Gwinnett Daily Post

SUWANEE -- Keeping track of what's going on in the classroom has never been easier for parents.

Tricia Kennedy, executive director of eCLASS Transformation with Gwinnett County Public Schools, said parents have got it good. They can see grades, instructional resources and digital learning materials through Parent Portal, Student Portal and, soon, eCLASS.

Parent and student portals, both of which can be accessed through the district's website, "are a valuable resource of information about your child and his or her academic career," Kennedy said.

With eCLASS, Kennedy added, "we're expecting to have even more of those resources available."

The new digital curriculum and instruction initiative by Gwinnett County Public Schools aims to move the district in a new direction with less paper and more online information.

While all GCPS facilities will eventually use eCLASS, 33 schools in the district are piloting the initiative. They include classrooms in the Archer, Berkmar, Duluth, North Gwinnett and Shiloh clusters.

A new electronic gradebook and attendance module, however, is available to all schools beginning on the first day of classes this year.

Teachers will be able to track and manage classroom data using browser-based technologies, which means they can enter grades from any location using a compatible device with Internet access.

The MYeCLASS student portal is also available to all schools in 2012-13. Using individual student login, students and their parents will have access to existing and new digital resources. More resources will be added over time.

To visit the parent or student portals or learn more about eCLASS, visit www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us.