Set up PowerSchool / Overview (2024)

Set up PowerSchool

Home Base gives parents and students access to real-time information including attendance, grades, and assignments. With Home Base, powered by PowerSchool application, everyone stays connected: Students stay on top of assignments, parents are able to participate in their child's progress, and teachers can instantly share information from their grade book with parents and students. Families with multiple students can also set up their accounts to view all of their students at one time, with one login.

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Weekly Message for 4-28-24

How do students get started?
All middle and high school students have access to Home Base. Secondary students (grades 6-12), will access Home Base through their WakeID portal. New students will need to request their WakeID from school staff. Instructions on how to access Home Base applications which includes PowerSchool, can be found here | en español.
Elementary students will receive information regarding their accounts from their teachers. This will begin once the elementary level begins using HomeBase applications.

How do parents get started?
Step 1. Complete the access request forms.
Hand deliver the completed access request form to the school. Notarized forms can be mailed to your child’s school. Download the notary public formor thephoto ID form.Check with your school to make sure a notarized form is being accepted.
- Notary Public Form(Español)
- Photo ID Form(Español)
Step 2. Wait for your access letter and instructions.
Once your child's school has verified your forms, they will provide you with a welcome letterwith a link to a Quick Guide
- Elementary School(Español)
- Secondary School(Español)
Step 3. Create a Parent Portal account.
Use the information you received in your letter to create your Parent Portal account. For help creating an account, download directions (links below). When you are ready, you can create an account here: wcpss.powerschool.com/public.
- Elementary School Parent Portal Directions(Español)
- Secondary School Parent Portal Directions(Español)
Step 4. Link your students to your account.
Once you’ve created your Parent Portal account, use the access ID and password provided on the letter from the school to view your child’s data. Does your access ID and password still not work? Make sure you’ve created your Parent Portal account first. Still having issues? Download and read the directions.
- Elementary School Parent Portal Directions(Español)
- Secondary School Parent Portal Directions(Español)
Step 5. Need Help?
Please review the FAQs below prior to contacting the school for assistance. Questions regarding grades can be e-mailed to your child’s teacher.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What if I can’t remember my username and password?
A: Click 'Having trouble signing in' on the login page.You will be asked to enter your username to reset your password. You will need to enter your e-mail address if you have forgotten both your username and your password. Information will be sent to your e-mail address.
Q: What is the web page for the parent portal?
A: Go to https://wcpss.powerschool.com/public/
Q: How do I add my student to my Parent Portal Account?
A: Please download the Parent Portal User Guide.
- Elementary School Parent Portal Directions(Español)
- Secondary School Parent Portal Directions(Español)
Q: Will my child still have access if I do not create an account?
A: Students will be provided information to access their data even if parents do not request access.
Q: What is the district code for the Parent Portal App?
A: The district code is KNDW.
Q: Why can't I access my SPAN account?
A: SPAN was linked to our old student information system (NCWISE). In July 2014, the state of North Carolina moved to a new student information system called PowerSchool. The Parent Portal for PowerSchool will be delivered through Home Base. Access codes will be provided to you by the school.
Q: How will I get my class schedule?
A: Your school will provide class schedules and other details related to the opening of school.
Q: Why can’t I locate my school on the iPad or iPhone application?
A: If you cannot locate your school, enter the following server information in the server settings: wcpss.powerschool.com or enter the zip code for the district office - 27518.

Important
In order to maintain full compliance with the U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), all Home Base users are required to access Home Base using their own account.
Student data is not accessible by anyone who does not have the authority to do so. Students have access to their own data, and any parent or legal guardian may also request access.
If there is a situation where a parent or legal guardian should not receive access to student data, please notify the school immediately.

FAQs

What are the disadvantages of PowerSchool? ›

Lack of Intuitiveness: Several users have found PowerSchool to be unintuitive, making it difficult for them to navigate and find the features they need. Some reviewers mentioned that certain functions require programming knowledge, which can be a barrier for administrators who are not familiar with coding.

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How do you create a master schedule in PowerSchool? ›

Under Schedule, choose Master Schedule from the PowerScheduler menu. Select the checkboxes to indicate which periods to display on the master schedule. To display all periods, select the All Periods checkbox.

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How to do progress reports on PowerSchool? ›

After searching for the students you want to run progress reports for click on the functions menu (the small triangle button below the list of student names) and click 'Print Reports'. On the Print Reports page there is a drop-down menu with a list of reports.

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Why did PowerSchool remove GPA? ›

In truth, the GPA listed on PowerSchool is only representative of the current semester and is a live score, meaning that it updates whenever teachers put in new grades. To possibly prevent this confusion, the GPAs were taken down.

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Is PowerSchool reliable? ›

PowerSchool is a robust, reliable product. There are many nuanced features that can be utilized and customized to meet a variety of educational setting needs. However, it can also be tricky sometimes for an average user to make use of all the features since the UX can be complicated.

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What are the cons of standard-based grading? ›

While anyone can attempt to learn the “standards” of a test, a one-time test isn't a holistic indicator of a student's long-term success. Despite SBG having some benefits, our education system must still better assess what students do and do not know.

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Can PowerSchool do standards-based grading? ›

Working with Standards

As a PowerSchool administrator, you are responsible for the setup of course standards at the district level. After setting up standards in PowerSchool, teachers can record standards grades for each grading term and record standards grades associated with assignments.

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What does n mean in PowerSchool? ›

Set up a letter grade grading table when your school uses letters to represent a student's grade. Letter grades appear as letters on the report card. You can design letter grades in any format; for example, A, B, C, D, and F, or G, S, and N for Good, Satisfactory, and Needs Improvement.

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How to set up periods in PowerSchool? ›

For Day, select the day you want to set up. To add a period, from the Actions menu, select Add Period. To delete a period, select the period and from the Actions menu, select Delete Period. Start Time: The period's starting hour.

How do you create an assignment on PowerSchool? ›

Create an Assignment

Click Create, then choose Assignment.
From the Assignment tab, click Select by Groups or Select by Classes to create an assignment for selected student groups or classes. ...
Select classes or groups.
Enter the Assignment Name, then enter additional information, as needed:

More items...

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How do you run a class roster on PowerSchool? ›

On the start page, choose System Reports under Reports in the main menu. On the System tab, click Class Rosters (PDF). Select the teachers for which you want to generate a class roster. To select multiple teachers, press and hold COMMAND (Mac) or CONTROL (Windows) as you click each teacher's name.

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How do I set up reporting terms in PowerSchool? ›

Use the Final Grade/Reporting Term Setup page to set up your school's grading terms and parameters. Define the dates of each grading term in the school year and assignment names for which teachers enter final grades for that term. Setting up final grades entry may also be done in the PowerSchool SIS Teacher portal.

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How do I create a student progress report? ›

Here's a list of things to remember when creating a student progress report:

Be clear and concise. Use language that the student or their parents won't misunderstand.
Avoid educator jargon. ...
Point out trends that may lead to future results, good or bad.
Use specific examples to support your comments.

How do you create an activity on PowerSchool? ›

Add an Activity

Navigate to the Extracurricular Activities Setup page.
Click New. Enter or select options on the page.
Click Submit.
To edit an activity, click the name of the activity. To delete an activity, click the name and then click Delete.

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What are the disadvantages of grades? ›

On the negative side, grades can be used to compare and rank students, leading to feelings of inferiority or superiority. Grades can also create competition among students rather than cooperation. And grades can actually demotivate students, especially those who struggle and wonder why they should keep trying.

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What are the disadvantages of standard based education? ›

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What are the disadvantage students? ›

Disadvantaged students are those who have hindrances to excelling in school because of detrimental circ*mstances beyond their control. These include financial and social hardships as well as problems within students' families.

Keep Reading ›

What is the educational disadvantage? ›

Generally, educational disadvantage is caused by circ*mstances beyond your control that have affected previously satisfactory academic results. These may include: Circ*mstances relating to equality of opportunity (for example, ethnic, cultural, gender, or language demands and expectations)

Set up PowerSchool / Overview (2024)