5 Documents Schools and Districts are Signing Electronically

School administrators and educators face an overwhelming amount of tedious and often time-consuming paperwork. Fortunately, many new technologies are evolving to simplify processes for various industries, including education. Electronic signature solutions in particular help schools and districts streamline document signing and sharing across departments, enabling them to spend less time on paperwork and more time on the work that matters most.

Here are 5 examples of documents that schools and districts are signing electronically.

IEPs & 504s

Keeping up with all the necessary paperwork for compliance within special education (SPED) is a formidable challenge. Electronic signature software helps SPED departments quickly get IEPs or 504s signed in a way that meets compliance regulations for remote signing. Documents can be tracked throughout the signing process and remain securely stored within the system for quick access. And all parents, guardians, and teachers automatically receive finalized copies, allowing them to retain their own records without needing to make requests through the department.

Even special education departments with dedicated IEP software will find additional benefits in electronic signature software. In most cases the IEP system either doesn’t have built-in electronic signature, or the software doesn’t lend itself to other types of documents like those shared internally for HR, finance, and others. When administrators and educators use the same system to share and sign documents, the whole organization can operate more efficiently.

Employment Contracts

Using electronic signatures accelerates the turnaround time for HR documents like employment contracts, which can be especially helpful in securing a new hire. Providing prospective employees with a convenient, digital signing experience where they can receive an employment contract within minutes of an offer, helps streamline the process and solidify the contract. Signing these documents electronically also ensures that all fields will be completed and minimizes the opportunity for errors and subsequent delays. 

Vendor Contracts

For administrators managing vendor contracts, an electronic signature solution provides an efficient way to execute, track, and review contracts. Solutions often allow for senders to set the signing order for recipients, so a pending contract can first be shared internally for sign-off, and once accepted, automatically sent to the next signer or signers for completion. An audit trail provides the sender with a date and time stamp of every step completed throughout the signing process. With all contracts stored in a centralized and searchable online location, they can be quickly accessed and referenced whenever needed.

Invoices

Financial documents like invoices are another type of document that schools are using electronic signature tools to share, sign, and store. Signing invoices electronically allows administrators to execute documents faster and easily access them online while maintaining greater security and control over their data. Unlike hard copies, financial documents stored with electronic signature software are often protected by security measures like data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and access control. Access control settings enable users to set specific permissions for each user within the system, ensuring that documents are viewable only by those they’re intended for. 

Consent Forms

Sending consent forms home with students is a precarious process for signing. By sending these forms for signature electronically, educators can ensure parents and guardians directly receive the necessary forms and avoid spending time chasing down papers. It also makes the signing experience more convenient for parents and guardians who can electronically fill out and sign the forms within minutes from their mobile devices or anywhere online. When educators are able to easily locate and track student forms, and parents or guardians are able to quickly and remotely sign, it ensures that no students will be left out due to missing or incomplete forms.

The 5 documents described above are just a few examples of documents that school administrators and educators can benefit from signing electronically. Regardless of the document type, the electronic signature process is far more convenient than traditional processes involving pen and paper, and provides significant advantages for both senders and signers. 

Request a demo of ReadySign to see how unlimited electronic signature software can help you streamline the way you sign, store, and share documents.