At Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD), enrolling new students was often a challenging task.
With a student population of more than 70,000 and
75 schools within the district, new student enrollment
was a painstaking process for teachers, parents and administrative staff. Barbara Benzaia, manager of student information systems at FBISD, described how registration forms varied widely by campus.For a district with a large student population and multiple campuses, the lack of standardization caused many inefficiencies and headaches for district staff. The administration knew they needed to make a change to better facilitate student enrollment practices within the district. As a Skyward customer since 2010, FBISD was familiar with the features that Skyward offered and was excited to pilot the latest innovation in an online enrollment solution.
Before beginning an online
enrollment transition, the
district created a committee
that included campus administrators, campus registration staff, and district administrators to produce a standardized registration form that would be available online district-wide. “We standardized what we wanted as a district and made decisions such as eliminating paper forms,” Benzaia said. After customizing the standardized registration form, FBISD was ready to implement the new Skyward enrollment solution. The district successfully made a smooth transition to technology that streamlined the enrollment process for its new students.
"WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT NEW STUDENT ONLINE ENROLLMENT. THE SOFTWARE IS GREAT, AND IT ALLOWS YOU TO CUSTOMIZE THE REGISTRATION PROCESS TO MEET YOUR DISTRICT'S NEEDS."
“We were trained well on how to use Skyward’s New Student Online Enrollment,” Benzaia said. “Skyward let our district and campus staff practice the online enrollment process with the software in a training environment, so we were able to test it first, which was very beneficial.” The district’s soft-opening of the new enrollment solution was on June 1, 2014, and parents could begin registering their children online. The district also purchased front office computer kiosks for all of its schools, so parents could register their children onsite if needed.
“The opening of New Student Online Enrollment was
a huge success. Our parents were able to complete everything they needed to before coming to school,” Benzaia said. “This allowed our campus administrative and registration staff to spend quality time with parents and students – answering questions they felt important or giving a tour of the school – by not having to focus on registration paperwork.”
“All registration paperwork is completed online by the parents before campus registration staff finalize the enrollment into school,” she said. “Our parents appreciate that they
can complete this process online at home, at their convenience. They don’t have to take off work to come into the school to complete paperwork. Parents only have to enter demographic information once, and it populates automatically to other forms including forms for siblings.”
With the implementation of a solution designed for enrolling new students through a customizable online process, the district was successful in completing more than 7,500 new student online registrations during an initial three-month period of the process. “It helped us to standardize our registration process across the board,” Benzaia said. “We are so excited about New Student Online Enrollment. The software is great, and it allows you to customize the registration process to meet your district’s needs.”
"THE OPENING OF NEW STUDENT ONLINE ENROLLMENT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS."
In order to be successful, the district sent press releases to local media to communicate the implementation of the new online enrollment process for students. They also communicated via the school messenger system, Skylert, and posted messages on Family Access for families of students with younger siblings who would be registering. The district also created ads and flyers, and posted information on social media platforms.
To assist parents in the online process, FBISD created "how-to"s and posted them on the district website. “Even if parents didn’t read the instructions or how-tos, parents could figure out how to complete the online process,” Benzaia said. “Skyward’s New Student Online Enrollment is intuitive and very easy for parents.”
The new enrollment solution gave the district and its families the ability to complete additional tasks online. “Parents of students have Family Access accounts with Skyward from the beginning,” Benzaia said. She explained that in the future the district plans to move to an even more paperless model. Parents will have to opt-in for paper copies of report cards and progress reports
next fall. “Report cards and progress reports are available online now, and by adding the additional hard-copy opt-in, we will create a cost savings for the district in the future.”
In addition to efficiency and convenience, data integrity was also important to the district. “Our campus registration staff could review what the parents entered during
the online registration process and verify the data for accuracy prior to saving it in our system,” Benzaia said. “New Student Online Enrollment ensured all paperwork was accurate and complete.”
Fort Bend ISD streamlined its registration process for new students with the implementation of innovative technology. The district maintained data integrity while increasing administrative efficiencies and creating a convenient process for students and parents. To date, Fort Bend has successfully enrolled more than 10,000 new students through Skyward’s New Student Online Enrollment. Follow-up resource: Online Enrollment
Move enrollment online and enjoy a simpler registration process and reduced costs.
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FAQs
A decision of a school district to deny admission may be appealed to the commissioner of education under §7.057(c). In an appeal under that section, the commissioner will review the record developed at the district level to determine if the decision is supported by substantial evidence.
What does online enrollment mean? ›
The answer is simple. A real-time registration that enables students to enroll in their courses and programs before the commencement of their classes. This way, everything integrates into a system and acts as a mechanism to serve the students better.
How many students are enrolled in online learning? ›
10 million: Approximate Number of College Students Enrolled in Distance Education Courses, Fall 2022. More than 10 million college students took at least one distance education class in the fall of 2022. Slightly less than half of those students took all of their courses online.
What counts as being enrolled in college? ›
College enrollment is the process of deciding where you will attend a university. Enrollment in college means that you accept admission to that school and commit to attending.
What is the 90% attendance rule in Texas? ›
What Does The 90% Rule Mean For Your Child? In addition to Texas compulsory attendance laws, districts are required to enforce the 90% rule which states that students in grades Kindergarten through 12th must attend a class for 90% of the time it is offered to receive credit or a final grade.
What is needed to enroll a child in school in Texas? ›
First, you will need to locate a school. Secondly, you will need to provide the residency documentation required by that school entity. Next, get your child all state required immunizations (or provide a valid exemption from the immunization requirements).
What is the enrollment process? ›
Traditionally, the enrollment process is the moment when a student (or guardian) formalizes their commitment with an education institution. The student is then invited to register, confirm personal data, deliver documents (ID, proof of residence, etc.), and finally, accept the agreement.
What does no active enrollment mean? ›
If an employee does not participate in active enrollment, he or she runs the risk of losing coverage. It takes time. Active enrollment requires active participation. And active participation means time—there's no way to get out of it.
How many online classes can I take? ›
Most campuses allow only one UC Online course per term. However, you may be able to add an additional course if your campus deems you are eligible. If you enroll in more than one UC Online course and your campus doesn't allow more than one, you will be required to drop the additional course(s).
What school has the most online students? ›
Want an online degree that's:
| School | Online Enrollment |
|---|
| # 1 | #1 Southern New Hampshire University Online | 157,898 |
| # 2 | #2 Western Governors University | 156,935 |
| # 3 | #3 University of Phoenix | 88,738 |
| # 4 | #4 Liberty University | 81,026 |
41 more rowsThe average online student is 32 years old.
Are more kids doing online school? ›
Between 2021 and 2022, there was a 47 percent increase in families enrolling in exclusively virtual schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Why are schools and families opting for online learning given the evidence from the past few years?
How do I know if I'm enrolled in college? ›
The quickest way to obtain a verification is by using Enrollment Verify through the National Student Clearinghouse. Enrollment Verifications can be requested beginning the 4th week of each term.
What does it mean to be student enrolled? ›
Student enrollment refers to the act of signing up for school and/or specific classes or co-curricular activities at that particular school. The enrollment process is completed after a student is granted admission to a particular school.
Does "enrolled" mean accepted? ›
Enrolled. An enrolled student has completed all admission and registration requirements and can begin attending classes.
What is Section 25.093 of the Texas Education Code? ›
Section 25.093 - [Effective 1/1/2025] Parent Contributing to Nonattendance (a) If a warning is issued as required by Section 25.095(a), the parent with criminal negligence fails to require the child to attend school as required by law, and the child has absences for the amount of time specified under Section 65.003(a), ...
What is the education code 25.086 in Texas? ›
Code § 25.086, a child who is at least six years of age, or who is younger than six years of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade, and who has not yet reached the child's 19th birthday shall attend school. Tex. Educ. Code § 25.085(b).
What can I do if my child refuses to go to school in Texas? ›
If it is determined that a child's school refusal is related to an emotional problems, such as anxiety or depression, or to a behavioral problem such as oppositional or defiant behavior, a child psychologist or other qualified behavioral or mental health professional should be consulted to assist a family with ...
Can my child go to any public school in Texas? ›
Generally, a child is eligible to attend the school district in which the child resides. If a residence is located on a district boundary, the boards of either or both districts may determine that the student is eligible to enroll in their district.
