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The onsite check-in system allows program staff to efficiently register student arrivals, verify payment and form completion, and track attendance throughout the program. Multiple check-in methods are available to handle different volumes and scenarios.

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Check-In Overview

The check-in module tracks several important records for each student:
  • Attendance: Whether the student has checked in to the program
  • Payment: Whether the student has paid their program fees
  • Medical Form: Whether required medical information has been submitted
  • Liability Form: Whether required liability waiver has been signed
All check-in functions are available at /onsite/[program]/[instance]/ for authorized onsite staff.

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Check-In Methods

1

Rapid Check-In

The fastest method for basic attendance tracking:Access: /onsite/[program]/[instance]/rapidcheckinProcess:
  • Student provides name or user ID
  • Staff searches for the student
  • System marks student as attended
  • Displays confirmation message
  • Ready for next student immediately
Best for:
  • High-volume check-in at program start
  • Simple attendance tracking only
  • When payment is handled separately
Features:
  • AJAX-enabled for fast, page-free updates
  • Shows real-time statistics (grades, start times)
  • Only checks in valid students (not teachers or admins)
  • Prevents duplicate check-ins
2

Barcode Check-In (Batch)

Efficient for processing multiple students at once:Access: /onsite/[program]/[instance]/barcodecheckinSetup:
  • Students have barcodes with their user IDs
  • Can be printed on registration confirmations
  • Barcode scanner or manual ID entry
Process:
  • Scan or enter multiple student IDs (space-separated)
  • Select which records to create:
    • Attended
    • Paid
    • Medical form
    • Liability form
  • Submit to process all students at once
Results Display:
  • New check-ins: Students successfully processed
  • Existing: Students already checked in
  • Not found: Invalid user IDs
  • Not student: IDs belonging to non-students
  • Separate counts for payment, medical, and liability
Best for:
  • Pre-registered students with printed barcodes
  • Batch processing at off-peak times
  • Stations dedicated to specific tasks (e.g., payment verification)
3

AJAX Barcode Check-In (Single)

Real-time single-student processing with immediate feedback:Access: /onsite/[program]/[instance]/ajaxbarcodecheckin (API endpoint)POST Parameters:
code: [student user ID]
attended: true/false
paid: true/false
med: true/false
liab: true/false
Response:
  • JSON with success/error message
  • Immediate confirmation
  • No page reload required
Best for:
  • Custom check-in interfaces
  • Integrated barcode scanning systems
  • Mobile check-in apps
4

Full Check-In Interface

Comprehensive check-in with complete student information:Access: /onsite/[program]/[instance]/checkinProcess:
  1. Search for student by name, email, or ID
  2. View student details and current status
  3. Toggle checkboxes for:
    • Attended
    • Paid
    • Medical form submitted
    • Liability form submitted
  4. Special actions:
    • Undo last check-in
    • Undo last check-out
  5. Submit to update all records
Information Displayed:
  • Student name and contact info
  • Registration status
  • Payment balance
  • Check-in history and timestamps
  • Classes enrolled
Best for:
  • Handling complex situations
  • Resolving payment issues
  • Students with questions
  • Making corrections to records

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Check-In and Check-Out Tracking

The system maintains detailed attendance records:

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Check-In Records

  • First check-in: Creates “attended” record with timestamp
  • Multiple check-ins: Each creates a new attended record
  • Check-in time: Retrievable via timeCheckedIn() or lastCheckedIn()
  • Currently checked in: Based on most recent attended/checked_out record

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Check-Out Process

  • Students can check out when leaving
  • Creates “checked_out” record with timestamp
  • Allows tracking of on-campus presence
  • Can check back in when returning
  • Forms pairs of check-in/check-out records

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Attendance History

  • View all check-in/check-out pairs via checkinPairs()
  • Each pair shows:
    • Check-in time
    • Check-out time (if checked out)
  • Useful for tracking program attendance patterns
  • Helps with safety and accountability

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Status Monitoring

The check-in status view provides real-time statistics: Access: /onsite/[program]/[instance]/ajax_status Available Snippets:
  • Grades: Breakdown of checked-in students by grade level
  • Times: Distribution by first class start time
  • Students: Full list of checked-in students
Query Parameters: 
?snippets=grades,times,students
Use Cases:
  • Monitor check-in progress
  • Identify bottlenecks
  • Ensure balanced distribution
  • Track against expected attendance

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Payment Verification

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Recording Payments

When marking a student as paid:
  • Sets accounting records to “paid in full”
  • Updates via IndividualAccountingController
  • Applied to outstanding balances
  • Cannot be undone from check-in interface (use admin panel)

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Payment Status Checks

  • hasPaid(): Returns true if student has paid in full
  • Considers financial aid grants
  • Includes all line items (admission, meals, etc.)
  • Reflects real-time accounting state

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Handling Partial Payments

For students with partial payments:
  • Use full check-in interface to see balance
  • Verify remaining amount owed
  • Accept additional payment
  • Mark paid only when balance is zero

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Form Verification

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Medical Forms

  • Records: “med” event type
  • May be submitted via Formstack integration
  • Can be verified at check-in
  • Required for programs with medical needs

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Liability Forms

  • Records: “liab” event type
  • Legal waiver acknowledgment
  • Often required for all participants
  • May be digital or paper-based

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Creating Records

The create_record(event) method:
  • Checks for existing records
  • Creates new record if needed
  • Returns whether record was newly created
  • Prevents duplicates for most record types
  • Special handling for “attended” (allows multiples)

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Deleting Records

The delete_record(event) method:
  • For “attended”: Creates check-out record instead
  • For “paid”: Marks as unpaid via accounting controller
  • For other events: Deletes the record
  • Use with caution - only for corrections

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Student Validation

The system validates that check-in subjects are students:
  • Checks user.isStudent() returns true
  • Excludes teachers, even if they have student accounts
  • Prevents checking in administrators
  • Reports non-students separately in results

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Best Practices

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Setup

  • Train staff on all check-in methods before program day
  • Test barcode scanners and equipment in advance
  • Print student barcodes on registration confirmations
  • Set up multiple check-in stations for large programs
  • Assign specific stations for specific tasks (attendance, payment)

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During Check-In

  • Use rapid check-in for simple attendance at peak times
  • Switch to full interface for students with questions
  • Batch process pre-paid students with barcode check-in
  • Monitor real-time statistics to track progress
  • Have admin access available for exception handling

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Troubleshooting

  • Student not found: Verify they registered and confirm their ID
  • Already checked in: Use full interface to view history
  • Payment discrepancy: Check admin accounting panel for details
  • Wrong record created: Use undo functions or delete via full interface

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Data Quality

  • Verify payment records match cash/checks received
  • Confirm form submission records are accurate
  • Use check-out feature to track students leaving early
  • Review check-in statistics after program for analysis

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Security Considerations

  • Check-in requires needs_onsite permission
  • Only authorized staff can access check-in functions
  • Payment records affect financial data - use carefully
  • Form records may have legal implications
  • All actions are logged with timestamps and user info

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Integration with Other Systems

Check-in data is used by:
  • Email targeting: Send messages to checked-in students
  • Class attendance: Link to per-class attendance tracking
  • Analytics: Program attendance patterns and statistics
  • Financial reports: Reconcile payments with accounting
  • Safety: Know who is on-campus at any time

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