Student Information System (SIS)

  • BCPS logo , image of laptop on desk

    The School Board of Broward County (SBBC) is modernizing its Student Information System (SIS).

    FOCUS School Software will be used to report student information to parents, teachers, principals and staff. FOCUS will be in place by the start of the 2024/2025 school year, and replaces SBBC’s legacy system (TERMS) with a modern, web-based product. It will be rolled out in phases.

    The new SIS will change the way student information is accessed by both parents and school staff. As the District “adopts” the new SIS, all stakeholders – students, parents, and staff – will need to “adapt” to how it works.

    This page will serve to inform parents and staff of scheduled changes and project milestones. Please bookmark it and check back regularly for updates.  

    AdoptandAdapt

     

     

    FOCUS School Software is: 

    • 100% web-based.
    • The most widely used solution for Florida State Reporting.
    • A key component in obtaining state and federal funding for our schools.
    • Currently implemented in more than two thirds of school districts in Florida and six of the largest 20 school districts in the country.
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  • What is a Student Information System?

    A Student Information System is a database where student information is stored and accessed by school staff and parents.  

  • How will the SIS be implemented?

    The district has planned extensively for implementation in phases starting in January of 2024. Training and support will be provided to all staff as the district makes this phased transition.

  • Why is it important?

    The Student Information System will track the historical academic history of students in Broward County which is required for state funding.

  • Why does it matter to me as a parent? As a student? As a staff member?

    For parents, current systems such as Virtual Counselor and Pinnacle rely on a Student Information System to store data. For schools, a Student Information System is vital for tracking many aspects of the student experience, such as attendance, scheduling, grades and test scores. Changing to a new system will change the way staff, parents and students interact with student data.  

  • What system do we use today?

    Broward County currently uses TERMS.

  • Why do we need to replace the current system?

    The new Student Information System (SIS) will permit the District to: 

    • Optimize state reporting processes  
    • Improve the use of data for decision making 
    • Increase communication and engagement with students, parents and teachers  
    • Enhance interoperability and accessibility of systems  
    • Reduce system redundancies and silos  
    • Increase process efficiencies and digital automation and minimize the time and effort it takes to complete administrative tasks  
    • Ensure the ease of ongoing system maintenance and support  

  • Why FOCUS?

    FOCUS was chosen through a competitive bidding process and is being used by other school districts in Florida (Palm Beach, Polk and Brevard, for example) with great success.