App for tracking students' progress?

[Chris_]

I asked my son's sensei for a progress report and she had lots of paper-based forms and documents, but couldn't provide anything upfront so we got talking about software/apps.
Would anyone know of any good web apps I can suggest helping her manage students' progress, perhaps something to create reports, track attendance, and student's details etc?
Maybe something where she could add goals (grades) where students could work towards and be marked off?

Thanks for reading.
Chris.

 

[Steve]

I asked my son's sensei for a progress report and she had lots of paper-based forms and documents, but couldn't provide anything upfront so we got talking about software/apps.
Would anyone know of any good web apps I can suggest helping her manage students' progress, perhaps something to create reports, track attendance, and student's details etc?
Maybe something where she could add goals (grades) where students could work towards and be marked off?

Thanks for reading.
Chris.

Not sure how well this would work, but there are a lot of course management systems out there. The framework you're outlining above is analogous to other training curricula. Might be something MA specific, but it could be worth looking into some of the free CMS that are out there.

Be aware that a CMS (course management system) is not the same thing as a Content management System (also CMS). Content management systems are great if you are running a production studio or something like that and have a gazillion assets you're trying to organize and find on short notice, such as video and audio clips, images, etc.

Also, there is a difference (though sometimes blurred) between a CMS and an LMS. LMS is usually a heftier tool, which may be more than you need, and these days are tied up in even larger systems that dig into succession planning, performance management, and talent management, in addition to simply handling training curricula and course attendance.

 

[MadMartigan]

I asked my son's sensei for a progress report and she had lots of paper-based forms and documents, but couldn't provide anything upfront so we got talking about software/apps.
Would anyone know of any good web apps I can suggest helping her manage students' progress, perhaps something to create reports, track attendance, and student's details etc?
Maybe something where she could add goals (grades) where students could work towards and be marked off?

There is a new system that some schools have started using to track where a student is within the curriculum.

When a student reaches a predetermined level of competence with a certain amount of the curriculum, they get awarded a colored piece of cloth that is then worn around their waist during subsequent classes (kinda like a merit badge). This cloth (you could call it a belt if you want, even though it doesn't hold your pants up) acts as an outwardly visible indication to the instructor of what material the student has already learned.. and what their current curriculum and skill expectations are.

All joking aside, I've not heard of any martial arts curriculum tracking app. My 1st instinct is that's the case for a reason. Likely because very few schools would have any use for one. Unless the classes are extremely large, (which I don't think they should be... but that's a different discussion) the teacher knows their curriculum and what each student needs to work on. Many schools that use belts also include progress stripes (in their kids programs anyway) that show this progression.

These are not really things that translate well to a 'report card'. I can think of many things an instructor could be using their time on with far more value.

If a parent asked me for a progress report, I would have a conversation with them about how their kid is doing. If they were insisting on being given something in writing; we would have to have a polite but frank conversation about the reasonableness of their expectations.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Not sure how well this would work, but there are a lot of course management systems out there. The framework you're outlining above is analogous to other training curricula. Might be something MA specific, but it could be worth looking into some of the free CMS that are out there.

Be aware that a CMS (course management system) is not the same thing as a Content management System (also CMS). Content management systems are great if you are running a production studio or something like that and have a gazillion assets you're trying to organize and find on short notice, such as video and audio clips, images, etc.

Also, there is a difference (though sometimes blurred) between a CMS and an LMS. LMS is usually a heftier tool, which may be more than you need, and these days are tied up in even larger systems that dig into succession planning, performance management, and talent management, in addition to simply handling training curricula and course attendance.

I’d never heard of a course management system. Thanks - something née to look into!

 

[WaterGal]

There are a bunch of SaaS CRM programs that are designed to help manage a martial arts studio. These programs will have a student database, let you take attendance, track promotions, send out newsletters, sell products from your pro shop, and auto-bill your students. These programs include Spark, Mindbody, Zenplanner, Kicksite, and MyStudio.

I'm still not 100% sure what data you were looking to have included in your progress report, though. Presumably, your child's belt rank indicates where they've progressed to in your school's curriculum.