Student Information Systems (SIS): A Guide for K-12 School Districts

Your guide to understanding student information system software built for K-12 schools and districts

Every K-12 school and district needs a quality, comprehensive student information system (SIS) at the heart of its digital ecosystem to manage educational operations. Student information systems handle a wide range of administrative functions, including collecting, storing, and providing access to student data.

In this guide, we’ll look at what a K-12 student information system is and the most critical ways it serves schools and districts.

What is a K-12 Student Information System (SIS)?

A K-12 student information system is a comprehensive software application that stores and manages all student data within a school, district, or charter school system. An SIS provides teachers and administrators convenient access to student data, such academic, schedule, demographic, behavior, and health information. Schools and districts use an SIS for compliance reporting to departments of education, and to provide reports to key stakeholders to inform decision-making to help students succeed.

Modern SIS’s provide convenient access to information to students and their families, and facilitate direct communication between the school and home through messaging and email within the system. Top student information systems keep student data secure, and integrate with other core education technology programs, such as a learning management system (LMS) and products managing enrollment, assessment, behavior, special programs and special education, data analytics, and finance and HR (ERP). 

What is the Purpose of a K-12 SIS? 

The primary purpose of K-12 student information system is to securely collect, manage, and make available student data throughout students’ educational journey. By doing so, the SIS can enhance administrative tasks, streamline communication, and provide valuable insights for educators, students, and parents. A quality SIS not only ensures the security of sensitive student information but also facilitates seamless integration with other core educational technology systems—such as a learning management system and assessment platform—to give educators and administrators convenient access to student data while providing personalized learning experiences. This integration fosters efficient workflows, promotes data-driven decision-making, and empowers educators to create a more tailored and engaging educational environment for students. 

Top 8 Benefits of a Modern K-12 Student Information System  

A modern K-12 student information system provides core student data management functionality to streamline administrative tasks and support personalized learning with convenient access to comprehensive student data. Additional benefits a robust SIS should offer include the following:

1. Flexibility to Configure the SIS to Specific Needs

A modern SIS should allow you to easily customize the system, including pages, screens, fields, student schedules, standards-based grading requirements, and the user interface, to adapt to the needs of a changing K-12 environment and reporting requirements

2. Easy for Staff and Families to Use

An SIS should be intuitive and simple to navigate, access data, and adapt to your changing needs.

3. Interoperability with Other Core Software Systems

A fully interoperable SIS should integrate with your LMS, and programs for assessment, special programs or special education, data analytics, behavior, registration and enrollment, and finance, HR, and ERP. 

4. Data Security and Privacy from Cybersecurity Attacks

Cyberattacks and threats against K-12 organizations continue to rise, threatening student data privacy and security. An SIS should help improve your student data security through application cybersecurity, backup, and disaster recovery, vendor best practices, cloud hosting options, and compliance with IT security standards such as FERPA, HIPPA, and SOC 2.

5. Actionable Data 

A modern SIS should provide accessible data, presented in a usable, clean, and organized way, to give you insight into trends in student learning and performance. 

6. Communication and Engagement with Families

According to the 2023 Education Focus Report, seven in 10 parents say they must navigate between as many as six systems to access the information they need to understand how their student is learning. Your SIS should communicate a real-time, complete view of student data to families through multiple avenues, including an online parent and student portal and mobile apps.

7. Compliance Reporting

State and provincial reporting requirements change constantly, ultimately affecting a school or district’s ability to secure full funding. An SIS should be adaptable to accommodate changes, and the SIS vendor should provide support specific to each state and province’s reporting needs.

8. Training and Support

Because an SIS is such a robust platform handling a wide variety of operational needs, the SIS vendor should offer extensive support and training options. From product implementation through everyday use, most schools and districts can benefit from support offered through a number of channels, including phone, email, online chat, webinars, and community forums, with training offered on-demand, online, and in-person.

How a Student Information System Impacts Different Operations

SIS for District Office and Administration 

A student information system benefits district office and administration staff by streamlining operations and improving efficiency in data collection, storage, and access. Staff use that data for attendance tracking and reporting, grade management and reporting, course and schedule management, data analysis, and compliance reporting. The SIS also improves communication and collaboration between district office staff, school administrators, teachers, and parents through a messaging system, notifications, online portals, and mobile apps to share information, announcements, and updates. 

SIS in the Classroom 

A student information system provides teachers with valuable tools to streamline classroom management, track student progress, and facilitate communication. Main uses of an SIS in the classroom include attendance management, gradebook and grade management, individualized student profiles to support personalized instruction, data analytics, communication and collaboration, and parent engagement. An SIS also integrates with other classroom management tools—such as an LMS, assessment, special programs, and behavior products—so that teachers can access critical student tools from one location. 

SIS for Family Engagement 

The SIS provides families access to important information about their student’s education, improving their involvement and engagement which can impact the student’s success. SIS software allows teachers to communicate with parents, and share student progress reports, attendance records, and assignment details. Teachers can also schedule parent-teacher conferences and facilitate parent involvement through the SIS platform. With some student information systems, parents can access student information through an online parent portal and a mobile app.

SIS for Special Programs 

A student information system can integrate with management software for special programs, or special education. Through integration, the SIS can enhance individualized education plan (IEP) management, accommodation tracking, special education services coordination, progress monitoring, case management, and compliance reporting.

Top 10 Capabilities of a K-12 SIS 

A student information system is one of the most comprehensive software products used within schools and districts, tackling a wide range of functions. These include: 

1. Comprehensive Student Data Management

Providing a centralized database for managing and organizing student data, including enrollment information, demographics, attendance records, grades, and more. 

2. Attendance Tracking and Reporting

Automating the tracking of student attendance, enabling real-time monitoring, generating reports, and helping identify attendance patterns. 

3. Grade Management and Reporting

Grade management features, allowing teachers to record and calculate grades, generate report cards, and share progress reports with students and parents. 

4. Scheduling and Course Management

Supporting the creation and management of class schedules, helping assign students to specific classes or programs, and providing flexibility for course selection. 

5. Communication and Collaboration

Facilitating effective communication and collaboration between teachers, students, parents, and administrators through online portals, messaging systems, and mobile apps. 

6. Data Analytics and Reporting

Providing data analytics capabilities, enabling educators and administrators to generate comprehensive reports, analyze student performance, and make data-driven decisions. 

7. Compliance Reporting

Providing a library of pre-built reports as well as the flexibility to adjust for new requirements, along with compliance teams dedicated to specific states and provinces who keep up to date with changing requirements.  

8. Interoperability with Edtech Systems

Offering integration with other edtech systems, such as an LMS, assessment platform, and finance system to create an efficient educational ecosystem.

9. Data Security and Privacy

Implementing robust measures to protect student data and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. An SIS vendor should provide a dedicated security team and 24x7x365 monitoring of applications, databases, cybersecurity, and infrastructure operations. The vendor should also offer a cloud hosting option that can help reduce risk by providing fully redundant infrastructure services, multiple levels of data recovery, and advanced security technologies. 

10. Product Support and Training

Offering 24×7 access to training and support, including multiple types and channels, such as on-demand, online, and in-person classes, and support through phone, email, online chat, webinars, and community forums.

5 Questions to Ask When Upgrading Your SIS

1. Is the SIS Flexible and Adaptable to Meet Our Needs?

Look for an SIS you can easily customize, instead of one that lacks scalability and forces you to operate within the system’s limitations. You should be able to easily create customized student schedules, standards-based grading requirements, and modify the user interface. School administrators and teachers need to be able to create or consolidate different screens, pages, and fields to collect new data points unique to their district.

2. Is it Easy to Learn, Use, and Navigate?

Your SIS should be easy for your staff to learn and use. It should be simple to navigate, access data, and adapt to your changing needs. If your SIS isn’t intuitive for accessing the data you need, it can end up becoming a time-consuming, inefficient product that takes valuable resources away from other critical roles and responsibilities. 

3. Is the SIS Interoperable with Other Edtech Products?

Your SIS should be compatible with your other digital tools, including ones you have now as well as those you may need in the future. Ideally, SIS companies that offer other education technology solutions within their own product suite, and bi-directional SIS data exchange with third-party software partners, expand your capabilities and better prepare you for the future. 

4. Will Data Be Presented in a Way That Supports Decision-Making?

Educators need real-time, actionable data in one convenient location. That way, they can easily view the whole child and personalize learning based on each student’s unique needs. Data that’s easily accessible—presented in a usable, clean, and organized way—gives you insight into trends in student learning and performance. It takes the guesswork out of identifying classroom challenges and empowers teachers and administrators to make more informed decisions. 

5. How Does the System Help Improve Family Engagement?

A student information system that communicates a real-time, complete view of student performance to families can improve engagement, which fuels student growth and improves educational outcomes. Regular communication between teachers and families through the SIS keeps everyone on the same page, driving student accountability and success. 

What is an example of a K-12 Student Information System? 

PowerSchool SIS is the most widely used student information system and the first web-based system serving K-12 schools and districts. Founded in 1997, PowerSchool SIS offers a user-friendly interface and robust features, enabling the efficient and secure management of student data, including enrollment, attendance, and grades. It provides tools for teachers to track and report on student progress, facilitates communication between teachers, parents, and administrators, supports state and provincial reporting, and drives personalized learning through data-driven insights. PowerSchool SIS also integrates with other edtech systems, such as an LMS and assessment platforms, creating a seamless educational ecosystem.

How to Choose the Right K-12 Student Information System

An SIS is a core education technology product built to handle numerous administrative and classroom tasks and meet a school or district’s comprehensive needs. Because K-12 operations can be complex—and different for every school and district—you need a modern student information system (SIS) at the heart of your digital ecosystem that gives your staff flexibility and adaptability to prepare for today’s challenges, as well as what lies ahead. 

If you’re switching your student information system, there are several critical factors to consider. Compare each system’s core functionality and features, such as the ability to provide accessible and actionable data. Other key features to look for include product interoperability, data security, ease of use, and family engagement tools. Assess an SIS’s ability to handle compliance reporting for accurate state and provincial submissions, and find out what types of training and support options are available to get you up and running quickly and successfully.

Changing your student information system can seem daunting. But investing in a modern, reliable SIS that covers your top priorities is a smart way to build the foundation for a successful future. As an example, the award-winning PowerSchool SIS is built to support teachers, drive student growth, and lead you into the future with the ability to scale operations as you grow and face challenges to come. From easy customizations and an intuitive use experience to industry-leading interoperability, security, and support, PowerSchool SIS is the reliable, agile system currently serving more than 50 million students worldwide.