Saturday, September 6, 2008

PowerSchool

Muskogee Public Schools moved to a new gradebook system called PowerSchool. Parent Connect is no longer working, but soon parents will be able to log on to the new system. Parents will really be pleased with the ease of use and the amount of information contained in the PowerSchool program.

In PowerSchool parents will be able to have grade reports emailed home weekly or daily as they wish, making notification much easier. They can get on whenever they want and view their child's grades in every class and click on the teacher or subject to get a breakdown of the assignments. They can click on the teacher's name to be taken directlly to that teacher's email, so they can leave a query for the teacher. The only information lacking at the moment is lunch account information, but plans to provide that additional support are being discussed.

All in all, this Internet based program will be much easier for parents to manage. One drawback is that a parent must have a different name and password for each child in the family, but it is a minor issue compared to the increased information and the easier notification system. Rather than logging on for each child, the parent can have that email notification generated directly to their inbox, if desired.

PowerSchool is not available yet, but should be within the next week or so. Watch for information about registration in your child's school newsletter or weekly memo home. Connecting to PowerSchool gives you the power to monitor your teen's success, provide support when needed, and ensure your child keeps moving toward his/her educational goal.

For more information, just leave me a comment here and I will get back to you with the answer. Also be looking for the first parent conference day coming up in a couple of weeks.

2 comments:

Melony Carey and Chrissie Wagner said...

This looks like a great program. Parents have the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve regarding grades and assignments. Ex:
parent: "I saw you made a D on your science test yesterday."
child: "It was really hard and it wasn't over what she said it was gonna be and she doesn't give us enough time to study for it.
parent: Hmmm....I see a grade for the review study guide, looks like you did not turn it in. Did you do it?
child: uh, no.
parent: And didn't you tell me you had no homework and were free to go to the basketball game earlier in the week?
child: yeah, but...
parent: SO, you pretty much made the choice to not adequately prepare for the test.
child: I looked at my notes before class.
Parent: When?
child: In 4th hour.
parent: math class?
child: yeah.
parent: By the grade, studying right before does not seem to be a very effective method. And when are you going to catch up on the math you missed? ect......

Utilize this tool! It's a method to know what is happening every day, make students and teachers equally accountable and praise effort and application. Isn't technology wonderful!!! C

Melony Carey and Chrissie Wagner said...

You hit the nail on the head! More than that, parents can have the progress report sent directly to their inbox on a daily or weekly schedule. One thing about it is kids can be given a password, too, so they can check up on their own grades. Keeping communication open is key to keeping kids on track!