PowerSchool Enhanced User Interface

Learn about the Enhanced PowerSchool User Interface.

Note: Documentation written by: Bonita Coleman

Overview of Enhanced User Interface (EUI)

In late spring of 2023 PowerSchool released a preliminary upgrade to the standard PowerSchool interface. At that time, it was not widely used but many large customers elected to adopt it and provide feedback.

Since then, many improvements have been made, and more customers adopted its use. In November of 2023, PowerSchool released an announcement that the current (classic) interface would be phased out by the end of May or June of 2024. That time frame is now upon us.

The Enhanced User Interface is an updated overlay on the existing system.  The pages themselves have changed very little and many not at all, once you find the page needed. The way you find or navigate to pages is mainly what has changed.

Below is a summary of the changes as well as some tips in navigation and improvements

Summary of (a few) Changes

The major change in this updated version on how the left-side menus display. Instead of a long list of options, you now see main headings on the left side of the page. Each of those headings has a pop-out menu with options that are grouped in each heading.

See images below:

Image 1 shows an overview of how the main PowerSchool page looks in the EUI. The left navigation panel is highlighted. In the upper right-hand corner, the user Profile link is highlighted.

Image 2 shows what happens when the Data and Reporting navigation item is selected, and how the contents of that item are displayed. Please note that not all users will have the same options.

Another improvement in this version of PowerSchool is the search bar at the top of the page (see photo above). A description of this will be found in the Searching for Pages topic below.

More improvements are found on the student pages. Here you will see an improved version of the left menu as well. Below are some images with specific areas highlighted.

Image 3 shows the main student pages area as it lands on Quick Lookup and also a highlight of the student details in the header

Image 4 shows what happens with the Student Profile option on the left is selected. All topics that fall under the student profile pop out. Note that not all users will have the same options, each user will have a reduced number of links as applies to your specific user role in the system.

User Profile Settings

There are a few options in your user profile settings which can be found by clicking the icon of your initials in the upper right-hand corner of the page (see Image1 above).

To update your options, click your initials, then choose Manage Profile.

Here you can see your own basic details. Here are few things you can (and should) try:

• Change your password  – at any time if you want a new password, update it here
• Initial Student Screen – this option is to set the Page to Display When You Open a Student Profile – the recommendation is to choose one from the list that you like to see when you first choose a Student. The default is Student Schedule listing – a more useful option might be Quick Lookup but you can choose from any shown in your list of available student pages
• Home page –  when you first log in what page you prefer to land on. Select from Start page or Other. If choosing Other then you need to provide the exact URL of that page beginning with         
  /admin
• Other interface options – explore the other options shown below. A nice feature to add is the alphabetical list on the Start Page; to choose this check the appropriate box. The options checked below are the best-recommended settings.

Basic Navigation Tips

Navigate to familiar pages by exploring the menu options on the left navigation side of the Start Page. Some pages will have the same names as they did in the Classic view. Others may sound new but in reality only have updated names. More on this topic below in Page Name Changes.

Note that if you want to view pages under People you may first need a selection of students.

Also, if you wish to see a short demonstration of the navigation, there is a recorded video you can view at any time. That link is PS Enhanced User Interface Navigation Overview.

Searching for Pages

At the top of your Start Page, and on every page in the SIS, you will see a Search field. This can be used to find almost anything in PowerSchool: students, fieldnames, and even Pages within the SIS. Use this field to quickly navigate to pages you use the most. For example, if you use Enterprise Reports daily, you can simply type Enterprise Reports into the search field and when you see that pop down below the field, simply select it.

Managing Favorites

A key feature in PowerSchool EUI is the ability to Favorite pages. If you have specific pages that you visit every day, click the Star on any page in the SIS and you can add that to a menu of your favorites.

The Favorites bar can be accessed by either pinning to the right side of your screen or by clicking the Star icon on any page that you land on.

You may find that your list grows to include a lot of Favorites. To reorganize your favorites, click the Star icon on the dark blue menu at the top right of your page, then at the bottom of that menu, select Manage Favorites.  See image 8 below.

On the Manage Favorites menu, you can drag and drop your Favorited links in any order you prefer. You can add or remove them from the assigned Categories, and you have complete control over how these are listed. Note that you cannot change their names. When you are finished updating your items, click Close at the bottom of the Manage Favorites area.

Page Name Changes

You may find that some of your most frequently used pages are no longer named as they once were. When using the Search field (above) first try using a single keyword that makes sense. If you still cannot find your page, reference the page name changes noted below. Here are some name changes of frequently used pages and links :

User Access Changes

One major feature change in this version of PowerSchool is an improved security system. What this means is that as changes to your user interface are applied, levels of access to the system will also be updated based on your specific roles and job titles.

A key benefit to these changes includes improved menus for all users. You should no longer see links that do not apply to your job functions, making things less cumbersome to navigate. You may find at some point that pages you had access to at one time are no longer available. If pages you need become inaccessible, you will be required to notify your direct manager and submit a ticket stating your exact needs.

In some cases you may have access to view pages but no Submit button. This is a view-only access. If you need rights to edit please submit a ticket using the information below.

To request updates or access to specific pages, please send an email to success@strongmind.com and include the following information in any ticket submission. NOTE that if one or more of these items are not included, it may delay your ticket until all data points are collected.

Things to include in your ticket:

• Subject of ticket:   Request access change to pages
• Your name
• Your School
• Your job title
• Your direct manager
• What page(s) you need access to and why you need it. Page names as you recall them are acceptable.
• Any screenshots that you can provide

Note that not all users will have the same links and pages. Links and pages are assigned based on job roles, and approved by direct managers.