Assignment Three: Company Profiles

Assignment: Choose three SMS to profile

While researching these three management systems I had a difficult time finding web-based user reviews and outside sources of information. Most of the information and reviews that could be found were from the parent company, which implies possible bias to the tool's strengths and weaknesses. The only feedback I could find about PowerSchool was a "I hate PowerSchool" facebook group that had received "likes" but no identifiable members. When I conducted a Google Scholar search to find if research had been collected on any aspect of these tools, the search resulted as unsuccessful.

Performance Pathways, Inc. was founded in 2003 and formerly named AlterNet Performance, LLC (Business Week, 2011). In 2009 the company was bought by SunGard, a large fortune 500 company that provides a very extensive range of IT services (SunGard, 2009). Currently Performance Pathways, Inc operates as a subsidiary of SunGard (Business Week, 2011). The acquisition was used to expand SunGard’s resources for K-12 assessment tools. 

The company, when active as Performance Pathways Inc provided curriculum and assessment solutions for K-12 education settings (Business Week, 2011). The company focused on three tools: Performance Tracker, TechPaths and Assessment Builder (Business Week, 2011). Performance Tracker is a web-based tool that provides information to educators from a single point (SunGard, 2011). TechPaths is more elaborate, offering the user options to build, share and collaborate on curriculum maps as well as standards alignment (SunGard, 2011). The 4.3 version of the software allowed for more detailed groupings of students and filters for analyzing data (SunGard, 2011). Newer versions of the software allowed a user the ability to cut and copy a part of one curriculum map into another, saving time (SunGard, 2011)  Lastly, Assessment Builder allows users to examine, construct and score local benchmarks. In July of 2006 the company announced that a newer versions of TechPaths and Performance Tracker would have integrated features (SunGard, 2011). 

After the acquisition by SunGard, Performance Pathways software is now named PerformancePLUS and has combined all three softwares into a bundle “suite” for customers to purchase (SunGard, 2011). As the company promotes, users are able to customize dashboards and guide decision-making with real-time data (SunGard, 2011). In a video, made by the company to promote PerformancePLUS, customers bought the package because they, “were looking for a seemless integration between the written curriculum, taught curriculum and how their students were achievieving” (SunGard, 2011)

My Learning Plan Inc. is located in Great River, NY and is a web-based service that allows for the management of professional development for K-12 school districts. The company was incorporated in 2003 and previously known as Imperial Software Systems, Inc.(Huber, 2009).

The My Learning Plan tool could be summed up as a “one-stop shop” because of the laundry list of services it offers its users for planning and monitoring professional development. One of the appeals to a potential user is that it is web-based software so purchasing tangible updates are not needed and the tool can be required from anywhere with an internet connection.

In an article written by Scholastic Administrators, My Learning Plan enabled a school to understand how practices inspired by professional development contributed to improved student achievement (My Learning Plan, 2011). The service allows for professional development planners to customize feedback forms and show users when and where professional development opportunities are being offered district wide (My Learning Plan. My Learning Plan also follows conference requests, professional development spending, printing and storing of electronic certificates for reference to alert you when a salary benchmark has been reached by a staff member (My Learning Plan, 2011).

My Learning Plan can synchronize with the company’s other main product, OASYS, a used acronym for Observation and Appraisal Management System (My Learning Plan Inc, 2011). OASYS is a database for classroom observations, informal walkthroughs, educators portfolio evaluation, peer review and observation as well as Principal evaluation (My Learning Plan, 2011). 

As someone who has found my niche within the flock of Education Technology in professional development, the concept of My Learning Plan is very interesting. Our school manages professional development in the most absolute low-tech way possible. Filling out  different paper requests, then printing a map for mileage, submitting the packet to the board which fades into a continuous paper trail of cross communications. When a teacher reaches a salary mark for credits earned, more paper work is completed even though the business administrator has all the previously required paperwork sitting in a file cabinet. All of this equals redundant work and poor use of time. I have often thought about solutions to this process that would better the valuable resource of time. Though our school most likely would not invest in an outside resource like My Learning Plan, it could certainly be used as a model to build a free version.

Power School is a web-based student information system hosted by the education publishing giant, Pearson. Apple purchased PowerSchool in 2001 for sixty-two million dollars and then sold it to Pearson in 2006 (Dawson, 2006)(Find the Best, 2011).

Pearson’s intertwined education resources are endless, from publishing texts and manuals, assessment software to testing services for education and other professions. With this, Power School will give users the stability and reliability that comes as a result of being rooted in a larger, deeper established company. For example, Pearson offers its Power School users a mobile application and regular updates to the software (Pearson, 2011).

Power School is offered in three versions: Fronter, Limelight and Studio. The PowerSchool package includes PowerTeacher classroom management system, PowerScheduler, a web-based master scheduling tool, student and parent access and even ways to track immunizations and screenings (Huber, 2009)(Pearson, 2011). PowerTeacher, much like other SIS, contains student information as well as a grade book, following student data driven progress and reports that can be sent to parents (Huber, 2011)

I can understand why larger districts, with the allowed budget, would purchase the many tools and levels that Pearson offers for Power School. Reading Pearson’s website, it is difficult to get a clear picture of the precise functions of Power School; what is genuinely offered and then attached or deemed as “extra”. Understanding the options and structure of PowerSchool took some research on multiple sites. Searches for detailed user reviews that would lead to first-hand understanding were unsuccessful.

Resources:

Performance Pathways,Inc Private Company Information. (n.d.). Business Week. Retrieved June 2, 2011, from http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=13728069

Press Releases: SunGard Acquires Performance Pathways Inc.. (2009, March 3). Sungard.com. Retrieved June 1, 2011, from http://www.sungard.com/pressreleases/2009/publicsector030309.aspx

SunGard (2011). SunGard Plus 360 Assessment & Curriculum Management Performance Plus Retrieved June 1, 2011 from  http://sungard.com/en/sitecore/content/campaigns/corporate/plus360/products/performanceplus.aspx

Bloomsberg Businessweek Business Exchange My Learning Plan Inc.. (n.d.). Bloomberg.com. Retrieved May 31, 2011, from http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1726674 

My Learnign Plan website http://www.mylearningplan.com/Content/Docs/MLP_Services_Brochure.pdf

My Learning Plan, Inc. (2011) Retrieved June 1, 2011 from http://www.mylearningplan.com/Content/Home/mlp.html

My Learning Plan, Inc (unknown) My Learning Plan Services Brochure Retrieved June 1, 2011 from http://www.mylearningplan.com/Content/Docs/MLP_Services_Brochure.pdf

Dawson, C. (2006, May 26). Pearson Buys Apple SIS software, PowerSchool. ZDNet Education. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http://www.zdnet.com/blog/education/pearson-buys-apples-sis-software-powerschool/211

Pearson Education (2011), Products, Power School Retrieved June 2, 2011 from http://www.pearsonschoolsystems.com/products/powerschool/

Find The Best Beta (unknown) Cisco Webex vs. PowerSchool Retrieved June 3, 2011, http://technology-acquisitions.findthebest.com/compare/109-184/PowerSchool-vs-WebEx

Huber, Joe (2009, September 1) Product: Pearson PowerSchool 6(Product Reviews) Highbeam Business. Retrieved June 2, 2011 from http://business.highbeam.com/138379/article-1G1-207779941/product-pearson-powerschool-6