PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s PowerSchool?

• PowerSchool is the student information system for Amherst, Pelham, and Amherst-Pelham Public and Regional Schools. The districts use PowerSchool to manage student demographics, attendance, grades, scheduling, and more.

What’s the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal?

• The PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal is a feature of the PowerSchool student information system that provides students and parents/guardians access to grades, assignments, and attendance records in an effort to facilitate and improve communication between home and school. Schools may choose to limit the information shown at the end of a term to facilitate grading and at other times.

Who may access the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal?

• Students and parents/guardians of the Amherst, Pelham, and Amherst-Pelham Public and Regional Schools who have a login (i.e. username and password) may access the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal. Please note that students and parents/guardians have separate access (with separate logins) to PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal (hence the name).

How do I access the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal?

• You may access the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal from any computer with an Internet connection by launching your web browser and going to http://powerschool.arps.org/public. You will be prompted for either a student or parent/guardian login. As of PowerSchool 10 (coming July 2016), Parent Single Sign-On is the only way a parent/guardian can access the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal.

What’s Parent Single Sign-On?

• Parent Single Sign-On streamlines the previous need for multiple parent/guardian logins for multiple students into one unified parent/guardian account. Creating a Parent Single Sign-On account grants a parent/guardian access to multiple students with a single login, an individual account, and the ability to retrieve and reset their own login. As of the upgrade to PowerSchool 10 (July 2016), parents/guardians will be required to create a Parent Single Sign-On account to access the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal. Please see the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal User’s Guide for more information.

I already have parent/guardian logins for my students. Do I need to create a “new” Parent Single Sign-On account?

• Yes. With the upgrade to PowerSchool 10 (July 2016) all parent/guardian accounts are disabled by default and you’ll have to create a new Parent Single Sign-On account.

My students already have logins to the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal. Do they also have to create new accounts?

• No. Students accounts remain unaffected by the transition to Parent Single Sign-On. Only students without a login to the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal will need to get a username and password.

How do I obtain a parent/guardian login? How do I create a Parent Single Sign-On account?

• With the upgrade to PowerSchool 10 (July 2016), a parent/guardian will create his or her own Parent Single Sign-On account by browsing to the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal and clicking on Create Account. A parent/guardian can link his or her Parent Single Sign-On account to his or her students using Access Keys (i.e. Access ID and Access Password). A parent/guardian may obtain Access Keys for his or her students by attending open house or by visiting your school’s main office during school days. A parent/guardian must also complete the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal Access Request, return the completed form to your school’s main office, and present a valid government-issued picture ID. This form can also be obtained in your school’s main office.

What’s an Access Key?

• With the upgrade to PowerSchool 10 (July 2016), an Access Key consists of an Access ID and Access Password which is used to link a single student account to a Parent Single Sign-On account. A parent/guardian can link students when a Parent Single Sign-On account is created or afterwards by logging in and navigating to Account Preferences and then clicking on the Students tab. Multiple Access Keys can be registered with one Parent Single Sign-On account for access to multiple student records. You can’t log into the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal with an Access Key. They’re available exclusively at your school’s main office for only your students after completing a PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal Access Request and presenting a valid government-issued picture ID.

Can I change my password? What if I’ve forgotten my username or password?

• With the upgrade to PowerSchool 10 (July 2016), you will be able to change your password once you log into the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal. With PowerSchool 10 you can also retrieve your username or password by going to the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal and clicking on Forgot Username or Password?

I have multiple children in the district. Can I have access to all their accounts under just one username and password?

• With the upgrade to PowerSchool 10 (July 2016), a parent/guardian will be able to add and access multiple student records from a single Parent Single Sign-On account. Each parent/guardian will be able to create his or her own Parent Single Sign-On account for multiple-student access.

My husband/wife and I are separated/divorced, can we get another parent/guardian username and password for our child’s account?

• With the upgrade to PowerSchool 10, each parent/guardian will be able to create his or her own Parent Single Sign-On account will access to his or her own students. Each parent/guardian will need the Access Keys for his or her students.

My password isn’t working or I lost my password. What do I do?

• Please try the following:
• Make sure you’ve browsed to http://powerschool.arps.org/public.
• Type your username and password exactly as it appears (logins are case sensitive).
• Make sure you’re not mistaking the letter O for a zero (0) and vice versa.
• Try retrieving your username or password on the PowerSchool Student and Parent Portal by clicking Forgot Username or Password?
• For security reasons we will not give passwords via phone or email. You will need to visit the school office in person and present your valid government-issued picture ID to verify your identity.