Parents, who wonder if junior turned in his homework assignment or want to know how he did on the math test, now have a new way of tracking progress.

Zangle, student information system software, will allow parents to monitor grades and attendance online.

The Anchorage School District is implementing the new system for tracking and recording student information this fall.

It will house virtually all student information, from vaccinations to transcripts, in one unified database.

"Parents also can use e-mail to contact teachers to discuss their child's academics, attendance or other concerns through the program," said ASD spokeswoman Heidi Embly. "This years we're just making grades and attendance available. There will be more features added in the future."

More features will be added over the next two years that will eventually allow parents to register their students online, check on fines and fees, and update contact information.

What does this mean for students?

System features for students will be implemented in the 2010-2011 school year.

The student portal will allow students to create their own schedules from available classes and view unofficial transcripts. The system will also allow students to access their most current grades, see what assignments are missing, see results from quizzes and tests, and discuss class work with their teachers.

As part of the system changeover, all parents must update contact information. Forms were mailed to all registered students' homes this spring. They are also available by logging onto the district's home page and clicking on "Zangle form" at www.asdk12.org. A completed form is required for students to register for the upcoming school year.

The district plans to issue passwords and login information to parents for the "Parent-Connect" feature 3 weeks to 4 weeks into the school year.

ASD Zangle program manager Mary McKean emphasized the security measures that have been taken to protect student information.

"We've worked hard to meet all the district, state and industry standards for encryption and security to keep student information from falling into the wrong hands," she said. "Only people with the proper user ID and password will be able to see the data stored in the system."

The new program replaces a 20-year-old main-frame flat file.

Reach the reporter at darrell.breese.@alaskastar.com.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, August 13, 2009.