Have you ever found yourself at the end of a quarter with no idea what your average is in a certain class? New measures are being taken at Sharon High to change that common uncertainty. The school is considering the use of the available addition of new features in the Power School program that would allow students and parents to view historical grades and attendance records online.

Most SHS students are familiar with Power School, the web-based information system that many faculty members use to manage student grades, attendance, and other data. Currently, the Internet portal is only available to teachers and administrators, but Sharon High has plans to change this in the near future. SHS Principal Libano would like to progress towards making students and parents able to access Power School by the end of the year.

Principal Libano says the new initiative for online grading is part of the district-wide goal that calls for online grade reporting through Power School. According to the Sharon Public Schools 24 Month District Improvement Plan, the School Committee voted for the “development of the use of an on-line system whereby parents can access up-to-date grades on students’ projects, tests, etc.” back in December 2009. Libano adds that many other school districts have already implemented these new features, such as Foxborough, Oliver Ames, and Needham.

The new student and parent feature of Power School would allow students to check quarter grades online, possibly eliminating the need for paper report cards. It would also allow students to keep track of all of their tardies and absences for any quarter that has already closed. In the current plan, the only information that will be available is for quarters that have already closed.

In the future, Libano also hopes to make the feature “live,” enabling students to check grades on a regular basis, rather than waiting for the end of the quarter.

Once teachers have the opportunity to grade a test or assignment, they will have the option to enter the grades in Power School, and students will be able to see the grades through their personal accounts. This feature will not be available until at least another school year.

Dr. Barbara Dunham, the current superintendent of the Sharon Public school system, said, “We will be lucky to implement finished quarterly grades at all this year. Teachers need training and time.”

Gone will be the days where students received surprises when looking at their report cards. With this new tool and all of its available features, students will know exactly what their grades are—and exactly why they got the grades—well before report cards are issued.

Power School will not only benefit students, but parents as well. According to Pearson’s Power School website, “As a Power School parent, you can check to see whether or not your child is in class right now, find out what tonight's homework is, confirm that last night's homework was handed in, and view your child's final grades as they exist in the teacher's grade-book at this very moment.”

Some students are already excited about the new program. Senior Eli Schwarzschild says, “I think it’s great that we might someday have access our grades online without having to wait for report cards.”

Others are more hesitant about the potential of the up-to-date student feature. “It’s a good idea in theory. I don’t know if I will like it,” said senior Maggie Dowd.

English teacher Mr. Sanford hopes the new student system will have positive rather than detrimental effects on the study body. “My only concern is that it would raise students’ anxiety levels higher than what they are now,” he said.

Sanford hopes it will be used as a beneficial tool for students to “get help or see a teacher” when they are struggling in a class. He is worried that if students have the opportunity to constantly check their grades online, they will “stress out more just over the grade” than the class itself. Sanford is concerned that the new tool has the potential to place too much emphasis on a grade rather than learning.

Principal Libano is also skeptical about Power School creating more stress among students. He confirms that the main purpose of the new feature is to “organize and track grades,” not to have students compulsively check their accounts for new grading updates.

“We need to be cautious about which Power School features we enable for students. These tools aren’t intended to prompt students and parents to constantly watch or analyze grades; rather, these capabilities are meant to facilitate conversations about the progress that students are making with respect to learning,” said Libano.

He also assures that the addition of student Power School features will not be an overnight transition. Libano says although the school is moving in this direction, “we will implement the student and parent tools in the most appropriate fashion and at the right time.”

It is no secret that the stress level at Sharon is extremely high. The halls are filled with constant chatter about GPA points and SAT scores, and competition over grades is widespread. When Power School comes to SHS, hopefully it will be a beneficial organizational tool for students, parents, and teachers alike—rather than just another means for students to obsess over grades.