Automated schools: 7 school processes you can automate

While the priority of every school is to offer the highest quality education to students, administrative responsibilities demand a lot of time and energy behind the scenes. Teachers and administrators have to juggle the demands of lesson planning and data tracking, and that often means dealing with tedious, manual processes that distract from teacher-student interactions.

School systems can thrive by integrating digital workflows that automate repetitive processes. When simple tasks are fully automated, teachers can focus on creating optimal learning opportunities for their students — and an automated school is better able to support the needs of both staff members and teachers.

The benefits of an automated school

It’s easy to get stuck using the same manual processes you’ve been using for years. But creating new systems now will have a long-lasting impact on your school’s overall performance. Investing in software for an automated school workflow is a powerful way to improve results — for both staff and students.

Consider what you can achieve from creating an automated school: 

• Save time. Think about how many hours each week teachers and administrators waste on manual processes. Using paper forms, for example, doubles the amount of work because someone has to enter data online, sort the information, and file the forms.
• Save money. Not only can a school save time by reducing redundant and manual tasks, but going digital is a great way to save money as well. Most schools have tight budgets, which means that you free up valuable resources by eliminating paper waste and unnecessary printed forms.
• Boost performance. When teachers eliminate manual busywork, it frees up their time to focus on strategic tasks that improve their performance. Teacher performance has a direct impact on the quality of students’ education.
• Attract talent. Teachers and administrators want to work in a supportive work environment. When you use automation, it reduces stress for everyone on the team, creating a better workplace. Plus, top performers in the education industry are looking for career opportunities where they can leverage technology.

Ultimately, the goal of workflow automation in schools is to improve learning opportunities for students through staff development and better organization.

7 school processes to automate 

As you review your current workflows and organizational goals, look for opportunities for improvement. Keep in mind that you don’t have to fully automate everything right away. Instead, choose a dynamic automation system, such as Jotform, to design an automated school one step at a time.

Consider prioritizing these processes when improving your digital education systems:

1. Admissions and enrollment. Think about what information you need to collect and track, and then customize an enrollment form to meet your needs.
2. Student registration. Use these forms to collect student course selections, sign-ups for extracurricular activities, and other essential data. Both the school’s administration and individual departments benefit from streamlined registration processes.
3. Student surveys. Gather feedback from students about course materials, school facilities, and curriculum. Then use this data to improve school systems and optimize learning opportunities.
4. Attendance tracking. Whether students meet in person or participate in remote learning, teachers need to keep an attendance record. An alternative option is to create a digital attendance tracking system for students to fill out themselves.
5. Teacher evaluation. Conducting teacher reviews and providing feedback are critical ways to help staff members improve their performance in the classroom. Administrators can use digital forms for classroom evaluations to make the process run more smoothly.
6. Maintenance requests. Teachers and administrative staff need ways to easily file maintenance requests. Using a work order form centralizes the process of requesting facilities support while also organizing and prioritizing these tasks for the maintenance team.
7. Permission forms. Whether teachers need to collect permission forms or parent signatures, digital forms eliminate the need for students to get paperwork from the classroom to their homes and back again, eliminating the problem of lost forms.

You can find other form templates for educators to help you get rid of paperwork in the classroom. All of these forms are fully customizable, so you can format them to meet your unique needs.

Ways to manage data in Jotform Tables

Jotform’s online forms also integrate with Jotform Tables to give you a centralized database for managing and tracking the information you collect. Here are a few school administration table templates to consider using:

• Class attendance sheets
• School CRM
• Parent communication log

Find other education table templates with full customization capabilities to build the best workflows and create a more organized and automated school.