Aiming to Improve Communication, D122 Gets More Web Savvy

A couple new online features will make District 122 more web savvy this year, and provide more accessible information for parents and community members.

The school district is redesigning its website so that it will be easier to navigate, offer more frequent newsletter and calendar updates and more photos and video. Additionally, the district debuted a new student management system, PowerSchool, and parents will be able to use it by the end of September.

"It's information in real time," district spokeswoman Jenny Zimmerman said.

Jason Livezey, the district's technology director, said in a previous article PowerSchool will cost about $32,000 per year, following a startup cost of $156,349. PowerSchool will combine other student data systems into one comprehensive tool and will be close to half the cost of all the existing systems, Livezey said.

Parents will be able to access student grades broken down by assignment and attendance records by class. They'll also be able to e-mail teachers directly from the system and see their child's performance on various assessment measures, including the Illinois Standards Achievement Test and the Terra Nova tests. Additionally, if a student is sick and misses class, he or she may log in and get that day's assignment.

"There are so many features we can turn on and turn off," Associate Supt. Peggy Manville said, explaining that there would be a few features to start, and then the district would likely add more. "It's going to allow us to go green. In a few years parents may even say we don't need hard copies of report cards."

Teachers are already using the new system, and Manville said it could be available for parents as early as Sept. 15. The district is reaching out to local grocery stores to set up computer portals so families without Internet access can still get to the website.

Zimmerman said the redesigned website could launch sometime this week, but there are already some new features on the website, including a slideshow of back-to-school photos and a newsletter from Supt. Mike Sass.

Users will be able to register for communication to receive information via email. They can choose different options, including emails about school board information, new district policies and more.