Pearson is the global leader in educational publishing, providing scientifically research-based print and digital programs to help students learn at their own pace, in their own way. The company has the most widely trusted and respected programs in educational and professional publishing, and provides the most complete range of educational programs, in all subjects, for every age and level of student, from preK-12 through higher education and on into professional life.

Pearson has revealed today the launch of PowerTeacher 1.5. PowerTeacher 1.5 is the latest version of the industry's leading web-based grade book for today's K-12 educators. The software is now available for integrated use with Chancery SMS, Pearson's SIS solution created specifically to meet the demands of larger K-12 districts, in addition to use with PowerSchool Premier.

As a main element of Pearson's SIS solutions, PowerTeacher 1.5 connects the teacher web portal with a web-based grade book that allows teachers to immediately access and report key student information like attendance, student logs, demographic data, daily bulletins, communication tools, and classroom/individual assignments.

Janet Toohey, Director of Information Systems for the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District declared "With more than 5,000 SIS users each day, our district relies on the quality, stability, and accuracy of PowerTeacher 1.5 to make timely decisions that impact student performance. Today, our teachers are more self-reliant than ever, which is a direct result of the centralization and usability of Pearson's software."

The upgraded version of PowerTeacher features deep functionality with a concentration on user adoption and experience. PowerTeacher 1.5 introduces more than 30 unique features and usability enhancements suggested by teachers and administrators, including:

- PowerTeacher Administrator - a new application for distributing content links (web applications, web site links, .pdf files, etc.) to teachers and controlling other grade book features.

- "What If?" final grade calculation - teachers can calculate a "what if" scenario without losing actual grades, while students can see how they can raise their GPA without altering existing assignment scores or exposing data of other students in the class.

- Customized grade scale - teachers are enabled to customize the grade scale for special demands and other students.

- Off-line capabilities - PowerTeacher intuitively switches into a "running-in-state" mode if your Internet or server goes down.

- Import scores - teachers can now export AND import scores.

- Group filtering: Users canfilter data and profile various student groups. This supports differentiated instruction and allows for quick updates with less time spent searching for individual students in specific groups.

Paul Fletcher, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the School Systems group of Pearson explained "PowerTeacher 1.5 is an excellent example of how Pearson is leveraging cutting-edge technologies to raise the bar for classroom management tools. PowerTeacher 1.5 delivers a highly intuitive user experience that directly addresses unique teacher needs and seamlessly integrates with their existing Pearson SIS. As the industry leader in the SIS market, we are continuing to set the industry standard for software applications that create a collaborative environment for parents, teachers and students to work together in preparing 21st century learners for the future."