West Catholic High Cleans up Hallways & Boosts Student Engagement
Discover how West Catholic High replaced its outdated processes with a campus management tool — transforming itself into a safer, efficient, and data-driven school.
About West Catholic High
Students
500
Grades
9-12
The Challenge
Outdated Systems Were Limiting Student Engagement & Safety
West Catholic High has a robust academic support program and is considered one of the top-performing schools in its area. Student support and success are at the forefront of everything they do. But the school grappled with its student engagement platform, Superfan, which fell short in user-friendliness and backend efficiency. This was particularly challenging for a school that values its reputation for nurturing student excellence.
Furthermore, West Catholic’s reliance on outdated paper-based hall passes and physical student IDs presented additional administrative headaches. It was extremely difficult for teachers and admins to be able to know who was in class or out in the halls at any given time. This posed safety concerns but also detracted from the time educators could spend on teaching and building relationships with students.
KEY PROBLEM AREAS:
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It was the Wild West, kids were able to go and do whatever they wanted. Things we were still doing on paper didn’t make sense. It was very difficult to control certain behaviors — like what was going on in the bathroom or who was out in the hall at a specific time.”
The Solution
Enhancing the Campus Environment with Digital Hall Passes
West Catholic is known for being a good school with well-behaved kids. Director of Instructional Technology, Jeff Bailey, has never seen a single fight take place on campus. So his main reason for implementing Minga was not about punishing or controlling student behavior. It was about finding the right digital tools that could enhance the overall environment.
Initially purchased for its robust student engagement features, it quickly became evident that Minga’s Digital ID and Hall Pass modules would be most helpful for what the school was facing. They needed to replace archaic paper passes with a digital system that could effectively manage hallways and bathroom usage – allowing administrators to create a safer campus.
Minga’s implementation was methodical and considered. Jeff used a test account to get a lay of the land and ensure that the software was effective and reliable. The modules worked together so seamlessly that it didn’t take long before he launched the campus management platform at his school. A testament to Minga’s simplicity, deployment at West Catholic was straightforward and well-received — teachers quickly adopted the new system and students learned how to use the tool in just five minutes!
What Minga Offered:
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We now have a better idea of where kids are going, when they’re going, and which teachers are letting them go.”
The Outcomes
An Enriched Learning Atmosphere that Supports Student Success
Easy Admin Decisions, Based on Hall Pass Data
By analyzing usage patterns, West Catholic was able to modify daily hall pass allowances and put students who were frequently out of class together into a “No Party Group”.
Reduced Incidents of Vaping
“No Party Groups” have been effective in addressing vaping and bathroom loitering, creating a safer and healthier environment. These lists also aid administrators in determining who might be selling vapes on campus.
Increased Student Participation
By allowing students to earn points when they self-check in to events such as sports games, West Catholic has increased participation and encouraged kids to be engaged in the campus community.
A More Structured Environment for All
The new, digital system has created much-needed hall pass rules and procedures – setting clear expectations around usage and issuance for students, secretaries, and teachers.
Strengthening a Sense of Community
By using their Minga home feed to create groups, share event announcements, and post student-created videos. We love their WCTV videos!
Increased Instructional Time
Digital hall passes have led to fewer disruptions in the hallways and more focused classroom time.
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There was a lot of wasted time for teachers managing hall passes previously. And now, we’re starting to see more and more efficiencies — more classroom time is being utilized.”