TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Freckle by Renaissance

    Score9.4 out of 10
    N/AFreckle’s differentiation platform is designed to makes it easy for teachers to reach each student at their own individual level—without having to spend extra time preparing many different lessons every day. The Freckle platform was designed by Freckle Education in San Francisco, and was acquired and is now supported by Renaissance Learning (acquired May 2019).N/A

    PowerSchool eSchoolPLUS

    Score7 out of 10
    N/AeSchoolPLUS is a student information system for managing student demographics, grades, scheduling & attendance, discipline & report cards, and other information in k-12. eSchoolPLUS was developed by Sungard K-12 Education which was acquired by PowerSchool in March 2017. It is now owned and supported by PowerSchool.N/A
    Pricing
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool eSchoolPLUS
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool eSchoolPLUS
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool eSchoolPLUS
    Considered Both Products
    Renaissance Learning
    No answer on this topic
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    95%
    Would buy again
    19 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    18 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    95%
    Happy with the feature set
    19 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    91%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    10 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    88%
    Implementation went as expected
    14 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool eSchoolPLUS
    Student and Faculty Administration
    Comparison of Student and Faculty Administration features of Freckle by Renaissance and PowerSchool eSchoolPLUS
    Feature
    Freckle by Renaissance
    -
    Ratings
    PowerSchool eSchoolPLUS
    8.4
    1 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Integrations with 3rd-Party Education Technology00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Online Registration Management00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
    District Communications, such as messaging and alerting00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
    Roster Management00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Platform Customization00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Teacher Self-Service00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Student Data Security00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Community Support00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Class Scheduling00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    State and National-level Reporting00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Compliance Support00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Teacher and Parent Mobile Application00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool eSchoolPLUS
    Small Businesses
    Edmodo (discontinued)
    Score8.1 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Nearpod
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Edmodo (discontinued)
    Score8.1 out of 10
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool eSchoolPLUS
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.4
    (30 ratings)
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    9.1
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool eSchoolPLUS
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Renaissance Learning
    Freckle is a fantastic online learning platform. I think it works well in multiple learning environments. Last year I used Freckle in a distance learning model and this year on individual iPads in class. I love that it is a quick platform to assess student achievement. I haven't experienced a scenario where Freckle would fail however, lack of access to the internet is always a factor.
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    It is well suited for Charter Schools. I say charter schools because most charts are built from the ground up, and using a specific set of tools from PowerSchool will help all departments to work seamlessly together. The hardest part of the education process is being able to track your own payroll, PD, overtime hours, emails and messages, grades and documentation for students. Schools in perpetual existence have a hard time converting all their documents and processes to a brand new portal. However, new schools, private schools, charter schools, even new online universities would have an easier and much more effective time purchasing and using every single tool that comes from PowerSchool. I believe that it is bigger than just using eSchoolPLUS for education, but using efinance, and atrieve are important also. In terms of eSchoolPLUS it is useful in all schools because it does make the teacher's jobs easier. Managing curriculum, lesson and grade data is quick and easy and engagement is relatively simple on the website and on my mobile iPhone.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Renaissance Learning
    • “Kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”
    • One of the very first things I learned my first five years of teaching, except that student teaching does not really prepare you, is that it is my job to help my students succeed, not to just give them a grade. In the beginning, I taught the lesson, assigned work, administered tests, and took grades. I did that because that is how we are supposed to determine efficiency. Right? No, Wrong. I learned this the hard way and, sadly and regrettably, at the expense of my students at that time. Over time, I noticed how sometimes it took re-teaching along with small group instruction and interventions for students to understand and master the concepts. Since then, I have allowed for them to fix, re-do, and re-re-do their work, as needed.
    • I focus on my interventions just as much as I do my initial teaching of the objective. Making sure that they truly understand and master the content before moving on to another objective helps me just as much as it helps them. It saves me from continually re-teaching. Slow and steady does win the race. This approach allows me to help the student master objectives with more efficiency.
    • Accelerated Math has allowed for me to individualize my instruction and interventions. I love this program. Truly! I have three types of students; above, on target, and below. This program allows for growth in each area. However, I have found the most growth in my bottom quartile. Why? I believe it is because I am able to recognize a problem or issue with a particular objective immediately. I, then, can address that issue immediately before the bad habits or wrong approach is repeated.
    • This program is masked as a whole-group classroom approach, however, the most important components are found under the mask. One-on-one instruction is how I describe it to educators. My students are actively engaged in their own learning. They are also actively engaged in the learning of their peers, as well. I use a lot of peer tutoring techniques. They have access to knowing who is also working on mastering the same objective(s) they are working on plus they know who has already mastered said objective. This allows them to know who to go to for effective help. They are able to steer their own learning to a point. They can ask a peer or me. They can get on Accel math and look at the objective and see completed answers for a reference. This also boosts the confidence of their own understanding. They feel confident in having control of the path they want to use for gaining knowledge. Peer-tutoring and peer-discussions give them the opportunity to say out loud what they are thinking/feeling about a concept and rationalize their approach to evaluating said concept. As the teacher, I play various roles. I can teach, facilitate a small group, or just be an observer. A lot of times, I just ask open-ended questions to jump start their own questions.
    • Accel Math has assisted my math classrooms with tremendous gains. My test scores have gone up significantly. My students have a greater sense of accomplishment since they have been given the "driver's seat" for their own learning. This makes my heart smile! ;)
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    • One-stop resource for student data, from test scores to medical alerts.
    • Parent information, including contact and custody details, are readily accessible.
    • Clean and easy-to-use format makes finding what you need very easy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Renaissance Learning
    • I would like to be able to choose specific math problems for my students to practice.
    • It would be beneficial to see more practice products on Freckle that address writing conventions.
    • My students could benefit from more leveled reading practice, so having multiple stories that address the same skills would be beneficial.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    • It can be difficult to find information when first beginning with it.
    • It can take many steps to perform one task.
    • Can run slowly on certain networks.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Renaissance Learning
    I have used Freckle for a long time, even before the premium version. If my district were not to renew the program, I would utilize the free options as a digital tool to assess standards. Love it
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Renaissance Learning
    As a tech savvy person, I found Accelerated Math to be easy to learn. There are a ton of options to display your data and integrate your students learning abilities into the program. It can, however, be a little overwhelming for a tech beginner and if they don't have someone to walk them through the initial steps and get them started, I can imagine it might be difficult for them to get going.
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    No answers on this topic
    Reliability and Availability
    Renaissance Learning
    It is consistently available with outages planned and communicated well in advance. The outages also seem to be planned to provide the least disruption to teachers.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    This would be the same reasoning as in the previous question. It is all about having enough bandwidth to run it across your district and buildings.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Renaissance Learning
    It is easy to use and understand. Students have no difficulty finding their way around, and teachers easily understand the reports and data.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    Reports do run in a reasonable amount of time based upon the number of entries you are working with. You are also able to continue working on other areas while the report is being created so your device is not tied up during this process.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Renaissance Learning
    Such an excellent program that is a hidden gem at no cost for teachers to use with students.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Renaissance Learning
    I like the support I receive with Renaissance Accelerated Math. I like that I can quickly and easily print the problems I need for interventions. I like the hands-on lessons with Engage but it is too scripted for my tastes. I gave up on I-Ready years back because it was too complex. I still use Moby for filling in gaps. I use Study Island for my higher students after they work through Renaissance Accelerated Math.
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    PowerSchool eSchoolPLUS effectively allowed for access to all data, while enabling links to other critical PowerSchool platforms like Kickboard, Enrollment, and other software platforms.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Renaissance Learning
    If there is going to be an outage for service, Renaissance does a great job of communicating that well in advance to allow the faculty to plan accordingly.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    There are days when PowerSchool can be very slow when loading. You definitely have to make sure you have the bandwidth in your district to run the platform appropriately.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Renaissance Learning
    • Freckle has been an asset by allowing me one more resource to use while trying to teach my students certain skills. I have been using it as a source for my students to practice skills in an attempt to strengthen their reading abilities.
    • Freckle is an asset to our entire school. By teaching my students how to read more effectively while using Freckle to strengthen their reading abilities, students become more successful in every area of education.
    • As students become better readers they tend to be more successful on the state test at the end of the year. Freckle plays a part in our success as a school. We tend to do well in our state. We were rated in the top 10 schools within our region. This is important in the financial stability of our school as it plays a part in our funding.
    Read full review
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    • Our Return on Investment is high, as it makes our jobs easier, allowing us more time to troubleshoot and train staff instead of digging for student information.
    • Overall our business objective is to store and access student information quickly, efficiently, and securely. eSchoolPLUS allows us to do that.
    • eSchoolPLUS has no negative impact on our ROI. Sometimes, after an update, there is a learning curve and bug fixes that need to be worked around, but in general, it is a great product and there is little downtime for our organization.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots