If you ask parents what they want from their children's schools, they'll often say better communication. Now some schools are using computer software to try to bridge the gap between home and classroom. NHPR's Trish Anderton has more.
WHEN A CHILD IS STRUGGLING IN SCHOOL ? MISSING ASSIGNMENTS, OR SKIPPING CLASS ? IT CAN SOMETIMES TAKE WEEKS FOR THAT NEWS TO FILTER DOWN TO THE PARENTS. AT THE HAVERHILL COOPERATIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL, PRINCIPAL BRENT WALKER BELIEVES THE SO-CALLED POWERSCHOOL SYSTEM IS HELPING TO CHANGE THAT.
typing
WALKER FIRES UP A COMPUTER IN THE SCHOOL?S CENTRAL OFFICE AND LOGS ON TO THE WORLD WIDE WEB.
this is our school webpage, and we have a link on our webpage that opens up a parent screen ?.
WALKER ENTERS A PASSWORD, AND HIS DAUGHTER?S RECORDS SCROLL DOWN THE SCREEN. THERE?S AN ATTENDANCE HISTORY, AND AN UP-TO-DATE GRADE FOR EVERY CLASS. HE CLICKS ON HER ENGLISH AVERAGE, AND A LIST OF TESTS AND ESSAYS SPRINGS UP.
002 18 what?s nice about this is you can not only see the grade but you can click on the score and see the assignments that have been posted to comprise that grade.
THERE?S ALSO ROOM FOR A TEACHER?S COMMENTS ON EACH ASSIGNMENT. WITH ANOTHER CLICK OF THE BUTTON, PARENTS CAN EMAIL A TEACHER. HAVERHILL ADOPTED POWERSCHOOL FOUR YEARS AGO. WALKER SAYS IT NOW AVERAGES TWENTY VISITORS A DAY.
004 50 you can imagine the time and detail that would have to go into 20 conversations between a parent and a teacher. there?s a lot of time the parent saves, they don?t have to sit on the phone, they don?t have to wait for a call, they don?t have to wati for teacher to get info together.
ABOUT HALF THE FAMILIES AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL USE THE SYSTEM. AMONG THEM ARE THE JOSLINS.
K: we had to memorize something for school today dad? D: yep?
DAVID JOSLIN HAS JUST GIVEN HIS EIGHTH-GRADER KYLA A RIDE HOME. SHE TELLS HIM ABOUT HER DAY WHILE THEY PULL UP CHAIRS TO THE COMPUTER IN THEIR LIVING ROOM. JOSLIN WORKS FOR A HIGH-TECH OPTICS COMPANY. EVEN SO, LIKE MANY MODERN PARENTS, HE FINDS HIS DAUGHTER KNOWS HER WAY AROUND THE HOME COMPUTER BETTER.
K: do you wanna go the long way or the short way? I?ve got em both bookmarked.
THE JOSLINS CHECK THEIR DAUGHTER?S GRADES ABOUT ONCE A WEEK. KYLA IS SMART AND SELF-MOTIVATED, SO THEY DON?T WORRY ABOUT HER SKIPPING SCHOOL OR FLUNKING OUT. BUT SHE DOES GET INVOLVED WITH LOTS OF ACTIVITIES. DAVID SAYS THE PROGRAM HELPS HIM AND HIS WIFE FEEL SECURE THAT THE EXTRACURRICULARS AREN?T DISTRACTING KYLA FROM SCHOOL.
23 16 it?s a good tool so you can track things, you can see if there?s a noteable dropoff when the play starts and say you need to focus more on classwork
KYLA LOGS ON EVEN MORE OFTEN ? USUALLY ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS ? TO CHECK HER GRADES AND MAKE SURE ALL OF HER HOMEWORK HAS MADE IT INTO THE SYSTEM. OF COURSE, THE CONSTANT ACCESS TO INFORMATION CAN BE A LITTLE SEDUCTIVE. WHEN I ASK KYLA IF ANY OF HER CLASSMATES HAVE GOTTEN HOOKED ON POWERSCHOOL, HER FATHER BREAKS IN.
21 130 there?s one I can think of, sitting next to me (she giggles). when it first came out she was getting obsessed. we told her don?t worry cuz if you look at it you might find there are some grades that haven?t been posted yet, the teachers haven?t had time. she stressed out at first but she?s gotten better now.
SOME PARENTS HAVE GONE THROUGH A SIMILAR STRUGGLE. LAURIE HEELS HAS A CHILD IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ANOTHER AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
35 200 too much info can be a dangerous thing! for both the kids and the parents.
HEELS SAYS SHE?S HAD TO MAKE AN EFFORT NOT TO CHECK TOO OFTEN, AND NOT TO QUESTION HER KIDS ABOUT EVERY ASSIGNMENT. SHE FEELS OLDER STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANAGE THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITIES. BRENT WALKER AGREES.
you seriously have to ask yourself is it healthy for me to be on there checking on eighth grader. there are situations where it could be damaging and counterproductive, I acknowledge that fully. it?s a resource I think people can learn to use to their own benefit.
TEACHERS ALSO HAVE TO ADAPT. POWERSCHOOL IS DESIGNED TO REPLACE THE TRADITIONAL HANDWRITTEN GRADEBOOK. THE TEACHERS? PORTION OF THE PROGRAM RESEMBLES A SPREADSHEET, AND IT CAN BE TOUGH TO LEARN. PHYS ED INSTRUCTOR PATRICK RIGGIE.
its overwhelming at first. but once someone sits down with you and does it with you, it?s very easy.
NOT EVERY PARENT CAN GET ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT HOME, SO THE SCHOOL ALSO OFFERS AN AUTOMATED PHONE SERVICE. BUT IT?S NOT AS DETAILED OR AS EASY TO USE, AND IT HASN?T BEEN POPULAR SO FAR. MORE AND MORE PARENTS ARE GETTING ACCESS TO THEIR CHILDREN?S SCHOOL RECORDS ONLINE. HAVERHILL WAS THE FIRST DISTRICT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO ADOPT POWERSCHOOL FOUR YEARS AGO. NOW 24 SCHOOLS USE IT, AND THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAYS SIMILAR PROGRAMS ARE ALSO GROWING IN POPULARITY. FOR NHPR NEWS I?M TRISH ANDERTON.
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