Learning Management Systems

PowerSchool Acquires Chalkable to Incorporate Student Behavior Tools

• By Sri Ravipati
• 10/18/16

PowerSchool has acquired a K–12 solutions provider for its incentive and reinforcement tools, in an effort to teach students social skills and foster a positive classroom environment.

A survey of more than 10,000 public school teachers revealed that 62 percent of teachers say behavior issues are the biggest interference to teaching and improving learning outcomes. By acquiring Chalkable, PowerSchool can add tools to its Unified Classroom platform that help curb negative behavior in the classroom by encouraging positive student behavior. Chalkable’s Positive Reinforcement System has “improved student success rates by a number of measures in many schools,” according to a prepared statement. The system enables teachers to reward students with prizes when they have good attendance, complete an assignment or achieve other classroom objectives.

“Driving student engagement and positive behavior with incentive-based rewards and gamification has the most profound impact on improving student performance, attendance, and learning outcomes across pre-K and K–12,” said Hardeep Gulati, PowerSchool CEO, in a statement. “Adding the Positive Reinforcement System to PowerSchool’s Unified Classroom empowers teachers by equipping them with a comprehensive solution to efficiently manage instruction, assessments, grades, compliance, positive culture, behavior and an engaging classroom community.”

Chalkable is PowerSchool's sixth acquisition and the company has gained access to more than a thousand school districts working with Chalkable through the merger.

Further information is available on the PowerSchool site.