Alma is a cloud-based Student Information System (SIS) designed for K-12 educational institutions, including states, districts, and individual schools. It centralizes critical student data, academic records, and administrative functions to empower educators and administrators.
The platform aims to modernize core technology, streamline staff workflows, and unlock student potential by providing timely and accurate data. It caters to the unique needs of various roles within an educational structure, from superintendents and principals to teachers, parents, and IT directors, facilitating data collection, management, analytics, and communication.
Alma supports comprehensive student management, including biographical and program data, health records, attendance, grading, scheduling, and state reporting. It also offers tools for enrollment, admissions, fee management, and robust communication features to connect students, staff, and households.
How does Alma handle state-specific reporting requirements and data validations?
Alma includes pre-built state-specific fields, push-button reports, and data validations. It also provides a data dictionary and has a dedicated state team to ensure compliance and responsiveness to changes in state reporting.
Can Alma integrate with existing Learning Management Systems (LMS) and other educational tools?
Yes, Alma offers numerous preconfigured integrations, including specific support for Google Classroom and various LMS platforms. It also provides public APIs and One-roster (API & SFTP) for broader connectivity.
What level of customization is available for grading systems, particularly for schools using proficiency or competency-based models?
Alma supports both traditional and competency-based grading. For competency grading, it allows for configurable competencies, rubrics, and roll-up class grade calculations, including GPA equivalencies for college. Schools can customize the platform to fit their specific grading needs.
What security measures are in place to protect sensitive student data within the Alma platform?
Alma is cloud-native and follows NIST 800-53 guidelines for security. It boasts 99.99% scheduled uptime, includes multi-factor authentication (MFA), and is built with a well-architected framework to ensure data protection and system reliability.
How does Alma facilitate communication between different stakeholders like teachers, parents, and students?
Alma provides robust communication tools including student, staff, and household messaging, group messaging, and text alerts. It also features dedicated parent and student portals with mobile interfaces to ensure easy access to information and communication.
What tools does Alma offer for managing student incidents and tracking progress on skills-based learning?
Alma includes incident management with customizable incident codes for both minor and major events, workflow tools, and embedded messaging for reports. For skills-based learning, it offers progress tracking, skills-based learning reports, standards trackers, and standards-based report cards.