PVCICS provides K-12 parents with access to the PowerSchool Parent Portal.  The PowerSchool Parent Portal is a tool for you to stay informed and engaged in your child’s education. You will have access to grades, class attendance, assignment information and related messages from the teacher.  The portal is designed to increase communication with teachers, allow you to check progress, and to help your student be more successful in school. Middle and High school students were given logins and they can access PowerSchool online at their convenience.

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 There are a few things we want you to know as you begin to access PowerSchool.

● We ask that you communicate with your student and help them keep track of their academic performance.  Please be diligent in directing your student to seek help when needed.
 
    ○  For elementary parents/guardians:  we ask that you use the information in the parent portal simply to have some age-appropriate discussions with your elementary student about what is happening in class and not be solely focused on grades.  Elementary school grading is "standards-based" meaning students are graded according to state standards for skills in each subject/content area.  These skills develop over time. Elementary parents should check with their student's teachers if they have questions regarding grades before discussing them with their students.
     
    ○ For middle school parents/guardians:  we ask that you help teach your student to transition to being the primary person responsible for asking for help and for checking their assignments and performance.  Middle school students should view this online portal as a tool to know how they’re doing, to be responsible for their own work and develop the skills needed to communicate with their teachers.

   ○ For high school parents/guardians: we ask that you give your student the responsibility to be the primary person that checks their assignments and performance.  High school students should view this online portal as a tool to know how they’re doing, to be responsible for their own work and develop the skills needed to communicate with their teachers.  

● Each teacher has their own specific course schedule and each course has specific expectations and grading criteria. Teachers will try to update the system at least every two weeks, but you may see updates more or less often as teachers use the system in different ways. Essays and longer projects, for example, take time to grade accurately and grades may take more time to show up in various subjects.

● A blank score simply means that the assignment is not yet due, or your student is not yet late on the assignment. When a new column is created it can immediately be made public. So, expect to see unfilled squares. A blank means that there is no score and it does not count in a student’s average. The teacher may indicate that an assignment is missing or late in the system.

● Over the course of a semester, students perform differently depending on the topic. Please understand, it is not feasible to expect students to earn 100% all the time as course material becomes more sophisticated.  Remember, homework is weighted as less toward an overall grade than quizzes or tests or major projects. Before becoming concerned over a grade, please talk with your student to learn more about the assignment, then if you want, check to see how it impacts the overall average.

● A zero, on the other hand, represents an assignment that was not turned in. This is where we need your help. Depending on the assignment and expectation it may be too late, but often teachers input a zero to show a student what impact missing the assignment will have on their grade. It may not be too late to make it up! The student should approach the teacher or check with your student to see if they already have.

● Redoing work is not advisable because it adds unnecessarily to the student’s workload. If the work can be redone, the teacher and student are both already aware of this and it is part of the teacher’s plan for the assignment.  One of the important skills we teach students is self-advocacy. This skill is vital for success in school and beyond. Talk with your student about low grades, but understand that if the assignment can be revised, this will be something that is part of the teacher’s plan.

Before contacting the teacher, please first follow the procedure below if you have concerns about assignments:

1. Talk to your student about the assignment.
2. Discuss with your student appropriate strategies for approaching their teacher either in class or during study hall.
3. Check back with your student to find out what transpired.
4. Remember, if there is a serious problem, the teacher will already have contacted you. If you still have questions, contact the teacher via email.

If you would like access to the portal, please read the Memorandum of Understanding, and complete the form below.  Please click submit to send this form to the main office and our IT department for processing.

Memorandum of understanding: By submitting this form and requesting access to the parent portal, I/we have read and understood the features of the program outlined above. I/we also will follow the procedure for concerns about assignments.3