FAQ
Interested in becoming a PowerSchool school? This page will answer some of the most common questions and get you started.
What is PowerSchool?
PowerSchool is the leading student information system designed for K-12 schools. It has several features including scheduling, gradebook, attendance, parent access, meal tracking, and state reporting. Parents, students, teachers and administrators can use the system to share information about grades, attendance records and homework assignments in real-time. PowerSchool has been selected by over 3,000 schools across the country.
What does this mean for your school?
PowerSchool is software for maintaining your student information. It could be likened to other student information systems. PowerSchool implementation is currently available for school districts in North Dakota.
Do I have to purchase the software myself?
The Information Technology Department will purchase the software for use by all K-12 schools in the state. The software will be hosted at the capitol and maintained by personnel at the Information Technology Department. The software will be configured so that each district is a separate entity. The data will be accessed only by your district personnel, EduTech and ITD support staff.
How long does the implementation of Powerschool take?
The implementation period covers approximately 60 days from the kickoff meeting to going into production. This timeline may vary depending on the amount of data input or conversion that is needed for your district.
How much will it cost our district?
There is an annual $10 fee per student per year through the 2007–2008 school year. That fee will cover maintainence and support from the Information Technology Department and EduTech. There may be an increase in the annual fee at the end of the 2007–2008 school year. New cost will be determined by the Information Technology Department.
The cost for training will be for training materials with a $10 per teacher and $50 per administrator participant cost. Additional training costs may vary with the amount of help needed from Powerschool or EduTech. There will be one time costs incurred for data conversion and technical assistance from Powerschool, EduTech and ITD. These costs are determined by the North Dakota ITD.
Does our district have to participate in the PowerSchool initiative?
This program is completely voluntary. No school districts are required to switch to PowerSchool.
What technical support does EduTech offer?
EduTech offers Level 1 support for ND schools such as PowerGrade configuration, restoring PowerGrade Data files, checking connectivity issues. Users can expect a response within 24 business hours. Level 2 and above questions are referred to Apple under a contract the State of ND has with Apple. Users can expect a longer response time, up to one week, on questions forwarded to Apple.
Customized technical assistance such as application modification, customized reports and specialized training can be purchased. See the Powerschool Services and Fee Schedule for more details.
How do I get more information about this program?
Contact PowerSchool Director Don Simon at EduTech. His e-mail is don.simon@sendit.nodak.edu or phone 701.231.8109. You can also visit the PowerSchool website for additional information.
Last updated on July 22, 2008