Early warning capability and MTSS support. The core counseling role is identifying and supporting students before they fall behind. An SIS that surfaces at‑risk students proactively - with clear signals about what's happening - is fundamentally more useful than one that just tracks completed events. Ask specifically to see the early warning dashboards during evaluation.

The SIS should let counselors record what interventions were tried, when, for how long, and with what outcome. Tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions should be trackable at the student level. Intervention effectiveness should be measurable over time. Data from multiple sources (attendance, grades, behavior, assessments) should be visible in one place. Not every SIS handles MTSS well - it's worth digging in during evaluation.

Master schedule building, individual student schedule management, mid‑year course changes, credit recovery pathway support, and dual enrollment or advanced coursework flexibility. Counselors often own the master schedule at smaller schools; at larger schools they manage exceptions and individual student cases. Both need to work smoothly.

Official transcript generation in formats colleges accept. Support for common transcript request platforms (Parchment, Naviance, etc.). GPA calculation matching your district's specific rules. Weighted GPA support. Class rank calculation if used. Historical grading format preservation when policies change. Letters of recommendation workflow support is a plus, though not always built into the SIS.

Counselors need to know which students have accommodations so they can support them. The SIS should indicate 504 or IEP status without exposing the underlying documentation to users who don't have a legitimate need. Some districts integrate specialized IEP management platforms with the SIS; others handle everything within the SIS. Ask specifically about the workflow your district uses.

The SIS should provide always-current family contact information and a log of official communications. Some SIS platforms also handle messaging directly (email, text). Others integrate with communication-specific platforms. Both approaches can work. The important thing is that the counselor's calls, emails, and meeting notes are documented in one place tied to the student's record.

Alma's dashboards surface students who need attention proactively. Intervention tracking is designed to fit real MTSS workflows. Scheduling supports flexible pathways including credit recovery and dual enrollment. Transcripts and college prep documents match district-specific requirements. Ask counselors at reference districts what changed in their daily workflow after switching.