Power School - Frequently Asked Questions
What is PowerSchool Parent/Student Access (PowerSchool PSA)?
How do I access PowerSchool PSA?
Who may access PowerSchool PSA?
How do I obtain a username and password?
How do I use PowerSchool Parent/Student Access?
What may I reasonably expect from the PowerSchool PSA System as a parent?
Are there any guidelines that I need to know when sending an email to a my child's teacher?
When will parents and students get access to the information on the PowerSchool server?
Do all teachers post grade and attendance information to the PowerSchool server?
How often can we expect grades to be updated?
How often can we expect attendance to be updated?
Does the Powerschool record how often I or my son /daughter logs into Powerschool?
What can I see on the PowerSchool site?
Can other people see my son's/daughter's grades?
What do I do if I forget my PowerSchool password?
Are PowerSchool logins and passwords case sensitive?
What are the guidelines for acceptable use of ACS's network resources?
Do students and parents see the same screens/comments?
My child's grade does not seem to add up correctly?
What do the codes Q1, Q2, E1, S1, S2 and Y1 mean?
Whom should I call if I have a question?
PowerSchool is ACSs student information system. ACS uses PowerSchool for student demographics, attendance, storing grades, scheduling and more.
What is PowerSchool Parent/Student Access (PowerSchool PSA)?
Parent/Student Access is a feature of the PowerSchool student information
system that provides parents and students immediate access to grades,
assignments and attendance records in an effort to facilitate and improve
communication between home and school.
How do I access PowerSchool PSA?
You may access PowerSchool PSA from any computer with an internet connection by
launching your web browser and going to the ACS web site (www.acsamman.edu.jo)
The link is on the sites main web page. The minimum browser requirements
are as follows:
* Mac OS X: Safari or Firefox
* Mac OS 9: Mozilla 1.2.1
* Windows: Internet Explorer 6 or Firefox
Who may access PowerSchool PSA?
ACS Middle School and High School students and parents/guardians who have
applied for a username and password may access PowerSchool. If you have
questions about your username and password or accessing the system please email powerschool@acsamman.edu.jo
How do I obtain a username and password?
Parents will receive their logins and passwords in September. PowerSchool Information Nights will be held in September. Please note that under
no circumstances will accounts be given out through contact via phone.
How do I use PowerSchool Parent/Student Access?
Information nights will be held in September. At each of these sessions we will
show a demo on how to use the system. For those who cannot make the
meetings, a guide is available on the ACS website: www.acsamman.edu.jo/powerschool/ppug.pdf
What may I reasonably expect from the PowerSchool PSA System as a parent?
Attendance is taken at ACS every day for each period. You are able to monitor
your child's attendance on a daily basis.
You are able to view your child's assignments and grades as soon as the teacher
enters the data into his/her electronic gradebook. Although teachers attempt to
record grades in a timely manner, the time needed to accomplish this task will
vary from teacher to teacher. Please keep in mind that teachers have various
methods of grading and the number of assignments given varies based on the
course content and individual teaching style. Each teacher will post his
or her individual grading policy into the system so that parents and students
know what to expect.
PowerSchool should be used to monitor your child's progress. Look for
unusual changes in grades or attendance, but realize that the final grade for a
course is based on a number of factors, often including class participation,
extra credit, etc. Your child's grade may appear unusually high or low at the
beginning of the year (the grading period) when there have been few assignments. Your child's
grade may appear lower during the quarter, but the final grade may actually be
higher once all factors have been included. The opposite may also be
true. The information made available to you through the system should not be
considered a substitute for a dialog with your child's teacher.
Are there
any guidelines that I need to know when sending an email to a
my child's teacher?
Teacher email addresses are available at the Community Portal on the school website. It is also important to include a valid subject line in your emails. ACS has an aggressive anti- spam
filter in place and it may block messages without subject lines or if they seem
suspicious.
At ACS, teachers should respond to parent emails
within 24 hours of receipt (longer if received on weekends). Even if they
cannot respond immediately to your specific query, they will let you know
they received the email and will act on it as soon as possible.
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When will parents
and students get access to the information on the PowerSchool server?
Parents will be given a PS login and password in
a letter from the school, or in an email. This generally takes place in
September as part of the parent training session. If families enroll later in
the school year, logins and passwords will be given within two weeks.
Do all teachers post grade and attendance
information to the PowerSchool server?
Yes
How often can we expect grades to be updated?
Answer: There are many factors that determine how
soon a teacher can assess and return assignments. Essays and research papers
take longer to grade than a quiz. Coaching, club sponsorships, and family
commitments can also affect turnaround time, as well as a teacher's student
load, which may be as high as 120 students for teachers with all grade
levels. We encourage staff to post grades every 2 weeks at the minimum,
and we urge students and parents to be patient as teachers do their best to
return assignments and post grades as promptly as their schedule allows.
How often can we expect attendance to be updated?
Except
for teachers who instruct in multiple classrooms, in gyms, or outdoors, teachers
do their best to record attendance by the end of every period. Those whose
schedules prohibit period-by-period recording input their attendance as soon
as possible after class. Faculty enter present, tardy, or absent. The office
also enters a wide range of attendance codes, as they receive information
from parents, the library, and other school locations where attendance is
monitored.
Does the school know how often I
or my son /daughter logs into Powerschool?
Yes. It is recorded as part of Powerschool
program information. This feature allows us to see if parents are actively
involved in monitoring their child's academic progress.
What can I see on the PowerSchool site?
Parents and students can access the following
information on the PowerSchool public site: http://ps.acsamman.edu.jo/public
Can other people see my son's / daughter's grades?
As long as you protect your login and password, others will
not be able to see your information.
What do I do if I forget my PowerSchool password?
Email us at powerschool@acsamman.edu.jo
Are PowerSchool logins and passwords case
sensitive?
Yes. Please be sure your "caps lock" is not on
when trying to log in.
What are the guidelines for acceptable use of
ACS's network resources?
The school's acceptable use policy is on page 19
of the Student Handbook, which is available at: http://acsamman.edu.jo/ms/HS-MSHandbook2010-2011.pdf
I know that teachers sometimes weight different
categories of grades. How does this affect how a grade is calculated?
Some teachers calculate grades by total points,
and others use categories such as tests, quizzes, daily work to organize and give different weights to grades; how teachers weight
grades is an individual decision. To understand a specific grade calculation,
please contact the individual teacher.
Do students and parents see the same
screens/comments?
When students and parents access the PowerSchool
server, they see the same information.
My child's grade does not seem to add up correctly? Different grading scales and weightings are
applied to different types of assessments. Simply adding scores will not
calculate in the different weights for scores. Please see the course syllabus
(all students were given one for each class in August) for specific grade
weightings.
What do the codes Q1, Q2, E1, S1, S2 and Y1 mean?
Q1 is the first quarter grade (as it stands when
you login), Q2 is second quarter, E1 is the first semester
exam grade (which counts for 20% of the overall semester grade.
Whom should I call if I have a question?
Please
use the table below to decide whom to contact for various types of questions.
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