Pervasive staff

The knowledge and friendliness of Pervasive staff were highly appreciated by Killeen ISD.

Efficiency

An estimated 90% efficiency gain in data transfer has occurred since moving to Pervasive.

Reliability

Pervasive Data Integrator automatically checks data, kicking out invalid data. No more manual transfers are required.

Up-to-date information

Killeen ISD teachers begin each day with the latest information on their students.

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Large Texas school district keeps track of students with up-to-date information, thanks to Pervasive

Independent School District is a large Texas school district serving some 36,800 students. The district’s catchment areas include the military base Fort Hood, and because military families move frequently, many students enter and leave the school district on an ongoing basis. To help teachers and students, the district began a data warehouse initiative to provide up-to-date student information daily to teachers through an Internet portal. The teachers gain access to the latest information on entering and existing students in their classes to aid their instructional activities.

The data warehouse also allows better data control. District administrators can receive "one view of the truth," which can help them compare the district to statewide averages and benchmark against comparable districts. Additionally, the district hopes to leverage the data warehouse to better and more efficiently meet both state and federal reporting guidelines. With accurate, complete, up-to-date data, Killeen ISD both can help its students and ensure it receives appropriate funding.

Disparate data sources and a need to establish a data warehouse

Killeen ISD uses an Informix SQL database for student information, an Alpha Cluster with "non standard" database for human resources data and IBM DB4 for financial data. Disparate data sources presented a challenge to Data Warehouse Manager Debbie Shiller when she set out to establish the data warehouse. In addition, data from another system with Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores and other testing information from CDs would be moved into the data warehouse. Data would enter the data warehouse in text and then be sent in HTML to the teachers’ portal. Shiller found she needed a highly accurate, highly efficient data integration tool to meet the requirements of the project.

Pervasive Data Integrator's mapping and connectivity answer the call for Killeen ISD

Debbie Shiller initiated a trial download of Pervasive Data Integrator™ after she heard a school district consultant praise Pervasive’s products. With Pervasive Data Integrator she found an easy-to-use mapping tool that allows for quick code changes and offers the ability to verify data and create exception reports. The decision was clear: she chose Pervasive Data Integrator as her data conversion solution.

The teachers now arrive at school each day knowing that they have instant access to fully current data they need to serve the students – including test scores, parent contact information and demographics. The Web pages the teachers access point directly to the data warehouse, and Pervasive Data Integrator allows load runs at 5:00 a.m., so updated data is in the portal before teachers start their day. If a new student is starting in a school, the teacher has comprehensive information on that student before this or her first class begins. The best part, according to Shiller, is that she does not have to do manual runs; Pervasive Data Integrator takes care of everything.

Debbie Shiller said Pervasive training also helped her get comfortable with Pervasive Data Integrator – and then some. "The trainer was very knowledgeable and got me fully up to speed in two days. In fact, he even taught me some new tips on how to optimize SQL."

Data conversion process with Pervasive Data Integrator.

Data Warehouse project is a success; teachers have important student information in their hands as each school day starts

Pervasive’s integration software typically brings a lot of value to a company or organization. In the case of Killeen ISD, the data warehouse initiative has proven to be a great success, with teachers easily finding the needed information to help reach their students. For data warehouse manager Debbie Shiller, she’s found a data conversion solution that is efficient and can be used for many purposes. Killeen ISD has many special programs that require fast, reliable data, and district administrators are now considering centralizing more data through Shiller’s data warehouse.

More data transfer in store as Pervasive Data Integrator's use expands 

Debbie Shiller has more plans in store for Pervasive Data Integrator. She will be loading summary tables to better gauge attendance and create benchmarking against statewide data such as TAKS scores. She also will intake data from the State of Texas’ PEIMS (Public Education Information Management System) to give the administration the ability to analyze and benchmark against comparable districts statewide.

The goal: To provide Killeen administrators stronger insight into where the district excels and where it can improve. "We can maximize our use of data to help students and improve funding opportunities. It’s a powerful goal and, with Pervasive Data Integrator, very reachable," Shiller believes.