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State previews PowerSchool migration: June 18 cutoff, August 2 statewide go-live planned
Summary
Alabama—s education department briefed board members on the statewide migration to PowerSchool, gave districts data-cleanup deadlines (June 18 cutoff for the old system, migration begins June 19; a final migration of summer completions is scheduled for July 30) and committed implementation support and office hours ahead of an August 2 go-live.
The Alabama State Department of Education updated the board on its statewide transition from the iNow student information system to PowerSchool, emphasizing strict data-cleanup windows, district readiness checks and a support plan to help districts meet the go-live schedule.
Key timeline and requirements - June 18: last date for local districts to make changes in the legacy iNow system and complete end-of-year processes the department will migrate. Districts were warned that once the migration begins on June 19 the old system data cannot be changed for federal reporting.
- July 30: the department will run a targeted migration to capture summer graduates and late updates prior to go-live so that final senior grades and diplomas are included.
- August 2: scheduled statewide go-live for PowerSchool.
Support and readiness checks Department staff said they surveyed districts with a 15-question readiness checklist and identified a limited number of districts that needed additional support. PowerSchool implementation specialists are assigned to each district and department staff will provide office hours, webinars and conference sessions (including multiple sessions at the upcoming MEGA and AETC conferences).
Why it matters: Accurate, timely student data is the basis for federal reports, funding allocations and transcripts. The department repeatedly told the board there is minimal ability to correct data in the legacy system after migration and emphasized targeted, hands-on support for districts with red-line readiness items.
Questions and department responses Board members asked whether migration is being tested; department staff replied that migrations and test runs have been ongoing, including attempts to migrate five years of history and piloting assessment and analytic add-ons. Staff said a help desk and on-site conference assistance will be available during the rollout.
Quotes (from the meeting record) - Angela Martin, described as soon-to-be deputy state superintendent, said: "June 18 will be the last date to do any type of changes within the current iNow system... Beginning June 19, we're going to start our migration process." - On district readiness, Martin said: "We sent surveys to district coordinators and data managers; roughly 35 districts were initially flagged as at risk and we are providing prescriptive assistance."
Ending Department staff emphasized the implementation-support plan—webinars, office hours and on-site help at conferences—and said they expect a successful go-live with continued post-migration support for districts.
