Operations, Logistics, Privacy and Scheduling

Schools use enterprise tools to manage the physical and operational details of schools, including the accountability measure of reporting back to state and federal agencies for compliance. Many other tools reference data held in the student information system (SIS) and the enterprise resource planning suite (ERP) using some form of data interoperability to securely integrate separate databases for exchanging information.

Where the SIS is used as the “source of truth” for all longitudinal student data, ERP solutions are used for data management by human resources, accounting, payroll, and others needing access to staff data.

Given that SIS vendors serve public school districts as their core market, AI development here has yet to take off like in the prior two categories. Whereas, ERP developers often serve other sectors and are ahead by nature of the technology crossing over or trickling down for education customers. PowerSchool by way of acquisition of Hoonuit, has more decidedly entered the AI space as well. 

One huge opportunity here is the shift towards clean energy and green schools using cloud-based AI efficiency solutions. Microsoft has numerous case studies on facilities that are using AI to be more efficient, clean and sustainable. Deloitte has done research on the continued drop in price for smart facilities.

Safely and reliably transporting students from their homes to their schools is a concept due for reinvention. Bus routing can be made more efficient by algorithm, bus safety can be improved to reduce and prevent accidents, and the bus’s location can be monitored by students on their own devices, sending alerts when arriving early or late.

Examples: 

• Hop Skip Drive: essentially, a ride-sharing, “Lyft” for schools using vetted “Care Drivers” as an alternative to school-provided transportation.
• Edge3: “a leading supplier of end-to-end Ambient Artificial Intelligence and Vision Analytics products in the automotive, transportation and logistics industries.”
• Creatrix: “Mobile app allowing school bus scheduling quickly and easily.”
• Satalia: working with vehicle fleets for route optimization and workforce/talent allocation via AI to reduce inefficiencies.

In the near future, we will see dramatic enhancements in this category. This will look like more electric transport and as seen at multiple universities, driverless vehicles.

The complexities of getting the right people in the right place at the right time for the right shared experience to occur is an area where algorithms can lead to productivity and efficient staffing. Enrollment projections and actual daily attendance determines state funding for public schools, which makes accurate determinations and reporting so crucial. Educators in the US have largely relied upon their SIS’s scheduling functionality, which has limitations. 

Examples: 

• Abl: “Abl takes an operations-first approach, understanding access to courses, student equity, and teacher equity through the lens of the master schedule”
• Edval: standalone algorithm-rich master-scheduling/timetable optimization tool to work with or in place of a school’s SIS scheduling functions.
• Frontline: “…working with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), to bring voice-activated access to data and insights to the K-12 education community.”
• Allovue: allocate, budget, and manage resources—efficiently and equitably.
• AllHere: AllHere is a tool for radically reimagining parent engagement and attendance. A great option for meeting families where they are.