Who They Are
Academy for Urban Scholars (AUS) is a public charter high school founded in 2011, dedicated to providing alternative education pathways for non-traditional students. With campuses in Youngstown and Columbus, Ohio, the organization focuses on dropout recovery and career readiness.
Struggling with Inefficiencies
Before adopting Quickbase in 2017, AUS struggled with several challenges, including:
- Fragmented Data Management: The organization relied on Excel and Google Sheets to track critical student information
- Siloed Operations: Different campuses maintained separate spreadsheets, creating communication barriers
- Limited Reporting Capabilities: Manual data tracking made it difficult to generate meaningful insights
- Risk of Data Loss: Spreadsheets were prone to accidental overwrites and lacked robust backup mechanisms
"We were operating in silos,” says Anthonie Jackson, Senior Director of Technology. “Columbus was doing one thing on Excel, and we were doing something else on Google Sheets.”
Embracing Quickbase
The journey began in 2017 when Senior Vice President Perry Gregory introduced Quickbase. The implementation was a grassroots, self-taught process driven by necessity and innovation.
Key Implementation Stages
- Initial Adoption: Started at 10% capacity, primarily tracking attendance and case notes
- Gradual Expansion: Progressively increased Quickbase utilization to over 75% of daily operations across all divisions
- Cross-Campus Integration: Unified data tracking across Youngstown and Columbus campuses
- Feature Expansion: Implemented dashboards, pipelines, and advanced reporting tools
The Quickbase Impact
Operational Efficiency
- 75% of daily activities now powered by Quickbase
- Real-time data capture across campuses
- Streamlined reporting and easy data access
- Automated tracking of:
- Student attendance
- Test scores
- Case management
- Career initiatives
Financial Achievements
- Managing multiple grants and sponsorships over the years, totaling millions of dollars
- Increased state funding through improved student engagement tracking
- Tracking 35+ grants in January alone
Workforce Development Success
- Supported 1,500+ students transitioning from unemployment to skilled workforce
- Tracked career progression, including notable success stories like a student hired by JPMorgan Chase
Human Impact: Student Success Stories
Technology Career Pathway
- A student completed AWS cloud certification
- Secured a job at JPMorgan Chase
- After a layoff, was tracked and rehired by AUS through Quickbase
Help Desk Program
- Students gained real-world IT experience
- Tracked progression through technology courses
- Provided help desk support for AUS
- Multiple students transitioned to IT careers post-graduation
Strategic Asset Management
Quickbase evolved from a simple tracking tool to a strategic platform enabling:
- Financial planning
- Grant management
- Compliance reporting
- Future economic opportunity tracking
Key Learnings
- No-code development can drive significant organizational transformation
- Budget constraints don't limit technological innovation
- Strategic technology adoption can directly contribute to student success
We went from 10% capacity to well over 75% functionality, with ease of access and cross-campus real-time data captures."
