ALMA

ALMA is a comprehensive Student Information System (SIS) designed to manage all aspects of student data and school operations efficiently. It centralizes various administrative tasks, enabling schools to streamline operations like admissions, scheduling, attendance, grading, and communication with parents and students.

For teachers, ALMA provides a user-friendly platform that integrates with tools like Google Classroom, making lesson planning, assignments, and grade tracking much more straightforward. It helps teachers personalize learning by offering quick access to student performance data and allows them to share assignments, grades, and progress reports in real-time through the system’s portals.

ALMA also promotes collaboration between students, teachers, and parents. Teachers can use it to set up custom grade books, track standards-based assessments, and communicate effectively with parents via automated messages and notifications. In addition, students have access to their assignments and to-do lists through the system’s portal, helping them stay organized.

This platform is ideal for schools looking to reduce administrative load, improve data accessibility, and strengthen communication within the school community

Welcome to ALMA: Your New Student Information System

ALMA is a modern Student Information System (SIS) designed to streamline and enhance the way we manage student data and academic processes. From tracking student performance to managing classroom schedules, ALMA provides a comprehensive platform that saves time, reduces paperwork, and improves communication between teachers, students, and parents.

Why We Use ALMA: At BCIS, we’ve adopted ALMA because it offers several key advantages, such as:

• Efficiency: Easily manage student data, grading, attendance, and reports.

• Accessibility: Teachers, parents, and students have access to real-time information through a secure portal.

• Collaboration: ALMA integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace, enabling collaboration through Google Classroom, Google Drive, and more.

Our goal is to empower teachers to spend more time teaching and less time managing administrative tasks.

Explore ALMA’s Powerful Tools

Here are the main features that will support your daily teaching tasks:

1. Attendance Tracking ALMA allows you to take attendance quickly and track it in real-time. You can set custom alerts for tardiness or absenteeism and generate reports on attendance trends, helping to identify issues early on.

2. Grading and Assessments With ALMA’s customizable grade book, you can easily enter grades, assign weights, and provide feedback on assignments. ALMA also supports standards-based grading, helping align assessments with learning objectives.

3. Student Data Management Instantly access comprehensive student data, including academic history, contact information, and special education needs. Having all the data in one place allows for better-informed decisions when it comes to lesson planning and student support.

4. Parent and Student Communication ALMA simplifies communication by offering parents and students access to their own portals, where they can view grades, assignments, and attendance. Teachers can also send messages directly through ALMA’s communication tools.

5. Scheduling and Timetabling Easily create and adjust class schedules, set reminders, and manage your timetable without hassle.

One of ALMA’s strengths is its seamless integration with Google Workspace, making it a natural extension of the tools you already use. Here’s how ALMA and Google work together:

1. Google Classroom Integration ALMA integrates with Google Classroom, synchronizing assignments and grades. This means you only have to input information once, reducing redundancy. You can create assignments in Google Classroom and the grades will automatically appear in ALMA’s gradebook.

2. Google Calendar ALMA’s scheduling features integrate with Google Calendar, allowing you to sync your classroom schedule and important dates. This helps ensure both teachers and students stay on top of assignments and deadlines.

3. Google Docs and Drive Store and share lesson plans, assignments, and reports through Google Drive. ALMA allows easy access to all relevant documents, helping streamline collaborative work.

Why This Matters for You These integrations mean fewer systems to manage and a unified workflow that combines the power of both platforms. You’ll spend less time duplicating work and more time focusing on your students.

Getting Started with ALMA

Here are detailed step-by-step guides to help you navigate ALMA efficiently:

1. Logging In to ALMA

   • Go to https://bcis.getalma.com/ .

   • Enter your Username and Password or "Sign in with Google"

   • If you encounter issues, reset your password using the ‘Forgot Password’ link.

2. Entering Grades

   • Navigate to the Gradebook section.

   • Choose the class and student.

   • Enter the grades, select the appropriate weights, and leave comments if needed.

3. Viewing Student Reports

   • Select the "Reports" tab from the dashboard.

   • Generate detailed reports on student performance, attendance, and academic history.

4. Taking Attendance

   • In the Attendance tab, mark students as Present, Absent, or Late.

   • Save the attendance for the class to update records automatically.

5. Communicating with Parents and Students

   • Use the Messaging feature to send announcements or individual updates to students and their families.

1. How do I bulk upload student grades?

• ALMA allows for bulk uploads via CSV files. Go to the Gradebook, select the option to upload, and follow the template provided to ensure correct formatting. Make sure the student IDs and grade columns match the ALMA requirements.

2. Can I modify attendance records after they’ve been submitted?

• Yes, you can edit attendance after submission. Simply return to the Attendance tab, select the relevant date, and modify the records as needed. Make sure to save the changes so that they reflect accurately in student profiles.

3. How do I generate progress reports for individual students?

• Navigate to the “Reports” section and choose “Progress Reports.” Select the class and student, and customize the report to show specific subjects, attendance, or behavioral notes. You can generate PDF files for easy distribution to parents.

4. What is the best way to track student behavior in ALMA?

• Use the “Behavior Tracking” tool in ALMA to log incidents, whether positive or negative. You can categorize behavior by type (e.g., participation, disruption) and add notes. These logs can be shared with parents through the parent portal or included in student progress reports.

5. How do I create custom grading categories?

• ALMA allows for flexible grading setups. In the Gradebook, click on the “Manage Grading Categories” option to add new categories. You can assign weights to categories like Homework, Quizzes, and Exams, and decide whether they apply across all classes or just specific subjects.

6. Can I create a seating chart in ALMA?

• Yes! In the classroom management section, ALMA offers the option to create and organize seating charts. This can be particularly helpful for teachers managing large classes or for tracking student participation.

7. What is the difference between ‘Final Grades’ and ‘In-Progress Grades’?

• ‘In-Progress Grades’ reflect the grades students are currently earning based on completed assignments. These are updated as new assessments are added. ‘Final Grades’ are the official, calculated grades that appear on report cards at the end of the term.

8. How do I adjust the weighting of an assignment after students have submitted it?

• You can adjust the weight of an assignment after submission by navigating to the Gradebook, selecting the assignment, and modifying the weight field. ALMA will automatically recalculate student grades based on the new weighting.

9. How do I track late assignments?

• ALMA allows you to flag late submissions by marking them as “Late” when you input grades. This will automatically factor into grade penalties if you’ve set them up, and the system will notify parents via the portal.

10. Can I sync ALMA with my lesson plans in Google Drive?

• ALMA doesn’t directly sync lesson plans from Google Drive, but you can easily link your Google Drive documents to ALMA’s class pages by copying the shareable link. This way, students can access resources without leaving the platform.

11. How do I customize grade scales (e.g., A-F or percentage-based)?

• Grade scales in ALMA are customizable. Go to the Gradebook settings, where you’ll find options to modify the grading scale (e.g., A-F, Pass/Fail, or percentage-based). You can even create unique scales for different subjects if needed.

12. What happens if I input incorrect student data?

• If you mistakenly enter incorrect data, such as a wrong grade or report, you can manually adjust it in the student’s profile. If it’s a significant error affecting multiple students, the school’s ALMA administrator can perform batch updates.

13. How do I create custom reports for parents?

• Use the “Custom Reports” feature to tailor progress reports for parents. You can select which data to include (e.g., attendance, grades, behavioral logs) and choose different formats (e.g., charts or tables) for easy understanding.

14. Can parents message me directly through ALMA?

• Yes, ALMA includes a communication tool where parents can send messages to teachers through their portal. Teachers can respond directly or initiate communication based on student performance or behavior.

15. How do I handle differentiated instruction for different student levels in ALMA?

• You can create differentiated groups within your classroom by assigning students to specific "cohorts" based on their learning levels. ALMA allows you to create custom assignments for each group and track progress separately, helping cater to the needs of all learners.

16. How do I view a student’s academic history?

• In the student profile, you can access the “Academic History” tab to view past performance, report cards, attendance records, and teacher comments. This provides a holistic view of the student's academic journey, which is useful for parent-teacher conferences.

17. What happens to student data at the end of the year?

• At the end of each academic year, ALMA archives student data while keeping it accessible for future reference. You can still generate reports on past performance, but archived data won’t interfere with current year data.

18. How do I create an assignment that doesn’t count toward the final grade?

• If you want to assign a task but don’t want it to affect the final grade, mark it as “Non-Graded” when you create it in the Gradebook. ALMA will track student completion, but the scores won’t contribute to their grade average.

19. How can I view a student's progress in a specific subject over time?

• Use the “Progress Analysis” tool to track a student’s performance across a specific subject. This tool helps visualize trends, making it easier to spot improvement or areas needing more attention.

20. How do I handle extra credit in ALMA?

• To offer extra credit, create a new assignment in the Gradebook and set it as "Extra Credit" by assigning a point value that adds to the student’s overall grade without affecting the total possible points.