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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 SMS generates an alert [Figure 25] 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:

Figure 25: Alert indicators in PowerSchool SMS

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:

1

Click the alert icon [Figure 25]. The Alert List page appears.

2

In the Alert Info column, click the alert's name. The Open Alert page appears [Figure 26].

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Or select one or more alerts and in the Actions menu click Open Alert.

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To delete an alert, select the alert and in the Actions menu click Delete Alert.

Figure 26: Open Alert page

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B

Prev|Next: If you selected more than one alert to view at a time, click these to cycle through the selected alerts.

C

Auto delete: Indicates how soon PowerSchool SMS will delete the alert. 30 days is the maximum.

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

To remove an alert from display:

1

On the Alert List page, select one or more alerts.

2

In the Actions menu click Delete Alert.

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 27].

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 280] [>>]. This includes district-specific standard alerts sent to users with the District Administrator role (but not the District Health Professional).

Figure 27: Sample alert subscriptions

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B

Subscribe: Enables you to subscribe or unsubscribe to an alert definition. Some subscriptions are standard, that is, automatically assigned to your role.

C

Mobile Alert: Gives you the option of subscribing to an alert on your mobile phone in addition to the alerts received through the regular subscription. This option is available only on some alert definitions. When you receive the text alert, the sender name on your mobile device appears as "[Districtname]@PowerSchool.SMS.com".

D

!: Indicates that this alert is high priority.

To subscribe to an alert definition:

1

On the home page's Action menu, click Change Alert Subscription.... The Change Alert Subscription page appears and displays a list of available alerts [Figure 27].

2

In the Subscribe column, select the check box for each alert to which you want to subscribe.

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If a check box is available in the Mobile Alert column, select the check box of each alert for which you want to receive an alert in the form of a text message to your mobile phone.

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Click OK.

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On the Alert List page, in the Actions menu click Change Alert Subscription....

Table 3: Permissions pertaining to alerts

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

Table 5: District administrator alerts

To adjust an alert definition: You can do this if your role is School Administrator.[SA]

1

In the Admin menu, click School Setup. The School Setup page appears.

2

Under School, click Alerts. The Alerts page appears

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The Alerts page displays all alerts, active or not.

3

Click the alert definition. The Edit Alert page appears.

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Enter or change information, which includes:

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This Alert is: The default is On. When set to Off, the alert does not generate active alerts [Figure 25].

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Alert is HIGH Priority: Check to have PowerSchool SMS display a high priority indicator ("!") wherever this alert appears.

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Alert name: A name that describes the alert.

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Description: An explanation of the alert that PowerSchool SMS displays with its name where space permits.

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Alert Message: PowerSchool SMS appends this message to any alert. This message is included in a mobile alert (a PowerSchool SMS text message).

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Click OK.

 

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