Phillip Smith

Phillip leverages his extensive software and education industry experience to share innovative solutions for many of our valued TransAct customers and partners. As leader of AfterSchool21 and OutOfSchoolTime-Tracker sales, he helps support after-school program administrators in parent pay management and accurate 21APR reporting. Phillip also leads the ActPoint KPI team and the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) partnership. ActPointKPI supports district and state business leaders nationwide in their efforts to manage costs and drive resources back to where they belong–the classroom.
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Recent Posts

ARP Funding in the 2023-2024 School Year: Did At-Risk Students Benefit?

By Phillip Smith | September 26, 2024

Last month, the 2024 Nationwide McKinney-Vento Study was released, offering fresh insights into how schools are addressing the needs of their most vulnerable students. 

This comprehensive study highlights the impact of federal funding and support, specifically targeting homeless students under the McKinney-Vento Act. 

In this blog, we’ll examine new insights into how districts in this survey used American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to support their McKinney-Vento eligible students. 

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Initial New Insights from the 2024 Nationwide McKinney-Vento Study

By Phillip Smith | August 2, 2024

We’re excited to present the latest insights from our second annual Nationwide McKinney-Vento Study. The inaugural survey was the first of its kind dedicated to identifying key information about how McKinney-Vento liaisons nationwide and how they serve students and families in need. The study report provided many insights, including how school districts nationwide lack fundamental tools such as student case management software

Here are just a few initial insights from this year's study.   

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4 Reasons Why Districts Are Implementing Case-Management Systems

By Phillip Smith | October 31, 2023

According to a recent nationwide survey conducted by TransACT Communications, school districts across the country are using more than 10 different means to track data for students identified as McKinney-Vento eligible. Of the 668 survey respondents, 63% reported tracking data in spreadsheets, and 20% reported tracking data on paper.

These responses illuminate a common problem for district staff who support at-risk students — there are typically multiple, disconnected places where critical information about the students they serve is being stored.

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Student SupportTracker: Improving Communication with District Homeless Liaisons

By Phillip Smith | January 5, 2022

Student SupportTracker (SST) improves communication with district homeless liaisons to support at-risk student groups. 

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Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness and Foster Care Students

By Phillip Smith | September 17, 2021

This blog was updated on July 25th, 2023.

Students experiencing homelessness are most likely in foster care, and when students in foster care age out of the system, they often end up being identified as students experiencing homelessness.  

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Choosing the Best Case Management System to Track Homeless Students

By Phillip Smith | August 26, 2021

This blog was updated on July 25th, 2023.

Selecting the best case management system to track students experiencing homelessness can be challenging. For schools nationwide, understanding the backgrounds and living situations of the students they serve is vital to providing adequate support. Finding the right system to collect essential student data is not always straightforward.

Learn about the best option for Mckinney-Vento Data Management

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Tracking Data for the GEAR UP Annual Performance Report (And Beyond)

By Phillip Smith | August 23, 2021

Running a GEAR UP program that supports hundreds or thousands of teenagers at the school or grant level is no easy task. Add the many administrative requirements of GEAR UP funding, including data collection, and that task can become monumental!  

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How Federal Funding Can Help Schools with Parent and Family Engagement

By Phillip Smith | March 11, 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, disruption to routines is occurring as schools blend remote and in-classroom learning. Schools can't always efficiently conduct learning assessments online; students are often less engaged with online learning and teachers are caught between two worlds, switching teaching methods for those in the classroom and online.

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Enable ESSA Parent and Family Engagement Communication Compliance

By Phillip Smith | January 29, 2021

Family engagement in children’s academic lives produces numerous benefits for the student and the school. A focus on parent engagement can spur profound changes in classrooms. Involved parents often yield more positive experiences for everyone in the school system. Schools excel when parents support learning and classroom rules at home.

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Now Available: 2019 Managing For Results Report From The Council Of The Great City Schools

By Phillip Smith | December 4, 2019

In 2004, the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) set out to create a framework for measurement and analysis in school district operations and to help district business leaders think strategically about how to improve processes, conserve resources, and positively impact student achievement while managing the school district budget. In conjunction with TransACT, CGCS founded the ActPoint® KPI Project. For more than a decade, districts nationwide piloted the KPIs, and results are compared annually. 

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