Overview
Quick Student Search From Any Screen
You can quickly select a student or user and view their record using the Select Student/Staff pull-down available at the top-left corner of every screen.
Note: Select Student/Staff does not search all schools.
If you have conducted a recent search, the Search Results tab is selected by default. To use the filters and results of your last student and user search, leave the tab selected. For example, if you searched for students in the 11th grade, the results of that specific search will display in the Select Student pull-down when Search Results is selected. If a student search has not recently been conducted, the Search Results tab does not display.
Click the Search Results tab to remove the Search Results from your latest student/user search. Once, disabled, the tab turns gray.
To search for students only, click the Students tab. Click Inactive Students to display inactive students from which to choose, as well as active students.
To search for users/staff only, click the Staff tab. Click Inactive Staff to display inactive users from which to choose, as well as active users.
Select the Match all check box to display students/users that are listed in the Search Results of your latest student/user search AND assigned to the selected school.
Note: Selecting Students and Staff will show both all students at the selected school and all staff. Selecting the Match All check box will show zero results because there are no students who are also staff members.
Selecting Search Results, Staff, and Students displays the results of your latest User search and Student search OR all users and students assigned to the selected school.
Scroll through the listed students/users for the student/user you want, then click the student/user name to open the record in Student Info or User Info.
OR
Start typing the first name, last name, student ID, or EIN in the Filter... text box, then click the student/user name to open the record in Student Info or User Info.
Once the student/user record is in open in Student Info or User Info, the pull-down reflects the selected student/user information along with additional features:
- Hover over the student's photo to view additional student information.
- Click the blue envelope icon to message the student via the Communication screen.
- Hover over alert icons for additional information. Click alert icons to open the screen, tab, and field for which the information is housed.
- Click the red and white X to close the student and navigate to the main Student Info screen where you can conduct a search or pick a new student from the Simple List.
Student Search
There are two additional ways to perform a basic student search. Click the Students menu then Student Info or from the main portal page under Find a Student.
The Student Search text box is not case sensitive, and full or partial entries can be in either a “first last” or “last, first” format. The comma is necessary in the “last, first” format. You can also search by Florida ID, Local ID, Student ID, and FLEID.
If you have access to multiple schools, you have the option to Search All Schools, checking this box will search all schools you have access to. There is also an Include Inactive Students checkbox. Checking this box will include students that withdrew from the current school year. If you choose to include inactive students, you may also include Previous Year Inactive Students. Checking this box will include inactive students for all previous years.
After all your selections are made, click Search to generate a list of students matching your search criteria.
A Simple List will display containing your search results.
The simple list will only contain the students first and last name. You can update your preferences to add grade level, student id, photo, and alert icons. To add these additional fields to your simple list, navigate Users > My Preferences> Student Listing. Check the boxes next to any additional options you would like to add to your simple list. Click Save.
After making the changes in the preferences the simple list will now display the additional fields you selected.
Alert Icons
An alert icon is a small image that has been added to Focus by your district to indicate if a student meets the criteria for a specified data set. For example, if a student is receiving ESE services, they may have an alert icon attached to their record. Having the alert icon lets users like teachers and administrators easily identify select sets of students.
To show alert icons in your student lists navigate to Users> My Preferences> Student Listing and check Display Alert Icons in Student Lists.
Customized Student List
A customized list is a list of fields that each user can select to display every time a student search is performed. To set up the customized list fields, navigate to Users > My Preferences> Columns in Student Lists.
Here you will see a list of student fields available to include in your customized list. Check the box next to each field that you would like to display on your customized list. When you are finished adding fields click Save.
You can also set your customized list to display by default every time you perform a student search. To do this navigate to Users > My Preferences > Student Listing. Check the box next to Display Customized List by Default. Click Save.
Next time you generate a student list your customized list will display automatically and include the fields you added.
More search options
*In Version 12 Focus added a new student search option. To access an overview of the new search options click HERE.
More search options are a powerful tool that allows you to narrow your search to a very specific group of students. This is done by pinpointing the data you would like to search to pull just the students that meet the search criteria. For example, you can search for a list of students that all scored a level 1 on a standardized test or a group of students that have 15 or more unexcused absences.
Clicking More Search Options on the search screen displays a list of categories.
The categories can be opened and closed by clicking the gray triangles next to each category.
Expanding a category reveals the student fields stored under each category. Set criteria in the student fields to narrow your search from all students to just the specific students that fit your search parameters.
Make as many selections as needed to yield more specific search results. Once all your selections have been made click Search.
Focus will display your search results. The criteria you used in the search will display in the top left corner of your screen.
You can export your search results to Excel by clicking the icon next to the student count on the top left side of the screen.
Individual Student Record
From the search screen you can either click on the student’s name to access the student’s individual information or use the small arrow next to the student photo to jump to a specific area on the students record.
Categories display on the left side of the screen. There is top category in the left menu called Primary Info which contains basic student information like the name, username, password etc. Click on the category title to access the fields that are stored under the selected category.
*Categories and fields you see are based on your profile permissions*
Click the grey arrow to the right of the categories to collapse the category list. Click the arrow again to restore them.
To navigate to the next or previous student's record, click the left or right blue arrows at the top-left corner of the screen. A gray arrow indicates you are at the beginning or end of the list of students, and therefore cannot advance to the next student in the list.
Click the Back to Search Results icon to return back to the list of students if you had previously conducted a student search.
Click the red and white X to close the student and navigate to the main Student Info screen where you can conduct a search or pick a new student from the Simple List.
Student Data Errors
As you are entering and viewing student data you may see error messages display on the right side of the screen. These are data validations and have been created to help catch errors before data is reported to DOE.
There are two types of validations; the first is the required field validation. If a field your district has determined is required for state or local reporting is blank you will see a red circle with the field title to the right of your screen. When you hover your mouse over this field Focus will list the field title and state that it is a required field.
The field title will highlight in red on the screen so that you can quickly locate it and enter the missing data.
The second type of field validation is when the data that you or another user has entered violates a rule that Focus or your District has set for the data field. You will also see these validations on the right side of the student data screen. For example, there is a field validation that states a student’s birthdate cannot be a date in the future. If a value exists in the birthdate field that is a date later than today’s date you will see the following error.
Please correct data errors as you see them when possible.
You may encounter new validation errors as you enter data. Some of these validations have been designed to prevent you from saving bad data. If you attempt to enter a value that violates the validation the field will turn red, if you try to leave the page without resolving the error a message will appear to inform you that the data you are trying to enter will not be saved.
Sub-menus
You will notice when you are viewing a student record that there are several grey sub-menus in the middle of the page. The number of options you see depends on your level of access in Focus.
Click on these menus to display information about the current student you are viewing. For example, if you click on the enrollment sub-menu you will see enrollment data specific to the student you are already viewing or if you click on grades you will see grades information for the student you are already viewing.
The difference between the grey submenus and the main menus at the top of the screen is that the main menus at the top of the screen are used for general navigation in Focus and the grey menus are specific to the student you are viewing at the moment.