Parents and students can download the free TPS Grades app on their smart phone, and access up-to-date classroom info. (Photo by Clare Jensen)

Grades for students in Tacoma Public Schools are now instantaneously available via the district's new TPS Grades app for smartphones.

Tacoma School District has allowed parents and students to access grades online for the past couple of years, and officials say adapting that website into a mobile app was the natural next step.

"More people are accessing the Internet over the phone than on their computers, so we needed to meet the people where they are," said the district's Director of Instructional Technology Michael Farmer.

Implementing the smartphone app – available to both iPhone and Android users – increases access and availability to information that Farmer says will increase communication between parents, teachers and students.

The app currently does not include all of the grading info available on the district's grade website, but it shows the overall grades, number of missing assignments and direct links to teachers' e-mail accounts. The grades are updated on behalf of the teachers, and they are aiming for updates each week at least.

"The value is not just for me but for my kids," said School Board member and mother of two Catherine Ushka-Hall. "When you can make sure the kid is always aware, and know that the parent, student and teacher are part of the team… you can get things done.

"You increase the quality of education when you increase the quality of communication."

Since the app's soft launch this fall, more than 500 families have accessed student information via the app, with a total of 4,637 logins by students and parents.

With the official announcement of the app's availability by the district last week, Farmer said he expects to see increased usage and feedback.

In addition to the grades app, the district has even more mobile apps in the pipeline, including a mobile version of the district's full website as well as a student information system that will give on-the-go access to more than just student grades.

Download the TPS Grades app from your smartphone marketplace, and access student info by entering the student ID number and password, which each school office can provide. Parents and students who already access the district's grades online system through a computer can use the same student ID number and password.