What Does Academic Management Software Need to Handle a Grading System Properly?

The grading system is a key part of a school's academic management. Managing it can be simple or complex depending on the technology tool used. That's why it is so important to have academic management software for schools that can meet the institution's specific needs.

This software should help coordinate all the information related to the school's assessment system (which can be carried out in many ways and in different formats), making administrative and teaching work easier, as well as communication with the entire school community.

Below, we share what academic management software for schools needs in order to truly manage a grading system properly.

Keys to evaluating academic management software for schools

• The system supports the school's grading scheme

One of the key ways to tell whether academic management software is right for managing student assessments is whether it supports the grading scheme the school has established. Whether that scheme is based on rounding, weighted averages, numerical grades, arithmetic means, or something else, the first check is that the software can be configured accordingly.

Of course, every school is different. Some are more qualitative, others more quantitative. Some even use different forms of assessment in certain subjects. That's why the school ーespecially the academic directorー must be very clear and specific in communicating the grading scheme it uses when looking for academic management software.

• The academic management software adapts to the school's grading periods

Schools usually divide their academic year into periods. Good academic management software for schools must therefore be flexible enough to adapt to those periods, recording each student's grades in the selected period.

It must also be possible to configure the periods for entering, viewing, or closing grades. Otherwise, inconsistencies may arise when report cards are printed or sent out.

This ensures proper tracking of students' academic progress and makes it easier for the users the school deems appropriate to view it.

• The report cards are exactly what the school needs

It is also crucial that the academic management software for schools you implement generates report cards exactly the way the institution needs them.

For example, if the school uses several grading schemes, the software must be flexible enough to combine them and present the information in the final document.

This matters because, surprising as it may seem, not all academic management systems display grades correctly on report cards, even when the recorded data meets the criteria of the grading scheme and the grading periods.

Pro tip:Make sure not only that grade information is correctly carried over into the report card templates, but also that those templates can be customized to the school's requirements.

• The academic management software comes with proper support

Last but not least, it is vital to make sure the academic management software provider offers good support.

Some companies charge for their services “on demand,” meaning each call has a cost or support is handled in shifts. The key, however, is that the provider truly understands the school's needs and is available when needed. They may not always guarantee an immediate response, but it should come within 48 hours at most.

So, what should a school's academic management software look like?

In short, like any computer system, academic management software for schools must have three characteristics: flexibility, robustness, and great support.

Flexible, so that the system adapts to the way the institution operates. Robust in its infrastructure, so it can handle many concurrent users, as well as all the actions performed on the platform, without slowdowns or database outages—especially at “peak times,” such as the days when grades are entered or published.

This matters because some academic systems are rigid and don't allow features to be configured, or they freeze when several users try to access them.

Finally, great support helps ensure the software runs optimally at all times. You may have a great academic system, but if the company behind it provides poor support, the results will inevitably be disappointing.

Phidias: A flexible, robust academic management system with exceptional support

Phidias is specialized software that makes running a school easier by managing and centralizing all of its information. Its flexibility means there is practically a Phidias for every institution.

With our system, you can:

• Adapt the grading scheme
• Speed up entering, viewing, and sending academic information
• Customize report cards, with the option to generate digitally signed documents
• Record honors and awards quickly and easily
• Generate performance reports with up-to-date, real-time information
• Make communication across the school community easier around a key element: assessing and tracking performance
• Take advantage of many more features that simplify day-to-day work!

In addition, its high level of cybersecurity and robust infrastructure allow all activities to run smoothly while mitigating the risk of vulnerabilities. Contact us and we'll show you how Phidias can help schools manage their information efficiently!