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California School District Debuts iPhone App for Parents

Hemet Unified School District (CA) is piloting a new app aimed at getting parents more involved in their child's education through instant mobile alerts sent right to their iPhone.

The Mobile Parent app from ParentLink was initially launched earlier in the year. The app allows parents to view their children’s classes, grades, assignments, and attendance in one place, and to directly communicate with teachers.

Parents can set alerts that will notify them when their child misses an assignment or receives a low grade. An alert can also be set to notify parents when a child receives a grade below a certain pre-set threshold.

This year, Hemut USD is focusing on improving student attendance in the district, in part through more parental involvement. “We know that increasing parental involvement in a child’s education is the single best predictor of student success,” said Superintendent Dr. Steven Lowder in a statement. “And the most effective and efficient way to accomplish that is through good, consistent communication."

The company also offers a companion app, Mobile Admin, for administrators. Both apps are free and available via the iTunes store.

About the Author

Stephen Noonoo is an education technology journalist based in Los Angeles. He is on Twitter @stephenoonoo.

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