The Student Groups screen allows users to create student groups, which can be used for searching and viewing student records. For example, users can create a student group for students on the girls’ basketball team. This group can be assigned to the girls’ basketball coach so the coach can quickly and easily search for and view the records for those students. In addition, users can place limitations on the coach, allowing him/her to view the records for the students in the girls’ basketball group but not edit them. Similarly, groups can be set up and assigned to guidance counselors, discipline deans, and other users who need to view a specific group of students. Student groups can be created based on customized student searches or dynamic saved searches. Dynamic groups can be created using grade levels, using alpha by last name, or using saved student searches. Note: Custom student groups are not dynamic.
The ability to view and/or edit Student Groups is defined by the profile permission, Student Groups via Users > Profiles > Students tab. The Student Groups profile permission allows the user to create and edit his/her own student groups. The ability to assign groups to other users is defined by the profile permission, Assign Groups to Other Users.
See the Student Groups Checklist for a quick guide to Student Groups.
Admin
1. In the Users menu, click Profiles.
2. From the Permission Type pull-down, select Menu.
3. From the Role pull-down, select Admin.
4. Select the applicable Profiles from the corresponding pull-down.
5. Click Submit.
6. Click the Students tab.
7. Select the View and Edit check boxes to enable profile permissions including:
a. Student Groups: Select the View check box to allow the profile users to view student groups and students in the accessible groups. Select the Edit check box to give profile users the ability to view, create, and edit student groups. This gives users access to the My Groups tab.
b. Assign Groups to Other Users: Select the Edit check box to give profile users the ability to assign student groups to other users. When assigned to other users, the profile users can determine which other users can use their student groups. This permission gives users access to the All Groups tab. If this permission isn't enabled, users will only have access to the All Groups tab if a student group has been assigned to the user.
c. Groups Created By Others: Select the View check box to give profile users the ability to view student groups created by other users. Select the Edit check box to give profile users the ability to view and edit student groups created by other users.
d. Default Search: Select View and Edit to enable the Default Search check box, allowing users to set a student group as the default search group for the assigned users upon conducting a student search. Select the View check box only if users should have permission to view but not edit the Default Search check box. Note: Profile users must also have permission to Assign Groups to Other Users in order to select the Default Search check box.
e. Limit Assigned Users: Select the View and Edit check boxes to allow users to select the Limit Assigned Users check box, which restricts the selected Assigned Users to only view and interact with students in the assigned Student Group. Select the View check box only to allow users to view the Limit Assigned Users check box but not edit the setting. Note: Profile users must also have permission to Assign Groups to Other Users in order to select the Limit Assigned Users check box.
f. Limit Visible Profiles: Select the View and Edit check boxes to allow users to select the Limit Visible Profiles check box, which restricts search results to only the users whose profiles are included in the group. Select the View check box only to allow users to view the Limit Visible Profiles check box, but not edit the setting. Note: Profile users must also have permission to Assign Groups to Other Users in order to select the Limit Visible Profiles check box.
g. Requires Eligibility: Select the View and Edit check boxes to allow users to select the Requires Eligibility check box, which is not currently linked to a functionality that facilitates the determination of eligibility. Select the View check box only to allow users to view the Requires Eligibility check box, but not edit the setting. Note: Profile users must also have permission to Assign Groups to Other Users in order to select the Requires Eligibility check box.
h. Publish to Portal: Select the View and Edit check boxes to allow users to select the Student Portal and/or Parent Portal check box(es) to display student groups to students and/or parents on their respective portals. Select the View check box only to allow users to view the Student Portal and Parent Portal check boxes, but not edit the settings.
8. Click Save.
Teacher
1. In the Users menu, click Profiles.
2. From the Permission Type pull-down, select Menu.
3. From the Role pull-down, select Teacher.
4. Select the applicable Profiles from the corresponding pull-down.
5. Click Submit.
6. Click the Students tab.
7. Groups: Select the View check box to allow the profile users to view student groups and students in the accessible groups. Select the Edit check box to give profile users the ability to view, create, and edit student groups.
8. Publish to Portal: Select the View and Edit check boxes to allow users to select the Student Portal and/or Parent Portal check box(es) to display student groups to students and/or parents on their respective portals. Select the View check box only to allow users to view the Student Portal and Parent Portal check boxes, but not edit the settings.
9. Click Save.
Dynamic groups can be created using grade levels, using alpha by last name, or using saved student searches.
1. In the Students menu, click Student Groups.
2. Select the My Groups tab.
3. You can create a new group on the My Groups tab. Begin creating a group by entering a Title in the provided text box.
4. If this group will be assigned to specific users, select the users from the Assigned Users pull-down.
You may have access to all the schools in the district and need to create a student group in order to share it with teachers/coaches who need access to student information for eligibility across multiple schools, but said teachers/coaches shouldn't have access to all the schools and extended student information. Selecting the users from the Assigned Users pull-down gives said users the ability to view the student group/report without access to the schools used to create the student group.
The system ensures that teachers can only see information about students who are scheduled in their sections when viewing a group they created themselves. If a group has been assigned to them, they can view student information regardless of who is scheduled into their courses.
If you do not have the profile permission, Assign Groups to Other Users, you can only assign the group to yourself; therefore, only your name will be listed in the pull-down.
5. Select the appropriate Schools from the pull-down.
- If the Schools pull-down is left blank when creating a student group, the group will be available to assigned users/profiles regardless of the school selected in the top-right school pull-down.
- If one or more schools are selected from the Schools pull-down, the group will only appear in the list for assigned users/profiles when they have the corresponding school selected in the top-right school pull-down.
- If a student group is assigned to multiple schools, users can view the group if at least one of their accessible schools matches the groups assigned schools. Limited information may still be visible from groups linked to schools they cannot access.
- If you have View and Edit access to Student Groups, you will be able to select the schools to which you would like to assign the group (Users > Profiles > Students tab).
- If you have View only access to Student Groups, you will see the Schools column but will not be able to edit the Schools pull-down(s). You will also only see the Student Groups that are linked to the selected School via the pull-down located in the header (top right of the screen) (Users > Profiles > Students tab).
- If you have access to multiple schools, but not all schools, you will only see those schools available in the Schools pull-down.
If one or more schools are selected from the Schools pull-down when creating a group, the group will only be accessible to assigned users or profiles when they are logged into one of those specific schools (selected from the School pull-down in the header). For end-users, this means that students in the Group summary will only be visible if the user has permission to access the school in which the student is enrolled, streamlining visibility based on school-specific permissions.
Additionally, when the Limit Student Groups to Selected School setting is enabled, student group visibility is restricted based on users' school permissions. Users can only view student groups for schools to which they are assigned. Student groups will appear only if the top-right school pull-down matches the group's assigned school or if the group has no assigned school. Furthermore, the School field is required when creating or updating a student group when this setting is enabled.
If the School Filter has been enabled via Setup > School Fields, the Schools pull-down displays with an additional filter, as shown in the image below. The School pull-down utilizes the sort order specified in School Info, which is then followed by alphabetical sorting. Additionally, schools that fall outside any specified minimum or maximum school years are excluded from the options presented in the pull-down.
6. Select the Default Search check box to set this group as the default search group for the assigned users upon conducting a student search.
This group will automatically populate the Student Group pull-down on the Search Screen for the assigned users. If the user needs to search outside of the default group, the user will need to select a different group or select the blank (null) option from the Student Group pull-down and enter different search options.
Selecting the Default Search check box will limit the default Focus alerts the Assigned Users receive to data as it pertains to the assigned Student Group.
7. If the selected Assigned Users should not have access to any other students outside the assigned Student Group, select the Limit Assigned Users check box.
If you have not been given the profile permission, Assign Groups to Other Users and Limit Assigned Users, the Limit Assigned Users check box will not display.
8. Select the Limit Visible Profiles check box to restrict search results to only the students whose profiles are included in the group. Students not associated with these profiles will not appear in search results.
If you have not been given the profile permission, Assign Groups to Other Users and Limit Visible Profiles, the Limit Visible Profiles check box will not display.
Currently, the Requires Eligibility indicator is not linked to a functionality that facilitates the determination of eligibility. However, rest assured, this is under development and will be available soon. We appreciate your patience and promise to keep you updated on this exciting progress.
9. Select the Student Portal and/or Parent Portal check box(es) to display this student group to students and/or parents on their respective portals. If the student is enrolled in multiple schools, the group will appear in the portal block for the student's primary school only.
As shown in the image below, Scott is a part of the Focus HS Juniors and Basketball Team student groups, which have both been enabled to display on the Student Portal.
10. To make the Student Group available to additional users beyond the Assigned Users, select one or more profiles from the Visible To pull-down. Any user with one of the selected profiles will have access to all students in the group.
Selecting a profile from the Visible To pull-down allows those users to view student information for all students in the group--even if the students are not enrolled in their classes or otherwise assigned to them.
If you leave the Visible To pull-down blank, access is limited to the Assigned Users only.
Selecting a profile from the Visible To pull-down grants those users access to all students in the group, even if they do not have access to the schools where those students are enrolled or are not otherwise assigned to them. If you want to limit access only to the users you've specifically assigned, leave the Visible To field blank.
If you have not been given the profile permission, Assign Groups to Other Users, the Visible To pull-down will not display.
11. Select Dynamic from the Assignment Type pull-down to create a student group that generates based on selected grade levels, last names, and saved student searches.
12. Select the Assigned Grade Levels from the pull-down if you want to generate the student group based on specified group levels. In this example, a student group is being created for Focus High School Juniors, so grade 11 is selected.
13. Select the Assigned Last Names from the pull-down if you want to generate the student group based on specified last names. Select the specific letters or leave All selected to pull all last names.
14. If you have saved student searches upon conducting student searches, you can apply them to student groups. Select the applicable Assigned Saved Search from the corresponding pull-down. In the example displayed, Excused Daily Attendance has been selected; therefore, the search parameters saved to that search will be applied to the student group.
Student Searches must be conducted and saved from a different screen, such as Student Info, in order to apply them to student groups here.
See Searching for Students for more information about how to conduct student searches and how to save searches.
15. Enter a Start Date and End Date in the provided text boxes to determine when the student group is active and available for use.
16. Click Save to save the student group.
17. Click View to view the students in the student group.
The student group report displays the following data: Student ID, Student Name, Gradelevel, # Absences [Marking Period], # Unexcused Absences [Marking Period], # Failing Courses [Marking Period], # Processed Referrals, Course History GPA, and Honor Roll.
Student groups can be created based on customized student searches. Note: Custom student groups are not dynamic.
1. In the Students menu, click Student Groups.
2. Select the My Groups tab.
3. Begin creating a group by entering a Title in the provided text box.
4. If this group will be assigned to specific users, select the users from the Assigned Users pull-down. If you do not have the profile permission, Assign Groups to Other Users, you can only assign the group to yourself; therefore, only your name will be listed in the pull-down.
You may have access to all the schools in the district and need to create a student group in order to share it with teachers/coaches who need access to student information for eligibility across multiple schools, but said teachers/coaches shouldn't have access to all the schools and extended student information. Selecting the users from the Assigned Users pull-down gives said users the ability to view the student group/report without access to the schools used to create the student group.
5. Select the appropriate Schools from the pull-down.
- If the School's pull-down is left blank when creating a student group, the group will be available to assigned users/profiles regardless of the school selected in the top-right school pull-down.
- If one or more schools are selected from the Schools pull-down, the group will only appear in the list for assigned users/profiles when they have the corresponding school selected in the top-right school pull-down.
- If a student group is assigned to multiple schools, users can view the group if at least one of their accessible schools matches the group's assigned schools. Limited information may still be visible from groups linked to schools that they cannot access.
- If you have View and Edit access to Student Groups, you will be able to select the schools to which you would like to assign the group (Users > Profiles > Students tab).
- If you have View only access to Student Groups, you will see the Schools column but will not be able to edit the Schools pull-down(s). You will also only see the Student Groups that are linked to the selected School via the pull-down located in the header (top right of the screen) (Users > Profiles > Students tab).
- If you have access to multiple schools, but not all schools, you will only see those schools available in the Schools pull-down.
If one or more schools are selected from the Schools pull-down when creating a group, the group will only be accessible to assigned users or profiles when they are logged into one of those specific schools (selected from the School pull-down in the header). For end-users, this means that students in the Group summary will only be visible if the user has permission to access the school in which the student is enrolled, streamlining visibility based on school-specific permissions.
Additionally, when the Limit Student Groups to Selected School setting is enabled, student group visibility is restricted based on users' school permissions. Users can only view student groups for schools they are assigned to. Student groups will appear only if the top-right school pull-down matches the group's assigned school or if the group has no assigned school. Furthermore, the School field is required when creating or updating a student group when this setting is enabled.
6. Select the Default Search check box to set this group as the default search group for the assigned users upon conducting a student search.
This group will automatically populate the Student Group pull-down on the Search Screen for the assigned users. If the user needs to search outside of the default group, the user will need to select a different group or select the blank (null) option from the Student Group pull-down and enter different search options.
Selecting the Default Search check box will limit the default Focus alerts the Assigned Users receive to data as it pertains to the assigned Student Group.
7. If the selected Assigned Users should not have access to any other students outside the assigned Student Group, select the Limit Assigned Users check box.
If you have not been given the profile permission, Assign Groups to Other Users, the Limit Assigned Users check box will not display.
8. Select the Limit Visible Profiles check box to restrict search results to only the students whose profiles are included in the group. Students not associated with these profiles will not appear in search results.
If you have not been given the profile permission, Assign Groups to Other Users and Limit Visible Profiles, the Limit Visible Profiles check box will not display.
Currently, the Requires Eligibility indicator is not linked to a functionality that facilitates the determination of eligibility. However, rest assured, this is under development and will be available soon. We appreciate your patience and promise to keep you updated on this exciting progress.
9. Select the Student Portal and/or Parent Portal check box(es) to display this student group to students and/or parents on their respective portals. If the student is enrolled in multiple schools, the group will appear in the portal block for the student's primary school only.
As shown in the image below, Scott is a part of the Focus HS Juniors and Basketball Team student groups, which have both been enabled to display on the Student Portal.
10. To make the Student Group available to additional users beyond the Assigned Users, select one or more profiles from the Visible To pull-down. Any user with one of the selected profiles will have access to all students in the group.
Selecting a profile from the Visible To pull-down allows those users to view student information for all students in the group--even if the students are not enrolled in their classes or otherwise assigned to them.
If you leave the Visible To pull-down blank, access is limited to the Assigned Users only.
If you have not been given the profile permission, Assign Groups to Other Users, the Visible To pull-down will not display.
11. Select Custom from the Assignment Type pull-down to conduct a student search in order to select the applicable students. If Custom is selected, the Student Group will need to be defined based on a Student Search.
12. Enter a Start Date and End Date in the provided text boxes to determine when the student group is active and available for use.
13. Click Save to save the student group.
14. Click View/Add to view the students in the student group.
15. Click Add Students To Group to conduct a search.
16. Conduct a student search in order to add specific students to your custom Student Group. For information on conducting a student search, see Searching for Students.
Shown below is an example of a student search where all juniors need to be pulled into the Student Group.
a. To pull all students, select the Search All Schools check box.
b. From the Grade Level pull-down, select 11.
c. Click Search.
17. From the list of students, select the check boxes next to each student to add them to the Student Group. To select all students, select the check box in the header.
18. Click Add Students To Group.
The students selected as per your student search display in the Student Group.
19. Click Add Students To Group to add additional students to the student group.
20. Click the delete button (red minus sign) to remove students from the student group.
a. In the confirmation pop-up window, click OK.
b. Click Save to remove the student from the group.
21. Click the Student Name to open Student Info.
1. In the Students menu, click Student Groups.
2. Select either the My Groups tab or the All Groups tab. The My Groups tab displays groups that you have created. The All Groups tab displays all groups, including groups assigned to you and other users.
3. To edit the text fields, such as End Date, click in the text box and make changes.
4. To edit pull-downs, click the pull-down and click Clear to start over. Then, make your new selections.
5. After changes are made, edited fields display in yellow; to apply changes, click Save.
If the Assignment Type is changed from Custom to Dynamic, the students tied to the group will be lost. Therefore, it is recommended to create a new group instead of editing the group or deleting the group.
6. To delete a Student Group, click the delete button (red minus sign) in the first column.
a. In the confirmation pop-up window, click OK.
b. The deleted student group displays in gray. Click Save to complete the deletion.
Your access and ability to view and edit information on the All Groups tab depends on the Groups Created By Others profile permission set via Users > Profiles > Students tab.
Select the All Groups tab to view your groups in addition to any groups that have been assigned to you.
The All Groups tab displays the Title, Assigned Users, Created By, Schools, Default Search, Limit Assigned Users, Limit Visible Profiles, Requires Eligibility, Student Portal, Parent Portal, Visible To, Assignment Type, Assigned Grade Levels, Assigned Last Names, Assigned Saved Searches, Start Date, and End Date.
Several of these options only display based on your profile permissions set via Users > Profiles > Students tab.
If you have view access only, see Your Assigned Student Groups.
If you have the ability to edit student groups created by other users, you can click the applicable field and make any edits as needed. See Creating Dynamic Student Groups and Creating Custom Student Groups as well as Editing Student Groups for details about each of the fields displayed and steps about your editing capabilities.
If other users have assigned student groups to you without the permission to edit the group, you can view them on the All Groups tab, as shown below.
Click View to View Students in the student group, which includes the Student ID, Student Name, Gradelevel, # Absences [Marking Period], # Unexcused Absences [Marking Period], # Failing Courses [Marking Period], # Processed Referrals, Course History GPA, and Honor Roll.
Click Student Name to open the student's record in Student Info.
Student groups that are assigned to you or are visible to your profile will be available for selection from the Student Group pull-down on any Student Search screen throughout Focus. If a default search group has not been assigned to you, then a blank selection will populate the Student Group pull-down.
1. Select a different group or additional group(s) from the Student Group pull-down.
If you have been limited to viewing a specific group of students, the group will automatically populate the Student Group pull-down. In addition, you will not be able to change the group or search for students outside of the group. Note: If your profile has been selected from the Visible To pull-down upon creating the Student Group, you will have access to other groups, although you may not have access to the student records within the groups.
2. Once the correct Student Group has been selected, click Search.
The students from the Student Group display in your search results.
3. Click the Student name to open the student's corresponding record.
4. Click the Student Group link to open a report of all the students in said group. When clicked, the report displays in Student Groups.
A scheduled job, Student Group Refresh, refreshes membership data for dynamic Student Groups based on the criteria configured for each group, such as grade level, enrollment, attendance, custom fields, or saved searches. Running the job updates which students belong to each dynamic group so the most current membership information displays in supported areas such as the parent/student portal and the Groups Lookup utility. This scheduled job can be run via Setup > Scheduled Jobs.
See Additional Features for more details on Page navigation, Exporting, Printing, Sending Messages, Filtering, etc.