Submitted to the Leadership Team and Academic

Council at the International School of Stuttgart

Prepared by Anja Junginger
M a y 2 0 1 4


Evaluation Report
Summary
Through the implementation of the Veracross student information system, the
International School of Stuttgart hopes to provide a one-stop-shop for all information
pertaining to students, grades, classes, and organizational supports (calendars,
documents, etc.) for all constituents. Additionally, the school hopes that learning will
be improved as a result of greater transparency about student progress, increased
debate about the effectiveness of the assessments and assignments developed by
teachers, and greater curricular and organizational alignment across the school. The
expected outcomes consequently include greater student and teacher accountability,
clearer assessment tasks and assignments, and thus better learning results and less
confusion about where to find organizational and student progress information.

The focus of this program evaluation is to analyze stakeholder perspectives about
Veracross in relation to its design, as well as to its current level of implementation. In
order to find out this information, much of the data collection was reliant on surveys.
Ultimately, the evaluator hoped to gain stakeholder perspectives about the
effectiveness of the tool and its usefulness in meeting their needs, as well as to find
out what those needs are. The views being targeted are the students, parents, and
teachers in the Upper Schools on both school campuses, with an emphasis on
grades 6-10. The audience of the program evaluation is the school's leadership
teams (administrative and academic) as well as the Database Manager. It is hoped
that actions can be taken as a result of the evaluation findings that will improve the
ongoing implementation of the program at the International School of Stuttgart.

The activities that have taken place so far in the program implementation have
focused on stakeholder communication, professional development and support, as
well as implementing the technical steps needed to get the portal open and running
according to the schools needs. No baseline data or previous evaluation
documentation exists, and the purpose of this evaluation is formative in nature, and
goals-based. Surveys are the main tool being used to gather qualitative data, as well
as initial interviews with the Database Manager and Director to clarify the objectives.

The findings indicate that the majority of all stakeholders quite strongly buy-in to the
idea of having a student information system and wish for it to be implemented
effectively. The narrative data from students and parents definitively shows a wish
for consistency and reliability of information in order to be informed about student
progress. There seems to be a real desire to fully rely on Veracross across all areas
of the curriculum and an awareness of the positive benefits of using the program
responsibly, however, according to the data, the current situation does not allow for
this reliability. Therefore there should be further investigation into strategies which
will ensure that all teachers have the tools and knowledge to be able to provide
consistent and reliable information to students and parents.
Description of the program evaluated
In order to improve communication about individual student learning as well as to
manage and communicate whole school processes, a new student information
system called Veracross was introduced to the school community in September
2014, however the preparation in the background went on for over two years and a
dedicated database manager was hired for the 2012-13 school year in order to lead
the implementation. The implementation was very high-stakes for the school Director
and for the Board, and significant funds were dedicated to the endeavor. The school
is now using Veracross as the main portal to all information regarding student
progress, school events, and for administrative workflows.

The intended users are the students, teachers, and parents as well as the school
administration. Each of these stakeholders bring different levels of expectations and
perceptions related to the usefulness of this tool. While seeing the benefits, many
teachers for example, are feeling pressured by the multiple demands placed upon
them to plan for and document student progress using tools they are not familiar
with. Many students and parents, on the other hand, have felt a lack of control and
lack of clarity about the curricular expectations and student progress. They wish for a
greater sense of transparency, while still maintaining an acceptable level of data
security.

The features of the tool include a variety of calendars and views, attendance, a
gradebook/assignments, teacher planning tools, a class website, a resource library,
and reporting tools. The expectations are that all teachers actively use the system to
inform parents and students about assignment requirements, to give feedback, and
to report on student learning in grades 6-12. Ways for Veracross to be used in the
elementary schools is under discussion and is not part of this evaluation, nor is the
use of Veracross by the administrative staff.
Program Objectives
The reasons for implementing Veracross are focused on improving communication,
transparency, and student learning.

Therefore, this evaluation specifically focuses on the following program objectives:
Further developing the student information system that supports a transparent
and reflective partnership between students, their families and the school.
Supporting various digital forms of communicating information to support
student learning.

The resulting questions guiding this evaluation are:
Are stakeholders provided with the information they need and want?
Is the information easy to find and access?
How does the use of Veracross impact student-teacher-parent relationships
and interactions?
What effect does the information provided have on student actions?
Program Components
Veracross offers different modules and interfaces for different users and purposes.
The focus of this evaluation is on the portals accessed by students, teachers, and
parents in the MYP for academic and general informational purposes.

Teachers have the most active interaction with the tool, as they can use the features
of the Academic Module to share assignments, give individual feedback, and post
grades all via the Gradebook, post class information via the Class Website, notify
students and parents of issues using Contacts, and store resources in the Library.
They also have access to a variety of calendars and student information and can use
the Planner for their short-term planning. Students and parents mainly view the
information posted by the teachers, excepting the submit feature where students
can submit assignments to the teachers via a dropbox-like feature. Additionally they
can contact teachers using the directory. The main use for students and parents is to
see feedback and grades and to be informed about school events. As with any
technology tool, it is only as good as the users make it. As the teachers, aside from
administration, are the main sources of data-input to support transparency and
communication, the success of the tool rides not only on its ease of use, but also on
the content provided. Both perspectives will be examined.
Evaluation Method
Participants
The sample frame chosen for this the evaluation includes MYP students, teachers,
and parents on the Degerloch and Sindelfingen campuses. The students sampled
were those in Degerloch taking a technology class this semester, as well as all
students on the Sindelfingen MYP Campus. This was based on convenience, as the
technology teachers were the most willing to administer the surveys during class
time and the Sindelfingen Campus is significantly smaller, so all relevant students
were surveyed. The actual resulting total sample size comprises 36% of the entire
MYP student population. All 450 parents in the sample frame were sent the survey.
Staff parents were excluded. The response rate resulted in a random sample of 13%
of that total population. All teachers in both Upper Schools were surveyed during a
staff meeting, with a response rate of slightly over 50%. For further nominal data
about the participants, see Appendix B.

Prior to sending out the surveys, the evaluator conducted two separate interviews,
one with the Director and one with the Database Manager. The information provided
was used to fine-tune the objectives, as well as the surveys. Both parties were asked
the same questions, which included finding out their perceptions about the strengths
and weaknesses of the program and implementation, as well as the questions that
they hoped to have addressed through the evaluation.
Procedures
At the time of evaluation, Veracross had been implemented for 5-6 months.
Teachers, students, and parents all had access to their respective portals, and these
were being used to varying degrees. The first phase of the evaluation process began
during this implementation phase, with no involvement of the evaluator during the
phases of needs assessment and program planning. The evaluation began with
researching school strategic planning documents as well as with informal
discussions with the Database Manager in order to ascertain the objectives worth
evaluating. These were confirmed during the later separate interviews with him and
with the Director. Up to this point most of the data gathered was qualitative, along
with some monitoring data related to how often people were logging in and other
nominal data needed to define characteristics of the population. This data was also
used to inform development of the surveys. The surveys were administered over a 3-
week period, beginning with students, then teachers, then parents. Finally the data
was analyzed to identify levels of satisfaction with the content and functionality of the
program, as well as to identify any effect of this on stakeholder actions and
interactions. Ordinal data was calculated and is presented as percentages, and the
qualitative narrative data was coded into categories including communication, use of
the Gradebook, and general use of Veracross, as these emerged as the main areas
of stakeholder comment. Sindelfingen and Degerloch student data was kept
separate during the analysis in order to create a clearer picture for each campus
related to student perspectives.
Data Sources
Google Forms was used to create three surveys (Appendix A), which were the
primary tool used to collect the qualitative data. Each stakeholder group had a
survey customized to their needs and perspectives, although the overall structure
and content remained aligned. All surveys gathered nominal data so that the results
could be sorted and compared in a variety of ways. The bulk of the surveys
generated ordinal data using Likert scales for rating attitudes relating to the impact of
the program as well as stakeholder levels of comfort with it. Participants could
strongly agree, agree, disagree of strongly disagree with these statements. There
was no neutral option included. Students and parents could also indicate the type of
information they wished to receive from the school. Lastly there were self-
assessment questions related to their sense of competence in using the program,
which were rated on a scale from easy to difficult. All surveys allowed for narrative
comments related to positive and negative opinions, suggestions, and overall
impressions of the program.

A few issues need to be mentioned regarding the validity of the data collected from
the surveys. The first is of a technical nature, as it was noticed that in the responses
from the students, one particular respondents data was duplicated 40 times. It is not
clear why this happened and thus this data was deleted by the evaluator and not
considered. The second issue is that the response rate of the parents was quite low.
While both positive and negative responses were represented in the final data, it
should be noted that this data may still be biased due to the nature or perspective of
the type of parent who responded to the survey. This is also why parental data was
not stratified any further.

The interviews were structured by following a series of predetermined questions,
although some open conversation did ensue beyond answers to these questions.
The questions were designed to ascertain perceptions about why we are
implementing the tool and how it is going, what opinions the interviewees have about
the features of the tool, and what they would like to get out of the evaluation (see
Appendix A).
Results
Link to school mission and general satisfaction

Teachers and students show the highest rate of sensing a "disconnect" between the
use of Veracross and the school mission, with 30% in total not seeing any
connection at all. Conversely, 70% of all stakeholders did see a strong connection.
To actively support remains the most common choice across all stakeholders,
however parents and Degerloch students showed the most diversity in their
responses, choosing other points of connection. Overall satisfaction with Veracross
amongst students and teachers was over 70% across the board, with teachers the
highest at 90% (see Appendix B), and 88% of teachers feel comfortable using the
program.

Evaluation Questions
Do stakeholders have the information they need/want?





The charts above give an indication of the type of information parents and students
are interested in having. Knowing about the students challenges and achievements
ranks as the top priority for parents and students alike. Over 70% of all students
want to know about their grades and their areas of strength and weakness and the
narrative survey results correlate well with this data, as most of the comments
centered on exactly this desire. The results regarding events and resources are
more mixed. Degerloch students are up to 33% uninterested in knowing about ISS
academic and social events, whereas in Sindelfingen there is more interest in this
type of information. Parents were also less interested in social events, in relation to
academic events and resources.

The narrative comments (see Appendix C) gave another view on the type of
information wanted. These comments showed a tendency to focus on the lack of
accurate and timely information in the Calendar and Gradebook from the parental
and student perspective, a desire for less information in the Directory from students,
and both teachers and parents often commented on the lack of clarity of the
Calendar.

Is the information easy to find/access?
25% of parents feel they are not able to find
the information they need, however it needs
to be examined if this is due to technical
issues and not knowing how to work the
system or if it is due to the fact the
information is simply not there. In looking at
achievements
challenges
class program
social events
academic
events
learn.
resources
Not
interested
Somewhat
interested
Very
interested
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Degerloch students
Very
interested
Somewhat
interested
Not
interested
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sindelfingen students
Very
interested
Somewhat
interested
Not
interested
KEY
Students: I want to be informed about.
1-my grades
2-what I do well
3-what I can do better
4-upcoming and late assignments
5-what is happening in my classes
6-what is happening at ISS
7-programs and events
8-learning resources
"#
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Parents: I can find the information I
need
strongly
disagree
disagree
agree
strongly
agree
parents' sense of competence in using specific tools on Veracross, it seems that
they have a relatively high level of technical ability (see Appendix D), as only 2-4%
listed any one tool as being very difficult to use, and only 6-23% noted that some
tools are somewhat difficult to use, with the Assignments tool identified as the most
difficult to navigate.



The data found in the charts below gives an indication of the level of satisfaction
students and parents have with the communication through Veracross. 36% of
parents disagree or strongly disagree that they are well informed about their childs
progress. Students in Degerloch feel generally better informed than in Sindelfingen,
with only 16% disagreeing with the statement, as opposed to 36% in Sindelfingen.




What affect is being had on student actions?
30% of teachers think their students are more organized as a result of using
Veracross while actually 60% of students feel they are more organized in Degerloch,
and 40% in Sindelfingen. 60% of Degerloch students and 40% of Sindelfingen
students also feel that they make more effort as a result of information in Veracross,
while only 30% of teachers would agree or strongly agree that they notice this (see
Appendix F).

How does use of VC impact on student-teacher-parent relationships?
Regarding communicative actions taken as a result of using Veracross, the
perceptions vary. 55-62% of students claim to have spoken to their parents because
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Degerloch students: Generally I feel well
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Sindelfingen students: Generally I feel well
informed about my progress
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Parents: Generally I feel well informed
about my child's progress
strongly
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disagree
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Degerloch students: Generally I can find
the information I need
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of something they saw on Veracross, and 36-46% have spoken to a teacher. 72% of
parents claim to have spoken with their child and 50% to a teacher. 49% of teachers
claim to have had contact with parents or students as a result of Veracross
communication (see Appendix G).

Outcomes of Interviews
The interviews with the Director and Data Manager showed that both believe that
Veracross can enable shifts in the learning culture of the school. Both showed
awareness of the issues with the Gradebook and Calendar, but they also believe that
the Gradebook and Calendar are both fundamental to achieving their objectives.
Both talked about how the use of Veracross would help to uncover underlying issues
in how things have always been done in relation to academic communication, and
that it would support the school in making improvements, but that it is not the only
solution.
Discussion
The use of Veracross at ISS has the purpose to improve student learning and
parental confidence through better and more meaningful communication and
transparency. The role of this program evaluation was to see, a few months into the
implementation of Veracross, how stakeholders are responding to use of the tool.
The focus of data collection and analysis has been on how much the tool is
improving communication and connection amongst the stakeholders. Attitudes
towards using Veracross were also measured to see if there is any resistance to the
implementation and which features or expectations should be improved or clarified.

The findings indicate that the majority of all stakeholders quite strongly buy-in to the
idea of having a student information system and wish for it to be implemented
effectively. The data from students and parents strongly shows a wish for
consistency and reliability of information in order to be informed about student
progress. There seems to be a real desire to fully rely on Veracross across all areas
of the program and an awareness of the positive benefits of using the program
responsibly, however, according to the data, the current level of implementation does
not allow for this reliability. For teachers the key ideas that came through were
focused on the need for a myriad of technical improvements, as well as a need for
better support and training. This would potentially indicate that teachers are either
not using the tool effectively due to lack of knowledge or training, or are hampered in
its effective use due to technical constraints. The anomaly in the data is that
teachers also indicated a high degree of buy-in to, and confidence in using the tool,
which would signal that it is being used effectively, however parents and students
say that it is not. This implies that there needs to be further investigation into
strategies which will ensure that all teachers have the tools and knowledge to be
able to provide consistent and reliable information to students and parents.

The survey results were useful in determining general acceptance levels,
stakeholder sense of competency, as well as for gathering concrete ideas and
suggestions for improvements. The fact that 90% of parents feel a strong connection
between the use of Veracross and the schools mission indicate that it is a good
match for the school, however a few of the narrative responses also indicate the
opposite. A small percentage of parents mentioned not agreeing with a big brother
approach to monitoring their children, and either dont use it or only to a very limited
degree. One family even refused to complete the survey for this reason. Another
parent commented, The best source (of information) is the child and the direct
exchange with teachers as well as comments on assignments. Nonetheless, these
were more outliers in the data rather than the norm, but still worth considering.
Students can also identify connections to the school mission, and 60-70% feel that
Veracross is a useful tool for ISS, as do 91% of the teachers. The teachers also had
many positive statements to make about the tool, such as, "Really, the entire system
is a strength, since we haven't used anything like this in the past. I find the planner
helpful, as well as the quick communication options with parents. I think we'll also
see more value as we implement and improve implementation of the calendar and
resources tools, as well as the community as a whole gets more comfortable with the
tool." Overall, the acceptance rate is high, as is the sense of purpose for the tool in
the context of the school. It is also notable that 88% of teachers actually feel
comfortable using Veracross (see Appendix E for details). The narrative comments
however indicate a desire for more effective professional development and clearer
requirements, as well as better training for students.

Even with this initial strong acceptance, the narrative comments indicate that many
parents are dissatisfied with the timeliness and accuracy of data found in tools such
as Assignments and Calendar, which would indicate that it is the implementation,
and not the program itself, that leads to not getting the information they desire.
Although for parents the Assignments tool came out as the most difficult of all the
tools to understand, this was only at 22%, and therefore not largely significant.
Rather the comments that arose again and again asked for a timely posting of
grades and consistent use by all teachers. Students also echoed this sentiment quite
strongly, and showed a desire to be able to rely on Veracross for their organizational
purposes. Possibly teachers, 70% of whom did not think that, or know if, Veracross
influences student organization in a significant manner may be underestimating the
impact of posting assignments, grades, and feedback in a consistent and timely
manner. They may also be hampered by the program itself, as was often indicated in
the technical-focus of the narrative comments from teachers. Thus, the Assignments
tool appears to be contributing the most to parental, as well as to students'
dissatisfaction, in part due to its structure, but mainly due to the inconsistency of
information presented, which is directly in conflict with their desire to have
information about progress.

The question that arises is, if a solid majority of teachers agree with the
implementation of Veracross and feel comfortable using, why is there such a strong
perception of inconsistent and ineffective use on the part of students and parents?
The school may want to look again at professional development models and support
for teachers, as well as how expectations are followed-up on and communicated.
This may also require further formalization of policies and processes to support
effective use, although much of this is already underway. Additionally, many of the
suggestions for improvements given by all stakeholders should be examined as to
their feasibility and validity. Certainly even a few steps in trying to meet the requests
made would further enhance the already positive buy-in and promote a culture within
which the use of Veracross can only benefit. In particular improvements to the
Gradebook and Calendar are required, and further training in deeper use of tools
such as the Library, Website, and Planner would enhance the experience of all
users, thereby leading to further transparency and meaningful communication.

Appendix A

Parent Survey
Teacher Survey
Student Survey
Interview Questions

5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 1/9
Parent Veracross Survey 1
The purpose of this survey is to collect information about our newly implemented student information
system Veracross. Your responses will help us to better understand how it is being used and how to
make improvements. All information is anonymous. Thank you!
* Required
1. How many years have you been at ISS? *
Please round down if you came mid-year.
Mark only one oval.
0-2
3-5
5-7
more than 7
2. What do you consider to be your home country? *
Please choose according a 'best fit'.
Mark only one oval.
Germany
Japan
United States/Canada
India
Other European
Other Asian
Other:
3. Have you used a student information system at another school? *
A tool similar to Veracross
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
4. How many times per week do you log on to Veracross? *
Consider this on average
Mark only one oval.
Never
1 time
2-3 times
4 times or more

5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 2/9
5. What parts of our ISS mission do you think Veracross helps us to support? *
Choose all that apply
Check all that apply.
to inspire
to challenge
to actively support
none of these
Skip to question 13.
Lower Schools
6. What campus is your child on? *
Mark only one oval.
Degerloch Skip to question 7.
Sindelfingen Skip to question 7.
I do not have a child in the Lower Schools. Skip to question 13.
Lower Schools
The purpose of these questions is to determine how comfortable you feel navigating the site, and
what information you are looking for.
7. Please rate the ease of using the following parts of Veracross:
Mark only one oval per row.
Very difficult Somewhat difficult Fairly easy Very easy Never used it
Directory
Calendar
My family
The Home page
8. I can...
Mark only one oval per row.
Yes No Never tried
find the email of another family at
ISS.
find school handbooks.
find the class website.
change my family's profile
information.
change my password.

5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 3/9
9. Generally I can find the information I need.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
10. Any comment about this?





11. I want to be informed about
Mark only one oval per row.
Very interested Somewhat interested Not interested
My child's achievements
My child's challenges
What is happening in the
classroom program
What is happening across the
school socially (sports, PTA, etc)
What is happening across the
school academically (curriculum,
forums, etc)
Resources available for learning,
in the school and community
12. Any comment about this?





MYP
13. Which campus is your child on? *
Mark only one oval.
MYP Degerloch Skip to question 14.
MYP Sindelfingen Skip to question 14.
I do not have a child in the MYP, take me to Grades 11 and 12. Skip to question 29.
MYP
The purpose of these questions is to find out more about how easy you find the site to navigate, if

5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 4/9
you are finding the information you want, and how Veracross is impacting student learning.
14. Please rate the ease of using the following parts of Veracross:
Mark only one oval per row.
Very difficult Somewhat difficult Fairly easy Very easy Never used it
Directory
Calendar
Assignments
Classes
My family
The Home page
15. I can...
Mark only one oval per row.
Yes No Never tried
find the email of another family at
ISS.
find school handbooks.
find my child's timetable.
find my child's grades.
find class websites.
change my family's profile
information.
change my password.
find the assignments my child has
due.
16. Generally I can find the information I need.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
17. Any comment about this?






5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 5/9
18. I want to be informed about
Mark only one oval per row.
Very interested Somewhat interested Not interested
My child's achievements
My child's challenges
What is happening in the
classroom program
What is happening across the
school socially (sports, PTA, etc)
What is happening across the
school academically (curriculum,
forums, etc)
Resources available for learning,
in the school and community
19. Generally I feel well informed about my child's progress.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
20. Any comment about this?





21. My child and I have talked about their learning based on what we have seen in Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
22. I have contacted a teacher as a result of something I saw on Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
Grades 11 + 12
IB and ISS HS Diploma

5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 6/9
23. I have a child in Grades 11 or 12.
Mark only one oval.
yes Skip to question 24.
no Skip to question 38.
Grades 11 + 12
Please answer these questions based on your child in grades 11 and 12.
24. Generally I can find the information I need.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
25. Generally I feel well informed about my child's progress.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
26. Any comment about the above?





27. My child and I have talked about their learning based on what we have seen in Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
28. I have contacted a teacher as a result of something I saw on Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
Skip to question 38.
Grades 11 and 12
The purpose of these questions is to find out more about how easy you find the site to navigate, if
you are finding the information you want, and how Veracross is impacting student learning.

5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 7/9
29. Please rate the ease of using the following parts of Veracross:
Mark only one oval per row.
Very difficult Somewhat difficult Fairly easy Very easy Never used it
Directory
Calendar
Assignments
Classes
My family
The Home page
30. I can...
Mark only one oval per row.
Yes No Never tried
find the email of another family at
ISS.
find school handbooks.
find my child's timetable.
find my child's grades.
find class websites.
change my family's profile
information.
change my password.
find the assignments my child has
due.
31. Generally I can find the information I need.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
32. Any comment about the above?






5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 8/9
33. I want to be informed about
Mark only one oval per row.
Very interested Somewhat interested Not interested
My child's achievements
My child's challenges
What is happening in the
classroom program
What is happening across the
school socially (sports, PTA, etc)
What is happening across the
school academically (curriculum,
forums, etc)
Resources available for learning,
in the school and community
34. Generally I feel well informed about my child's progress.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
35. Any comment about the above?





36. I have contacted a teacher as a result of something I saw on Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
37. My child and I have talked about their learning based on what we have seen in Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
Overall impressions

5/6/2014 Parent Veracross Survey 1 - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1R-bRwtYvBOnLDqu00_KvySooehhItBRokp1Z0afq0uI/edit 9/9
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38. In your opinion, what are the strengths of Veracross?





39. In your opinion, what would help to improve Veracross, as well our implementation of it?






5/6/2014 Teacher Veracross Survey - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1wSxKow4e2C3zLGTQc-wLIEPlPGUc7v6MABoUg7jQHHM/edit 1/4
Teacher Veracross Survey
The purpose of this survey is to collect information about our newly implemented student information
system Veracross. Your responses will help us to better understand how it is being used and how to
make improvements. It should take you less than 5 minutes to complete. Thank you!
* Required
1. Have you used a student information system at another school?
A tool similar to Veracross
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
2. What program(s) do you teach in? *
Check all that apply.
MYP Sifi
MYP Degerloch
DP/HS Diploma
3. How many years have you been at ISS? *
Please round down if you came mid-year
Mark only one oval.
0-2
3-5
6 or more
4. What parts of our ISS mission do you think Veracross helps us to support?
Choose all that apply
Check all that apply.
to inspire
to actively engage
to challenge
none of these
Using Veracross
The purpose of these questions is to determine how comfortable you feel navigating the site and
using it for what you want to do. You will have a chance to give more detailed written feedback at the
end.

5/6/2014 Teacher Veracross Survey - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1wSxKow4e2C3zLGTQc-wLIEPlPGUc7v6MABoUg7jQHHM/edit 2/4
5. Please rate the ease of using the following parts of Veracross:
Mark only one oval per row.
Very difficult Somewhat difficult Fairly easy Very easy Never used it
Directory
Calendar
Planner
Library
Search
Home
6. Please rate the ease of using these areas:
Mark only one oval per row.
Very difficult Somewhat difficult Fairly easy Very easy Never tried
Gradebook
Website
Contact
Reporting
7. Generally I feel comfortable using Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
8. Overall, I feel that Veracross is a useful tool for ISS.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
9. How would you rate yourself as a user of Veracross?
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Never use it if I
can help it
Actively use all parts of it, leading to a
blended learning environment

5/6/2014 Teacher Veracross Survey - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1wSxKow4e2C3zLGTQc-wLIEPlPGUc7v6MABoUg7jQHHM/edit 3/4
10. Are there any comments you would like to make about any of the above?





Impact of using Veracross
The purpose of this section is find out if Veracross is having any impact yet on student achievement.
If you don't know, choose the neutral button in the middle (#3).
11. My students are showing more effort as a result of the feedback I give on Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
12. My students are more organized as a result of using Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
13. Parents and/or students have contacted me as a result of something I posted on Veracross
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
Overall impressions
Please tell us anything else that you think would help to provide better training and to make better
use of Veracross.
14. In your opinion, what are the strengths of Veracross and what has helped you in our
implementation process?






5/6/2014 Teacher Veracross Survey - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1wSxKow4e2C3zLGTQc-wLIEPlPGUc7v6MABoUg7jQHHM/edit 4/4
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15. In your opinion, what would help to improve Veracross, as well our implementation of it?






5/6/2014 Student Veracross Survey - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1Ru4JZ-BhKSriNfLoAZ5xWw7c1Z3R_HTuk-1wqinFTDM/edit 1/4
Student Veracross Survey
The purpose of this survey is to collect information about our newly implemented student information
system Veracross. Your responses will help us to better understand how it is being used and how to
make improvements. All information is anonymous and it should only take 5 minutes. Thank you!
* Required
1. Have you used a student information system at another school? *
A tool similar to Veracross
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
2. How many times per week do you log on to Veracross? *
Consider this on average
Mark only one oval.
Never
1 time
2-3 times
4 times or more
3. What parts of our ISS mission do you think Veracross helps us to support? *
Choose all that apply
Check all that apply.
to inspire
to challenge
to actively support
none of these
Your program
4. Which campus are you on? *
Mark only one oval.
MYP Degerloch Skip to question 5.
MYP Sindelfingen Skip to question 5.
Grade 11 or 12
Using Veracross
The purpose of these questions is to find out more about how easy you find the site to navigate, if
you are finding the information you want, and how Veracross is helping your learning.

5/6/2014 Student Veracross Survey - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1Ru4JZ-BhKSriNfLoAZ5xWw7c1Z3R_HTuk-1wqinFTDM/edit 2/4
5. Please rate the ease of using the following parts of Veracross:
Mark only one oval per row.
Very difficult Somewhat difficult Fairly easy Very easy Never used it
Directory
Calendar
Assignments
Classes
The Home page
6. I can...
Mark only one oval per row.
Yes No Never tried
find the address of a friend at ISS.
find my timetable.
find my grades.
find my class websites.
change my password.
find the assignments I have due.
submit an assignment.
7. I want to be informed about
Mark only one oval per row.
Very interested Somewhat interested Not interested
My grades
What I do well
What I can do better
Upcoming and late assignments
What is happening in my classes
What social events are happening
at ISS (dances, sports, etc)
What program/group events are
happening (MUN, Ambassadors,
Student Council, etc)
Resources available for learning,
in the school and community
8. Generally I can find the information I need.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree

5/6/2014 Student Veracross Survey - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1Ru4JZ-BhKSriNfLoAZ5xWw7c1Z3R_HTuk-1wqinFTDM/edit 3/4
9. Generally I feel well informed about my progress.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
10. I think I am showing more effort as a result of the feedback I get through Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
11. I think I am better organized as a result of using Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
12. I have contacted a teacher as a result of something I saw on Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
13. I have talked to my parents about my learning based on what we have seen in Veracross.
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
14. Overall, I feel Veracross is a useful tool for ISS.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
15. Any comment about any of the above?
Optional






5/6/2014 Student Veracross Survey - Google Forms
https://docs.google.com/a/isswiki.de/forms/d/1Ru4JZ-BhKSriNfLoAZ5xWw7c1Z3R_HTuk-1wqinFTDM/edit 4/4
Powered by
Overall impressions
16. In your opinion, what are the strengths of Veracross?





17. In your opinion, what would help to improve Veracross?






Interview Question
What do you think are the reasons we use Veracross?
What baseline data would you want to collect now to inform an evaluation in
the future?
What system feature do you think is the most powerful?
What are the most common complaints that you get? What do you need to
explain the most?
Do you think communication is improving?
What data do you monitor and why?
What data reports can you produce from the system to show how
communication/transparent partnership is being improved? (to Database
Manager only)
What groups would be good to target in the evaluation?



Appendix B

Nominal Data


Have you used another
student information
system?
Yes No
Teachers 46% 54%
Parents 31% 69%
Students 16% 84%

How many years have
you been at ISS?
0-2 3-5 More
than 5
Teachers 38% 25% 38%
Parents 48% 19% 33%









8%
13%
40%
39%
Sifi students
1
2
3
4
11%
11%
38%
40%
Degerloch students
1
2
3
4
Overall, I feel Veracross is a useful tool for ISS.
2.44%
7.32%
51.22%
39.02%
Teachers
strongly
disagree
disagree
agree
strongly agree
41%
17%
25%
17%
Parent Nationalities
Germany
Japan
United States/
Canada
Other
European

What parts of our ISS mission do you think Veracross helps us to
support?










$*#
Degerloch Students
none of
these
to actively
support
to challenge
to inspire
%$#
Sifi Students
none of these
to actively
support
to challenge
to inspire
$+#
Teachers
none of
these
to actively
support
to challenge
to inspire
%%#
Parents
to actively
support
to challenge
to inspire
none of these

Appendix C
Narrative Comments-Consolidated

What they would like:

Parents Students Teachers
Communication

A search feature for the
calendar
Reliable updating of the
calendar
Include LS information
Have everything in one place
Important messages to still be
sent by email/as notification,
especially if there are issues
Clarification of the calendar
color coding and a key
Continued emphasis on
person-person interaction
when focusing on student
learning
That the information posted
is correct
Managebac and other sites to
be discontinued
Report cards to be printed

A chat function; to use VC
as a communication tool
Personalize the calendar
Less information in the
directory
Print report cards
Better more customizable
and accurate information
in the calendar
Use the calendar to track
student assessments (Sifi)
A separate teacher
calendar
Stop using Sifi website
Still have verbal
communication about
things at meetings rather
than relying on VC
calendar
Automatic notification
about student activity
Comment box for EAL
Gradebook

A live report overview for all
subjects on one page
Show highest criteria
possible ex. 5/6 not just 5
Feedback comment on
assignments
Consistent use by all
teachers
More standardized task
structures and better
display to parents and
students
Include related documents for
assignments posted rather
than going somewhere else
for these
See all upcoming tasks on one
page
More notes and information
about given assignments
Timely posting of grades
Consistent use by all
teachers
More feedback beyond just
the grade
To see when work was turned
in/timely status update
Show highest criteria
possible ex. 5/6 not just 5
Assignments posted in
advance
Rubrics posted with
assignments as feedback
tool
A better sense of what the
report card will say
Put the assignment
dropbox IN the
assignment message
Have the dropbox,
assignment, and grade all
in one place
Enter comment in same
place as where the grade is
Better dropbox set-up
and easier way of
attaching documents
fewer clicks to enter grades
No assessment types
dropdown
MYP grades to be visible in
the gradebook
Better data analysis
features for DP
VC to automatically check
for students with multiple
tests on one day
Better way to deal with
multiple phases in a class
group
Have subject criteria max
points automatically shown
To have an overview of all
students grades and
assignments at a grade
level
Set the same assignment
for multiple classes
EAL to see all students
assignments and due dates
To be able to sort students
differently
Download all Dropbox
documents turned in at
once, rather than singly
Dont attach everything to
an assignment, students
should get it in class and
still use paper planners
General use:

Support documents and
training
Mobile app
Ability to toggle to parent or
student view as a teacher (so
they can help the
parent/student with issues)
More user-friendly
Do not include birthday
calendar (security)

Make and post goals
Less clutter
Better design and colors
Customizability
A C&S page so no more
Managebac
Change username
Seeing what parents and
students see
Sharing and PD with
support; Wed Q&A
Differentiated training
Focus on how to use
planner and class website
Easier room reservation
Make it possible to
generate info reports from
data (for teachers)
customizability

Issues they are having:

Parents Students Teachers
Assignments,
grades

Not updated correctly and
reliably
Not understanding MYP
grading
Hard to understand the
grade data entered
Cant find the grades
Dont understand which
grade comes from where on
rotational subjects such as
science or humanities
How to link assignment
calendar to personal
Consequences at home due
to misleading information
Not enough information about
assignments to know what to
do/lack of clarity
Hard to find assignments
Dropbox is hard to find

Lack of clarity about
weighting of grades
Grades not saving
Coping with different
assignments for
different students in one
class (ie language)
Combined classes in a
combined gradebook
calendar

General use:


Too many links and
cumbersome
Too slow
Changing family profile
information is slow and time-
consuming
Newcomers have to request
an account?/families
midyear
Problems logging on after
password change
concerns about data safety
and security

Not clear where to send mails
to teachers which email
Calendar difficult to
understand
Getting lost where they are;
navigation issues
Teachers dont know how to
use it
Not clear about
requirements
Lacking proper
training
Homepage too cluttered
How to send one email
to multiple addresses
Accessing contacts;
using the directory
Use of planner is too
cumbersome
Library tool too difficult
Use of discussion
boards
Unsuited to our
environment
Inaccurate calendars
and class lists
Slow
Students arent using
it; no clear
expectations
Students arent
trained in it
Although good, too
much info for EAL
students




Appendix D

Is the information easy to find/access?






directory
calendar
assignments
classses
My family
home page
Parents
Never used it
Very difficult
Somewhat difficult
Fairly easy
Very easy
[Directory]
[Calendar]
[Assignments]
[Classes]
[The Home
page]
Degerloch students
Very difficult
Somewhat difficult
Fairly easy
Very easy
Never used it
directory
calendar
planner
library
search
home page
gradebook
website
contacts
reporting
Teachers
Never used it
Very difficult
Somewhat difficult
Fairly easy
Very easy




!"!!# %!"!!# &!"!!# '!"!!#
[Directory]
[Calendar]
[Assignments]
[Classes]
[The Home page]
Sindelfingen students
Very difficult
Somewhat difficult
Fairly easy
Very easy
Never used it
!"!!# %!"!!# &!"!!# '!"!!#
[Directory]
[Calendar]
[Assignments]
[Classes]
[The Home page]
Degerloch students
Very difficult
Somewhat difficult
Fairly easy
Very easy
Never used it
Appendix E



Teacher data stratified by number of years at ISS:


Group Respondents Used another SIS Comfortable with
VC use (3/4)
0-2 years 16 12 15
3-5 years 10 6 10
6+ years 15 0 11
!"#
%&#
'&#
All teachers: Generally I feel comfortable using Veracross
strongly disagree
disagree
agree
strongly agree

Appendix F

What affect is being had on student actions?





!"#
!%#
&"#
%'#
!(#
Teachers: My students are more organized as a result of
using Veracross
strongly disagree
disagree
don't know
agree
strongly agree
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
I think I am showing more effort as a result of
the feedback I get through Veracross.
I think I am better organized as a result of
using Veracross.
Sindelfingen Students
strongly disagree
disagree
agree
strongly agree
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
I think I am showing more effort as a result of
the feedback I get through Veracross.
I think I am better organized as a result of
using Veracross.
Degerloch Students
strongly disagree
disagree
agree
strongly agree
%%#
!(#
&)#
!)#
!(#
Teachers: My students are showing more effort as a result
of the feedback I give on Veracross
strongly disagree
disagree
don't know
agree
strongly agree

Appendix G




55.26%
36.84%
!!"#!$
&'"(&$
I have talked to my
parents about my
learning based on
what we have seen
in Veracross.
I have contacted a
teacher as a result
of something I saw
on Veracross.
Sindelfingen students
no
yes
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
strongly disagree disagree Don't know agree strongly agree
Teachers: Parents and/or students have contacted me as a result of
something I posted on Veracross
&(")*$
!&"!'$
')"()$
+'"+#$
I have talked to my
parents about my
learning based on
what we have seen
in Veracross.
I have contacted a
teacher as a result
of something I saw
on Veracross.
Degerloch students
no
yes
#("#,$
!-",&$
*)"',$
+,"-!$
My child and I have talked about
their learning based on what we
have seen in Veracross.
I have contacted a teacher as a
result of something I saw on
Veracross.
Parents
./0
12