Alma

Glad we're using Alma

Pluspunten:

Unlike other SIS's, Alma actually looks and feels like it was made in the 2010's. The system is solid, and has essentially every feature a smaller school like ours would want (and many more that we don't need to use). The gradebook is excellent, and it's easy to transfer classes and students from year-to-year. Their customer service has been great (we accidentally deleted multiple report cards in different places the other day and they quickly and helpfully solved our issue by restoring to a backup), and they are continually adding features and improving the platform. And the cost has been at least 50% less than quotes we were getting from major competitors. Many reasons to switch to Alma.

Minpunten:

The latest transcripts update was helpful - there are still a couple of features we'd like on the transcripts front, but that's mostly because our school has a unique curriculum. This is totally just a personal preference, but I'd also like to be able to search for classes in the search feature in addition to contacts.

Alma Software Review (SBG school)

Opmerkingen: Support has been very helpful, typically it seems we have questions that either haven't been asked before or are not implemented yet. Faculty/staff is able to access the reports tab which helps them track students and contacts quickly and has access to student records and class schedules.

Pluspunten:

Alma is easier than our former software and allows us to use our Standards Based Grading which is our priority. Parents were able to quickly learn how to use the system and the attendance feature is great. Students were also able to learn the system and although it doesn't have a comprehensive calendar with their schedules and our school activities, they were able to use the daily tab to track their classes.

Minpunten:

The calendar is static and unable to be exported to phones/other calendars so we had to create an app for that. The reports are not as in-depth as needed and we aren't able to save our filters/criteria that we use often. They are still working on SBG reporting so many items we aren't able to track as we typically do through reports. The report card set up is limited for what we need in our report cards; we had to use every work-around to get a report card as we needed, but they do work now.

Overwogen alternatieven: PraxiSchool en Schoology

Redenen om voor Alma te kiezen: K-12 was trying to start Standards Based Grading but didn't meet our deadline.

Overgestapt van: Blackbaud K-12 Solutions

Redenen om over te stappen op Alma: It has what we needed for Standard Based Grading both in assignments and report cards for tracking.

Unsatisfied

Opmerkingen: Unfortunately, the product did not satisfy the needs for the admissions, much more we cannot use it in managing attendance and grades so we discontinued the use.

Pluspunten:

The product may function well for admissions purposes.

Minpunten:

It does not satisfy gradebook management. There's much process in generating or viewing results.

Ease to use.

Opmerkingen: Alma educate my child and take my responcibility.

Pluspunten:

We bought it with my friends who has brother or sister ages under 14 so we discovered it is useful for their education life and psychology.

Minpunten:

Videos sometimes lose their charm for the children who has hyperactivity problem.

Excellent, Comprehensive, and EASY TO USE

Opmerkingen: This has made running our school so much easier. I am so glad we switched from the old software.

Pluspunten:

We moved from PowerSchool to ALMA and it is sooooo much better! Everything is intuitive. No paying for extra training for everything. No extra modules being hawked to you every month. No need to pay for someone to "maintain" the software. It isn't some old Database software that you need to learn equations for. It looks wonderful, is easy to use, and super adaptable. All of the new additions that you get charged for with other software are free updates with ALMA. If you do have a problem, ALMA *wants* to hear from you! It's an entirely different relationship. And it has more features. Because it is a modern piece of software and not something based off of antiquated 90's era software, there are more bells and whistles. New options are being added every couple of months. Often based on what the users have asked for. This makes my job 100% easier!

Minpunten:

Some things are still a little complicated but it comes with online instructions to help you along.