videos pertaining to the topic, along with a recorded presentation, where information is presented and described in straight-forward, practical terms. Each module also contains a short quiz, which must be passed at 100% (up to 3 attempts). Finally, in each module, there are a series of research questions, which require the student to determine how certain things are handled at the local level, either through interviews, research on the district website, or review of local board policy. The answers to these questions are submitted in Module 16 as a comprehensive final project. The participant will receive feedback on a draft submission from the instructor. Once updates are made, the final project must be signed off on by the participant's supervisor prior to a certificate being awarded.

It is estimated that each module will take 2-4 hours to complete. We encourage users to plan to complete one module per week and finish within 4-6 months of beginning the course. The maximum amount of time allowed is 12 months from the date of account creation. If a student does not finish within 12 months, the account will be disabled. If a student later wishes to resume, the full course fee must be paid again and all work repeated in the most recent version of the course.

At this time, we are not providing customized options. In order to create a trusted certification program that is recognized across Georgia and transferrable, it is important that the structure and experience be the same for all students. Note, however, that the school or district-level research questions do allow for students to access information and resources relevant to their own district and role.

There are many ways to incentivize completion of this certification course. For current office staff consider pay scale enhancements, registration fee payment or reimbursement, and allowance of course engagement during regular work hours. You may also provide extra consideration to job candidates who have completed this program to prepare for future career possibilities.

There are multiple payments and pricing options. Please click the Pricing menu or e-mail [email protected] for a quote.