St. Ignatius

PowerSchool Frequently Asked Questions

What is PowerSchool?
PowerSchool is the student information system that St. Ignatius uses to manage information such as grades, attendance, demographics, etc. Since PowerSchool is web-based, some of this information can be easily, but safely shared with parents and students.

What is the PowerSchool Public Portal?
The PowerSchool Public Portal is a feature of the PowerSchool Student Information System that provides students and parents immediate access to grades, assignments, and attendance records in an effort to facilitate and improve communication between home and school.

Do I have to use the PowerSchool Public Portal?
No, you do not have to use it at all. The PowerSchool Public Portal is designed to give students and parents access to information that may be important to them in an easy-to-access, consolidated format. We expect students to be the primary users of this system.

Do all teachers post grade and attendance information to the PowerSchool Public Portal server?
Yes. Grades will be posted by the teacher. Remember, the teacher's grade book is a "snapshot in time" and not necessarily an accurate reflection of the student's overall progress or performance. Similarly, the student's grade average may change depending on the weight or value of graded work. Some teachers may choose to simply post an updated current average every couple of weeks while others will be posting individual assignments with due dates and descriptions.

How often can we expect grades to be updated?
Teachers need time to grade projects, assignments and tests. Each day teachers are expected to have new material and lesson plans ready for class. Many teachers are also involved in extra curricular activities that take time to plan and attend. With that in mind, teachers do need time to get the assignments graded. Please be patient because there are many factors that determine how soon a teacher can assess and return assignments. Essays and research papers take longer to grade than a quiz. Teachers are expected to update PowerSchool scores at least every two weeks.

I know that teachers sometimes weight different categories of grades. How does this affect how a grade is calculated?
Each teacher has his or her own grading system. Some teachers calculate grades by total points while others weight the grades according to assignment categories (homework, quizzes, tests, etc.). Our teachers inform all of their students at the beginning of the course what their expectations and grading policy will be. To understand a specific grade calculation, please have your child contact the teacher. If questions or concerns remain, please feel free to contact the teacher.

Why are the grades changing dramatically in the beginning of a term?
In the beginning of each term, you may see zeros or wild shifts in the class average of your child. When there are only one or two assignments in the gradebook, a low or high score can make a dramatic change in the overall grade average. The gradebook instantly recalculates the overall grade as every assignment is entered.

How does one get a PowerSchool Public Portal User Name and Password? Six-digit numerical Access IDs and Access Passwords are emailed to incoming Frosh parents with students' frosh schedules in early August. Parents can set-up a single sign-on account using that information by following the instructions in that email. Students can access their PowerSchool account with the same username and password as their SI email accounts. This is setup during their Technology Orientation.

Do I need a separate login for each of my children?
No. You may add all of your children to the same single-sign on account.

When I go to the log on page, the password fills in with dots all the way across. Why?
What is happening is that the computer is remembering the password but not giving clues to how long it is. Apparently, someone clicked "yes" to remember password and PowerSchool Public Portal does not like it. So now you will need to clear the password.

When will the PowerSchool Public Portal be accessible?
We will open the PowerSchool Public Portal on the Friday following Back to School Night. Teachers are required to enter scores at least every two weeks. We will record scores at Mid-Quarter, Midterm, and Semester dates, which is about every three weeks. Our first mandatory reporting date is the mid-quarter reporting date. If you see a dashed line in the grade box before that date, that means a teacher has not entered scores. Please encourage your child to see his or her teacher with any questions about grading.

Is this system secure?
Yes, the system requires an individual User Name and Password for each child. In addition, the PowerSchool Public Portal has SSL encryption. The User Name and Password must be kept confidential by parents.

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 tohttps://siprep.powerschool.com/public . There is also a link to PowerSchool on the main SI website. Type in your User Name/Student ID and Password/PIN.

Who may access the PowerSchool Public Portal?
Students and parent(s)/guardian(s) who have a User Name and Password may access the PowerSchool Public Portal. Only one User Name and Password will be issued per student.

Can I access the PowerSchool Public Portal from anywhere?
Yes, you can access the PowerSchool Public Portal from any computer with Internet access.

My husband/wife and I are separated/divorced; can we get another parent User Name and Password for our child’s account?
Yes. Each parent can set up his or her own single-sign on user account.

Do I need a new User Name and Password each year if my child is returning?
No, all login information will remain active as long as your child is a student at the school.

What if I do not have a computer at home or do not have access to the Internet?
The Public Library has computers that you can use to access the PowerSchool Public Portal.

What kind of computer equipment do I need to view PowerSchool Public Portal?
Almost any computer with an Internet connection can access PowerSchool Public Portal. It is recommended that you use a newer Internet browser.

Whom should I contact with questions regarding the PowerSchool Public Portal?
Mike Ugawa in the Academics Office at mugawa@siprep.org.

What can I see on the PowerSchool Public Portal site?
Parents can access the following information: grades for current classes, attendance for the past two weeks, teacher comments and various reports via email.

Whom should I contact if I have a question?
Grades for class assignments during the current semester: Talk with your child first and encourage your child to see his or her teacher about any question or area of concern. If you still have questions, call or email your child’s teacher. General attendance questions should be directed to Katie Kohmann in our Dean’s Office at kkohmann@siprep.org.

Can other people see my son’s/daughter’s grades?
No. As long as you protect your User Name and Password, others will not be able to see your child's information.

Can I change my password?
Yes; you can do that through your single-sign on account.

Can I print what I see?
Yes, use the print icon at the bottom of most pages.

Do I need to logout of PowerSchool Public Portal?
Yes, when you are finished, please logout or shutdown your computer. This way no one will be able to access your child's private information.

Thanks to Stratford K12 School District & Grayslake Community High School District for providing input to our Frequently Asked Questions Information.