Documentation for Teachers

Searching for Students (Teachers)

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Focus provides several ways for teachers to search for students, both individually and by specified search criteria. The Student Search module appears on many screens throughout Focus, and includes three submenus: Search Screen, Simple List, and Customized List. This documentation provides information on the student search screen, including the student search bar, More Search Options, Student Groups, and how to save and use saved searches (when using the new search feature). The Simple List provides a comprehensive list of all students or the results from the Search Screen, and the Customized List can be set up in Preferences to display selected students.

The Legacy Search has been removed in version 12.0.57. The legacy search has been removed in all areas in Focus that have been replaced by the new search.

Quick Student Search From Any Screen

You can quickly select a student and view their student record without conducting a student search using the Select Student pull-down available at the top-left corner of every screen.

The pull-down displays as Select Student/Staff and can be used to search for Students if you have permission to view and edit Student Info. If you also have permission to view and edit User Info, you can search for and view staff records, as well.

1. Click the Select Student pull-down.

Portal

The Search Results tab is selected by default. To use the filters and results of your last student and user search, leave the tab selected. For example, if you conduct a Student Info search where you searched for students by the name "ab", the results of that specific search will display in the Select Student pull-down when Search Results is selected.

Student Info

Here is the last student search conducted; as you can see, the results of the Student Info student search displays in the Select Student pull-down displayed above when Search Results is selected.

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If a student search has not recently been conducted, the Search Results tab does not display.

2. Click the Search Results tab to remove the Search Results from your latest student search. Once, disabled, the tab turns gray.

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3. To search for students only, click the Students tab.

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If Search Results and Students are both selected, the displayed students will pull from all the students assigned to the selected school (School pull-down in the header) OR from the Search Results of your latest student search.

Student Info

4. Click Inactive Students to display inactive students from which to choose, as well as active students.

Student Info

Select the Match all check box to display students that are listed in the Search Results of your latest student search AND assigned to the selected school.

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Selecting Students and Staff will show all students at the selected school and all staff. Selecting the Match All check box will show zero results because there are no students who are also staff members.

Selecting Search Results, Staff, and Students displays the results of your latest User search and Student search OR all users and students assigned to the selected school.

5a. Scroll through the listed students for the student you want, then click the student name to open the record in Student Info.

5b. Start typing the first name, last name, or student ID in the Filter... text box, then click the student name to open the record in Student Info.

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Once the student record is in open in Student Info, the pull-down reflects the selected student information along with additional features.

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a. Click the arrow to open the pull-down and start over.

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b. Hover over the icons for additional information/alerts about the student/user.

i. Click alert icons to open the screen, tab, and field for which the information is housed.

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c. Hover over the student or user photo for additional information.

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The information displayed here is determined by the selection made via Preferences > Columns in Student Lists.

The student's scheduling team will also display if the student has a scheduling team assigned on their most recent enrollment record for this school year and school.

i. To message the student via the Communication screen, click the blue envelope icon.

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d. Click Back to Search Results to return the latest search results screen.

e. Click the left and right arrow to navigate to the previous (left) and next (right) student/user in the list (as displayed in the Select Student/Staff pull-down.

The left arrow for previous student is inactive because Charlie Abe is the first person in the list. Upon clicking the right arrow to navigate to the next student, you can now click the left or right arrow to navigate back to Charlie Abe or go to the next student in the list.

f. Click the red and white X to close the student and navigate to the main Student Info screen where you can conduct a search or pick a new student from the Simple List.

New Student Search (v.12)
Legacy Search (v.11)
Searching for Students

1. From the applicable Focus screen, the Search Screen tab is selected by default. If another tab is selected, click the Search Screen tab.

Student Info

This displays the Student Search module, which includes a Student Search text box, the More Search Options feature, and options to include students from all sections, students in the entire school, and/or inactive students in the results.

2. Enter the student search criteria in the Student text box, such as the student's last name.

Student Info

The Student Search text box is not case sensitive, and full or partial entries can be in either a “first last” or “last, first” format. The comma is necessary in the “last, first” format. A full student name or ID number can also be entered into the student search text box.

Searching for “ga” will pull every student whose first or last name begins with “Ga“ into the search results.

Student Info

Enter Ga, for last names that start with ga.

Enter ,Ga for first names that start with ga.

You can also search by Florida ID, Local ID, Student ID, and FLEID.

Texas users can search for students by Texas unique ID (custom_400009369) singularly as well as in a string separated by spaces, commas, or both.

All of the Student search entries displayed below will include “Collin Abel” in the results. Since only one student has this full name and Student ID, using either of those two criteria will directly link to Collin Abel’s student record; however, if more than one student matches the criteria of the search, all of the matches will display in the Simple List. You can also search for students using a comma-separated list of Student IDs in the Student text box.

If your district uses the UUID, the unique identifier utilized in Focus' Third Party Systems, and the field is enabled via Users > Profiles > Student Fields, you can search for students using one or many UUIDs. Type the applicable UUID in the Student text box.

[FOCUS-33121] Add ability to search for users or students using their UUIDs - JIRA

3. Click More Search Options to search for groups of students with similar information in any number of student fields and/or school data.

Student Info

Clicking More Search Options displays a list of modules that can be opened and closed by clicking the gray triangles. Set as many selections as needed to yield more specific search results. In the example shown, the Test History module is being used to search for students who have results in FSA Math -- FSAM.

Search parameters can be set in various ways throughout as many modules as needed; for example, if you needed to do a search on all 11th grade students who are missing Algebra 2 from their course history, you would select the Grade 11 check box in the General section. In the Course History section, select Alg 2 from the Course pull-down, and select the Missing from Course History check box. Then, click Search for your results.

4. Select the Search All Sections check box to include students from all sections in your search, not just the section selected in the header.

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5. Select the Search the Entire School check box to search for student in the entire school, if you have access to all students.

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6. Select the Include Inactive Students check box to include students who do not have an active enrollment record at the selected school.

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7. Click Search.

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Click Search without entering any search criteria to quickly pull all active students in the selected section(s).

Search Results

When a student search results in more than one student, all of the resulting students display in the Simple List or the Customized List, depending on your setting via Preferences. Both of these tabs display the same students.

1. Click the Simple List tab to display the resulting students along with the student Photo, Student name, Student ID, and Grade.

Student Info

2. Click the Customized List to view the resulting students along with your customized information.

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The columns displays in the Customized List are set up via Preferences > Columns in Student Lists. This screen is also accessible when viewing the Customized List tab by clicking the Customize Student List tab.

The search criteria used to conduct your search is displayed on student listing screens.

Student Info

The number of records returned as per your search is displayed under the search criteria used.

3. Click Search Screen to conduct a new search. Note: In doing so, you will lose all search criteria entered originally.

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4. Click the down arrow next to the student Photo to open the category menu, which includes quick links to various Student Info screens.

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5. Click the Student name to open the student's information as it pertains to the selected search, such as Student Info.

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Additional Features

Begin typing the name or number of the desired field in the Filter text box located at the top of each pull-down for a quick search.

Student Info

a. Select the Exact check box to display results that have an exact match only and hide partial matches to the entered text.

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Click Check all to select all check boxes displayed. Click Clear to clear all selections made/check boxes selected.

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On the search results screen, click the floppy disk icon to export the listed data to an Excel spreadsheet.

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Click any of the headers to sort data. Click once for ascending results; click twice for descending results.

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Click Filters to further breakdown data.

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a. To add more than one filter to a column, click on the green plus sign.

b. To delete an added filter, click on the red minus sign.

c. Select the gray arrow for more filtering options.

See Filters for more information.

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

Student Info

To make the list 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.

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