Gradelink

Pros

Integration was quick and easy and any questions we have are VERY quickly answered. The program has been so beneficial and easily keeps our team informed of student information while working remotely.
Our helper, [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] has been amazing!

Cons

There are some features that do not apply to our school since we work with adult students. Gradelink is set up for minor students. These features are still great if you need them.. they just don't apply to us.

Pros

Gradelink offers incredible flexibility and a wide variety of features. It's always nice when I have to produce some report, and rather than having to do it manually, I find that Gradelink already has this feature. The customer support has always been excellent.

Cons

The interface isn't exactly the most intuitive in the world. Furthermore, several features required assistance from Gradelink Support. Ultimately, neither of these detract from the usefulness too much.

Pros

Yesterday [sensitive content hidden] took the time to help me solve a problem and opened doors to new ways of using the Gradelink software. He was patient, and professional, and offered to send instructions for new ways to improve our usage. Three cheers for customer service [sensitive content hidden] I will try to implement your suggestions.

Cons

I wish the dashboards were more streamlined and straightforward.

Pros

Gradelink has been beneficial for our school to manage administratively our student database, both current and alumni and potential enrollees. The ability for tracking attendance, grades and assignments is truly helpful as well as being able to communicate with parents all from one system. Our customer service rep has been truly knowledgeable and helpful with any questions or issues that arise.

Cons

We would like to see a way for Gradelink to immediately show teachers students who have important medical situations without having to go deep into their student database.

Pros

Gradelink is very easy to use, however, if a question arises, the Support Team is quick to respond. In particular, Mark is always helpful, kind, and quick to resolve any issues that come up.

Cons

It would be helpful to have updated training videos available for review.

Pros

I love the help we get from our Gradelink representative, [sensitive content hidden]. She is awesome and always responds fast.

Cons

The face of grade link needs an update. The program needs to look more modern.

Pros

Support! I love [sensitive content hidden] who helps with website and [sensitive content hidden] who always helps me with report card issues!

Cons

Having to design my own report cards and create the classes. Literally hate that.

It’s not too user friendly for the teachers either.

Pros

I love the support I receive from very kind and helpful staff!

Cons

Sometimes I would like a very short video on accomplishing a single task. I would also like a checklist of what to do for those tasks that need to be done at each part of the school year.

Pros

Kind, patient, and helpful customer service that responds in a timely manner.
Gradelink help site offers a ton of information and tutorials. Most components are intuitive.

Cons

Billing tab on the parent app can be a bit confusing when there are multiple sessions. Parents were unable to pay through app, but were able to through web browser.

Pros

[sensitive content hidden], our representative, is amazing! She always helps me when I need it.

Cons

Not much really, but if there is a way report cards and/or transcripts can be emailed to parents that would be helpful.

Pros

Compared to the prior SIS system we had, Gradelink is much more user friendly and easy to launch. Additionally, the customer service is superb! My representative, [sensitive content hidden] is absolutely amazing. While there are many training videos available for the system, Kate is also available to walk us through any issues we are experiencing. She spent a substantial amount of time walking my team and I through a few challenging problems we were trying to solve. She really cared that we were able to use the platform as its intended. Her customer service skills are literally a 10/10. I appreciate her.

Cons

As I attempt to merge both my elementary school and my preschools on to one platform, I am seeing a few issues with the platform meeting the needs of my preschool. Our contractual obligations require our preschool students to be checked in and checked out with the SPECIFIC time. I general present and absent will meet our contract requirements. The feature that we need is a batch check in and batch check out for all of our students is very tedious and time consuming. The billing feature is also challenging because the platform assumes parents all pay a flat rate or a slight variation of the fee (i.e. sibling discount). However, the majority of our preschool parents pay different fees because they have subsidized care. Lastly, PaySimple being the only payment processing system is a challenge because it lacks an auto invoicing feature. While the auto billing is great, many of our parents are not ok with auto billing. However, auto invoicing would allow us to send the necessary reminders and make it easy to pay right from the invoice.

Pros

Gradelink allows my teachers to keep track of the students assessments and attendance easily. The teachers love being able to streamline communication with their families.

Cons

The onboarding process was frustrating and took an excessive amount of time on my part. The communication between myself and customer service was difficult.

Pros

He was very insightful with understanding what we need as a school to attract new families. He also was very knowledgeable about websites and how they should function.

Cons

There are several things about the actual that I don't like, however the cost makes up for the issues that I have. I know for many of us it has to do with getting the reports just they way I want them.

Pros

If I have a question, Customer Service (Axel is who I've consistently worked with) gets back to me right away with what I asked to be adjusted very quickly or with a personalized video using our account with how to proceed. I have even gotten a heads up on how to navigate Gradelink in a more efficient way.

Cons

It doesn't seem to be user friendly for parents to fill out paperwork on mobile devices. We have parents without access to computers and this was difficult for them.

Pros

Tracking grades, creating transcripts, enrolling students.

Cons

Can't customize schedule and difficult to use for after school tutoring. Doesn't automatically enroll students once we accept them. Everything needs to be copy pasts from prospects to active enrolled.

Pros

I love anytime I have a issue with classes, schedules, transcripts or even just a general question, I can contact [sensitive content hidden] at Gradelink and he helps me through anything I need at any given time day or night! He replies back immediately and always saves the day! He is beyond one of the kindest and sweetest representative always helping our school with anything we need!

Cons

I like everything about Gradelink I feel it is very easy to use and not complicated to understand. [sensitive content hidden] at Gradelink sends us videos that are so easy to understand plus he is always available to help when we need anything!! I feel like [sensitive content hidden] is key to your company’s success at Gradelink!! He goes above and beyond to always help with anything we need!

Pros

Easy to use. When I need support, the helpline responds quickly.

Cons

I have used Gradelink for over 8 years and I have not encountered any difficulties.

Pros

I appreciate the simplicity and ease of use. It's a great platform for small schools

Cons

Though easy to use and simple, the aesthetic appeal of the website gives a poor first impression to new teachers and staff.

Pros

I love the grading system and the quick responses we get from [sensitive content hidden]

Cons

When we used the finance features a few years ago, we didn't like that it allowed people to pay an invoice multiple times since they didn't get any confirmation of payment. Perhaps it has been fixed but I stopped using this feature because it doubled my work with having to do refunds for overpayments.

Pros

Everything is impactful in the company ! We love it !

Cons

Nothing, everything is wonderful. Thank you

Pros

Product is easy to use. Like the reports that are available.

Cons

Wish the report card system could be easier to use.

Pros

Amazing customer service. I have to contact Gradelink a few times a month and have always been helpful and very kind.

Cons

Sometimes can be a bit confusing but I'm always being helped when I reach out via email.

Pros

The product is easy to use and support is helpful.

Cons

I am still figuring out the setup for the financial aspect of it.

Pros

Gradelink is easy to use and the support is amazing.

Cons

I would like to be able to print student information forms that parents can make changes/corrections on. This is not available in Gradelink.

Pros

1. Student database (grade, attendance, basic info)2. Finance makes it easy to track student's payment.

Cons

1. We are a weekend Chinese school. Students are assigned to classes based on their level, not age or grade. So it is very inconvenient if Gradelink cannot show the class a student is in.2. There is no "Chinese Name" field in EnrollMe online form, it is extremely inconvenient to input student's Chinese name manually EVERY SCHOOL YEAR.3. The "Assignment" in Gradelink is one-way communication. The teacher can assign homework to students, but there is no way for student to turn in their work. Hence, "Assignment" is not a practical function until student can turn in assignment in Gradelink. (or at least leave a comment)

Pros

The support from [sensitive content hidden] are unsurpassed by anyone that I have dealt with before! They are extremely knowledgeable and willing to help any time you call. If they are busy and unavailable when you call, they are very punctual in returning you call, with answers ASAP. They both have personalities that are a strong credit to Gradelink!

Cons

Haven't found anything in three years yet!

Pros

Ease, Simplicity for teachers, families and registrar

Cons

There are some pretty substantial limitations on the backend that make a lot of extra work for reporting and rostering. I WAS aware of that when I purchased Gradelink for us in 2021 though so that's on me. What is surprising, however, is that no enhancements have been made in that realm. Users should be able to determine what fields are included in exports and to select to which format they are being exported. I can't tell you how much extra work I do for basic reports and for something like creating honor roll certificates based on "GPA" (averages, not GPAs per se but just using that phrase to explain)

Pros

[sensitive content hidden] is the reason why I like Gradelink. He is very patient and willing to help those who reach out to him. Apparently, our school has a 1:1 customer support person who never calls or emails back. [sensitive content hidden] on the other hand, returns calls and takes the time to walk you through to resolve the issue. Gradelink needs more employees like [sensitive content hidden].

Cons

The things I do not like about Gradelink is lack of support. Trying to reach out to customer support and not receiving a return email or phone call is very frustrating especially when you are new to the program. Sometimes your videos are not helpful, and you need an experienced support representative.

Pros

[sensitive content hidden] is amazing. She is always quick to help, very clearly answers questions, and is thoughtful and funny.

Cons

Our school year hasn't begun, so we haven't gotten our hands but so dirty with gradelink. As of today, there isn't anything we don't like...but if there is, I'm 110% sure [sensitive content hidden] will help us figure it out

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Gradelink

Reasons for Switching to Gradelink

Pros

Our service respresentative [sensitive content hidden] Nevar was the most helpful person! She has such a sweet spirit and compassionate heart. She clearly understood the time constraints we were under and also showed a positive attitude even when we posed questions that were most likely all quite usophisticated. She was about to lead us through several challenging areas leading us to corrections as well as solutions. Her sense of humor and willing attitude made my day end with positive thoughts and direction. [sensitive content hidden] is certainly a keeper! I will always ask for her when I have a problem because she is that quiet spirit that makes things better just because she is there! Thank you for having this quality of personnel on staff working with flustered people who when they call seem to feel that there is no answer. She not only has answers but is willing to take you by the hand to correct necessary areas, She makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside which is a testament to her care of and for her responsibility in the corporation. Thank you!

Cons

Tutorials and videos. Too much information and hard to see.

Pros

The customer service we receive is excellent. Having one SIS for managing our students and billing is very helpful. I like the ability to be able to see what the parents see when they login so I can answer their questions.

Cons

At this time nothing comes to mind that I like least with Gradelink.

Pros

It is a very complete program, easy to use. Support is readily available and meet your needs in a very timely manner.

Cons

The only thing we would need to be able to complete use the system (attendance and plans) would be if the programming would support a 6 or more rotating days class schedule.

Pros

Gradelink is overall very user friendly. It has been easy for our teachers to transition to it and it has made their jobs significantly easier. The parents and students also like that they can always track their grades so there are no surprises at parent conferences.

Cons

Some of the features still need further development. The preschool classes which are graded by subcategories don't have access to lesson planning which does not make sense as all types of class need planning. The scheduling feature is also not user friendly and is not visually clear so we are not using it.

Pros

[sensitive content hidden]
met with me recently through Zoom to show better ways our website can be effective. I appreciated the time he spent showing ways to help parents know what we are about.

Cons

Report cards do not always turn out the way we want them. It still needs a little more tweaking.

Pros

Exceptional customer service. Our technical contact was very responsive and answered any questions thoroughly. Program is easy to navigate and easy to learn. Great way to streamline all administrative tasks.

Cons

Would be more helpful to be able to modify/develop your own enrollment forms instead of needing to contact support. However, support’s response has been quick and helpful.

Pros

Ease of use and customer support. Customer support is always quick to respond and willing to work through the issue with me.

Cons

Wish there were just a few more customizable options in the Application process.

Pros

This is our first year using Gradelink and there are definitely some things to work out in terms of setting up our classes, report cards, etc. Once we learn and understand the parts of Gradelink, things are fairly simple to run.

Cons

We have had a huge hiccup with billing/PaySimple. We do not find that it suits our needs for our tuition billing.

Pros

Wonderful customer support, quick responses and solutions.

Cons

I have no negative things to say about Gradelink.

Pros

I like that it's difficult to permanently make an error. Most things are easily correctable should someone accidentally make a change that they didn't mean to make. It is user friendly.

Cons

The data doesn't easily export to other systems/apps. It has to be edited each time data is exported. I also wish all the reports were completely customizable, meaning I would like to be able to choose exactly what data I need for a report to export.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Gradelink

Pros

Having a system that parents were able to access with all student information and the ability to view and pay their bills.

Cons

Having to email for customer support, most times when there is an issue it needs to be resolved right then so it's best to be able to speak with someone versus emailing and waiting for a response.

Pros

The promptness and understanding from the staff is unmatched.

Cons

We would love if there was an option to mass send Report Cards to parents and students similar to the email option.

Pros

User-friendly, hands-on help with a live representative (our is [sensitive content hidden] - woohoo!) who will communicate clearly (often with emails of screenshots and step-by-step instructions), and affordable. We also considered using Gradelink for our website management and [sensitive content hidden] was very informative, gave great feedback, and shared very reasonable costs for managing our site.

Cons

There are a few features it is lacking but has most of what we need, and they take our needs into consideration for development.

Pros

Comprehensive...it covers the needs of our school from grades to transcripts

Cons

Still have areas i have not become proficient... but tech support exceeds expectations

Pros

Gradelink is a very innovative platform that has simplified workflow for school managers and teachers as well improved transparent communication between educators and parents. Among the main features I love include the fact that it is cloud-based, making it accessible from anywhere, enabling users to perform their daily duties on the go. Secondly, teachers are saved a lot of time on lesson planning, add assignments, homework and learning exercises without worrying about school system standard to use. Additionally, the software had gradebook are generously available and integrates with lesson plans and report card features. Another outstanding feature is the discipline feature which allows administrators to track negative and positive behaviors, add or remove credits, and focus on each student's academic goals. Parents can also access this information and can monitor their children's behavior and contribute actively by supporting teachers. Last but not the least is the various reports that can be accessed from a single platform in no time. Whether its on attendance, registers, medical records, enrollment level etc, Gradelink has all the information at hand for either administrators, parents, students and all relevant users. Finally, I love the fact that Payment processing and billing is integrated within the software, making it easy for parents to settle their dues.

Cons

Overall, it is a life saving software but it may be pricy for a small school that attempts to increase enrollment and all.

Pros

Customer service, I love some of the features including automatically calculating class averages.

Cons

Contracts are not archived for previous school years (are able to download though), attendance records are a bit confusing to pull, sometimes communicate features do nit work properly.

Pros

I came into this position and Gradelink was already being used. Unfortunately there was no one to train me on how to use it so I had to learn on my own. Luckily Gradelink is very user friendly and it was pretty easy for me to figure it out on my own. Any time I have had a concern or a question the support staff has been amazing. Just recently I had questions on the ability to have attendance messages sent out automatically, not only did I get a quick response, [sensitive content hidden] created a step by step video showing me exactly how to do what I needed to do.

Cons

I wish that there was a little more flexibility in regards to changing the order that classes appear on certain screens. I would also love to be able to customize the grades and divisions. Finally I wish that when printing up certain reports, such as the family directory, I could customize how it prints, especially the size of the font because it prints so small.

Pros

Customer service is excellent - helpful and efficient. [sensitive content hidden]
are always quick to respond.

Cons

The website is not user friendly to the admin.

Pros

It's fairly easy to use and the customer service reps are very quick to respond and helpful.

Cons

Some functions are tedious to set up or correct. Sometimes it is a challenge to send correctly formatted emails through SmartSend.

Pros

I like that Gradelink has a wonderful customer service that can help immediately. [sensitive content hidden] has always been so gracious to help out quickly.

Cons

I really do not have anything to compare it too.

Pros

Nothing. Thought we could use for an adult vocational school, this software does not work

Cons

Everything. It took too long to setup. Everything is done through email. A simple phone call coould speed the process.