PowerSchool Public Portal

Click to access

Frequently Asked Questions

1.    What is PowerSchool?
PowerSchool is the Amherst-Pelham Regional School's student information system. The district uses PowerSchool for student demographics, attendance, storing grades, scheduling and more.

2.    What is the PowerSchool Public Portal?
The Public Portal is a feature of the PowerSchool Student Information system that provides students and parents/guardians immediate access to grades, assignments and attendance records in an effort to facilitate and improve communication between home and school. Schools may choose to limit the information shown during the initial rollout.

3.    Who may access the PowerSchool Public Portal?
Amherst-Pelham Regional School’s students and parents/guardians who have a username and password may access the PowerSchool Public Portal. Only one parent/guardian username and password will be issued per student. It is your responsibility to determine which parent/guardian will be able to access the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

Students will be able to access the PowerSchool Portal using their own username and password.

4.    How do I access the PowerSchool Public Portal?
You may access the PowerSchool Public Portal from any computer with an internet connection by launching your web browser and going to the Amherst-Pelham Regional School web site www.arps.org/portal .

5.    How do I obtain a username and password?
Parents/guardians may obtain a username and password by attending open house or by visiting the school office during school days. Parent/guardians must complete and return the PowerSchool Public Portal Access Request form to your school's main office. This form can be obtained in the the school's main office or downloaded from the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools website. The form must be returned to the school office and presented with a government-issued picture ID. PowerSchool Public Portal Access Request form

6.    Can I change my password? At this time, 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.

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. PowerSchool 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.    My password wasn't working or I lost my password.  What do I do??

 Please try the following:

1.  Try your username and password a few times just to make sure
      it’s not working correctly.
2.  Make sure you are not typing the letter O instead of a zero (0).
3.  For security reasons we will not give passwords via phone or email. You will need   to visit the school office in person and present your government-issued picture ID for identity verification.

District Technology Plan

1. District Technology Vision and Mission Statements

2. The District Technology Team is currently comprised of the Director of Technology and the Tech Resource teachers. The Amherst-Pelham, Amherst and Pelham School Committees have recently undergone a series of personnel changes. Once the new members take their seats, they will be approached to select representatives to the tech team. The various Parent/Guardian Organizations will also be approached to solicit members.
3. Needs Assessment
4. In compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District has adopted an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). The AUP was drafted by the Technology in Education Partnership of Western Massachusetts, its member districts and a local attorney. The AUP is enforced across all schools in the district. The district employs a firewall/content filtering appliance that enforces technology protection measures on all computers connected to the district network. Such technology protection measures apply to both adults and minors to block or filter Internet access to pictures that are: (a) are obscene, (b) child pornography, or (c) harmful to minors (for computers that are accessed by minors). Students are educated about appropriate internet use, internet safety and cyberbullying. Staff is also offered training on internet safety. Appropriate monitoring of online activities of minors, as determined by the building or program monitor, are also enforced to ensure the safety of students when accessing the internet.
5. Budget – The FY09, FY10 and FY11 requested budgets are listed below.  The FY12 budget is still under development, but will be based on level funding. Please note the Amherst figures do not reflect capital appropriations. The FY12 Fiscal year will see the first implementation of a captial plane for the Regional School District, pending approval of 4 member towns. The district’s portion for eRate discounted expenses will be paid from the Internet Access and Telecommunications budget lines as well as other budgeted telecommunications lines:

6. Evaluation - The districts evaluate the progress it has made in implementing its technology plan through frequent director level meetings and throughout the budget process.  Yearly goals are set, timelines established and progress evaluated. There are monthly meetings of district technology staff and technology resource teachers/integration specialists to discuss, among other things, curriculum, lesson plans, progress and evaluation, professional development, new technologies and technology needs. District technology staff is proactive in reviewing new technologies and their application and integration into the curriculum. District staff is active in groups such as MassCUE, TEP-WM, Mass Powerschool Users Group and others.

1. Technology Integration
   
   1. Outside Teaching Time
   2. For Teaching and Learning
2. Technology Literacy
   
   1. Eighth grade proficiency
   2. Teacher proficiency
3. Staffing
   
   1. The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District has a Director of Information Systems/Technology Director.
   2. The district currently provides one FTE instructional technology teacher per 160-200 staff.
   3. The district has staff dedicated to data management and assessment. The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District was one of the pilot districts in the Data Warehouse grant and continues to be an active participant.

1. Hardware Access
   
   1. The three districts that comprise the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District all maintain a student to computer ratio of less than the state recommended minimum of 5:1. All the district’s computers have access to the Internet. The district continues to explore various programs and initiatives for achieving a 1:1 ratio.
   2. All Amherst elementary schools all have two laptop carts and a netbook cart with 16 devices each. The high schools has five laptop carts with 24 computers each. The middle school has one 10-unit laptop cart, a 10 unit netbook cart and two 24 unit netbook carts. All schools also have portable electronic typing devices available.
   3. The Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools are committed to providing access to the full curriculum for all students, including those with disabilities. In order to fulfill that commitment, the district employs an Assistive Technology Coordinator. Their responsibilities include researching, evaluating, specifying and purchases assistive technology, software and hardware. This work is performed in cooperation with the district technology staff to ensure compatibility and interoperability with the district’s computers and infrastructure. The assistive tech coordinator also provides training and support for these technologies.
   4. It is district policy that all procurement of technology be vetted and approved by the district technology staff to ensure usability, equivalent access and interoperability. Final approval of the district technology director is required prior to any purchase.
   5. All member schools of the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District have multiple digital projectors available on site. The secondary schools have numerous classrooms with permanently mounted digital projectors and/or interactive whiteboards with projectors. All schools have numerous mobile digital projectors available to faculty and staff. The 2009 2010 school year saw the first stages of the district's plan to equip all classrooms with 21st century technology. The middle now has a digital projector in each classroom, and added 8 additional document cameras. The high school and elementary schools will begin implementation in FY11, with completion scheduled for FY14; sooner if the budget situation improves. The eventual goal is to equip every classroom, K-12, with a digital projector, interactive white board and document camera.
   6. The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District has a five year computer replacement plan. The secondary schools use a series of rotating leases while the Amherst elementary schools achieve this through capital planning budget. The ability to continue the existing replacement cycle in the FY10 and FY11 school years will be severely strained by tight local and state budgets. Replacements for the 2009-2010 school year have been deferred until FY12. 
2. Internet Access
   
   1. All classrooms in the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District have internet connectivity. All school buildings, with the exception of Pelham Elementary, have widespread, though not total, wireless coverage.
   2. Most classrooms have gigabit connectivity to the network. Those that don’t have 100MB connections. All current computers have gigabit network cards. Wireless connectivity is 802.11b/g, which offers 11 or 54Mbs connectivity. Implementation of an Enterprise grade, secure, wireless LAN supporting 802.11n is scheduled for summer 2011.
3. Networking (LAN/WAN)
   
   1. Most of the district’s network is a gigabit Cat5/Cat5e switched network. The remainder is 100Mb Cat5/Cat5e switched network. The wireless infrastructure used is 802.11b/g.
   2. The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District currently maintains approximately 30 file servers. These servers provide secure file and print services to end users, are used as dedicated application servers, provide email, calendaring and web services. Student information is maintained centrally and is accessible to authorized users from inside and outside the network.
4. Access to the Internet Outside of the School Day
   
   1. Internet access is available to students and staff both before and after normal schools hours. The district also have a “computer redistribution” program which takes equipment that has been made redundant , replaced or donated, reinstalls the original licensed operating system along with OpenOffice and installs a modem. The technology department works with staff to identify students without access to a computer at home and provides one of these computers to the students.
   2. The district seeks to maintain a list of places where students can access the Internet after school hours on the updated web site available in December 2008. Internet access is available at both the Jones Library and the Pelham Free Public Library. In addition, there are numerous sites for Internet access provided by various community, social and religious organizations. The town of Amherst provides free WiFi access throughout the downtown area. 
5. Staffing
   
   1. The district employs one full time Network Administrator.
   2. The district provides in-classroom tech support through a tiered system. Primary support is provided by either Technology Integration Specialists (technology teachers) or technology para-professionals. There are two computer/AV technicians available to provide technical support, as well as the network administrator and technology director. The district maintains a help desk system. The office staff, media specialists/library staff, administration and technology integration specialists all have access to the help desk and can submit help requests. Telephone support is also provided as needed. Printer support is provided through an outside vendor.

1. The district is proactive in researching new technologies and providing staff with information. The main problem continues to be the reticence of most staff to explore and embrace new technologies. The Tech Director and Tech Integration specialists are working with administration to change the current technology instruction model. The out dated “drag-and-drop” model employed by most of the elementary schools needs to be replaced by an integration model. The inclusion of technology instruction in most elementary schools ascetics, or specials rotation, which is tied to teacher prep time, further hampers the effort to change. Discussions with building administrators and teacher union representatives outlining the proposed changes continue. A transition plan for the FY10 school year has been drafted. The middle school postponed implementation of its integration model until the ’09-’10 school year, largely due to staff and administration turn over.
2. The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District’s data infrastructure provides ample bandwidth to support access to web-based or interactive video learning within the classrooms.
3. The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District installed a Moodle distance learning course management system in conjunction with the implementation of their redesigned web site in fall 2008. The district’s goal is to train technology integration specialists/tech resource teachers to become Moodle administrators and pilot on-line courseware development. They will then seek interested staff to provide students with on-line/distance courseware. This courseware will both supplement traditional classroom curriculum and provide unique learning opportunities. The district purchased three standards-based video conferencing systems in FY2007 as part of the FLAP grant. These systems will be used to supplement and expand the classroom based curriculum. Professional development will be offered beginning in January 2009 on additional uses for this equipment, including, but not limited to, virtual field trips, teacher to teacher collaboration and student to student collaboration. The district also began testing web cameras and Skype in select classrooms in the spring of 2008. Further study is planned for the FY09 and FY10 school years.
4. The district went live with an updated web site in the fall of 2008. The new site utilizes an open-source content management system that allows users to easily post and update content from any location with internet access. The new site has generated overwhelmingly positive feedback. The conversion of all school sited to the new CMS is slated for Fall ’09 completion.
5. The district Acceptable Use Policy clearly states “Electronic mail transmissions and other use of electronic resources by students and employees will not be considered confidential and may be monitored at any time by the network administrator or designated staff to ensure appropriate use for instructional and administrative purposes, and may be disclosed to others, including law enforcement officials, without notice.”

Electronic Resources Acceptable Use Policy

See PDF below.

Information Systems & Audio Visual Overview

Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools
Amherst Public Schools
Pelham Elementary

Department of Information Systems

Jerry Champagne, Director of Information Systems
Paul Normando, Network Analyst
Brian Ecclestone, Senior Computer and AV Technician
Doug Slaughter, Software Support Specialist
Michael Caporello, Computer and AV Technician
Jean Langevin, Database Specialist

Our Network

Our network spans three districts and ten buildings. All the buildings except Pelham Elementary are connecting with a gigabit fiber optic connection. Pelham Elementary is connected using a point-to-point-to-point wireless connection that goes from the school to the top of the UMass library and then to the Amherst Town Hall. There is also a redundant T1 line from Pelham Elementary to the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School.

The Department of Information Systems is located in the central office area of the middle school. This area houses most of the personnel and the majority of our servers. There are 26 network servers located in IS, soon to be reduced to 22. There are three servers located in the high school MDF (Main Distribution Facility) and two servers in the Pelham MDF, soon to be consolidated into one. These servers run a mix of operating systems, Primarily Novell Open Enterprise Server on Netware, but including Novell Open Enterprise Server on Linux, Windows Server 2000 and 2003 and VMWare ESX server. The VMWare ESX server is our first attempt at hosting multiple virtual servers on one physical host. If this proves successful, we plan to consolidate servers further, leveraging the power of new hardware to reduce our energy consumption and carbon footprint. We use Novell GroupWise for our email, calendaring and collaboration solution. We manage the systems using Novell ZenWorks. We ensure CIPA compliance and provide internet content filtering using an Astaro Security Gateway 525.

During the renovation of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School, the Crocker Farm Elementary School and the Pelham Elementary School in 2003-2003, we were able to consolidate the phone systems in nine buildings into one centralized system. This system is located in the IS space in the middle school.

We currently have approximately 1500 workstations, over 400 phones and over 150 network printers connected to our network. All professional staff, secondary students, central office staff have network and email accounts. Many other staff members and some elementary classrooms also have network and email accounts. The workstations all run Windows XP and have Office 2003 installed. We use Sophos AntiVirus for the servers and desktops.

Our Software

    As mentioned above, our primary network operating system is Novell Open Enterprise Server (OES). All network authentication is handled by OES. OES provides all file and print services. Novell GroupWise is the district chosen email, calendaring and collaboration solution. Novell ZenWorks provides all desktop management functions, including application delivery and workstation imaging. ZenWorks makes it possible for only four people to manage 1500 computers in nine buildings.

    Internet content filtering is performed by our Astaro Security Gateway, which authenticates users against Novell eDirectory. Everyone is filtered as required by CIPA. Email filtering is currently provided by our ISP, but this will move in-house as of May 2008. AntiVirus/Adware/Malware protection is provided by Sophos AntiVirus. Internet access is via a 25 Mbs connection via fiber to Crocker Communications in Springfield.

    Workstations run the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. There is a Novell client and ZenWorks agent installed to provide network access. Various Windows utilities are installed, including, but not limited to:

• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Sun Java runtime
• Apple Quicktime
• Adobe Flash and Shockwave
• Winzip
• Microsoft Photo Story
• Power DVD
• Roxio Media Creator or equivalent

 We have many administrative software packages in use. Some of these are: 

• PowerSchool (Student Information System)
• Kronos (Human Resource System)
• Snap (Health Management)
• Versatrans (Transportation)
• InfoCentre (Library Management)
• ConnectEd (User Notification System)
• StudyIsland (MCAS prep)
• Cognos Data Warehouse
• eSped (Special Education management)
• Hirsch Velocity (Building Security)

 Additionally there are numerous other programs available on the network. Access and availability are determined by role and building.

Our Phones

     All administrative spaces and classroom spaces have an NEC phone. These phones use the network as a backbone, which eliminates the need for dedicated phone lines. Once a phone is provisioned for a user, it can be moved to another location (once IS has been consulted and approved, more on why in a moment) and all settings follow the phone. All phones are part of the E911 service. Enhanced 911 allows emergency personnel to locate the exact room from which a call originated. To do this, we provide a list of extensions and their physical locations. That’s why IS needs to be consulted prior to moving a phone, so that we may update the E911 list. Voice mail is provided to most staff, not just those with a physical phone. Each building has phones available for staff to retrieve voice messages. There are emergency and power failure phones in all buildings.

Internet Safety for our Children

     Cindy Boyle, a community educator from the Northwest DA’s office, visited some of
our schools to do a session with our 5th and 6th graders on Internet Safety. She held an evening session for parents of all elementary students on January 7th at 6:30 in the Mark’s Meadow auditorium. Her focus with our students was Internet safety and cyberbullying.

     Cindy is a former Pittsfield police officer and a victim’s assistance advocate for Berkshire County. She is currently the Director of Community Education and Outreach at Northwestern District Attorney’s Office Northampton, Massachusetts. Her primary responsibility is providing training to local elementary, middle, and high schools, community agencies, faith based organizations, and law enforcement agencies. Trainings topics include but are not limited to:

• internet safety
• bullying/cyberbullying
• suicide prevention
• prevention of child sexual abuse.

     Additional duties include chairing the District Attorney’s Youth Advisory Board, cultivating and coordinating relationships with community partners, and assisting in all aspects of planning and presenting conferences.

     Below are some of the resources that she shared with the parents that attended. We hope that you will find them useful in our continuing efforts to keep our children safe when they use they internet.

PowerTeacher Web Gradebook 1.5 Preview

The link below provides a brief preview to the updated PowerTeacher Web Gradebook. It is provided by the San Luis Coastal Unified School District 

PowerTeacher Web Gradebook 1.5 Preview

Technology Tutorials

Click on the links below to view a step-by-step tutorial on using one of the following programs:

(To view these documents at home, you may need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader. Acrobat Reader can be downloaded free by clicking here. Acrobat Reader is already loaded on all Amherst School computers.)