A Blank Canvas for Excelsior Springs School District as Echo and Google Classroom Axed

stock image created using Canva

Excelsior Springs School District has decided to transition from its current Learning Management Systems (LMS), Echo & Google Classroom, to Canvas. The move is meant to boost student learning and better align with modern teaching methodologies. District leadership said they hope utilizing a single LMS across secondary grade levels will be easier for students, teachers, and parents. Melissa Miller, the assistant superintendent in charge of academic services, launched a committee that combines middle school and high school to address the issues with the current LMS. This process included input from various members of the district, including teachers and administrators.

The choice for a transition stems from the challenges associated with Echo and Google Classroom. While the platform Echo made it easy for teachers to grade assignments, its accessibility for parents was an issue. Assistant Superintendent Melissa Miller mentioned at the board meeting on March 12th that multiple parents, including upper administrator Ben Rubey, came to her complaining that they couldn’t figure out how to get into Echo to check their kids’ grades. Another issue is Echo’s inability to communicate with PowerSchool, a widely used student information system. This issue caused teachers to have to enter grades twice for grade cards to be generated.

Excelsior Springs Middle School uses Google Classroom. Melissa Miller explained at the board meeting, “Despite its widespread popularity, Google Classroom’s limited resources have been noted as an area of concern.” While it has served as a functional platform for managing assignments and fostering digital collaboration, its restricted scope for supplementary resources has prompted the district to seek a more comprehensive solution.

Canvas emerged from the evaluation process as the frontrunner among potential Learning Management Systems. Its widespread adoption by most schools in the Kansas City area proved its credibility and effectiveness within educational settings. The financial considerations surrounding the adoption of Canvas were also part of its appeal to the Excelsior Springs LMS Committee. With approximately 1300 kids in grades 6-12, the cost is $5.25 per user; a total of $6,825 for the school district. Canvas’s compatibility with PowerSchool and its emphasis on user-friendliness for students, teachers, and parents made it the top choice for the LMS committee. Miller said she also favored Canvas and was pleased the committee came to the same conclusion.

Giving students access to Canvas should also better equip them for academic success beyond high school as more colleges move to Canvas. Mr. Jeff Haney, an educator at ESHS and evaluation committee member, said he was glad to see the district moving toward a platform that will better prepare students for higher education. 

While it will take some getting used to, many students at ESHS favor the move to Canvas. Senior Alyssa Clark said she has found Canvas’s built-in calendar makes it easier to see when assignments are due. Jason Besherse said, “It’s good that the school is finally preparing middle schoolers, freshmen, and sophomores with a tool that all the school’s AP and Dual Credit classes use.” Junior Logan Huston explained, “Canvas is a lot easier to navigate… Sometimes even turning in Google Docs can be a struggle on Echo.” 

The School Board unanimously approved the Committee’s choice to move to Canvas. The district hopes to get access to the new platform by the end of March so that teachers can familiarize themselves with Canvas and build lessons before implementing the LMS in the fall.

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