In the 2009-10 school year, public school enrollment will surpass 50 million students for the first time in the nation's history according to The Condition of Education 2008, a recently released report from the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education.

The center is projecting through 2017, expecting numbers of elementary and secondary school students to grow to just over 54 million. Educational software solutions will need to keep pace with this growth in order for their to be effectiveness in administering the education system

At a May 29 news conference, NCES commissioner Mark S. Schneider provided a summary of the report's finding, one of which is the growing diversity of the student population.

In 1972, 22% of public of school students were considered to be from an ethnic or racial minority group. That number had nearly doubled to 43% by 2006. And while the number of students whose second language in English swelled from 9% of the school-aged population in 1979 to 20% in 2006, the proportion of those that has difficulty speaking English outside the home decreased from 34% in 1979 to 25% in 2006.

Another highlight of the report was the decrease in students enrolled in special education programs, private schools, but an increase in the proportion of students whose parent(s) has obtained at least a Bachelors degree.

While the report is strictly figures and numbers and does not address the issues surrounding the state of the education system, it can be helpful for school administrators and school management software professionals in developing technology solutions to meet growing demands.

Whether you have just joined the Blackbaud family or need a refresher on the numerous features of our software, many classes and resources are available. Being properly trained through one of the following options is the best way to ensure you get the most from your investment in Blackbaud's educational software solutions.

1. Classroom training at Blackbaud Headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina

Courses are available in a wide range of Blackbaud educational, fundraising, and data management software products. Plus you will have the benefit of visiting one of the most leisurely and historic cities in the United States.

2. Regional training available in 50 cities across the United States and Canada.

Just like traveling to our facility in Charleston, regional training sessions are held in state-of-the-art facilities. Each student is provided with their own workstation for hands-on learning.

3. Distance learning options available for busy professionals.

Can't travel anywhere? Distance learning can help you just like our in-class options. Instructor-led classes are available in an interactive, live group setting along with the eLearning library which provides self-paced online software lessons.

While these courses and resources can be purchased individually, Blackbaud recognizes organizations have budget constraints but also need a well-trained, passionate staff. For one affordable yearly fee, Blackbaud Training Pass offers unlimited classroom, regional, and distance learning courses along with unlimited access to the eLearning library.

Small and private universities must constantly be up-to-date and organized in order to fulfill the mantra of officials which is to Recruit. Retain. Solicit. This is easier said than done with hundreds and possibly thousands of applicants, students, and alumni.

A good enrollment management software option helps higher education with these tasks. Small university officials need integrated solutions to address the challenges they face, including administrative burdens on faculty, maximizing course requests, and standing apart from peer institutions.

One easy solution to these challenges is the Student Information Software (SIS) from Blackbaud, which can be integrated to share information across campus offices. Update to student information is instantly available to not only the registrar, but admissions, advancement, and even faculty, which allows for easier communication with students.

SIS software goes along way to meeting the challenge of reducing the burden of administrative tasks on faculty as to allow them more time to interact with students. Besides the easier communication, SIS also automates tasks related to determining how effectively recruiting dollars are being spent to developing various class scheduling scenarios to make the best use of instructors and space.

And students will love it to, having quick access to grades, schedules, billing statements all online. Also, assignments, news, and progress reports can be delivered electronically which is important to today's tech savvy youth. SIS, through efficient class scheduling, also easily modifies schedules to handle special and last-minute requests.

Today's competitive and fiscally tight environment demands institutions stretch the most of their resources to meet the challenges of recruiting, retaining, and soliciting. Student Information Software from Blackbaud is a useful tool in meeting those demands.

Users of Blackbaud school administrative software or any of their other services can connect with other users through the Blackbaud User Society. Maintained by volunteers, it was developed by Blackbaud users to provide an informational resource separate from the company itself.

The user society includes many items that help school and non-profit administrators maximize the usefulness of their software products. Forums are available for each of Blackbaud's products, including the Raiser's Edge, Education Edge, Intelligence Edge, etc. Users can post questions regarding specific issues that are then addressed by others.

For instance, one recent post was from a college administrator having a difficult time importing test scores into their Blackbaud database. With a quick post to the forum, they received many helpful responses to their inquiry.

The Blackbaud User Society also includes news releases from the company and other topics of interest - with RSS feed capability so users can have those directly downloaded to their desktops.

Another great feature of the society is the user suggestion area. Each year, members from the society meet with developers from Blackbaud to share their insights and suggestions for making their products better. Suggestions are organized into several different categories and ranked by other users.

While the user society is free, you must create an account to fully utilize the site.

NetCommunity: Membership Software for Schools & Membership Organizations

Membership offices are constantly seeking efficient ways to replace the inefficient methods they use to acquire new members. Organizations recognize that keeping members is much more cost-effective than recruiting new members, so membership renewals need to be as easy as possible.

Blackbaud NetCommunity membership management software provides the ultimate membership management for nonprofits. Schools and Instituions can profit from using our leading membership software featuring:

-- comprehensive solution that allows you to use all the critical information you already have in The Raiser’s Edge
-- Decreases costs and errors by eliminating dual data entry with your Web site and The Raiser’s Edge
-- Supports around-the-clock service for donations, event registration and profile updates
-- Provides easy-to-use, do-it-yourself Web maintenance tools, making it simple for anyone in your office to make Web site changes
-- Reports on site activity and email campaigns to help you target communications and appeals

Contact Blackbaud for more information on NetCommunity Membership Software

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About Blackbaud Education Software:

Blackbaud's total school solution, including The Education Edge School Administrative Software, gives individual offices the functionally-rich solutions they need while also providing all key stakeholders with instant, secure access to up-to-date student and financial information.

Blackbaud is the leading global provider of software and related services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations. Over the past 25 years, Blackbaud has achieved success by providing innovative technology solutions that help nonprofits meet their most critical challenges.

The Education Edge™, a product of Blackbaud Inc., the leading fundraising software and nonprofit accounting software company, is a comprehensive student information system developed exclusively to enhance school administration and student management. The Education Edge consists of an integrated school information software suite and is designed to be used by all school offices including school admissions, registrar's office, business office, guidance, faculty and the development office.

Blackbaud understands the needs of school administrators to improve and achieve effective communication and information management. With The Education Edge, you can:

Support Your School Daily Operations

-- eliminate duplicate data entry with integrated Admissions, Registrar's, Medical, Faculty and Business Office systems
-- share the most up-to-date student information
-- maintain a detailed history of essential student records

Connect Your School Community

-- build relations with applicants, students, parents and alumni
-- track contacts from admissions inquiries through alumni
-- offer convenient online communication
-- connect multiple divisions and campuses

Reflect Your School's Unique Character

-- maintain your school's identity across all correspondence
-- acknowledge relationship history with each communication
-- demonstrate accountability to your school's supporters
-- configure the solution to follow your school policies

VIEW AN ONLINE DEMO OF BLACKBAUD SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE SOFTWARE