Mandan Schools Get New Computer System

By SARA KINCAID

Mandan Public School teachers will use a new system for grading and attendance beginning Wednesday.

It is a new computer program, Power School, to track student data, and employees will begin using it during the second semester. The district started implementing Power School this school year. It replaces its current student information system, which tracks items like contact information, grades and attendance.

Eventually, parents will be able to access the information online. It could happen as early as the 2007-08 school year. The district is easing into implementation. It could possibly pilot the parent access at a few schools before taking it districtwide, Superintendent Wilfred Volesky said.

“Right now, we want our teachers to get used to it,” Volesky said.

Staff trained for the program Friday and will continue Tuesday. Administrators were trained in December.

Teachers will primarily use Power School for attendance and grading, while administrators will use it primarily to keep track of student data, such as parent contact information and immunization records. Eventually, it could be used to keep track of test scores, Volesky said.

Many schools use Power School, which is Web-based. It is geared toward compiling student data for ease of access. Volesky used it in Beulah, where he was superintendent before coming to Mandan. Bismarck Public Schools uses it as well. The program is used in 7,800 schools, according to statistics from the makers of Power School.

In August, the Mandan School Board hired a technician for its technology department specifically to help with the Power School implementation, and to help with ongoing Power School issues.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@bismarcktribune.com.)The following fields overflowed:PAGE = 1B 2B 3B 4B 6B

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