A Student Information System (SIS) is a critical piece of software for any school or college. An SIS allows educators to manage and track student data, from enrollment to graduation. In this article, we will discuss the top seven features that every good student information system should have.

1. Comprehensive Student Data Management

An SIS should be able to track and store a wide range of student data, including contact information, academic history, disciplinary records, and more. It should also allow educators to easily generate reports on any aspect of a student’s record. Common types of student reports include class rosters, transcripts, grade reports, and attendance reports.

2. Easy Enrollment Management

Enrolling new students can be a time-consuming process. An SIS should make it as easy as possible for educators to add new students and manage their data. It should also support automated enrollment processes, such as online registration. Some student management systems include an admissions and enrollment management module that can automate much of the process.

3. Flexible Grading/Reporting System

A good SIS should offer a flexible grading and reporting system that can meet the needs of any school or college. It should allow educators to create custom grade scales, track attendance, and generate detailed student reports. The system should also support different grading methods, such as letter grades, percentage grades, and pass/fail grades.

4. Student Scheduling

Most SISs include a student scheduling module that allows educators to create and manage class schedules. The module should allow for flexible scheduling, such as creating overlapping classes or setting different start and end dates for each semester. It should also support different teaching methods, such as block scheduling and rotating periods.

5. Financial Management Tools

An SIS should include financial management tools that allow educators to track and budget student funds. The tools should include features such as account reconciliation, expenditure tracking, and fee assessment. They should also support different payment methods, such as cash, check, and debit/credit cards. Some student information management systems will have an integrated payments management module.

6. Student Communication Tools

Student communication is an important part of any education institution. An SIS should include tools that allow educators to easily communicate with students and parents. The tools might include email notifications, text messages, and social media integration. They should also support different languages, so that educators can communicate with students and parents from around the world. This brings us to our next point.

7. Support for Multiple Languages

An SIS should support multiple languages so that educators can communicate with students and parents from around the world. The system should allow educators to easily switch between different languages and configure all aspects of the system, such as menus, help files, and instructional text. It should also include built-in translation tools that allow educators to translate text into different languages.

These are just a few of the top features that every good student information system should have. Some will have these features directly included in the student information system, while other school management platforms will have separate modules for admissions, payments, communications, that can easily be combined together for an all-in-one school management system.

Zara Raza is the Head of Marketing at SchoolCues. SchoolCues was founded in 2010, and provides small schools with an all-in-one platform to manage all school administration activities.

A Student Information System (SIS) is a critical piece of software for any school or college. An SIS allows educators to manage and track student data, from enrollment to graduation. In this article, we will discuss the top seven features that every good student information system should have.

1. Comprehensive Student Data Management

An SIS should be able to track and store a wide range of student data, including contact information, academic history, disciplinary records, and more. It should also allow educators to easily generate reports on any aspect of a student’s record. Common types of student reports include class rosters, transcripts, grade reports, and attendance reports.

2. Easy Enrollment Management

Enrolling new students can be a time-consuming process. An SIS should make it as easy as possible for educators to add new students and manage their data. It should also support automated enrollment processes, such as online registration. Some student management systems include an admissions and enrollment management module that can automate much of the process.

3. Flexible Grading/Reporting System

A good SIS should offer a flexible grading and reporting system that can meet the needs of any school or college. It should allow educators to create custom grade scales, track attendance, and generate detailed student reports. The system should also support different grading methods, such as letter grades, percentage grades, and pass/fail grades.

4. Student Scheduling

Most SISs include a student scheduling module that allows educators to create and manage class schedules. The module should allow for flexible scheduling, such as creating overlapping classes or setting different start and end dates for each semester. It should also support different teaching methods, such as block scheduling and rotating periods.

5. Financial Management Tools

An SIS should include financial management tools that allow educators to track and budget student funds. The tools should include features such as account reconciliation, expenditure tracking, and fee assessment. They should also support different payment methods, such as cash, check, and debit/credit cards. Some student information management systems will have an integrated payments management module.

6. Student Communication Tools

Student communication is an important part of any education institution. An SIS should include tools that allow educators to easily communicate with students and parents. The tools might include email notifications, text messages, and social media integration. They should also support different languages, so that educators can communicate with students and parents from around the world. This brings us to our next point.

7. Support for Multiple Languages

An SIS should support multiple languages so that educators can communicate with students and parents from around the world. The system should allow educators to easily switch between different languages and configure all aspects of the system, such as menus, help files, and instructional text. It should also include built-in translation tools that allow educators to translate text into different languages.

These are just a few of the top features that every good student information system should have. Some will have these features directly included in the student information system, while other school management platforms will have separate modules for admissions, payments, communications, that can easily be combined together for an all-in-one school management system.

Zara Raza is the Head of Marketing at SchoolCues. SchoolCues was founded in 2010, and provides small schools with an all-in-one platform to manage all school administration activities.