The purpose of this document is to provide a sequential checklist for using in Focus Elementary Scheduling
Before you begin, make sure your site has been rolled into the new year, if you are not sure check with your system admins.
Step 1: MIS Setup
MIS Staff should complete the following setup:
❏ Setup> System Preferences> School Preferences > Scheduling
- Review System Preferences > Scheduling in the upcoming year.
- Hide Schedules from Students and Parents [Part of our Rollover instructions here]
- Hide Schedules from Teachers [Part of our Rollover instructions here]
❏ Setup> Periods> Required for Scheduling
- Mark the periods that should be required for scheduling.
❏ Setup> Attendance Calendar
- Make sure at least one day is marked on the Default Attendance Calendar
Step 2: Review Courses
❏ Scheduling >Courses & Sections
- Confirm that all offered courses are set up in the correct Subject folders.
* If you plan to use the elementary scheduler, the subjects must be setup by grade level with the subject short-name matching the grade level short name* - Add new Courses to ensure the correct Courses are available for scheduling. If acourse does not appear when you attempt to add it, contact MIS to activate the course for you.
- Correct courses in red or verify with the district that the course needs to be added to the Course Catalog.
- Delete Courses that are not being used for the upcoming school year.
Step 3: Master Schedule Report
❏ Scheduling>Master Schedule Report>Sections
Verify the information within the Sections tab (across the top):
- Period
- Teacher
- Section #
- Room
- Total Seats
- Marking Period
- Grading Scale
- Grade Posting Scheme
- CH Term
- Bell Schedule
- Calendar
Note: Fields can be mass updated
At this point you will decide how you will schedule students .We have listed a few options below for Step 4.
Step 4: Option 1: Create Packages (recommended)
- Identify the parent 'mama' and subsequent 'babies' children of each package. This should be set up by the way the students rotate together through the day.
- Packages should include specials classes.
- Add all Packages
Step 4: Option 2: Elementary Scheduler
❏ Scheduling >Elementary Scheduler
- Make sure the ELA and Math tests have been selected in the system preferences (check with MIS)
- Click on the students name to add scheduling restrictions to students.
- Either manually place the students in each class using drag and drop or use the Optimize button to allow Focus to set the class lists.
- Students are NOT scheduled until you click Schedule Students.
Step 5: Loading Reports
❏ Scheduling>Loading Reports> Students with Incomplete Schedules
- Search> Define what a 'complete' schedule is by selecting the periods the students should have at the top of the report and click Update.
- Students displayed do not have a full schedule. Investigate why.
- Resolve Issues with missing periods on the student schedule
Step 6: Hand Schedule
❏ Scheduling>Student Schedules
- Hand schedule students that didn’t get scheduled.
- Manually manipulate the student schedules to adjust for individual scheduling issues.
- Adjust ESE Inclusion and Pull-out Minutes and Meeting Days for the appropriate students.
Step 7: Print Class Lists
❏ Scheduling> Print Class Lists
- These can be run for Homeroom only
- Effective Date should be the first day of school
- Customize fields to include on the class list
Step 8: Before the first day of School *MIS*
❏ Setup> System Preferences> School Preferences > Scheduling
- Unhide Schedules from Students and Parents
- Unhide Schedules from Teachers
❏ Setup> Periods
- Very that bell schedules are set up
❏ Setup> Marking Periods
- Make sure all marking period dates have been set and are accurate
❏ Setup> Attendance Calendar
- Make sure all school days have been checked on the Default Attendance Calendar