Benefits to Consortium Members

• Shared costs will provide savings to all schools.
• Single format, single location makes for greater ability to collect and evaluate data on students within the Archdiocese.
• Provides an opportunity to integrate other software packages with PowerSchool -Destiny, ITBS, and NCEA data collection currently.
• Shared information on processes saves schools from ‘reinventing the wheel.’
• Working as a group helps schools that would not be able to dedicate the level of resources needed for such a software program.
• Customizations created specifically to solve needs of the consortium members, with costs shared by all. Currently, the following customizations have been created:
  
  • Updated Demographics information tied to local needs
  • Religion and Sacramental Data tracking (also tied to NCEA data collection)
  • Custom Guardian page, allowing multiple guardians with varying relationships. Also includes tracking for CTP, Background checks, etc. for each guardian.
  • Re-registration system - ability to track who will be returning next year, and show grade level totals.
  • Additional Staff data to allow for NCEA data collection.
  • Simplified Attendance screens to streamline the process each day.
  • NCEA data collection report in place
  • Customized Student Directory page
  
  
• Students who move from school to school within the consortium, including high schools, will have a single source for all educational data for their K-12 school career.
  
  • More data to make educational decisions.
  • Tracking student progress.
  • Use data to promote effective data driven decision-making and future.
  • Professional and curriculum development- building level, deanery level, and archdiocesan level.
  
  

Archdiocesan PowerSchool Consortium Organizational Structure

1. The role of participating consortium schools-
   
   1. Existing PowerSchool buildings joining the consortium
      
      1. Will need to communicate to Pearson that the school is committed to joining the Archdiocesan PS Consortium. (Transferring account records)
      2. The school would need to work with the systems administrator to setup the structure for their school and transfer data to the common server site. (Under most circumstances, this will occur across year one in an incremental process.)
      3. School designee would sign letter of intent with the CSD affirming policies and protocol to participate in the consortium.
      4. The school would support the transition into the new billing cycle and enter into an active partnership with other PowerSchool colleagues.
      
      
   2. Schools new to PowerSchool, entering into the consortium
      
      1. Will identify the primary contact for the building, accounts payable contact, and implementation contact, and technical support contact person.
      2. School designee would sign letter of agreement with the CSD affirming policies and protocol to participate in the consortium.
      3. School Staff will work with the PowerSchool System Administrator to set up school structure and prepare school data for import into the system.
      4. The school would enter into an active partnership with other PowerSchool colleagues.
      
      
   
   
2. The role of the Catholic Schools Department/Archdiocese of Seattle- The CSD will act as an educational resource in coordinating common timelines, common billing cycles, and coordinating local training and in-service for constituents in the consortium. One staff member will assume the role of the “District Administrator” to be the primary contact regarding policy and coordination.
   
   1. Co-signer of the user agreement with Pearson.
   2. Communicates and coordinates shared timelines for implementation, initial process, and on-going service within the Archdiocese.
   3. Centralized communication out to all schools to promote current training or meetings through Online PowerSchool Forum at www.SeeCelebrateandLive.org
   4. Financial coordinator of billing cycle and payment schedule to pay for annual Pearson costs and annual server hosting costs.
   5. Liaison from the CSD to all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese regarding PowerSchool.
   
   Archdiocese of Seattle CSD District Administrator: Sandra Barton Smith
3. The role of the PowerSchool Systems Administrator- The ‘PS’ system administrator is responsible for on-going and regular maintenance of the PowerSchool system. This would include:
   
   1. Maintaining and updating the software on the server.
   2. Installing and maintaining customizations.
   3. Providing phone, email, and in-person troubleshooting as appropriate tracked through online Help Desk.
   4. Work with schools during implementation.
   5. Facilitate Archdiocesan consortium policies and protocol.
   6. Support each school’s local plan for PowerSchool utilization.
   
   Archdiocese of Seattle/CSD System Administrator: Steve Deibert, School Data Power Solutions, LLC and other SDPS staff as needed
4. Server-hosting provider
   The Archdiocesan consortiumwill have a contract with a third party provider. This provider will host the PowerSchool software. Hosting services include:
   
   1. Storage of data, including off-site backup.
   2. Hardware and operating system maintenance.
   3. Updates, upgrades, backups and related support services as described in the Service Level Agreement.
   4. This service will be provided under the terms of the hosting contract.
   
   
   Archdiocese of Seattle/CSD Server-hosting provider: Jim O’Brien, O’Brien Business Group
5. The role of Pearson for the Archdiocese of Seattle PS Consortium
   The resource estimation plan is based on the following assumptions for existing PowerSchool buildings moving to the shared server location:
   
   1. All schools are hosted at a common location.
   2. Provide licensing at consortium pricing.
   3. Advocate and support the consortium model to other interested Archdiocesan schools.
   4. 2012-2013 scheduling and year-end processing will be coordinated by the Catholic Schools Department and School Data Power Solutions, LLC.
   
   Archdiocese of Seattle/CSD Pearson contact: Greg Terry, Diocese Account Executive
   

Archdiocesan PowerSchool Consortium Coordination

The Archdiocesan PowerSchool Consortium has been established to follow the organizational model of an ad-hoc committee that reports to a school commission, which is the consultative body that makes recommendations to the pastor/principal leadership team. Each school entering into the consortium enters in with respect for the full group while recognizing each school has specific local hopes and challenges. The goal is not to carbon copy each school but rather to operate out of strengths and define common needs and goals for coordination and future plans for growth and effective utilization.
Data ownership resides with the local school but common data information will be available to the CSD to produce NCEA current data reports and future data driven needs to support the core goals of the Catholic schools within the Archdiocese.
The consortium schools would develop various tools to achieve consortium goals through coordinated communication, coordinated meeting and training times, and participating in an online professional learning community forum.

Basic Cost Areas - Please consult Steve Deibert for specific cost breakdowns for your school.

• Licensing from Pearson
• Hosting from O’Brien
• Implementation or consolidation, per school
• Initial Product Training (single school, or can be shared with other consortium members)
• Teacher Training
• Report Card creation, per school
• Consortium shared costs
• Support costs
• Annual maintenance costs from Pearson $4.50/student, after year one
• Each school needs reliable Internet access in classrooms and offices

Additional Information
If you are interested in pursuing more information about the Archdiocesan of Seattle/CSD PowerSchool Consortium, please contact:
Steve Deibert- PowerSchool System Administrator
stevedeibert@gmail.com
Catholic Schools Department
CSDoffice@seattlearch.org