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Freckle by Renaissance vs. PowerSchool Student Information System

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    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 SIS

    Score6.3 out of 10
    Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
    The PowerSchool Student Information System covers administrative needs, such as scheduling, attendance, reporting, data management, faculty management, emergency/medical and health management, registration, and more for K-12 schools and districts. It is easy to use and boasts an industry-leading gradebook, PowerTeacher Pro. Users enjoy a fully web-based SIS that is flexible, configurable, and scalable with real-time updates on any operating system, browser or device.N/A
    Pricing
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool SIS
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool SIS
    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 SIS
    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
    95%
    Would buy again
    18 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    18 Answers
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    14 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    95%
    Happy with the feature set
    19 Answers
    89%
    Happy with the feature set
    17 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    91%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    10 Answers
    90%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    9 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    88%
    Implementation went as expected
    14 Answers
    92%
    Implementation went as expected
    12 Answers
    Features
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool SIS
    Student and Faculty Administration
    Comparison of Student and Faculty Administration features of Freckle by Renaissance and PowerSchool Student Information System
    Feature
    Freckle by Renaissance
    -
    Ratings
    PowerSchool Student Information System
    8.5
    3 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Integrations with 3rd-Party Education Technology00 Ratings9.02 Ratings
    Online Registration Management00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    District Communications, such as messaging and alerting00 Ratings8.12 Ratings
    Roster Management00 Ratings9.03 Ratings
    Platform Customization00 Ratings7.73 Ratings
    Teacher Self-Service00 Ratings9.03 Ratings
    Student Data Security00 Ratings9.43 Ratings
    Community Support00 Ratings7.43 Ratings
    Class Scheduling00 Ratings9.43 Ratings
    State and National-level Reporting00 Ratings7.12 Ratings
    Compliance Support00 Ratings7.62 Ratings
    Teacher and Parent Mobile Application00 Ratings8.03 Ratings
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    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool SIS
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    Medium-sized Companies
    Nearpod
    Score8.9 out of 10
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    Score9.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
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    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool SIS
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.4
    (30 ratings)
    9.0
    (32 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    9.1
    (7 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    8.5
    (12 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Freckle by RenaissancePowerSchool SIS
    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
    PowerSchool Student Information System is a cool software that can be highly recommended to anyone who is living in the educational management space. It is proven that this software can reduce your manual workload massively if you use it right. Plus it is really worth the price you pay. Especially if you are in the administrative field, this software will help you to minimize manual efforts put into student registrations, staffing recruitment, and main resource management processes.
    Incentivized
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    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! ;)
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    PowerSchool Group LLC
    • PowerSchool houses student or staff information that can be easily accessed by those teachers and administrators who need the information. This allows everyone to go to one place to access information.
    • Parents can view their child's grades at any time with their protected login on a parent portal. This allows teachers to keep parents informed and involved in their child's progress at school. When everyone works together it increases our students' chance for success.
    • PowerSchool offers videos to train new users. When we have new employees, the videos can be accessed at any time the employee needs as opposed to them waiting for someone to help them.
    Incentivized
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    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
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    PowerSchool Group LLC
    • Does not consistently communicate with related software such as Illuminate for Special Education Students.
    • Drop down menus frequently refresh as data is entered which slows down the user's ability to enter information.
    • Icons are sometimes unclear and not easily understandable. Word labels for some items might be more effective.
    Incentivized
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    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
    We would be starting over at square one if we did not continue our PowerSchool subscription. We do not have a program in a place that would take its place.
    Incentivized
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    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
    Great features, but it can feel very cumbersome at times
    Incentivized
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    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
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    PowerSchool Group LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Renaissance Learning
    Such an excellent program that is a hidden gem at no cost for teachers to use with students.
    Incentivized
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    PowerSchool Group LLC
    Overall, I have not had to use support for PowerSchool Student Information System because our school district gives us training in each area in which we will be utilizing PowerSchool Student Information System. In terms of in-user support, I feel that there is mild to moderate user support that is built into PowerSchool SIS.
    Incentivized
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    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.
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    PowerSchool Group LLC
    I have heard good things for Infinite Campus and Skyward. I would [evaluate] each of them and see what fits your needs. Each has their strengths and weaknesses and so picking the right one for your needs is important. PowerSchool [Student Information System] does have some great features, but lacks some fundamental reports and functions to make it top notch.
    Incentivized
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    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
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    PowerSchool Group LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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.
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    PowerSchool Group LLC
    • It has created shortcuts for all staff members, saving us time.
    • In creating shortcuts and combining many different systems into one, it is saving our school money.
    • It has created a safety net for teachers because grades and student information is stored electronically, which means teachers not having to worry about losing or misplacing their grade books.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots

    PowerSchool SIS Screenshots

    Screenshot of Student attendanceScreenshot of Standards-based gradingScreenshot of At-risk dashboardScreenshot of Parent view of student schedule