Redesigning NYC's Special Education System
OVERVIEW
As a consultant at Zenda, I led the redesign of 6 key modules in the NYC Department of Education's data management system. My focus was on improving usability and functionality through user research, wireframing, prototyping, and iterating on design solutions to create an efficient, intuitive system for educators and administrators.
TYPE
Consulting
WHAT
Data Management System
DURATION
May - August
TOOLS
Figma, Miro
ROLE
Lead Product Designer, Research, Testing
TEAM
Product Manager, Design Team, UX Researcher, SME, Engineering Team
PROBLEM
Despite costing over $130 million to build, the Special Education Student Information System (SESIS) faced frequent malfunctions—up to 800,000 times a day. These issues made it difficult to track whether students with disabilities were receiving the necessary services, leading to millions of dollars in settlements. A redesign was critical to improve system reliability and ensure accurate service tracking for students.
CURRENT UI OF SESIS
Some screenshots that demonstrate how the UI of the current state looks.
PROCESS
Everyone on the project team and stakeholders were required to participate in the research process, as it was crucial for them to understand the complexities of the current system and the necessary mandates.
Reduce system malfunctions to improve reliability and performance.
Ensure accurate tracking of services for students with disabilities.
Minimize costly legal settlements caused by system failures.
Enhance operational efficiency for educators and administrators.
Ensure compliance with educational mandates and legal requirements.
Improve service delivery and accountability within the education system.
Taking a blue sky approach in designing the new system while ensuring we didn't overlook the needs of existing users, gradually easing them into the future state."
BUSINESS GOAL
SOLUTION
Create a new system, SEDMS (Special Education Data Management System), to ensure a seamless user experience and overall functionality.
CHALLENGE
RESEARCH
Our research included user interviews with teachers, case managers, school psychologists, and other related staff, providing insights into their experiences with the current system, SEDMS.
— Additionally, research included:
Participated in weekly bootcamp sessions to get familiar with the current state of the Special Education Student Information System (SESIS).
Conducted heuristic evaluation of the current state of SEDMS to identify usability issues.
Held weekly meetings with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to learn the system and address any queries.
Below is a user person of a Related Service Provider to highlight their experience of SEDMS.
PAIN POINTS
4 key pain points that frequently came up among all users.
IDEATION/ LOW-FI WIREFRAMES
This module outlines the experience of a Related Service provider when viewing or entering notes for a group of students in their caseload. It also includes access to the Student Progress Dashboard screen and Caseload Overview Screen.
Below are low fidelity wireframes that I presented to stakeholders during our Co-Design sessions to get feedback.
CO-DESIGN SESSION FEEDBACK
Weekly co-design sessions with stakeholders and users provided valuable insights into the low-fidelity wireframes, helping us validate the design direction. The feedback from SMEs, users, and development teams was overwhelmingly positive, enabling us to confidently progress to high-fidelity designs.
HIGH - FIDELITY DESIGNS/PROTOTYPE
USABILITY TEST FEEDBACK
I conducted usability tests for the prototype with providers, case managers, and teachers to gather their feedback and understand their perspectives. Some key points:
They found the experience intuitive and straightforward, noting that it was 'easy to learn,' even for new users.
Certain text should remain non-editable for the user to comply with IEP requirements.
They were especially impressed with the ability to access IEP goals through a dropdown menu, which made the information more easily accessible and streamlined their workflow.
USABILITY TEST FEEDBACK FOR STUDENT PROGRESS DASHBOARD & CASELOAD SCREENS
All participants appreciated the color-coded 'goals' on student progress, which made it easier to identify key information at a glance.
Participants were enthusiastic about the concept of a dashboard for viewing student progress and particularly enjoyed the visuals.
Everyone appreciated having direct links to student progress, allowing them to jump directly to the relevant section.
TAKEWAYS
My key takeaway from this project is the importance of thorough research and ongoing collaboration with cross-functional teams to meet deadlines and minimize confusion. It also highlights the value of maintaining a user-centered design approach while balancing business requirements.
VIEW OTHER MODULES