WORTHINGTON -- District 518 implemented the use of Parent Portal approximately four years ago. This information system is a part of the student data system the district utilizes for tracking students grades, attendance, schedules, behavior and so on. The Parent Portal portion of this student data system allows parents the opportunity to check on their child's educational data on a regular basis and is available to all parents that would like to sign up. We encourage parents to utilize the Parent Portal as a tool to track their child's individual data in the system as well as a way to identify if they need more communication with the teacher.
Parents need to have access to a computer since the district issues individualized passwords that can be entered once you enter the district website. District 518 also has worked to create more opportunities for communication with parents by placing older computers at a local business, so their employees can monitor their child's data on their breaks and stay informed about their children.
District 518 requires staff to update grades within five days after an assignment, quiz or test, and hopefully this can be done sooner to allow parents to keep track of grades. Not only have we found that parents are utilizing the system, but many students track the data on this system as well. Currently, we have 43.47 percent of high school parents with accounts, 40.73 percent of the middle school parents with accounts and 23.44 percent of the elementary parents with accounts. Please remember that not all elementary teachers are able to utilize the student system at all grade levels at this time, particularly at the primary grades.
As we continue to review and explore other opportunities that the system is capable of providing, we hope to communicate these in a timely manner. A few of the ideas that have floated to the surface for implementation are related to placing future assignments in the system, so students have the opportunity to work on them in advance due to busy extra-curricular schedules. Another would be to include descriptions, objectives and references for the assignments as part of the grade book in order to provide more information for future assignments. Some staff are currently utilizing and trying this option out and may be something that will become a district priority in the near future.
The Parent Portal has become a tool that has allowed District 518 to communicate more with parents. This should become an important tool in efforts to collaborate in helping students, parents and teachers provide success in the educational experience of the students. We encourage all parents to participate in the opportunity to be more involved in your child's education.
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If you would like more information about Parent Portal or how to obtain a password for your child, please contact Tom Ahlberg by e-mail at tom.ahlberg@isd518.net and he would be happy to assist you.
Thank you for being interested in your child's education and taking an active role in their success. We appreciate your continued support of District 518.
John Landgaard is the superintendent of District 518 schools.
