-
Introductory PowerSchool Video for Methacton Families
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I access the Portal?
The Portal can be accessed using the link on the Methacton website or at the address https://powerschool.methacton.org/public/ - How do I obtain a username and password?
Login information is mailed to new families. If you did not receive a letter, or if you are an existing MSD family and did not establish your account when letters were mailed, please call the main office at your student’s school to obtain the necessary credentials (Access ID and Password for each student) to create your account. Students will receive their own login information and passwords should be kept confidential. - What can I see through the Portal?
- Grades for current classes as well as the assignments that make up those grades.
- Attendance for the past two weeks or for the whole quarter, including a legend of attendance codes used by the school.
- Teacher comments.
- Final grades from previous quarters.
- Breakfast/Lunch account balances.
- School bus assignments.
- Can other people see my son's/daughter's grades?
As long as you protect your password, others will not be able to see your information. - What do I do if I forget my PowerSchool password?
If you forget your username or password, please use forgot password or forgot username link on the parent portal to retrieve it. - What is PowerSchool?
PowerSchool is an easy to use, web-based student information system. It is intended to provide parents, students and teachers with a tool to communicate student performance. PowerSchool may be accessed from any place the parent/guardian can access the Internet. The application is a secure link that encrypts the data to and from the end user. In addition, a username and password are provided to allow access for only authorized users to the appropriate student records. - When is attendance and grade information available in PowerSchool?
Attendance is posted by teachers and the office. All teachers assign and post grades to PowerSchool at different times. Some may give grades to their students’ everyday and some may give far fewer grades during the quarter. This is up to each teacher and depends upon their grading system. If you do not see grades in PowerSchool for some teachers but not others, this is a normal function of the way teachers assign and post grades. As always you may contact teachers or request a phone call or meeting at any time. - Do parents and students see the same information in Powerschool?
When students and parents access the PowerSchool server, they see the same information with one exception; only parents have the ability to request automatic progress reports via email. - Can I print what I see in PowerSchool?
The best way to print is to use the Print Page icon located at the bottom of the pages in PowerSchool. - I know that teachers sometimes weight different categories of grades. How does this affect how a grade is calculated?
Many teachers use categories such as test, quizzes, daily work to organize and give different weights to grades; how they weight them is an individual decision. Teachers share with students how they grade at the beginning of each course. As always you may contact teachers or request a phone call or meeting at any time. - Can other people see my son’s/daughter’s grades?
As long as YOU protect your password, only you and school district employees associated with your child will be able to see your child’s grades. If for any reason you believe your login ID and password has been breached, email powerschool@methacton.org requesting that the ID and password be changed. The current login ID and Password need to be included in the request for security reasons. - What is required for a parent to connect to the PowerSchool Server?
Users need the following to connect:
• A computer with a connection to the Internet.
• Safari, Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 1.5 or more recent (i.e.,a browser capable of 128-bit encryption)
• A login username and password supplied by Methacton School District. - Are Passwords case sensitive?
In general, passwords are not case sensitive. However, it may depend on the browser you are using as well as the platform and operating system of the computer you are using to access the site. If all lower case does not work, we recommend that you try the login and password with the case as shown on your information sheet. For some IDs and passwords, it is hard to know whether to use 0 (zero) or O (capital o, the letter) also note some passwords may contain spaces or a comma. If you encounter difficulties, please reset your password using the forgot password link. - I have more than one child enrolled in the district. Is there a family login?
PowerSchool maintains a one child to one parent relationship to ensure your child’s academic information will not be viewed by unauthorized users. There are no family logins available in PowerSchool. - Why does it take such a long time for PowerSchool to load in my web browser?
The speed at which your web browser can display a specific website depends on the speed of your own internet connection. Naturally, if you are using dial-up, it will be slower than using DSL or cable modem. - Do I need to log out of PowerSchool? Can I simply exit or close my browser window?
Logging out is the only way to ensure no other users can access the information you have securely logged in to view. Please make sure you Logout when you are finished with PowerSchool. - Is is possible to access transportation information within the portal?
By clicking on "Transportation" you may access current student busing information. - Is is possible to access food service account information within the portal?
By clicking on "Balance" you may access recent purchases and link to the MySchoolAccount website to add funds to the account.
PLEASE NOTE: Some teachers are still learning how to use the PowerSchool / PowerTeacherPro. Parents are encouraged to communicate with teachers via e-mail or telephone regarding any questions or concerns about the information available online.
- How do I access the Portal?
