Frequently Asked Questions
PowerSchool
Student Information System
Frequently Asked Questions
Document Properties
Copyright
© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is the property
of Apple Computer, Inc. and is for reference only. It is not to be reproduced or
distributed in any way without the express written consent of Apple Computer,
Inc. Other brands and names are the property of their respective owners.
Owner
Technical Communication and Documentation
Last Updated
8/28/2003
Version
3.6.1
Please send comments, suggestions, or requests for this user guide to [email protected].
Your feedback is appreciated.
Introduction
© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
2
Frequently Asked Questions
Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Frequently Asked Questions....................................................................................................................................... 6
Storing Grades .................................................................................................................................................................... 6
How Do I Permanently Store Grades? ............................................................................................................ 6
What Does the Exclude Enrollment Records Option Do? ..................................................................10
How Much Credit Should I Award When Storing Grades? ................................................................10
Report Cards ......................................................................................................................................................................11
How Do I Prevent a Class from Displaying on Report Cards? ..........................................................11
Why Do Some Classes Not Display on Report Cards?..........................................................................15
How Do I Display Dropped Classes on Report Cards? .........................................................................18
Grade Point Averages....................................................................................................................................................22
How Do I Calculate GPAs? ..................................................................................................................................22
Why Are Some GPAs Calculated Incorrectly? ...........................................................................................29
4D Tools ...............................................................................................................................................................................39
How Do I Run 4D Tools and Repair a Damaged Data File?...............................................................39
What Does the Message “An Interruption Occurred…” Mean?......................................................42
Average Daily Attendance and Membership....................................................................................................42
How Do I Correct ADA/ADM Results?...........................................................................................................42
What Factors Can Affect ADA/ADM Results?............................................................................................43
PowerGrade Backups.....................................................................................................................................................44
How Do I Retrieve a PowerGrade Backup? ................................................................................................44
How Do I Make a PowerGrade Backup? ......................................................................................................44
How Does a PowerGrade Backup Differ from Saving in PowerGrade? .......................................44
PowerGrade........................................................................................................................................................................44
How Do I Set Up Final Grades? ........................................................................................................................44
How Do I Include a Midterm Exam in Final Grades?.............................................................................46
Updating Server...............................................................................................................................................................49
Why Did the Server Not Update?....................................................................................................................49
BLOB Error...........................................................................................................................................................................51
What Is a BLOB Error and How Can I Correct It? .....................................................................................51
Teacher Comments ........................................................................................................................................................51
How Do I Get Teacher Comments to Display on Report Cards? ....................................................51
Introduction
© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
3
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Old Teacher Comments Still Display? ........................................................................................51
How Do I Use the Comment Bank? ...............................................................................................................51
How to Create Comments in the Comment Bank .................................................................................51
Introduction
© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
4
Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction
The PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS) provides many tools to manage your school or
district. Since schools share common processes, PowerSchool users generally perform some
procedures more often than others. Inevitably, questions will arise related to those procedures. This
guide includes some of the most frequently asked categories of PowerSchool questions and their
answers.
This list of frequently asked questions does not replace the valuable services offered by
PowerSchool’s support organization. If you have any questions after reading this document and
referring to the other help-related documentation, contact PowerSchool Technical Support.
Introduction
© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The following sections describe 10 areas of questions related to the use of PowerSchool. Some
areas include multiple questions. For procedures related to all areas of PowerSchool and
PowerGrade, refer to the user guides available at:
http://www.powerschool.com/support/documentation.
Storing Grades
How Do I Permanently Store Grades?
At the end of each grading term, copy and store students’ current grades as historical grades.
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu.
2. Click Permanently Store Grades. The Permanently Store Grades page appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Store Code
Use a two-digit code to indicate the term in which the students
earned the grades, such as Q1 or S1. The first character must
be a letter, and the second character must be a number.
Note: Do not use the same store code twice in one year. The
system will overwrite the grades you stored under the store
code the first time with the grades you store the second time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Use this final grade
Enter the term code from which you want to save the grades.
The term code is usually the same as the store code, such as
Q1 or S1. For more information on defining term codes, see the
section "Final Grades Setup."
Exclude and Include
Enrollment Records
You do not have to store current grades for all students. If you
want to store current grades based on students' enrollment or
dropped class dates, select any combination of the following
checkboxes to filter the selected students:
•
Exclude enrollment records where the student enrolled
in the class after this date: Enter the date.
•
Exclude enrollment records where the student dropped
the class before this date: Enter the date.
•
Include only enrollment records that are currently active
and that were active on this date: Enter the date. To be
included in the grade storing process for a class, a
student must have enrolled in a class on or before the
date you enter and cannot have dropped the course
until or after the date.
Note: If you leave the date-related fields blank,
PowerSchool stores a grade for every enrollment record,
including classes that students dropped during the
term. Most schools enter a two-week grace period at
both the beginning and end of the term. This allows for
all of the add/drop procedures at the beginning of the
term to be ignored in the store grades process. Also,
PowerSchool does not store grades for students who
enroll in your school during the last two weeks of the
term.
Request that grades be
stored only for a specific
section
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to store grades for students in a specific course
section only, enter the course and section numbers, separated
by a period. For example, enter 113.04 for Course 113,
Section 04. You can do this when teachers are late in entering
their final grades or when testing the process of storing grades.
Store grades for one course section before you store grades for
all course sections. Leave this field blank to store grades for all
course sections.
© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Percent of Credits to be
awarded each term
For each term, specify the percent of possible credits each
student can earn. For example, if you store grades for Q1 in a
school year with four quarters, students earn 25% of the
possible credits they can earn in a yearlong course. The terms
listed refer to the courses, such as courses that are one year
long, or courses that are one semester long. If you want to store
grades and you do not want to award credit, enter 0 in these
fields.
Note: Be sure you define the proper amount of credits for all
courses. Also, define that the appropriate grades earn
graduation credit on the Gradescale page.
Options for classes
enrolled at other schools
Options for Withholding
Credit
Use the pop-up menus to indicate the options you want to
apply for storing grades for classes that students take at other
schools:
•
Store grades for classes enrolled at: Select whether you
want to store grades for all schools or for the selected
school only. If storing for the selected school only,
PowerSchool will not store grades for the other schools
at which students may take classes.
•
Record the school name of: Select which school name
to use when storing grades. Select either the other
school or the current school.
You can determine that all students who receive a specific
number of attendance points during the date range you enter
do not receive credit for the course and earn an entirely
different grade. For example, the student originally receives a C;
however, due to excessive absences, the student receives a WC
and no credit for this course.
Complete the following steps:
1. Select the checkbox.
2. Enter the number of attendance points the student
must have received and the date range during which he
or she received them to earn the grade you enter.
3. Enter a comment in the teacher comment field if you
want the original grade the student earned before
counting the attendance points to appear with the
comment.
4. Click Store Current Grades. The "Alert: Storing Grades" page displays the status of the
storing grades process.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Note: If you notice that you entered incorrect data after storing grades, repeat this
procedure for the same store code. PowerSchool overwrites the existing grades with the
new ones.
What Does the Exclude Enrollment Records Option Do?
You do not have to store current grades for all students. If you want to store current grades based
on the date of students' enrollment or dropped class dates, select any combination of the following
checkboxes:
Checkbox
Description
Exclude enrollment
records where the
student enrolled in
the class after this
date
Select this checkbox if you want to store grades only for students
who enrolled on or before the specified date. Enter the date in the
blank field.
Exclude enrollment
records where the
student dropped the
class before this date
Select this checkbox if you want to store grades only for students
who were enrolled in the class and did not drop the class before the
specified date. Enter the date in the blank field.
Include only those
enrollment records
that were active on
this date
Select the checkbox if you want to store grades only for students
who enrolled in a class on or before the specified date and did not
drop the course until or after the specified date. Enter the date in the
blank field.
Note: If you leave the date-related fields blank, PowerSchool stores a grade for every enrollment
record, including classes that students dropped during the term. Most schools enter a two-week
grace period at both the beginning and the end of the term. This allows for all of the add/drop
procedures at the beginning of the term to be ignored in the store grades process. In addition,
PowerSchool does not store grades for students who enroll in your school during the last two
weeks of the term.
How Much Credit Should I Award When Storing Grades?
Depending on your school setup, the amount of credit per course will vary. Variables include:
•
Credit Hours specified in the Course Setup.
•
Length of section expressed in terms, such as S1 for the first semester or 2000-2001 for a
yearlong course.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
A general guideline is to award 25% of credit hours for a quarter, 50% for a semester, and 100% for
the year. These settings vary, depending on your school’s needs.
Report Cards
How Do I Prevent a Class from Displaying on Report Cards?
There are two ways to prevent a class from displaying on report cards. One way is to modify the
records using the Universal Search & Modify (USM) function. Modifying records using USM is an
advanced function that should only be done by your PowerSchool administrator, who needs to
have completed PowerSchool initial training as a minimum. Once trained, the PowerSchool
administrator can contact PowerSchool Technical Support for the proper steps.
The other way to prevent a class from displaying on report cards is to create a report card object
report that includes transcript list objects. Use transcript list objects to limit the information that
displays on the report card. You can select which student historical grades to display and the
courses in which students received the grades.
1. On the Home page, click Reports.
2. Click Report Setup. The Report Setup page displays.
3. Click Object Reports. The Object Reports page displays the list of all object report templates
created for your school.
4. Click the report card in the Report Name column. The Object Report page displays.
Click Transcript List. The Transcript List Object page appears.
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Frequently Asked Questions
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Define the box that
contains the transcript
course listing
Enter the coordinates of the box in which the transcript
information prints. Use inches as the unit of measurement.
Term/school name font
Choose the font in which the term and school information
prints from the pop-up menu.
Size, line height, style
In the first field, enter the size of the font.
Determine how many inches from the top left of the page you
want the transcript list object to print. Indicate the left, top,
right, and bottom coordinates of the transcript list object. Use a
ruler and a piece of paper to determine the coordinates, if
necessary.
In the second field, enter the height of each line in the object
(in points). The height determines the space between each line
in the transcript list.
Course listing font
Choose the font in which the transcript information prints from
the pop-up menu.
Size, line height, style
In the first field, enter the size of the font.
In the second field, enter the height of each line in the object
(in points). The height determines the space between each line
in the transcript list.
Horizontal offset of
course name
Enter a number, in inches, to determine how far from the left
margin the first course name prints.
On each course listing
line print this
Enter any additional field or text you want to print next to each
course. If you enter a PowerSchool field name, use the
following format: ^(field name). For example, to include the
possible credit a student could earn in each course, you can
include the potential credit field.
Then, in the Offset field, enter the number of spaces between
the course listing and the information you enter.
Term columns (store
codes)
Enter the store codes (terms) you want to include in the
transcript listing.
The report prints historical grade information for only the term
columns you define, such as S1, S2.
Horizontal offset of first
term column
Enter a number, in inches, to determine how far from the left
box margin the first term column prints.
Width of each term
column
Enter the width, in inches, of each term column.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Within each term
column, the horizontal
offsets of these fields
(inches)
Enter how far from the left margin of the term column each of
the following fields appears:
•
Grade
•
Credit hours earned: Then, enter the format in which
you want credit hours to print.
•
Percent
•
Citizenship: Select the Include Citizenship checkbox to
include the citizenship grades. If you do not select this
checkbox, the citizenship grade does not print.
Include only historical
grades from these grade
levels
If you want to print historical grades for only certain grade
levels on the transcript, enter the range of grade levels.
Restrict to this credit
type
If you want to print only courses with a specific credit type in
this transcript list object, enter the credit type.
Otherwise, leave these fields blank.
By default, within a transcript list, the system sorts course
information chronologically, displaying the most recent courses
first. If you would rather sort the transcript by courses with the
same credit type (courses within the same subject, such as
English, Mathematics, and Science), enter the credit type here.
Then, you can create a transcript list object for each credit type.
Otherwise, leave this field blank.
Exclude blank grades?
Select this checkbox if you do not want to display courses for
which the student did not receive a grade.
For example, if your school schedules lunch as a course on
student schedules, select this checkbox to not print lunch on
student transcripts.
Include current grades?
Select this checkbox to include grades from the current term on
the transcript.
Otherwise, deselect this checkbox.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Sort grades by
Use this pop-up menu to determine the sort order of the
grades on the transcript list object:
If listing overflows this
object, start a new
column with these
margins
•
Course Name: Results descend by school year, then
ascend by school name, and then ascend by course
name.
•
Course Number: Results descend by school year, then
ascend by school name, and then ascend by course
number.
•
Credit Type: Results descend by school year, then
ascend by school name, then ascend by credit type, and
then course name.
•
Ascending by grade level, then course number: Results
ascend by grade level, then school year, then school
name, then course number.
If the transcript information for the terms you specified does
not fit in the box for a student, do one of the following to
indicate how you want the report to print this information:
•
To finish printing the student’s transcript in another
column on the same page, define the margins for the
next column.
•
If the student’s transcript can continue on a new page,
do not define any margins for the overflow box.
Page
Enter the page number of the report on which you want this
transcript list object to print.
Layer
If you want this object to appear behind or in front of another
object, choose the layer placement from the pop-up menu.
6. Click Submit to save the transcript list object you created. When you print the report, the
transcript list object prints according to your specifications.
If the transcript list does not print correctly, edit the transcript list by clicking the object name on
the Object Report page and repeating the procedure.
Why Do Some Classes Not Display on Report Cards?
You can only create report cards for the term selected on the Home page. To report on more than
one term, create an object style report. For more information, refer to the section Object Reports.
If you are certain that you selected the correct term, review the special schedule listing options for
the report card. Schedule listings display grades, citizenship, absences, tardies, and scores for
individual assignments. The special options filter courses based on selected criteria.
1. On the Home page, click Reports from the main menu.
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Frequently Asked Questions
2. On the Reports page, click Report Setup.
3. On the Report Setup page, click Report Cards. The Report Cards page appears.
4. Click the name of the report card in the Format Title column. The Report Card page displays.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
5. Click Schedule Listing. The Special Schedule Listing Options section displays on the Student
Schedule Listing for Report Card: [Report Card Name] page.
6. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Include Only Those
Classes
Select this checkbox for the students who have final grades
recorded in the specified term (optional). In the space provided,
enter the term(s)/store code(s), such as Q1, Q2, and Q3. This
tells PowerSchool to list only classes for which there are stored
grades for the term(s) listed. When a student drops a class and
does not receive a final grade, the class will not appear on the
report card.
Extended stored grade
retrieval
Select this checkbox (optional). This is helpful when a student
switches from one section of a course to another section of the
same course. The courses and grades appear on one row of the
report rather than different lines for each section.
7. Click Submit. The Report Card page appears.
How Do I Display Dropped Classes on Report Cards?
Report cards display stored grades. To display dropped classes on report cards, you must store
grades for dropped classes. At the end of each grading term, copy and store students’ current
grades as historical grades.
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
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18
Frequently Asked Questions
2. Click Permanently Store Grades. The Permanently Store Grades page appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Store Code
Use a two-digit code to indicate the term in which the students
earned the grades, such as Q1 or S1. The first character must
be a letter, and the second character must be a number.
Note: Do not use the same store code twice in one year. The
system will overwrite the grades you stored under the store
code the first time with the grades you store the second time.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Use this final grade
Enter the term code from which you want to save the grades.
The term code is usually the same as the store code, such as
Q1 or S1. For more information on defining term codes, see the
section "Final Grades Setup."
Exclude and Include
Enrollment Records
You do not have to store current grades for all students. If you
want to store current grades based on students' enrollment or
dropped class dates, select any combination of the following
checkboxes to filter the selected students:
•
Exclude enrollment records where the student enrolled
in the class after this date: Enter the date.
•
Exclude enrollment records where the student dropped
the class before this date: Enter the date.
•
Include only enrollment records that are currently active
and that were active on this date: Enter the date. To be
included in the grade storing process for a class, a
student must have enrolled in a class on or before the
date you enter and cannot have dropped the course
until or after the date.
Note: If you leave the date-related fields blank,
PowerSchool stores a grade for every enrollment record,
including classes that students dropped during the
term. Most schools enter a two-week grace period at
both the beginning and end of the term. This allows for
all of the add/drop procedures at the beginning of the
term to be ignored in the store grades process. Also,
PowerSchool does not store grades for students who
enroll in your school during the last two weeks of the
term.
Request that grades be
stored only for a specific
section
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to store grades for students in a specific course
section only, enter the course and section numbers, separated
by a period. For example, enter 113.04 for Course 113,
Section 04. You can do this when teachers are late in entering
their final grades or when testing the process of storing grades.
Store grades for one course section before you store grades for
all course sections. Leave this field blank to store grades for all
course sections.
© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
20
Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Percent of Credits to be
awarded each term
For each term, specify the percent of possible credits each
student can earn. For example, if you store grades for Q1 in a
school year with four quarters, students earn 25% of the
possible credits they can earn in a yearlong course. The terms
listed refer to the courses, such as courses that are one year
long, or courses that are one semester long. If you want to store
grades and you do not want to award credit, enter 0 in these
fields.
Note: Be sure you define the proper amount of credits for all
courses. Also, define that the appropriate grades earn
graduation credit on the Gradescale page.
Options for classes
enrolled at other schools
Options for Withholding
Credit
Use the pop-up menus to indicate the options you want to
apply for storing grades for classes that students take at other
schools:
•
Store grades for classes enrolled at: Select whether you
want to store grades for all schools or for the selected
school only. If storing for the selected school only,
PowerSchool will not store grades for the other schools
at which students may take classes.
•
Record the school name of: Select which school name
to use when storing grades. Select either the other
school or the current school.
You can determine that all students who receive a specific
number of attendance points during the date range you enter
do not receive credit for the course and earn an entirely
different grade. For example, the student originally receives a C;
however, due to excessive absences, the student receives a WC
and no credit for this course.
Complete the following steps:
1. Select the checkbox.
2. Enter the number of attendance points the student
must have received and the date range during which he
or she received them to earn the grade you enter.
3. Enter a comment in the teacher comment field if you
want the original grade the student earned before
counting the attendance points to appear with the
comment.
4. Click Store Current Grades. The "Alert: Storing Grades" page displays the status of the
storing grades process.
Frequently Asked Questions
© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
21
Frequently Asked Questions
Note: If you notice that you entered incorrect data after storing grades, repeat this
procedure for the same store code. PowerSchool overwrites the existing grades with the
new ones.
Grade Point Averages
How Do I Calculate GPAs?
Before running a grade-related report, such as a report card, set up the correct parameters to
calculate your school's grade point average. Since GPAs are calculated on-the-fly, any changes take
effect immediately and affect all schools on the server.
You must log on to the district office before performing this procedure.
1. On the start page, choose District from the main menu.
2. Click GPA Calculations. The GPA Settings page appears.
3. Click Calculation Methods. The GPA Calculation Methods page appears.
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Frequently Asked Questions
4. Click New. The GPA Calculation Method page appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Method name
Enter the name of the calculation method. This is the name that
will be referred to in GPA codes on other pages in PowerSchool.
Note: The standard methods Weighted and Simple cannot be
renamed.
Description
Enter a description of the calculation method. This description
appears on the GPA Calculation Methods page.
Formula
Enter the formula for the method used to determine the result
of the calculation. The formula closely resembles a formula
used on a spreadsheet.
Formulas can include functions, such as average, round, and
sum. Use standard operators, such as + (addition) and *
(multiplication), or use logical operators such as = (equal to)
and > (greater than).
For more information, see the section "Formulas for
Calculation Methods."
Calculation type
Choose an option from the pop-up menu:
•
Cumulative: Uses historical grades in the calculation
that match the query options specified.
•
Current: Uses current final grades in the calculation, as
determined in the School Setup area. A current
calculation type uses the current final grades from
PowerGrade. Terms, grade levels, and school years are
ignored with this calculation type.
•
Projected: Uses historical grades and additional grades
as defined in the Projected GPA Options area of the
GPA Calculation Method page. A projected calculation
type uses historical grades that match the query
options specified, plus additional grades determined by
any Projected GPA Options.
If the calculation type is specified, the type parameter of the
GPA code is ignored.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Grade scale
To override the GPA points used in the calculation with a single
grade scale, choose the grade scale from this pop-up menu. If a
specific letter grade is not found in the grade scale, it is not
used in the calculation.
Ordinarily, the GPA points associated with the stored grade are
used in the calculation. Typically, these are the weighted points.
A single grade scale may be specified to override these GPA
points with the values in the specified grade scale for this
calculation.
For example, a stored grade A may have 5 GPA points. That
same A may only be worth 4 GPA points on the Standard grade
scale. Use scales to calculate complex weighted GPAs for class
ranking and honor roll applications, while maintaining a
standard 4.0 scale to use on transcripts and college
applications.
If a grade scale is specified, the scale parameter of the GPA
code is ignored.
Terms
Optionally, specify one or more term abbreviations, such as Q1
or S2, to use in the calculation. Separate multiple values with
commas. Only grades whose store code matches one of the
term abbreviations will be included in the calculation.
If the calculation type is Current, terms are ignored. If terms are
specified, the term parameter of the GPA code is ignored.
Grade levels
Optionally, specify one or more grade levels to use in the
calculation. Use the numeric grade level, such as 11 for
eleventh grade or 0 for kindergarten. Separate multiple values
with commas. Only grades recorded when a student was at the
specified grade levels will be included in the calculation.
Note that only grades that fall within the historical grade levels
specified in the school's record in District Setup may be
specified. For example, if the historical range for the school is
9­12, specifying 8 in the GPA code will return zero.
Separate multiple grade levels with commas. If omitted, the
historical grade range for the school is used.
If the calculation type is Current, grade levels are ignored. If
grade levels are specified, the grade parameter of the GPA code
is ignored.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
School years
Optionally, specify one or more four-digit school years to use in
the calculation. For example, enter 2003 for the 2003-2004
school year. Separate multiple values with commas. Only
grades recorded during the specified school years will be
included in the calculation.
School years are closely related to grade levels. As such, if the
school year specified translates to a student's grade level that is
outside the historical range for the school, zero will be returned.
For more information, refer to the "Grade levels" field.
If the calculation type is Current, school years are ignored. If
school years are specified, the year parameter of the GPA code
is ignored.
Credit types
Optionally, specify one or more credit types to use in the
calculation. Separate multiple values with commas. Only grades
whose credit type matches one of the types specified will be
included in the calculation.
In case of a current GPA, the course's credit type is used. In case
of a cumulative GPA, the credit type specified for the stored
grade is used if present; otherwise, the course's credit type is
used, if found.
If an historical grade does not have a credit type or if the
calculation type is Current, the course's credit type is used. If
credit types are specified, the credittype parameter of the GPA
code is ignored.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Only include grades
Select all, none, or a combination of the following checkboxes
to narrow the selection of grades used in the calculation:
•
That count in GPA: Includes only historical grades that
are specified to be included in the GPA. If the
calculation type is Current, only grades from courses
and sections that have been flagged to be included in
GPA will be included in the calculation.
•
That count in class rank: Includes only historical grades
that are specified to be included in the class rank. If the
calculation type is Current, only grades from courses
and sections that have been flagged to be included in
class rank will be included in the calculation.
•
That count in honor roll: Includes only historical grades
that are specified to be included in the honor roll. If the
calculation type is Current, only grades from courses
and sections that have been flagged to be included in
honor roll will be included in the calculation.
•
With potential credit: Includes only historical grades
that have a potential credit that is not zero. If the
calculation type is Current, the potential credit is
determined by referring to the corresponding course
record.
If you deselect all of these checkboxes, all historical grades will
be included in the calculation.
Projected grades are
Frequently Asked Questions
If the calculation type is Projected, choose the type of grades
used for projected GPA calculations from this pop-up menu.
Projected grades are used to determine grades mid-term, such
as when colleges want grades for a twelfth-grade student for
admission purposes.
•
Current final grades: Uses current final grades from
PowerGrade, as determined in the School Setup area.
•
Stored grades from this term: Enter the term
abbreviation in the blank field.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Field
Description
Do not add grade if
If the calculation type is Projected, choose the term for the
grade to use in projected GPA calculations from this pop-up
menu:
•
A grade for the course exists in any term
•
A grade for the course exists in this term: Enter the
term abbreviation in the blank field.
A grade will not be added to the calculation if there already
exists an historical grade for the current school year with the
same course number for any store code or for the specified
store code.
Stored credit hours
If the calculation type is Projected, choose the credit hours
option used in projected GPA calculations from this pop-up
menu:
•
Use actual credit hours
•
Get potential credit from course
If projected grades are historical grades, specify whether to use
the actual potential and earned credit stored with the grade or
to use the potential credit hours from the corresponding
course.
Note: When using projected GPA options, most schools will set the last three options as:
"Projected grades are stored grades from this [specified] term;" "Do not add grade if a grade
for this course exists in any term;" and "Stored credit hours use the course's potential credit
hours."
6. Click Submit. The GPA Calculation Methods page displays the new method.
Why Are Some GPAs Calculated Incorrectly?
When calculating GPAs, check your school’s calculation methods. Also check the grade scale that
the course is set to, the grade scale the section is set to, the grade scale itself, and the historical
grades.
GPA Calculation Method
Verify that the method for calculating your school’s grade point average is set up correctly.
You must log on to the district office before performing this procedure.
1. On the start page, choose District from the main menu.
2. Click GPA Calculations. The GPA Settings page appears.
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Frequently Asked Questions
3. Click Calculation Methods. The GPA Calculation Methods page appears.
4. Click the name of the calculation method used. The GPA Calculation Method page appears.
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Frequently Asked Questions
5. Modify the GPA Calculation Method information. See the section "How to Add GPA
Calculation Methods" to enter information in the fields.
6. Click Submit. The GPA Calculation Methods page displays the edited method.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Course Grade Scale
Check the grade scale for the course. Before performing this procedure, log on to PowerSchool and
change to the proper school.
1. On the start page, choose School from the main menu.
2. On the School Setup page, click Courses. A list of current courses appears in the courses
menu.
3. Click the name of the course to which you want to assign a grade scale. The Edit Course
page appears.
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Frequently Asked Questions
4. Make sure the correct grade scale is selected from the Grade Scale pull-down menu. If not,
select the correct grade scale and continue to step 5.
5. Choose the grade scale from the Grade Scale pop-up menu.
6. Click Submit. The Courses page appears.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Section Grade Scale
Check the grade scale for the section. Before performing this procedure, log on to PowerSchool,
change to the proper school, and select the year mode.
1. On the start page, choose School from the main menu.
2. On the School Setup page, click Sections.
3. Choose the course name from the courses menu. The course information page appears.
4. Click either the period or the section number in the Per and Sec# columns. The Edit Section
page appears.
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Frequently Asked Questions
5. Make sure the correct grade scale is selected from the Grade Scale pull-down menu. If not,
select the correct grade scale and continue to step 6.
6. Click Submit. The course information page displays the edited section.
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Frequently Asked Questions
7. Repeat steps 4-6, if any other sections are listed.
Grade Scale
Check the grade scale. Before performing this procedure, log on to PowerSchool, change to the
district, and select the year mode.
You must log on to the district office before performing this procedure.
1. On the start page, choose School from the main menu.
2. Click Grade Scales. The Grade Scales page appears.
3. Click Edit Scale next to the name of the grade scale to be edited. The Grade Scale: [grade
scale] page appears.
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Frequently Asked Questions
4. Make sure that the grades are set to count in the GPA and have some GPA points specified.
If not, click the grade to enter a value in the Grade Points field and to select the “Counts in
GPA?” checkbox.
5. Click Submit.
6. Click Back on your Web browser. The Grade Scales page displays.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 for any other actively used grade scale.
Historical Grades
Check the historical grades. Before performing this procedure, log on to PowerSchool and change
to the proper school.
1. On the start page, search for and select the student.
2. Choose Historical Grades from the student pages menu. The Historical Grades page appears.
For each course in which the student earned a grade, the page displays the following:
•
Year and store code of the term in which the student enrolled in the course
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Frequently Asked Questions
•
Student’s grade level at the time he or she enrolled in the course
•
Course name
•
Number of possible credit hours the student can earn in the course
•
Historical grade the student earned in each grading term
Note: The Normal View page displays only the grades the student received during the
grade levels of the current school.
3. Click Detail View to view expanded information and the grades the student received at
other grade levels. The Complete Academic Record—Detail View page appears.
Note: The Complete Academic Record—Detail View page displays all of the student’s
historical grades in PowerSchool. The Detail View page is not specific to the grade levels at
this school.
In addition to the information on the Historical Grades page, this page displays the
following detailed credit information:
•
Number of credit hours the student earned in each course
•
Potential credit hours the student could earn in each course
•
If the course is included in a graduation requirement and the credits the student
earned count towards the requirement
•
If the grade in the course is included in the student’s GPA calculation
•
If the grade in the course is included in the class rank calculation
•
If the grade in the course is included in the honor roll calculation
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Frequently Asked Questions
•
If the credits in the course count towards a graduation requirement based on credit
type
Note: Your school can create credit types to group courses together to fill a graduation
requirement. Assign credit types to courses or final grades and then specify that a
requirement be filled by any courses or grades of that credit type. For example, you specify
that any two courses with the ALGEBRA credit type fulfill a math requirement
4. Click Normal View to return to the Historical Grade page. The Historical Grades page
(Normal View) reappears. If you have proper access, see the PowerSchool Help section
"Historical Grades Setup" to create or edit historical grades.
4D Tools
How Do I Run 4D Tools and Repair a Damaged Data File?
When your PowerSchool data file becomes damaged, you will need to run 4D tools.
There are two versions of 4D Tools. One is for the PowerSchool server. PowerSchool recommends
that you run this tool under the direction of PowerSchool Technical Support. Be sure to first back up
your data file. The other version is for PowerGrade itself.
4D Tools for PowerSchool Server
To access 4D Tools, you will need to access the PowerSchool server where the program is
automatically downloaded to the computer.
Note: Running 4D Tools creates a log file called “journal.txt” in the same directory as the data file.
The log file contains essentially the same information that appears in the 4D Tools dialog boxes
when running 4D tools.
1. Backup your data file before running 4D tools.
2. On your server, navigate to PowerSchool > System > Tools.
3. Start 4D Tools application.
4. In the dialog box, choose Custom Document (Mac) or Compiled Database (Windows) from
the pop-up menu.
5. Select the PowerSchool application. Press and hold ALT while clicking Open.
6. Select the PowerSchool data file. If a screen appears indicating that there is a damaged data
file, select Other. Do not select Repair.
7. Click the Maintain tab.
8. Choose Check All. If 4D Tools indicates damage, click the Repair tab and click Repair All. If
the progress bar moves backwards during the Check All or Repair All processes, the function
“Recover by Tags” must occur. This function completes automatically when you choose the
Repair All option.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Note: When conducting a “Recover by Tags” operation, there is a potential for data loss. If
that occurs, verification should be performed immediately by the PowerSchool system
administrator.
9. Replace the damaged data file with the repaired data file.
10. Restart PowerSchool.
4D Tools for PowerGrade
The PowerGrade 4D Tools are not automatically downloaded to your computer, but you can
download them from: http://help.powerschool.com/viewtopic.html?t=recovering4ddb. Select the
appropriate version of 4D Tools, depending on which version of PowerGrade you use. If you try to
run a version of 4D tools that is not compatible with the PowerGrade data file, an error message
indicates that the database has been made with a different version of 4D.
Note: Running 4D Tools creates a log file called “journal.txt” in the same directory as the data file.
The log file contains essentially the same information that appears in the 4D Tools dialog boxes
when running 4D tools.
The following instructions are for PowerGrade 4.1 or higher for Mac OS X, Mac, and Windows.
The PowerGrade files may be in various locations depending on where and how PowerGrade was
installed. If you do not know where your files are, contact your PowerSchool administrator.
PowerGrade for Mac OS X
The 4D Tools installation files for PowerGrade v4.1 or higher for Mac OS X are shipped as "packages”
with the file extension ".app." The 4D executable exists inside the package, several levels down that
particular type of file folder. 4D Tools does not automatically navigate down to that level.
1. Control + click or right-click the .app file.
2. Choose Show Package Contents.
3. Navigate to the PowerGrade executable file.
4. Move the PowerGrade executable file to a location that 4D Tools can find, such as your hard
drive.
5. Backup your data file before running 4D tools.
6. Install 4D Tools on the user’s computer.
7. Double-click the 4D_Tools icon.
8. Change the “Files of type” pop-up menu to “Custom Document” in the Open dialog box.
9. Find and select the PowerGrade application file.
Note: If the system cannot find your data file, an Open dialog box displays after you click
Open. Select your [filename].data file.
10. Click Open. The 4D tools dialog box appears. If a screen appears indicating that there is a
damaged data file, select Other. Do not select Repair.
11. Click the Maintain tab.
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12. Choose Check All. If 4D Tools indicates damage, click the Repair tab and click Repair All. If
the progress bar moves backwards during the Check All or Repair All processes, the function
“Recover by Tags” must occur. This function completes automatically when you choose the
Repair All option.
Note: When conducting a “Recover by Tags” operation, there is a potential for data loss. If
that occurs, verification should be performed immediately by the PowerSchool system
administrator.
13. Replace the damaged data file with the repaired data file.
14. Restart PowerGrade using the repaired data file.
15. Move the PowerGrade executable back to its location prior to step 4.
PowerGrade for Mac
1. Backup your data file before running 4D tools.
2. Install 4D Tools on the user’s computer.
3. Double-click the 4D_Tools icon.
4. Change the “Files of type” pop-up menu to “Custom Document” in the Open dialog box.
5. Find and select the PowerGrade application file.
Note: If the system cannot find your data file, an Open dialog box appears after you click
Open. Select your [filename].data file.
6. Click Open. The 4D tools dialog box appears. If a screen appears indicating that there is a
damaged data file, select Other. Do not select Repair.
7. Click the Maintain tab.
8. Choose Check All. If 4D Tools indicates damage, click the Repair tab and click Repair All. If
the progress bar moves backwards during the Check All or Repair All processes, the function
“Recover by Tags” must occur. This function completes automatically when you choose the
Repair All option.
Note: When conducting a “Recover by Tags” operation, there is a potential for data loss. If
that occurs, verification should be performed immediately by the PowerSchool system
administrator.
9. Replace the damaged data file with the repaired data file.
10. Restart PowerGrade using the repaired data file.
PowerGrade for Windows
1. Backup your data file before running 4D tools.
2. Install 4D Tools on the user’s computer.
3. Double-click the 4D Tools icon.
4. Change the “Files of type” pop-up menu to “Compiled Database” in the Open dialog box.
5. Find and select the [filename].4DC file in the Open dialog box.
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Note: If the system cannot find your data file, an Open dialog box appears after you click
Open. Select your [filename].4DD file.
6. Click Open. The 4D tools dialog box appears. If a screen appears indicating that there is a
damaged data file, select Other. Do not select Repair.
7. Click the Maintain tab.
8. Choose Check All. If 4D Tools indicates damage, click the Repair tab and click Repair All. If
the progress bar moves backwards during the Check All or Repair All processes, the function
“Recover by Tags” must occur. This function completes automatically when you choose the
Repair All option.
Note: When conducting a “Recover by Tags” operation, there is a potential for data loss. If
that occurs, verification should be performed immediately by the PowerSchool system
administrator.
9. Replace the damaged data file with the repaired data file.
10. Restart PowerGrade using the repaired data file.
What Does the Message “An Interruption Occurred…” Mean?
If you receive the message “An Interruption Occurred,” you need to run the 4D Tools. The full error
is, "An interruption occurred while flushing to disk. Run 4D Tools to see if the database is okay." For
instructions on how to run 4D Tools, refer to the section How Do I Run 4D Tools?
Average Daily Attendance and Membership
How Do I Correct ADA/ADM Results?
To change ADA/ADM results, set up attendance conversion values and set your school year to
either positive or negative attendance.
Set up attendance conversions to calculate attendance based on the number of periods a student is
absent. For example, a student receives only a half-day of attendance credit if he or she is absent
for two to four periods, and receives no credit if absent for five or more periods.
After creating attendance conversions, set up attendance conversion items. Then, indicate whether
your school uses positive or negative attendance.
1. On the start page, choose School from the main menu.
2. Click Attendance Conversion. The Attendance Conversions page appears.
3. Click New. The New Attendance Conversion page appears.
4. Enter a name for the attendance conversion.
5. Click Submit. The Attendance Conversions page displays the new attendance conversion.
6. On the Attendance Conversions page, click Edit Conversion Items. The Attendance
Conversion Items: [attendance conversion name] page appears.
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Frequently Asked Questions
7. Click New to create an attendance conversion item. For each conversion item, define the
number of periods in which the student must be present in order to receive the number of
points you define
8. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
If Absent this many
periods in a day (or
more)
Choose from the pop-up menu the minimum number of
periods a student must be absent to earn the number of
attendance points specified in the next field.
For example, choose 5 to define that students who are absent
five or more periods in a school day receive the points entered
in the next field.
Membership Percentage
(decimals allowed)
Enter the number of attendance points students receive if they
are absent, based on the number of periods you chose in the
previous field.
For example, if students are counted as absent for the entire
day if they are absent for five or more periods, choose 5 in the
previous field and enter 0 in this field.
Comments
Enter any comments that are relevant to this attendance
conversion item.
9. Click Submit. The new attendance conversion item appears on the Attendance Conversion
Items: Default page.
10. Create additional new attendance conversion items as necessary.
11. Click School Setup in the navigation path. The School Setup page appears.
12. Click Years & Terms. The Years & Terms page appears.
13. Click the year of the school year to be edited. The Edit School Year page appears.
14. From the Calculate Daily Attendance Using pop-up menu, select Positive Attendance if your
school calculates daily attendance using the number of periods a student is present. For
example, if a student is present four out of seven periods, he or she is present. Select
Negative Attendance if your school calculates daily attendance using the number of periods
a student is absent. For example, if a student is absent five out of seven periods, he or she is
absent.
15. Click Submit. The Years & Terms page appears.
What Factors Can Affect ADA/ADM Results?
The membership reports use Daily Attendance to generate average daily attendance and average
daily membership numbers that depend on the number of days a student has membership and has
attended school. The daily attendance values are determined based on the number of minutes a
student attends school. The system internally calculates and determines the total number of
minutes available for the given schedule type and determines the number of minutes a student
attends school.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Factors that affect ADA/ADM results include whether the system calculates positive or negative
attendance, whether the section is excluded from ADA/ADM attendance, and how the attendance
conversion values are defined.
PowerGrade Backups
How Do I Retrieve a PowerGrade Backup?
The backups are stored on your PowerSchool server in a folder named PowerGrade Backups. To
retrieve a backup file, select Retrieve Last Backup from the File menu in PowerGrade.
How Do I Make a PowerGrade Backup?
The easiest way to back up your data is to select Make Backup from the File menu in PowerGrade. This
command sends a copy of your data file to the PowerSchool server. The PowerSchool server generally
stores the last five backups you made. Note that making a backup to the PowerSchool server is different
than just saving your work. A backup to the PowerSchool server saves not only the grades and
assignments, but also items such as customized settings, preferences, and notes. If your computer
crashes, retrieve students’ grades from the PowerSchool server. However, if you do not make a backup
of your data file, all the personalized settings are lost.
Alternatively, make a copy of your PowerSchool data file on your computer for use as a backup. The
extension on an Apple data file is “.data.” The extension on a PC data file is “.4DD.” To make a backup,
copy your PowerGrade data file to another location: the PowerSchool server, a network server, an
external disk, or any combination of these places.
It is a good idea to keep several backups; you might want to use both of the above methods to
back up your data file after every PowerGrade session. If you are not sure how to make a backup or
which is your data file, contact your PowerSchool administrator.
How Does a PowerGrade Backup Differ from Saving in PowerGrade?
Saving in PowerGrade saves items such as grades and assignments. A backup to the PowerSchool
server saves not only the grades and assignments, but also items such as customized settings,
preferences, and notes.
PowerGrade
How Do I Set Up Final Grades?
In PowerGrade, a final grade is any grade that is based on added or averaged scores. Since PowerGrade
immediately processes any score you enter, a student can get his or her final grade at any time during
the term, even if you have only entered one assignment in PowerGrade. When administrators, parents,
or students log on to the PowerSchool server, they can view students’ current final grades. Final grades
display on the left side of the spreadsheet.
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If you do not weight final grades, then you do not need to complete the following instructions.
Continue if you want particular categories or terms to be weighted more than others. It is important to
set up weighting at the beginning of the term, and to use care when doing so.
Note: Set up all terms at the beginning of the year to prepare for the remainder of the year.
If you make an error in weighting or if you do not complete the setup at the beginning of the term, the
final grade may not accurately reflect your students’ work.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class page for the selected class
appears.
2. Choose Windows > Final Grades Setup. The Final Grades Setup page appears.
3. Select the final grade term from the Which final Grade pop-up menu.
Note: Your PowerSchool administrator sets the name of the term and its start and end dates.
You cannot edit the data in this field.
4. Select the “Show on spreadsheet” checkbox if you want the final grades for the selected
term to appear on the spreadsheet.
5. Select the factor type from the pop-up menu. If you select Total points, skip to step 10. If
you choose any other factor type, continue with the next step.
6. Select the appropriate category, assignment, or term from the dialog box.
7. Click OK.
8. Enter the number of low scores to drop if you select a category and want to drop any low
scores from the category assignments. This option is not available for other factor types.
9. Enter the (percentage) weight for the factor type in the final grade. The “Total weight” at
the bottom of the list changes with each number you enter.
10. Click + to add another factor.
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11. Repeat steps 5-10 to set up additional factors.
12. Select the row, and click - to delete a factor.
13. Repeat step 12 to delete other factors.
14. Click Accept. The spreadsheet appears, and any grades already entered have been
recalculated to reflect the weighting.
Note: If you have weighted the factors and their sum does not equal 100%, an error
message appears. Click OK to return to the Final Grades Setup dialog and adjust the
weights.
How Do I Include a Midterm Exam in Final Grades?
In PowerGrade, tests are assignments that are included in the final grade score. Create a “tests” category,
and assign a test to that category when creating an assignment. In a grading structure that includes
20% homework, 40% class work, 25% tests, 5% midterm, and 10% final exam, create four categories:
homework, class work, tests, and term tests. In this example, assign a midterm to the category “term
tests.” It is important to include midterm or other special exams in a category other than the category
that includes regular tests to avoid counting an exam twice.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class page for the selected class
appears.
2. Choose Windows > Assignments (or click the Assignments icon). The Assignments page
appears.
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3. Select an assignment from the assignment list on the left. Details for the selected
assignment appear on the right.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Assignment List]
The list of available assignments appears. If no assignments are
entered, this field is blank.
When you select an assignment, its details appear on the right
side of the page.
Category
Choose an assignment category from the pop-up menu. For
more information, see the section "Assignment Categories."
Name
Enter the assignment name.
Abbrev.
Enter an abbreviation for the assignment. Various PowerGrade
reports use this abbreviation.
Pts. Poss.
Enter the number of points possible.
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Field
Description
Weight
Enter a weight for the assignment (optional). The system
multiplies both the assignment’s points possible and the
students’ scores by this weight when calculating final grades.
For example, suppose that there are three assignments worth
10 points each, and a student earns 5, 6, and 7 points on them.
All of the assignments have a weight of 1 except for the first
assignment, which has a weight of 2. This means that for this
student's final grade, PowerGrade makes the first assignment
worth 20 points – so the student earns 10 points on that
assignment. The other two assignments do not change because
they have a weight of 1. Thus, the student earns 23 out of a
possible 40 points.
You can also use this feature to turn off an assignment by
giving it a weight of zero. For more information on weighting,
see the section "Weight Grades."
You can use decimal weights such as 1.5 or 2.25. If you do,
category subtotals and final point totals might include several
decimal places.
Date due
Click the calendar button to select the date the assignment is
due. Use the arrows to navigate forward or backward by month
or year. After navigating to the appropriate month and year,
select the day the assignment is due. The selected date displays
in the "Date due" field.
Description
Enter a description of the assignment (optional). Parents can
read this description when they log in to PowerSchool.
Web Link
Click Web Link to enter any URLs and explanatory text that
might be helpful to students or parents. Parents can read this
information.
Standards
Click Standards to apply standards to this assignment. The
Standards dialog appears.
Standards are the average scores for tests and assignments, and
are typically used for state reporting purposes. For more
information about standards, see the section "Standards."
View Group
When creating an assignment, click View Group to view the
class group to which the current class is associated. Use this
information to determine if you want to copy this assignment
to other classes in the group. To do so, see the field "Apply to
other classes in the group."
You cannot edit this field after initially saving the assignment.
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Field
Description
Apply to other classes in
group
When creating an assignment, select this checkbox to apply the
assignment to other classes in the group. The assignment only
applies to courses in the same group for the same term.
You cannot edit this field after initially saving the assignment.
Other Classes
In addition to the current class, the number of other classes
that include this assignment displays.
5. Click Accept to save your changes.
6. Close the Assignments page.
To include this test in the final grade setup, refer to the section “How Do I Set Up Final Grades?” Use the
Single Assignment factor type to assign the exam to final grades.
Updating Server
Why Did the Server Not Update?
If your server did not update with the latest version of PowerSchool, the automatic update feature
either is not selected or is not configured correctly. Set up the Auto Update feature to avoid manual
updates. If PowerSchool releases an update, your system automatically updates sometime between
10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu.
2. Click System Settings. The System Settings page appears.
3. Click Auto Update. The Automatic Updating page appears.
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4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Automatic Update
Enabled
Select this checkbox to enable automatic updates to your
PowerSchool server.
Update Server Address
Enter the URL of the PowerSchool update server. Contact
PowerSchool for this address.
Port to use for Update
Request
When you implement PowerSchool at your school,
PowerSchool will instruct you to enter a port here, if you need
to use a port other than the default. If you are updating from an
internal server, this port must match the update port defined
on that server's Server Settings page.
To use the default port, leave this field blank.
Maintain Application
Memory Setting
If you are running PowerSchool on an Apple computer and you
customized the PowerSchool application memory setting,
select this checkbox to maintain that memory setting after an
update.
5. Click Submit. The System Settings page appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
BLOB Error
What Is a BLOB Error and How Can I Correct It?
The BLOB error is related to the communication between PowerSchool and PowerGrade. If
PowerSchool does not understand what PowerGrade sent it, this error displays on the server.
However, with the release of PowerSchool v2.0.9.7, the BLOB error no longer displays on the server.
Instead, it is kept in a log table inside PowerSchool.
Teacher Comments
How Do I Get Teacher Comments to Display on Report Cards?
To display Teacher Comments on report cards, either select the “Hist. tchr. cmnt.” option in the
schedule listing for the report card, or include the code ^(teachercomments) on the report
card, such as in the footer.
Why Do Old Teacher Comments Still Display?
Teachers can create a Parent Note (called Teacher Comments in PowerSchool) in PowerGrade.
PowerGrade sends the note to the PowerSchool server. If you do not delete the note or comment from
your local PowerGrade application before grades are stored, it becomes part of the student’s permanent
record.
How Do I Use the Comment Bank?
Instead of creating Teacher Comments (called Parent Notes in PowerGrade), teachers can select
from an unlimited number of comment codes in a district-wide comment bank. The comment text
can include links to websites. Teachers select comment bank codes from the comment bank in
both PowerGrade and PowerSchool Teacher.
How to Create Comments in the Comment Bank
1. On the start page, choose School from the main menu.
2. Click Comment Bank. The Comment Bank page appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
3. Click New. The New Comment page appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Comment Code
Enter a numeric, alphabetical, or alphanumeric code.
Category
Enter a category to which you want to assign your comment
(optional). The comment bank groups the comments by
category.
Note: Categories are not relevant to reports or searches.
Comment categories affect only how the comments appear on
the Comment Bank page.
Available to
Select an option to display this comment for all schools on this
server or only the selected school.
Comment Text
Enter the comment text, which can include hyperlinks and
HTML.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
5. Click Submit. The Comment Bank page displays the new comment.
Frequently Asked Questions
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