Last year the school implemented a new class registration process that allowed students to select classes online. The school is using the same online registration system this year.
Registration for next year’s classes will begin this month with a more refined process of signing up for classes.
Principal Jason Smith explains some of the reasons behind the online registration process.
“[Online Registration] has been in the district for three years. This is our second year at PHS doing it. Last year I was a little nervous about it but the counselors did a great job walking me through the steps. Really [all] it comes down to is: families having their [HAC] log-in, which they should have and then really it is [about] putting the power in the hands of the students and families to go ahead and sign up for their classes on their own,” Smith said.
Efficiency is one of the main advantages that using an online registration model has over using the traditional method according to Smith.
“I think we have been able to refine the process. It is a more efficient way than just the old fashioned paper copies. In this ever evolving technological world that we live in, more people have used technology and we wanted to use it to streamline the process. I think the biggest [difficulty] was making people aware that there was something new and different,” Smith said.
The online registration process is also more accurate than the traditional method according to Director of Instructional Leadership-Technology Integration John Parker.
“Entering course requests via HAC provides students and guardians the ability to view the student’s next year course requests as soon as they have been entered. Students/guardians will be able to view these requests until the end of the current school year,” Parker said. “When student course requests are entered via online course requests the user can confirm that the requests entered are accurate. The margin of error is greatly reduced if not totally removed, when someone is not having to interpret a hand written course request form prior to manually entering each course into the student information system.”
