This post is part of our Digital Dozen series: twelve quick, practical tips educators can use to get more value out of the PowerSchool solutions they rely on every day.
Your student information system is the engine behind almost everything your district does, including attendance, grades, scheduling, reporting, communication, and the day-to-day details that keep schools running. These robust applications are packed with functionality, and when you know how to use it well, everything gets easier. Fewer clicks, faster workflows, better data, and more time for the work that matters.
But most educators and administrators don’t have extra time to learn all the functions. They need quick, practical ways to build confidence with the tools they already use.
That’s where the Digital Dozen for PowerSchool SIS comes in. It’s a set of 12 fast, easy activities, each designed to help you unlock a new skill, discover a helpful feature, or streamline a routine task. This small daily boost adds up to big gains in how you navigate, manage, and use PowerSchool SIS.
Why it matters:
Your SIS is packed with powerful capabilities, but even small improvements in how you use it can have an outsized impact across classrooms and schools. These simple activities help you work smarter, keep data cleaner, and support students and staff with more consistency.
Grab a few minutes, pick a task, and start leveling up your SIS skills. The Digital Dozen makes it easy to get more out of PowerSchool SIS and help your district benefit from a platform that’s built to save time, simplify work, and drive student success.
Day 1: Favorite Things — SIS Style!
Improve your workflow by favoriting pages in PowerSchool SIS. Create your own list of go-to pages and pin your Favorites drawer open for quick access while you work.
Today’s Challenge: Favorite three pages you use the most.
Day 2: Stay Fresh with Notifications
Stay in the know with SIS Notifications. Set up alerts for data changes or key events, and enable notifications to keep your information fresh.
Today’s Challenge: Create a notification to notify you of a historical grade change so nothing important melts away.
Day 3: Organize Section Types
When courses share the same number but differ in class type, Section Types help you keep things clear. Use them to organize unique class variations under one course umbrella.
Today’s Challenge: Review your course list and identify where Section Types could help you stay perfectly aligned this term.
Day 4: Staff Shuffle
Teachers changing grades or taking on new courses? You can easily update course staff in just a few steps to keep everything running smooth.
Today’s Challenge: Review your current course assignments and make sure every class has the right teacher attached.
Day 5: A Multitude of Tasks
Need to send reminders or updates? Use Tasks in PowerSchool SIS to create and assign action items that keep your team moving. It’s an easy way to share important information without it getting lost.
Today’s Challenge: Create and send a task to a teacher or staff member to test how alerts appear in the app.
Day 6: Family Ties
Bring connections together by Linking Family Members in PowerSchool SIS. Associating family records helps ensure accurate contact details and a complete view of each student’s household.
Today’s Challenge: Find a student and link their family members to keep your records bundled up neatly for the season.
Day 7: A Check for Student Care
Keep students safe and supported by adding Medical Alerts in PowerSchool SIS. This ensures important health information is visible when it matters most.
Today’s Challenge: Review your student records and add or update a Medical Alert to keep your care information current.
Day 8: Checking Family Facts
Bundle up your data by creating a report that lists guardian information—all in one place. Having this on hand makes it easy to stay connected.
Today’s Challenge: Build and print a guardian information report to ensure every family connection is snug and up to date.
Day 9: Password Updates
Keep things secure by using Group Functions to help students update their passwords all at once. It’s a quick way to refresh logins and avoid frustrations later.
Today’s Challenge: Use a group function to prompt or reset student passwords in bulk for a smooth, secure season ahead.
Day 10: Notes on Student Success
Use Student Observations to track behavior and progress throughout the year. These notes help guide conversations with teachers, families, and students alike.
Today’s Challenge: Create a new student observation to capture something positive that deserves to shine this winter.
Day 11: Customize Your View
Make grading in PowerTeacher Pro simple. Adjust your display settings to personalize what you see and how you work best.
Today’s Challenge: Explore your display settings and tweak your PowerTeacher Pro view to create your perfect winter workspace.
Day 12: Keep Up with Missing Work
Use the Missing Assignment Report to spot which students—or classes—might be falling behind. It’s a quick way to reduce surprises before grades are due.
Today’s Challenge: Run a Missing Assignment Report by class or student to help everyone finish the season strong.
Bonus: Reflect and Share
Take a moment to reflect on your favorite PowerSchool SIS activity! Which tip, feature, or workflow made the biggest difference for you? Share your thoughts on LinkedIn or other social channels tagging PowerSchool to keep the conversation going.
Today’s Challenge: Post your favorite Digital Dozen Challenge, tag PowerSchool, and inspire others to try it out!
Download the Digital Dozen PowerSchool SIS Challenge
Use this handy 12-task challenge as a simple way to maximize your PowerSchool SIS usage.
Get the Challenge
