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Schoology Learning vs. Skyward Student Management System

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Schoology Learning

    Score9.7 out of 10
    N/ASchoology aims to combine as many parts of the learning process as possible into a single platform for K-12 students. By doing this they aim to simplify the learning experience for students, parents, and teachers.N/A

    Skyward Student Management System

    Score7.7 out of 10
    N/ASkyward, headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, offers the Skyward Student Management System, a k-12 student information system which provides classroom tools (e.g. gradebook, attendance tracking, etc), Family Engagement tools with portal, as well as admin and student services task management.N/A
    Pricing
    Schoology LearningSkyward Student Management System
    Editions & Modules
    Schoology Basic
    Free
    Schoology Enterprise
    Contact sales team
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Schoology LearningSkyward Student Management System
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsReach out to the vendor for pricing options based on your needs.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Schoology LearningSkyward Student Management System
    Considered Both Products
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    Chose Schoology Learning
    Schoology fit the right price point, was a familiar platform for some of our students because they use it at their other schools, which were two reasons we did not choose [an] Infinite Campus. Additionally, we used Moodle before, but it was not as robust for the areas that we …
    Incentivized
    Skyward
    Chose Skyward Student Management System
    We have used Tenex and Lettergrade and have evaluated Powerschool, Saphire, ClassMate, and Pentamation.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    77%
    Would buy again
    10 Answers
    83%
    Would buy again
    5 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    73%
    Delivers good value for the price
    8 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    77%
    Happy with the feature set
    10 Answers
    83%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    71%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    5 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    67%
    Implementation went as expected
    6 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Schoology LearningSkyward Student Management System
    Learning Management
    Comparison of Learning Management features of Schoology Learning and Skyward Student Management System
    Feature
    Schoology Learning
    5.6
    40 Ratings
    38% below category average
    Skyward Student Management System
    -
    Ratings
    Course authoring4.738 Ratings00 Ratings
    Course catalog or library4.727 Ratings00 Ratings
    Player/Portal8.229 Ratings00 Ratings
    Learning content5.633 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile friendly6.438 Ratings00 Ratings
    Progress tracking & certifications7.334 Ratings00 Ratings
    Assignments4.740 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compliance management9.123 Ratings00 Ratings
    Learning administration2.133 Ratings00 Ratings
    Learning reporting & analytics4.637 Ratings00 Ratings
    Social learning4.635 Ratings00 Ratings
    Student and Faculty Administration
    Comparison of Student and Faculty Administration features of Schoology Learning and Skyward Student Management System
    Feature
    Schoology Learning
    -
    Ratings
    Skyward Student Management System
    6.9
    4 Ratings
    18% below category average
    Integrations with 3rd-Party Education Technology00 Ratings5.92 Ratings
    District Communications, such as messaging and alerting00 Ratings7.03 Ratings
    Roster Management00 Ratings8.34 Ratings
    Platform Customization00 Ratings3.12 Ratings
    Teacher Self-Service00 Ratings6.33 Ratings
    Student Data Security00 Ratings8.74 Ratings
    Community Support00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
    Class Scheduling00 Ratings9.02 Ratings
    State and National-level Reporting00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
    Teacher and Parent Mobile Application00 Ratings9.52 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Schoology LearningSkyward Student Management System
    Small Businesses
    Google Classroom
    Score8.1 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Sakai
    Score8.7 out of 10
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Axonify
    Score10 out of 10
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Schoology LearningSkyward Student Management System
    Likelihood to Recommend
    2.9
    (113 ratings)
    7.7
    (16 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    4.5
    (6 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    3.7
    (9 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    1.0
    (9 ratings)
    6.0
    (2 ratings)
    Online Training
    4.5
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    3.6
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Schoology LearningSkyward Student Management System
    Likelihood to Recommend
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    Schoology does the job well enough, but there are enough areas of contention that make advanced use of the system unwieldy. District staff does not have easy reporting ability to determine adoption and use of the platform without having to export to another program for analysis. The reliability of the system is a huge pain point as we need to deliver the curriculum but cannot count on it being available when we need to use it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Skyward
    There is nothing specific that I would say sets it apart from any other LMS, but once you are used to the user interface and various features, it does everything that is needed and integrates well enough with other software to function. Probably isn't necessary in a smaller setting, but for multiple building districts, it is certainly robust enough to handle data collection and storage.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    • Assessments - Much more interactive and have more grading options than Google Forms
    • Auto-rostering - We are able to use Infinite Campus to automatically roster classes and there are no extra steps
    • Family/Guardian access - Schoology allows families to have a sign in and see student grades & work.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Skyward
    • Flexibility. This multitude of fields available makes it easy to capture data the way we want or need to.
    • Quick response to trouble tickets. The company strives to reach out to the customer within an hour and start the process of resolution.
    • User focused. Improvements to the system always look at how the end user experience can be enhanced.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    • While this product constantly seeks to make improvements, certain features need tweaking. As educators enroll in various courses, these course tend to accumulate. If the educator is not an administrator of the course, it is next to impossible to get out.
    • Switching from one course/group to another course/group takes several steps. Not always easy to find the course/group needed.
    Read full review
    Skyward
    • Confusion when it comes to student grades- sometimes there are two different letter grades for a student for what is posted as "TR1" and "PR1." How does a teacher know which of these grades will be posted to a student's report card? How does a teacher know what the student's actual grade is for a particular course?
    • Switching between the Educator Access Plus and Student Management tabs can be complicated, especially for those new to the system. Why can't everything be in one place?
    • I recognize that Skyward logs out after a certain period of inactivity to preserve privacy of users, but is there a way to change those settings so that Skyward does not log out as frequently? It is difficult to keep having to log back in completely again.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    While we have taken time to re-evaluate our selected 1:1 devices, Schoology's impact on student learning is unquestioned. Students are able to connect with other learners, create and share products of their learning, and develop their digital fluency through their use of Schoology.
    Read full review
    Skyward
    It is the system I am most comfortable with, so having to learn a new system outweighs any problems I have with Skyward.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    It's very easy to use Schoology. As with any LMS, it helps to learn some tips and tricks prior to getting started. But, each item is clearly indicated within the platform. If I want to add materials, it is right at the top of my screen. If I want to view the calendar, it is indicated to the right of my screen. Navigating a course and the platform is quite straightforward. Additionally, the benefit of Schoology's help center and user community makes asking and answering questions quick and easy.
    Read full review
    Skyward
    It takes some time to get used to navigating the features and layers, but once you know your way around it, it's pretty good.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    Generally good, but issue self-reporting has become a problem. When there are issues, it can be 20 minutes to an hour before it gets noted on the status page
    Read full review
    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    Course saves or transfers can take several minutes and up to an hour
    Read full review
    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    We have county-level support and district-level support, but their HELP page offers everything that is needed to answer questions and to find "how-to" information for staff. This includes video and written directions for every available feature. Schoology has also worked with our district to improve their product.
    Read full review
    Skyward
    Overall great job, issues were taken care of. People in support do care.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    Too surface level with no follow-up. A
    Read full review
    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    Sit and get with very little hands-on time. 5 minutes to try out a feature/question type, etc. is not enough time. Once your training is done, there is no option for new employees to get that training without having to rebook and pay for the training again. If you pay for basic training, that should be available to a district to use in the future.
    Read full review
    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    No answers on this topic
    Skyward
    Yes, I was part of the implementation team.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    I have taught using both Edmodo and Google Classroom. While both were easier than Schoology was to get in the beginning, Schoology is infinitely more powerful than either of them was. I can do so much more, and differentiate so much easier using Schoology than I could with either of my previous LMSs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Skyward
    I, personally, have not used other Student Management Systems, but having used Skyward, I do not necessarily feel any overwhelming desire to seek out the competitive software programs. Skyward does what it says it will and provides my school district with an easy and organized way to share and access all of the relevant student and family information we need. It serves it's purpose well and meets our needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    We use it 5-12 so scalability is not an issue but sharing materials between departments including common assessments is difficult without paying for add-on features
    Read full review
    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    PowerSchool Group LLC
    • Using Schoology to build a foundation for a blended learning model has helped increase my students ABC rate between 15-20% in all classes!
    • Using Schoology is forcing my students to become responsible for their own learning!
    • The only negative thing I have encountered is the students resistance to change!
    Read full review
    Skyward
    • Overall, Skyward has had a positive impact. One way is the student information that is shared and available to see. If I need to know something about a student’s academic history, Skyward has it.
    • Another way it has impacted our district is the way it has streamlined all of our payroll information. I can see check histories, different parts of my salary, and the year-end totals all in one place.
    • Skyward has also made a big impact on our district by making it easier to communicate with parents. All the parents’ contact information is available and email is even included in the program.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Schoology Learning Screenshots

    Screenshot of Example of Schoology’s course dashboard.