What is Class Attendance Roll Type Setting ?
Class Attendance Roll Type Settings allow administrators to configure automated attendance tracking for scheduled classes, lessons, and group meetings. These settings enable automatic roll creation, student marking, and attendance record generation based on class schedules and student check-ins.
Class
🧭 Navigate
Admin Console → Attendance Supervise → Rolls
https://app.orah.com/staff/school-management/manage-roll/roll-types
🛂 Get Access to Class Attendance Roll Type Settings
You will be able to see this settings page if you have Roll Settings permission
Ask your admin to assign Roll Settings access under additional permissions to individual staff (or in bulk using Roles)
Requires `scheduled_rolls` feature flag to be enabled
(if you are unable to see the setting, reach out to us, we will add the feature)
Settings Under Class Attendance Roll Type
The Class Attendance Roll Type configuration is organized into 5 main sections :
Automation [BETA - QR scan via Checkpoint App]
☝🏽 Note - A default roll type will be created for the school to get started.
Section 1: Roll Code
Configure the attendance codes/states available when taking class attendance roll call.
Default Roll Codes
Unmarked (White) - Default state, student not yet marked
Present (Green) - Student is present
Tardy Excused (Yellow) - TE - Student late with excuse
Tardy Unexcused (Red) - TU - Student late without excuse
Absent Excused (Orange) - AE- Student absent with excuse (locked state)
Absent Unexcused (Red) - AU- Student absent without excuse
On Absence (Excused) (Black) - Student on approved leave (non-interactive)*
☝🏽 Note* - "On Absence (Excused)" is automatically added and is non-interactive - it appears when students have active approved leaves
When you create a new class attendance roll type, the default roll codes would be - Unmarked, Expl. Absent, Absent, Late, Present
New Code Configuration
Code Name - Display name for the code
Code ID - Alphanumeric identifier
Is Default - Whether the roll code would be the default state
Code Type - Select form any four of them
Present - Student is present and accounted for
Late - Student is accounted for but was late
Explained Absence - Student is not present but accounted for
Absent - Student is not present and unaccounted for
Default Reasons - Optional association with reason codes (read reasons)
Select Color - Visual color coding of the roll code
Symbol/Icon - Icon representation of the roll code
Lock Code - If enabled only staff with access to roll settings can use this code. For example, Teachers may only be able to assign the basic roll codes such as present, absent, late whereas Attendance Managers may edit the records later and assign more detailed roll codes such as medical leave, explained absence, etc. Roll Code names are customisable so you can use the terminology that works for your school.
Schools can map roll codes with the SIS equivalents for Blackbaud or Veracross. This link will take you to the Roll Type Sync Integration setting.
https://app.orah.com/staff/integration-apps/data/connected/settings/sync/roll?auto-scroll-roll-mapping=5523
Linking Class Attendance roll types with your school timetable
Note: Class Attendance roll types need to be linked within the integration settings before they are used on the My Schedule page.
See this article for more information on how to sync class attendance records with Blackbaud SIS.
Section 2: Rules
Configure rules for how passes interact with class attendance rolls.
End Pass During Roll
Option - Allow staff to end or disconnect passes during the roll
Staff can end student passes while the roll is active
Provides flexibility for managing student movements
Recommended for most schools
Option - Passes cannot be ended or disconnected during the roll
Passes remain active throughout the roll
Prevents changes to student status during attendance tracking
Use when you want to lock student status during class
☝🏽 Note - Students' attendance codes cannot be changed while they are on a pass, regardless of this setting.
Section 3: Default Options
Configure default behaviors and notifications for class attendance rolls.
Set default roll location
Toggle ON automatically checks students into locations when marked present/late
Use the group meeting locations
Automatically check students into their group's assigned location
Option to set up a backup location in case class donot have a location
Ensures students are checked into the correct classroom
Use a fixed location
Select a specific location for all check-ins
Use when all classes use the same location
Section 4: Automation
Configure automated attendance marking and roll scheduling.
Enable Automated Attendance (BETA)
Automated attendance lets students check in via the Kiosk Checkpoint App or NFC checkpoints, and they’ll be marked present automatically. This helps save teachers time, reduce errors, and ensure attendance records are updated in real time.
If you want to test this beta feature, please let us know we will enable it for you.
When a class roll starts, you can let Orah automatically choose the right roll code based on when students check in. Example
If students check-in within ___05___ mins of the roll starting, code them as ____Present____. Code them as____LATE____if they check in after that point.
If a student checks in within 5 minutes after the roll starts, they will be marked as “Present.”
If a student checks in more than 5 minutes after the roll starts, they will be marked as “Late.”
Schools can adjust the number of minutes and which roll codes are used according to their preference.
Filters: Classes for Auto Attendance (Plain English)
Schools can control where auto attendance runs in two main ways:
Enable for group meeting type - Turn on auto attendance by class type (group meeting type)
Choose which types of classes should use automated attendance.
For example, if you only select “Academics”, then auto attendance will only run for academic classes, not for other types like activities or tutorials.
Enable for locations - Turn on auto attendance by location
Choose which locations should use automated attendance.
You can turn it on for all locations, or only for specific places such as Multiple classrooms, dorms, other teaching or meeting spaces
This lets schools limit auto attendance to the parts of the timetable and campus where it makes the most sense.
Automatically start and end the roll
Automatically start the roll (e.g. 5 mins before start)
The roll will start on its own a set number of minutes before the class start time. Example: If class starts at 9:00 and you set this to 5 minutes, the roll will open at 8:55 without staff doing anything.
Automatically end the roll (e.g. 10 mins before end)
The roll will close on its own a set number of minutes before the class end time. Example: If class ends at 9:50 and you set this to 10 minutes, the roll will automatically close at 9:40.
Automatically code students who haven’t checked in as ____xxxx____
When the roll auto‑ends, any student who never checked in will automatically be given the roll code you choose here (for example, Absent).
☝🏽Note - 5 minute rule for automatic end time - The automatic end time cannot be within 5 minutes of the scheduled start time. If you try to set an end time closer than that, the system will instead end the roll 5 minutes after the class starts.
Automatic check‑in to the roll location
When this option is turned on, students are automatically checked into the roll’s location (e.g. the classroom) as soon as staff mark them Present or Late on the roll. Staff don’t need to do a separate location check‑in.
☝🏽Note - If a roll call is taken after the class has already finished, students will not be checked into the location automatically, even if marked as Present or Late.
Auto Mark from Previous Roll Code
For each student, Orah looks at their last roll for that same day.
When a new roll starts, the student will start with the same code they had on that previous roll (for example, Present or Late), instead of starting as Unmarked.
This only happens if the roll type is the same (which is usually the case) as the previous roll, if it’s a different roll type, this auto‑copy doesn’t apply.
Section 5: Alerts
Student Roll State Alerts
Send students alerts based on their roll code type when the roll is completed
When you finish a roll, Orah can automatically send messages to students depending on how they were marked.
For each roll code (e.g. Absent, Explained Absence, Present, Late), you can choose whether to send them a Push or Email and write a custom message that will go only to students with that code.
The alert is sent immediately after roll marking.
Send staff reminders for incomplete roll checks
This setting automatically reminds staff if they haven’t finished a roll on time.
Send staff reminders for incomplete roll checks
“Send reminder if the assigned staff member has not completed the roll ___xxx___ mins after the scheduled [start/end] time. Send reminder to ___xxx___staff.
Choose whether the reminder is based on the scheduled start time or scheduled end time.
Set how many minutes after that time reminder should be sent (e.g. 30 mins).
Select who should receive the reminder, such as Course Staff or another staff group.
Type the reminder message you want staff to see.
Choose whether it is sent by Email, Push notification, or both.
Best Practices
Automation Configuration
- Start Simple: Begin with manual rolls, add automation gradually
- Group Type Selection: Be specific about which group types use automation
- Timing: Set appropriate minutes before start/end (typically 5 minutes)
Roll Codes
- Keep It Simple: Use clear, standard codes (Present, Absent, Late)
- Reason Codes: Associate reason codes for better tracking
- Locked States: Use locked states for codes that shouldn't be manually changed
Rules
- Pass Management: Allow ending passes for flexibility
- Consistency: Apply same rules across all class attendance roll types
Alerts
- Selective Alerts: Don't enable all alerts - choose what's useful
- Clear Messages: Use specific, actionable alert text
- Test Alerts: Verify alerts work before going live
Ongoing Management
- Regular Review Review settings quarterly
- Test Automation: Verify auto start/end works correctly
- Update Codes: Add/modify codes as needed
- Refine Alerts: Adjust notifications based on feedback
- Monitor Performance: Check that automation is working as expected
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Auto Start Not Working- Check Settings: Verify "Auto Start Roll" is enabled
- Group Types: Ensure correct group types are selected
- Schedule: Verify classes have proper schedules
- Timing: Check "Minutes Before Start" setting
- Feature Flag: Ensure `scheduled_rolls` feature is enabled
Auto End Not Working- Check Settings: Verify "Auto End Roll" is enabled
- Timing: Check "Minutes Before End" setting
- Roll Status: Ensure roll is in "Active" status
- Schedule: Verify class end times are correct
Students Not Auto-Marked- Location Check-In: Verify "Auto Mark from Location Check-In" is enabled
- Check-In Location: Ensure students are checking into correct location
- Timing: Check "On-Time Duration" setting
- Previous Roll: Verify "Auto Mark from Previous Roll Code" if using
Alerts Not Sending- Check Alert Settings: Verify alerts are enabled
- Notification Preferences: Check staff/student notification preferences
- Test Alerts: Use test functionality to verify setup
- Review Logs: Check system logs for delivery issues
Roll Codes Not Appearing- Check Code Configuration: Verify codes are set to interactive
- Reason Codes: Ensure associated reason codes exist
- Refresh Interface: Refresh the roll interface
- Permissions: Verify you have access to all codes
Class Attendance Roll Type Settings provide powerful automation for tracking student attendance in scheduled classes, reducing manual work while ensuring accurate attendance records.
For additional support or advanced configuration needs, contact your system administrator or Orah support team.