PowerSchool Launches Contextual AI Solutions to Transform College and Career Planning, and Streamline Access to District Information

Rhea-AI Summary

PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) has launched two new AI solutions: PowerBuddy for College and Career and PowerBuddy for Custom AI. These tools aim to transform education by enhancing college and career planning for students and improving district information access for stakeholders.

PowerBuddy for College and Career provides personalized guidance to students based on their individual data, helping them explore postsecondary options and make informed decisions. It aims to empower students, streamline the discovery process, and maximize counselor impact.

PowerBuddy for Custom AI serves as a real-time AI assistant for districts, answering specific questions about district policies, schedules, programs, and more. It integrates easily into district websites and platforms, offering secure content management and inclusive accessibility features.

These AI assistants are designed using PowerSchool's Responsible AI principles and are available for the 2024-2025 school year, addressing critical education priorities and fostering stronger engagement between schools and their communities.

Positive

• Launch of two new AI solutions to enhance education processes
• PowerBuddy for College and Career provides personalized guidance to students for postsecondary planning
• PowerBuddy for Custom AI streamlines district information access for stakeholders
• Both solutions designed to improve stakeholder engagement and student preparedness
• Products adhere to Responsible AI principles and offer robust security measures

Negative

• None.

Insights

Tech Expert

PowerSchool's launch of AI-driven tools, PowerBuddy for College and Career and PowerBuddy for Custom AI, represents a significant advancement in educational technology. These solutions address critical challenges in the education sector, particularly in college and career planning and district information access.

The PowerBuddy for College and Career tool leverages AI to provide personalized guidance to students, potentially reducing the workload on overburdened school counselors. With the average counselor responsible for 385 students, this tool could significantly improve the efficiency of career guidance services.

The PowerBuddy for Custom AI solution aims to enhance communication between districts and stakeholders, addressing the concerning statistic that only 23% of educators believe parent-school partnerships have strengthened since the pandemic. By providing easy access to district-specific information, this tool could improve community engagement and information dissemination.

While these AI solutions show promise, their actual impact will depend on successful implementation, user adoption and the accuracy of the AI-generated responses. The emphasis on security and privacy is crucial, but ongoing monitoring will be necessary to ensure these standards are maintained as the systems evolve.

Market Research Analyst

PowerSchool's introduction of AI-powered tools aligns with the growing trend of AI integration in the education sector. This move could potentially strengthen PowerSchool's market position and create new revenue streams. The company's focus on addressing key pain points - college and career planning and district information access - demonstrates a strategic approach to product development.

The timing of this launch, making these tools available for the 2024-2025 school year, allows schools adequate time for implementation and training. This could drive adoption rates and potentially impact PowerSchool's financial performance in the coming fiscal years.

Investors should note that while this development is positive, the education technology market is highly competitive. The success of these AI tools will depend on their effectiveness, ease of use and the company's ability to differentiate its offerings from competitors. Additionally, the emphasis on responsible AI and data security could be a significant selling point, especially given the sensitive nature of student data.

Overall, this launch represents a forward-thinking move by PowerSchool, potentially enhancing its product suite and market appeal.

PowerBuddy™ for College and Career and PowerBuddy™ for Custom AI address critical education priorities including preparing future-ready students and improving stakeholder engagement, available now for the 2024-2025 school year

FOLSOM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC), the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, announced today the availability of its latest PowerSchool PowerBuddy™ AI products: PowerBuddy™ for College and Career and PowerBuddy™ for Custom AI. These tools aim to transform how school staff, teachers, counselors, students, families, and the community connect with their school district, while also helping students easily explore and take steps to ensure they are on the right path for college, career, and life success. These AI assistants, designed using PowerSchool’s Responsible AI principles, are the latest PowerBuddy products since PowerSchool launched PowerBuddy in January 2024.

“At PowerSchool, AI isn’t just a feature – it's a cornerstone of our mission to enhance educational outcomes and foster meaningful engagement unlike ever before,” said Shivani Stumpf, Chief Product and Innovation Officer at PowerSchool. “Our new PowerBuddy tools represent a significant leap forward in empowering students, families, educators, and counselors with efficient, secure, and personalized access to critical information by providing instant, tailored, and relevant responses through natural language interactions, eliminating the need for time-consuming searches and sifting through an overwhelming amount of information.”

PowerBuddy for College and Career: Individualized Guidance for Future Success

PowerBuddy for College and Career is an AI companion powered by students’ longitudinal data to guide them in their postsecondary planning. Designed to engage with students conversationally, PowerBuddy offers personalized support, making career exploration and postsecondary planning simple, accessible, and highly impactful. Students can ask questions to discover their options, understand requirements and next steps specific to their context, and receive tailored guidance on which path is best suited for their strengths and interests, maximizing their academic and professional success.

Key Features of PowerBuddy for College and Career:

• Empowers Students: Equips students with guidance based on their individual and unique needs such as their GPA, assessments, career interests, location preferences, academic proficiency, aptitudes, personal goals, military interests, scholarship qualifications, and more, to confidently explore career and college paths, weigh their options, and make informed decisions.
• Streamlines Discovery: Ensures students can quickly find the information they need, when they need it with its intuitive natural language interface and contextual relevance.
• Maximizes Counselor Impact: Frees up valuable counselor time by providing students with a self-service platform, allowing counselors to focus on high-impact student support.
• Security and Privacy: In addition to adhering to Responsible AI principles, PowerSchool protects the security and integrity of the application—including robust cloud security, security by design, third-party penetration testing, and a responsible disclosure program—all validated by independent third-party auditors.

According to a report by the American School Counselor Association, the average counselor in the US is responsible for 385 students - well above the recommended ratio. PowerBuddy for College and Career helps alleviate this burden by empowering students to take control of their futures, allowing counselors to focus on addressing more targeted and in-depth student needs.

PowerBuddy for Custom AI: Streamlining District Information Access

PowerBuddy for Custom AI redefines how districts interact with their communities and stakeholders by providing a secure, real-time AI assistant that can answer district-specific questions like details from the district website, policy manuals, athletic schedules, after-school programs, student handbooks, school calendars, lunch menus, job postings, and more. The tool simplifies information retrieval, allowing users to access accurate, approved answers from district documentation, reducing the need for time-consuming searches and direct inquiries. District staff can easily manage and update the AI’s knowledge base with built-in administrative tools.

Key Features of PowerBuddy for Custom AI:

• Seamless Integration: Easily integrates into any district website, including Parent Portals, district and school websites, communication platforms, Student Information Systems, e-learning platforms, and community engagement sites.
• Secure Content Management: Manages and secures district-specific documentation, enduring privacy and accuracy.
• Inclusive Accessibility Features: Offers speech-to-text and text-to-speech functionality, ensuring access for all users.

According to PowerSchool’s 2024 Education Focus Report, only 23% of educators believe the partnership with parents and caretakers has grown stronger since the pandemic. By providing accurate and instant access to information parents need from their districts, PowerBuddy for Custom AI aims to enhance these relationships by providing quick, reliable information access, fostering greater community engagement.

For more information about PowerBuddy for College and Career, and PowerBuddy for Custom AI, visit https://www.powerschool.com/blog/heres-whats-new-this-school-year-for-powerschool-powerbuddy-ai-assistants/.

About PowerSchool

PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) is the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America. Its mission is to empower educators, administrators, and families to ensure personalized education for every student journey. PowerSchool offers end-to-end product clouds that connect the central office to the classroom to the home with award-winning products including Schoology Learning and Naviance CCLR, so school districts can securely manage student data, enrollment, attendance, grades, instruction, assessments, human resources, talent, professional development, special education, data analytics and insights, communications, and college and career readiness. PowerSchool supports over 60 million students in more than 90 countries and over 18,000 customers, including more than 90 of the top 100 districts by student enrollment in the United States. Learn more at www.powerschool.com.

© PowerSchool. PowerSchool and other PowerSchool marks are trademarks of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

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Source: PowerSchool Holdings, Inc.

FAQ

What are the new AI products launched by PowerSchool (PWSC)?

PowerSchool (PWSC) has launched two new AI products: PowerBuddy for College and Career and PowerBuddy for Custom AI. These are designed to transform college and career planning for students and streamline access to district information for stakeholders.

When will PowerSchool's new AI solutions be available?

PowerSchool's new AI solutions, PowerBuddy for College and Career and PowerBuddy for Custom AI, are available now for the 2024-2025 school year.

How does PowerBuddy for College and Career help students?

PowerBuddy for College and Career helps students by providing personalized guidance based on their individual data, such as GPA, assessments, and interests. It assists in exploring career and college paths, weighing options, and making informed decisions about their future.

What features does PowerBuddy for Custom AI offer to school districts?

PowerBuddy for Custom AI offers seamless integration into district websites, secure content management, and inclusive accessibility features. It provides real-time answers to district-specific questions about policies, schedules, programs, and more, improving information access for stakeholders.