ClassReach Terminology Guide

 Admissions & Enrollment

Admissions

The overall process of bringing a prospective student into the school, including the Application, review, decision, and enrollment steps.

Important distinction: Admissions is broader than the Application itself.

Application

The online process used to collect information from a prospective family and student. An Application can include Family, Guardian, and Student forms as configured by the school.

Important distinction: Submitting an Application means the family has completed it for the school to consider. Approving the Application enrolls the student in the Academic Year and Academic Level applied for.

Applicant

A User who is currently part of the application process.

Important distinction: Applicant is a status, not a separate type of person. The same User remains in ClassReach after the Application is approved.

Application Status

The current stage of an Application, such as In Progress, Pending Approval, Approved, Declined, or On Hold.

Important distinction: Application Status describes the Application process and is separate from the student’s enrollment status.

Application Approval

The action that approves a submitted Application. For a new student, approval enrolls the student in the Academic Year and Academic Level selected on the Application.

Important distinction: Approval also removes Applicant status from the applicable Users and Family.

Application Year

The Academic Year for which the student is applying.

Important distinction: The Application Year determines the year in which the student will be enrolled if the Application is approved.

Enrollment

A student’s enrollment in a specific Academic Year and Academic Level in ClassReach. This is also referred to as Academic Year Enrollment.

Important distinction: ClassReach also uses the word enrollment in other areas, including Section Enrollment, Financial Customer Enrollment, and Financial Account / Payment Plan Enrollment. These are separate processes.

Re-Enrollment

There is no formal Re-Enrollment process in ClassReach. Schools may use Forms to determine whether an existing student will return for a future Academic Year and to collect updated information.

Important distinction: Completing a Re-Enrollment form does not itself enroll the student in the next Academic Year. ClassReach normally advances eligible students automatically. Schools can use their own Re-Enrollment process to confirm advancement or retention and manually unenroll students who will not return.

Automatic Enrollment / Academic Level Advancement

ClassReach automatically creates the next Academic Year and advances eligible currently enrolled students to the next Academic Level.

Important distinction: Students added after annual advancement occurs may need to be manually enrolled in the next Academic Year.

Unenrollment

Removing a student’s enrollment from a particular Academic Year, provided the student is not enrolled in a Section within an Academic Term for that year.

Important distinction: ClassReach does not allow unenrollment from an Academic Year while the student is enrolled in a Section within an Academic Term for that year.

People & Families

User

An individual person in ClassReach. Users can include Students, Guardians, Teachers, Admins, Applicants, Guests, and others.

Important distinction: User is the preferred general term for an individual person in ClassReach.

Person

A term that may appear in the interface or be used conversationally to refer to an individual.

Important distinction: Person and User are not separate types of records. In most cases, User is the more precise ClassReach term.

Role

Defines how a User is associated with the school and what the User may do or access. Examples include Student, Guardian, Teacher, and Admin.

Important distinction: A single User can have more than one Role.

Student

A User with the Student role.

Important distinction: A Student going through Admissions can already have a Student role while also having Applicant status.

Guardian

A User connected to one or more Students through a Family relationship.

Important distinction: A Guardian may be associated with multiple Students and/or Families, and a Student may be connected to Guardians in more than one Family.

Family

A grouping that connects Students and Guardians and helps determine relationships and access to information.

Important distinction: A Family does not necessarily represent a single household. Students may belong to more than one Family.

Family Name

The name used to identify a Family in ClassReach. It is commonly a last name but can be customized.

Important distinction: Members of the Family do not need to share the Family Name or the same last name.

People Forms

Configurable forms that determine what information the school collects and displays for Users and Families.

Important distinction: These forms define data fields used in different areas of ClassReach.

Family Info Form

The school’s internal collection of information associated with a Family.

Important distinction: Family information can be linked to Family members to avoid redundant entry. Schools that do not use Families in ClassReach do not have the concept of Family.

User Info Form

The school’s internal collection of information associated with an individual User.

Important distinction: This is individual-level information rather than Family-level information.

Family Profile / User Profile

Information that a logged-in User may be allowed to view or update about themselves or their Family.

Important distinction: What appears on the Profile is determined by the school’s People Forms configuration and permissions.

Academic Structure

Academic Year

The school year in which a student is enrolled, such as 2026–2027.

Important distinction: A student’s enrollment is maintained by Academic Year.

Academic Level

The student’s grade or school-defined level, such as Kindergarten, 4th Grade, or another custom level.

Important distinction: Schools can customize Academic Levels. Their order is important because ClassReach uses it when automatically advancing students.

Academic Term

The typical duration of most Courses. An Academic Term is usually the full school year. A school may use semesters when most Courses are semester-long or to show separate Fall and Spring semesters on Transcripts.

Important distinction: An Academic Term can span the entire Academic Year. It is distinct from a Grading Unit, which divides an Academic Term into reporting periods.

Grading Unit

A subdivision of an Academic Term used for report-card periods, such as quarters, semesters, or trimesters.

Important distinction: Grading Units are reporting periods within an Academic Term; they do not define the typical duration of Courses.

Course

An academic offering or subject, such as Algebra I, Biology, or American History.

Important distinction: A Course is the overall academic offering. Students participate in specific Sections of a Course.

Section

A specific class taking a Course. A Section can have assigned teachers and students and is where grades, attendance, homework, lesson plans, and other class activities are managed.

Important distinction: A Section is what many schools may casually call a class. It is an instance of the Course itself.

Course Registration

The process used to place or register students into Courses or Sections. Schools can configure rules and may allow Students and/or Guardians to register themselves.

Important distinction: Course Registration is separate from Academic Year Enrollment. Section pages and Quick Enroll also use “enrollment” when placing a student in a Section.

Section Enrollment

Placing a student in a specific Course Section, such as through Quick Enroll, the Section page, or the student’s School tab.

Important distinction: The Section interface uses the terms “Enrolled Students” and “Awaiting Enrollment.” Section Enrollment is not the same as Academic Year Enrollment.

Department

A grouping used to organize Courses, such as English, History, or Foreign Languages.

Important distinction: Departments organize Courses rather than students and can have associated Department Heads.

Classroom

A physical room or location where a Section may meet. A Classroom can include a room number, name, and capacity.

Important distinction: A Classroom is not the same as a Section.

Roster

The list of Students associated with a Section.

Important distinction: Rosters are tied to a specific Section. Guardians may appear on the Section overview but are not included on Roster reports.

Classroom & Academic Records

Attendance Marking

A school-defined option teachers use when recording attendance, such as Present, Absent, or Tardy.

Important distinction: Schools configure the available Attendance Markings.

Conduct Item

A school-defined conduct category or item that can be recorded for students and optionally shown on progress reports.

Important distinction: Conduct Items and their available markings are configured by the school.

Agenda

A weekly, day-by-day view of planned class activity for a Section. It can include Agenda Items, Tasks, Homework, graded assignments, Handouts, and Lesson Plan content.

Important distinction: Agenda Items describe what will happen in class. Tasks are checkable items for Students and Guardians. Items may be added directly or through Lesson Plans.

Lesson Plans

Section-specific plans, generally organized by week, used to organize instructional content and daily Agenda Items and Tasks.

Important distinction: Lesson Plans can use a custom date range, can be shared with Students and Guardians or kept internal, and can be renamed by the school.

Gradebook

The area used to record and calculate student grades for a Section.

Important distinction: Gradebook behavior is based on the school’s Gradebook Settings.

Gradebook Settings

School-level configurations that determine how grading works within Sections.

Important distinction: These settings affect how teachers enter and calculate grades. Each Section must be assigned a Gradebook.

GPA Calculation

School-defined rules ClassReach uses to calculate student GPA.

Important distinction: GPA calculation is configurable and may differ by school.

Transcript

The student’s formal academic record generated from information stored in ClassReach.

Important distinction: Transcript results depend on Course history, grades, credits, and the school’s Transcript Settings.

Grade / Progress Report

Reports generated from student academic information to communicate performance for a particular period.

Important distinction: These are generally period-based reports and are different from the student’s cumulative Transcript.

Financials

Financial Customer

A Family at Family schools or a Student at non-Family schools responsible for financial activity in ClassReach, including charges, invoices, payments, and Financial Agreements. Teachers and Guests can also become Financial Customers through payments on Custom Forms.

Important distinction: Family schools enroll Families in Financials; non-Family schools enroll Students. Teachers and Guests may become Financial Customers through Custom Form payments but cannot be enrolled in Financials.

Financial Customer Enrollment

Enrolling a Family at a Family school or a Student at a non-Family school as a Customer in Financials for a particular Financial Year.

Important distinction: Financial Customer Enrollment is not the same as Academic Year Enrollment or Section Enrollment. Teachers and Guests who become Customers through a Custom Form payment cannot be enrolled in Financials.

Financial Account / Payment Plan Enrollment

Enrollment of a Financial Customer in a Financial Account and Payment Plan.

Important distinction: This is a separate use of “enrollment” from Financial Customer Enrollment, Academic Year Enrollment, and Section Enrollment.

Set Up AutoPay

Setting up automatic payments for a Financial Account.

Important distinction: ClassReach uses the term Set Up AutoPay for this action.

Customer

The Financial Customer displayed within the Financial module.

Important distinction: A Customer is usually a Family at a Family school or a Student at a non-Family school. Teachers and Guests may also become Customers after making a payment through a Custom Form without being enrolled in Financials.

Financial Year / School Year

The year selected within the Financial module for charges, payments, agreements, and other financial activity.

Important distinction: Users should confirm the correct year before entering financial transactions. Financial Accounts and Financial Agreement processes are unique to a Financial / School Year.

Financial Agreement

A school-configured contract between the school and a Family or Student — the Financial Customer — associated with an Academic Term and used to establish payment obligations.

Important distinction: A Financial Agreement is often used for an entire school year but is technically tied to an Academic Term within the school year. Publishing an Agreement automatically posts its charges to the register.

Invoice

A statement of charges and the amount a Financial Customer owes on a specific date.

Important distinction: Admins enter charges rather than directly “invoicing” Customers. A charge generates one or more Invoices when payments are due. Invoices can include one or more charges from different transactions.

Transaction Batch

A way for an Admin to apply a charge to multiple Financial Customers at one time. The amounts can differ by Customer.

Important distinction: Transaction Batches allow bulk charges with Customer-specific amounts rather than requiring identical charges or entering them one Customer at a time.

Check Payment

A physical-check payment recorded in the Financial module.

Important distinction: Schools can determine whether Families may report mailed checks themselves or whether checks must be entered by an Admin.

Financial Account

An account used to organize financial charges and payments for a Financial Customer.

Important distinction: Financial Accounts are created within the school’s financial setup and are tied to the applicable Financial Year.

Publishing a Financial Agreement

Publishing a Financial Agreement automatically posts the Agreement’s charges to the register.

Important distinction: Publishing is also used in Forms, but the two uses are separate.

Forms & Configuration

Form

A configurable collection of fields used to gather information in ClassReach. The two distinct types are People Forms, found in Settings, and Custom Forms, found in the Forms feature.

Important distinction: Forms can be used for different purposes, including Applications, User information, Family information, and other school processes.

Application Form

A Form used as part of the school’s online Application process.

Important distinction: Application Forms can collect information at the Family, Guardian, and Student level.

Settings

The administrative area where most school-level ClassReach configuration is maintained.

Important distinction: Settings are divided into major areas including School, People, Course, and Classroom Settings.

School Settings

Configuration for high-level school information and structure, including Academic Levels, Academic Terms, Grading Units, and other school-wide options.

Important distinction: These settings generally affect the school as a whole.

People Settings

Configuration related to Users, Families, Applications, and the information a school collects about people.

Important distinction: Admissions and Application settings are located within People Settings.

Course Settings

Configuration related to Courses, Course Registration, Departments, and Course organization.

Important distinction: These settings focus on the academic offerings themselves.

Classroom Settings

Configuration that controls how Sections function, including attendance, conduct, grading, GPA, classrooms, and transcripts.

Important distinction: Despite the name, Classroom Settings cover much more than physical Classrooms.

Publishing in Forms

The term Publishing is also used within the Forms feature.

Important distinction: Publishing in Forms is separate from publishing a Financial Agreement. Publishing a Financial Agreement posts its charges to the register.

Common ClassReach Distinctions

Application vs. Enrollment

An Application is part of Admissions. Submitting it sends the completed Application for school approval; approving it enrolls the student in the selected Academic Year and Academic Level.

Re-Enrollment vs. Enrollment

A Re-Enrollment form can collect a family’s intent or updated information, but completing it does not itself enroll the student in the next Academic Year.

Enrollment vs. Course Registration

Academic Year Enrollment places a student in the school for a year and Academic Level. Course Registration places a student into Courses or Sections. ClassReach also uses “enrollment” for Section placement in Quick Enroll and on Section pages.

Types of Enrollment in ClassReach

Academic Year Enrollment, Section Enrollment, Financial Customer Enrollment, and Financial Account / Payment Plan Enrollment are distinct uses of the term “enrollment” in ClassReach.

Course vs. Section

A Course is the academic offering. A Section is a specific class taking that Course.

Section vs. Classroom

A Section is the group or class. A Classroom is the physical location where it may meet.

Family vs. Financial Customer

A Family organizes relationships between Users. A Financial Customer identifies who is responsible for financial activity.

User vs. Applicant

Applicant is a status a User can have while going through Admissions; it is not a separate type of User.