LEWISTON – A new system that allows parents and students to look at their grades, attendance and homework online is spurring more parents to talk to teachers about their teenager’s work.

And it’s speeding up the time that teachers post grades, Lewiston High School Principal Gus LeBlanc told the Lewiston School Committee on Monday night.

Early response to the program is that students, and especially parents, like having the information so accessible. The information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Parents and students have passwords that restrict access to their information only.

“Parents call a lot and thank us. It allows them to see what’s going on with their son or daughter,” said Assistant Principal Paul Amnott. One mother told Amnott her son assured her he had passed in all of his assignments.

The mother was able to check, and discovered that what her son actually passed in differed from his story. “They were able to get on the problem right away,” Amnott said. “Parents really like it.” Students like it too, he said. “I’ve received nothing but positive comments.”

Tucker Adams, who serves as a student representative on the committee, agreed.

“So far it’s worked out well,” Adams said. His mother hasn’t checked on his grades. “She checks on my brother,” he mused.

LeBlanc said he’s given teachers guidelines with the new system. One is that they are expected to update grade books every seven days, “and under no circumstances should they go beyond 14 days,” LeBlanc said.

He gets a lengthy report each Monday showing grade postings of every teacher and every student. He takes it home and reviews it. On Tuesday, he’ll speak to teachers behind in their grade postings if he needs to. “So far, I’ve been pretty pleased. I haven’t had to meet with a lot of teachers,” LeBlanc said.

Several School Committee members praised the new system saying it helps parents and students stay on top of academic performance long before report cards come out.

Member Ronella Paradis said she had qualms about it. In college, parents don’t know what’s going on with their students. She wondered if the new system is “babying” students when they need to learn responsibility.

LeBlanc said he understood where she was coming from, but teachers are telling him they’re hearing from parents they’ve never heard from before.

When parents are more involved, their students do better in school, he said. Giving both parents and students more information “we’re trying to push more responsibility onto students and parents.”

Callahan new LRTC director

In other business, the committee unanimously approved Rob Callahan as the new director of the Lewiston Regional Technical Center.

Current director Don Cannan is retiring July 1.

Callahan said he’s excited about the opportunity, and recognizes the importance of career and technical education. Many businesses are looking for skilled workers. “And hands-on education is a great way for a lot of students to get excited about learning,” he said. “It motivates them to work in other areas” they may not otherwise.

LRTC is the largest high school vocational technical center in Maine offering 27 programs to about 800 students in six schools: Edward Little, Lewiston, Leavitt, Lisbon, Oak Hill and Poland.

Callahan, 38, was promoted in September to become the School Department’s Adult Education director to replace Betty Gundersdorf. Before that, he was assistant director.