SIS (Student Information System)

Definition: A software application for educational agencies to manage student data. Student information systems provide capabilities for entering student test and other assessment scores, building student schedules, tracking student attendance, and managing many other student-related data needs in a school, college, or university.

What This Means: The SIS has become central to a school’s and district’s information ecosystem. Over time, more districts have used the SIS as a consolidator of all information for a student, even though the design of such applications did not envision such a broad use originally. The SIS has become the central provider of official data about students to other transactional systems within a district, e.g., transportation, library services, food services, etc.

The basic functions of the SIS include registration, enrollment, attendance, and scheduling. Many SISs also perform grade reporting, discipline accounting, program participation, assessment recordkeeping, etc.

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