The school implemented an updated student information system, Skyward Qmlativ, over the summer, and many teachers and students have been struggling to figure out the new interface.

Technology information systems and district specialist for Skyward Qmlativ Misty Swarner explains why the district decided to make the switch.

“The reason that we migrated was [because Skyward Qmlativ] has a better, smarter user interface,” Swarner said. “Overall, the look and feel of it has been revamped, and there’s a lot more reporting options for us on the district side to help us get data collected.”

Deputy chief of staff and communications Alvie Cater also feels like the switch was to gain a more easily operated system.

“The move by Skyward is part of a broader effort to provide a more user-friendly design and improve performance,” Cater said via email. “Skyward has informed districts to be patient and flexible during the transition, as there will be some bumps before experiencing the full benefits of Qmlativ.”

Although this switch has seemed abrupt to some, Skyward has been modernizing its system for 10 years and is aiming to be more widespread, so Swarner and the district made the decision to make the switch.

“The [district] curriculum and instruction department put together a team of teachers and other staff and said, ‘Would you like to do this now or later?’ Skyward gave us a sunset date where the old system would be supported for three more years,” Swarner said. “We would have to [decide to] do it now or within the next three years.”

Many teachers are struggling due to this new update, such as science teacher Ryan Johnston. Johnston feels the updates aren’t helping him.

“There’s more functionality as far as reports and seating charts,” Johnston said. “However, it’s not what I was looking for. It’s more useful from an administrator perspective, which generated the shift to the new Skyward. I understand that there are a lot more bells and whistles, but from a teacher’s perspective, I didn’t need them.”

Not only does this update affect teachers and students, but also the school’s registrar, Deana Thom.

“The lack of training and the lack of [Skyward Qmlativ] being ready for us to use [was difficult],” Thom said. “It doesn’t feel like it was ready when they applied it. A little more time should have been put in getting all of the pieces together.”

Principal Doctor Gail Holder sees this update not as a bad thing, but as a normal struggle when switching to a new system.

“Anytime you switch a student information system or learning platform, it’s going to be bumpy, and you have some things that have remained in place and tried and true, like Canvas,” Holder said. “But when you update one system, and you don’t update both systems, they’re not always talking to each other and super friendly.”

Thom describes how the district provided little information to staff members on how to navigate Skyward Qmlativ.

“It doesn’t seem to be as user friendly as [when it] was presented to us,” Thom said. “I have been using Skyward since 2006, so they [told] me that it would be very intuitive to maneuver, but it’s not.”

Johnston shares how he has been troubleshooting to try and figure out the new system.

“The things that were routine in the past are things that I’ve done for several years,” Johnston said. “Here I go to do it on the new one, and I don’t even know where to begin. I have to start hunting and poking and trying things out. When it comes to setting up the grade book and then setting up the semester exam, all these things that used to be done in just two or three clicks have now become a process.”

To address the obstacles, Swarner has worked to provide accommodating resources to help teachers maneuver through Skyward Qmlativ.

“I built a website that [teachers] can access [for help],” Swarner said. “There’s an icon within their user access that they can click on, and it has a bunch of

Students are also feeling the effects of the switch, such as junior Lydia Reynolds who finds the switch inconvenient.

“[The switch] seems unnecessary,” Reynolds said. “There was nothing wrong with the old Skyward. It’s like ‘Why did we change it?’. Its annoying because it opens multiple tabs when you view your grades and the way it shows your schedule is very confusing.”

Although there have been many issues, Holder sees this as a learning experience that everybody needs to get through on their own.

“Every teacher has experienced something that has been positive and something that’s been a challenge,” Holder said. “I don’t think there’s anybody that’s experienced all challenges or all positives.”