School Management Software

What is school management software?

School management software, also known as student information systems, helps educational institutions automate daily administrative tasks such as student enrollment, attendance, grades, schedules, and communication between teachers, students, and parents. The tool provides a single repository for student, staff, and faculty data that can be accessed by school administrators, office managers, accountants, and registrars to automate and streamline various processes. Some common features of a school management system include student data tracking, class scheduling, grade management, and the ability to communicate with students and parents via email or messaging. It can also provide tools to create and share lesson plans, assignments, and other educational materials.

What is the difference between school management software and school administration software?

School management software and school administration software are terms often used interchangeably to refer to software systems that help schools manage their operations and activities. However, there are some differences between the two types of software:

• School management software is designed to help schools manage and coordinate various administrative and academic activities, such as student enrollment, class schedules, grading, and report card generation. It may also include features for student record management, communication with parents, and financial management.

• School administration software is broader in scope and may include features to manage all aspects of a school's operations, including academic, financial, and administrative tasks. It may also include features to manage facilities, resources, and personnel.

Some key differences between school management systems and school administration software include:

• Functionality: School management software is typically more focused on academic and administrative tasks, while school administration software may have a wider range of functionality.

• Target audience: School management software is often designed for teachers and administrators, while school administration software can be used by a wider range of stakeholders, including board members, district administrators, and other school officials.

How much does school management software cost?

The cost of a school management system falls in the following price ranges*:

• $47 - $50

• $51 - $114

• $115+

Most school management software solutions in the market are priced on a per-user, per-month basis and can be divided into the three above-mentioned pricing tiers based on their starting price.

Why use school management software?

• Streamlines administrative tasks: School management software helps streamline and automate various administrative tasks, such as scheduling, record keeping, and grading. This allows teachers and administrators to save time on time-consuming manual processes and focus on more crucial tasks. The software also provides a centralized location for important information and resources (such as school attendance, inventory and assets, accounting information, and more), making it easy for teachers and administrators to access and share them as needed. In addition, the software offers tools and resources that help students learn more efficiently, such as online resources and interactive learning tools.

• Improves scheduling: The software solution automates creating and managing class schedules, reducing the time and effort required to do so manually. It also allows teachers and administrators to easily view and adjust schedules as needed, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively. In addition, the software provides tools to schedule meetings and events, such as parent-teacher conferences and extracurricular activities, making it easier for schools to coordinate and plan for these events.

• Enhances communication: School management software provides a unified platform for communication between teachers, students, and parents. This includes messaging, announcements, and updates, as well as tools for collaboration and communication, such as forums and online classrooms. By improving communication, the software helps create a more connected and cohesive learning environment.

What is the best school management software?

Considering the wide variety of student management software tools available on the market, it can be difficult to select the right software solution for your institution. To help narrow your search and find the best solution based on user reviews, you can look at GetApp’s Category Leaders report for school management software. This report features top-ranking school management software having the highest ratings for ease of use, functionality, customer support, value for money, and the likelihood of a recommendation.

How does school management software help small schools?

School management software can be a valuable tool for small and midsize educational institutions, as it can help them streamline and automate many administrative and academic tasks. Some specific ways school management software can help schools include:

• Automates routine tasks: School software helps automate routine tasks, such as student enrollment, class schedules, and grading, freeing up time for teachers and administrators to focus on more important tasks.

• Streamlines record keeping: The school information management system helps managers in small schools streamline record keeping by providing tools to store and organize student information records, transcripts, and other documents.

• Improves financial management: The school software solution assists small schools in enhancing financial management by providing tools to track and manage expenses, generate invoices and receipts, and monitor payments, including exam fees, tuition costs, and building funds for individual students. Considering that many students pay tuition and fees using various sources, such as scholarships, personal funds, and grants, a central database that acts as a general ledger and automates student tuition payments saves time and eliminates the need to outsource accounting operations, thus saving money.

Sources

Products evaluated for the pricing calculation were taken from GetApp’s school management software directory. The pricing ranges exclude freemium versions of the products. The features highlighted were identified based on their relevance and the percentage of products in the GetApp’s directory that offer them.

*The pricing included is for the entry-level/lowest-priced offerings found on vendor websites as of December 16, 2022. These ranges correspond to the 25th, 75th, and 100th percentiles of pricing information gathered from vendor websites of sample products.

The above list includes pricing for the base plans of most student information software. An enterprise or premium product that is priced higher may include additional features such as an online learning management system, multiple integrations, real-time dashboards, advanced scheduling, fee-collection module, membership management, and student performance trackers.