PowerSchool Announces Integration with Code.org to Bring Computer Science Access to Millions of Students
FOLSOM, Calif. (PRWEB) June 26, 2018 -- PowerSchool, the leading provider of K-12 education technology solutions, announced today that it has completed the first phase of its partnership with Code.org, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science education, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities.
The two organizations have collaborated to install OpenID single sign-on between a PowerSchool student information system (SIS) and the Code.org learning platform. The collaboration between PowerSchool and Code.org is part of a larger partnership announced last year between Code.org and Vista Equity Partners, an enterprise software investment firm whose portfolio includes PowerSchool as well as dozens of other leading software companies.
“This is an exciting moment for everybody here at PowerSchool and more importantly for the teachers and students we serve,” said PowerSchool CEO Hardeep Gulati. “Code.org’s mission gets at the heart of two issues we’re very passionate about – technology and education. By leveraging our capabilities to help Code.org teach computer science to students from all backgrounds, we’re not only contributing to a great cause, we’re also furthering our own mission to help every student achieve the best opportunities in life.”
With OpenID single sign-on fully implemented, teachers and students from a PowerSchool SIS district can sign into Code.org through their PowerSchool accounts, eliminating the need to maintain additional accounts. The integration allows teachers and students in PowerSchool to link to even pre-existing Code.org accounts. Code.org’s leading computer science curriculum includes a pathway of courses from kindergarten through high school that teach computer science concepts from computational thinking and problem solving to programming to digital citizenship and ethics.
“We’re incredibly proud of our partnerships and grateful for the sustained commitment that PowerSchool and Vista have shown to our organization,” said Hadi Partovi, CEO of Code.org. “Their collaboration and support of expanding opportunity to young people through computer science is a testament to both their capabilities in enterprise software and their organizational values.”
Vista has made a significant financial contribution to Code.org, and the firm and its portfolio companies have held coding events at their offices and in the communities in which they work.
“Code.org’s work is something that I know first-hand is both impactful and essential,” said Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners. “By expanding access to computer science education to students who otherwise would not have it, Code.org is empowering underrepresented populations with some of the most powerful tools they can acquire for success in today’s – and tomorrow’s – economy.”
About PowerSchool Group LLC
At PowerSchool, we believe in the simple truth that every student deserves the best opportunities in life. That's why our mission is to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their potential, in their way. From the back office to the classroom to the home, PowerSchool helps schools and districts efficiently manage instruction, learning, grading, attendance, assessment, analytics, state reporting, special education, student registration, and ERP/HR/Finance. Today, we're proud to be the leading provider of K-12 education application technology supporting over 30 million students in over 70 countries. Visit http://www.powerschool.com to learn more.
About Code.org
Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. Code.org’s vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra. Code.org organizes the annual Hour of Code campaign which has engaged 10% of all students in the world and provides the leading curriculum for K-12 computer science in the largest school districts in the United States.
About Vista Equity Partners
Vista Equity Partners, a U.S.-based investment firm with offices in Austin, San Francisco, Chicago, and Oakland with more than $31 billion in cumulative capital commitments, currently invests in software, data and technology-enabled organizations led by world-class management teams with long-term perspective. Vista is a value-added investor, contributing professional expertise and multi-level support towards companies realizing their full potential. Vista’s investment approach is anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions, and proven management techniques that yield flexibility and opportunity in private equity investing.
For more information, please visit http://www.vistaequitypartners.com.
Dafna Tapiero, Laurel Strategies, +1 2022814171, [email protected]
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