Grading Your K-12 Student Information System

What value is your K-12 student information system providing you? If it just offers basic functionality, that’s not enough in today’s evolved digital environment. Your SIS should provide tangible benefits for staff, students, and schools.  

It’s time to grade your current SIS.  

Updating software systems is a common struggle. In the most recent Education Focus Report survey, larger districts identify “updating current data systems or operational infrastructure” as one of their top four challenges.  

The first step is to evaluate your current system, looking beyond basic functionality like maintaining your student data, scheduling, attendance, and gradebook. When evaluating your current system, assess its ability to deliver deeper value—such as: 

• Simplifying systems to free up staff time 
• Automating workflows to streamline processes 
• Integrating data across systems to provide more comprehensive insights 

How does your SIS score? 

Is your SIS built for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s future needs? Put it to the test. To grade the value you’re getting from your student information system, consider the following categories: 

 1. Interoperability 

Your SIS should connect with the other tools you rely on through interoperability, providing you with connected data to surface comprehensive insights quickly without needing to sign into multiple applications.  

Does your SIS provide the following? 

• API integration capabilities 
• Compliance with SIF and 1EdTech, and certified by the SIF Association (OneRoster and Data Privacy certifications) 
• Complementary product suite for extended functionality, saving time and money 
• Compatibility with a wide selection of edtech products from major vendors 

2. Data security

A modern SIS should provide strong protections to prevent breaches that compromise sensitive student and staff data. The security of your SIS is also enhanced through cloud hosting, dedicated security monitoring, and compliance with FERPA, HIPAA, and SOC 2.  

Does your SIS provide the following? 

• 24x7x365 monitoring of applications, databases, cybersecurity, and infrastructure operations 
• Cloud-hosted solutions, with hosting operations security posture and business continuity framework that are certified by internationally recognized standards 
• Dedicated security team 
• Data center facilities with physical/virtual security measures in compliance with IT security standards (FERPA, HIPAA, SOC 2) 
• Robust and resilient systems backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity capabilities  
• Multiple protection/prevention/mitigation levels against emerging cybersecurity threats 
• SSO and MFA 

3. Actionable data

Modern data systems should put actionable insights at your fingertips, offering dashboards for at-a-glance trends, flexible reporting to meet compliance needs, and tools that streamline teacher workflows. 

Does your SIS provide the following? 

• Ability to run standard reports and build custom reports 
• Dashboards to give teachers actionable data insights with a convenient, one-glance look at trends and progress 
• Streamlined teacher workflows to access/update complete student information 
• Efficient, intuitive, and automated data exchange 
• Flexible and customizable reporting, adaptable to compliance needs 
• Data management to ensure clean, accurate information  
• Accompanying AI products that let users “talk to their data” and use real language queries to pull reports from SIS data 

4. Compliance reporting

An SIS with excellent compliance reporting capabilities can help ensure accurate and timely state and provincial reporting, ensuring you receive the correct funding. Choose a system backed by compliance experts who monitor and update reporting rules for each state.  

Does your SIS provide the following? 

• Push-button reporting capabilities and the ability to run standard reports or build custom reports 
• Ability to handle report generation, adaptable to changing state/province requirements, and data validation 
• Compliance team experts and vendor that stay current for each state/province  
• Support for reports and submissions, including compliance, for your state/province 
• User/focus groups to communicate timely reporting changes and requirements 

5. Family engagement

Only one-third of parents say they feel informed about their child’s progress in school. Your SIS should simplify and enhance family engagement, which can boost student outcomes. A modern SIS should allow parents and students to log into online portals or mobile apps to see grades, attendance, and assignments instantly, and give teachers tools to make conversations more meaningful. 

Does your SIS provide the following? 

• Easy accessibility for parents and students to view real-time student performance, including grades and attendance, via a parent/student portal and mobile app 
• Transparency through automated communications between the school and family 
• Availability of real-time insights by teachers, empowering them to engage in high-level interaction with families 

6. Ease of use

A modern SIS should save you time with fewer clicks and an intuitive navigation. A clean interface and mobile-friendly design can make daily tasks easier.  

Does your SIS provide the following? 

• Simple interface to make navigation easy 
• Fluid user experience with fewer clicks to access information 
• Flexibility to meet changing needs and requirements specific to your school or district  
• SSO connection to other edtech products 
• Mobile app and parent/student portals that let families access grades, assignments, and attendance at any time or place 

7. Training and support

Your SIS should offer multiple training formats, including online, in-person, and on-demand options, to accommodate diverse learning styles and preferences. And a thriving user community can provide you with access to best practices and peer-driven problem-solving. 

Does your SIS provide the following? 

• Expansive support operation that’s easily accessible and equipped to handle any challenge 
• Multiple ways to train at your own pace, including online, on-site, at training events, or within a support community 
• Organized implementation process that outlines each step, helping with change management concerns 
• Active user-based community to share tips and best practices, and solve common challenges 

Benefits of a modern SIS 

Your student information system shouldn’t be an application that you spend more time using. It should allow you to get in and out quickly, spending less time clicking and searching and more time supporting students and district goals.  

You need a reliable partner to drive your successful school and district operations. PowerSchool SIS is built and continually developed to specifically meet this task, serving as the modern, streamlined engine for your operational needs.  

With PowerSchool SIS, you’re fully prepared to scale operations through growth, challenges, and opportunities. The SIS provides schools and districts with a rock-solid foundation for a fully connected K-12 digital ecosystem.