December 17, 2002
By Catherine Garcia / WFAA-TV
Some North Texas parents have a new tool to help keep track of their children at school.
A just-launched system is partnering Lancaster parents and teachers - online In class, Lancaster High students are talking about leadership throughout history. After class, teacher Paul Philp will tell parents which students made it to class, as well as their grades on the latest essay - and he'll do it all in cyberspace.
"Technology has entered the classroom in a way for feedback that's unbelievable," Philp said.
Lancaster High teachers have just gone online with Edline, a system that allows them to post daily attendance, future assignments and grades. Students and parents have 24-hour access with individual passwords.
"It's great that you get your assignments ahead of time, so that way if you have free time you can actually work on them earlier," student Michael Sorrells said.
Some students have already seen the benefit of the system - but most say their mothers will be its biggest fans.
"She sees whether I've got some homework to do or I'm missing anything - so it's like a double check-up," student Chris Thomas said.
Thomas' mother Charlotte checked in on his grades from work.
"I think he'll be a little bit more, you know, cautious of what he does and what he does not do," Charlotte Thomas said.
The system costs the district about $2 per year for each student to log on and check their classes and grades, and right now that's covered by a grant. Eventually, the district hopes to expand the program to all of its grade levels.
"They're making sure that we can't get away with a lot of things," student Cassie Scott said.
And one of those things is changing grades.
"It's the same encryption software that banks use, so it is a locked site and students can't get in," district technology coordinator Joy Mahone said.
Lancaster district officials hope better communication online will convert the higher technology into higher grades.