|
This page contains a listing of often asked questions about the IMS system. If you have a question that is not listed here, email me, and I will respond as soon as I am able! Feel free to check this page often for updates on this information. -Dan Vomastek, Assessment Coordinator
The full, official manual for your gradebook software is now available on-line. Feel free to use it as you need it. If you intend to print it, be warned that it is a large file *.pdf format (*requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) or *.doc format (*requires Microsoft Word), and it will take a significant amount of time to print. You will need Adobe Acrobat to read this file.
If I make a mistake in my gradebook, can I use the BACKUPS button in the open/close dialog box to go back to an earlier copy of my gradebook?
The BACKUPS button on the open/close dialog box is intended for system use, and you should use it only under the direction of the technical support staff. The gradebook copies located here are temporary in nature, and can be overwritten at any time. As a result, if you need to access a backup of your gradebook, please contact the Assessment Office first.
If I have several students doing independent work in one class, how will I enter individualized assignments for next year on the grading program?
There are two ways this can be done...you can either combine the assignments so they show up for all students and then place an X in the grade column for assignments that don't apply to a specific student, or you can have your building office create a separate course and section number for those independent study students. At that point, the IMS system will create separate grade books.
Could special education teachers or at least department heads be treated like the principals to view student progress?
From a technology standpoint, yes they sure can. However, the appropriate building staff would have to discuss and then make a decision about which people should have this type of access on a case by case basis.
At least at the high schools, with the old SIS system we were able to access student schedules. Is this something that could be added to the new program?
The new program already has this feature - you can check the schedule by using the STUDENT SCHEDULE command in the PINNACLE menu, and that will give the schedule for any student.
Also, the running totals of absences and tardies is great, but is there a way to find out what a student's absences and tardy totals are in other classes like the SIS allows?
Because the attendance information is directly linked to the gradebooks, you cannot view attendance for classes other than your own.
On the bubble sheets it was possible to award an A+ to students who had done extra credit. With the IMS system I noticed that A is the highest grade given. I know that some of my students who have worked extra hard will be looking for that A+ on their report cards. Is there any way to have the system do this?
An A+ is an optional code that may be given under certain circumstances with teacher discretion. This is why the system doesn't automatically assign them. You can manually specify A+'s using the overwrite function - the program documentation has more information on how to do this.
Will we have to change our IMS passwords every 90 days along with our network passwords?
At present, the IMS does not require that you change your password on a regular basis. However, for the sake of system security, we are looking at adding that software feature. At present, you IMS password will be reset each summer as described in training. Even though the IMS does not yet force a timely password change, it is STRONGLY recommended that you change your IMS password once per quarter. You are responsible for keeping your password secure.
I understand that there is a Palm interface/version of the gradebook software. Can you give me more details as to the timeline for its release?(5/10/01)
We expect that the Palm interface will be available in the Fall. We will be providing it for those staff members who have Palm Pilots as soon as we get it.
The Palm version of the gradebook will allow you to take your grades wherever you go, resynchronizing them whenever you connect the Palm to your computer and press the synchronization button.
Why does the IMS automatically log me out after a short period of time? Our current attendance system stays active indefinitely.(5/10/01)
As a security measure, the IMS is designed to automatically save and log out after ten minutes of idle time. This security measure is intended to prevent unauthorized and/or inadvertent access to the system in the event that a computer is left logged on and unattended. It also helps ensure that no data entered into the gradebook is inadvertently lost.
We are spending way too much time waiting for IMS to update, compress, decompress, and put in our name and password several times a day.(5/10/01)
Be sure that you click “UPDATE ALL” when you receive attendance updates – this will help speed up the update process. I am expecting the update process to work a little smoother when the office is using the new attendance software. I will also contact the software programmers to see if we can accomplish the attendance updates in the background.
For security reasons, we have programmed the gradebooks to logout automatically after 10 minutes of non-use. While we recognize that this can be inconvenient at times, we believe it to be an important safeguard to protect your privacy, student privacy, and the integrity of the data.
When we get the absence in the wrong student's record or the kid arrives in class after we take attendance so we need to change it, how can we make the program accept our change? This is a common event, often several times a day for a given teacher.(5/10/01)
The best way to do this is to open the class where the correction needs to be made and click the Q/A button. To take away an absence on this screen, simply click the student with the absence and then press A on the keyboard. It functions like a toggle switch, and it will take away the absence. Click OK and you should be all set. You can also hit the A/G button to switch to attendance view and then delete the absences from there.
If I have several students doing independent work in one class, how will I enter individualized assignments for next year on the grading program?(5/10/01)
There are two way this can be done…you can either combine all the assignments so they show up for all students and then place an X in the grade column for assignments that don’t apply to a specific student, or you can have your building office create a separate course and section for those independent study students. At that point, the IMS system will create separate grade books for these independent classes.
Could special ed. teachers or at least our department head be treated like the counselors to view the students’ progress?Some of our students never make it to the guidance office. They are on the objective curriculum and are in some mainstream classes.(5/10/01)
From a technology standpoint, this is certainly possible. However, the appropriate building administrators and staff would have to discuss this and then make a decision about which people should have this type of access on a case-by-case basis. If a building wants to give special education teachers this access, we can accommodate.
Is there any particular reason special education teachers appear to be "an exception" rather than part of the scheduled training and implementation of the new system?(4/30/01)
Special education teachers are not an exception. Due to limited space, training for this Spring has been limited to those teachers in CHS, CMS, LCE, and AMB who are being asked to use the new software for the remainder of this school year. In the Fall, any special education teacher who wants to participate may do so. Note that if you are required during the course of your duties to take daily attendance, record marking period grades, and/or report quarterly assessments AND you teach at CHS, CMS, LCE, or AMB, you should already be scheduled for training this Spring. If you are not, please see your building principal.
Do secretaries and/or counselors need to know this new system?(4/30/01)
Secretaries and counselors will use the new software alongside of the existing K/RESA SIS software. For example, all attendance data will be entered and manipulated in the new software, but official reports for the state will continue to be generated in the SIS software. Report cards, transcripts, scheduling, and the like will continue to be done in SIS, but progress reports, eligibility, etc. will be handled with the new software. The data between the two systems will be synchronized at least once a day.
Training for office and counseling staff will be scheduled on a building-by-building basis once all of the teaching staff in an individual building are running the new software.
Will this new system change the way report cards are done?(4/30/01)
At this time, there are no plans to change the report cards or the process used to produce them, other than entering the final grades into the new IMS software instead of the SIS system. This year, that small change only occurs at CHS and CMS. K-5 staff will complete report cards as usual.
Will special education teachers be using the software? I’d like to be able to keep track of my records in the new system. (4/27/01)
Right now, only teachers that record marking period grades, take daily attendance, and/or record quarterly assessments are involved in training. If you don’t meet one of those criteria, we could still have you on the system this fall – just contact my office at that time, and we’ll set you up and provide you with the training you need.
Who is responsible for creating new teacher ID’s? (4/27/01)
The same person(s) that was (were) before. The only change made to the teacher ID process with the introduction of the IMS has been the format of the ID. In the past, teacher ID’s have been 4 characters long, and the actual 4-character code was determined at the building level. Due to technical requirements of the IMS, teacher ID’s must be 6 characters long, and unique district-wide. As a result, the following 6-character format has been adopted: teacher ID’s shall be generated by using the first and last initials of the teacher’s name followed by the last four digits of the teacher’s social security number (e.g. JS1234). Teachers who are reluctant to have part of their SSN# in their teacher ID have the option to select a different four digit combination that is not currently in use elsewhere in the district.
When a building enters a new teacher into the SIS system, the ID for that teacher should be created as outlined above. Existing teacher ID’s will be converted building by building as the IMS is rolled out over the course of the next school year.
Please note that these ID’s are distinct from the teacher network login ID’s.
Will substitute teachers be allowed to use the system to take attendance? (4/27/01)
Because this system will be used to record all data related to our students’ progress through our district, we have decided not to allow substitute teachers access to the system. They will be asked to record attendance on paper and then the teacher can enter the attendance upon their return, or the office can enter it that day. An exception to this rule would be made for long-term subs.
Can my student aide enter grades or attendance into the IMS for me? (4/27/01)
Your new electronic gradebook should be treated with the same level of security and confidentiality as your existing gradebook. Not only do we wish to preserve the privacy of our students, we also seek to preserve the integrity of the grading process itself. As a result, student aides should never be given access to your gradebook. Not even under your direct supervision. Not even if you log them in and log them out.
How was Excelsior Software selected as the vendor? Why wasn’t there more faculty input in the decision? (4/24/01)
This project has its roots in an initial search by K/RESA for a gradebook program that fully integrated with their student information software (SIS) in real-time. K/RESA developed a request for proposal (RFP) to that end, and Excelsior was one of three vendors that replied. Upon further review of the RFP’s that K/RESA received, both K/RESA and PPS agreed that Excelsior was the vendor that best met the RFP requirements. Additionally, PPS had some technical requirements above and beyond the ones in K/RESA’s RFP, which were met only by Excelsior.
Some of the specific requirements included:
Open data storage and structures that allow for real-time access to the data via other software products
Data collection across the entire district, not just across individual buildings
Robust integration with the K/RESA student information applications
Functionality that allows data manipulation and analysis over multiple years
Functionality that allows for the efficient collection and timely analysis of 1.36 million plus assessments per year
Ability to upgrade to Microsoft SQL server
After reviewing the proposals, the district realized that Excelsior’s software could serve as much more than a gradebook alone, and the instructional management project was born. The Strategic Management Team worked with teachers, administrators, technology staff, and board members during this part of the development process, and the concept of the Instructional Management System became a concrete goal to pursue.
Specifically, what are the expectations of the teaching staff as related to the IMS? (4/24/01)
Upon receiving training, teachers will be asked to enter in daily attendance, quarterly assessments, and final grades. CHS, CMS, LCE, and AMB will start with these items this Spring; NHS, NMS, HAV, WOD, and MBE this Fall; and WMS, CEL, ANG, and WAY this coming Winter. Beginning the first marking period after a teacher has completed training, all grades are to be entered and compiled using the new software (as appropriate).
What is the IMS?
IMS stands for Instructional Management System. This centralized database and related applications will become the sole storage and retrieval location for all data collected on the performance of our students as they matriculate through our district. It will allow all vested parties to analyze this data in meaningful ways. It contains a full-featured gradebook and assessment tracking system for teachers; viewers that give office staff the ability to check student progress in real-time; and tools that will allow curricular and team leaders to assess the effectiveness of our curriculums and methodologies.
How will teachers interact with the IMS?
Excelsior's Gradebook2 will be the primary program teachers will use. It will be the single location where teachers will record attendance, classroom grades, final grades, and district assessments. It also has features for reporting and tracking discipline, anecdotal records, and seating charts. Gradebook2 is very flexible, yet easy to use. The Assessment Office will be providing several avenues of training at multiple levels.
What will this software do for teachers?
Gradebook2 will assume all classroom functions currently contained in the K/RESA SIS package. The attendance and grade entry screens are more intuitive and allow for faster data entry. (One really cool feature in GB2 is the ability to create seating charts, which include student pictures, and then take attendance based upon that chart!) GB2 also adds a classroom management system, which includes a full-featured gradebook that will allow teachers to effortlessly enter, compile, and analyze grades. When the IMS rollout is complete in a building and all teachers are entering their classroom data, progress reports, athletic eligibility, etc. will be automated, freeing the classroom teacher from these tasks.
I do a lot of my grading at home. Will I have access to GB2 there?
Yes. The district will create a web site that you can access from your dial-up Internet connection at home. At this site, you'll be able to use the gradebook in the same fashion you do at school.
Is the system secure?
Yes. The central database physically resides on a computer in the district server farm. In order to access the IMS, you have to know both a network ID and password as well as an IMS ID and password. Additionally, the location of the software is hidden on the network. A centralized system like this is more secure than individually stored gradebooks on classroom computers for three main reasons: data on local hard drives can be accessed without passwords, whereas network storage is protected with high-encryption passwords; network storage is backed up automatically on a regular basis; and the type of storage system utilized on the network is significantly more reliable than standard PC storage.
How will the IMS benefit our students?
The IMS will provide students and parents with concise, timely feedback on classroom progress. Teachers will be able to print and distribute progress reports, missing assignment lists, and the like at the touch of a button. The IMS promises something greater, however. With the IMS, the district will be able to monitor and collect data on our students' progress throughout our standards based curriculum. By analyzing this data, Portage Public Schools will be able to quantifiably measure the success of our curriculum and instructional methodologies. In the short run, this means teachers will be better able to monitor student performance in the classroom. In the long run, this means the district will be better equipped to select the curriculums and methodologies that will have the greatest impact on our learners.
What is the timeline for rollout and training?
We will start with CHS, CMS, LCE, and AMB this spring, move on to NHS, NMS, HAV, WOD, and MBE next fall, finishing with WMS, CEL, ANG, and WAY in the 2nd semester of 2001-2002. Specific schedules are available from your building principal or the District Assessment Office. Teachers will be asked to enter attendance, final marking period and semester grades (as applicable), and quarterly assessments into the new system after they have completed training. Teachers will also be asked to enter all classroom grades into the new system (as applicable), but not until the start of next marking period following training.
Can I preview the software?
Yes. Visit www.gradebook.com on the Internet. They offer demonstrations of the major modules.
|
