Powerschool

Purpose of this parent coffee:


• Help parents become familiar with PowerSchool (https://powerschool.sas.edu.sg/public)

• Provide parents with prompts to promote discussion of student learning

Upon login:
    1.    On the main page, you will see your child’s name on the top left. 

    2.    Click on the current grade tab and you will find two sections—Learning behaviors and academic standards (based on standards-based approach)

    3.    In middle school, there are primarily four different descriptors—below expectations, approaching expectations, meeting expectations, and exemplary

    4.    Parents can click on the particular subject to get more information like the various standards, dates of completion, assignments, and more.


How can parents engage in a conversation with their child about PowerSchool? Look at the rubric together and discuss.



Learning Behaviors:
    •    What are you doing to be so organised and responsible in __________?

    •    Why do you think you're responsibility was only “occasionally” in __________?

    •    Why do you think your lowest Responsibility score is in __________?

    •    What could be a reason you’re only reflective “occasionally” in __________? 

    •    What do you do differently in __________ that your Organization is “consistently” when it is lower in other subjects?

    •    Why do you think your organization is rated “occasionally?” How do you think that affects your work?

    •    How come you have reflection scores that are lower in all subject areas?

    •    What could you do to improve your organizational skills?

    •    What surprises you most of all of your ratings?


Academic Standards:
    •    What class are you proudest of?

    •    In which class do you work hardest? Why?

    •    I noticed that you were late on a number of assignments, what can I do to help you with this?

    •    What assignment did you work the hardest on?

    •    What are some strategies that you use to prepare for your summative assessments?

    •    What do you need to do to improve from “approaching expectations” to “meeting expectations” in this standard? How can I help?


What should parents do after they have spoken with my child?
Shift the ownership from parents to students. The first step is for the student to have a conversation with the teacher. 

Q&A:
1. Is there a PowerSchool mobile app?

Yes. However SAS’s standard-based reporting is incompatible, so it is of little use.


2. Can I get email notifications of upcoming assignments, etc? 

No. We use PowerSchool for post-assignment reporting. Google Classroom is where assignment information is posted.


3. Weightings in PowerSchool?

Standards are not weighted, but assessments may be (Formative vs Summative)


4. When I log in, PowerSchool adds extra characters to my password
.
This is just an additional security feature to obscure the password length. The password is not altered.


5. Does the elementary school use PowerSchool as well?

Only middle school and high school use PowerSchool

Google Classroom
    •    Google Classroom is a teacher/student tool. It does not have a parent access feature.

    •    Parents can accept an invite to receive weekly (or daily) email summaries. We recommend weekly.

    •    Google Classroom has a consolidated calendar and to-do list 

    •    Like PowerSchool, we recommend parents sit down with their child and go through Google Classroom with them. Ask clarifying questions. Have them explain what needs to be done

    •    Not all listed missing work is missing work. (Your child has control over this virtual to-do list)




More information on student workflow here.

Screentime Balance


1. Do we have a screen-time problem? 
Based on a study in the United States done with 600 families:


77% of parents feel that their child is distracted by the screen when they are together


41% of teens felt the same about their parents


Watch this video to see what good screen time balance looks like.


Five signs your child has a healthy relationship with screens:
    1.    Physically healthy and getting enough sleep

    2.    Engaged and learning in school

    3.    Pursuing hobbies and interests

    4.    Socially interacting with family and friends (even digitally)

    5.    Digital life appears fun and positive (and even educational)


Some grounding statements:
    •    Achieving screen time balance is often hard (for all of us).

    •    Screen time balance is not static. Like fitness, stop working on it and it goes away!

    •    Most students are well aware of the need to balance their screen-time (especially after the Circuit Breaker)

    •    Many students do a great job, without much help, in managing their screen-time and developing a healthy relationship with tech.

    •    Many students do need help.

    •    There is no ‘magic app’ that will take care of it for you.




Here are the strategies for working towards screen-time balance:

No Tech Essentials
    •    Family tech use plan/agreement

    •    No devices in bedroom
s
    •    Schedule after-school time

    •    Agreed no-tech times

    •    Set limits

    •    Have alternative activities

    •    Be a role model

    
Low Tech
    •    Know your usage: Track web usage to identify potential distraction issues. Use Web Timer and Webtime Tracker (for Google Chrome) or Rescue Time for web and apps

    •    Set up a scheduled weekly browser history/social media check. Sit down and analyze usage patterns together
 
High Tech Multi-device
    •    Manage your router to set WiFi access times for specific devices

Many modern routers have companion apps to manage access via a smartphone. Manage your router to set WiFi access times for specific devices. Many modern routers have companion apps to manage access via a smartphone. 



Router with good parent control features: Google WiFi, Circle by Disney

High Tech- Student Involved
    •    Focus

    •    Self Control

    •    Freedom

    •    Focus Me

    •    Forest

    •    Rescue Time


Focus (All students have the Focus app installed on their SAS laptops)

Useful Features:
    •    Add both websites & apps

    •    Hardcore mode (once turned on the timer can’t be turned off)

    •    Scheduling (turns on blocking automatically)

    •    Password mode (parent can add this to prevent settings being altered)

More information on Focus here.

Full Parental Control (Don’t start here! This is a last resort)
Screen Time and Qustodio

On-device parental controls considerations:
    •    Only covers the one device

    •    Needs to have a parent account added to the laptop* BEFORE parental controls (Screen Time) are activated.

    •    Significant configuration issues (especially on the SAS laptop which needs to operate seamlessly at school)

    •    Student has no control over standard device management. No control = resentment

    •    Likely to put you and child in frequent conflict situations

    •    Non-involvement counter-productive to the development of good technology habits
 
Our #1 resource guide is Common Sense Media

Click here to access the presentation slides.