New technology solves age-old problem
By Marcy Horwitz CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Parent: "What did you do in school today?" Teen: "Nothing."

Edline helps Melissa Radtke and her son, Ethan, a junior at James River High School, stay informed of activities, assignments and grades.

Conversations like the one above have become so very 20th century thanks to Edline, a new secure, web-based service that helps parents and their children in high school communicate more effectively about what goes on in the classroom each day. Following a limited trial during 2006-07, the system is now in place in every Chesterfield high school.

Edline is extremely user-friendly. After logging on, users (or their parents) can browse their student records at will. Curious about academic standing? Confused about a particular assignment? Want to know when the chorus rehearses? Edline answers all of these questions and more.

Edline makes it easy for students to catch up on class work and assignments they may have missed due to absence since teachers post pages for every class and activity. The system also makes it easy for parents to contact teachers - and vice versa - with their concerns.

"For the first time, parents can see what their children are actually required to do," says Dr. Lynda Gillespie, the school system's director of technical services.

Students and parents alike appreciate the site's combined calendar feature, which lets them see at a glance when academic, social and extracurricular activities are scheduled. Teachers like it because it holds students accountable.

Stacy Bradshaw, coordinator for the Learning and Teaching Through Technology specialty center at Matoaca High School, is a big fan of Edline.

"Edline allows my students' parents to be on the same page with me. Parents know my expectations. They know my assignments. And they know where their children stand, because grades are posted to Edline every two weeks."

Still, Bradshaw notes, Edline does not replace real-time conversations or face-toface meetings. "The system opens up lines of communication. It makes talking with parents easier," she explains.

As a mother whose older daughter attended Matoaca last year during the Edline pilot, and whose younger daughter currently attends the school, Bradshaw wryly notes that "teenagers are not always the best communicators." The ability to access her daughters' schedules and grades means that there are "no more surprises."

Gillespie says the school system is looking to expand access to middle and elementary schools at some time in the future.

Based in Chicago, Edline's clients include thousands of schools in all 50 states and numerous countries.