PowerSchool Administrator Tutorial: Helpful Functions & Reports

Overview

This comprehensive guide outlines a series of practical tools, tips, and best practices tailored for PowerSchool Administrators. The presentation focuses on streamlining report generation, managing student data efficiently, and utilizing system features such as list functions, attendance modifications, and scheduling reports. The goal is to equip school-level admins with repeatable processes that ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance across daily operations.

📅 Section 1: How to Schedule Reports Automatically

PowerSchool offers the ability to schedule state-specific reports to run automatically—daily, weekly, or monthly. This is particularly useful for maintaining timely checks on data accuracy and trends in chronic absenteeism and truancy.

✅ What You’ll Learn:

• Schedule state and custom reports to run automatically (daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly)

🧭 Navigation Steps:

1. Go to: Data & Reporting > Reports > Compliance Reports

2. Click on the name of the report you wish to schedule.

3. Fill in all required parameters.

4. Under the Schedule section, click Schedule to expand the options.

📋 Configuration Options:

• Start Date / Time: Enter when you want the report to begin running.

• Repeat Options:

  • Daily (check "Weekdays Only" if desired)

  • Weekly (select specific days)

  • Monthly / Yearly (define specific days or weeks)

• End Date: Enter the last day of school. (Avoid using “No End Date”)

🚫 Do Not Run Reports Between 11:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Some reports we would recommend for you to run automatically:

• SC41 Truancy School Detail Report

• SC38 Chronic Absenteeism School Report

• SC46 Daily Attendance Report

• SC47 Meeting Attendance Report

Note: You can run other reports that would benefit you or your school.

🧾 Section 2: List Students Report

✅ What You’ll Learn:

• Create a custom list of student data using PowerSchool fields

🧭 Steps:

1. Search for and select student(s) on the Start Page.

2. In Actions, choose List Students.

🧰 Setup Fields:

• Report Title: Name your report.

• Field Name: Add up to 10 PowerSchool field names.

  • Use *Count to number the list.

  • Use . for a blank column.

• Column Titles: Label each field.

• Padding: Add space around text (optional).

• Rows Between Breaks: Set number of rows before repeating headers (optional).

• Gridlines & Export: Check to export as .txt file. Unchecked = Web browser view.

💡 Pro Tip: Sort fields using “Sort Field Name” for organized data.

🖨️ Section 3: How to Generate Class Rosters (PDF)

Class Rosters are a useful tool that can be used in many different ways. The data that is displayed is student section data.

✅ What You’ll Learn:

Some of the ways that we see schools use Class Roster Reports are:

• To confirm that scheduling for every teacher is complete before permanently storing grades.

• Create manual entry attendance tracking sheets.

• To give specific information to teachers about their students on a regular basis like phone numbers of Parents/Guardians/Contacts.

🧭 Steps:

1. Go to: Data & Reporting > Reports > System Reports > (Under the Student/Staff Listings header) Class Rosters (PDF)

2. Select:

   • Teacher(s) (Hold CTRL for multiple)

   • Period(s)

   • Student Enrollment Criteria (current, by date, etc.)

3. Customize Font, Heading location, and Roster Text

🧰 Use HTML-style data tags (for headers):

Example:

Teacher: ~(teachername)

Course Name: ~(coursename) Course Number: ~(Course_Number)

Room Number: ~(Room)

Period: ~(Expression)

Students: ~(No_of_students)

🧾 Roster Columns Format:

Example:

~(count)\Count\.4

Last_Name\LastName\1.25\l

First_Name\FirstName\1.\l

Middle_Name\MiddleName\1.\l

Grade_Level\Grade\.4\l

Example:

Student_Number\Student Number\1\L

lastfirst\Name\2.5\R

grade_level\Grade\.5\C

🕒 Section 4: Attendance Change Tool

Use the Attendance Change function to modify the attendance of a group of students within a specific date range. This function should only be used by the PowerSchool Administrator. If used incorrectly, it can negatively impact attendance accuracy.

✅ What You’ll Learn:

• Change attendance in bulk for a group of students

🧭 Steps:

1. Select student(s) on Start Page.

2. In Group Functions, select Mass Update Attendance: Meeting.

3. Choose the correct tab: Meeting or Daily.

🧰 Fill In:

• Date Range

• Codes to Replace: (Hold CTRL for multiple)

• New Code to Set

• If other than a default present (default presents will be overwritten regardless):

  • Overwrite Options

  • Optional Comments

• A. Comment (option): If you need to enter a comment for this attendance.

🚨 Note: This function should only be used by trained Admins!

Section 5: Next School Indicator Setup

✅ What You’ll Learn:

• Mass assign the next school for transitioning students

🧭 Steps:

1. Go to:
   School enrollment> Next School Indicators

2. If the next school isn't listed, click New:

   • Enter School Name, Abbreviation, and Number (must match district).

3. Return to the "start page."

4. Select students needing updates (e.g., Next_School=)

5. Use the function Set Next School Indicator to assign.

   1. Select ALL students

   2. Search for students that Next School blank [Next_School = ]

   3. Select students by grade level

💡 Use “Graduated” or “Archive” as needed.

🏫 Section 6: Mass Enroll in Special Programs

✅ What You’ll Learn:

• Enroll groups of students into programs like Montessori, CERDEP, etc.

🧭 Steps:

1. Search and select students.

2. Go to:
   Actions> Mass Assign Student Programs

3. Enter:

   • Program Name

   • Entry Date (First day in program)

   • Leave Exit Date & Exit Codeblank initially

   • Add Exit Info only when student leaves or transfers

   • Optional: Comments

💡 When using “Transfer Out of School,” check “Also transfer out of selected programs”.