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Critical NJ Shifts for PowerSchool Districts

NJ K-12 has changed faster in two years than most districts could staff for. What can schools do to prepare for new 2026-27 mandates?

Prepping NJ Schools for Major Changes

Mapping NJ's Road Ahead

The 2026 NJDOE Strategic Plan asks NJ leaders to do a familiar dance: tackle new mandates with diminishing resources.

▶︎ Realign to NJSLA-A. Retool district benchmarks, internal dashboards, school board presentations, family communications, and instructional resources.

▶︎ Ramp Literacy Screening to 3x a year. Build consistent Tiered System of Supports (NJTSS, MTSS, I&RS, etc.) Increase parent communication.

▶︎ Address chronic absenteeism with NJTSS. Document family outreach and strategies. Analyze what works.

▶︎ Pivot to new NJSLEDS process. Avoid disruptions to funding and QSAC scores.

With fewer people to help, leaders must optimize systems. However, this is where many district leaders make a critical mistake.

Educators with NJSLA Data Dashboard Interface

The Steep Cost of Shallow Solutions

School staff are adept at quick-launching solutions for new mandates. A beautiful Google sheet. An expensive data warehouse. Flashy MTSS software. But as compartmentalized solutions pile up, districts incur a massive compounding cost that undermines their success.

Google Sheets become load-bearing and unmanagable. Staff juggle 10-12 software products with overlapping functions.  Thousands of dollars are spent on data tools that no one opens. Burnout grows. Pilots fail. Morale seeps away.

It’s all downstream of one foundational problem: the district’s Student Information System has failed to adequately adapt to the district’s needs.

Is your SIS platform positioned to meet this moment? There’s one crucial thing to look for.

To Serve NJ, You Must Know NJ

Your litmus test is simple: is your SIS vendor actively adapting to NJ’s education initiatives? Here are key questions to ask:

▶︎ Can I upload NJSLA-A data to the SIS? Does SIS help me report to my school board and parents?

▶︎ Is my SIS proactively handling NJSLEDS? Is their support team trained on what’s happening?

▶︎ Can I manage NJTSS/I&RS in my SIS? A SIS should hold every measure of student growth; NJSLA, benchmark scores, screeners, absences, behavior, etc. NJTSS workflows should live in the same place.

The answers will hint at your district’s readiness for what’s ahead.

Over the past decade, 70+ school districts have transitioned from national vendors like PowerSchool to the NJ-based OnCourse SIS. Learn more below.

Photo of an OnCourse SIS NJ User Group with a presenter and NJ school district attendees

Partner School Districts

Wayne Township Public Schools Wayne Township Public Schools
Galloway Township Schools Galloway Township Schools
Buena Regional School District Buena Regional School District
Haddon Township School District Haddon Township School District
Hopewell Valley Regional School District Hopewell Valley Regional School District
New Brunswick Pubic Schools New Brunswick Pubic Schools
Hoboken Public School District Hoboken Public School District
Pinelands Regional School District Pinelands Regional School District
Sayreville School District Sayreville School District

What educators say about OnCourse

students in assembly

What educators say about OnCourse

“Absolutely our attendance improved. We are able to track, see trends and look at changes. We have used the data obtained through OnCourse to plan a course of action that has been very successful and will continue to help us to maintain positive school attendance.”

Karen Santoro

Principal at Buena Regional School District

What educators say about OnCourse

Teachers leave school with books in hand and laughing

What educators say about OnCourse

“It smoothly integrates all necessary systems. It includes a student/parent portal as well as a special education module and a robust SIS that keeps up with any changes in state testing or NJSMART requirement. ”

Karen Bolmarcich

Technology Coordinator, Bloomsbury School District

What educators say about OnCourse

educators working together

What educators say about OnCourse

“OnCourse is a full integration system. Planning, grading, analysis, statistics, and parental access are strong parameters. OnCourse successfully helps us analyze data on everything from student attendance to standardized testing results.”

Valerie Reeth

Director of Instruction & Curriculum, Ogdensburg Borough School District

SIS FAQs

What's the biggest difference between OnCourse and PowerSchool?

Both PowerSchool and OnCourse offer a diverse range of integrated tools. OnCourse's philosophy is that a "build" approach (vs a "buy" approach of acquiring other companies) can dramatically improve the user experience. Districts choose OnCourse because software tools work fluidly together, support staff are NJ-trained, and the platform adapts rapidly to changing NJDOE and federal mandates.

What happens to twenty years of student data, transcripts, and the custom work our team built?

The OnCourse database team keeps conversion templates built specifically for PowerSchool tables, making it easy to bring in comprehensive historical data on students, staff, transcripts, grades, courses, etc. In more than 70 PowerSchool conversions, we've developed tools for the most common data remediation tasks to make your transition easier.

What is the cost of using OnCourse vs PowerSchool?

Consider your total cost of piecemeal solutions: PowerSchool (and when applicable, the consulting agency paid to manage it.) Your LMS or online registration add-ons. 3rd party data warehouse and/or MTSS software. Staff evaluation or special education tools. Choosing OnCourse's all-in-one approach is likely to save money on software costs. However, the most durable savings come from: ▶︎ Reduced staff trainings on multiple vendor systems ▶︎ Avoiding failed launches of 3rd-party software now handled in SIS ▶︎ Reduced staff overhead on managing SIS plug-ins or manually adapting a national SIS to meet NJ requirements

Let’s Get Started

Todd Green

Ed-Tech Specialist

Todd brings over 30 years of educational experience, including teaching, special education, athletics, student activities, and administration, to his role at OnCourse Systems for Education. He has served as an assistant principal, principal, athletic director, and director of technology. In his free time, Todd likes to cook, play guitar, and walk his four dogs. He most enjoys time spent over a good meal with family and friends.

Schedule a 15-minute meeting with Todd.