Automation In Enriching Students

Automation Requires Standardization

We've spent the past 12 years making Enriching Students the premiere Flex Scheduling tool in the education market.  The flexibility available within Enriching Students is second to none.  

This has come about because we know that one approach doesn’t work for all schools.

• Some schools have the staff to do all the scheduling
• Some schools allow students to self-schedule
  • Many schools use a mixture of staff and student scheduling
• Some schools import grades, so that staff can make informed decisions when creating appointments

The point is, most of the above features came about because we listened carefully when schools shared their needs, and incorporated solutions into Enriching Students.  Why? Because you are the expert when it comes to how your school will run Flex.

This is also true in regards to automation; what works for one school is not guaranteed to work for another.  Of course, we can offer a generic automated approach to scheduling, but wouldn’t you rather have a solution based on your needs?

With that in mind, we are excited to announce the option of having automatic scheduling that is customized for your school!

What follows are real-world scheduling needs that highlight just how valuable custom automation can be for you. These are not provided as an explanation of how automated scheduling will work.  Rather, we’re presenting ideas that you can use as a jumping off point.  Use this document as a way to brainstorm ideas on how Enriching Students can create custom automated scheduling solutions to address your needs.  And please reach out to us to start a conversation on how we can adapt automatic scheduling for your school.

As you review these ideas, keep in mind "automation requires standardization".  For automation to work, you'll need to define a set of rules that will determine:

• Which students need to be scheduled
• Where should they be scheduled to
• Is the location to schedule to different from one day to the next
• What additional criteria should be considered as the appointments are being created

Once you've defined your rules, contact us so that we can create a custom solution for you!

Idea #1: Schedule Unscheduled Students to Overflow

In this scenario, your staff and students have created appointments for a date/period.

When the automated process kicks off, based on a time that you determine, any unscheduled students are placed into “overflow” locations that you designate.  Perhaps it’s the cafeteria, perhaps it’s the library.  It could be multiple locations throughout the school.  

The key point is, you describe to us what your school’s needs are and we create the process to support those needs.

Idea #2: Place Unscheduled Students into Specific Courses

Let’s create a more complex scenario.  Let’s say your school works on a three day rotation, Red Day, Blue Day, Orange Day.

• On Red Day, staff will have created appointments.  
  • Any unscheduled students should be placed into their 2nd period Red Day class.
• On Blue Day, all students should be placed into their advisory class.
• On Orange Day, unscheduled students should be placed into their 3rd period class.

Do you have more, or fewer days in your rotation?  No problem!  The key point is, you describe to us what your school’s needs are and we create the process to support those needs. 

Idea #3: Schedule Students Based on Grades

Many schools we work with import grades into Enriching Students.  That data can be used as the basis for creating appointments.

Scenario 1: students with grades below a school defined threshold will be automatically scheduled to the staffer associated with the grade.  Students who are above that threshold are able to create appointments for themselves.  

Scenario 2: students have created appointments  However, with the latest grade import a student is now failing in some subject.  The automated process could be configured to overwrite the appointment previously created by the student.

Scenario 3: again, students with grades below a school defined threshold are automatically scheduled to their instructor.  However, the student has three grades below the threshold.  

• How often should a student be scheduled to a staffer within a week?  
• Should failing grades in science and math have priority over failing grades in music and art?

Again, the key point is, you describe to us what your school’s needs are and we create the process to support those needs.

Idea #4: Schedule Students Based on Attendance Types

Imagine you’ve created different attendance types in Enriching Students.  As the automated scheduling process runs, it looks back at the prior week’s appointments and determines were there any appointments where the student showed up, but wasn’t engaged. Or any appointments where the student was absent?  If so, create a new appointment for the same course for that student.

As we've stated several times already, you describe to us what your school’s needs are and we create the process to support those needs.

Is That It?

This doesn't even scratch the surface of what's possible!  You could combine ideas mentioned above or implement something else entirely. The only limits are based on the needs of your school.

As stated at the outset, schools have different approaches to working with Flex. This includes defining for themselves what Flex is, and how it will best fit the needs of their students.  We don’t think your scheduling application should tell you what automation means or how it should work.  Rather, your school’s experience and specific needs should form the basis for a customized Flex automation solution. There is automation, and then there is custom automation.  

And that’s what Enriching Students offers; the best customized Flex scheduling on the market.  Not because we design it, but because you do!

Start a conversation with us on what custom automation can do for your school!