iGradePlus

Pros

I love the versatility of the platform. There are so many functions that work well together. The software is well integrated and very thought out. The pathway from page to page is logical and intuitive. Anytime I had an issue with the iGradePlus, I received a response swiftly. And they are eager to take suggestions as well.

Cons

There are some functionalities of the newest upgrade that are still in beta or not as functional, but I am confident that they are working out the bugs, such as bulletins and memos. I would like to see a search function for the email content. I've used it for so long, my emails have grown.

Pros

As an alternative school we are not connected to the district SIS. We still give grades and needed a platform that would allow for professional looking reports. This software allows for reports to be streamlined and customized to each teacher's preference, too.

Cons

The mapping is a little difficult to navigate. I find myself hunting for the link to complete a task and it isn't where I would expect it to be.

Pros

The software is relatively easy to input grades and assignments. Attendance is also very easy to take care of at the beginning of each class.

Cons

There is little information on students and families for communicating with them through iGrade. It can be cumbersome to adjust grade scales, although I do not know if this is an iGrade issue or administrative issue at the school I am currently serving.

Pros

As an individual instructor, working with a collective of vendors this platform seamlessly marries to meet the record-keeping our parents and students need. Our student's personal information is kept secure and our educators have a record book that makes communication a breeze. It was simple to set up for each teacher and class. Parents can join easily . Additional parents, tutors and educators can be added to monitor multiple students. Marvin's rapid response to development ideas makes me feel like my organization is his sole focus rather than treating my industry like a red-headed step child. iGradePlus.com has helped our collective in this rapidly changing world of distance education.

Cons

Intergration into Google Classroom would be a lovely next step.

Pros

Features such as the news feed, calendar and bulletin board make communicating with parents, students and staff easy. While posting in the previous areas of igrade, an email can be sent simultaneously, streamlining my to-do list. Schedules are color-coded and easy to read. Making changes to schedules is quick and easy. I love the ability to customize who messages (emails through igrade) are sent to. I often need to send messages to 400-500 recipients which would need to be split into additional messages through my business email account.

Cons

There are two minor "cons" but both can easily be worked with as they are.

1) There are times when it would be very helpful to view grades of several assignments (from a block of time) and all students in the class, such it is with a traditional (paper) gradebook. As it is, I am able to view all assignments from one student or the grade average for all students in a specific class.

2) The messaging system utilizes personal email accounts instead of having an internal messaging system. The igrade account holder (student) has full access to the email account in which their student portal has been registered with. This is not an issue as long as parents are made aware of this. NO parent has complained about this feature...they simply use a different email address if privacy is wanted.