8 features of school management software you should consider

Which school management software features are must-haves for educational institutions? School administration needs to think about many things. There are finances, enrollment rates, schedules, the inevitable grades, and parental access. That’s where school management software comes to the rescue. The global market for this software will reach a whopping $11.95 billion by 2027, all due to the massive adoption of school management systems in the cloud.

With appropriate tools, your school can make complex administrative processes, data collection, and storage more streamlined, accessible, and secure from cybercriminals. Read to learn the eight dazzling features you should look for in your institution’s school management software solution.

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8 key features of efficient school management software

Efficient school management software can enhance your administrative processes and school operations. It makes the experience better for everyone involved with your school. The centralized data hub will grant easy access to school administration, teachers, students, and parents.

Most school management systems contain elements of learning management systems. This means your school can use them to track student attendance, academics, and much more. Also, the cloud-based software allows for high scalability while saving money.

So, to manage student information more efficiently and get better outcomes, examine the main features of school management software. Armed with this knowledge, you can make your school work like a well-oiled machine.

1. Student information system

A student information system is the most important feature of school management software applications. It’s a centralized student data hub that provides easy access to all information about the student.

The information stored on these online portals includes:

• Students’ personal information (name, address, date of birth, parent information)

• Medical records and emergency contacts

• Schedules and extracurricular activities

• Class attendance records

• Grades and transcripts

• Academic standings and achievements

• Disciplinary actions

Having role-based access to this student information management system ensures the data for every student is correct, up-to-date, and secure. Not only can school management access key information promptly, but it also eases student/parent access in real time.

2. Admissions management

The admissions process is very complex. Admissions management is one of the main features of school management systems most favored by administrators. It can give you online registration for students and track applications, enrollment, and billing information. The data is automatically sent to central information management to ease the collection and storage of student data.

You can also gather the following information through school management software:

• Birth certificates

• Transcripts

• Medical information

• Contact information

• Application status

When a student is approved, you can quickly draft up enrollment contracts. Of course, students can also sign the forms online so administrators can get them back in an instant. Finally, you can move students through and assign them to their appropriate classes at the beginning of the school year.

3. Grading and assessment tools

Most schools today embrace online learning, exam management, and test administration. So, grading and assessment tools are important pieces of the modern education process. These tools allow teachers and parents to keep track of student performance. Also, this feature lets students and parents access test scores and report cards.

Gradebooks and student records can be customized to fit the needs of your school. Teachers can also set their own grading criteria, and the school management app can calculate GPAs that will feed into student transcripts. These transcripts hold key information, such as classes taken, grades, and academic history. Within these tools, it is easy to identify student pain points and opportunities for improvement.

4. Integrated communication tools

Integrated tools for internal communication are essential for school management. Texting, notifications, and online portals ensure the timely exchange of information between teachers, administrators, students, and parents. This will improve student engagement with the school and allow parents to actively participate in their child’s education.

In addition to a student portal, parents can also have a dedicated role to see attendance reports, student progress reports, and announcements and get in touch with teachers. Administrators can also allow parental access to event calendars that display school events, holidays, and parent-teacher meetings.

Other than directly through the online portals of your school management software, communication can be emails, SMS and WhatsApp messages, and other tools. The beauty is that teachers can also record video messages and get them to students quickly, ensuring authentic communication that’s more engaging than a simple text.

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5. Attendance tracking

Tracking student attendance is vital for the school and parents. Having instant access to attendance reports makes attendance management easy. For teachers, it can be as simple as checking a box, and for parents, they can keep track of their child’s academic progress throughout the school year.

As a bonus, this part of the student information system can help identify trends and patterns. Teachers and school administrators can track attendance to see if there are periods during the school year when more absences occur. Then, they can publish a part of their curriculum online or change the homework and assignments. Also, if there are classes or teachers that students tend to avoid, you can identify and address the issue.

6. Timetable and scheduling

As some of the main school management system features, the timetable and class scheduling ease subject distribution and allow administrators to create timetables for instructors. Furthermore, having a central hub for all class schedules and events can prevent scheduling overlaps. Without these conflicts, students can participate in all their assigned classes.

Another benefit is that the timetables are easy to check from anywhere with access to the school management app. And thanks to the filtering options, users can see schedules for an individual student, teacher, or a specific class. This master schedule and its neat sorting options make better use of time and resources.

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7. Financial management

Managing finances via an app can help make enrollment and fee collection straightforward for your school. Efficient school management systems streamline all or most of their administrative tasks. Managing and collecting student fees and creating invoices and receipts are a breeze with a well-organized school management software application. So, all the billing information, schedules, and fee management are just a few clicks away.

Administrators can also set reminders and alerts for students and their parents when they have upcoming fees. To make the process even faster, schools often set up and track online payments.

8. Data collection and analysis

The final aspect of efficient school management software is the data collection and analysis function. Your school management app will collect and hold valuable information that you can use to make your school rise above competitors.

For one, you can track school records and the number of admissions to identify trends, patterns, and student demographics. Then, you can tweak your marketing and outreach efforts. You can also keep track of student attendance and performance. With this, it’s easy to pinpoint the areas where you need to send more resources. Or, if your students excel in some subjects or activities, you can promote their success stories.

Those are the main features of school management systems that ensure smooth operations. If you want additional features from your school management software, you can look into library management, inventory and transportation management, and many others. Our school management software professionals at Geniusee can help you grasp a wide range of innovative school management solutions. Take the plunge, and you will automate tasks, improve efficiency and security, and reduce administration costs.

The future of online school management

Educational institutions that want to blaze past the competition and provide the best to their students need to embrace cloud-based school management systems. The need for these software solutions follows the growth trends of the online learning market, which will reach $325 billion in revenue by 2025.

According to Susan Enfield, Chief Learning Officer of Schoology: “Artificial intelligence (AI) is going to play an increasingly important role in online school management. AI can be used to automate tasks, provide personalized recommendations to students and teachers, and even grade essays. This will free educators to focus on more human-centered tasks, such as building relationships with students and providing individualized instruction.”

When integrating modern technologies into the features of management systems, we have to face the challenges that come with it. One of the biggest concerns in a school management system is data security. Another is educator and administrator training to use these gadgets for maximum benefit. Luckily, cyber security tools are also improving to protect private and confidential information. Also, school management systems are more intuitive and easier for everyone to use.

Conclusion

Educational institutions carry the burden of heavy administration and setting up the school management system. There’s student information management, enrollment, fee collection, and report cards. These tasks are complicated and time-consuming. Because of this, the main goal of educators, creating an optimal learning experience for every student, takes a back seat. But, with just a few key features of school management software, you can shift the focus back to the needs of your students.

School management software streamlines administration, automates processes, and carves out time and space for parent engagement. Innovative tools such as AI-powered recommendations, adaptive learning technology, and predictive analytics can make education and personalized guidance available to all your students. And they’re just around the corner. Schools that adopt future-oriented technologies will create an optimal experience for all their employees, parents, and students.