PowerSchool Parent Portal FAQs

 PowerSchool Parent Portal FAQs

Click on a question to see the response.

 Login

1. How does one get a PowerSchool Parent Portal username and password?
   A letter with this information will be mailed to middle and high school parents during November 2009, and to grade four through six parents during March 2010. If you do not receive one, contact your school Principal.

2. Do I need a separate login for each of my children? 
   Yes, you will receive a unique login for each child.

3. Are PowerSchool usernames and passwords case sensitive? 
   No. You may use upper or lower case letters.

4. How many times can I log in incorrectly?
   If you try to sign in three times incorrectly, you will be locked out of the PowerSchool Parent Portal and will have to contact your child's school office during school hours to have your account unlocked.

5. I try to log on to the site, but I keep getting an error message "login has expired" or "cannot access site". What is wrong?
   All browsers are not created equal, and some refuse to give up what they have in their cache. In Internet Explorer, make sure pages are set to update "always" (under Tools-->Internet Options). If that doesn't work, empty your cache.

6. When I go to the log on page, the password fills in with dots all the way across. Why?
   What is happening is that the computer is remembering the password but not giving clues to how long it is. Apparently, someone clicked "yes" to remember password and PowerSchool Parent Portal does not like it. So now you will need to clear the password.
      Follow the steps below to clear the password.
      Open Internet Explorer
      Click on Tools-->Internet Options
      Under Browsing history, click on Delete
      Select Passwords and Form data and delete both.

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Access

1. When will the PowerSchool Parent Portal be accessible? 
   User names and password will be available on November 16, 2009 for middle school and high school parents and March 26, 2010 for grade four through six parents.

2. When can I access the PowerSchool Parent Portal?
   The PowerSchool Parent Portal will be available to registered parent(s)/guardian(s) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

3. Is this system secure? 
   Yes, the system requires an individual username and password for each child. In addition, the PowerSchool Parent Portal has SSL encryption.  The username and password must be kept confidential by parents.

4. How do I access the PowerSchool Parent Portal?
   You may access the PowerSchool Parent Portal from any computer with an Internet connection by launching your web browser and first going to http://www.stratfordk12.org. Click on Parent Resources, then PowerSchool Parent Portal. Read and agree to the terms and conditions, Click on Click Here:I Agree and you will be directed to the PowerSchool Parent Portal login screen, where you will type in your username and password. 

5. Who may access the PowerSchool Parent Portal?                    
   Parent(s)/guardian(s) who have a username and password may access the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Only one username and password will be issued per student.
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6. Can I access the PowerSchool Parent Portal from anywhere?
   Yes, you can access the PowerSchool Parent Portal from any computer with Internet access.

7. I have multiple children in the district.  Can I have access to all their accounts under just one username and password? 
   PowerSchool does not allow for this (yet).  Each child’s account information is housed under a separate account so you will have a different parent login for each child.

8. My husband/wife and I are separated/divorced; can we get another parent username and password for our child’s account?  
   No.  Unfortunately, the PowerSchool program only allows one parent account to be created per child.  Therefore, both parents will have to use the same username and password that was assigned by the district.

9. Do I need a new username and password each year if my child is returning?
   No, all login information will remain active as long as your child is a student at that school.

10. What if I do  not have a computer at home or do not have access to the Internet?
    The Public Library has computers that you can use to access the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

11. What kind of computer equipment do I need to view PowerSchool Parent Portal?
    Almost any computer with an Internet connection can access PowerSchool Parent Portal. It is recommended that you use a newer Internet browser.
    
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General

1. What is PowerSchool?  
   PowerSchool is the student information system that Stratford Public Schools uses to manage information such as grades, attendance, demographics, courses, etc. Since PowerSchool is web-based, some of this information can easily, but safely be shared with parents and students.

2. What is the PowerSchool Parent Portal?
   The PowerSchool Parent Portal is a feature of the PowerSchool Student Information System that provides parents/guardians immediate access to grades, assignments and attendance records in an effort to facilitate and improve communication between home and school.

3. Do I have to use the PowerSchool Parent Portal?
   No, you do not have to use it at all. The PowerSchool Parent Portal is designed to give parents access to information that may be important to them in an easy to access,consolidated format.

4. Is there a cost associated with the PowerSchool Parent Portal?
   No. The PowerSchool Parent Portal is a free service to Stratford Public School parents.

5. How do I get more help?                                                                                       Back to top
   Aside from the resources found on the Stratford Public Schools website, you should contact the school office with questions regarding the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

6. What can I see on PowerSchool Parent Portal site? 
   Parents can access the following information: grades for current classes, attendance for the past two weeks or the whole term, teachers comments and various reports via email.

7. Whom should I contact if I have a question?
   Grades for class assignments during the current semester: Talk with your child first. If you still have questions, you may call your child’s teacher or email him/her. General attendance questions should be directed to your school office. If you wish to disable your access to PowerSchool Parent Portal, contact the school office and they can disable your account.

8. Can other people see my son’s/daughter’s grades?
   No. As long as you protect your username and password, others will not be able to see your child's information.

9. What do I do if I forgot my login information or I feel my account has been compromised?
   Contact your child's school office as soon as possible to make arrangements to pick up the new login information at the school office. Please bring a photo identification at this time.  This protocol is established for the safety/security of the student records.

10. Can I change my password?                                                                                   Back to top
    No, PowerSchool does not allow for the ability to change your password. Please record it and keep it somewhere safe so you have it when you need it (wallet, purse, day planner). If you lose your password, contact your child's school office.

11. How can I get help navigating the PowerSchool Parent Portal?
    Go to the Stratford Public School System district web site, then click on Parent Resources and select PowerSchool Parent Portal. Once on this page, click on the PowerSchool Parent Portal User's Guide.

12. I am not getting e-mails from PowerSchool Parent Portal.  How come? 
    There could be multiple reasons for this: 
         1. Did you sign-up for E-mail Notifications on the E-mail Notifications page? Please double check the e-mail address you entered because if one character (letter/number/space) is off, you won’t receive e-mails.
        2.  Did you check your email's BULK or SPAM folder?  Check to see if the messages are going there and choose to mark them as NOT SPAM.  You will have to consult your email's help menu or manual to learn how to do this as it is different for every email program.

13. My e-mail is not working when I click on the name of a teacher to send them a message.  What am I doing wrong?
    If you use a webmail program like gmail, yahoo or hotmail your browser can not log you into your e-mail to send this message. You will need to e-mail the teacher outside of the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
    You must run a local (or POP) emailer like Outlook or Outlook Express in order to have the e-mail address automatically placed in your "TO" box. 
    If you mouse over the name of the teacher you want to e-mail, look in the lower left section of your screen and you will see their e-mail address.  99% of the time a teacher's e-mail is their last name followed by their first initial, then @stratfordk12.org for example:   smitha@stratfordk12.org

14. Can I print what I see?
    Yes, use the print icon at the bottom of most pages.

15. Do I need to logout of PowerSchool Parent Portal?
    Yes, when you are finished, please logout or shutdown your computer. This way no one will be able to access your child's private information.

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Expectations

1. Do all teachers post grade and attendance information to the PowerSchool Parent Portal server? 
   Yes. Grades will be posted by the teacher. Remember, the teacher's grade book is a "snapshot in time" and not necessarily an accurate reflection of the student's overall progress or performance. Similarly, the student's grade average may change depending on the weight or value of graded work. Some teachers may choose to simply post an updated current average every couple of weeks while others will be posting individual assignments with due dates and descriptions.

2. How often can we expect grades to be updated?                                              
   Teachers need time to grade projects, assignments and tests. Each day teachers are expected to have new material and lesson plans ready for class. Many teachers are also involved in extra curricular activities that take time to plan and attend. With that in mind, teachers do need time to get the assignments graded. We have asked our teachers to input assignment scores within seven school days after the due date of an assignment.  Please be patient because 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.

3. I know that teachers sometimes weight different categories of grades.  How does this affect how a grade is calculated?
   Each teacher has his or her own grading system. Some teachers calculate grades by total points while others weight the grades according to assignment categories (homework, quizzes, tests,etc.).  Our teachers inform all of their students at the beginning of the course what their expectations and grading policy will be. To understand a specific grade calculation, please contact the teacher.

4. How often can we expect attendance to be updated?
   Attendance is updated daily. Unexcused absences may take a few extra days to be updated (changed to "excused") depending on the number of absences, promptness of the parent excuse note and/or day of the week.

5. Why are the grades changing dramatically in the beginning of a term?
   In the beginning of each term, you may see zeros or wild shifts in the class average of your child. When there are only one or two assignments in the gradebook, a low or high score can make a dramatic change in the overall grade average. The gradebook instantly recalculates the overall grade as every assignment is entered.

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Problems

1. What do I do if I am unable to connect to the PowerSchool Parent Portal?
       First, check to ensure that your Internet service is working properly.
       Next, validate that you are using the correct id, password and URL (http://boe-ps-app2.stratfordk12.org/public)
   If you are still unable to connect, contact your child's school office during school hours for additional help. 
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