Classter is a comprehensive Student Information & Learning Management System that streamlines administrative and academic operations for educational institutions. It offers a flexible and highly configurable environment, making it suitable for K-12, Higher Education, Vocational Training Institutions and Private Language Schools. This document provides an intuitive overview of Classter’s main entities, functionalities, and structuring principles.
Institutional Structure (Educational Programs)
Classter allows institutions to define their structure hierarchically, ensuring seamless organization and management. The key components include:
_Location_ (Required)
- Example: A university with multiple campuses in different cities can define each campus as a separate _Location_.
- Note: If your institution does not have multiple _Locations_, this field can be set as ‘Institute’ with your institution’s title.
_Building_ (Optional)
A Sub-Location (a.k.a _Building_) further divides a _Location_ (e.g. departments, _Buildings_, or academic centers). Helps track administrative or academic units within a broader _Location_.
- Can be used in admission applications to filter out _Grades_.
_Grade Level_ (Optional)
Defines the educational stage of a _Grade_ (e.g., primary, secondary, tertiary education, BSc, MSc). Helps categorize and filter _Grades_ in admission applications.
- Can be renamed for alternative categorizations such as Study Mode or Fields of Study if other classification fields are used.
_Grade Type_ (Optional)
Can be used as an additional categorization of the _Grades_. If we already have used the previous ones. Differentiates grading systems or educational methodologies within an institution.
- Example: Online, Hybrid, Business, Informatics
_Grade_ (Required)
Defines the exact academic year, _grade_, or program a _Student_ is enrolled in. Essential for structuring academic progression and planning enrollments.
Represents:
- K-12 Schools: _Grades_ as Years or Levels (e.g., _Grade_ 10, Year 3, IB 1).
- Language Centers: Language levels (e.g., French Intermediate, French Advanced).
- Higher Education: Programs, Certificates, Diplomas (e.g., MBA, BSc Accounting).
_Stream_ (Required)
Represents specialized pathways within a _Grade_ (e.g., Science, Humanities, Technical Streams). Serves as an identifier in the educational program of a _Student_. If there is no pathway, we use one option as ‘Main’ in all _Grades_.
In Higher Education, _Streams_ define academic paths within a program, like Years – Semesters (e.g., Year 1, Semester 2, Quarter 3).
_Educational Program Category_ (Optional, Recommended for Higher Education)
Categorizes programs into broader classifications such as Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Vocational Training, or Diplomas. Enhances clarity in academic reporting and program structuring.
Represents the primary physical or organizational division within the institution (e.g., campuses, schools, cities, faculties, study areas or it can be the main categorization of the _Grades_, like BSc, MSc). Institutions with multiple facilities should define each _Location_ separately for accurate data management and reporting.
Notes:
- _Location_, _Grade_ and _Stream_ are required to use
- _Educational Program Category_ is also highly recommended for Higher Education mode
- _Building_, _Grade Level_ & _Grade Type_ are optional to use
- You can have multiple _Locations_
- _Buildings_ can be under one or more _Locations_
- _Grades_ can be under one or more _Locations_ OR (if _Building_ is in use), can be under a triple connection as _Location_-_Building_-_Grade_ (under one or multiple triple connections)
- _Grade Level_ & _Grade Type_ are properties in the _Grades_, but can also be used to filter out the relevant _Grades_ in various lists and the Admission -online applications
- Each _Grade_ can be connected only to one _Grade Level_ & one _Grade Type_
- _Streams_ & _Educational Program Categories_
Academic Structure
Classter supports a well-defined academic structure that enhances curriculum management and learning administration. The primary academic entities include:
_Subject_
Represents individual _Subjects_ within a program (e.g., Mathematics, Biology, Business Studies).
- Includes assessments, credits, and academic resources.
_Group_
Defines collections of _Students_ (and _Teachers_) assigned to a specific _group_ or academic cohort.
- Essential for scheduling, timetabling, and resource allocation.
Curriculum (Required for Higher Education)
A structured set of _Subjects_ and learning outcomes that define a particular academic program. Institutions can create multiple curricula to accommodate yearly changes while preserving historical data.
Key Components:
- Graduation Eligibility: Defines credits, mandatory _Subjects_, attendance, and academic performance requirements.
- Enrollment Structure: Determines required and optional courses per academic year or semester.
- Curriculum Transition Handling: Allows seamless transitions for new _Students_ while preserving historical curriculum records.
We can have multiple Curricula per _Grade_ and based on the time of entry, each _Student_ can automatically take the correct curriculum, based on the current default curriculum we can define in each _Grade_.
Academic Periods
Serve as the foundation for all institutional processes. Most of the data are organized per Academic period. Active _Students_, _Subjects_, _groups_, assignments are tied to specific academic periods. Sometimes financial arrangements as well. In K-12 all academic data of _Students_ are organized per academic period, but in Higher Education, academic data are organized per curriculum (multiple academic periods).
- Must be created each semester, or year to ensure accurate scheduling and reporting.
_Student_ Services & Institutional Support
In addition to academic management, Classter offers a range of services that enhance _Student_ experience and institutional efficiency.
All Types of Services can also include financial arrangements and financial management (invoicing).
Examples:
Financial Services
Manages additional fees, such as administrative fees, admission/application fees, Any additional fees to the main tuition fees that need to be enrolled and charged separately.
- Supports multiple pricing models, including per-credit and per-course billing.
Extracurricular Activities
Manages _Student_ participation in clubs, sports, and extracurricular programs (e.g. afternoon activities like lunch, football, and extracurricular activities like seminars).
- Tracks attendance, performance, and engagement in non-academic activities.
Transportation Management
Organizes and tracks _Student_ transportation services, including bus routes and schedules. Allows for route optimization and _Student_ safety.
Library Management
Oversees library resources, lending services, digital book repositories, and inventory tracking. Integrates with _Student_ accounts for seamless borrowing and returning of books.
Accommodation Services
Facilitates _Student_ housing management, including room assignments and maintenance requests.
- Supports residency applications, payment tracking, and housing policies.
Online Enrollment Services
Enables digital services self-registration with automated approval processes. Configures enrollment rules based on prerequisites, credits, and _Student_ status and can lead to direct payment of the service.
Reporting & Analytics
Provides insights into academic performance, financial transactions, and enrollment trends. Generates detailed reports to enhance decision-making and track _Student_ progress.
User Role Management & Security
Classter also enforces institution-level data segmentation, ensuring staff access only the _Student_ records relevant to their roles. Administrators can set permissions for financial, academic, and personal data, maintaining strict access control.
The flexible role-based system assigns specific access levels to _Students_, _Teachers_, staff, and parents, reducing security risks. Secure authentication, access logs, and compliance measures further protect sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access.
User Experience & Interface
Classter provides an optimized interface tailored for different user roles:
- _Students_: Dashboards for course enrollment, _Grades_, financial details, and academic progress.
- Faculty: Tools for coursework management, _Student_ assessments, and attendance tracking.
- Administrators: Centralized control of _Student_ records, academic operations, and institutional policies.
- User Roles & Permissions: Flexible user role management allowing institutions to define access rights for each user type (_Students_, _Teachers_, staff, and parents).
Quick Start Guide
- Set Up Institutional Hierarchies: Define _Locations_, and academic structures.
- Configure User Roles & Permissions: Assign access rights to administrators, faculty, and _Students_.
- Import Academic Data: Load _Student_ records, course offerings, and financial details.
- Enable Online Enrollment & Workflows: Configure course selection criteria, approvals, and prerequisite rules.
- Leverage Reporting Tools: Generate analytics reports for institutional performance tracking.
Conclusion
Classter provides a powerful and flexible platform for educational institutions, offering structured management of academic and administrative entities. By leveraging its hierarchical model, automation capabilities, and customization options, institutions can significantly enhance their efficiency and _Student_ experience.
