| Introduction > Alerts

Alerts

PowerSchool SMS can automatically monitor information and conditions in the system for changes that are relevant to the user's role [>>]. When a relevant change occurs, PowerSchool SMS alerts the user to it; for example, when working as a Teacher, you could be notified when another system user records that one of her students will be absent on a future date, or when working as an administrator, you could be notified when a time-consuming report is complete, or when an unusual attendance pattern occurs [>>]. PowerSchool SMS alerts you only to those conditions to which you have subscribed [>>]. A District Administrator sets up alerting parameters [>>].

PowerSchool SMSgenerates an alert [Figure 23] for the user when information matches criteria defined in an alert definition. PowerSchool SMS checks all alert definitions every five minutes. (Alert definitions [>>] are assigned to roles by an administrator or technician.)

PowerSchool SMS alerts you by displaying:

= An alert icon on the menu bar [Figure 23]
= An alert link on the home page [>>] under Alerts [Figure 23]
= (Optional) An alert message sent to your mobile phone.

Figure 23: Alert indicators in PowerSchool SMS

A Alert icon: Click to view a list of all alerts [>>].
B Alert link: Click to view a list of all alerts [>>].

Viewing an alert

PowerSchool SMS maintains an alert for 30 days or until you delete the alert. PowerSchool SMS displays in bold type alerts you have not viewed. You can view the details of an alert at any time and delete it if necessary.

To view an alert:
A Alert:

Figure 24: Open Alert page

A Date: If you selected more than one alert to view at a time, select the date of an alert to view.
More...

When you have investigated an alert, you can remove it from display.

To remove an alert from display:

Subscribing to alerts

PowerSchool SMS alerts you only to alert definitions [>>] to which you subscribed. When you first start working with a system, you are automatically subscribed to all alert definitions available to your role. Thereafter, you control the definitions to which you subscribe [Figure 25].

Some roles [>>] are subject to standard alerts, that is, alert definitions to which all users with a particular role are automatically subscribed; for example, a homeroom Teacher will receive a Future Absent Attendance Alert when a change is made to the future attendance of a student in his or her homeroom. PowerSchool SMS alerts each user who is assigned to the appropriate role, provided that role is active, the user's account is active, and within the user account that role is also set to active [Figure 118] [>>]. This includes district-specific standard alerts sent to users with the District Administrator role (but not the District Health Professional).

Figure 25: Sample alert subscriptions

A Alert Subscription Options: Alert definitions available to you.
More...
To subscribe to an alert definition:
Or

Table 3: Permissions pertaining to alerts

To

You need this permission

Set to

Details

Change an alert

School Setup > Alert Setup

Delete

[>>]

Alert definitions

An alert definition specifies the information and conditions in the system that PowerSchool SMS monitors for changes. When a relevant change occurs, the system sends an alert to users who are subscribed to that alert definition.

Several alert definitions are provided with a PowerSchool SMS system. These alert definitions are assigned to user roles [>>], such as School Administrator [Table 4] and District Administrator [Table 5]. An administrator can adjust an alert definition, for example to have PowerSchool SMS send it to school staff. Any user associated with the role [>>] is automatically subscribed to the alert definition (however, for some alerts, the user has the option of unsubscribing [>>]).

Table 4: School administrator alerts

Alert

Options

Reference

Batch Address Validation

 

Student Demographics: Address/Phone [>>]

Calculate Grades, Credits & GPAs

Mobile

 

Calculate Honor Rolls

 

 

Cumulative GPA Calculation

 

 

Daily Attendance Code Calculation Failure

 

Calculating daily attendance codes [>>]

Future Attendance Change

 

Grade Calculation

 

 

Health Examination Non-Compliance

 

 

Homeroom Change

 

Immunization Non-Compliance/Delinquent

 

 

Master Schedule Builder

 

 

Program Eligibility Calculation

Mobile

Programs [>>]

Student Loader

 

 

Test Session Eligibility

 

 

User Account Locked

Mobile, High priority

User accounts [>>]

Table 5: District administrator alerts

Alert

Options

Reference

Batch Address Validation

 

Student Demographics: Address/Phone [>>]

Cumulative GPA and Credit Calculation

Mobile

 

Daily Attendance Code Calculation Failure

 

Calculating daily attendance codes [>>]

User Account Locked

Mobile, High priority

User accounts [>>]

Next Year Processing Failure

Mobile

 

Report View Generator

Mobile

 

Audit Log Task Failure

 

Reviewing user activity [>>]

To adjust an alert definition: [SA]

Pearson
Always Learning
www.pearsonschoolsystems.com 
Tel: 866-434-6276
Email: psstechsupp@pearson.com