Report Formatting

On this page:

Many PowerSchool reports are generated in your Web browser application and are formatted for you. However, some reports require formatting before PowerSchool can generate them. Modifiable parameters include header and footer text, margin size, font, line height, and grid lines. In many cases, you do not have to make any changes to the default values that appear when you open a new template. However, you have the option of changing the format of certain reports.

When report formats can be altered, you have the option of changing some or all of the settings. When you change a setting, it becomes the default for anyone who uses the report unless you change it back. Note that not all of the settings appear on every report, and that the following list is not all-inclusive.

The following table describes each function:

Report Styles

An important part of how your custom reports look is the fonts that are used. Perhaps you like report titles to be in large, bold, capital letters. Perhaps you prefer that footer text be small and italicized. So that you don't have to set these preferences each time, PowerSchool provides several styles you can use. Create new styles according to your own preferences and needs.Report Styles

Add a Report Style

1. Navigate to the Font Styles page.

2. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

   Field	Description
   Style Name	Enter the name of the style.
   Font	Choose the font.
   Font Style	Select the checkboxes to make the font style bold, italic, or underlined. Select any combination of the checkboxes.
   Font Size	Enter the font size in points. One point is 1/72 of an inch.
   Line Height	Enter the height for the space between lines on the report in points. One point is 1/72 of an inch.
   Alignment	Choose the alignment.
   Use This as the Default System Style	Use the pop-up menu to indicate to want this style to be the default system style by selecting Yes or No. If you select Yes, the style will be used as the default font for all reports unless you specify otherwise.

3. Click Submit. The Styles page shows that the new style has been added to the list. You can create several styles or edit an existing one by clicking the name of the style. All PowerSchool users have access to all styles on the list. Contact other users before changing the default style.

Run, Print, and Save Reports

Use a template to pull data from the PowerSchool system and print a hard copy. To create and import report templates, refer to Report Templates.

Run a Report for a Single Student

1. Navigate to the Print a Report page for Students.

2. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

   Field	Description
   Print the report for	The selected student appears.
   Which report to print	Choose the report. Types of reports are separated by dashes. The first group of reports are Form Letters. The second group of reports are Report Cards. The last group of reports are Object Reports.
   If printing student schedule, use...	If you selected a Report Card in the "Which report to print" field, select an option to indicate enrollment specifications. If you select the "enrollment as of" option, enter the enrollment date in the field using the format mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy. If you do not use this format, an alert appears. If you submit the date with an incorrect format, the date field is submitted as a blank entry.
   If printing fee list, only include transactions conducted during... (may be overridden in report setup)	If you selected an Object Report in the "Which report to print" field and that Object Report includes a fee list object, choose the date range. If you select the "Date Range," enter the beginning and ending dates in the fields using the format mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy. If you do not use this format, an alert appears. If you submit the date with an incorrect format, the date field is submitted as a blank entry.
   Watermark Text	To print text as a watermark on each page of the report, either choose one of the standard phrases or choose Custom and enter the text you want to print as a watermark in the field.
   Watermark Mode	Use the pop-up menu to determine how you want the text to print. Watermark prints the text behind objects on the report, while Overlay prints the text over objects on the report.
   When to print	Select a time to run the report: ASAP: Execute immediately. At Night: Execute during the next evening. On Weekend: Execute during the next weekend. On Specific Date/Time: Execute on the date and time specified in the following fields using the format mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy. If you do not use this format, an alert appears. If you submit the date with an incorrect format, the date field is submitted as a blank entry.
   Report Output Locale	Select the locale. The report output will be in the language associated with the locale. Note: When generating object reports, certain report text may appear in the default English language. For more information, see Object Reports.

3. Click Submit. The report queue appears.
4. Click View once the report is completed.
   Note: Click Refresh to update the status of the report.

The page displays a PDF file of the report. Thoroughly review it to verify that the formatting and content are correct. If the report provides the data you need and is formatted properly, print it from this page or save it to another application.

Run a Report for a Group of Students

Run this report card-based report for a group of students to display the schedule listing for the current school year.

1. On the start page, search for and select a group of students. A list of students appears in the Current Student Selection section. For more information, see Select a Group of Students.
2. Click the [Select Function] arrow. The Group Functions pop-up menu appears.

3. Under Printing, choose Print Reports. The Print Reports page appears.

   Note: Alternatively, if you have a current selection of students, you can choose Special Functions under Functions in the main menu and then click Groups Functions.

4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

   Field	Description
   Which report would you like to print?	Choose the report. Types of reports are separated in the pop-up menu by dashes. The first group of reports are Form Letters. The second group of reports are Report Cards. The last group of reports are Object Reports.
   For which students?	Select one of the following options to indicate the students for whom the report will be run: All records in a single batch: Prints the report as a single job Print only the first [X] records: Prints the report for only the first specified number of records. All records in batches of [X] records: Prints the report in the specified number of batches. Note: The report jobs are automatically named with the text “Batch X of Y” followed by the report name, where X is the batch number and Y is the total number of batches. The total number of batches is determined by the size of the original selection and the size of a batch. For example, if there are 1,012 records in the selection, and the batch size is set to 50, there will be 21 total batches: 20 batches of 50 records and a 21st batch containing the final 12 records.
   In what order?	Indicate the sort order by selecting one of the following options: Alphabetical: Sorts alphabetical by students' last, first name. By grade, then alphabetical: Sorts by students' grade level, then by students' last, first name. By period class, as of this date: Sorts by teachers' name for the classes that meet on the period/day selected, then by students' last, first name. Note: Students who do not have a class on the period day selected will appear at the top of the PDF.
   If printing student schedules, use...	If you selected a Report Card in the "For which students?" field, select an option to indicate enrollment specifications. If you select the "enrollment as of" option, enter the enrollment date in the field using the format mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy. If you do not use this format, an alert appears. If you submit the date with an incorrect format, the date field is submitted as a blank entry.
   If printing fee list, only include transactions conducted during... (may be overridden in report setup)	If you selected an Object Report in the "For which students?" field and that Object Report includes a fee list object, choose the date range. If you select the "Date Range," enter the beginning and ending dates in the fields using the format mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy. If you do not use this format, an alert appears. If you submit the date with an incorrect format, the date field is submitted as a blank entry.
   Watermark Text	To print text as a watermark on each page of the report, either choose one of the standard phrases or choose Custom and enter the text you want to print as a watermark in the field.
   Watermark Mode	Determine how you want the text to print. Watermark prints the text behind objects on the report, while Overlay prints the text over objects on the report.
   When to print	Select a time to run the report: ASAP: Execute immediately. At Night: Execute during the next evening. On Weekend: Execute during the next weekend. On Specific Date/Time: Execute on the date and time specified in the following fields using the format mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy. If you do not use this format, an alert appears. If you submit the date with an incorrect format, the date field is submitted as a blank entry.
   Report Output Locale	Select the locale. The report output will be in the language associated with the locale. When generating object reports, certain report text may appear in the default English language. For more information, refer to Object Reports.

5. Click Submit. The report queue appears.
6. Click View once the report is completed.
   Click Refresh to update the status of the report.

The page displays a PDF file of the report. Thoroughly review it to verify that the formatting and content are correct. If the report provides the data you need and is formatted properly, print it from this page or save it to another application.

Print a Report

1. Run a report that creates a PDF.
2. View the report in your Web browser or in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
3. Choose File > Print from the menu bar.
4. Make the necessary selections in the Print dialog.
5. Click OK. The report prints as you view it on the page.

Save a Report

Save the data from a particular report. Saving a report creates a snapshot of the data. The saved report will not continue to display current information as the PowerSchool system is continuously updated.

Not all reports can be saved.

1. Run a report that creates a PDF.
2. View the report in your Web browser or in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
3. Choose File > Save As from the menu.
4. Enter a file name for the report. If you think you will forget it, write it down.
5. Click Save. The report is saved. Open it using a procedure similar to opening a document in a word processing or spreadsheet application.

Alternate Ways to Create Reports

There are some shortcuts to creating a report from scratch. One way is to use a report template that someone else has already created. The second way is to copy a template that is already on your PowerSchool system. The third way is to create a template in a word processing application and paste it into a PowerSchool template.

Use a Template From Another PowerSchool System

There are two parts to using an existing template. First, download (or export) it from a PowerSchool system. Then, import it to a second PowerSchool system for the person who wants to use it. This process is just like copying a document from one hard drive to your own. The only difference is that you are copying a report template from one PowerSchool system to another. For more information, refer to Report Templates.

Copy a Template From Your PowerSchool System

Use the procedures discussed on the page Report Templates to copy a template on your own PowerSchool system and import it back to the same PowerSchool system. This is helpful when you need a report similar to an existing one with only minor changes. Be sure to give the template a different name so that you do not end up with two templates of the same name. Once the template is in PowerSchool, edit the parameters to create a new one. This is similar to using the Save As option in many applications. Open an existing document and save it under a different name to save it as two documents. Keep the one in its original format and edit the other.

Create a Template in Another Application

This method can be helpful if you do not feel comfortable working outside of a word processing application. You can create the template in an application you know with minimal time spent entering HTML tags and PowerSchool data codes. The idea is to create the template using a word processing application and then paste it into a PowerSchool template, while replacing the appropriate sections with some HTML tags and PowerSchool data codes. To create PowerSchool templates, create and save Report Cards, Mailing Labels, Form Letters, and Object Reports to reuse as templates.