The My Preferences screen allows users to customize the look and format of their Focus account including how students are displayed, how students are sorted, the header colors, menu options, student and user photo options, and more, such as Email Notifications requirements, columns in student and user lists upon viewing the Customized List on a search screen, and Discipline List where you can configure default settings.
1. In the Users menu, click My Preferences.
2. Click the Display Options tab to customize the appearance of specific areas of the software.
3. Select the Highlight Color, which applies to menus, tabs, and headers. In the image shown, green has been chosen. Once saved, all menus, tabs, and headers will turn green; see the image shown for an example.
4. You can choose how student information is displayed using the Student Info Layout pull-down. The options include One Column, Two Columns, and Three Columns. The default set up is one column. See the image for an example of two columns.
5. If the district has imported staff photos and you would like them to display where applicable, such as User Info, select the Display User Images check box.
6. Choose whether you want to display the menu on the side or at the top by selecting the check box, Use Sidebar Menu or by clearing the selection. The images show the menu on the side and the top.
7. Select the Default Filters On check box to automatically enable the filters feature whenever present on a screen, as opposed to turning on the filters manually.
9. Select the Inactive Users check box to default the Include Inactive check box to selected upon conducting user searches including quick searches from the Select Student/Staff pull-down in the header.
10. The menu icons will always appear when using the sidebar menu; however, when using the top menu, the menu icons are optional. If you do not want the menu icons to display, clear the selection for Display Menu Icons.
11. Select the Use 24 Hour Clock Format check box to apply 24-hour clock formatting throughout Focus wherever time is displayed.
12. Select how you want the date to display via the Date Format pull-downs. Choose whether you want the day of the week (Tue) to display. Choose how you want the month to display; options include March, Mar, and 03 . The options for the day include [0]26, 26, and 26th. If you want the year displayed, choose either 2024 or 24.
13. Once you select how you would like the date to display, you can select the format in which it displays, such as Month Day, Year or Day Month, Year.
14. Select the Default to ERP check box to ensure that Focus opens to ERP upon logging into Focus, as opposed to SIS. Select the check box so you are automatically directed to ERP upon login and don't have the ability to navigate to SIS as the SIS button will be hidden.
15. Select the Enable Two Factor Authentication check box to require additional authentication upon logging into Focus via the Google Authenticator application. Clear the selected check box to remove this additional security feature.
16. Click Save to apply changes made. The preferences will not be applied to Focus until you click Save.
1. In the Users menu, click My Preferences.
2. Click the Student Listing tab to customize the display of students in conducting any kind of search along with additional student listing settings.
3. Select how you would like to see the students sorted in the results of a search by using the choices in the Student Sorting section; the choices include Name; Grade, Name; and Enrollment Date, Name.
4. In conducting a student search, you always have the ability to export the data; however, you can choose whether the data is exported via an Excel spreadsheet (Tab-Delimited) or in a CSV file. Make your selection in the File Export Type section.
5. In navigating to Student Info, you have the option to decide which tab is automatically selected for students. Most districts elect to have Demographics as the default tab; however, using the Default Student Category pull-down you can select whichever tab you desire.
In the example image shown, General Demographics has been selected; therefore, upon navigating to the Student Info screen, the General Demographics tab is automatically selected.
6. You can also set a Default User Category for when accessing the User Info screen.
In the example image shown, the Permissions tab has been set as the default category. Note: You can only choose from the tabs you have been given permission to access.
7. In viewing Employee information, you have the option to decide which tab is automatically selected for employees. Select the Default Employee Category from the provided pull-down.
8. If you do not want to Display student search screen by default, selecting any screen that pulls students will skip the search screen and list students in either a Simple List or Customized List depending on the preference explained in the step.
9. Upon conducting your search, the resulting students will display in your customized list if you select for it to show by default using the Display customized list by default (and have selected to Display student search screen by default). If you have opted out of a default search screen, the Customized list will appear automatically. If you do not want the customized list to display by default, the Simple List will display instead.
If Display customized list by default is not selected, the Simple List will display upon conducting a search; however, if More Search Options is utilized, a customized list (based on options added) will display.
If Display Customized List is selected to include information pertaining to Enrollment or Addresses & Contacts, students may be listed twice.
The information displayed in the Customized List can be set up or edited via the Columns in Student Lists tab; see the section on Password and Columns in Student Lists for more information. Note: The same information found on the Columns in Students Lists tab can be set up/edited via the Customize Student List tab shown next to the Customized List tab.
10. If you always search for students at all schools, you can save yourself some time by making the selection automatic. Select the Search all schools by default check box. The check box will default to selected as shown in the image. The same applies to Search inactive students by default. However, you will still need to select whether or not to Include Previous Years Inactive Students and/or Use Most Recent Enrollment.
11. If your search only yields one result, you have the option to skip the list of students and navigate directly to the student’s corresponding screen. Select the Skip the results page when there is only one result check box to apply this change.
In the image shown, only one student has been returned as a result of the search conducted. As you can see, there is only one student listed. The option above would skip the screen shown and navigate directly to Charlie's Student Info screen.
12. Select a Student Name Format for how you would like students’ names to display in Focus.
13. Select the corresponding check boxes to displays students' student IDs (Display Student ID in student lists) and/or local IDs (Display Local ID in student lists) in student lists. Note: The Student ID refers to the issued Focus student ID not the district local district.
14. Select the Display grade level in student lists check box to display students' grade levels in student lists.
15. If you want to see students’ alert icons that would show ESE, ELL, 504, etc., be sure to select the check box to Display alert icons in students lists.
16. Select the Display student photos in student lists check box to display students' photos in student lists.
17. Click Save to apply changes made. The preferences will not be applied to Focus, until you click Save.
1. In the Users menu, click My Preferences.
2. To edit the Customized List that displays upon conducting a student search, click on the Columns in Student Lists tab.
There are many options to choose from in selecting what to display in student lists. The choices are broken down by section. Each section contains data from the Student Info screens including demographic, immunizations, 504, contact information, etc., to name a few. In the image shown, Immunization Status has been chosen by selecting the Display in Student Lists check box. Students’ immunization statuses will now display, as shown in the image.
3. Select the check box in the Display in Student Lists column to display the Field in student searches.
4. You can select as many columns as you would like to appear in the Customized List. When finished, click Save to apply changes.
The same information found on the Columns in Students Lists tab can be set up/edited via the Customize Student List tab shown next to the Customized List tab.
1. In the Users menu, click My Preferences.
2. To customize the information displayed on the Customized List tab upon conducting a user search, click the Columns in User Lists tab.
3. Select the check box in the Display in User Lists column to display the selected Field on the Customized List tab of the user search.
There are many options to choose from in selecting what to display in user lists. The choices are broken down by section. Each section contains data from the User Info screens including General Info, Certifications, Employee Demographic, etc.
4. Click Save to apply changes.
The same information found on the Columns in User Lists tab can be set up/edited via the Customize User List tab shown next to the Customized List tab.
1. In the Users menu, click My Preferences.
2. To enable email notifications when forms require your attention, click the Email Notifications tab.
3. Select Receive Email When Forms Require Your Attention.
When a form is submitted by the requester, the form approver will receive an email with a link to the form that is pending approval. The requester will receive an email when the form is approved, denied, or when the form is sent back to the originator.
4. Click Save.
The Discipline List tab displays discipline-related preference selections depending on your district's system preferences. The selections made here at the individual level control the default configuration when navigating to the Referrals screen.
1. In the Users menu, click My Preferences.
2. Click the Discipline List tab.
3. Select the Show Referrals From All Schools check box to select this check box by default when on the Referrals screen in order to display referrals from all schools that meet your search criteria.
4. Select the Include Inactive check box to select this check box by default when on the Referrals screen in order to include inactive students in the list of referrals.
5. Select the All Years check box to select this check box by default when on the Referrals screen in order to display referrals from all school years that meet your search criteria.
6. Select the Include Previous Years Inactive check box to select this check box by default when on the Referrals screen in order to view students who were inactive in previous years, allowing you to see disciplinary actions taken in the past even if the student was not active during those years.
7. Select the Minor Infractions check box to select this check box by default when on the Referrals screen in order to view referrals that were marked with "Minor Infraction - No administrative action needed."
8. Select the Closed Referrals check box to select this check box by default when on the Referrals screen in order to include referrals that were closed by an administrator without processing in the report.
9. Click Save to apply changes.
1. In the Users menu, click My Preferences.
2. Click the Linked Accounts tab to view, link, or unlink Google accounts.
3. To link a new account, click Sign in with Google Classroom to link the account.
4. Follow the prompts to sign in to your Google account.
Grant all applicable permissions by clicking Allow.
Confirm your choice by reviewing all permissions, then click Allow.
5. Once an account is linked, click the unlink icon to sign out of the Google account and unlink the account.
