Enabling Parent-Teacher Communication With Smallpdf's eSign Tool

Getting parents’ signatures the manual way was never easy. But how are schools getting parents to sign important documents with the added challenge of the remote classroom?

Do Parents Still Need To Sign Documents?

Absolutely. In the traditional school environment, permission slips and consent forms may have related to students going on field trips or watching a school performance, but the current remote setup has changed not only what documents now need signing, but how they are signed.

What Types of Documents Do Parents Still Need To Sign in the Remote Environment?

Paper slips might be a thing of the past, but teachers and schools still need signatures and approvals from parents to function and enable a productive and informed learning environment for their students.

Here are just a few of the types of documents parents might need to complete and sign in the remote learning environment:

• Enrollment or registration forms
• Start-of-year forms to share information with the school or teacher about the student
• Consent forms and permission slips
• Signing off on homework
• Report cards or progress reports from the teacher
• News updates or circulars from the school

What's the Difference Between Digital & Electronic Signatures?

Even though both digital and electronic signatures are valid, digital signatures come with an extra layer of security, which ensures that the signed electronic document is, in fact, authentic. On the other hand, an electronic, or e-signature, is merely placed on the document by the signee without any special authentication attached and amounts to the same validity as placing a wet signature on a paper document.

While digital signatures can be authenticated, both digital and electronic signatures are legally binding in most parts of the world. Schools and teachers are encouraged to check in with local document laws and organizational requirements relating to document management and e-signing compliance before they implement any e-signing tools.

Important Document Signing Security Features

While signing paper documents can get the job done when it comes to school documentation, the physical nature of this document system means that simple challenges, like accidental loss or destruction at the jaws of a bored puppy, are very real impediments.

However, with the remote classroom, digital documents and electronic signatures have taken the place of the paper document. Even if this is a much easier way of managing documents and signing, digital documents and electronic signatures come with a new set of requirements to meet a certain level of privacy and security.

Here's an overview of some important security features e-signing tools should have.

SSL Encryption & HTTPS

SSL encryption is an important security feature to look out for when using a website, but especially online tools schools and teachers might be uploading sensitive documentation to.

When anyone accesses a website, it's important to note whether the connection is secure or not. Users can verify this status by checking the url prefix, which will either be "http" or "https." The latter, with the "s" attached, denotes a secure connection and should be complemented by a small padlock symbol, or information icon, attached to the browser's search bar.

A web page with a url prefix of "https" is using secure data transfer protocols, or SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Encryption. These protocols encrypt data sent to this website, so that nobody else is able to see or access it.

Digital Seal

A digital seal is a piece of data or information that is either attached to a document or another piece of data, like a signature, for example. It's important for people using e-signing tools, especially in an environment like a school, to make sure that the signatures produced using a specific e-signing tool carry a timestamp, or digital seal for security purposes. This offers an added layer of security if ever a signature or document needs to be authenticated or verified.

Document Privacy & Security Regulations & Standards

Wherever they are in the world, it's important that any website or software schools or classrooms use to manage and e-sign documents should comply with some level of international or localized security standards. Important standards to look out for are:

• ISO/IEC 27001
• GDPR compliance
• CCPA compliance

ISO/IEC 27001, which was introduced in 2013 is the globally accepted ISO standard for the application of an information safety management system. When a software provider is accredited for this standard, it means that they have an excellent security system in place, ensure it is always operational, undergo regular internal and external audits, and continually take measures to improve on the security of this system.

How One School Used eSign for Signing Homework & Report Cards

At Smallpdf, we're always interested in how our tools are used and what problems can be solved using our software. As we researched document management challenges faced by schools in the US, we encountered one school that implemented our eSign tool to get parents of remote students to sign off on completed homework and to acknowledge receipt of report cards.

Signing & Preparing Documents for Signing

When requesting a signature in the education environment, it's usually the school or teacher that will request a signature from a parent or guardian.

Homework: In this case, the teachers were proactive about producing a single quick form that would list the homework required for that day, upload it to Smallpdf's eSign tool to place their own signature, then simply request signatures from each of the parents. This tool allowed teachers to track activity on the document, see who had signed, who was still left to sign, and receive the completed document straight to their inbox for safekeeping.

Report cards: In the case of preparing report cards, which should be kept private between teacher, student, and parent, the teacher simply uploaded the digital report card, placed their signature, then requested parent signatures, showing them where to sign on the report card, with a link to the document shared directly to the parent's email from the tool. Teachers commented that they enjoyed the functionality of being able to send each parent a special note to go along with the link to open the document for signing, and that all parties would receive a link to the final signed document straight to their inbox.

Creating E-Signatures & Initials

With the eSign tool from Smallpdf, teachers enjoyed the freedom to create their own signature, either by drawing it using their trackpad or mouse, taking a picture with their device of their signature drawn on paper, or uploading an existing digital signature as an image. They could even create their initials in this way, which were then stored alongside the signature in the eSign tool for quick and easy signing and initialing.

Once the signature or initials have been prepared, teachers have the flexibility to place these elements anywhere on the document, with the additional option to resize or change the color of the signature or initial as required.

Adding Text To a Document for Signing

A huge advantage of a quality e-signing tool is the ability to add elements to the document other than signatures. Mostly, this boils down to being able to add text to an otherwise uneditable PDF, which is particularly useful when one needs to add places, dates, or extra details that need to be filled in prior to signing. In the case of Smallpdf's eSign tool, the text feature also comes with resizing options, plus a color palette to choose from.

Requesting Signatures From Parents

It can be really tough trying to explain to someone over an email where they should place their signature on a document, which is why it's so much easier to show them instead. When teachers requested a signature using the eSign tool, they found the functionality of showing signees exactly where to sign and/or initial the document very useful.

Using Smallpdf's eSign tool, teachers are able to request up to 100 signatures at a time, removing any question about where to sign, saving time, hassle, frustration, and limiting potential errors.

Sharing & Saving the Final Signed PDF

Once the document has been signed by all parties, each person who signed gets a copy of the final document sent directly to their email. The document owner can also share the document afterwards (either with the document signees as an added safety measure, or with administrative staff to keep the document on record), via email, link, or WhatsApp. The document can also be downloaded to a computer or electronic device, or to Dropbox and Google Drive.

Is This the Future of Parent-Teacher Communication?

Probably. Though it may have taken a global pandemic to force a shift to digital communication between teachers, schools, and parents, it is likely that even in a post-COVID world, the way we communicate and manage documents will forever be changed. Even though the traditional classroom will probably be fully reinstated in the future, digital document management and e-signing tools, especially as a means for teachers and schools to communicate with parents, are here to stay.

If your school is looking for a world-class PDF e-signing tool, why not register for a free trial of Smallpdf for Teams, where you can try out the eSign tool and many other premium PDF tools that will help your school go totally digital.