OK, maybe Study Island will never break. It’s a pretty good product. (Never say never.) However, I have seen web-based applications break for something as silly as a new upgrade of Flash Player that kept the software from working. Didn’t really mean to step on any sensitive corporate toes, here. In many cases, when software does break, it’s the result of an update not under the control of the software vendor, e.g., the Flash update I just mentioned. The whole point is, there are a lot of mission-critical (NCLB) titles in use out there that depend on an intact operating system and various enhancements to run properly. With the number of automatic updates happening, there is a lot of potential for things to go wrong and simply stop working.

We understand your concerns about software updates and the connection between seemingly innocuous improvements that end up harming your computers. It is definitely time consuming to have to manually fix each and every computer for small technological updates, particularly in your case where that requires fixing almost 200 computers.

Study Island is a web-based and user-friendly program. To run the core functionality of the Study Island website, all you will need is a computer with an internet connection. Being web-based enables us to eliminate the need for software updates or compatibility issues.

As far as issues regarding efficiency, our site will run on both Windows and Mac platforms. There is no overhead imposed on your computer since the program does not require software installation. Our site maintenance is typically performed over the weekend and late night hours. Our program grants access to students and staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you ever need assistance with Study Island, we can assure you that we will do our very best to help. We have a strong Customer Relations team at Study Island that is here to support you and your schools. Regardless of location, customers can contact our Support team via phone, email, or LiveChat with questions and concerns. For escalated tech concerns, our Level 2 Tech Support is ready and willing to assist you.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you ever need support or assistance with Study Island. You can contact us by going to http://www.studyisland.com and clicking on the “Contact” link. We respond to all inquiries within 24 hours. You can also call us at 1-800-419-3191.

And you may be pleased to learn that MY erratic mouse (usually well behaved) was apparently scared back into its wits by simply sitting there while I read this article of yours… Go figure!