Tuesday, May 21, 2019

PowerSchool

As you are probably aware, we will be starting the 2019-20 school year on a new Student Information System (SIS), PowerSchool. Teaching staff will technically be using PowerTeacher which provides a classroom view into PowerSchool. From PowerTeacher you can take attendance, access class lists and student demographics, run reports, and use the grade book.

Providing training that meets everyone's needs is going to be challenging. The following is a road map of how we will be supporting you during the transition to PowerTeacher. First, the current school year will be completed using Infinite Campus. Also, most of you have seen a brief preview of PowerTeacher at a recent staff meeting. The high school is scheduled for a preview in June.

Training
PowerSchool has a support website called PowerSource which has a training resource called PD+. The PD+ site features several hundred instructional videos on using PowerSchool and PowerTeacher. The videos vary in length from a few minutes to over an hour. You will need a separate account to access PowerSource.

Within the next day or two your PowerTeacher and PowerSource accounts will be activated. With PowerSource, you will receive an email prompting you to setup your PowerSource password. Once logged on to PowerSource you can view the following video which will give a brief demonstration on using PD+ and finding the videos you want.

https://support.powerschool.com/training/dl/main.action?course.id=225

To login to PowerTeacher go to: https://powerschool.calschools.org/teachers and use the same username and password you use to login to Infinite Campus. Please note, there will not be much to see until your classes are setup but it is important to make sure you can login.

You will have options for training. You can use PD+ videos to learn most of the PowerTeacher functionality. We will also offer hands on training sessions prior to the start of school. The number of sessions will depend upon interest. There will also be an ISD trainer available in each building for a day or two during the first few weeks of school to assist during planning times. Finally, we can schedule additional training throughout the school year on an as needed basis.

We are also working on focused training for staff with more specialized needs. However, regardless of your role PowerSource will have helpful how-to videos.

After you receive the PowerSource activation email setup your account and explore the available resources. Also make sure you can log on to PowerTeacher. If you need assistance please submit a help desk ticket at http://helpdesk.calschools.org.

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