Schoology

What is Schoology Learning

Schoology Learning is a K‑12 learning management system (LMS) built to support instruction, assessment, and communication for school districts, individual schools, teachers, students and families. As part of PowerSchool’s Personalized Learning Cloud, Schoology Learning integrates course management, content libraries, gradebooks, discussion tools and family-facing portals so the same platform can be used across elementary, middle and high school programs.

Schoology Learning is typically deployed at district scale and integrated with a Student Information System (SIS) to reduce duplicate grade entry, synchronize attendance, and pass grades between systems. Districts use Schoology Learning to centralize course content, apply standards tagging to lessons and assessments, and make learning resources available across classrooms and grade bands.

The platform includes workflows for lesson planning, group collaboration, assessment delivery and automated grading. PowerSchool embeds its PowerBuddy AI assistant in Schoology to assist teachers with content creation and to provide students with on-demand tutoring support. For administrators, Schoology Learning provides district-level controls for account provisioning, course templates, security settings and integrations with other PowerSchool products.

Schoology Learning features

What does Schoology Learning do?

Schoology Learning provides tools to create, deliver and manage K‑12 instruction at scale. Teachers can build course modules, create assignments, schedule assessments, and apply standards-based grading. The platform supports multiple resource types (documents, videos, LTI tools) and includes a course gradebook that can sync with an SIS.

The system supports class discussions, groups for clubs and professional learning communities, and family portals so parents and guardians can monitor assignments, attendance and grades. In addition to teacher-facing authoring tools, Schoology includes analytics to surface at-risk students, view mastery of standards, and track assessment outcomes across cohorts.

Key capabilities include workflow automation for assignment collection and grading, rubrics and standards mapping, content libraries for district-approved materials, and built-in accessibility and moderation features to support K‑12 settings. Deep integration options make Schoology a central node in a district’s learning ecosystem.

Schoology Learning pricing

Schoology Learning offers flexible pricing tailored to K‑12 districts, charter networks, and single-school deployments. Pricing is commonly implemented at the district or school level rather than per individual end user, and PowerSchool typically offers both subscription terms and multi-year licensing for enterprise deployments. District contracts frequently include implementation, training, and optional managed services.

Pricing elements districts should expect to budget for include core LMS licensing, single sign-on and SIS integration fees (if not included), professional services for implementation and training, and optional modules such as advanced analytics or additional storage. Districts often negotiate volume-based pricing, academic site licensing, and bundled discounts when Schoology is purchased together with other PowerSchool products.

Because Schoology Learning is sold primarily through a sales process with district-specific quotes, districts usually obtain exact pricing by contacting PowerSchool for a proposal. Check Schoology Learning's current pricing and packaging on the Schoology product page: https://www.powerschool.com/products/schoology-learning/.

Visit their official pricing page for the most current information.

How much is Schoology Learning per month

Schoology Learning offers competitive pricing plans that vary by district size, feature set and implementation scope. Monthly equivalents depend on contract length and whether a district purchases additional services such as professional development or integrations. For an accurate monthly cost, districts request a tailored quote from PowerSchool; see Schoology Learning's current pricing details here: https://www.powerschool.com/products/schoology-learning/.

How much is Schoology Learning per year

Schoology Learning offers subscription and multi-year licensing commonly billed annually to districts. Annual prices reflect factors such as student count, feature modules, professional services and hosting options. Districts should request an annual quote to compare single-year versus multi-year pricing and to calculate savings from multi-year commitments. Visit Schoology Learning's current pricing to request a quote: https://www.powerschool.com/products/schoology-learning/.

How much is Schoology Learning in general

Schoology Learning pricing ranges based on district size and the level of implementation services required. Small districts and single schools will see different pricing profiles than large urban districts because of per‑student licensing, custom integration needs, and professional services. Typical budgets for an LMS implementation include license fees, onboarding and training, integration costs (SIS, rostering, SSO), and ongoing support and hosting; districts should include contingency for data migration and staff training.

Districts evaluating Schoology should request a full total cost of ownership (TCO) estimate from PowerSchool that includes multi-year costs for license renewal, upgrades, training and potential hardware or network investments. Check Schoology Learning's current pricing for details and to request a custom quote: https://www.powerschool.com/products/schoology-learning/.

What is Schoology Learning used for

Schoology Learning is used to deliver courses in K‑12 settings, manage assignments and assessments, centralize curriculum resources, and maintain communication between teachers, students and families. Teachers use it to author lesson sequences, distribute materials and collect student work; students use it to review lessons, submit assignments and participate in discussions; parents use the family portal to monitor progress.

District leaders use Schoology Learning to standardize curriculum across schools, enforce content approvals, and run district-wide instructional initiatives. Assessment teams use its integrations with standards tagging and assessment engines to measure student growth and to feed results back into analytics systems for early warning and intervention.

IT and operations teams use Schoology Learning as part of a broader educational technology stack, connecting it to the district SIS for rostering and grade passback, to identity providers for single sign-on, and to external content providers via LTI and API integrations. Its role is to be the instructional layer that sits on top of administrative data systems and content repositories.

Pros and cons of Schoology Learning

Schoology Learning has strengths that make it attractive to districts and some tradeoffs to consider. Strengths include deep K‑12 focus, power-user authoring tools, support for standards-aligned instruction, and tight SIS integration when used with PowerSchool SIS. The platform’s family portal and built-in group features help extend learning beyond the classroom.

On the tradeoff side, larger districts sometimes report a learning curve for teachers migrating from simpler platforms, and custom integration work can increase implementation timelines and costs. Districts also evaluate feature parity across grade bands; workflows that work well for secondary classrooms may need adaptation for elementary users, though Schoology includes an elementary experience tailored for younger learners.

Other practical considerations include the procurement model—Schoology is typically sold via district contracts—so smaller schools or individual teachers may need to work with their district or consider cloud-hosted alternatives. Districts should weigh implementation and ongoing support costs against the expected instructional benefits and productivity gains.

Schoology Learning free trial

PowerSchool often provides guided demos, pilot programs and trial access arrangements for districts that want to evaluate Schoology Learning without committing to a full deployment. These pilots allow a subset of teachers and students to use the platform in classroom conditions, enabling districts to validate rostering, grade passback, content migration and educator workflows before a broader rollout.

A pilot typically includes limited access to course creation features, sample content, and integration with a test SIS environment. PowerSchool’s services team or authorized partners can run a pilot that includes onboarding sessions, configuration guidance and feedback cycles to adapt the system to district needs.

Districts planning a pilot should define success criteria—such as roster accuracy, teacher adoption rates, and assessment workflows—and allocate time for teacher training and content migration. For information on trial and pilot options, contact PowerSchool or view Schoology Learning resources on the product site: https://www.powerschool.com/products/schoology-learning/.

Is Schoology Learning free

No, Schoology Learning is not generally offered as a free full-featured district LMS. The platform is sold primarily through district and school licenses and includes implementation and support components. Some districts or schools may be offered limited trial or pilot accounts for evaluation, but long-term production deployments normally require a license.

Individual educators may encounter free tiers or classroom-level offerings from other vendors, but Schoology Learning’s full feature set and district-scale integrations are licensed. If a district seeks a no-cost entry point, they should ask PowerSchool about pilot programs, phased implementations, or bundled options with other products that reduce initial outlay.

For specifics about trial availability and licensing options, consult Schoology Learning's product information and request a quote: https://www.powerschool.com/products/schoology-learning/.

Schoology Learning API

Schoology has historically supported APIs for integrations, including LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) for external tools and REST API endpoints for course and user management. Districts and vendors use these APIs to automate rostering, retrieve gradebook data, sync content and develop custom integrations with other systems. PowerSchool continues to support developer integrations across its product suite, including endpoints specific to Schoology functionality.

Common integration patterns include automated SIS rostering (using OneRoster or custom APIs), grade passback to the SIS gradebook, single sign-on (SAML or OAuth) and LTI-based content launches from third-party providers. District IT teams typically work with PowerSchool professional services or authorized partners to implement enterprise-grade integrations.

For developer documentation, authentication requirements and limits, review Schoology’s developer resources and PowerSchool’s integration guides: https://developers.schoology.com/ and https://www.powerschool.com/security/.

10 Schoology Learning alternatives

Paid alternatives to Schoology Learning

• Canvas — A widely used LMS for K‑12 and higher education with course authoring, analytics, and a marketplace of LTI integrations. Canvas supports standards-based grading, mobile apps, and extensive third-party integrations.

• Blackboard Learn — Enterprise LMS often used by higher education and large districts. Blackboard provides course management, assessment tools, and broad accessibility and compliance features.

• D2L Brightspace — An LMS that emphasizes personalized learning paths, competency-based education and analytics. Brightspace supports K‑12 deployments through district licensing and content integrations.

• Google Classroom — Part of Google Workspace for Education; provides lightweight course management, assignment distribution, grading and deep integration with Google Drive and Classroom APIs. Often used where districts already rely on Google services.

• Microsoft Teams for Education — Collaboration platform with assignments, grading and Teams-based class organization; integrates closely with Microsoft 365 and district identity systems.

• SchoolMint — While focused on enrollment and family engagement, SchoolMint offers tools that overlap with communication and workflows used in some LMS contexts; often purchased alongside a core LMS.

• Instructure Canvas for K-12 — A district-tailored Canvas deployment that includes K‑12-specific features and support options.

Open source alternatives to Schoology Learning

• Moodle — A long-established open source LMS with a large plugin ecosystem, strong community support and flexibility for customization and self-hosting. Moodle supports standards mapping, gradebooks and a wide range of activity types.

• Sakai — Open source platform used in higher education and some K‑12 contexts, offering course management, assignments and collaboration tools with community-driven development.

• Open edX — Open source learning platform originally created by edX; suited for course delivery and content authoring at scale, though typically requires more developer resources to deploy.

• Chamilo — Open source LMS that focuses on ease of use and quick deployments for education and corporate training.

• ILIAS — Open source LMS with features for course management, testing and competency tracking used in European education settings.

Frequently asked questions about Schoology Learning

What is Schoology Learning used for?

Schoology Learning is used for K‑12 course delivery, assessment and family engagement. Teachers use it to create lessons, distribute assignments, and collect student work; administrators use it to standardize curriculum and track performance; parents use it to monitor progress. The platform is designed to scale across district deployments and integrate with SIS systems.

How does Schoology Learning integrate with a Student Information System (SIS)?

Schoology Learning integrates with major SIS platforms for rostering and grade passback. Districts commonly connect Schoology to their SIS to synchronize student enrollments, attendance and grades to avoid duplicate entry. Integration options include OneRoster, SFTP rostering, and vendor-specific APIs depending on the SIS.

Does Schoology Learning support standards-based grading?

Yes, Schoology Learning supports standards-based grading and standards tagging. Teachers can align lesson objectives and assessments to standards, track mastery over time, and generate reports that show student progress against standards at class and district levels.

Can Schoology Learning be used in elementary classrooms?

Yes, Schoology Learning includes an elementary experience designed for younger learners. The interface and workflows for elementary teachers and students simplify navigation and reduce complexity, while allowing districts to maintain a single LMS across all grade levels.

Is there a free version of Schoology Learning?

No, Schoology Learning is generally licensed through district contracts rather than offered as a free long-term product. PowerSchool sometimes supports pilot programs or limited trials for evaluation, but production deployments usually require licensing. Districts should contact PowerSchool to discuss pilot or pricing options.

What API and integration options are available for Schoology Learning?

Schoology Learning offers REST APIs, LTI support and common rostering integrations. These APIs enable grade passback, course and user management, and connections with third-party instructional tools. District IT teams commonly use these interfaces to automate workflows and link Schoology to other systems.

How secure is Schoology Learning?

Schoology Learning is governed by PowerSchool’s security program and enterprise controls. PowerSchool publishes information about its security posture and third-party audits; districts should review the vendor’s security documentation for SOC 2, encryption and data handling practices. See PowerSchool’s security resources for detailed controls: https://www.powerschool.com/security/.

Where can I find Schoology Learning training and support?

PowerSchool provides onboarding, training and professional services for Schoology Learning. Districts can access online resources, recorded webinars, product documentation and paid professional development engagements. Peer communities and customer support channels are available for ongoing help.

Does Schoology Learning have offline or mobile capabilities?

Yes, Schoology Learning offers mobile apps and limited offline access. Students and teachers can access previously loaded content and complete certain activities offline via mobile apps, with changes syncing once a connection is reestablished. Functionality varies by device and content type.

When should a district choose Schoology Learning over other LMS options?

Districts often choose Schoology Learning when they need a K‑12 focused LMS with deep SIS integration and district-wide content governance. It is particularly appropriate where administrators require consistent curriculum management, family portals, standards tracking and the ability to scale across multiple schools. Districts should compare on implementation costs, integration complexity and teacher workflows when making a decision.

Schoology Learning careers

Schoology Learning roles are typically listed under PowerSchool’s careers portal, which posts openings for product management, engineering, customer success and education specialists who work on Schoology and other products. Candidates interested in product, implementation, or support roles should monitor PowerSchool’s careers page and job listings for positions related to Schoology Learning and the Personalized Learning Cloud.

Schoology Learning affiliate

PowerSchool maintains partner and reseller programs that include authorized implementation partners, system integrators and educational content providers. Organizations interested in reseller or affiliate-style partnerships should contact PowerSchool’s partner program to learn about certification, revenue models and partner requirements.

Where to find Schoology Learning reviews

Independent reviews of Schoology Learning appear on education technology review sites, district case studies, and peer communities. Useful sources include district customer stories published on PowerSchool’s site, third‑party review platforms that aggregate educator feedback, and case studies from districts that have published adoption outcomes. For product comparisons and recent user feedback, consult both PowerSchool customer stories and independent review sites.