ALBEMARLE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PowerSchool Training Plan Initial Training for Administrators, Support Staff, and Teachers
Rachel Collier, Becky Fisher, Jamie Foreman, Meade Harris & Mark Leach
6/24/2011
This training plan outlines the initial product training for the PowerSchool student information system (SIS). ACPS staff will be provided with training resources in accordance with their SIS roles.
Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
ACPS PowerSchool Support Site .......................................................................................................................................... 1
PowerSource ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Transition to PowerSchool 7 .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Training Delivery Methods ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face ............................................................................................................................... 2
ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face or Online ................................................................................................................ 2
Pearson Instructor-Led Online ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning ........................................................................................................................ 2
Facilitated Distance Learning ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Responsibilities ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Roles ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Training Requirements ............................................................................................................................................................ 3
Required Training ................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Suggested Training .............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Optional Training ................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Proof of Training ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Teacher Training Plan .................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Teacher Training Leads ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
Teachers..................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Training Classes & Course Catalog ............................................................................................................................................ 5
All Users .................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
PowerSchool Basics ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Office Staff & Administrators ................................................................................................................................................ 5
During the School Year Scheduling – Elementary ......................................................................................................... 5
Introducing Parents to PowerSchool’s Parent Portal .................................................................................................... 5
Managing Daily Attendance ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Managing Meeting Attendance .......................................................................................................................................... 6
PowerSchool Communication Tools ............................................................................................................................... 6
PowerSchool End of Term ................................................................................................................................................ 6
PowerSchool Enrollments & Transfers ........................................................................................................................... 6
PowerSchool Fees Management ....................................................................................................................................... 6
PowerSchool Start of Year Part 1 ..................................................................................................................................... 6
PowerSchool Start of Year Part 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 6
ReportWorks (Distance Learning) .................................................................................................................................... 7
ReportWorks (Instructor-Led) .......................................................................................................................................... 7
School, Staff, and Student Management .......................................................................................................................... 7
Secondary Guidance & Scheduling Personnel ..................................................................................................................... 7
Automated Walk-in Scheduler ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Counselor Skills (Distance Learning) ............................................................................................................................... 7
Counselor Skills (Pearson Instructor-Led) ...................................................................................................................... 7
During the School Year Scheduling – Secondary ........................................................................................................... 8
Managing Grades and Academic Data ............................................................................................................................. 8
PowerScheduler Part 1: Prepare to Build and Load a Master Schedule ...................................................................... 8
PowerScheduler Part 1: Prepare to Load a Master Schedule ........................................................................................ 8
PowerScheduler Part 2: Course Prerequisites, Recommendations and Requests ...................................................... 8
PowerScheduler Part 3: Prepare to Build and Load a Master Schedule ...................................................................... 8
PowerScheduler Part 3: Prepare to Load a Master Schedule ........................................................................................ 9
PowerSchool Prepare to Build 3 Day Training ............................................................................................................... 9
Teachers..................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Analysis and Reporting ...................................................................................................... 9
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Getting Started .................................................................................................................... 9
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Standards .............................................................................................................................. 9
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Working with Grades ....................................................................................................... 10
PowerTeacher Portal ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Other Users ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10
ACPS PowerSchool Discipline Entry and Reporting .................................................................................................. 10
ACPS PowerSchool Testing Data ................................................................................................................................... 10
PowerSchool Health Record Management: Part 2 ....................................................................................................... 10
Additional Assistance & Information ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Appendix A – Creating and Using Your PowerSource Account ........................................................................................ 11
Creating a PowerSource Account ........................................................................................................................................ 11
Navigating in PowerSource .................................................................................................................................................. 11
Taking a Distance Learning Class* ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Viewing a Mastery in Minutes Tutorial ............................................................................................................................... 11
Appendix B – SIS Roles ............................................................................................................................................................ 12
Appendix C – Training Classes by Role .................................................................................................................................. 13
Appendix D – Pearson Distance Learning Technical Requirements ................................................................................. 14
Supported Software ............................................................................................................................................................... 14
Disabling Pop-up Blockers ................................................................................................................................................... 14
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Introduction Albemarle County Public Schools has implemented the PowerSchool student information system (SIS) from Pearson School Systems to manage and report on student data. This manual will serve as a guide to the various training resources provided by the Department of Accountability, Research, & Technology (DART) to ACPS staff in the transition to PowerSchool. These training resources are designed to provide users with the knowledge they need to use PowerSchool in the performance of their assigned duties.
ACPS PowerSchool Support Site DART has created a support site that seeks to provide comprehensive access to information and resources for PowerSchool. Users should go to this site for up-to-date information about PowerSchool and the implementation process. The site is located at:
https://intranet.k12albemarle.org/departments/pmoc/PowerSchool/default.aspx
This site does require you to log in with your ACPS network account credentials in order to access content and is only accessible from the ACPS network (on-site or through VPN). Content available on the site includes: project calendars, training dates, user guides, procedure manuals, and other helpful information. The site may include links to resources found on Pearson’s PowerSource support portal (see below), or elsewhere on the Internet.
PowerSource PowerSource is a community-driven customer support portal for Pearson School Systems products, including PowerSchool and PowerTeacher. It is a gateway to web-based distance learning courses, interactive tutorials, and discussion forums. ACPS will be using PowerSource to assist with the task of efficiently delivering targeted training to staff as PowerSchool and PowerTeacher are implemented. Please see Appendix A for more information about creating a PowerSource account and accessing training and other resources.
Transition to PowerSchool 7 Pearson released the latest version of the PowerSchool SIS, PowerSchool 7, on June 20th, 2011. ACPS began the implementation of PowerSchool on version 6, and will continue to run PowerSchool 6 until our initial implementation is complete later this summer. DART will be installing PowerSchool 7 as soon as we have finished our implementation Process with Pearson and we have made the 2011-2012 school year active in PowerSchool. This is currently anticipated to occur in late July. PowerSchool 7 will be the version of PowerSchool that we will use for the 2011-2012 school year. PowerSchool 7 does bring some small changes to the appearance of PowerSchool as well as minor changes to how users navigate the application. While we do not anticipate any problems with users who have been exposed to PowerSchool 6 making the transition to PowerSchool 7, we do want to make users aware of this change and how it impacts training. Pearson is in the process of updating their distance learning classes and other documentation to reflect the changes present in PowerSchool 7. However, it is possible that you may take a distance learning class or view other resources that are based on PowerSchool 6. The content of these classes and resources will still be applicable to PowerSchool 7, even if the visual images you see are slightly different.
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Training Delivery Methods PowerSchool training will be provided using a variety of delivery methods. Some of these are familiar to ACPS users and others are new. Our goal in offering a variety of delivery methods is to provide users with flexibility in how and when they receive the information and extend training resources to all users. Some content can be delivered through multiple methods. Users should consider their learning needs and schedules when multiple methods are offered for the same content.
Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face This method utilizes Pearson, or Pearson-contracted, personnel to deliver instruction on-site at ACPS facilities. Participants can interact with the instructor to ask questions, seek clarification, or request additional information. Classes are limited to 15-20 participants. The instructor will not have knowledge of ACPS policies and procedures, so instruction will be focused on the general functionality of the PowerSchool application. Opportunities are provided throughout the class for participants to practice what they have learned. Classes must be scheduled in advance and availability may be limited.
ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face or Online These methods utilize ACPS personnel to deliver instruction on-site at ACPS facilities or online using WebEx. Participants can interact with the instructor to ask questions, seek clarification, or request additional information. The instructor will likely have knowledge of ACPS policies and procedures, so instruction can be tailored to ACPS needs.
Pearson Instructor-Led Online This method utilizes Pearson personnel to deliver instruction via the Internet and conference call. Participants can interact with the instructor to ask questions, seek clarification, or request additional information. Classes are limited to 15-20 participants. The instructor will not have knowledge of ACPS policies and procedures, so instruction will be focused on the general functionality of the PowerSchool application. Classes must be scheduled in advance and availability may be limited. Some classes are also offered on a scheduled basis by Pearson and include other PowerSchool customers. Opportunities are provided throughout the class for participants to practice what they have learned.
Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning This method utilizes Pearson’s catalog of distance learning classes which are offered through the PowerSource portal to deliver anytime, anywhere access to classes. Participants can log in to the PowerSource portal and take many of the same classes that are offered via instructor-led format. The training is delivered as a pre-recorded demonstration with opportunities for participants to check their knowledge of the material and practice what they have learned. Participants can start and stop training at any time. When training is stopped, it can be resumed at the same point in the course at a later date and time. *Distance learning classes are not extremely bandwidth intensive, but do require more than a dial-up connection. Users planning on taking Pearson distance learning classes should have access to a high speed Internet connection or make plans to use ACPS facilities.
Facilitated Distance Learning This method also utilizes Pearson’s catalog of distance learning classes which are offered through the PowerSource portal. The training will be delivered in the same manner as the Self-Directed Distance Learning method, but an ACPS training facilitator will be available to answer questions and provide guidance. Participants will meet with the ACPS training facilitator to log in to the PowerSource portal and complete one or more distance learning classes. Participants should bring their computer and headphones to the workshop. If a computer or headphones need to be provided for you, please contact Mark Leach or Rachel Collier to make arrangements.
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Responsibilities DART staff will make every effort to provide timely and appropriate training resources to all users so that they can use PowerSchool to perform their assigned job duties. Ultimately, however, it is incumbent on individuals and schools to ensure that users are competent in the skills necessary to use the application. If users or schools do not feel that they have access to appropriate training resources, they should contact DART as soon as possible to see how existing resources could be better utilized, or arrange for additional resources. Many individuals and groups throughout the division rely on the data contained in our student information system to make decisions, submit reports, and fulfill their job responsibilities. Data is also used to submit state and federal reports that affect funding and accreditation for our schools. It is very important that the data in PowerSchool is accurate, complete, and standardized. Please take the responsibility of entering or modifying data in PowerSchool seriously and ensure that you understand what you are doing.
Roles Each school has selected staff members to perform key roles related to the student information system. Those key roles along with descriptions are provided in Appendix B. If you are unsure of your role in maintaining student data in PowerSchool, please talk with your principal. The chart in Appendix C outlines the training classes that staff members assigned to a role should complete. A listing of which staff members are assigned to which roles can be found on the PowerSchool support site. In addition, division level staff members who are responsible for accessing and maintaining data in PowerSchool may not be assigned a specific role. These staff members should also complete the indicated training. Specialized training for specific tasks will also be provided where it is appropriate.
Training Requirements
Required Training Staff members are expected to complete the required training associated with their role(s) before gaining access to PowerSchool or performing data entry or modification. Exceptions must be approved by a principal for building staff or a supervisor for other staff.
Suggested Training Staff members are strongly encouraged to complete the suggested training for their role(s) before modifying data or performing tasks in PowerSchool. If a building principal or supervisor feels that a staff member can be adequately trained to perform the assigned duties without completing the suggested training, then internal training may be substituted for suggested training or suggested training may be bypassed.
Optional Training Staff members who wish to broaden their understanding of specific areas of PowerSchool may elect to participate in training that is optional for their role(s).
Proof of Training All users who take distance learning classes through PowerSource will have the status of the class noted on their PowerSource My Distance Learning transcript. This transcript can be printed. In addition, a certificate of completion can be printed for each completed class. A short knowledge check at the end of the class must be completed successfully in order for the class to be marked as “Completed”. All face-to-face training sessions should have a sign-in sheet for each day of training. The sign-in sheet will serve as the proof of training. Logging in to the online training with your PowerSource or ACPS network credentials will serve as the proof of training.
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Teacher Training Plan Training for teachers in the use of the PowerTeacher portal and PowerTeacher gradebook will be delivered using the Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning classes. In addition, Teacher Training Leads have been identified at each school. The Teacher Training Leads can work with building administrators to plan and facilitate training workshops for teachers. Each building will make their own determination about how to best provide training resources to teachers. Teachers do not need to wait for a facilitated training session if they are comfortable completing the PowerTeacher distance learning classes on their own through PowerSource.
Teacher Training Leads Teacher Training Leads will receive access to PowerSource during the month of July in order to complete all required and suggested Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning classes and Mastery in Minutes tutorials. Teacher Training Leads should then work with their building administration to develop a training plan for the teachers in their building. Options include: hosting a facilitated workshop where teachers gather together to go through the Pearson distance learning classes at their own pace with the Teacher Training Lead(s) being present to provide support, organizing a group viewing of the Pearson distance learning classes led by the Teacher Training Lead(s), or direct instruction provided by the Teacher Training Lead(s) to a small or large group of teachers. Teacher Training Leads who are certified staff will be paid a stipend to compensate them for the time involved in completing the training and preparing a training plan.
Teachers Teachers will receive access to PowerSource in early August in order to complete the required and suggested Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning classes. Teachers are expected to either complete the required Pearson distance learning classes on their own or participate in training planned and organized by the Teacher Training Lead(s) and their building administration. Teachers should complete all training by Friday, August 19th, 2011 in preparation for taking attendance and assigning grades beginning on the first day of school. Teachers will not be provided with a stipend for completing the training.
Face-to-Face, Facilitated
Face-to-Face, Open-lab
ALL TEACHERS ATTEND
TRAINING ON POWER
TEACHER
Distance Learning
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Training Classes & Course Catalog PowerSchool training is organized around specific tasks that are performed in the application. Classes range from one to three hours in duration and tasks may have multiple classes associated with them. Most classes can be taken in multiple formats. The most widely available format is the Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning. Some classes will be offered in the ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face and Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face formats. Classes may not be offered in all available formats, so please consult the training schedule which can be found on the ACPS PowerSchool support site for current offerings. Below is a list of training classes and descriptions of the content that will be covered in each class. Please use this list along with the chart in Appendix C to plan your training. Agendas and course materials for classes are available on the ACPS PowerSchool support site.
All Users The following class is required of all users of PowerSchool. Teachers who will only be using PowerTeacher do not need to take this class.
PowerSchool Basics Designed to be an introductory course for staff, this course teaches you how to navigate PowerSchool's Start Page, main menu, and student pages; perform searches for student individuals and groups; and perform basic report printing functions. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning, Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
Office Staff & Administrators The following classes are designed for users who will be using the administrative side of PowerSchool.
During the School Year Scheduling – Elementary School administrative staff responsible for managing elementary schedules during the school year will learn how to perform several scheduling-related tasks, including how to: view and modify the Master Schedule, add courses, create dependent sections, manually schedule students, mass enroll students in a class, and enroll students in special programs. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
Introducing Parents to PowerSchool’s Parent Portal This course is for the school system administrator responsible for teaching Parent Portal Use to parents/guardians and students. System administrators will learn how parents and guardians log in; how to add students to parent single accounts; receive email reports; and access grades, attendance, and other information available through Parent Portal. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
Managing Daily Attendance PowerSchool has many options for viewing, recording, and modifying attendance. This course will explore viewing individual student attendance pages, finding teachers who have not taken attendance, finding students who are absent or have chronic attendance problems, recording and updating daily attendance for students, and running attendance reports. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning, Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
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Managing Meeting Attendance PowerSchool has many options for viewing, recording, and modifying attendance. This course will explore viewing individual student attendance pages, finding teachers who have not taken attendance, finding students who are absent or have chronic attendance problems, recording and updating meeting attendance for students, and running attendance reports. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning, Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
PowerSchool Communication Tools When it comes to communication, PowerSchool offers a variety of tools that school administrative staff can use to effectively share information with students, parents, and staff members. This course introduces you to these communication tools and shows you how to create your own form letters, mailing labels, reports cards, reports, rosters, and daily bulletins. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerSchool End of Term School administrative staff responsible for the End of Term process will learn what elements to include in their End of Term process plan, plus how to verify teacher grades, store grades, calculate honor roll, and print report cards. Duration: 2 ½ hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
PowerSchool Enrollments & Transfers This course covers the management of student enrollment, whether into your school, out of a school, or transferring between schools. You'll also learn how to use PowerSchool to activate a student's inactive status, link to family demographic information, and avoid duplicating student data. Finally, you'll learn how to pre-enroll students before they attend kindergarten. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning, Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
PowerSchool Fees Management PowerSchool Fees Management explores the effective management of money that schools collect on a daily basis. This course demonstrates how to set up, collect, and record school, course, and student fees. It also covers how to find students with fee balances. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Instructor-Led Online, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
PowerSchool Start of Year Part 1 Get a head start on your start of year setup. This course covers district and school administrative settings, updating daily bulletins, pre-registering students, and the settings that affect scheduling and attendance. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerSchool Start of Year Part 2 Get a head start on your start of year setup. This course covers district and school administrative settings, updating daily bulletins, pre-registering students, and the settings that affect scheduling and attendance. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
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ReportWorks (Distance Learning) Creating PowerSchool reports has gotten easier with the drag and drop and preview functionality found in ReportWorks. Take this course to learn how to create, publish, and use, mailing labels, form letters, student lists, and cross-tab reports. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
ReportWorks (Instructor-Led) PowerSchool ReportWorks covers essential skills needed to produce custom reports for individual schools. During this session, participants practice using templates and creating student schedules. Participants also explore how to personalize reports with colors and logos; how to use the ReportWorks; and how to manage reports and ReportWorks user accounts. Duration: 1 day Available Formats: Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face, Pearson Instructor-Led Online
School, Staff, and Student Management Learn how to add or remove staff from your current records, how to view student academic records and teacher gradebooks, and how to use the Parent Access Statistics and Grades Distribution reports. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
Secondary Guidance & Scheduling Personnel The following classes are designed for high school and middle school users who will be creating and managing student schedules and academic data.
Automated Walk-in Scheduler Learn how to complete the scheduling setup for automated walk-in scheduling, define the courses and relationships, format schedule constraints, enter a student's course requests, use the automated walk-in scheduler, and finalize a student's schedule. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
Counselor Skills (Distance Learning) Explore some of the most important tasks you'll need to master to ensure student success. The course covers how to search for students, construct a custom screen, set up the Cumulative Info student page, create a Graduation Set, record student information that you gather during counseling sessions, format a letter to the parents, and modify the transcript. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
Counselor Skills (Pearson Instructor-Led) PowerSchool Counselor Skills teaches participants how to use advanced searches to find eligibility lists and honor rolls. In addition, the session demonstrates how to set up graduation requirements, the cumulative information student page, test scores, and the transcript object when creating object reports. The course also reviews multiple codes used in reports and searching. Duration: 2 Days Available Formats: Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face, Pearson Instructor-Led Online
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During the School Year Scheduling – Secondary School administrative staff responsible for managing secondary schedules during the school year will learn how to perform several scheduling-related tasks, including how to: view and modify the Master Schedule, add courses, manually schedule students, mass enroll students in a class, enroll students in classes at other schools, and enroll students in special programs. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
Managing Grades and Academic Data Take this course to learn the basic skills of using PowerSchool's student information system to enter, manage, and report on a student's academic data. This course is focused primarily on entering and tracking transcripts and historical grade information. Additionally, it explains how to track graduation progress, monitor at-risk students, and review student activity eligibility. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning, ACPS Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
PowerScheduler Part 1: Prepare to Build and Load a Master Schedule In PowerScheduler, Part 1: Prepare to Build and Load a Master Schedule, you will learn how to set up the infrastructure for next year's schedule. The course covers how to create the periods, day cycles, and years and terms; how to create a build scenario; and how to define Scheduling Parameters and Resources. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerScheduler Part 1: Prepare to Load a Master Schedule In PowerScheduler, Part 1: Prepare to Build and Load a Master Schedule, you will learn how to set up the infrastructure for next year's schedule. The course covers how to create the periods, day cycles, and years and terms; how to copy a master schedule; and how to define Scheduling Parameters and Resources. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerScheduler Part 2: Course Prerequisites, Recommendations and Requests In PowerScheduler, Part 2: Course Prerequisites, Recommendations, and Requests, you will learn how to work with courses and student course requests for next year's schedule. The course covers how to add new courses to your course catalog, how to add course prerequisites and rules, how to add teacher recommendations, how to design course request screens, how to enter student course requests, and how to manage recommendations and requests. Duration: 1 ½ hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerScheduler Part 3: Prepare to Build and Load a Master Schedule In PowerScheduler Part 3: Prepare to Build and Load a Master Schedule, you will learn how to complete the set up of the infrastructure for next year's schedule. This course covers five topics: course information, build and load constraints, PowerScheduler tools, course rank, and validation. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
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PowerScheduler Part 3: Prepare to Load a Master Schedule In PowerScheduler: Prepare to Load Part 3, you will learn how to complete the set up of the infrastructure for next year's schedule. You will learn to manually adjust your master schedule, define course relationships and constraints, and use the tools provided in PowerScheduler to evaluate your work. You will also learn how to load students into the master schedule, how to evaluate the load, and how to import the final version of student schedules into PowerSchool. Duration: 3 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerSchool Prepare to Build 3 Day Training The PowerScheduler Prepare to Build 3-day session is designed for schools that have not previously built a master schedule in PowerScheduler, are new to scheduling concepts, or need extra assistance in working through the preparation process. The Prepare to Build 3-day session will go over all items that need to be completed in order to have a productive build experience. You need to have some key items in your PowerSchool server in order to work hands on. These include: courses, students, and teachers. This course is designed for people who will need more assistance with setting up the parameters for their school. Duration: 3 days Available Formats: Pearson Instructor-Led Face-to-Face
Teachers The following classes are designed for teachers using the PowerTeacher portal and gradebook.
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Analysis and Reporting In this course, teachers will learn how to use PowerTeacher Gradebook to analyze grades and report on students' progress and performance. Through a highly-interactive instructional model, teachers will learn how to work with the Scoresheet in three modes: Assignments, Final Grades, and Student View to work with student groups; run reports; and import and export scores. The course uses dynamic demonstrations to guide PowerSchool teachers through gradebook processes and provide opportunities for hands-on practice. Duration: 1 hour Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Getting Started In this course, teachers will learn how to launch the Web Gradebook, explore the interface, and get started using assignments and grades. Teachers will also explore creating Groups and Sets, work with the Scoresheet, and run reports. Duration: 1 hour Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Standards This course introduces teachers to the most common operations used when working with standards in PowerTeacher gradebook. Subjects covered include attaching standards to an assignment, using the standards drawer, using the Student View mode, working with final grades, filtering, and standards reports. For PowerSchool and SMS customers. Duration: 2 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
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PowerTeacher Gradebook: Working with Grades In this course, teachers will learn how to work with grades in PowerTeacher Gradebook. Through a highly-interactive instructional model, teachers will learn how to work with default and custom grade scales, set up final grade calculation methods, score assignments, enter citizenship final grades, manually override final grades, and submit final grades at the end of a grading period. The course uses dynamic demonstrations to guide PowerSchool teachers through gradebook processes and provide opportunities for hands-on practice. Duration: 1 hour Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerTeacher Portal In this course, teachers will learn how to navigate and personalize PowerTeacher, take attendance, submit lunch counts, view student information, submit log entries, print PowerSchool reports, view the daily bulletin, and launch the PowerTeacher gradebook. Duration: 2 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
Other Users The following classes are designed for users with specific roles in PowerSchool.
ACPS PowerSchool Discipline Entry and Reporting This course will cover how to enter discipline incidents in PowerSchool and produce discipline reports. Duration: 2 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
ACPS PowerSchool Testing Data This course will cover the management of state and national test scores in PowerSchool. Duration: 2 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
PowerSchool Health Record Management: Part 2 In this course, school nurses and other health administrators will learn how to record and manage student health information at the school level, including Immunizations, Screenings, Office Visits, and Grade Level Entry Certifications. School administrators will also learn how to run Health reports and how to control access to the PowerSchool student Health pages through user group security permissions. Duration: 2 hours Available Formats: Pearson Self-Directed Distance Learning
Additional Assistance & Information If you need additional information, assistance with accessing training resources, or help determining which training
classes you should take, please email [email protected] or contact Rachel Collier or Mark Leach using
the information below.
Rachel Collier DART Software Application Support Specialist
IP Extension 13122 or 974-5767
Mark Leach
DART Coordinator of Information Management Systems
IP Extension 13125 or 975-9445
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Appendix A – Creating and Using Your PowerSource Account
Creating a PowerSource Account 1. Go to https://powersource.pearsonschoolsystems.com/signup/1000396 2. Fill in the required fields – you must use your ACPS email address. 3. Fill in the School field using the abbreviation list below. 4. Click Submit. 5. Check your ACPS email account for a PowerSource activation email and follow the directions
contained in the email.
Navigating in PowerSource PowerSource User Guide - https://powersource.pearsonschoolsystems.com/article/54021
Click My Setup (top right corner) to modify your profile or change your password.
Click the Training tab to access training resources.
Click the PowerTeacher tab to access PowerTeacher resources.
Taking a Distance Learning Class* Distance Learning classes are 1-3 hour classes on an area of PowerSchool or PowerTeacher
1. Sign in to PowerSource. 2. Click on the Training tab. 3. Click on the Distance Learning icon. 4. Browse courses or use the keyword search to find a specific course. 5. Click on the Request link. 6. Review the estimated time to complete the course and click the Request button. 7. Once on your Distance Learning transcript page click the Launch link to start the course. Pop-up
blockers must be disabled for the course to launch. See the technical requirements link below for more information.
8. From PowerSource to return to a Distance Learning class you have requested, or already started, click on the Training tab and then click on the My Distance Learning link.
* Technical Requirements - https://powersource.pearsonschoolsystems.com/article/62877
Viewing a Mastery in Minutes Tutorial Mastery in Minutes tutorials are 5-10 minute how-tos on a specific task in PowerSchool or PowerTeacher.
1. Sign in to PowerSource. 2. Click on the Training tab. 3. Click on the Mastery in Minutes icon. 4. Use the filter tools to narrow the list of tutorials, or the use keyword search to find a specific
tutorial. 5. Click on the Launch link. Pop-up blockers must be disabled for the tutorial to launch. See the
technical requirements link above for more information. 6. Wait for the tutorial to start.
HS Abbreviations: Albemarle (AHS) Monticello (MOHS) Murray (MUHS) Western Albemarle (WAHS) MS Abbreviations: Comm Public Charter (CPCS) Burley (BMS) Henley (HMS) Jouett (JMS) Sutherland (SMS) Walton (WMS) ES Abbreviations: Agnor-Hurt (AHES) Baker-Butler (BBES) Broadus Wood (BWES) Brownsville (BES) Cale (CAES)
Crozet (CRES) Greer (GES) Hollymead (HMS) Meriwether Lewis (MLES) Murray (MES) Red Hill (RHES) Scottsville (SES) Stone-Robinson (SRES) Stony Point (SPES) Woodbrook (WES) Yancey (YES)
Other Abbreviations: Central Office and Support Services (COB), CATEC (CATEC), Ivy Creek (IVY), PREP (PREP)
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Appendix B – SIS Roles
Primary SIS Contact Primary responsibility for coordinating SIS data entry and reporting. In addition, the SIS contact will fulfill any other assigned roles.
SIS Building Administrator Contact
Responsible for ensuring that all building level responsibilities associated with maintaining SIS data for a school are met.
Registrar
Manage student enrollment data. Enroll and withdraw students according to state and local guidelines. Verify that enrollment data is correct prior to submission for state and local reports. Maintain student demographic data, including student, guardian, and emergency contact information. Report enrollment data entry problems to appropriate division staff.
Attendance Clerk
Manage student attendance data. Monitor teacher attendance entry, enter attendance when data is not provided by teachers, and make adjustments to attendance data based on new information. Verify that attendance data is correct prior to submission for state and local reports. Report attendance data entry problems to appropriate division staff.
Discipline Clerk
Manage student discipline data. Monitor discipline entries by administrators or other staff, enter discipline data when necessary, and make adjustments to discipline data based on new information. Verify that discipline data is correct prior to submission for state and local reports. Report discipline data entry problems to appropriate division staff.
Nurse
Manage student health data. Track clinic visits. Ensure health alerts are appropriately entered. Enter immunization data and track compliance. Report health and immunization data entry problems to appropriate division staff.
Scheduling Lead
Manage student scheduling. At the secondary level – coordinate the creation of the master schedule, coordinate the assignment of students to classes, and coordinate the distribution of student schedules. At the elementary level – coordinate the creation of homerooms and scheduling periods for all classes, coordinate the assignment of students to classes, and coordinate teacher access to students they serve through the teacher portal. At all levels – ensure that student schedules accurately reflect the subjects and classes that the student is enrolled in. Report scheduling problems to appropriate division staff.
Secondary Counseling Lead
Manage student academic data. Ensure accuracy of student academic history including transcript data, ensure accuracy of current student grade data, work with the scheduling lead to ensure that student schedules are accurate, and monitor student graduation, testing, and demographic data. Report data entry problems to appropriate division staff.
School Test Coordinator
Manage student testing. Coordinate data extracts in preparation for testing, monitor data imports after testing is complete, and monitor test data to ensure completeness and accuracy. Report testing history problems to appropriate division staff.
Teacher Training Leads Provide teachers with information about, and assistance in, the use of the teacher portal and gradebook. Report teacher portal and gradebook problems to the appropriate division staff.
13
Appendix C – Training Classes by Role
R = Required S = Suggested O = Optional
SIS
Sp
ecif
ic R
ole
s
Pri
mar
y SIS
Co
nta
ct
SIS
Build
ing
Ad
min
istr
ato
r C
on
tact
Reg
istr
ar
Att
end
ance
Cle
rk
Dis
cip
line
Cle
rk
Nurs
e
Sch
edulin
g L
ead
Sec
on
dar
y C
oun
selin
g L
ead
Sch
oo
l T
est
Co
ord
inat
or
Teach
ers
Ele
men
tary
Tea
cher
s
Sec
on
dar
y T
each
ers
Oth
er
Sta
ff
Pri
nci
pal
/A
sst.
Pri
nci
pal
Oth
er S
cho
ol A
dm
inis
trat
or
Ele
men
tary
Guid
ance
Co
un
selo
r
Sec
on
dar
y G
uid
ance
Co
un
selo
r
Sch
oo
l O
A
Pro
gram
Ad
min
istr
ato
r
Pro
gram
OA
Cen
tral
Off
ice
Ad
min
istr
ato
r
Cen
tral
Off
ice
OA
PowerSchool Basics
R R R R R R R R R
- -
R R R R R R R R R
PowerSchool Enrollments & Transfers
R S R S O O O S O
- -
S O O S O O O O O
Managing Daily Attendance or Managing Meeting Attendance
R S S R O O O S O
- -
S O O S O O O O O
During the School Year Scheduling - Elementary or During the School Year Scheduling - Secondary
R S S O O O R R O
- -
S O O S O O O O O
Automated Walk-in Scheduler (Secondary Only)
R S S O O O R R O
- -
S O O S O O O O O
ReportWorks
S S S S S O S S S
- -
S S S S S S S S S
PowerTeacher Portal
S S - - - - O S O
R R
S O S S O O O S O
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Getting Started
S S - - - - O S O
R S
S O O S O O O S O
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Working with Grades
S O - - - - - O O
O R
O - - O - - - O -
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Standards
S O - - - - - O O
S O
O - - O - - - O -
PowerTeacher Gradebook: Analysis and Reporting
S O - - - - - O O
O O
O - - O - - - O -
ACPS PowerSchool Discipline Entry and Reporting
S S - - R - - - -
- -
O - - - - - - - -
PowerSchool Health Record Management: Part Two
S O - - - R - - -
- -
O - - - - - - - -
ACPS PowerSchool Testing Data
S S - - - - - S R
- -
S O O S - - - S -
Counselor Skills (Secondary Only)
O O - - - - - S -
- -
O O - R - - - - -
Managing Grades and Academic Data (Secondary Only)
R S O - - - S R -
- -
O O - S - - - - -
PowerScheduler & Prepare to Build Trainings (Secondary Only)
O O - - - - R S -
- -
O O - S - - - - -
PowerSchool Communication Tools
O S - - - - - S -
- -
S O O S - O - O -
PowerSchool End of Term
R S - - - - - O -
- -
S O - - - - - - -
School, Staff, and Student Management
S O O - - - - O -
- -
O O - - - - - - -
PowerSchool Start of Year Parts 1 & 2
O O - - - - - O -
- -
O O - - - - - - -
PowerSchool Fees Management
O O O - - - - O -
- -
O O - - - O O - -
Introducing Parents to PowerSchool's Parent Portal
S S O O - - - S -
S S
S O S S - - - S -
14
Appendix D – Pearson Distance Learning Technical Requirements Listed below are the technical requirements provided by Pearson for accessing distance learning classes through PowerSource. Requirements listed are as of May 2011.
Supported Software This table lists the computer and Internet connection requirements for the distance learning classes.
Supported Browsers Browsers supported include Internet Explorer (IE) 6 SP3, IE 7, IE 8, Firefox 3, and Safari 3. Newer versions of Firefox and Safari should work as well. *** Google Chrome is not supported at this time.
Flash Player Flash player 8.0 or higher.
Computer Requirements Minimum 512MB of RAM, 900 MHz Processor. Soundcard/speakers required for courses delivered with audio.
Security Requirements Cookies and java script must be enabled.
Display Resolution A resolution of 800x600 or higher is recommended. Optimal resolution setting is 1024x768.
Display Color Minimum color quality requirement is 16 bit. Optimal is 32bit.
Network and Connectivity Minimum 128kb Recommended 256kb+ *** Most DSL and cable high speed connections are at least 384kb.
Disabling Pop-up Blockers For distance learning classes and other resources on PowerSource to work properly, pop-up blockers should be disabled. Follow the directions listed below that correspond to the browser you are using. Microsoft Internet Explorer
Select Tools>Pop-up Blocker>Turn Off Pop-up Blocker Or
Select Tools>Pop-up Blocker Settings then type pearsoninc.csod.com in the Address of website to allow: field and click the Add button to only allow pop-ups for the distance learning site.
Firefox Click Tools>Options>Content, and uncheck the Block Pop-up windows box. Or Click Tools>Options>Content and then click the Exceptions button next to Block pop-up
windows. You can then type pearsoninc.csod.com in the Address of website: field and click the Allow button to only allow pop-ups for the distance learning site.
Safari To allow pop-ups, click the Safari menu or gear (settings) icon and remove the check mark next to Block Pop-Up windows.
Yahoo Click on the drop-down arrow on this icon on your Yahoo toolbar. Uncheck the Enable Pop-up Blocker.
Google Look for the pop-up blocker button on the Google toolbar. Click to change settings to allow pop-ups.
