Documentation for Teachers

Positive Behaviors

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The Positive Behaviors screen is used to award badges to students and spend badges. Teachers can also review the total badges earned, spent, and the available balance for students. A History is provided as well, with details about the date awarded, badge title, value, and comment.

Badges can be awarded and spent from the List view, the Seating Chart view, or from Communication.

Focus by default uses the terms "badge" and "badges" for the items that are awarded to students for good behavior, but your district may have customized the terms used. Please note that different terms may be used on your district's Focus site.

Viewing Badge Awards in the List View

1. In the menu, click Positive Behaviors.

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All the students in the section you have selected at the top-right of the screen are listed. The List view is displayed by default.

2. To display students from all of your sections, select Show All Sections at the top of the screen.

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If your school has allowed teachers to award badges to all students at the school, not just students in your sections, there will be several options at the top of the screen to control which students you are viewing: Current Section, All Sections, Entire School, and Advanced Search.

Current Section - This option is selected by default and displays the students from the section you have currently selected at the top-right of the screen.

All Sections - This option displays students from all of your sections.

Entire School - This option displays all of the students at the school.

Advanced Search - This option opens the Student Search screen and allows you to enter search criteria to locate a group of students.

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3. To view student alert icons, deselect Hide Alert Icons.

Focus will remember this setting when you return back to this screen.

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4. Select Exclude Absent to remove students who are absent on the current day from the list.

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5. The Year option at the top-left of the screen is automatically selected, displaying the badge data from the start of the school year to date. To view badge data from the beginning of the semester to date, click Semester. To view badge data from the beginning of the quarter to date, click Quarter.  

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6. To view a custom date range, click Date Range.

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7. In the pop-up window, enter the date range by selecting the month, day, and year from each pull-down or click the calendar icons to select the dates from the calendar.

8. Click Confirm.

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The Total Earned, Spent, Available Balance, Teacher Total, and individual badge columns are updated to reflect the selected time period.

The Filter feature can be used to filter the list and view only a particular subset of students.

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In each badge column, the total number of badges you have awarded to the student for that specific badge is displayed. The badges you have created are displayed in the first badge columns. The badges/badge types created by administrators are displayed in the following columns.  

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The Total Earned column displays the total number of badges the student has earned, including both teacher and administrator awarded badges. The Spent column displays the total number of badges the student has spent, including both administrator and teacher spent badges. The Available Balance displays the balance that is available for the student to spend. The Teacher Total column displays the total number of badges you have awarded students.

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Awarding a Badge to a Single Student in the List View

Your school or district may have set limits on the minimum and maximum amount that can be awarded for a specific badge per student. Additionally, your school or district may have set limits on number of badges can be awarded for a student before you must click Save.

1. At the top of the screen, deselect the Comment Before Save check box if you do not want to be prompted to enter a comment when adding or spending a badge.

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2. Next to the student, click the green + icon in the column of the badge you want to award.

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The badge count increases by 1. The red minus icon is enabled, which can be clicked if the badge was awarded by mistake.

3. Click Save.

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4. If the Comment Before Save option is enabled, enter an optional comment in the pop-up window and click Confirm.

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Awarding a Badge to All Students in the List View

Your school or district may have set limits on the minimum and maximum amount that can be awarded for a specific badge per student. Additionally, your school or district may have set limits on number of badges can be awarded for a student before you must click Save.

1. Ensure the Mass Award option at the top of the screen is enabled (displays ON).

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Select Exclude Absent to remove students who are absent on the current day from the list.

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2. Click the green All + icon at the top of the badge column.

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The badge count increases by 1 for each student in the list. The red minus icon is enabled next to each student, which can be clicked if the badge was awarded to the student by mistake. The - All icon is also enabled, which can be clicked to remove the badge from all students in the list.

3. Click Save.

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4. If the Comment Before Save option is enabled, enter an optional comment in the pop-up window and click Confirm.

This comment will apply to all students.

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Spending Badges for a Single Student in the List View

Badges can be spent from the student's available balance. If your school has restricted which profiles have the ability to spend badges, you may not have access to this functionality.

1. Next to the student, enter the amount to spend in the Spend column.

If an amount is entered that is greater than the student's available balance, the amount will auto-correct to equal the student's available balance.

2. Click Save.

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3. If the Comment Before Save option is enabled, enter an optional comment in the pop-up window and click Confirm.

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Spending Badges for All Students in the List View

Badges can be spent from each student's available balance. If your school has restricted which profiles have the ability to spend badges, you may not have access to this functionality.

1. Ensure the Mass Award option at the top of the screen is enabled (displays ON).

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Select Exclude Absent to remove students who are absent on the current day from the list.

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2. Enter the amount to spend in the All field at the top of the Spend column.

If an amount is entered that is greater than a student's available balance, the field will auto-correct to an amount equal to the lowest available balance. For example, if a student in the list has an Available Balance of 1, and you enter 2 in the All field, the amount will auto-correct to 1.

3. Click Save.

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4. If the Comment Before Save option is enabled, enter an optional comment in the pop-up window and click Confirm.

This comment will apply for all students.

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Viewing and Editing a Student's History in the List View

The History window displays the student's badge history, including the dates awarded, badge title, value, and comments. Badges can be deleted from a student in the History.

1. In the List view, click the icon in the History column next to the student.

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The History includes a row for each time badges were awarded to the student or spent. The date, badge title, value, and comment are displayed.

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2. Edit the Value or Comment for a row as needed, and click Save.

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3. To delete badges awarded or spent, click the red minus sign to the left of the row.

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Deleting a "spend" line will add the spent badges back into the student's available balance.

4. If the Comment Before Save option is enabled, enter an optional comment in the pop-up window and click Confirm.

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The row is highlighted in red to indicate it was deleted.

5. Click the X to close the pop-up window.

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Awarding Badges to Students in the Seating Chart View

Clicking the Seating Chart button opens the Attendance > Seating Charts screen, where badges can be awarded to students using the seating chart layout.

Your school or district may have set limits on the minimum and maximum amount that can be awarded for a specific badge per student. Additionally, your school or district may have set limits on number of badges can be awarded for a student before you must click Save.

1. At the top of the screen, click Seating Chart.

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2. See Awarding Positive Behaviors in the Seating Charts article for more information.

Awarding Badges to Students in Communication

Clicking the Communication button opens the Positive Behavior tab in the Communication screen, where badges can be awarded and sent to students in messages.

Your school or district may have set limits on the minimum and maximum amount that can be awarded for a specific badge per student. Additionally, your school or district may have set limits on number of badges can be awarded for a student before you must click Save.

1. At the top of the screen, click Communication.

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2. See Positive Behavior in the Communication article for more information.

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