Block Fast Loader Overview

Video How-to

Block Fast Loader Overview video

How-to

You will need to have the Master Schedule complete before beginning. You will also need to know into which sections each group of students will be scheduled. This information can be entered into the Master Schedule to facilitate the scheduling process.

Steps for scheduling students using Block Fast Loader

1. Create/complete the Master Schedule.
2. Edit Master Schedule to identify groups of students per grade level.
3. Create teacher blocks with schedule records for a particular group of students.
4. Schedule students using automatic process or manual process.

How to

1. Select Scheduling from the program list on the left
2. Click on Loaders
3. Select Block Fast Loader

Set up Box

1. Verify Year, District, and School. These default values are based on your security settings.
2. Select Grade. Leave the Grade field blank if all grade levels are to be included. Otherwise click in the box to the right of “Grade” to select the desired grade level(s) to be included. With Block Fast Loader you will usually select one grade to work with at a time.
3. Select the As-of-Date. This represents active students as of the date you choose. It usually defaults to the current date.
4. Click the check box to Save Schedules as Manually Scheduled to prevent an automatic scheduling process from overwriting schedules created through the Block Fast Loader.
5. Click OK to move to the next screen.

Definitions of the Buttons at the bottom of the screen

Delete Block – deletes currently selected block

New Block – creates a block of classes for a teacher not assigned a block

Change Block – change header information about a teacher

Schedule – schedules all selected students to the selected teacher’s block

Print--prints either the list of block with header information or prints the block detail list of courses

Setup--returns to the setup box to change group of students to be scheduled.

Select All Students – Checks all students` names

De-Select All Students – Removes any checks by student names

Processes found under the Action button

1. Master Schedule--Displays the Master Schedule Editor
2. Reschedule Blocks--Allows you to reschedule students already assigned to blocks. This is used if classes have been added to or removed from a block.
3. Single Course--Allows you to add a single class to all of the students in the same block. This does not change the block.
4. Clear Student Block Numbers--This clears just the block number. NO schedules will be changed. You will NOT be able to auto-restore the assigned block numbers. Be certain this is what you want to do before clicking the button labeled 'YES'.
5. Alternating Student Scheduling--Automatic scheduling method that assigns students to schedules in an alternating fashion.
6. Sequential Student Scheduling--This method of scheduling students divides the students in groups (i.e. the first twenty students alphabetically are placed in the same block, the next twenty students are placed in the next block, etc.)
7. Capability Student Scheduling--The GPA for students is used to assign students to the blocks. (i.e. Each white female with an 'A' average is assigned to a different block, then the program assigns each black female with an 'A' average to a different block, etc. working through all GPA ethnic groups.)
8. IOWA Test Scores Student Scheduling---Similar to GPA scheduling except it uses IOWA test scores. Scores must first be imported into WebPams before using this method.
9. Initialize Block Counts--Updates counts of students scheduled into the different blocks; it also updates counts in the Master Schedule Editor.
10. Realign Blocks to Master Schedule--Compares information related to each section number found in the Block Fast Loader to the section numbers in the Master Schedule Editor. If any information is different, the block information is updated.

Edit the Master Schedule to identify the student groups for each schedule record

This is optional, but can make the process of course selection easier for schools with 2 or more groups of students per grade level. For example, this will prevent students in two groups from all being scheduled into the same section of a teacher's Language class which would make it look like the teacher is instructing 60 students instead of two groups of 30.

To edit the Master Schedule Editor click in the comment field beside each course and enter either the Homeroom teacher's name or a section designation such as 1A, 1B, 1C, etc. In the setup box for Master Schedule Editor you can restrict the display to include one grade only. This will provide a smaller group of courses and teachers to which group indicators are to be assigned.

After assigning group indicators to the Master Schedule Editor, return to the Block Fast Loader to complete the scheduling process.