For Parents

Parent - Teacher Communications...

...to be Enhanced

by Randy Rivers

July 05, 2007

Northeast USD 246 will roll out a new tool to improve parent-teacher communication and to increase student accountability in 2007-2008. The district will provide parents and students online access to a tool called PowerSchool. This web-based information tool will allow parents and students, with appropriate privacy safeguards, to check on the student's grades anytime 24/7 over the Internet.

Parents and students may obtain their user ID's and passwords to access this tool at parent by contacting the school technology aides.

Imagine parents, students, teachers and school administrators being able to see most of the student records that we currently maintain any time they wish. Northeast USD 246 is pleased to provide this data to the people who have the greatest influence on a student's education - parents and teachers. PowerSchool remedies the information gap by making these records viewable on the Internet.

PowerSchool provides a list of e-mail addresses for school staff members (accessible by all users), and for parents (accessible by the school staff). While viewing a student's class schedule or grades, a parent may immediately post an e-mail message to a teacher simply by clicking on the teacher's name, and a teacher may send a message to a parent.

Parent involvement in their child's education is one of the most important factors in school success and achievement. PowerSchool enhances the parent role in their child's day-to-day school experience by providing secured access to information such as daily and weekly assignments, grades, and attendance over the Internet. Parent involvement is positively associated with student academic success, higher attendance rates and lower suspension rates.