1. In the menu, click Preferences.

The Preferences screen defaults to the Display Options tab, which allows you to customize the appearance of Focus.

2. Your first option is the Language preference. The default selection is English. Select the applicable language radio button to translate select screens to the selected language.

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 Once Column, Two Columns, and Three Columns. The default set up is one column. See the image for an example of three columns.

5. If the district has importing staff photos and you would like them to display where applicable, select the Display User Images check box.

6. 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.

7. 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 pull-down in the header.

8. Select the Use 24-Hour Clock Format check box to apply 24-hour clock formatting throughout Focus wherever time is displayed.

9. 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 July, Jul, or 7. The options for the day include [0]25, 25, and 25^th. If you want the year displayed, choose either 2023 or 23.

10. 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.

11. Select the Configure Gradebooks separately for each section check box to create categories for each section separately, as opposed to creating categories in a combined gradebook for multiple sections.

12. You also have the option to combine different sections that take place during the same period in order to take attendance by period, as opposed to taking attendance for every section separately even though they take place during the same period. Select the Combine sections in the same period for taking attendance check box to enable this function.

13. Select the check box to Combine sections for gradebook to combine multiple different sections into the same gradebook as a way for teachers to enter grades for several sections all at once.

a. Teacher gradebooks can be combined By period or by Custom Groups.

b. If you select Custom Groups, more options will displays starting with Ungrouped Sections. To create a new group of sections, click Add Group.

i. Once a new group has been added, you can edit the title of the group by clicking the provided text box, as shown in the image.

ii. To add sections to the group, drag and drop the desired sections from the Ungrouped Sections box to the created group, in this case the ALG 1 box.

iii. If there are groups that do not contain sections, click the Remove Empty Groups button to delete them. You can also click the red X in the corner of the group to delete it.

iv. To delete all groups, click the Remove All Groups button.

14. 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. Note: This preference only displays if the district first enables it in System Preferences or Profiles.

15. Click Save to apply changes made.

1. In the menu, click Preferences.

2. From the Preferences screen, 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 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.

In the example image shown, the students have been sorted by Grade, Name.

4. In conducting a student search, the ability to export the data is always available; 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 decided which tab is automatically selected for students. Most users 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 My Profile screen.

In the example image shown, the General tab has been set as the default category.

7. 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 selected below. Select the check box to ensure you have the ability to search for select students.

8. Upon conducting a search, the resulting students will display in the 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.

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.

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.

9. If the teachers are always searching for inactive students, you can save them some time by making the selection automatic. Select the Search inactive students by default check box.

10. If the search only yields one result, the option to skip the list of students and navigate directly to the student's corresponding screen is available. 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 Avelar's Student Info screen.

11. Select a Student Name Format for how you would like students' names to display in Focus; options include

• Last Name, First Name Middle
• First Name, Middle Last Name
• Last Name, Nickname
• Last Name, First (Nickname)
• Last, Nickname Middle
• Nickname Middle Last

12. If you want the students ID numbers and grade levels displayed in all student lists, be sure to select the check boxes for Display Student ID in student lists and Display grade level in student lists.

13. If you want to see students' alert icons that would show ESE, ELL, 504, etc., be sure to select the appropriate option from the Alert Icons pull-down. You can select to Display in Gradebook & Student Lists or Display in Student Lists. Select Don't Display if you don't want them to display.

14. Select the Display student photos in student lists check box to view students' photos in student listings. Note: If the check box is cleared, the students' photo won't display in student listing, but it will display in the students' records as normal.

15. Click Save to apply changes made.

1. In the menu, click Preferences.

2. To change your Focus password, click on the Password tab. From here it is required that you enter the Current Password, the New Password, and Verify New Password.

3. When all entries have been made, click Save to apply changes made.

1. In the menu, click Preferences.

2. To edit the Customized List of Student Listing, 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.

3. Select the check box in the Display in Student Lists column to display the selected Field on the Customized List tab of the student search.

In the image shown above, Birthdate has been chosen by selecting the Display in Student Lists check box. Students' birthdates will now display, as shown in the image.

4. You can select as many columns as you would like to appear in the Customized List. When finished, click Save to apply changes.

1. In the menu, click 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. Select all the fields applicable, then click Save to apply changes.

1. In the menu, click 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 menu, click 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.

1. In the menu, click Preferences.

2. To customize the section names, click the Class Section Names tab.

On this tab you see your courses and the corresponding details, such as Course Number, Course Title, Period, Section, Marking Period, and the Course Title. You see that the Course Title information is underlined in blue, which means the information here is editable.

3. Click on any of the titles to edit and customize the name. Note: The customization is only viewable to you in the Gradebook. The original title displays for all other users, teachers, and parents.

4. When all edits have been made, click Save to apply changes made.

1. In the menu, click 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.

Click the floppy disk icon to export the listed data to an Excel spreadsheet.

To make the selected tab full screen, click on the expansion icon (four arrows) next to the Search text box. Once in full screen mode, click the icon again to exit full screen.

If looking for specific information housed within the selected tab, type the information in the Search text box provided and press Enter.

You can also sort data by clicking on any of the headers. Click once for ascending results; click twice for descending results. In the image shown, results have been sorted by clicking on Field twice; therefore, the listed fileds start with Y.