Our team identifies common needs across districts, collaborates on priorities, and builds tools that streamline workflows for MIS staff, counselors, administrators, and teachers alike. These projects deliver immediate impact, from automation that eliminates manual entry to dashboards that simplify complex processes. New districts benefit right away as proven solutions are implemented during onboarding, ensuring they start with optimized systems and features that are ready to use.
Throughout the year, we compile FOCUS module enhancement ideas through our interactions with our participating districts. To prioritize these projects, at the beginning of the year we conduct a survey in which each district’s MIS contact ranks the ideas. Starting with the highest-ranked items, we work through the list over the year to ensure our program goals align closely with district needs.
PAEC Bright Futures Dashboard
Districts struggled to efficiently track student eligibility for Bright Futures. The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) conducts only two evaluation cycles each year, requiring transcript data submissions within very narrow windows. After corrections are made, results take two to three days to appear in the state system, slowing counselors’ ability to respond. The state’s review system is outdated, designed primarily for transcript verification rather than helping counselors proactively advise students on how to improve or reach eligibility.
With the PAEC Bright Futures Dashboard, counselors now have self-service access anytime to proactively assist students just below eligibility thresholds before the official evaluation cycles even begin. The intuitive design allows them to quickly identify students who can benefit from coaching. This replaces weeks of manual verification. The dashboard automatically adjusts requirements for each student’s cohort, ensuring clarity and consistency. This tool increases data accuracy and trust in scholarship reporting by consolidating Bright Futures GPA and ACT, SAT, and CLT scores into a single view ahead of DOE evaluations.
Teacher Certification & Out of Field Determination Automation
Many districts have consistently received audit findings for incorrectly reporting teachers in-field or not properly documenting and sending out notification for out-of-field teachers. We have developed a process to automatically load the teacher certification data from the SKYWARD ERP system into FOCUS SIS. We further have cracked the code on how to populate the certification requirements in the FOCUS course catalog automatically so that districts no longer have to manually maintain these codes. We have detailed documentation and instructions for our districts on how to enter and maintain all of the special scenarios and provide step-by-step guidance for those districts who have chosen to fully automate the out-of-field determination. We have even developed a process to automate the parent notifications for out of field teachers.
We are currently involved in a beta test with FLDOE Bureau of Educator Certification to automatically retrieve district’s teacher certification data directly from the state, with the goal of eliminating the need for the vast majority of the manual entry on the ERP side.
Virtual Data Importer
Many small districts contract with virtual instruction providers (VIP) to operate virtual education programs for their district. Often times district MIS staff are tasked with managing the data in the SIS for these providers which can involve a great deal of tedious manual entry in FOCUS. PAEC SDS has developed custom PHP applications in FOCUS that allow districts to import their VIP teachers, sections, schedules and grades, greatly reducing the amount of manual data entry and saving a lot of time for district staff. These custom applications also greatly reduce data entry mistakes, errors or omissions.
Medical Module
The PAEC Medical Module allows nurses and contracted Health Department staff to enter School Health Services and Screenings in FOCUS as well as pull the EARS report as needed to report this information in the Florida Department of Health HMS (Health Management System).
