Success Stories
Jackson (Michigan) ISD
The Problem
It’s no secret that special education providers nationwide are drowning in a sea of paperwork. With extensive reporting requirements and increasingly complex state and federal mandates, many are overwhelmed. The paperwork burden is distracting them from their core mission: improving the lives of children with special needs.
In 2002, when the federal government estimated that service providers were spending 17% of their time on paperwork (40-50 minutes per day), Michigan’s Jackson County Intermediate School District knew that something had to change.
Jackson County ISD provides special educational services to more than 4,500 students in a mix of traditional and charter schools. At the time, each student required regular, labor-intensive updates to file information in three disparate databases: an in-house IEP system, a state registry, and the Medicaid billing system.
The effect? Triple the workload. Triple the opportunity for mistakes. Thousands of lost hours of instructional time.
There had to be a better way.
The EXCENT Solution
Administrators knew that in order to enhance staff productivity, provide better services, and save money, they needed a comprehensive case management solution that could bring together all student data onto a single, unified platform.
In 2003, Jackson County ISD chose EXCENT® Tera. Created by education software provider, Global Education Technologies (GET), EXCENT Tera was designed to help educators more efficiently manage the vast amount of data associated with children with special needs.
It was clear from the very start that working with GET (at the time, Horizon Software Systems, Inc.) was the right choice, in part because of the company’s strong commitment to customer service. The GET team carefully studied the reporting requirements specific to Michigan and worked closely with Jackson County ISD to custom-build a system that would address the district’s unique needs.
“We contracted with [GET] because they agreed to build what we wanted,” says Richard Rendell, Director of Special Education at Jackson County ISD. “The EXCENT Tera program [GET] built for our ISD has surpassed our expectations."
Key Benefits
EXCENT Tera has streamlined the entire data management process, from transportation scheduling to state child-count reporting to Annual IEP Review tracking.
Teachers are now spending far less time chained to their desks reporting student data and more time in the classroom, focusing on what they do best: serving the needs of their students.
There is “less hard copy paperwork” and “quicker access to documents now,” says teacher consultant Martha Cantlin. Occupational therapist Kelly Hendershot agrees. “I can access information on a student quickly,” she says. “I used to have to call the JCISD Registrar, [and] she would have to locate the documents and then fax or interoffice mail them to me. “
All forms within the system are interrelated and data is shared electronically, so basic demographic data about each student needs to be entered only once—vastly reducing the administrative burden placed on the special education staff.
“It helps me focus my energy on the functioning and needs of the child rather than on details pertaining to his address, zip code, telephone number, his mother's first name, etc.,” says school psychologist Kevin Coleman.
The system also offers built-in reminders and timelines to help teachers keep track of meetings, deadlines, and communication with parents and providers. “It tracks when evaluations and IEPs are due,” says Coleman. “It helps us remain in compliance and not overlook things that need to be accomplished.”
With all student data on a web-enabled, integrated platform, staff members can monitor student progress across a variety of disciplines. “I can access other disciplines’ goals and reports easier so that I know more information about my students’ performance levels in other areas,” says Hendershot. “I also like that I can access this system at other schools or at home to get the information needed.”
Another benefit is that Jackson County ISD has drastically reduced its error rate and eliminated data redundancies with EXCENT Tera—saving precious money and time. We’re [now] basically error-free,” says Rendell. “There are so many checks in the system that it’s very hard to make an error.”
The EXCENT® Medicaid Advantage
Building on the success of EXCENT Tera, Jackson County ISD purchased the add-on EXCENT Medicaid module to help manage the Medicaid billing process. The district uses the software to directly bill the state for all Medicaid-eligible services provided to students with special needs, such as therapy, nurse visits, and transportation.
With EXCENT Medicaid, the district has seen huge cost benefits. Since it started using the software in 2004, Jackson County ISD has increased its Medicaid reimbursements by 52%, a growth of approximately $100,000 per year. Increased rates of reimbursement are expected in the years ahead.
Jackson County ISD’s results are not unusual: since South Carolina’s Anderson 3 School District started using EXCENT Medicaid in 2004, it has increased its Medicaid billing revenue an amazing 650%. These revenue gains come at a time when many districts nationwide are facing severe cutbacks in Medicaid funding. The module is so successful in ensuring all Medicaid-eligible services are billed for because it automates every aspect of the Medicaid management process including submittal of student files to government agencies to identify eligibility and obtain Medicaid numbers.
One of the reasons EXCENT Medicaid has been so successful is its integration with the other EXCENT solutions within the district. Information is seamlessly shared between the systems, saving service providers from having to re-key data and reducing errors. The link between IEPs and the automated billing process also makes it easier for administrators to monitor the delivery of services and submit for reimbursement. Rejected claims are reconciled and resubmitted once prompted errors are corrected, increasing the likelihood that services rendered will be compensated.
Jackson County ISD Today
Now, with the help of GET, some special educators at Jackson County ISD report that they are using just 5% of teaching time for paperwork. That’s only 15 minutes per day!
The financial rewards are equally striking: the district saw a complete return on its investment in the EXCENT solution in less than 12 months.
With success comes responsibility. Jackson County ISD is now serving as a data-hosting center and is lending its expertise with EXCENT to other local school districts and ISDs in Michigan. It has organized a formal user group community and is providing technical support for five other in-state GET customers. In addition, Jackson distributes a monthly newsletter to help EXCENT users achieve optimal success.
Conclusion
With EXCENT Tera and EXCENT Medicaid, administrators know they purchased more than just a static software package: they bought a lifetime of crucial customer support, from system installation and implementation to teacher training and regular consultation.
They also bought the expertise of GET, which continues to track Michigan’s rapidly changing special education and Medicaid rules and requirements and deliver effective solutions accordingly.
“GET is a true development company,” says Ryan Velzy, Team Leader for Applications. “They are able to react quickly and they understand special education. You are not just talking to a programmer; you are speaking with someone who understands your business. [They are] the most responsive technical company I have dealt with.”