How do I create student groups based on merits and demerits?

A good way to track behavior is to set up dynamic groups that are defined by merits and demerits. This means that students who meet the requirements you set are automatically included in the group and, conversely, are removed when they no longer meet those requirements.

These groups can be set up to monitor merit counts on a daily/weekly/month/etc. basis, and can be assigned a color code to display on slips and while in projector mode. You can also easily view them by navigating to the Groups page via the "Analysis" menu.

On the Groups page, several different filters provide you with options for creating dynamic groups based on merits and demerits. For example, you can make a group based on the number of merits or demerits earned today, or by merit balance (if your school has configured merits and demerits to balance each other out).

Example: Daily Merit Groups

One way to encourage students to earn as many merits as possible is to set up a series of dynamic groups based on merits. In this example, students who earn between 0 and 5 will be in one group, those who earn 6 to 10 in another, and those who earn 10 and above will be in a third.

For the first group, set the first "Merits Earned Today" slider to between 0 and 5 and then go up to the the "Save" tab at the very top.

When saving, be sure to click "Yes" under "Show This Group Name and Color on Student Slips" if you want it to be included on slips. Assign a color to the group under "Show Color on Slips" to color-code slips as well as student backgrounds while in projector mode on the Class Attendance page. Because this group is for the least amount of merits earned, the color red is useful. Make sure to give the group a clear, descriptive name so that it’s easy to find later.

Repeat this process with the other two groups, changing their colors, slider ranges, and names. A quick way to do this is to use the "Save Copy" button after changing the name, color, and slider.

Note: Because the minimum number of merits in this example is 0, this will only be useful for schools whose behavior system doesn’t allow for negative merits. If you do allow negative merits, use the second "Merits Earned Today" slider (the one that reaches back to -100).