Overview

When you log in to openSIS for the first time, you’ll see a First-Time Setup screen with a quick checklist. Completing these steps unlocks the core menus and prepares your school for scheduling, attendance, grading, and reporting.

This guide explains the first-time setup flow. Some menu paths in this article belong to the First-Time Setup checklist. After the initial setup is complete, the same records can be managed from their regular menu locations inside openSIS.

Step 1: Set Up the School Calendar

First-Time Setup Path:
School Setup → Calendar

Regular Menu Path:
Settings → School Settings → Calendar

1. Open the Calendar.
   openSIS automatically creates a calendar using the dates provided during registration.

2. Click any date to create an Event or mark it as a Holiday.

3. Save your changes.

Why this matters: Holidays must be marked correctly. Otherwise, openSIS can generate missing attendance for days that should be non-instructional.

Step 2: Create Marking Periods

Full Year → Semesters → Quarters

First-Time Setup Path:
School Setup → Marking Period

Regular Menu Path:
Settings → School Settings → Marking Periods

A) Create the Full Year Marking Period

1. Click Add New to create a Full Year.

2. Enter the required details:

   • Title
     Example: Full Year 2026–2027

   • Short Name
     Example: FY

   • Start Date and End Date

3. Click Save.

B) Add Semesters or Quarters

1. Under the Full Year marking period, click Add Child Marking Period.

2. Create Semesters, then create Quarters under each semester, based on your school structure.

3. For each marking period, enter:

   • Title and Short Name

   • Marking Period Begin and End Dates

   • Grade Posting Begins and Ends dates

4. Click Save.

Important: Grade Posting dates control when staff can enter final grades.

Best practice:

• Grade posting begins near the end of the marking period.

• Grade posting ends a few days after the marking period ends.

Step 3: Create Periods

School Day Time Blocks

First-Time Setup Path:
School Setup → Periods

Regular Menu Path:
Settings → School Settings → Periods

1. Click Add New Period.

2. Enter the required details:

   • Title
     Example: Period 1

   • Short Name
     Example: P1

   • Start Time and End Time

   • Calculate Attendance
     Select Yes or No.

3. Click Save.

Critical note: If Calculate Attendance is not set to Yes, attendance cannot be taken for course sections scheduled in that period.

Step 4: Add Rooms

Classrooms or Physical Spaces

First-Time Setup Path:
School Setup → Rooms

Regular Menu Path:
Settings → School Settings → Rooms

1. Click Add New Room.

2. Enter the required details:

   • Room Title
     Example: Room 101

   • Capacity

   • Description
     Optional.

3. Click Save.

Note: Rooms used in active scheduling or attendance cannot be deleted. They can be deactivated instead.

Step 5: Add Grade Levels

First-Time Setup Path:
School Setup → Grade Levels

Regular Menu Path:
Settings → School Settings → Grade Levels

1. Click Add New Grade Level.

2. Fill in the required details:

   • Title
     Example: Grade 9

   • Short Name
     Example: 09

   • Grade Level Equivalent
     If applicable.

   • Age Range / Educational Stage
     Optional.

   • Next Grade
     Important for rollover.

3. Click Save.

Why Next Grade matters: During end-of-year rollover, student promotions follow the Next Grade mapping set here.

Step 6: Create Report Card Grade Scale and Grade Table

First-Time Setup Path:
School Setup → Report Card Grade Scale

Regular Menu Path:
Settings → Grades Setting → Report Card Grade Scale

A) Create a Grade Scale

1. Click Add Grade Scale.

2. Enter the required details:

   • Grade Scale Name
     Example: Main

   • Scale Value
     Example: 4.0

   • Comment
     Optional.

   • Calculate GPA
     Enable this if your school uses GPA.

3. Click Save.

B) Add Grades Under the Scale

1. On the right side of the grade scale, click Add New Grade.

2. Add your grading rows, such as A, B, C, and so on.

3. Set the required values:

   • Breakoff or range

   • Unweighted GP Value

   • Weighted GP Value
     Optional.

Tip: If your school does not use weighted classes, such as AP or Honors, you can keep Weighted GP Value empty.

Step 7: Add Staff

Teachers and Administrators

First-Time Setup Path:
Setup Checklist → Add Staff

Regular Menu Path:
Staff → Staff Info

1. Click Add Staff.

2. Enter the minimum required fields, such as:

   • First Name

   • Last Name

   • Staff ID

3. Click Save & Next to continue and complete the required fields.

4. Repeat the process for more staff members, or use Excel Import if available.

Result: Staff accounts are created and can be assigned to course sections and schedules.

Step 8: Add Students

Basic Student Profile and Enrollment Information

First-Time Setup Path:
Setup Checklist → Add Student

Regular Menu Path:
Students → Student Information

1. Click Add Student.

2. Enter the mandatory basic profile details.

3. Click Save & Next.

4. On the Enrollment screen, enter the enrollment details:

   • Grade Level

   • Enrollment Date

   • Enrollment Code

5. Click Update.

Note: The student record is created first. Enrollment details finalize the student’s placement in the school.

Step 9: Add Courses

Program, Subject, and Course

First-Time Setup Path:
Setup Checklist → Add Course

Regular Menu Path:
Courses -> Course Manager

1. Click Add Course.

2. If no courses exist, click Add New Course.

3. Fill in the course form:

   • Title / Short Name

   • Grade Level
     If required.

   • Credit Hours
     If required.

   • Program

   • Subject

4. Create the Program or Subject if they do not already exist.

5. Click Submit.

Note: The first time you add courses, Program or Subject records may not exist. Create them once, and they will appear in the dropdowns for future courses.

Step 10: Add Course Sections

Class Instances of a Course

First-Time Setup Path:
Setup Checklist → Add Course Section

Regular Menu Path:
Courses -> Course Manager

1. Open a Course.

2. Click Add New Course Section.

3. Confirm the Active toggle:

   • ON means the section is visible and ready for scheduling.

   • OFF means the section remains in draft mode and is not published in the catalog.

4. Choose the Duration:

   • Marking Period
     Recommended for standard schools.

   • Custom Date Range
     Useful for trade schools or flexible terms.

5. Choose a Schedule Type.

6. For first-time setup, choose Fixed Schedule.

7. Under Fixed Schedule, select:

   • Room

   • Period

   • Meeting Days

8. Enable Take Attendance if attendance is required for the course section.

9. Click Submit.

Step 11: Schedule Teachers

Regular Menu Path:
Scheduling → Schedule Teacher

1. Search and select a Teacher.
   A blank search can list all teachers.

2. Select the Course Section or Course Sections.

3. Click Check Availability to detect conflicts.

4. If no conflicts are found, click Start Scheduling.

Note: You can assign multiple teachers to one course section. You can also assign one teacher to multiple course sections.

Step 12: Schedule Students

Regular Menu Path:
Scheduling → Schedule Student

1. Search and select the student or students.

2. Select the course section or course sections.

3. Set the Schedule Date.

4. Click to schedule.

Important: Schedule Date controls when students are enrolled into the course section. If the course already started, backdate the Schedule Date to the course start date.

Completion Check

Once these steps are complete, the full left menu becomes available and openSIS can be used normally for attendance, grades, reports, and scheduling.

If you are completing the setup for the first time, follow the First-Time Setup checklist paths. If your school has already completed onboarding, use the regular menu paths shown in each section.