Block Fast Loader Overview

Video

Block Fast Loader Overview video

Before using this program

• You will need to roll the Sponsor Site to the new year. This is usually done by someone at the district office.
• You will need to roll the Master Schedule Editor to the new year. Then it must be edited with the new year's changes before beginning.
• You will also need to know into which blocks each "group" of students will be scheduled to and what homeroom teacher's class that they will meet in. Blocks will contain section numbers that can only be used once per teacher's block. This information can be entered into comment field of the Master Schedule Editor to keep up with the section numbers being used.
• Self Contained means the students will keep the same teacher all day. Departmentalized means the students will have one teacher in the morning and one (or more) teacher in the afternoon.

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Note: If you need help with any of the steps in this section use the following link: New Year Scheduling Preparatory Steps for the District Coordinator Create the Sponsor Site file for the new year. Create the New Year Master Schedule and review needed changes. Roll over the teacher blocks to the new year. Edit existing teacher blocks with schedule records for a particular group of students. Or, create new teacher blocks if needed. Create the New Year Student Master. Schedule students using automatic process or manual process.

Menu Location

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

Setup Options

If you need instructions for setup values to be used, follow the link for Standard Setup Options.

"The next items are not found on the standard setup options document.

Year--Defaults to the current year. A prior year may be accessed by clicking in the field and making the appropriate selection from the drop down list.

District--Default value is based on your security settings. You will be limited to your district only.

School--Default value is based on your security settings. If you are assigned to a school, the school default value will be your school site code. You will not be able to change this value. If you are a supervisor or other district office employee with access to the Student Information System, you will be able to run programs for one school, a small group of schools, or all schools in your district.

Grade--Grade level of students whose records need to be edited or whose names are to be included on a report. Leave the field blank if all grade levels are to be included. Otherwise,

Block Grades--Select block grades to process

As of Date--This choice will list only those students who are actively enrolled as of the date selected in the date field.

Start Date--Select start date to use for schedule records

Click in the field to the right of Grade(s) to select the desired grade level(s) to be included.

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.

Click OK to move to the next screen.

Main

Processes Found Under the Action Button

Master Schedule--Displays the Master Schedule Editor 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.

Single Course--Allows you to add a single class to all of the students in the same block. This does not change the block.

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'.

Alternating Student Scheduling--Automatic scheduling method that assigns students to schedules in an alternating fashion.

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.)

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.)

Initialize Block Counts--Updates counts of students scheduled into the different blocks; it also updates counts in the Master Schedule Editor.

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.

Roll Current Year Blocks to New Year--Creates a copy of the current year blocks for the new year. You can only roll over one year to the next consecutive year. For example, you would not be able to roll over 1314 to 1516. Also, if you have already built at least one new block in the upcoming new year, the copy process will not work.

Remove School(s) Blocks From Selected Year--Deletes all blocks for the selected year.

Edit the Master Schedule to Identify the Student Groups for Each Schedule Record Note--This is optional, but you can make the process of course selection (sections of courses with the same name) 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.

Click in the comment field beside each course. A popup box will appear. 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.

Bottom

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

Help--Opens the JCampus help section on Scheduling.

Processes Found Under the Action Button

Master Schedule--Displays the Master Schedule Editor 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. Single Course--Allows you to add a single class to all of the students in the same block. This does not change the block. 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'. Alternating Student Scheduling--Automatic scheduling method that assigns students to schedules in an alternating fashion. 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.) 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.)

1. Initialize Block Counts--Updates counts of students scheduled into the different blocks; it also updates counts in the Master Schedule Editor.
2. 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.
3. Roll Current Year Blocks to New Year--Creates a copy of the current year blocks for the new year. You can only roll over one year to the next consecutive year. For example, you would not be able to roll over 1314 to 1516. Also, if you have already built at least one new block in the upcoming new year, the copy process will not work.
4. Remove School(s) Blocks From Selected Year--Deletes all blocks for the selected year.

Edit the Master Schedule to Identify the Student Groups for Each Schedule Record

Note--This is optional, but you can make the process of course selection (sections of courses with the same name) 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.

1. Click in the comment field beside each course. A popup box will appear.
2. Enter either the Homeroom teacher's name or a section designation such as 1A, 1B, 1C, etc.
3. 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.

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Scheduling Main Page

Block Fast Loader Page