PowerSchool®
Changes the Culture
in the ESUSD
The El Segundo Educational
Foundation (ESEF) granted the first
of two $42,500 installments to the El
Segundo Unified School District (ESUSD)
in
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September 2002 to implement PowerSchool®, a web-based
student information system designed for elementary
through high school. The second installment of
$42,500 was fully funded in 2003. Since its implementation,
PowerSchool® has become an indispensable tool in
helping parents, students and teachers monitor
student academic progress on a regular basis.
Having access to PowerSchool® means that students
no longer have to wait for mid-term grades or
report cards to find out where they stand in a
particular class, parents now have easy access
to their children's academic and attendance status,
and teachers no longer have to spend weekend hours
at school to submit or record grades for their
students. PowerSchool® has shaped a positive change
in the culture for the El Segundo Unified School
District.
ESUSD Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Geoff Yantz,
oversees the PowerSchool® program for the district.
According to Dr. Yantz, "PowerSchool® has
had the single largest influence on the culture
between the community and the school. There has
been a substantial increase in communication between
homes and schools, and that's a very positive
outcome." In addition, he explains, "We
have a dedicated staff of teachers who already
work long hours. PowerSchool® provides them an
easier way to do their jobs." Teachers are
able to log in to the system from any computer
which enables them to submit their grades from
home instead of making a special trip to campus.
Similarly, using the school-provided password,
parents can log on to PowerSchool® through the
district's web site to view their children's progress
subject by subject.
PowerSchool® provides an honest communication tool
for parents to discuss academic progress and school
attendance with their children. "It levels
the playing field and provides a common understanding
for those conversations to begin," says Dr.
Yantz. Jayne Pimlott, a parent of three children
in El Segundo's public schools, has found that
"PowerSchool® has been a great tool to find
out how your kids are doing without having to
rely on the child to tell you." Jayne is
registered to receive e-mails every Monday morning
that contain all the information she needs to
know about each child's assignments, attendance,
and grades.
Even kids think PowerSchool® is a great tool. Sophomore
Daniel Truax and his brother John, an 8th grader,
say it's a great way to find out if they have
missed an assignment or if, for some reason, a
mistake is made recording a grade. Daniel explains,
"You find out right away, and you can go
and talk to the teacher to get the grade corrected."
Prior to the PowerSchool® implementation,
the Foundation first funded a $300,000 high-speed
wide-area network to connect the District's schools
to each other and to the Internet. This implementation,
which paved the way for PowerSchool®, was
completed in 2001.
As with any form of technology ongoing PowerSchool®
training is needed. Dr. Yantz explains, "Because
it has become part of the culture here, we want
to maintain its momentum and ensure that parents
know how to access the information they need to
become active participants in their children's
education." The Foundation continues to provide
additional financial support for staff training
with new teachers and parent workshops for instruction
on how to access and utilize the PowerSchool®
system. "The Foundation made a wise choice
to support a program that would have such a far-reaching
effect on the schools in El Segundo," applauds
Dr. Yantz.
*PowerSchool and the Apple logo are registered
trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
*ESEF's e-newsletter is an independent publication
and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise
approved by Apple Computer, Inc.
