Attendance tracking software helps schools track student attendance to classes.
Research on the topic shows that attendance rates correlate with several metrics:
In short, higher attendance rates result in better life outcomes for your students. And tracking software gives you the tools to keep high attendance rates in your school.
Imagine a high school where a student, Alex, starts missing classes frequently. The software alerts you of the anomaly. You check Alex attendance records and notice he's started skipping every Friday. You can confront Alex or his parents to figure out what's the issue at hand. Once you know what's causing the absenteeism, you can offer proper help. For example, you could provide counseling or academic assistance, ensuring Alex returns to regular attendance and avoids long-term consequences.
The market offers attendance tracking apps for all kinds of schools. To help you pick the right app we compiled a list of the best attendance tracking software available. We selected each item based on metrics such as ease of use, integrations, features, customization, and more. No matter how unique your requirements are, there’s a solution that fits your needs.
Let's get into the list.
Slides With Friends is an interactive presentation tool.
While not designed just to track attendance, you can use it to monitor student participation as well as get the names of the students who were in class that day. Create a SWF session and compare the list of participants to a class roster to identify who was present. Anyone with an internet-connected device can join a SWF session.
Key features include live polling, quizzes, and word clouds, facilitating real-time engagement tracking. The interface is so simple to use you won't need any training. And its key features — live polling, quizzes, word clouds, and many more — promote higher student engagement. Plus, since engaged students are less likely to skip class, using SWF can indirectly help improve attendance.
Slides With Friends is perfect for schools of any size looking to enhance engagement in both online and offline classes, particularly those that may not yet use other comprehensive learning management systems. Its ease of use and interactive features make it an excellent tool for increasing student participation and improving attendance rates.
PraxiSchool is a complete school management software.
The platform lets teachers access essential student information in a central hub. This time and attendance tracking software allows teachers to mark attendance quickly and accurately. It does so in two main ways:
Teachers can analyze student grades and create report cards. They can then send these cards to parents through the student portal. All parents need to do is install the related mobile app.
Additionally, PraxiSchool offers administrative tools and document management. Need to check your books? Or student enrollment? What about uploading and checking important documents? These features are all included.
PraxiSchool is ideal for small to medium-sized K-12 schools, private schools, and daycare centers. The platform affordable — at $1.45 per student per month — and feature-rich. Its main downside is that its attendance function can be confusing and challenging to use for some users.
ClassDojo is a classroom management software.
ClassDojo's claim to fame is its simplicity. Teachers can set it up and use it without extensive training. Plus, the platform is accessible via web, iOs, and Android devices, making its adoption convenient.
As far as attendance tracking apps go, ClassDojo makes the task easy. Once you've uploaded a list of students, you can pick the proper toggle in-app — Present, Absent, Tardy, or Left Early. ClassDojo also comes with classroom tools like a random group generator, classroom music, and noise monitor. These features simplify the teacher's life, while improving students engagement.
ClassDojo is perfect for teachers and school administrators in K-12 settings who want an easy-to-use platform for enhancing classroom communication and managing student behavior. It suits schools looking to foster strong parent-teacher connections and involve parents in the educational process through real-time updates and digital portfolios.
Jibble is a flexible time and attendance tracking software designed for diverse work environments, including educational institutions.
Once set-up, students can clock in and out using facial recognition, QR scode scanning, or geolocation tracking. These features ease the burden of attendance tracking for teachers. School administrations will also find their job made easier by Jibble, thanks to automated timesheets and payroll reports.
Teachers and counselors will find the report function of great use. They will be able to access detailed insights into attendance patterns and productivity. It takes a quick glance to see if a student is falling behind or not showing up. Something that, without proper software, would take time and resources.
Jibble is perfect for educational institutions looking for a versatile and reliable attendance tracking solution. Especially for schools that use an hybrid model of online and offline classes, thanks to the many clock-in methods it supports. Finally, the customization options let you adapt Jibble to your processes. It'll be a solid addition to your toolbox, not a total upheaval.
Acadly is a classroom management tool designed to create an engaging learning environment with interactive features.
Chief among its features we find Acadly's automated attendance tracking. It works in every environment: in-person, online, and hybrid. The app comes with tamper protection and swift reports — a students checking-in appears in seconds on the report.
Additionally, the platform comes with class engagement tools: polls, quizzes, and word clouds. Teachers can use these to gauge how attentive students are in class. And to keep them interested in the material.
Administrators will enjoy Acadly's LMS integrations. Particularly, the ability to get early alerts for at-risk students and student behavior analytics.
Acadly is ideal for schools looking to foster an interactive and engaging classroom environment. Its features encourage student participation and provide valuable feedback, making it suitable for schools aiming to improve classroom engagement and participation.
Alma is a complete student information system (SIS).
Alma excels in streamlining student attendance tracking. Teachers can mark daily attendance by logging into Alma's system via the web or mobile app. The data is instantly uploaded in the school's central database, which administrators can access. If you wish, you can also set up parental notifications where Alma sends parents an SMS or email to notify them of their child's absence.
Besides attendance management, Alma offers a suite of features to manage student information.
A few examples:
The app can also integrate with Google Classroom. Syncing data across these two programs is a matter of a few clicks.
Alma is perfect for schools looking for an encompassing solution. Educational institutions of all sizes looking to improve administrative efficiency and enhance parent-teacher communication will find Alma to be an invaluable tool.
MyAttendanceTracker is a free, web-based app for students attendance tracking.
The platform offers a simple and quick way lf tracking attendance. But it also comes with customizable attendance categories, should you need a little more granularity. The automated reminders for missed attendance entries help you make MyAttendanceTracker part of your daily workflow, so you can focus on what matters: helping your students.
While the app focuses on attendance, it comes with four useful additions. One, an integrated gradebook to manage students grades. Two, a messaging system for notifying parents about absences, grade changes, and behavioral issues. Three, standard and customizable reporting options for detailed attendance and performance insights. Four, easy integration with other systems through simple data import and export.
MyAttendanceTracker is ideal for small to medium-sized K12 schools, tutoring centers, and extracurricular class organizers.
Engage is a comprehensive school management system.
The platform is packed with features. Teachers can record form, set, and class attendance on an intuitive interface. If you need more control over attendance, you can tailor sessions, periods, and absence types. And, the reporting capabilities let administrators generate detailed reports on any student. These insights ease data-driven decision-making and help identify trends for targeted interventions.
You can set the system to send parents SMS notifications to keep them informed about their child. And you can integrate Engage with platforms like SchoolPost, and TimeTabling Solutions.
Engage is perfect for schools seeking a customizable attendance tracking solution that integrates with broader school management functions. Its comprehensive features support data management, enhance communication with parents, and promote teacher accountability, making it suitable for schools of all sizes.
Classter is an all-in-one Student Information System (SIS).
The platform offers a complete solution to manage all aspects of a student's life. Need to track attendance? Check. Want to track every students grades? Check. How about a central hub where students, teachers, and parents can communicate? Also check.
But let's focus on the attendance tracking system. Classter comes with 3 main ways of tracking attendance:
If you're looking for a cloud-based solution that combines student information systems (SIS), school management systems (SMS), and learning management systems (LMS) in one platform, Classter is ideal for you. And don't get discouraged by its seeming complexity. Whether you run a small K-12 school or a large university, the platform will work just fine.
Top Hat is an interactive classroom management tool. Its goal is to enhance student engagement and streamline attendance tracking.
Top Hat automates attendance tracking for both in-person and online classes. Instructors can generate a random 4-digit attendance code that students submit via the Top Hat app or SMS, or use geolocation technology for in-person classes. With this system, teachers can see right away if a student is missing the lecture.
Key features of TopHat include:
The user-friendly interface of Top Hat makes it easy for instructors to take attendance without disrupting the class flow. The platform’s various engagement tools also help maintain student interest and participation.
Higher education institutions and large lecture-based courses will get the most ouf ot Top Hat. Especially those that need an efficient and automated attendance tracking solution.
Gradelink is a comprehensive, internet-based school administration software.
As an attendance tracking system, here's what you can expect:
Gradelink integrates with other common programs seen in school. Examples include Google Classroom, Microsoft 365, and Schoology. You can synchronize data across Gradelink and its integrations, enjoying the extra functionalities.
Other key features include:
As far as accessibility goes, Gradelink is available for both main mobile platforms — iOs and Android — and via web. Plus, the interface takes little time to get used to. These traits make the platform convenient for managing school activities on the go.
K-12 schools and educational institutions of all sizes can benefit from using Gradelink. Its affordability, simple interface, and feature set make it suitable for schools looking to streamline their administrative and academic processes, improve communication with parents, and enhance overall efficiency.
Ever struggled to figure out if a pupil was actually attending classes? The process without an attendance tracking system is cumbersome and time-consuming.
First, you had to collect attendance records from each teacher. Then, cross-reference these records. The last step is to compile the data by hand to identify absentee patterns. Hardly a desirable task. And, as we have seen, something you can automate.
If you find yourself stuck in your choice, start simple. Pick an app that only tracks attendance. Once you've integrated said app in your workflow, you can consider upgrading. You're investing in software to simplify your work. Don't fall prey to shiny object syndrome — the cooler-looking software might have all the bells and whistles, but it might prove too much for your needs.
