Schenectady Schools Technology Projects Coordinator Sal DeAngelo said, "The Home Access Center will allow parents, depending on grade level, access to information like discipline, attendance, grades, interim reports, to name a few."

This new site is another sign of technology taking a larger role in education and the family in general. Now parents can have access their child's day to to day academic experiences, all online.

School district provides Home Access Center for parents

If you happen to log on to the Schenectady School District website, you may notice a link called the Home Access Center. Vince Gallagher reports.

Student transcripts and class schedules are now all there for parents to see. The program has different information depending on each individual student.

DeAngelo said, "Daily attendance versus period by period attendance would be an example of something that would vary between grade levels."

To sign up for the Home Access Center, parents must visit their child's school and show a photo ID. And of course with all the concerns of Internet security these days, they have their own username and password to log in -- and from there it the process begins.

DeAngelo said, "We have put a process into place called an access request form that needs to be completed by the parent or official guardian."

Not only does the site post student information, there's a level of communication as well. Numerical codes represent a comment description for each student, and parents can also e-mail teachers directly through the site.

DeAngelo said, "Anytime you can bridge the gap between the parent and the student in the home to improve the rapport between the teacher and the student and the district, it has to have a positive impact on a child's education."

And when it comes to the classic student excuses, well, they're a little "old school" at this point.

DeAngelo said, "The dog eating my homework or the report card got lost in the mail is no longer a suitable response."

www.schenectady.k12.ny.us/