Paper report cards, cash payments, no parent portal, digitalising a school is not a luxury, it's a necessity. Here's how to proceed.
Why digitalise school management?
At Unadresse, our PS01 pillar (Digital School Management) deployment takes 5 working days for technical setup, and 30 days for complete adoption by the entire administrative and pedagogical team. Here's the detailed calendar, step by step.
Why digitalise school management?
Before the calendar, let's recall the concrete benefits observed with our clients:
- 60% reduction in late fee payments, thanks to Mobile Money payments and automatic reminders
- 2 hours saved per day by management, mainly on producing report cards, managing timetables and communications with parents
- 3× increase in parent engagement, who now access results and messaging from their phone
But these benefits are not obtained simply by installing software, they depend on structured deployment that takes into account the real constraints of a school: the current academic year, staff habits and the diversity of technical profiles among teachers and administrative staff.
Week 0: prior audit (before official start)
Before even entering data, an audit of 1 to 2 days allows us to answer essential questions:
- How many students are currently enrolled, by level?
- What grading system is used? (Grading on 20, coefficients, weighting)
- Are there existing lists in Excel or on paper to import?
- What is the level of computer literacy of the administrative staff?
- When are the next deliberations?
This audit determines the configuration priorities and the realistic deployment schedule.
Week 1: technical setup and data entry
During the first week, ideally during the school holidays:
Day 1-2: Software installation and configuration
- Installation on the school server or cloud
- Configuration of grading scales (on 20, coefficients by subject and level)
- Creation of class structures (6ème A, 6ème B, etc.)
- Import of the subjects list by level
Day 3-4: Import of student lists
- Import of existing student data from Excel files
- Creation of student accounts and parent accounts
- Configuration of Mobile Money payment modules (MTN and Orange)
Day 5: Testing and validation
- Testing of the complete report card generation chain
- Validation of deliberation parameters
- Testing of parent portal access
Week 2: training administrative staff
Day 1 (half day): Introduction to the interface
- Navigation in the dashboard
- Entry of grades and absences
- Consultation of class lists
Day 2 (full day): Key functions
- Generation of report cards for a complete class
- Management of timetables and substitutions
- Tracking of fee payments and overdue notifications
Day 3 (half day): Practical exercises
- Exercises on real data: entry of grades from recent assessments
- Simulation of an end-of-term deliberation
- Export of reports (Excel, PDF)
Week 3: training teaching staff
Teaching staff need a lighter introduction, focused on their daily tasks:
2-hour session per group (max 10 teachers)
- Entry of grades directly on the platform
- Consultation of their timetable
- Communication with parents via messaging
Key point: train by subject group or level. An English teacher has different needs from a maths teacher.
Week 4: first operational use
The last week is the first real use of the system:
- First official entry of grades by teachers
- Sending of first automated reminders to parents in arrears
- Parent access to the portal via their mobile phone
- First management dashboard consultation
At the end of the 30 days, a progress review is held with the management to:
- Measure adoption indicators (% of teachers who have entered grades)
- Identify any difficulties encountered
- Plan the production of the first official report cards on the platform
Key factors for success
1. Involve the principal from day one
The deployment of a school management platform is a change management project. Without strong support from management, adoption by staff will be slow.
2. Plan during the school holidays
All technical installation should be done outside class time. Never disrupt lessons for an IT installation.
3. Identify an internal champion
Designate a motivated staff member, often the secretary general or a teacher comfortable with computers, who will be the first point of contact for colleagues' questions.
4. Communicate with parents before launch
Send an SMS or circular to parents before opening the portal. Explain what it is, how to log in, what they can consult.
Conclusion
Digitalising your school's management in 30 days is achievable, provided you follow a structured approach, involve all stakeholders and plan deployment during the school holidays.
Would you like an audit of your institution? Contact Unadresse for a free diagnostic.
