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Durham Public Schools use Web to Reach Parents a News Clip written by Kelly Brewington - The Herald-Sun (posted by Chris Ogden) 1/11/1999

New site provides information and allows feedback. In the past, when parents of children in the Durham Public Schools had a question about test scores, special programs or up-coming events, they had to search a handful of different sources for answers. But now, all that information and more is available in one place. The school system announced last week the debut of its revamped World Wide Web site, an interactive source for basic information and events available at the click of a mouse. Durham Public Schools officials said the new site is more comprehensive and user friendly than the previous one. "Basically, all of it is different," said Julie Marshall, communications coordinator for the system, who has been working on the site for the past six months. "It's really cutting-edge technology for a site this size." Upon arriving at the site's home page, users are greeted by a graphic of seven smiling faces of actual Durham students, along with contents lists that are updated regularly. The main feature of the site is a school-by-school profile, which includes general information about each school, its philosophy, end-of-year test scores for the last three years and a link to customer satisfaction surveys conducted every year. In addition, the site links to the school's [sic] individual Web page, if it has one. "We've had this information in different reports and other places, but this is the first time we can pool this information together," Marshall said. The previous site provided links only to school Web sites, and only about 10 schools have ventured onto the web. The site also lets individual school update their sites, providing additional information and an outlet for displaying student work. The site was developed with a $30,000 in-kind donation from InfoMatters, Inc., a Chapel Hill company that specializes in Web site design, promotion, and software. The school system also used $5,000 of its own money. other features include details on specific programs for exceptional children, the latest news releases from the school system and links to other sites for students, parents, and educators. users can also read the minutes of recent Durham Public Schools board meetings. "What's new is that it is automatically generated," said Marshall. "The press releases are important features for local users or those new to the district." Among the interactive options, a user can search the site, sign up for the mailing list and give feedback. Another option allows a user to receive an e-mail each time a particular page is updated. And if a parent wants to know what kind of tutoring programs are offered at the school or about its music program, one option allows a user to check the appropriate box for the item, and the site gives a list fo the schools that offer those programs. "I've gotten a lot of feedback, and they've been very supporting," Marshall said. She said the site is easy to maintain and will be updated regularly. "The most important thing is that it's made with a central database and can be maintained very easily. I can update job listings every week in about 20 minutes," she said. Soon to come are individual school calendars, featuring upcoming events, and calendars that will feature district wide events by date, or upcoming events by school. Ongoing training will be conducted for school personnel to get the calendar information up and running in about two weeks, Marshall estimates. The site's address is "http://dpsnc.com".