Years ago, before the pandemic, before everything suddenly became digitized, before we could check our grades constantly and obsessively, report cards coming out was an event. Something to be anticipated. But nowadays, with Canvas being popularized as the top LMS (Learning Management System) in North America, report cards aren’t a surprise anymore. You already know what your grade will be weeks before your report card is formally released. Despite this lack of surprise, our wonderful district has managed to keep us on our toes in a new way around this time of year: How we will manage to gain access to our report cards at all.
Prior to last year, report cards were accessed via a website, “Hillsborough County Report Cards.” And then, with little to no notice, near the beginning of last year, as students were scrambling to access schedules, grades and other important information, the website became obsolete. We were left to hear from word of mouth how to access these things. And although this was a slight annoyance, I felt that many people were excited to have information modernized in a newly accessible way, with the new app “StudentVUE.”
The app was developed by Edupoint Educational Systems, and the rollout cost Hillsborough County nearly $10 million. The app, while novel in concept, was incredibly feudal in execution. The design was reminiscent of the early days of the internet, for which I was not alive but can easily recognize. From my perspective, it had a confusing layout and an even more confusing login process. Despite this, I was hopeful these were just technicalities that naturally accompanied a new concept such as this. Now, I shudder to think they spent so much money on an app that was used only half a school year.
Yes, you heard me right. In December of the same year the District announced that they had voted to spend $600,000 to implement a new system to replace StudentVUE. They cited various errors in the ensuing effects of this sudden change to StudentVUE. Attendance tracking, scheduling and even transcript errors. Seniors were reporting that their transcripts falsely claimed they weren’t on the path to graduate.
So what was the new system? Well, it is the one we are most familiar with now, “Focus.” This new app and software was developed by Focus School Software LLC, which has been implemented in 49 other districts in Florida. It had a slightly more modern design, though still old fashioned in many ways, in my opinion. The layout is as confusing as ever, if not more. Many have experienced issues with logging in. I myself cannot seem to login to the app itself, only the website through Clever.
However, it doesn’t stop here. Hillsborough County has recently announced that they are attempting to concentrate all their various other apps and their other functions into one new, hopefully contemporary one. This does not include report cards that are still accessed through Focus, but it does include bus routes, lunch menus, a calendar with events, and other things. The way I see it, this could have all been included as an update to Focus rather than an entirely new app.
However, perhaps this will finally end the long, grueling, expensive journey: but as it is, this is yet to be revealed. If it is true that history repeats itself, it seems that the students of Hillsborough County have a long journey ahead of us. And while the purpose of our Public Schools is to have students learn; when it comes to the changing apps, the question continues to loom of whether or not our own county ever learns.
