How to Configure Grade Levels in openSIS | Academic Structure Setup Guide

How to Configure Grade Levels in openSIS

Introduction

The Grade Levels setting in openSIS allows institutions to define and manage academic levels used throughout the system. Grade Levels help organize students based on their academic stage and are used in scheduling, enrollment, attendance, grading, reporting, and academic progression workflows.

Institutions can configure Grade Levels for:

  • K-12 academic structures
  • Higher Education institutions
  • Program-based academic models
  • Continuing education structures

Proper Grade Level configuration helps maintain accurate academic organization across the institution.


Navigation

Go to:

Settings → School → Grade Levels


Purpose of Grade Levels

Grade Levels define the academic hierarchy within the institution.

They are used to:

  • Organize students academically
  • Support scheduling workflows
  • Manage enrollment
  • Configure academic progression
  • Generate reports and transcripts
  • Maintain academic history

Each student within openSIS is typically associated with a Grade Level during a specific School Year.


Understanding the Grade Levels Screen

The Grade Levels listing screen displays:

ColumnDescription
TitleName of the Grade Level
Short NameAbbreviated version of the Grade Level
Sort OrderDisplay sequence of Grade Levels
Grade Level EquivalencyStandardized academic equivalency
Next GradeNext progression level
ActionEdit or Delete options

Administrators can also:

  • Search Grade Levels
  • Reorder Grade Levels
  • Add new Grade Levels
  • Edit existing Grade Levels
  • Delete custom Grade Levels

Adding a New Grade Level

To create a new Grade Level:

  1. Open the Grade Levels screen
  2. Click + Add New Grade Level
  3. In the popup window, enter the required information:
    • Title
    • Short Name
    • Grade Level Equivalency
    • Age Range (optional)
    • Educational Stage (optional)
    • Next Grade (optional)
  4. Click Submit

The new Grade Level will now appear in the Grade Levels listing.


Understanding Grade Level Fields

Title

The full name of the Grade Level.

Examples:

  • Grade 5
  • 1st Year BBA
  • Continuing Education

Short Name

A shorter version or abbreviation of the Grade Level.

Examples:

  • G5
  • MBA
  • CE

Short Names are commonly used in listings and reports.


Grade Level Equivalency

Grade Level Equivalency is used to map the institution’s academic structure to standardized academic levels.

openSIS supports multiple academic equivalencies including:

  • Kindergarten
  • Elementary Grades
  • Middle School Grades
  • High School Grades
  • College Levels
  • Adult Continuing Education

This helps institutions maintain structured academic reporting and progression workflows.


Age Range

The Age Range field allows institutions to associate an expected age range with the Grade Level.

This field is optional and may vary depending on institutional requirements.


Educational Stage

Educational Stage helps classify Grade Levels into broader academic categories.

Examples may include:

  • Elementary School
  • Middle School
  • High School
  • College
  • Continuing Education

This helps organize academic structures more efficiently.


Next Grade

The Next Grade field is used to define academic progression from one Grade Level to another.

For example:

  • Grade 5 → Grade 6
  • 1st Year College → 2nd Year College

This helps institutions manage academic progression workflows more effectively.


Managing Grade Levels

Administrators can manage Grade Levels using the Action menu.

Available actions include:

  • Edit
  • Delete

Institutions can also reorder Grade Levels using the drag-and-drop sorting option available in the listing screen.


Why Grade Levels are Important

Grade Levels are connected to several major workflows within openSIS, including:

  • Student enrollment
  • Scheduling
  • Attendance
  • Report cards
  • GPA calculations
  • Academic progression
  • Transcripts
  • Academic reporting

Improper Grade Level configuration may affect academic operations and reporting accuracy.


Best Practices

Institutions should:

  • Use consistent naming conventions
  • Configure Grade Level progression carefully
  • Maintain proper sort order
  • Align Grade Levels with institutional academic structure
  • Review Grade Level Equivalencies during setup

Proper configuration helps maintain organized academic workflows across the institution.


Conclusion

The Grade Levels setting in openSIS helps institutions organize academic structures and manage student progression effectively.

By configuring Grade Levels properly, institutions can maintain accurate academic organization, streamline workflows, and support long-term academic record management throughout the student lifecycle.

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