How quickly does the withdrawn student populate the repository?
It takes approximately an hour for the withdrawn student to populate to the repository.
What is the difference between admission and registration?
You should admit students when you are notified that they will be attending your school, but you should not register them until they are actually in attendance at your school. You can perform all functions in eSIS but take attendance if the student is not registered. Registration counts the student in membership; admission does not.
How do you run the North Carolina Report Card and Athletic Eligibility?
Athletic Eligibility Reporting requirements instruct the high school user to set up new reporting dates in the GPA module (see page 9 of the Athletic Eligibility User Guide) which is correct. This action creates new reporting reriod selections on the NC Report Card Title and Date Screen.
In NC WISE the North Carolina Report Card has the capability of printing only eight reporting periods on the report card; form formatting can only handle eight reporting period columns. If more reporting periods are attempted, an Oracle error occurs.
It is suggested that users not check the reporting periods that were setup for AE reporting.
How do you correct attendance for a student entered as absent after withdrawing from school?
Why is the Demographic Extract (Attendance Tab) not pulling the correct information for Daily attendance?
Research into the problem indicates that eSIS uses half-day absences to pull data for the extract. Personnel using the Attendance tab on the Demographic Extract need to double the number of absence records requested to get the full-day absence information. For example, if users want to pull students with three absences, then six absences must be entered in the absence field because the extract is looking for half-day absences.
How do we adjust the school schedule/PMR calendar when there is a snow day?
Is most of the Attendance module set up at the State or District Level?
The attendance reason codes are controlled by the state. The period-to-daily calculation is also controlled by the state.
How long can teachers update attendance for a certain period of time (Company File)?
You can allow teachers to change attendance for X number of previous days. The number in the Threshold field will determine how many days.
Does eSIS upload to/support ConnectEd or AlertNow?
There is an export in the Report Hub (http://reportinghub.ncwise.org/login.jsp) for ConnectEd. The export pulls data from eSIS which then creates a file that is uploaded to ConnectEd.
You cannot use AutoDialer with ConnectEd.
Do we use School Closings Entry?
As long as a full day is entered, yes.
What reasons do we use for non-classified excused absences - things such as a student who is absent for an extended family funeral or due to birth in family where they were required at home?
Based on the codes in ATT200, the LEA would make that decision. First they must determine if the absence is excused or unexcused. If they needed more detail, then they could create a note for the student, or request a CR be created for a new attendance reason code.
How can I track a student in the 504 plan?
Log into eSIS. Click on Common View > Student Program Assignment > Check 504. You may get an error message. If so, click Cancel. Query for pupil.
Why are courses not showing credit in course maintenance?
Possible reason: Course was changed and pushed down without the push credit checked.
Solution: Click on Course > Navigate > Detail to view course credit information in 1st semester. Change course at DPI Level to show credit and push to school.
What is the difference between Before Sim and After Sim? Can you explain these further?
This option is for exploding courses. If you explode Before Sim(ulation) then the students are "scattered" among available sections. If you explode After Sim(ulation), then the students are grouped together in sections.
If you can’t create courses at school level, how do you do Course Exploding?
Create the host course at the standard course level and set it to be Credit = 0. After creating the host course, create all the subordinate courses (at the LEA level) and then attach the subordinate courses to the host course (at the School level) using the Course Maintenance screen > More button.
Does it affect student credit if you delete a course taken in a previous year?
No. Once a student completes a course and they have a final mark, at YET, eSIS writes them out to Credit History. Once a student has credits in Credit History, they are applied to the diploma and they are there forever. The amount of information stored in Credit Details is extensive.
Course Section Maintenance
Can you add a teacher assistant to the Teacher 2 spot in course section maintenance to assist with attendance? Would they be set in Staff Maintenance with teacher indicator checked?
No, Teacher 2 should only be used for teachers. Teacher Indicator box should NEVER be checked for non-teacher staff. This will cause errors on SAR. You can add teacher assistants to the course in Course Section Maintenance under Other Staff. Attendance is the responsibility of the teacher.
Will Parent information be seen in TAM if the Emergency Contact button is checked on the Parent screen but parent information is not listed on Emergency Contacts screen in eSIS?
As long as the as the Emergency Contact Button in the Parent screen of the demographic loop is checked for the parent, their information will display in TAM in the Parent/Emergency Contact tab, even if they are not separately listed on the Emergency Contact screen in eSIS.
Does NC have immigration information requirements? Can we ask for this information?
In North Carolina, schools are not permitted to record information related to the immigration status of students. Administrators of the Second Languages and ESL Services division of the NCDPI have indicated that to ask for and record this data for students is a possible violation of Federal civil rights statutes and have instructed school personnel not to collect this information. When admitting a new student, the Citizen Of, and Immigration Status fields default to United States of America or American Citizen. These fields should be blanked out or left as is.
We do not use TIMS. Can we enter transportation info on the Student transportation-vehicles screen in the Demographic loop?
You do not have to use TIMS in order to use this screen. You can add info to the memo box.
On the Student Miscellaneous Information screen, there is so much that you can add. But, there is only one person who can enter this information. How much time can someone spend entering all this information? What are the scenarios where this has been used?
This varies by district. Some districts find that they don’t use all the information. You do want to restrict who enters demographic information. Although it may seem time-consuming, this only has to be done once – when you are admitting a student or at the start of the school year. You should track as much information as you can because it benefits you down the road.
Does the Demographic info remain with students throughout the years?
Yes, it remains year-to-year. At the YET process, there is a re-set of some items such as release of information. It is a choice you can make during YET and is not required.
How do we get changes to the Internet Permission Type?
This is set in the System Codes. Contact the NC WISE/SIMS Service Desk if you want to request changes.
Does NC use Immunization Fast Entry?
Yes.
Will school nurses be entering the immunization information?
The school nurse role has access to the Immunization Fast Entry screen. It’s an LEA/School decision as to who actually does the data entry.
Do siblings have to be hand-entered or could they be generated?
The siblings have to be hand-entered. In eSIS you can run a utility that runs on same address, same phone number (Create Sibling Records utility) to run a list of all potential siblings. NC WISE does not use this utility as it is not LEA-specific, so schools will have to manually enter siblings.
Why do we have day 0 set at Sunday?
This appears to be an error with conversion. A script is run at conversion to add a day 0 and day 181. Since the school year started on a Monday, it added Sunday as the day 0. aal has run a script to correct this and your day 0 should be the Saturday (a non-school day) before the Monday that school started.
How does the Superintendent drop down list populate and can they make changes at LEA level?
Superintendent name will auto-populate when you convert. If changes need to be made after conversion, LEA has the ability to go to System Codes > School > Superintendent and make necessary changes.
If the course number is the same but a setting for a course changes, then what supersedes?
You will have a set of standard courses for your LEA. You will add to that set of standard courses. The course number has to match the course number in the State standard courses, and as long as that matches, it will be converted as the LEA has it set (with the LEA settings). The course start date and long name (Desc field) will be populated from the State course. Other fields will be populated from the LEA course file and by conversion.
Why are test reports from ABCTools that calculate student's years since 8th grade calculating incorrectly?
The report uses the 9th Grade Entry Date to determine this information. If the student does not attend the high school for two years, the report uses the previous year as the 9th grade entry year if the entry year field is not populated. To resolve the problem, enter a 9th grade entry date in the Diploma Screen.
Can we use both the 4-year plan and the individual course plan?
The Individual Course Plan is currently used. We have an enhancement to modify the 4-year course plan to better meet NC needs. This will most likely be available when we move to the next release of eSIS.
Do you check High school credit and High School credit apply in system codes for middle school courses that meet UNC requirements?
Where does the LEA add local requirements to diploma requirements?
Counselors must keep up with additional credit requirements outside of eSIS.
What is available besides AAL documents and WBTs?
There is a large amount of documentation available online. Navigate to www.ncwise.org in your internet browser. From there, select:
Navigation: Library > NC WISE Technical Library > NC WISE Guides
There are currently no plans to update the WBTs, but users should be aware that the WBTs and QRDs are still a powerful tool that can be leveraged in learning and teaching the system.
Can we get a Word version of the NC WISE Guides?
The end-user training documents on the NC WISE website are available in PDF format only.
Can you create a set of QRDs that we can print and then put in a binder for our users?
Users should use the QRDs that are currently available with the WBTs. We can consider creating more QRDs in the future to reflect changes in new versions as well as to better address LEAs’ needs.
How do I access the DPI Security Console?
The DPI Security Console is now available by going to https://wisesecapp.ncwise.org. Instructions on how to access the system may be accessed by clicking DPI Security Console Instructions.
Is there the ability/future plan to pull information from CECAS into NC WISE?
EC information must be kept in both places. AIG data is taken from eSIS for the April Headcount, but ALL EC data must be kept in eSIS for other State Reporting.
Is there a report or screen to find information about EC students like what is printed on our current passport forms – i.e. supplemental aids, services, and modifications?
There are two tabs on the Special Education Lite screen (SPED) where this information can be entered.
NCDPI does not recommend using IE 7 at this point. You should wait to install it until further notice.
Does NC WISE force you to change your password?
Yes, NC WISE forces you to change your password every 90 days.
What are the parameters around passwords?
The NC WISE Security Administration document (located on www.ncwise.org) has an appendix that details the passwords requirements for NC WISE.
Can you work with two schools at one time (MS and HS)?
You cannot work with two schools at the same time.
Can you run multiple eSIS sessions?
No, according to NC policy you cannot run multiple eSIS sessions. This will cause performance issues, and so there is a script that will run to close down the additional sessions.
What does the year refer to in the Date field in Select School?
If you use 2006, it’s the 2006/2007 school year. You should use the year that the school year starts. For example, for the 07/08 school year, you would see 2007. Make sure to lock your school so that you are only working with what you selected.
If eSIS accounts are locked out after 30 days of inactivity, then how do we get through the summer?
Data managers will be required to go in and reset teacher passwords. There are two reasons why this occurs:
Most schools do not want teachers to have access to class lists until all scheduling has been completed.
Teachers should not create any preps or assignments until all eSIS reporting information is complete.
Why am I unable to calculate final marks?
There is no mark calculation capability in eSIS. All mark calculation must be done through the posting of marks from the spread sheet in TAM. To resolve the problem, final marks must be calculated by hand or all marks for the year should be posted through the TAM.
If the numeric mark scale is being used, how is a mark of “Incomplete” applied on the report card?
Each of the mark scales contain INC for Incomplete, P for Passing, F for Failing, WP for withdrawn passing, and WF for withdrawn failing.
How do I get to the activity log to show the user name of the person who changed marks or dropped classes?
Navigate to the Student Course Selections screen and click on the word Navigate at the bottom of the screen. Select Activity from the menu selection that appears. This allows a view the Activity Log.
Does the e-mail integration with Lotus Notes work?
To set the default email program:
Navigation: Windows Control Panel > Internet Options
Click on the Programs Tab then select their preferred e-mail program from the Email List item.
Symposium is during our grade time. Will attending Symposium be worth the time away from the office?
At Symposium, you will learn to reconcile the PMR in NC WISE as well as have many questions answered. For example, posting grades in NC WISE is different than posting grades in SIMS (teachers post their own grades). You will have been using the system long enough to gain a lot of information from Symposium. There will also be UERS and eSIS ad-hoc reporting classes offered, which will be quite valuable for you as you transition to NC WISE. We highly recommend that you send at least one person to Symposium.
Have there been any problems with using the Free & Reduced Lunch Program?
NC does not currently use this module.
Is a copy of our production database available to use to test things?
XUT is available.Why are early graduates not included in GPA/Rank?
Do you need to have one for each report card issued?
You will need a reporting date for each static time that you are running report cards.
How do you override credits on diploma type (evaluation)?
On diploma evaluation screen, select a diploma type to evaluate. If corrections need to be made, select Manual Override, make the change, and then Apply Evaluation.
What is the GPA Multiplier and why do we have to use it?
The GPA Multiplier must be populated for high schools if all courses do not have the same credit value. All schools should evaluate the credit values assigned to courses. If all courses are of the same credit value, then no further action is required. If all courses do not have the same credit value, for example, some courses are .5 credit and some are 1 credit or 2 credits, then the GPA multiplier is used. To utilize this field, enter a value that, when multiplied with the Credit Value, will convert that value to 1. This will nullify that impact of credit value on the calculation of GPA. This affects the GPA calculation for Current Reporting Period and the 7th Semester Transcript.
When does the parameter reading, "Store GPA in student's records?" need to be checked?
This must be selected at the end of the school year before Year End Transition. Otherwise, it is up to the user whether they wish to store the GPA or Rank during the school year.
On Credit Details, the Academic Level, Year, and Grade must be completed.
On School Details (2nd canvas), the CEEB code (College Board ID field) must be specified. The CEEB code is a 6 digit code assigned to each high school that is used to identify that school for tests like SAT, etc.
On School Details (1st canvas), the school address must be in the format City, NC (one space, no periods). The student’s mailing address must also be this way.
Running GPA Calculation
Is GPA stored in Credit Details?
No, it is not stored in Credit Details.
Can you print report cards in Spanish?
No.
What does the UB, PD and RO at the beginning of the incidents stand for?
PD - Persistently Dangerous
RO - Reportable Offense
UB - Unacceptable Behavior
How do you properly import incident records from NC WISE to USDDC?
For the records to export properly two things must exist; an incident number and at least one student attached to that incident. Incidents must be added through the school instead of the student for the export/import to work correctly. The path to enter incident information is:
School >Incident Reporting > School Incident Details.
System Codes
Does NCDPI make most of the decisions on System Codes?
There are fully populated system codes that are held at the state level. If the LEA needs specific system codes, then they can escalate through the LEA then it goes to the SIMS / NC WISE Service Desk. Most system codes are controlled by the state. The LEA can request additions to them through the SIMS / NC WISE Service Desk. There are a few system codes controlled by the LEAs/schools which are listed in the Post Conversion Guide, available from www.ncwise.org.
Are Assessment Types in System Codes State controlled or LEA controlled?
These are LEA controlled.
Company File
What can the LEA do at the Company File level?
The LEAs can set some of the settings on the Company File, but the changes must be made at the state level.
Standard Courses
Is there an option to have the courses only altered at LEA level, not school level?
Enforce standard courses in the Company File. For example, NC went from 6 character to 8 character course codes. If an LEA does not want the school creating their own courses, the LEA will need to use all 8 characters of the course code.
What happens when a student moves from one district to another if the courses don’t match up?
Credit History keeps an archive. You can add courses to credit history (the student must have a final mark).
Regarding the Course Catalog button – does this imply that we can create a booklet from NC WISE? Is there a report that generates a course catalog?
There is a location on the Course Maintenance screen where you can type in a description. In the Courses and Course Selections report group, you can print the Course Descriptions report.
Do we take attendance on Pre-K students?
Attendance on Pre-K students is not reported to the state or required by the state; however you can take attendance for teacher and school records.
How do we set it up so that the Pre-K students show on our PMR but do not count toward membership?
You should enroll your Pre-K students as visiting students. Visiting students do not count toward membership.
If you enroll your pre-K students to the 000 school they will not show on your PMR.
What are 000 schools used for?
There are multiple uses for having students in the 000 schools. The most predominant use is using 000 to house Pre-K students who are using special education services. This way, the Pre-K students can be counted in the Dec and April headcounts for EC purposes. The WBTs have more information on 000 schools – see Pre-K 000 School Setup WBT.
Are all Pre-K students entered in 000 schools, regardless of where they are?
All Pre-K students are not entered into the 000 school. If a school has a Pre-K program where attendance is to be taken, then the students need to be enrolled in the school. The only time that the 000 school would be used for Pre-K students is to enter the Pre-K students who are receiving special services at the central office and not attending school.
When should we start enrolling Kindergartners?
We suggest the May timeframe. If you do start enrolling kindergartners at that time, make sure to blank out the next grade and the next school in the Pre-Transition List so that they will not be transitioned. Also, make sure to put an admission date of after YET, for example something like July 15, 2007 so that they will not be promoted to 1st grade during YET.
Can you post-date the registration?
Yes, but it is highly recommended that you don’t. It will be automatically processed on that date and if the student doesn’t show up, then you have to reverse register.
Should we register students when we admit them?
Admission and registration in NC WISE are two different processes (in SIMS they were essentially the same process). A student should never be registered until they are actually attending a class in the school, as registering them counts them in membership. They can be admitted when the information for the student is received, but again the student should not be registered until they attend class.
What is an example for how we could use cross-enrollment?
All county chorus is a good example. A student’s home school is School A but School B offers an Honors course that School A does not offer. The student would be enrolled in School A and cross-enrolled in School B so that she could take the honors course.
How do you treat visiting students? For example, EC students that come to our schools for services and show up as DCT1.
Visiting students who are of regular school age should be admitted into the school where they receive services as visiting students. Simply admit the student to the school where he receives services and use the code of Visiting Standard instead of Member Standard. The visiting student must also be given a schedule or will be kicked out as a fatal error on the SAR. This is a way to keep better track of students who may be receiving special services even though we cannot count them as students who are enrolled in the school. Visiting students are not counted on the PMR.
Why won’t the Print button work?
There are two possiblities:
A pop-up blocker was enabled on the PC. Either disable the pop-up blocker or use the CTRL key when you hit the Print button.
Do we use the Queue Manager?
No, we do not use the Queue Manager in NC. When printing reports, you should always set Print in Background to No.
Is there a suggestion for when and where saving, storing, and/or printing reports is appropriate?
For YET preparation, there are reports suggested in the Pre YET documentation. Reports can be printed, but it is also suggested that these reports be saved in Adobe format on CD or on the network drive. Please keep in mind that these reports are confidential, and precautions should be taken so they will remain secure.
When should extracts be run?
It is a good habit to run a new extract each time a report is run. Any changes such as demographic info, admissions, withdrawals, will not show until a new extract has been run.
Is there a quick way to print multiple reports on a particular student?
Query for a student on eSIS main start screen, click the Print button on the lower right side of the main screen and a menu of selected reports will appear. Check the reports you wish to print and click the print icon.
Export Adhoc
Is there more than one way to save an exported file?
Files to be exported from eSIS can be saved as .txt (text) files, .xls (excel) files, or .csv (comma separated value) files.
How many categories (menus) can be used when pulling information to export data?
Only two categories can be used. The first is the Demographic (which is the default), and then one other (user choice) can be selected.
Since there is a limited number of characters that can be exported, is there a way to change the field titles in eSIS?
The LEA coordinator can rename the column names in eSIS.
Will year-long courses be semester 0 courses?
Yes.
Can Teaching Teams be created and how do you set them up?
Refer to the Scheduling Models document in the NC WISE Library.
Student Course Selections
Where do the Individualized Course Plan entries “go”?
When you use the Master Timetable Builder to simulate courses, it will first look at this plan and schedule these first, then the student preferences/selections.
How do we set up middle school courses such as Algebra 1 to reflect no credit but show as meeting UNC requirements on the transcript?
How should you list periods on the Current School Year screen?
All periods should be listed on the third tile of the Current School Year screen. The period should be listed even if it contains 0 minutes.
Can you weight report cycles differently for elementary than high school?
Yes.
Is SPED information carried throughout the system, for example to TAM?
We only use the SPED Lite module in NC. The only way SPED info filters to teachers is through Alerts.
Can you use Alerts to warn of ESL or other special programs?
Yes.
If you have one course that runs two semester and others that run all year, is that considered a two semester school?
Yes.
How does being a two semester school but having both 18 week and 36 week classes affect your terms?
You do not need terms in that case. You only need terms if you have 9 week courses.
What if we have a course that is 36 weeks and also have 9 week courses?
Your school would be a one semester school with 4 terms.
We have children that take art 9 weeks, then literacy 9 weeks, then art 9 weeks, and finally literacy 9 weeks. How do we set these up?
You set these up as 9 week courses so long as they are getting a final mark. You would use different section numbers.
What are unique courses in the Max # Unique Courses field?
This field indicates the Max number of DIFFERENT courses per year for a teacher. In other words, the maximum number of different courses a teacher might teach in one year.
School TA Config
Does NCDPI set up the School TA Config screen initially with the correct settings?
No, this is set at the LEA and school level.
What is the difference between the TA Config and the School TA Config screen?
TA Config is set up at the district level. School TA config is set up at the school level. They are two different screens.
What should be set on the School TA Config?
(Navigation: School>School Information>Schedule> More Info>School TA Config)
See School TA Config document.
School Details
Can you add more than three Vice Principals? Some schools have 4 VPs or more.
They can be added to Staff Maintenance, but the School Details screen only has three fields for Vice Principals.
How should charter schools set up their Next School Default?
The Next School Default field cannot be blank. You cannot transition your students outside of your LEA. Charter schools and high schools should always have their school as the Next School Default. When you pre-transition the highest grade level for Elementary Schools and Middle Schools that are charters, you select No so that the next school is left blank.
For a Pre-K through 12th grade school, what do we pick as the Type?
You should choose High/Secondary.
Homes Rooms
On the Homeroom Maintenance screen, what should we put for Class Type?
Class Type should be blank on the Homeroom Maintenance screen.
Reporting Periods
What is the difference between terms & semesters?
Semester is division of the year; term is a division of the semester.
What prints on the report cards from the Reporting Periods screen?
The short name prints on report cards, but a legend also prints showing the short and long name. You are only allowed three characters for the short name.
Do we use the E-mail Password field on the Staff Details screen?
No, this is currently not used in NC.
Is the code for Superintendent important? How do we update the Superintendent?
The code is arbitrary. You overwrite the current record.
How do we set up teacher assistants?
Teacher assistants are not assigned a role via the Staff Roles screen. Teacher assistants are also not checked with the Teacher Indicator.
If the teacher assistant is assigned to a course, then the TA should be added to the course in Course Section Maintenance via the Other Staff button.
Navigation: School > Course Information > Course Section Maintenance
Click the Other Staff button. Assign the staff member, select the role of Teacher Assistant, and put in the percentage of time they spend in this class.
Should we check the Teacher Indicator checkbox for Teacher Assistants?
No. The Teacher Indicator checkbox should only be selected for certified teachers.
What are the requirements for Cert Name?
It must be entered as Last Name, First Name. It must match the teacher's certificate. If the certificate has middle name/middle initial on it, then you should include that in the Cert Name field. If the staff member is not a certified staff member, then it should be Last Name, First Name. If there is more than one staff member with the same name, you can include a middle initial for the staff member so long as they are not a certified staff or if they are, the middle initial is on the certificate.
What if the staff member has multiple certificates? Which should the Cert Name field match? What if this does not match payroll or the social security card?
Whatever name is on file with Licensure should be entered in the Cert Name field. For those that are not certified (teacher assistants, etc) the Cert Name should match payroll.
Will I get a fatal error on SAR if my certified names for teachers do not match payroll?
No.
Do we need to have cafeteria staff or custodians in the system?
No. You can add them, but you do not have to have them in the system.
How do we set up Behavior Lab Assistants? These are staff members who pull out certain students for a specified amount of time per week. The students are not pulled into a "course".
If they are certified, then they should be assigned the Staff Role of EC Co-Teacher, with a Staff Duty of Non-Scheduled Instructional Support. If they are not certified, then it does not need to be in eSIS.
Who should be assigned Staff Roles?
Teachers and teacher assistants are not assigned Staff Roles via the Staff Roles screen. Examples of staff that are assigned a Staff Role are the school nurse, drop-out coordinator, school counselor, etc.
Please explain the Staff Roles “# of students” field.
The # of students refers to the total number of students the staff person will interact with over the course of the year in that particular role.
How should long-term substitutes be set up?
See Teacher Assistant Class Transfer.
How should short-term substitutes be set up?
Short-term substitutes should not be set up in the system. The School Data Manager should enter attendance for the substitute.
I have a staff member who is in the system but is not on payroll. He will be returning next year. Should I keep him in the system or delete him?
Since he will be coming back next year, keep the staff member in the system.
How are Title 1 Reading teachers set up?
If they don’t have a defined roster (IE they work with different groups of kids that rotate in and out), then it does not have to be scheduled. They are given a Staff Role of EC Co-Teacher with the Staff Duty of Non-Scheduled Instructional Support with the approximate number of students that they support. If they have a definable roster that meets on a regular basis, then it does need to be scheduled as Individual Curriculum – 0001.
Are SPED Teachers that teach pull out courses set up in a class?
The course needs to be scheduled with the SPED teacher as the teacher in Course Section Maintenance. You will need to use the appropriate subject code area. If the teacher is teaching multiple subject codes, then you should use Individual Curriculum – 0001.
SPED teachers can be the teacher assigned to the class through Course Section Maintenance. In this case, if it’s an inclusion, Inclusion (Resource) Services are not scheduled if a teacher goes into the classroom to assist a student in a regular classroom environment. This teacher is given a Staff Role of Co-Teacher, and his/her assigned time is recorded in Staff Duties as Non-Scheduled Instructional Support.
How do we set up teachers that pull out the same set of students for a specified period of months for remediation for test scores?
If it’s remediation for a test score, then that is not a state definable course code, so it does not have to be scheduled.
How do we account for tutors that are non-certified?
This is not scheduled or recorded in eSIS.
How should secretaries be set up in the system? They do need access to the student records for various office duties.
This is a school-based or an LEA decision. If there is a need to set up the school secretary in eSIS, then school secretaries can be set up with a User Type of School User and at the least a User Role of School_Secretary.
What Staff Duties do teachers have to have?
There is a house bill that affects 2007-2008 school year. This bill (1151) requires that all teachers have a duty-free lunch period and a planning period. For the 2007-2008 school year you will need to set these up.
What is the Supervising Adult Staff Role?
This is for the PE teacher. No one else should be assigned this Staff Role.
How do we set up Speech Therapists?
Speech Therapists do not have courses. You should assign a Speech Therapist the Staff Role of Speech Language Therapist.
Navigation: School > School Information > Staff Maintenance
1. Select the Non-Teaching Staff radio button, and then select the name of the school nurse.
2. Click Staff Details, and then click Staff Roles.
3. Select Speech Language Therapist from the drop-down list, and then assign the % of time that the staff member is a speech language therapist at your school. Start and end dates are optional.
Do Speech Therapists have Staff Duties?
Speech Therapists do not have to have Staff Duties, but you can choose to put them in for the Speech Therapist.
Does the first and last name information at the top of the Staff maintenance screen have to match the certified name?
No, they do not have to be the same. Certified Name is what appears on the SAR.
Do we use the Qualifications button on the Staff Maintenance screen to enter Staff qualifications? Where is this information pulled from to determine that a teacher is highly qualified?
The qualifications section in Staff Maintenance is not used. Information is pulled from a variety of sites including NDS and Licensure. Schools do, however, need to add experience code in Staff Maintenance.
How do I change student course sections?
What school should be entered into Credit Detail when a student attends summer school?
Why is my system performing so slow?
Slowness may be caused by running progress reports and transcripts simultaneously across the State. The reports consume application resources, which may result in slow performance. LEAs and Charters can take the following actions to minimize impact to users: run progress and other reports at times other than the key morning and afternoon attendance-taking periods; and run progress reports from within the Teacher Assistant Module, instead of running them from within eSIS.
Weights
Is there a document that will help us understand and explain the options for weights to our teachers?
Preps
Can teachers create only one prep and assign all classes to it?
Yes, but the preferred method is to create one prep for each course section. This way if ever needed, the TA Class Transfer will work correctly without disrupting the gradebook.
Assessment Types
How many assessment types are needed?
The number of assessments types added is unlimited, but there must be at least one.
Do you have to select Assessment Types for the entire reporting period?
Assessment types are required when recreating/adding assessments any time during the reporting period.
Study/Categories
How many areas of study/categories are needed?
The number of areas of study/category types added is unlimited, but there must be at least one.
Comments
If teachers create comments on the My Comments tab in TAM, are they used on the school report card?
No, they are used only on the progress report that is printed through TAM.
When adding comments to an assignment, where do the two lists of comments come from when you click the edit comment button?
The list of comments on the left is a list of teacher personal comments, and the list of comments on the right is a list of school comments.
Who creates the school comments?
Data managers will key in the school comments. These comments can be used for the progress reports or for the report card.
Marks/Report Cards
Are there pre-built assessments added and assigned, such as math and reading?
No, teachers can create one and copy most parts to use to create other assessments.
If an eSIS user navigates to the teacher gradebook, can they see the teachers prep?
No, only the person who created the prep and/or the assignment can see it.
Can teachers make changes and re-post marks any time?
Teachers are allowed to make changes in the gradebook and re-post marks at any time unless the mark start and end dates are populated on the reporting periods screen. If any changes need to be made after the mark end date, the data manager will need to be contacted.
Can marks be manually changed or edited once they are posted from the spreadsheet?
If the School TA Config screen is set to Calculate Grades using the Post Column, then teachers can make a change to the posted mark as soon as marks are posted. The background color of the mark in the post column will change color if the mark in the TA and Post columns do not match. If marks are posted using the TA Column, the marks cannot be changed unless the teacher makes changes in the spreadsheet/gradebook and reposts the mark.
Is there a way to know who has posted marks/grades?
There are several ways to check. There is a Mark Entry Completion Log, a Class List with Marks report, and a students missing marks report.
How can you enter report card marks if you do not use the spreadsheet?
Marks can be entered by selecting Mark/Grade entry from the TAM start screen and selecting the appropriate course length and reporting period.
How do most teachers keep historical gradebook info from year to year?
Teachers can print/save a PDF copy of the Gradebook (using the printer icon on the Gradebook screen) each year. Also, assessment information is archived by student each year (access to this is TAM > Academic Progress > History button).
Are the Observation Types set by the district or are they set by state, etc?
These are from the system codes. This is set at the LEA/District Level.
Are observations that are entered by teachers archived and available beyond the current year they were entered?
No, observations are not archived at year-end.
Do teachers have access to Student Transcript? (See Student Hot Print (TA) Screen)
Yes.
If we are not using the area of study/category weights does it go away?
You do still have to create one (General) – not weighted. When marks come up it will be times 1 (ie 82 grade times 1 = 82).
So if we have numeric score default set to 100, can we post 105 in the gradebook?
Marks above 100 can be posted in the spreadsheet; however, if the final mark to be posted is over 100, then eSIS reads this as a missing mark. it must be changed to a 100.
This is also why NCDPI recommends marks being calculated from the Post column on the School TA Config screen – so teachers can manually change any mark over 100 to be a 100.
Does NCDPI require use of Gradebook?
No.
Can you print your interims from the gradebook?
Progress Reports can be printed from TAM, either from the Academic Progress screen or the Reports screen.
No.
Teachers can change grades manually. Isn’t this an issue?
The teacher needs to have a reason for changing the course grade. They need to be able to explain why the grade changed.
Can you use +/- in assessments?
Teachers can use graduated alpha marks (+/-) in the gradebook only if they school is the Graduated Alpha Mark Scale.
Can I put an assignment in even if reporting period has ended?
Yes, but the mark start/end dates govern whether you can add marks.
Is there a missing grades report that can be run per student?
There is a Student Missing Marks report, but it prints for all students.
Attendance
Can teachers use the Condensed Attendance entry (ATT106)?
Yes.
Miscellaneous
Can teachers enter Notes for individual students that can then be viewed by Counselors and Administrators, i.e. course recommendations that are an exception to the norm? If so, can these be entered for 1st semester students after 1st semester has ended?
Yes, teachers can enter notes for students that are assigned to one of their classes.
What happens when a student is withdrawn and when the student goes into red?
The student doesn’t go away. They remain in the gradebook with the marks attached until YET. Any marks you put in after the withdraw date doesn’t affect them.
Once the student is withdrawn, can you re-sequence them?
You should be able to re-sequence them to get them to the bottom of the list.
What does class change notification mean?
This is just an informational log of the system changes - such as added/dropped students.
What if there is a new student that came and left in the same day (IE registered for the class and then dropped it the same day based on a conflict)?
You will get notified of all changes.
Can teachers get a count of the class’ students?
Yes, click on the first student in your list and click Shift F2. You can also print the Class List report from the Reports button which will give you totals for your classes.
Are teachers allowed to use TAM at home?
TAM is available anywhere a user has internet connection.
How do you enter data in the fields for the AAAI Test in NC WISE?
NC WISE shows Achievement Level, Raw Score and Growth as the fields BUT NC WISE will not allow us to enter a "Y" or "N".
The Growth indicator in NC WISE is not used and will not accept any coding. Growth is considered a subjective indicator and is not needed.
What specifically do we not use for the Standardized Testing screen?
See documents and QRDs for testing.
What is the Test Level?
This is not used in NC.
Does NC use Advanced Testing?
Yes.
Is EOG and EOD data pulled into eSIS?
Yes, most of the tests can be mass uploaded via Testupload on webapps.ncwise.org from the WinScan files sent by NCDPI. This is different from ABC Tools.
So, will we still use ABC Tools?
Yes, files will be generated from eSIS to load into ABC Tools.
How do I send transcripts along with college applications?
Students in NC WISE LEAs will now have the ability to apply for college and request an electronic NC WISE transcript to accompany that application. The CFNC web site, http://www.cfnc.org/, which high school students and counselors have been using for some time, now has a statement informing students this transcript functionality is available. By clicking on a link, students can view a list of high schools and determine if their school is participating in this process. Two months after the last post conversion workshop in an LEA, the electronic transcript capability is turned on for that district.
What causes an NC WISE system error to generate when sending transcript?
(back to FAQ questions)When a student from an NC WISE school requests an NC WISE electronic transcript through the CFNC system, the electronic transcript request is encrypted and sent to NCDPI for processing through the EDI system. Occasionally, because of transcript data issues, an NC WISE system error is generated. The error notification is delivered to NC WISE/SIMS Service Desk personnel. The Service Desk regularly monitors the EDI system several times a day for this type of error.
When this type of error occurs, the Service Desk staff will attempt to determine the cause of the error. Usually, the error is caused by a minor data issue. The Service Desk immediately notifies the LEA or school data manager so that they can adjust the student's data record. When LEA personnel make the adjustment, and notify the Service Desk, the request for transcript will be processed. The Service Desk strives to correct all errors within 24 hours. Please note that if the data adjustment is not made, the student's NC WISE electronic transcript will NOT be processed.
Who are considered Itinerate Users?
In WebApps, you have the opportunity to select Classroom Teacher, Itinerate User, or School User. These three are defined as follows:
Classroom Teacher – All teachers who have courses are considered Classroom Teacher, no matter how many schools they teach at. Each school adds the teacher to their staff and then when the teacher logs into TAM they are given the option to select which school they want to work in.
School Users – These are school-level users who have access to eSIS. These users only need access to their particular school. An example of a school user is a school principal.
Itinerate Users – These are users who need access to eSIS in multiple schools. These are NOT teachers – all teachers have the Classroom Teacher type. An example of an itinerate user is a school counselor who might work at twos different schools.
Who should be given the School_UERS role in WebApps?
School_UERS should only be assigned to those users that will need to review and approve all reports in UERS. This is an LEA-level decision, but typically LEAs select to assign this to their data managers and school principals. It is imperative that you put in an email address for anyone with the School_UERS role so that they will receive an e-mail when a report is ready to be reviewed and/or approved. Users such as the Dropout Coordinator will receive access to the Dropout report via their role, so you do not need to assign them the School_UERS role.
We have a principal who only needs access to his school during the year but for summer school will need access to multiple schools. Do we give him School User or Itinerate User access in WebApps?
Summer school is not recorded via eSIS. The principal should only be given School User, as that is what he will need access to for the regular school year.
Who has rights to unlock which users in WebApps?
School data managers can unlock school levels, LEA coordinators can unlock school data manager level, if LEA gets locked out it is a service desk request.
What is the Employee Number in WebApps User Security?
The employee number is the user’s Social Security Number with no dashes.
In WebApps, when the Add Users tab searches for an employee what is it checking against?
eSIS Staff Maintenance and NDS.
Who creates the NDS accounts?
The LEA Coordinator is responsible for creating the accounts.
What if our user is a LEA Coord and CT?
Put them as school user in security and then when they log in, they will log into eSIS and then navigate to TAM (via the Navigate button) as needed.
Can user security be updated in esis?
Security fields in eSIS are view only. Security updates/additions are made in WebApps Security.Is it necessary to remove personnel with access rights once they have left the LEA?
Yes. Failure to remove such personnel could result in a possible security breech (webapps.ncwise.org).
Do we have to set up a password for UERS for users we are importing/adding?
No, the default password that is set up is firstname_lastname with 1 at the end. They can then change your password from within eSIS. For example, if the user’s name is Mickey Mouse, then the default password will be mickey_mouse1.
What does UERS stand for?
Uniform Education Reporting System.
Is there a notification once a rerun in UERS is completed?
Yes, the blue text will indicate that it is available; refresh the screen to make it available.
Why should we disapprove reports in UERS?
At the school level, it is not necessary as all problems must be fixed at the school level; however the LEA would need to disapprove a report so that it will be sent back to the school level for the corrections to be made in eSIS.
Do the teachers get any e-mail notifications in UERS?
No, this is for school level people who have access to UERS.
What should I do during different withdrawal scenarios?
See QRD on Withdrawing Students.
When do you withdraw versus reverse register?
You withdraw a student when they have attended classes. You reverse register if they are a no-show.
What is the policy on when you withdraw a child? Should you withdraw them before you know what their new school will be?
Please see the Student Accounting Manual.
What withdraw code do you use for the No Show process?
Any reason can be used. NC does not use the No Show log which is what the reason is required for.
YET typically occurs the last day in June. The system will be down for approximately two weeks and you will not have access to NC WISE during that time. The LEA Coordinator will receive an e-mail about this prior to the date.
Can we perform Mass homeroom assign prior to YET?
No, it will wipe out the current homerooms.