In the K-12 school software market, Alma offers a cloud-based system geared towards raising educational outcomes for students by offering an in-depth look into the learning process of students. Just as importantly, it also offers huge gains in more efficient workflows by streamlining administrative work and communication. Alma describes its system as the first Holistic Student Engagement Platform.

It highlights how most school systems suffer from the following: Disconnected tools and fragmented information, frustrating and time-consuming to use, outdated technologies and capabilities, and of course being monolithic and expensive to setup and maintain. It markets itself as the antidote to this situation by being a single, integrated platform uniting SIS and LMS data, an intuitive user experience and design that save time, including progressive tools that support educational best practices, and is an affordable solution with a price point for every budget.

Its major groupings of features include administration (Attendance, Biographical Data, Bus Routes, Calendar, Class and School-wide View, Contacts, Demographic Data, Discipline, District Dashboard, Enrollment History, IEP Designations, Meals, Rosters, and Medical); curriculum (Backward Curriculum Design, Course Management, Curriculum Mapping, Custom Standards Management, Report Cards, Scheduling, Standards-based Report Cards, Transcripts, and Walk-in Scheduling); communication (Bulletin Board, Email Communication, Emergency Communication, Group Messaging, Parent/Student Portal, Teacher Messenger, Text Alerts, and Voice Messaging); reporting and analytics (Ad Hoc Reports, Standard Reports, Data Visualization, State Reporting, and Filtering); and instructional management (Standards-based Gradebook, Gradebook, Task Management for Staff, and Online Assignments).

Pros

Here are some of the positive things Alma users have to say about the system:

• Alma’s users particularly highlight how easy the system is to use, noting that even after just one initial training it can all be figured out from there.
• Users also note the company is very responsive in adding requested features and functionality.
• Other users note that the system offers great value when compared to other software options.
• The support and service offered by Alma has received high marks from nearly all users.

Cons

Here are what Alma users note for drawbacks to the system:

• A few users noted that many of their teachers were having similar problems, and that a detailed online procedures manual might be helpful in addressing those issues.
• Some users note that with administrative privileges it’s all or nothing, meaning permissions can’t be adjusted to reflect specific tasks without full admin privileges being granted.
• Other users noted that there aren’t any options for accounting/financial or student discipline records. They hope these features will be added. The company notes that discipline record-keeping is on the horizon, but not yet full accounting, although a fee-tracking feature is in the works.
• A few schools have noted that their teachers find the behind-the-scenes data entry for grades and such somewhat time-consuming.

Alma users find the system incredibly easy to use. There is a wish-list for added features and functionalities, but it’s worth noting that as a relative newcomer to the market, Alma receives high praise for its service and is continually improving its product.