Form Elements Guide

Enrollment Express Guide

Form Elements

Learn what each form element does, when to use it, and which settings help create cleaner, easier-to-complete forms.

Best for:
Form builders, enrollment administrators, and school staff creating or editing Enrollment Express forms.

Quick Guide: Which Element Should I Use?

✏️

Short answer

Use Single Line Text.

☑️

One or more options

Use Checkboxes or Multi-Choice Dropdown.

📋

One option only

Use Multiple Choice or Dropdown.

🧩

Repeated rows

Use Collection Table or Enhanced Collection Table.

Form Elements

Single Line Text

This element allows users to enter a short text response. It can accept general text or require specific formats, such as numbers, dates, or text masks.

Common settings

• Placeholder: Shows example text before the user types. It is not saved if the user leaves the field blank.
• Predefined Value: Shows a default value that will be saved if the user does not change it.
• Field Size: Controls the visible width of the field, not the total character limit.
• Auto-Complete Data Sets: Lets users pick from a predefined list. You can also restrict responses to the list.
• Custom Data Validation: Allows text, number, or date rules.

Tip: Use placeholders for examples like mm-dd-yyyy or (###) ###-####. Use predefined values only when most users should submit the same value.

Multiple Choice

Use Multiple Choice when the user must select exactly one answer from a list. These appear as radio buttons.

Helpful settings

• Allow Text Entry Other: Adds an “Other” option with a text box.
• Choices: Defines the radio button options.
• Import Choices: Lets you paste a long list of choices, one per line.
• Layout: Choose one column, two columns, three columns, or side-by-side.

Pipe value reminder: Use Display Text|Stored Value when the saved database value should differ from what users see.

Checkboxes

Use Checkboxes when users can select one or more answers from a predefined list.

• Each choice can be connected to a PowerSchool field.
• Checked choices write a value to the field.
• Unchecked choices write a blank value.
• Checkbox layout can be one column, two columns, three columns, or side-by-side.

Important: When using Checkboxes to pass data to Boolean SIS fields, pipe 1 to the response.

Paragraph Text

Use Paragraph Text when users need to enter longer responses across multiple lines.

• Placeholder: Shows sample text or instructions.
• Predefined Value: Saves a default response if unchanged.
• Field Size: Controls visible width, not total characters allowed.

Dropdown

Use Dropdown when users should select only one answer from a list, but you want the form to look more compact than radio buttons.

• Allow Text Entry Other: Adds an “Other” option with a text box.
• Placeholder: Shows instructions like “Please select an option.”
• Choices: Defines the available dropdown options.
• Layout: Sets the dropdown width to small, medium, or large.

Multi-Choice Dropdown

Use Multi-Choice Dropdown when users can select multiple answers, but you want the list to stay compact.

Use case: This is helpful when users may select several predefined values. It cannot be linked directly to a PowerSchool field.

Choices can use pipe-separated values, such as Yes|1, where the user sees “Yes” and the stored value is “1”.

Section Break

Use Section Breaks to divide a form into clear, readable sections. They do not collect user input.

If no title or description is entered, the element appears as a horizontal line.

Text Block

Use Text Blocks to display read-only instructions, reminders, links, images, tables, or personalized SIS data.

• Text Blocks use a WYSIWYG editor for formatting.
• PowerSchool fields can be referenced using double curly braces, such as {{field_name}}.
• Only one field should be placed inside each set of curly braces.

Important: When adding links, set the target to New Window so users do not lose progress on the form.

Side-by-Side Container

The Side-by-Side Container helps organize form elements into a grid. It has three columns and can contain unlimited rows.

• Users can tab across the page instead of only moving downward.
• The container itself cannot be required or mapped to a SIS field.
• It can be used with workflow mapping.
• You cannot place another Side-by-Side Container or Collection Table inside it.

Drag tip: Grab elements near the center when dragging them into the container. This helps prevent the element from missing the container.

Collection Table

Collection Tables are used for data where a student or user may have multiple entries, such as allergies, medications, household members, or community service hours.

• One-to-Many Table Extension: Selects the extension that stores the data.
• Table Name: Selects the table within the extension.
• Filter by Response: Associates rows with a specific form response.

Enhanced Collection Table

Enhanced Collection Tables allow users to add unlimited sub-records connected to a student or staff record.

Examples

• Medications
• Household members
• Allergies
• Community service hours

Allowed elements inside an Enhanced Collection Table

• Single Line Text
• Paragraph Text
• Text Block
• Multiple Choice
• Dropdown

Do not duplicate: Enhanced Collection Tables should not be duplicated using the element duplicate button. This can break both tables after saving.

PIN/Password

The PIN/Password element protects form submission. Only users who know the PIN or password can submit the form.

• PIN Type: Choose a generic password or use a student field as the password.
• Generic Password: The password used when no student field is selected.

Good use case: Use this when the form is completed by users who are otherwise difficult to identify in SIS.

Hidden Text

Hidden Text is used to submit or calculate data without showing the field to the end user.

• Forced Value: Stores a fixed value.
• Dynamic Forced Values: Use formulas to reference dates, times, random numbers, sums, or other element responses.
• PowerSchool Field Mapping: Hidden Text can set a PowerSchool field value when the form is submitted or accepted.

Common dynamic values

{{today}}
{{date}}
{{time}}
{{date | date:'shortDate'}}
{{sum([12345, 678910])}}
{{random.number()}}
{{mirror(12345)}}

Best Practices

Final Reminder

Great forms are clear, simple, and easy to complete. Choose each element based on the type of response you need from the user.