Press Release: South Carolina Department of Education Partners with ActPoint KPI for Food Services Management with Software

By Phillip Smith | August 16, 2018

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and TransACT Communications are announcing a partnership with South Carolina School Food Authorities (SFA’s) and ActPoint®  KPI, a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) analytics system to help manage high quality food services programs.

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Data Collection Made Easy: ActPoint KPI Simple Survey

By Phillip Smith | November 13, 2017

ActPoint KPI is a data intelligence tool that school district business and operations leaders around the country use to measure, compare and manage their performance on over 500 Key Performance Indicators related to Finance, Operations, Information Technology and Human Resources.

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Cost Reduction in Accounts Payable: Key Performance Indicators in School District Operations

By Phillip Smith | November 10, 2017

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are defined as "a quantifiable measure that is used to evaluate the success of an organization or of a particular activity (such as projects, programs, products and other initiatives) in which it engages." When applied effectively throughout an organization, KPI analysis provides valuable information about strengths and weaknesses in performance which can lead to cost savings and improved performance. 

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Performance Reports for School District Operations

By Phillip Smith | September 21, 2017

For the past decade, district operations leaders have shown that measuring and analyzing the performance of district operations can help create a high-performing, efficiently operating district that directly impacts student achievement. While there are any number of items a district operations leader can measure within their district, a focus on analyzing rigorous and proven Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in areas such as transportation, food services, maintenance, and business services departments across the district is proving to be pivotal in meeting the mission to cut costs and positively impact student outcomes. The Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) has developed a framework and an annual report to support operations leaders across the country in adopting KPI analysis in their districts.

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Food Services in School Cafeterias - 3 KPIs to Track

By Phillip Smith | September 7, 2017

In 2004, the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) began its mission to provide school district operations leaders with a framework for measuring and improving their district's performance. One department that sees a particular uplift from regular performance measurement and adjustment is food services. Child Nutrition Services are a fundamental component of the services that school districts provide to their students, and they can have a measurable impact on student achievement. However, it is challenging to balance meeting nutrition standards for school meals, encourage students to participate in meal programs, and prove that programs are affordable and profitable.

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The New ActPointKPI Community Connects You to the Top Performing Districts in the Country

By Phillip Smith | July 27, 2017

Private sector entities rarely share what best practices they have employed to attain a competitive advantage. This is exactly the opposite of my experience in K12. Superintendents, administrators, educators want to share best practices so others can gain those advantages.  

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Innovative Solutions for Two Common District Operations Challenges

By Phillip Smith | May 25, 2017

At the 2017 COO conference for the Council of Great City Schools, operations leaders from across the country were asked to surface their biggest operations challenges and share innovative solutions they had found. Among the myriad of issues operations leaders face, districts reported 2 common challenges:

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KPIs Reveal How Healthcare Spending Impacts California Public School Budgets

By Phillip Smith | March 23, 2017

In early January, Governor Jerry Brown of California unveiled the state’s $122.5 billion budget for 2017-2018. The budget projects a $1.6 billion deficit, which will be addressed in part by rollbacks of previously planned K-12 education funding increases. California will reduce increases to the minimum level allowed by California’s Proposition 98, which guarantees a certain level of funding based on population and personal income growth in the state.

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School District Analytics to Support Accountability and Transparency | ActPoint KPI

By Phillip Smith | February 24, 2017

ActPoint KPI, a leading school business and district operations performance management service created in collaboration with the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), announced a comprehensive overhaul to their user-interface. Finance, Operations, HR and IT leaders now have an even more powerful tool to ensure their district’s funds are spent in direct alignment with their district’s strategy to support student learning. Updates include:

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Infographic: Using Data & KPIs to Drive Informed Decisions

By Phillip Smith | December 11, 2016
Total suspension and expulsion rates in California decreased since the 12-13 school year, but not all districts saw a reductionRead More