Student Achievement Backpack

Introduction

The intent of the Student Achievement Backpack is to provide a uniform, transparent mechanism for displaying student data that has been submitted to USBE. The Student Backpack follows the student from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, providing a complete learner history for post-secondary planning, enabling teachers and guardians to have visibility into a student's learner profile, assisting teachers and administrators in diagnosing a student's learning needs, and facilitating parents and guardians to take an active role in the student's education.

The Student Backpack file contains the information submitted to UTREx for all the schools in which the student is or was enrolled. Backpack information includes the following:

• Student demographics
• Course grades
• Course history
• Section attendance
• Name and qualifications of the student's teachers
• Results of assessments (including U-PASS)

PowerSchool administrators with appropriate permissions can request Student Backpack files from the Utah State Board of Education UTREx system directly from the student's Student Backpack page. PowerSchool sends these requests to the USBE UTREx system and the Backpack data is pulled into the student's Student Backpack page.

Note: For information about setting up communication between PowerSchool and the USBE UTREx system, see Setting up Communication with UTREx.

Through the PowerSchool Parent Portal, parents and guardians can also request Student Backpack files; however, these requests must first be approved by a PowerSchool administrator. If the request is approved, PowerSchool sends the request for the Student Backpack file to the USBE UTREx system and the file is then pulled into the student's record in PowerSchool and into his or her record in the Student and Parent Portal. If the request is rejected, the request record is marked as such and is not forwarded to the USBE.

The parent or guardian who has been granted access to the student's Backpack file can view state assessment results and teachers' certifications via the Student Backpack page in the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal. For information about the Student and Parent Portal, see Help > System Help > Parent Access Management.

Enabling Student Backpack File Access

Enabling access to a Student Backpack file requires the following setup.

To allow a PowerSchool administrator or a parent/guardian to request a Student Backpack file:

• Ensure the student's Statewide Student ID is entered on the Student Selection > State/Province -UT > Utah State Information > State Info tab.

To allow a parent or guardian to use the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal:

• Enable Parent access on the Student Selection > Access Accounts page. For detailed instructions, see Help > System Help > Parent Access Management.

In addition, there are two access permissions that allow a PowerSchool administrator to view or request Student Backpack files:

• Student Backpack View Access - Allows the administrator to view existing Student Backpack file data
• Student Backpack Viewer / Request Access - Allows the administrator to request Student Backpack files, as well as manage parent/guardian requests for Student Backpack files.

To enable Student Backpack access:

1. On the Start page, find and open the Staff record for the staff member to whom you want to grant access.
2. Click Information in the left panel. The Information page appears.
3. Under State Report Information, click the Student Backpack Access link. The Student Backpack Access page appears.
4. Select the applicable checkbox.
5. Click Submit.

How a PowerSchool Administrator Requests a Student Backpack File

To request and view a Student Backpack file (PowerSchool administrator):

1. On the Start page, click the School link and choose the school in which the student is enrolled.
2. Find and open the student's record.
3. Click State/Province > UT in the left panel. The Utah State Information page appears.
4. Click the Student Backpack tab. The Student Backpack page appears.
5. Click Make a Request. The student's Backpack information appears after a few moments.
   
   • To view details about a particular Data Element, click the [number] Records (view) link.
   • To return to the previous view, use the breadcrumbs

How a Parent/Guardian Requests a Student Backpack File

A parent or guardian requests a Student Backpack file through the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal. Should a parent/guardian require help with this process, the following provides the steps required.

Note: The PowerSchool administrator must ensure the parent/guardian has the appropriate permissions; refer to Enabling Student Backpack File Access.

To request and view a Student Backpack file (parent/guardian):

1. Sign into the Student and Parent Portal.
2. In the left-hand Navigation panel, under Account Preferences, click Student Backpack. The Student Backpack page appears.
3. Under Student Backpack Request, click Retrieve Backpack File (if this is a first time request) or Update Backpack. PowerSchool sends the request for review to the PowerSchool administrator.
   
   1. If the request is approved, the Student Backpack page in the Portal is updated with the student's Backpack file. Note: Data Elements where the value is blank are not displayed on the Student and Parent Portal Student Backpack page.
      • The parent/guardian can view a teacher's credentials by clicking the link at the top of the Student Backpack page.
      • The parent/guardian can view further details about a Data Element by clicking the [number] Records (view) link.
      • The parent/guardian can use the breadcrumbs to return to the previous view.
   2. If the request is rejected, the Retrieve Backpack File or Update Backpack button reappears. The parent/guardian should contact the school for further information

Processing Parent/Guardian Requests for Student Backpack Files

When a parent/guardian requests a Student Backpack file, the request appears on the Special Functions > Guardian Student Backpack Requests page and is ready for approval or rejection by the PowerSchool administrator.

To approve or reject a parent/guardian Student Backpack file request:

1. On the Start page, in the left panel, click Special Functions. The Special Functions page appears
2. Under Utah Special Functions, click Guardian Student Backpack Requests. The Guardian Student Backpack Requests page appears with the following information:

Note: If no parents or guardians have requested a Student Backpack file, the message 'No records found' appears.