General help

None of the SIS packages I have used at any school I have been at have integrated with any web applications that the schools may use. This is partly paranoia about opening security holes in their SIS because they do not understand the technologies that are being used, partly because the school is buying a sales pitch as they do not understand the product they are buying nor the technologies it uses, partly because anything that is Open Source that can be used in a learning environment is likely to be inherently unstable as they do not understand the technologies that are being used and partly because the people who are selling the SIS do not want the "usefulness" of their product "diluted" by such dangerous technologies like LTI. 

If I recall there was a critique written by someone from NZ's University of Otago a little while ago on several open source SIS applications. OpenSIS was one of them I believe, as I was looking at the possibilities of getting support for integrating an SIS and Moodle. The report, I understand, revealed a number of potential security issues. I do not suggest that is still an issue, as the report was actually sent to all the developers of the products tested, but whether they did anything about it, I have no idea.  

I understand that campusmanagement is based on Microsoft Azure... which leaves me cold right there, but I would have expected that maximum storage limitations might do more damage to a lot of interest. I am certainly not azured of Azure. (Groan from the stalls at a notoriously poor pun.) OK then, how about I doubt it is blue skies when using any product from the Dark Side? (Groans from the dress circle and outright moans from the stalls interspersed with threat of physical violence if I don't stop.) Erm, with any cloud app for the Dark Side, security is a pretty foggy issue, (OW! That hurt! Stop throwing full beer cans!)...Don't know any of the others,..(cheers from the crowd) so can't help, sorry! (Snickers turn into outright laughter.."Help! he says," drifts down from the balcony. "now that's funny!") 

Since you are in US .... ever hear of one called SkyWard?

Colin is right in that SIS's are very security minded and haven't, in the past, been open to access by other apps - like Moodle.   But they aren't ignoring customer demand, either.   SkyWard now has a quiz engine (naturally an addon that adds to cost, I think).   Makes sense as the 'official gradebook' is in SkyWard.   Think they have also a plugin for a CMS (course management system) although am sure it's not as full featured as Moodle.

'spirit of sharing', Ken

Powerschool can be integrated with Moodle. 

We use a product called MIStar and we also have it integrated where teachers can map Moodle assignments to MIStar and click a button and the grades are transferred over to the SIS.  It is wonderful for teachers.

Hi Aldon,

Powerschool integrates with Moodle very well. You can read more about it at www.intelliboard.net/powerschool. I am not advertising here as we offer this solutions to many schools at very minimal or no charge at all. If you choose Powerschool, please feel free to contact us for demo.

Thank you,
Anatoliy