Don't waste time in spreadsheets.
Hands-on, customized Excel and Google Sheets training for the people who run your schools. Virtual or in person, on Windows or Mac, built around your district's real work.
Anyone in your district who works with data
If spreadsheets are part of the job, this training will save time and cut errors.
Training that fits your calendar
Virtual or in person, on Windows or Mac. You choose the format, the topics, and the audience.
90 minutes
Focused virtual sessions on one skill set. Great for refreshers and busy schedules.
Half day
About 3 hours onsite or live online, with time to teach, practice, and apply.
Full day
Run separate groups or skill levels in one PD day, morning and afternoon.
Multi-day series
Build from basics to advanced over several dates, with practice in between.
Practical training your staff will actually use
Built from your own files
We build exercises from your real workflows, made fictitious to protect privacy.
Real school work
Enrollment, attendance codes, rosters, gradebooks, budgets, IEP tracking, and SIS exports.
Beginner to advanced
Separate sessions by skill level, from first-time users to staff ready to automate.
Small, hands-on groups
Up to 18 participants per session, so everyone gets real help.
Excel and Google Sheets
One trainer for both platforms, so every department gets the help it needs.
Windows or Mac
We teach on the computers your staff actually use, and point out the differences as we go.
Resources staff keep
Practice files and step-by-step guides to use long after the session ends.
Act 48 hours
STA is a PDE Approved Act 48 Provider, so Pennsylvania educators can earn credit.
What your staff will learn
You pick the topics for each session. Here is what we can cover.
Excel
For office, data, and business staff
- Fundamentals: navigation, shortcuts, data entry, and formatting
- Tables, sorting, and filtering for large lists
- Data validation: drop-down lists that stop bad data at entry
- Lookups: XLOOKUP, VLOOKUP, and INDEX/MATCH across files
- Conditional formulas: IF, IFS, SUMIFS, COUNTIFS, AVERAGEIFS
- Text cleanup: TRIM, TEXTSPLIT, and Flash Fill for messy SIS exports
- Conditional formatting to flag missing data and outliers
- PivotTables, slicers, and charts for clear reports
- Error checking and formula auditing
- Automation: Power Query and simple macros
Google Sheets
For teachers and school staff
- Getting started: the Sheets interface and opening Excel files
- Filter Views that don't disrupt shared rosters or gradebooks
- Drop-downs and checkboxes for attendance codes and logs
- Conditional formatting to flag at-risk students or missing work
- Google Forms that feed responses straight into a Sheet
- Sharing and protected ranges to prevent accidental edits
- Version history to review and restore earlier work
- IMPORTRANGE to combine everyone's trackers into one summary
- Lookups and charts for classroom and assessment data
PIMS errors?
We help SIS and data staff find and fix common PIMS errors, clean up exports, and keep student records accurate, using the same tools your team works in every day.
From messy export to ready to use
A typical exercise: staff take a raw SIS export and turn it into a clean list that flags students who need attention. (Sample data shown.)
| ID | Name | Gr | Abs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00412 | SMITH, jordan | 09 | 12 |
| 00413 | lee, ava | 9 | 3 |
| 00415 | GARCIA, Mateo | 09 | |
| 00419 | patel , riya | 10 | 15 |
| ID | Last | First | Grade | Absences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 412 | Smith | Jordan | 9 | 12 ⚑ |
| 413 | Lee | Ava | 9 | 3 |
| 415 | Garcia | Mateo | 9 | Missing |
| 419 | Patel | Riya | 10 | 15 ⚑ |
10 Spreadsheet Time-Savers for School Staff
Quick wins in Excel and Google Sheets, plus a Windows and Mac shortcut chart. Share it with your office and data staff.
Three simple steps
Planning call
We learn your staff, their skill levels, and what they need to get done.
Custom build
We create practice files and exercises from your district's real workflows.
Train and follow up
Live, hands-on sessions, with optional virtual refreshers to keep skills sharp.
Jim Coughenour, MBA, PMP
Jim is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Microsoft Certified Excel Expert, and a former building principal. He has led Excel training at the PDE Data Summit and ACAPA, and brings years of experience in school administration, PIMS, and data management to every session.
“I've never understood Excel, but Jim made it so simple.”
Common questions
Do you train on Windows or Mac?
Both. We teach on the computers your staff actually use and point out the differences between Windows and Mac as we go.
Excel, Google Sheets, or both?
Any of the three. Many districts train office and data staff in Excel and teachers in Google Sheets. We can run separate sessions or cover both.
Can we use our own files?
Yes. On the planning call we look at the work your staff do every day, then build practice files from it with fictitious data to protect privacy.
What do participants need?
For in-person sessions, a computer for each participant with Excel or Google Sheets, internet access, and a projector or large screen. For virtual sessions, a computer and a reliable connection.
Can staff earn Act 48 hours?
Yes. Steps To Achieve is a PDE Approved Act 48 Provider, and we report hours for participating Pennsylvania educators.
What skill levels do you teach?
Everyone from first-time users to staff ready to automate. We can group sessions by skill level so no one is lost or bored.
How far ahead should we schedule?
A few weeks is ideal so we can build custom practice files. Reach out early if you want to use a PD day on your district calendar.
Let's plan training for your staff
Book a free planning call, or send us a note with the form below. We'll map your staff's skill levels and priorities into the right sessions for your district.
Book a Free Planning CallPlan training for your staff
Steps To Achieve helps educators have a positive impact on students.
Get in Touch
724-744-8791
8865 Norwin Avenue Ste 27 PMB 323
North Huntingdon, PA 15642
11232 Boyette Rd Suite 1107
Riverview, FL 33569
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