El Monte City School District (EMCSD), located in eastern Los Angeles County, serves 7,700 students from diverse language backgrounds. Recognizing the need for a robust and flexible student information system (SIS) to effectively manage and communicate with its multilingual parent community, the district turned to Follett Aspen® Student Information System in 2015.

The Challenge

EMCSD required an SIS that could handle a variety of tasks including managing demographic data, attendance, program data, grades, alerts, health information, and more. Natalie Garcia, Data Resource Specialist II, explained, “Aspen is the core of our district since it contains all the data we need in regard to our students.” The district needed a comprehensive system that allowed staff to access all necessary student information in one place.

The Solution

Follett Aspen® SIS was chosen for its robust capabilities and ability to centralize data management. “We store everything from demographic data, attendance data, and program data, to grades, alerts, health information, and so much more,” Garcia said. “All the data and information for each of our students is centralized in Aspen, so our staff only needs to log in to one place to get all the information they need.”

Frank Tellez, Data Integrity Analyst, highlighted the system’s ease of use and powerful data management features. “Aspen SIS has made it very easy for me to achieve complex data projects and support our district’s day-to-day database, online curriculum requirements, and reporting needs.”

Key Features and Benefits

Secure Data Transfer: EMCSD regularly sends out student data to online curriculum systems and vendors such as Clever, Titan, and ParentSquare. This secure transfer of student rosters ensures students are correctly placed in classes and courses with the appropriate teachers.

Enrollment System: Aspen’s online registration portal has simplified the student registration process. “The Aspen registration portal has been very convenient for our school secretaries to use when accepting new student registrations,” Garcia noted. “They are able to fully review the application before accepting it and pre-registering the student.”

Student Attendance: Using Aspen, teachers can post daily attendance, and attendance clerks can run daily reports to monitor absences and follow up with parents. “Teachers also electronically certify their attendance at the end of each week, and our attendance team uses Aspen reports to analyze which students are having attendance issues and are chronically absent,” Garcia explained.

State Reporting: Aspen allows EMCSD to run state reports easily and accurately. “Aspen has made it very easy for me to quickly and accurately gather the data I need for state reporting,” Garcia said. The system’s ability to update exports swiftly ensures compliance with state requirements.

Parent Communication: With a student population that is 80% Hispanic and 17% Asian, EMCSD needed an SIS that could facilitate communication in multiple languages. Aspen’s customizable student registration portal is available in Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese, ensuring effective communication with parents in their preferred language.

Customized Needs: Aspen’s flexibility allows EMCSD to tailor the system to meet specific needs. Garcia praised Follett’s support in developing a customized Health History report for the district’s health services staff, enhancing their ability to manage student health records efficiently.

The Results

Aspen SIS has become an indispensable tool for EMCSD, streamlining operations and improving data management. “Aspen has been instrumental in helping El Monte operate more efficiently and in a way that best serves our diverse student population,” Garcia said. The system’s customization options and excellent customer support have been particularly beneficial. “Follett works with us very well in that they are very flexible and willing to work around our schedules and calendars.”

Tellez echoed this sentiment: “Aspen Support has a very helpful and knowledgeable team that has gone out of their way to help our district when we have encountered technical issues.”

Would EMCSD recommend Aspen to other districts? “Definitely, because Follett has been very helpful in whatever task we need to accomplish,” Garcia affirmed. “They are very understanding of our goals and needs and help us come up with solutions to any concerns or challenges our district encounters.”

For more information on how Follett Software can support your district, visit Follett Aspen.