Forefront allows districts to display a student's preferred name, legal name, or both throughout the platform. For example, a student whose legal name is Ada Lovelace may prefer to be called Addie.

Districts can choose how student names are displayed by default, and individual users can customize how names appear in their own accounts.

For districts that roster through Clever, preferred names are automatically enabled. Forefront displays the preferred name provided by Clever by default.

If your district would prefer to display legal names or both legal and preferred names, contact [email protected] to update your district settings.

For districts that do not roster through Clever, our support team can help configure preferred names. Contact [email protected] for assistance with:

Until your district's default setting is updated, Forefront will continue to display legal names, even when preferred names are available in student records.

Forefront offers three options for displaying student names:

The default setting is Legal Name, except for districts using Clever, where Preferred Name is the default.

If a student does not have a preferred name on file, Forefront will display their legal name. If the preferred name matches the student's legal first name, Forefront will display the name only once.

Screenshot of a gradebook displaying both legal and preferred names.

Your selected display setting applies throughout Forefront, including:

Student lists are also sorted according to the displayed name. For example, when Preferred Name is selected, Addie Lovelace will be sorted as "Lovelace, Addie."

Individual users can choose how student names appear in their own Forefront accounts, regardless of the district's default setting.

To update your preference:

To return to your district's default, select Use District Setting.

Note: Changes to your personal display preference only affect your account. They do not change how student names appear for other users.

Screenshot of the Student Names setting.

Preferred student names can be added to Forefront in three ways:

1. Roster files (SFTP or manual upload)

Districts that use SFTP or manually upload roster files can include a preferred name column, such as STUDENT_PREFERRED_NAME.

Our support team can help confirm that your roster file is configured correctly.

See Roster File Contents for additional information.

2. Clever

For districts using Clever, preferred names are automatically imported from the student information system through Clever.

Names are updated during each roster sync. Any changes to preferred names should be made directly in your student information system to ensure they are maintained in Forefront.

3. Manual entry

District administrators can manually enter preferred names in Forefront.

To add or update a preferred name, navigate to District Management > Students, open the student's record, and update the Preferred Name field.

This option is particularly helpful for districts whose roster files do not include preferred names.

See Students Management for additional guidance.

Screenshot of a student record showing the Preferred Name field.

When creating or customizing student handouts, Forefront allows you to include preferred names in personalized documents and family communications.

The Full Name and First Name fields follow your district's selected display setting. For example, a family letter beginning with "Dear Addie" will use the student's displayed name according to the district's preference.

The Preferred Name field always uses the preferred name recorded in the student's profile, regardless of the district's display setting.

This can be helpful when creating personalized student materials, such as name tags or other documents addressed directly to students.

If a student does not have a preferred name on file, the Preferred Name field will use their legal first name instead.

We removed a student's preferred name in our student information system, but Forefront still displays it. Why?

For districts using roster files, a blank preferred name field does not automatically remove an existing preferred name in Forefront.

To remove a preferred name, navigate to the student's record in District Management > Students and clear the Preferred Name field.

For districts using Clever, the preferred name will be updated or removed during the next roster sync.

Why does a student show only their legal name when our district has selected Both?

If a student does not have a preferred name on file, or their preferred name matches their legal first name, Forefront will display only their legal name.

Can teachers view preferred names if our district is configured to display legal names?

Yes. Individual users can select Preferred Name or Both in their personal Settings, without changing the district's default setting.

Submit a support request or email our team at [email protected].