/ Intro
Arlington Public Schools (APS) in Arlington, Virginia is a large and diverse school system committed to academic excellence, integrity, and a healthy learning environment. When APS needed to enhance their digital presence to better serve their educational community, they partnered with Materiell to construct a solution that would strengthen their ability to communicate effectively with students, families, staff, and their wider community.
This collaboration delivered an intuitive digital ecosystem that enables seamless communication while ensuring accessibility for all stakeholders in the educational community and the ability to evolve with their ever-changing educational needs.
APS's previous digital infrastructure needed modernization to meet the evolving needs of their expansive educational community. They required a user-friendly content management system that could support up to 50 school sites and programs while maintaining consistency and ease of management. They required features including a custom calendar solution, dynamic staff directory, and emergency alert system, all while ensuring different schools could maintain their unique identity within a cohesive district-wide platform. The new design also needed to meet rigorous accessibility standards as well as languages to ensure everyone has access to educational resources.
Materiell implemented a comprehensive WordPress multisite solution through a collaborative, user-centered design process. Beginning with extensive stakeholder meetings and needs analysis, we developed detailed wireframes and design mockups that addressed APS's specific requirements. The development process prioritized creating custom solutions for sophisticated permissions system, calendaring, staff directories, and alert systems while ensuring intuitive content management across all school sites. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, each feature was tailored to APS's unique organizational structure and communication needs.
The new platform transformed APS's digital presence, significantly enhancing communication capabilities across the entire school system. The custom-built solutions for calendars, staff directories, and alerts provided administrators with powerful tools for managing and sharing information. The intuitive content management system empowered staff across different schools to maintain their sites independently while ensuring district-wide consistency. The responsive design and adherence to accessibility standards and language translation ensures that all members of the educational community can access vital information regardless of their device, ability level, or language.
Arlington Public Schools required a digital platform that could serve their diverse educational community while meeting the unique challenges of managing multiple school sites. Their previous system lacked the flexibility and user-friendly features needed for effective communication across the district. The organization needed a solution that would empower staff at different schools to manage their content independently while maintaining district-wide standards and security. Custom features like calendaring, staff directories, and alert systems needed to be intuitive enough for non-technical users while robust enough to handle complex organizational requirements. As an educational institution serving a diverse community, they needed a platform that would be accessible to all users while providing the flexibility to evolve with changing educational needs.
Materiell crafted a sophisticated WordPress multisite solution that balanced individual school identities with district-wide consistency. The platform's architecture makes it easy for staff to manage and update their school's information while maintaining district standards. Custom calendar and directory solutions enable families to quickly find important dates and contact information, while the alert system ensures rapid communication of weather closings and other critical updates. The implementation features comprehensive permission controls and intuitive interfaces that simplify content management across the district's many schools. Regular collaboration between Materiell and APS teams throughout the development process ensured that each feature was optimized for their specific needs, creating a truly customized solution.
