Tracking school information with AlekSIS Keeping the Books

In many classroom settings, paper grade lists and the good old class register are still the rule. The AlekSIS project offers a 21st century solution for small schools that want to go digital.

- Martin Gerhard Loschwitz

AlekSIS, a free school information system, aims to drag schools into the digital age. Currently in a functional state and ready for production use, AlekSIS [1] is a direct competitor of other tools with similar school-management features. However, because it is free software, AlekSIS helps you steer clear of the dreaded vendor lock-in. AlekSIS's creators have a declared goal of blowing the commercial solutions out of the water.

Designed by teachers in Germany, AlekSIS was originally developed for German high school settings, but the basic features, such as schedules, student and staff profiles, class rosters, and attendance tracking, are universal features of classrooms everywhere. AlekSIS offers a user interface in English and complete English versions of the AlekSIS Handbook and website.

Most large school districts in the English-speaking world are already using software for tracking students and classroom business, but many small private schools and charter schools, as well as training facilities and other independent institutions, are still tracking their classroom business on paper or using rudimentary tools that lack integration. In these settings, AlekSIS offers a sensible alternative.

Web-Based Access

Because some classrooms today still do not have a computer, the AlekSIS team knew from the outset that the software would have to be easy to use on mobile devices such as smartphones. As a result, AlekSIS's central interface is based on the principle of web-based access, with the web interface adapting to the displaying device. As a result, AlekSIS works just as well on an iPhone as it does on an Android tablet, a laptop, or a desktop computer.