Press Releases

West Central Joint Services Blazes New Trail for 10 Indiana School Districts

Indianapolis-based Special Education Cooperative is the First in Indiana to Implement Web-based ENCORE! System

TOWSON, Md. – May 27, 2005 – West Central Joint Services, a Special Education Cooperative of 10 school districts in Indiana, has chosen Spectrum K12 School Solutions Inc. (4GL) to provide a comprehensive, Web-based solution for managing services for its special needs students. The Indianapolis-based Cooperative will be the first in Indiana to implement 4GL’s ENCORE!® suite of software and service solutions for special populations.

ENCORE! will provide West Central Joint Services and its participating school districts with a complete solution for managing the administrative complexities and critical decision-making processes inherent in programs for special populations. The Web-based software solution will help the Cooperative automate and streamline data collection and management; provide secure, real-time access to data; and manage individualized education plans (IEP) for more than 8,600 special education students across the participating school districts.

“We had been using a standalone database program to manage student information and generate IEPs and Case Conference Committee reports, but there was no connectivity. The only way you could access information was if it was printed out on paper or provided on a diskette. We wanted to move to a Web-based management system to enable local staff and Cooperative staff to easily access student data and IEPs, track progress, and make decisions based upon the data,” said Julia Prather, director of West Central Joint Services. “We looked at a variety of programs and found ENCORE! to be very comprehensive. The main benefits of the system are twofold. One, it will provide teachers with better access to student information which will make it easier for them to do their jobs and work more efficiently. Two, it will provide administrative staff with easier access to the data generated from the field, so they can better monitor the provision of services and improve data-driven decision making.”

Designed specifically for the K-12 education market, ENCORE! helps school districts increase the effectiveness of their programs for all special populations by automating time-consuming data collection and reporting processes, and reducing the paperwork burden. The comprehensive, Web-based software solution serves as a foundation for managing all phases of the IEP process for both general and special populations. As data is entered, compliance requirements are automatically verified, ensuring that paperwork is completed accurately and on time. As a result, educators can spend more time in the classroom, focusing on improving student learning and achievement.

About West Central Joint Services

West Central Joint Services, located at Sanders School in the Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Wayne Township, is a 10 school corporation Special Education Cooperative. Staff provide services for special needs students in the school districts of Avon, Brownsburg, Mooresville, Plainfield, MSD Pike Township, MSD Wayne Township, Speedway, Danville, Zionsville, and Monroe-Gregg. The mission of West Central Joint Services is to assist participating school corporations in the provision of a continuum of special education services, related services, and supports to students, staff, and community within a fluid and flexible framework, and to support individual districts as they strive to provide outstanding educational services and experiences to the diverse learners in their communities.

About Spectrum K12 School Solutions

Spectrum K12 School Solutions Inc. is the leading provider of comprehensive management solutions for special populations. Building upon its deep expertise in special education, 4GL helps school districts more effectively manage the individualized learning process for all students receiving special services or interventions, including special education, at-risk, Section 504 and Limited English Proficient (LEP) students.

4GL works collaboratively with districts of all sizes to deliver scalable, easy-to-use software solutions that lift the immense burden of paperwork from education professionals so they can focus on the most important part of their work: educating children and improving student achievement. Focused solely on K-12 education, 4GL’s proven, data-driven solutions help districts reduce paperwork, increase efficiency, improve staff morale and retention, increase revenue recovery, eliminate compliance issues, reduce unnecessary referrals to special education, and support successful achievement of individualized education plan (IEP) goals.

Founded in 1996, Spectrum K12 School Solutions is based in Towson, Md. For more information, visit http://www.4glschools.com or call 800-490-8445.