Good but could be Better
Pros
I like that there are a lot of functions, and it can be used for many things... for teachers, administration, lunch staff... everyone is working form the same place. We only have to have one program and it works.
Cons
There are a lot of functions, and a lot of things can be done with one program. :) This program takes some time to get used to. You have to watch ALL the training videos (the videos are good). But there are little things like having to type in the same contact person over and over for different children. There should be an option to add a new person or add an existing person to a pickup list. Also, I don't understand why the online payments don't get posted to the Ledger. If they pay with a credit card online I still have to manually add it to the Ledger so they can see that they paid for tuition. In the program we used last year it showed up automatically. One more thing, when a child is checked in/out or signed in/out for attendance, is there a way for the name of that child to be a different color or something when they are in or out. Sometimes teachers can't remember if a student was checked in or not, so they do it again, but this signs the student out. Then they have to do it again to sign them in again. If there was a way for the students' names to look different (like a different color) when they are signed in then it would be very helpful. Thank you.
Response from Gradelink
We're always looking for ways to improve, so we appreciate your feedback, Missy! The development team is working on automatic updates for the ledger, although we don't have a release date yet. Stay tuned!
Gradelink is great!
Very helpful and friendly. They have a good help section and customer service answers right away . Good product!
Pros
This software helps us organize our student and parent population. We keep track of attendance and grading which allows us to print out report cards and keep grading information on gradelink.com. We can keep track of student alumni so we can keep in touch. We also are able to use the system to keep in touch with potential families who are looking for quality education. Customer service is fabulous! Every time I call with a question they help me in a friendly manner and solve my problem. We use the system keep track of hours at the Preschool and aftercare and thus are able to quickly see who may owe for such services.
Cons
They are still developing some aspects so sometimes a feature is not yet available. Such as last year we were looking at the sign in/out feature but it was not ready. This year we are using it!
Response from Gradelink
Thank you for sharing so many ways you are using Gradelink, Nancy! And you're right our development team is continually working on creating new features and updating existing ones in order to offer the most complete system possible.
Gradelink makes school admin life easier
I really do love working with Gradelink and if I ever have a question, I rarely wait online long for assistance. I always get help, and the call center is very friendly.
Pros
Love that we can mass email, individuals or whole grades. Gradelink is user friendly, everything is in one place. There are a lot of tools that parents can use to access grades, assignments, teacher's pages, and now we've set it up for discipline. (instead of using a separate program) Parents also have input on community service hours, we can add ACT/SAT scores to transcripts, too.
Cons
That the "Not Re-enrolled" button doesn't work. It just gives all students, instead of the ones not re-enrolled.
Teachers not having the ability to send a text for their classes. - So, they have to use "Remind"
Response from Gradelink
It's rewarding to hear how much your school community is doing with Gradelink, Janet! Please contact your support rep for help with the "not re-enrolled" button and we'll be happy to see if we can get that resolved. Unfortunately, at this time, admins are the only ones who can send text messages
Overall it was a really good experience. All the hard work was worth it based on the outcome.
Pros
We really trust Gradelink, as they previously hosted our old site and always do a great job with our school package we have through them. Since we knew we were overdue for an updated website, it was an automatic choice for us to ask Gradelink to handle the design. We are so thrilled with our new website! It is so much cleaner, fresher, user-friendly, precise and engaging. Vince helped us take the next best steps and continues to assure us beyond the finished product, which demonstrates outstanding customer service. Rep was absolutely phenomenal! So very patient, detail-oriented, honest, attentive and kind he went above and beyond to make sure we were satisfied with the final product and that we felt comfortable to collaborate and share our ideas and needs during the building process. Our site needed so much work, and he was always very gracious in our planning meetings. His expertise was so evident and he worked extremely hard to ensure our satisfaction. Genuine excitement about our website project was also evident and helped spur us along when we needed to envision our future site. We are so grateful for Rep and Gradelink!
Cons
Everyone on our team isn't super "techy" so there will be a learning curve. However, we are glad that we can utilize the monthly support that Gradelink offers.
Response from Gradelink
It's been a pleasure working with West Covina Christian School, Anissa! Please let us know how we can help less tech-savvy staff members become more comfortable with Gradelink.
User friendly Student Management Software
Overall Gradelink helps us stay on top of our growing student body giving us a central place accessible by everybody with current information. In addition, it helps us provide better communication with our school parents.
Pros
I love how easy it is to set up and use. The user interface is very easy to get staff to buy into using. We had tried a different product first and it was just too much for my users.
I am very happy with the reliability of Gradelink. We have been using it for a number of years and Gradelink has been down less than 5 times. Ever. Wish I could say the same about our internal network!
I am very pleased with support. Everybody is friendly and responsive. Problems large and small have been handled as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Cons
The stuff that is missing like:
historical student census data -- how many in each class last year, 3 years ago? how many re-enrolled this year compared to last three years? etc.
seating chart with pictures report
different attendance reports (monthly for National School Lunch)
more financial report options
ability to enter the school calendar and have attendance automatically marked NS for those days.
Little stuff that annoys but doesn't really prevent me from accomplishing what I need to.
Response from Gradelink
Feedback from our schools is an important part of our development of new features and updating existing ones, so appreciate your input, Becky!
Heritage Oak
Excellent customer service both online and calls!
Pros
Ease of sending communications to parents, staff, and students.
Improvements are being made all the time and Gradelink staff is always willing to help find solutions to problems.
Cons
Lesson plans are not accessible to old terms that have been closed.
Attachments sent in emails are not accessible.
Response from Gradelink
Thank you for your review, Lori, we love hearing from our schools!
Easy transition
Pros
Software is easy to navigate and switch to. Help section is actually helpful. I almost never have to call or chat with anyone at Gradelink.
Cons
No way to print a paper copy of contract, except by screen shots.
Response from Gradelink
It's good know the help section works so well for you, Rob! As for printing contracts, please talk with your support rep and they'll be glad to assist you.
Customer Service was on point
When I called customer service frazzled, [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] was calm and responded quickly to resolve my concerns.
Pros
As I was working on transcripts for my high school students, the online tutorials provided information for me to enter information from a previous information system.
Cons
When I resolved one problem the Midterm and final exam gpas appear to not have been averaged correctly in their respective column.
Response from Gradelink
Thank you, Laura, we're glad to help anytime you need us!
Gradelink Support
I called support and spoke with [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] who did an excellent job of helping correct a problem I was having setting up a Term and copying classes. He saved me tons of time.
Pros
Gradelink is a comprehensive program and that is why support is so very important. That is what I like most about Gradelink, its support.
Cons
Gradelink might benefit from a few extras to make it even better such as adding transcript options for grammar schools k-12 that allow for 2 page transcripts to show grades through all the grades. Or changing a teacher for a given grade or set of classes that would automatically replace all the classes the old teacher had with the new one automatically...
Response from Gradelink
Thank you for the feedback, Bertram! We appreciate ideas from our schools because it helps us with future product development.
Gradelink scaffolds the learning
Since using it, I've looked for creative ways to tailor it to my needs and for the benefit of my students. The Gradelink company is awesome in the way that they listen to our needs as a school and make the necessary adjustments to accommodate them. It's a fantastic tool. I'm unsure how we managed without it :)
Pros
It's ease of use and powerful application.
Cons
It doesn't have a teacher app. I would also like to be able to enter value-free data that's only applicable to the teacher.
Response from Gradelink
It's rewarding to hear how well Gradelink is working for you, Stephen! By the way, we are planning an app for teachers, although we don't have a release date at this point.
Great functionality, Awesome customer service!
Incredible program, overall. Wonderful support.
Pros
Customer service is AWESOME. Our rep is always happy to help us. This program has a plethora of functions, some I'm still learning! But what a great program with so, so many functions.
Cons
Some things are not quite as intuitive as I would like them to be. Occasionally I'm just frustrated and have to pick up the phone to call our rep. He's wonderfully helpful, but I do wish some things were a bit more intuitive.
Response from Gradelink
Taking care of our customers is a top priority, so it feels great to be appreciated, Michele! And we'll keep working on ways to make Gradelink even easier to use.
Satisfied Customer
I use Gradelink daily. If I come across a question or a problem I simply call the 800 #. I am usually in touch with a rep in a matter of minutes. Even with working remotely reps call back in a timely manner. It's nice to know Gradelinks support staff is just a phone call away when I need help!!! Thank you
Pros
I appreciate the ease in which to utilize Gradelink. Very user friendly!
Cons
I keep track of all employee absences. The last system we used I was able to click on the employees name and ALL absences and tardies would be listed. This was a great feature. One click on a report like this would be very helpful.
Response from Gradelink
Happy to help, Kathy! There is a way for employees to clock in and out, so please talk with your support rep about how to do it.
Gradelink
Our school has been using Gradelink for years now and I think that speaks for itself as we have stuck with this service.
Pros
I like how easy it is to use. We often have new teaching staff and I don't have to explain much because the format speaks for itself. Also very easy for parents to access and use, the family log in is a great addition as we have many students with siblings.
Cons
At this time I don't have anything I dislike about the program.
Response from Gradelink
Making life easier for educators is the reason behind everything we do, Halima, so thank you for sharing how well Gradelink is working for your school community!
This is a great program if you don't need or want to pay for all the "bells & whistles"
Pros
This is the first time our school as had a software program and this is the first time I had to implement and oversee a program and I found this one to be user friendly. I would recommend it for sure.
Cons
There are a few reports and areas that cant be separated such as past transcripts from current ones.
Response from Gradelink
We're pleased to see you're finding Gradelink to be an asset for Easterseals, Mick! Please contact your service representative and we'll see what we can do to help you with your transcripts. And for the record, if somebody's looking for bells and whistles, Gradelink Standard Service includes an extensive list of features at no additional cost. :)
Great customer service!
I love it.
Pros
I have used Gradelink as an administrator, as a a parent, and as a teacher, it is easy to use, you can input or view as much information as you need. It has improved over time, I first used it in 2009. The customer service is great, always respond and solve issues, they are friendly and knowledgeable.
Cons
The it doesn’t do standard based grading.
Response from Gradelink
Good news, Sarita! In addition to all the ways you've been using Gradelink, it also handles standards-based grading. Please talk with your support rep and we'll be happy to show you how to set it up.
Gradelink in the everyday teacher's world.
Overall, Gradelink is both a great asset and a help in the everyday life of our teachers.
Pros
Gradelink allows ease of use and flexibility. This year, families will even be able to access their tuition bills and set up payment.
Gradelink give our teachers a way to see everything they need at a glance.
Cons
Gradelink does not offer a way for teachers to create class level scoring sheets that are printable. This would be a HUGE help.
Response from Gradelink
Thank you for the feedback, Anita! Please talk with your friendly support rep and we'll see how we can help you get what you need.
Our school is very happy with Gradelink. Our concerns are addressed quickly and efficiently.
Parent communication is enhanced ten-fold, financial information is available to parents, emergency information can be accessed with a click, and next year we'll be adding the Service Hour option.
Pros
The fact that parents have all information necessary in one location is very beneficial. There is no need to seek out several sites, so questions are answered quickly.
Cons
Some adjustments do take awhile to implement. We need to customize some of the programs to our particular site needs.
Response from Gradelink
We're happy that you're happy, Sue! Thank you for taking the time to let us know how well Gradelink is working for Our Lady of the Assumption School.
"Amazing [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN]" Technical Support
My overall experience with Gradelink has been great! I have been extremely satisfied with the prompt responses when I've needed assistance. Especially having someone like [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] who help me step by step in understanding the system
Pros
The software is easy to use as long as you are able to have someone like [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] guiding through the process.
Cons
Since I'm beginning to learn a little more of the software, I can not make an accurate comment about what I dislike least about the software.
Response from Gradelink
Thank you, Arlysses! We're always happy to help.
Gradelink
Overall, I am very pleased with the program. Our school has used it for a number of years and as a teacher of students in grade 5 - 8, it is very efficient and easy to use.
Pros
The program is very easy to use. It provides a platform for parents to easily access students grades and then communicates with the teacher if they want to follow up on an assessment. Parents know what is the value of an assessment and when they are scheduled.
Cons
I am not sure if this is possible, but I would like a way to average say quizzes to create 1 major assessment grade. I know I can weigh them less, but parents and students don't always understand the weighting process and if conditions change during the semester, it is difficult to re-do the process.
Response from Gradelink
We're glad to hear that Gradelink is helping so much with communication with parents, Kate! As for averaging quizzes, please talk to your support rep and we'll see what we can do.
Smooth Transition
Pros
It is great having all the information in one location (student, parent, medical, academic, etc.) It was easy to transition to Gradelink. The Re-enroll feature is great and easy to use.
Cons
It is difficult to tell parents where they can find information because their access is different from mine.
Response from Gradelink
We're pleased the transition to Gradelink was easy for you, Margaret! To help parents better understand Gradelink, we have a short video here: gradelink.com/student-training.
We love Gradelink. We've been using it since 2014
Pros
It's comprehensive. It serves as our online gradebook, school communication system, and student information system.
Cons
I don't think you should have to pay extra money to schedule an email as opposed to sending it right away. That feature should have been provided for free and not as an add on.
Response from Gradelink
Sounds like St. Mary School is getting a lot out of Gradelink, Amanda! We do work to keep our fees as low as possible, however the email-scheduling feature is part of SmartSend Pro, an optional set of communication tools (and includes text and voice messaging) that does have costs involved for us as well.
Great customer service! User friendly program!
Pros
Ease of use and quality of the program. This program makes my life and the life of the teachers so much easier. We love this program and our parents do as well.
Cons
I do not feel that there is anything extra that Gradelink could add at this time that would make the program any better. I feel that Gradelink makes updates and improves the program on a regular basis.
Response from Gradelink
Thank you, Amiee! It's rewarding for us to know that Gradelink is working so well for your school community.
Great Customer Support
Great experience, since we updated from a very old system to Gradelink we are happy with the many features it offers.
Pros
Rep helped me today solve several concerns. All the customer support folks at Gradelink are so helpful and are patient and nice on the phone. As a new user it is nice to know good, friendly help in a phone call away!
Cons
There are some feature enhancements I think could me made. As users we know what particular items we are needing on a day-to-day basis. So hopefully Gradelink has the resources to make some of those feature improvements/enhancements that will make a users job easier.Great
Response from Gradelink
Happy to be of service, Anne Marie! Remember training and support are always available at no extra charge, so please let us know what else we can do to ensure you get the most out of Gradelink.
The best student management system for the price.
It helps track our admission, tuition and other billing, grades, lesson plans, report cards, and curriculum mapping needs.
Pros
I have been using this software for about 15 years when it started out as only a gradebook. I have implemented Gradelink in numerous school settings and have seen it grown into what it is today. I love the ease of use, the neatness of reports, and the additional features they have added since I first used them.
Cons
No Pre-Order Lunch option and how terms are set up when using lesson plans. Parents need to click too many buttons if you have two quarters active at one time.
Response from Gradelink
Wow, thank you for being such a loyal customer! It means a lot to us to know that you've been with us for so long.
Very User Friendly
We have been able to automate many of the tasks we did manually (I.e.., report cards, attendance reports, transcripts, etc.) saving us valuable hours of work time.
Pros
Easy to use, continues to improve and upgrade, excellent customer support.
Cons
Some of the training videos could be updated to reflect newer features.
Response from Gradelink
Thank you, Debbie! It's so rewarding for us to hear that Gradelink is doing exactly what it was designed to do: help you work more efficiently and save valuable time.
I like Gradelink. The customers service team is always Very Helpful. They know what they are doing and they know how to explain things so we can understand. Thank you.