1	Is this Stand-Alone software designed for all teachers to use?

1	No. This product is designed for only those teachers of Grades 1 - 6 English, French Immersion, Ukrainian and Hebrew classes.

2	Can this Elementary Report Card software be installed on any computer?

2

No. This software, as a minimum, requires a Pentium computer running either Windows 95, 98, 2000 Professional or NT 4.0 with a CD-ROM drive since it installs a run-time version of FileMaker Pro from the CD. It runs successfully on a 90 Mhz Pentium with as little as 32 MB of RAM. Although this program may load somewhat slower on older Pentium computers, once it has passed the load stage it works surprising well.

3	When I attempt to install the Elementary Report card CD on my home computer it displays a message something like "FileMaker cannot run because of missing files, is not installed correctly or does not have enough memory ... ". How can I correct this problem?

3	This error is displayed on older computers whose operating system has not been upgraded to be Y2K compliant. Contact Technology Education for a solution to this problem.

4	What is the difference between the upgrade "patch" shown in the yellow box and the "full install" displayed in the green box on the Report Support upgrades web page?

4

Educators who have already installed a previous version of the Elementary Report Card software (for example 3.0a, 3.0b, 3.0c, etc.) can upgrade to the current latest version by simply downloading the smaller "patch" `file. For example, if the patch is currently at version 3.5a, one can download the 3.5a patch and install it over top of any earlier version 3.0a - 3.0j and it will update the previous software versions to 3.5a. ALWAYS remember to save any previous student work to floppies using the Send/Copy command before doing any upgrade.  The "full install" (which is about eight times larger than the "patch" file) is equivalent to the contents of the same version on CD. If one does not have access to the latest CD and has reliable Internet access, one can download the latest "full install" and set it up on a computer that does not have a previous installation of the Elementary Report Card.

5	How can I install this report card software at home if I don't have Internet access?

5	Those with no Internet access must install the Elementary Report Card software at home using a CD containing any version of the software from version 3.0 a-j. Once the software is installed from CD, one must run the current "patch" from diskette to upgrade to the latest version of the software.

6	How can I install this report card software if I don't have Internet access nor a CD-ROM drive on my home computer?

6

Provided one's computer has the required specifications mentioned above in Question #2, one can still install the Elementary Report Card software using only four diskettes. One must visit the "Resources" page of this web site and follow the steps in the link "Installing on a computer with no Internet access and no CD-ROM drive". This process transfers the entire Elementary Report Card program onto four diskettes which can be taken home and installed on a home computer.

1	As a lab facilitator in our school, what strategy can I use to help my colleagues keep track of their data on floppies?

1

Some educators have found that providing each staff member with two, colour-coded diskettes in a "baggie" helps users identify report card data better. For example, the green diskette is always considered as the first or primary data diskette while the red one is reserved for the backup data diskette.

2	How can I ensure that teachers have access to the Report Card software in a secure environment?

2

It is recommended that school lab facilitators have the Elementary Report card software installed at the "Teacher" level with an 800 x 600 resolution. Furthermore, it is recommended that each educator, who is completing an elementary report card, always uses the Save/Send button to transfer the report card data to two floppies and then deletes all confidential information off the local hard drive when exiting. Educators must logon to the blue screen with the "Teacher" password to gain access to the Elementary Report Card software. At the end of the session teachers must be encouraged to logout of the "Teacher" level blue screen and logon as a "Student" with the standard green screen.

3	If our computer lab facilitator has reserved one specific computer in our lab for my exclusive use when doing reports, do I still always have to Save/Send files to my two floppies upon exiting this Elementary Report Card software?

3

Regardless of whether you use a "reserved" computer at school or your own home computer, it is strongly recommended that you always Save/Send the upgraded report card data to two floppies in case something happens to the data on the computer's hard drive. At school, another teacher could inadvertently Open/Get his/her data from a floppy diskette and load it into "your computer" effectively over-writing all your data. Also, hard drives and computers have been known to fail. Imagine how you would feel if you returned to school one morning only to find that "your computer" had been sent in for service. If you did not have such report card data backed up on two floppies, you would feel devastated. So always backup data to floppies upon exiting the Elementary Report Card as it will prove to be a good insurance policy.

4	I'm using a Dell computer at school with the "Deep Freeze" locking software. Are there any special issues of which I need to be aware?

4

Yes. It is IMPERATIVE that you always Save/Send your upgraded report card data to the two data diskettes when you exit a computer which uses the "Deep Freeze" locking software. If you simply exit the program without saving to floppies because you are in a hurry and think that the data has been automatically saved to the hard drive, you may be for a shock. True, data is automatically saved to the hard drive while you enter report card information, however after you exit, if someone re-boots the computer with "Deep Freeze" enabled, all your report card data on the hard drive is automatically deleted. If you did not use the Save/Send function to transfer a copy of your report card data to floppy diskettes, ALL your work is gone. So ALWAYS Save/Send to floppies when exiting this software since the diskettes are the primary storage area and the hard drive area becomes secondary when using this report card software.

1	I entered my name (John McKenzie) as a teacher in the Classroom /Teacher Information screen. However, when I go to the Add New Student screen, the "Classroom Teacher:" field only displays "John".  Why is my surname missing?

1

Teachers whose surname appears to be missing in the Student Management or Add New Student screens, should return to the Classroom/Teacher Information screen. Although one may see the First Name: and Surname: fields entered correctly, in most cases the user has entered the First Name field correctly and then has pressed the <Enter> key rather than the <Tab> key to advance to the Surname field. If one clicks the mouse in the First name field and finds that not only is the person's first name highlighted in black but also the blank line beneath, then an <Enter> key has caused the problem. To correct this problem, click immediately behind the last letter in the First name and then press the <Del>ete key to remove the extra blank line below the First name. Next press the <Tab> key to move to the Surname field. Verify that the extra line below the First name field has been successfully removed by clicking on the First name field to check that only the single line containing the First name is in black. Next go to the Student Management or Add New Student screens and verify that both the first and last name appears in the Classroom Teacher field.

2	I job-share a class with a colleague. How can we enter both our names in the Classroom Teacher Information window?

2

Let us assume that Marcia Woodworth and Tony Huynh job share. In the Classroom/Teacher Information window, enter the first teacher's complete name followed by a space and a slash (or &) in the First Name: field. Next enter the second teacher's complete name in the Surname: field. The resulting print out on the report card will look like "Teacher: Ms M. Woodworth / Mr. T. Huynh". In such job-sharing situations it would be wise that each teacher enter her/his name following the common curriculum goals or objectives that they have for each child as well as after the specific comments that each makes for a respective student.

3	Why is it so difficult to enter my common term overview summary in the area at the bottom of the Classroom/Teacher Information screen?

3

The area at the bottom left of the Classroom/Teacher Information screen, is reserved for the "Title" of the Common Program Summary and should not exceed one line in length. If the administrator and staff choose to provide a common overview with the report, a decision must be made as to a one-line descriptive title which is entered in this area. Remember to keep it non-term-specific (as described on page 10 of the manual) because this title will be used to describe all terms. Should the staff decide not to provide a common overview, then this area can be left blank. The actual Common Program Summary can be entered in the anecdotal section by selecting the appropriate "Reporting Period" and then clicking on the "Edit Common Program Summary" button.

4

During a preparation period, I completed all the required fields in the "Classroom/Teacher Information" screen. Since I had to get ready for another class, I exited the program making certain to save my work to my two data diskettes. When prompted, I chose to "Delete all confidential information". After dismissal time, I used the Open/Get command to transfer my Classroom/Teacher Information back into the computer. The files were successfully transferred but, upon investigation,  my "Classroom/Teacher Information" screen was blank.  Why did this happen?

4

You just quit entering data too early. Although the Classroom/Teacher Information was entered correctly, it is not retrieved until a minimum of one student name has been correctly added. If you had entered one or more of your students' data in the "Student Management" screen and then exited and saved to your two data diskettes all your data would have retrieved properly in subsequent sessions.

1	Why can I not enter a student name after I have clicked in the "Student First Name" field on the Student Management screen?

1	Always remember to read the prompts or hints provided on each screen. It is important to follow the clue on this screen which states "Important! To add students to your class list, click on the Add New Student button".

2	I have 27 students in my class but I only see 15 of them in the "List of Students" window. How can I make this window larger so I can see my entire class?

2

This window is a fixed height and only displays 15 students at a time. If one wishes to see the name of students "above" or "below" this window, one must click on the "up" or "down" arrows in the vertical scroll bar on the right side of the "List of Students" window to see the other students in class.

3	If I notice a student's name is misspelled in the "List of Students" window, do I have to delete the student and re-enter all the information about the student again?

3	No. One can edit a particular student's name in the demographic left side of the Student Management screen as described on page 12 of the manual. Make certain that you use the <Tab> key and not the <Enter> key to complete the update.

1	In the Checklist portion, how can I indicate a performance scale that is midway between two values?

1	The Elementary Report Committee changed the Academic Performance Scale from a five to a four point scale this year and changed the format so that midway values cannot be chosen. Educators may only indicate a 1, 2, 3, 4 or NA.

2	I know that one should use the <Tab> key to move down each Checklist column but how can you move back up if you miss or wish to correct an entry?

2	One can depress the <Shift> key and at the same time press the <Tab> key to move up a Checklist column. No one needs to use the mouse since the <Tab> key advances one down the column and the <Shift-Tab> key combination moves one up the column.

3	Why can I not enter 74% for a student's Grade 6 Mathematics mark?

3	Although Grade 6 report cards include a space for the "Percentage mark" in the 4th. term, one can only enter the digits. Any attempt to enter the percent sign (%) will be trapped as an invalid entry.

4	Why can I not enter "N/A" (for non-applicable) in areas or concepts which have not been taught yet?

4	The only "Not- Applicable" abbreviation that the software allows in "NA" (without quotes).

5	Why are the cells in the Checklist so small?

5

The Elementary Report Card has been reformatted to fit on the shorter 8.5" x 11" paper so the cells may appear to be somewhat smaller. However one can click on the "In" button at the top of the screen to "Zoom-In" and have the Checklist display in larger format. Remember to click on the "Out" button to "Zoom-Out" before moving to another section of the report.

6	Is there a quicker way to fill in the "Attendance" in the Checklist portion?

6	One should scroll down to the first student's Attendance section and complete the days absent. While the cursor is still positioned in the "Attendance" field, click on the "Next" button to display the next student's "Attendance" field, enter the data and repeat the process.

7	Since the report card no longer includes an area for "Times Late", do I need to collect this data?

7

The Report Card Committee decided that a specific "Times Late" area would not be included in this version of the software. Administrators at each school will direct staff as to the need to collect data on "Times Late". However where tardiness and/or lack of attendance affects a student's progress, it is expected that teachers would identify these issues and report to parents in the specific anecdotal section.

1	How can I delete the first line of the Comments section, which states Attached to this report you will find:," since there are no attachments in my class?

1

This statement is generated by the software and cannot be turned off by the user. To counteract this phrase some educators are simply entering "NA" or "No Attachment" in the anecdotal field immediately below the prompt. If, one chooses to make a similar entry, it will be necessary to enter a statement in the first student's report, highlight the entry, click on the Edit/Copy menu items (or use the <Ctrl-C> key combination) to place the remark in the computer memory and then click on the "Next" button to move to the next student's anecdotal report. Click in the attachment window area, and then select the Edit/Paste menu items (or use the <Ctrl-V> key combination) to paste the contents of the computer's memory into this area. Simply repeat the process, click on "Next" button, click in the attachment window area and use Edit/Paste (or Ctrl-V) to paste this same phrase into all students' reports.

2	How can I use the word processing component in the anecdotal portion most efficiently?

2

It is important that educators set the environment to the Elementary Report Card software when they first begin. For optimal use the screen resolution should be set to 800 x 600 pixels so educators have more are to work within and all options and buttons are clearly displayed without having to scroll. In addition at the start, one should select the appropriate toolbars. This process is identified in Appendix C (pp 52-54) of the manual. Select the View menu bar. If a check mark appears in front of the "Status Bar" option, click on this entry to remove the check mark. This will remove a status bar line from the bottom of your screen and give you a larger screen to work within.  Next click on the View/Toolbars menu items to see the Standard and Text Formatting tool bars. Each of these respective tool bars can be toggled on or off by clicking on each name. Since one should only use one tool bar at the top of the screen, click on the appropriate tool bars as needed so that only the "Text Formatting" tool bar is preceded by a check mark. If you are successful, only the toolbar showing the Bold, Italic & Underline characters should be displayed directly under the menu line as shown in the manual on page 8. This "Text Formatting"  toolbar will be very useful when completing the anecdotal portion of the report. This effective configuration will be saved when you send/copy data to your floppies and exit the program.

3	I have typed anecdotal information on a specific student which has filled up the entire text window. Why can I not press the <Down arrow> key several times to provide more anecdotal space for this child?

3	When one wishes to insert more space into a text area window in the anecdotal portion, one must press the <Enter> key repeatedly rather than the <Down arrow> key to insert new blank lines at the bottom of the text window.

4	When I return from the anecdotal portion to the main menu (with the WSD#1 logo), why can I not see the "Exit Report Card" button?

4

If you zoom-in while entering data in the checklist or anecdotal areas and return to the main menu while still in zoomed in mode, the "Exit Report Card" button will be located below the window. Simply return to the checklist portion of any report and click on the zoom "Out" button. Now when you close and return to the main menu, the "Exit Report Card" button will be visible at the bottom of the screen.

5

I clicked on the "Check Spelling" button in the Common Program Summary window of the Anecdotal portion. When I clicked on the blue "Spelling" title bar and dragged it to the side of the monitor in order to see the spelling error that was flagged, the screen behind the spelling window became blank. Is this normal?

5

Yes. One may find that the screen refresh does not automatically invoke when one drags the spelling window into a new position. This lack of repainting is not critical. However, users who use spell checking feature should click on the "Context" button to open a one line window at the bottom to help identify the misspelled word in context.

6	Why can I not copy comments DIRECTLY from the Common Program Summary (in Reporting Period 1, for example) to the Common Program Summary (in Reporting Period 3)? Whenever I try a direct copy and paste, the result that gets pasted is either blank or text that I did not originally select.

6

To copy from one Common Program Summary area to another, one must use an intermediate word processor and follow the work-around steps below: 1. Highlight the text one wishes to copy from the Common Program Summary area and click Edit/Copy or use the <Ctrl-C> short-cut. Minimize the Elementary Report Card software. 2. Start up a word processor such as Notepad or Works. 3. Click in the word processing window and select Edit/Paste or the <Ctrl-V> shortcut to transfer the text into this area. Note that the formatting (bold, italic etc.) will not transfer as only the text from the previous database area will be transferred. Minimize the word processor. 4. Return to the Elementary Report Card and close out of the Common Program Summary area and the Anecdotal area. Next navigate to the new Common Program Summary area where you want to copy the text. One must click on the appropriate "Reporting Period #" button, click on the "Edit Common Program Summary" button and click in the frame where you want to paste the text. 5. Return to the word processor and highlight the text you want to copy. Click on Edit/Copy or use the <Ctrl-C> shortcut. 6. Return to the Elementary Report Card and click in the text frame at the point you want to paste the transferred information. 7. Click on Edit/Paste Unformatted Text or use the <Ctrl-V> shortcut to paste in the text into the new Common Program Summary area.  8. If required, make any formatting changes and modify the text to suit this Reporting Period's Common Program Summary.  9. When finished, click this "Set this comment as the term overview ..." button at the bottom.

1	Has the report card paper size changed?

1	In the past the "hard copy" of the Elementary Report Card was on 8.5" x 14" paper. This software prints the reports cards out on the smaller 8.5" x 11" format.

2	Do I have to print the Checklist and Anecdotal portions of my class reports separately?

2	When the "Print" command is issued, the software merges the student's report card data into a particular template or layout and then the job is forwarded to the printer. Since the "Checklist" and "Anecdotal" portions are on two different templates, one has to print each portion separately.

3	How can I create a more permanent report card print out if I use an ink jet printer?

3

The manual recommends that ideally report card should be all printed on laser printers because spilled liquids or rain can erase a ink-jet printed report. One administrator recommended that teachers, wishing to make ink-jet generated reports, should consider duplicating them since photocopy machines use a much more permanent type of ink than traditional ink-jet printers.

4	Why would the very last line of my anecdotal section have the bottom half of the last sentence missing when printed out on our school laser printer?

4	Verify that the laser printer has been set to a resolution of 300 dots per inch (dpi) rather than 600 dpi. See page 18 in the manual for details.

5	I want to set our printer to 300 dots per inch (dpi) as recommended, but there are no settings for either 300 dpi or 600 dpi in the printer properties area. How can I ensure that the printer is set correctly for 300 dpi?

5	When one clicks on the printer "Properties" button as illustrated on page 16 in the manual, there may not be a Graphics tab available to select. Some printers require the user to select a "custom" printer where they can then set the dots per inch resolution as part of the printer specific details.

6	At school our Hewlett-Packard (HP-2100 LaserJet) printer has 1200 and 600 dots per inch (dpi) options but there is no 300 dpi setting. How can I reduce the printing resolution to 300 dpi as recommended?

6	Recommend that someone download the latest HP-2100 printer driver from the Hewlett Packard web site at: http://www.hp.comand and install the new driver which now includes a 300 dpi option.

7	Why does the term "Grade 5 ..." always appear above the rolodex navigational icon even though I have a Grade 3 class?

7

When teachers of Grade 6 students wish to preview or print student reports, they will note that the term above the rolodex icon states "Grade 6 ...". However this term is just a programming name given to the layout. The layout name, given to all report card checklists which did not include percentage grades, was "Grade 5 ..." . This "Grade 5 ..." layout name is used for any reports generated for students in Grades 1 through 5 and does not have to agree identically with the specific Grade level of the children in one's class.

8	Why don't you insert a "Back" button above the "Continue" button for users who wish to abort a Preview or Print operation more quickly?

8	Although one has control over the report card content, one cannot modify the rolodex or the left hand bar containing the "Continue" button. This feature is built into the FileMaker structure and cannot be modified.

9	Why does it take so long to cancel the Preview/Print process?

9

When a user clicks on the "Preview/Print" button one goes into the preview mode (with the rolodex navigational tool). At this point there is no way to back out of this screen if an error is spotted. One must click on the "continue" button before one can decide to "Print" or "Cancel" out of the "Preview" mode. However, if one clicks on the "Continue" button and has to wait for the "Print" dialogue box, it is because you have a network problem. This delay is not due to the software but the networking within your school. For example if the default printer is turned off, the "Print" dialogue box will be very slow in displaying and error messages may be displayed to alert you to this fact.

 

H. Get/Send information to/from floppy diskettes  

1	Should l always Save/Send files to my two floppies upon exiting this Elementary Report Card software?

1

Regardless of whether you use a "reserved" computer at school or your own home computer, it is strongly recommended that you always Save/Send the upgraded report card data to two floppies in case something happens to the data on the computer's hard drive. At school, another teacher could inadvertently Open/Get his/her data from floppy diskette and load it into "your computer" effectively over-writing all your data. Also, hard drives and computers have been known to fail. Imagine how you would feel if you returned to school one morning only to find that "your computer" had been sent in for service. If you did not have such report card data backed up on two floppies, you would feel devastated. So always backup data to floppies upon exiting the Elementary Report Card as it will prove to be a good insurance policy.

2	What should I do if I attempt to Open/Get data from one of my floppy diskettes and the Elementary Report Card program cannot load the data?

2

If during the Open/Get process one gets an error indicating that the software is unable to transfer the report card data files from your first floppy diskette to the computer's hard drive, one should try the Open/Get process again using your second (back-up) floppy diskette. Assuming that this diskettes does not fail and the data is transferred from the floppy to the computer hard drive, it is very important to make up new data diskettes immediately. Verify that the information has been loaded into the computer by checking to see that all your students are listed in the Student Management screen, or by advancing through individual students in the checklist or anecdotal portions. Once you are confident that your latest data has been transferred correctly to the computer hard drive, get two new diskettes, and use the Save/Send commands to transfer the up-to-date information from the computer's hard drive to your two new floppy diskettes. If you continue using only the one remaining functioning diskette, without making two new backups, you have reduced your backup efficiency in half. Those who operate in this mode are courting disaster. So always ensure that you have two functioning back-up floppy diskettes.

3	Since the program makes two floppy backup diskettes whenever I exit and use the Save/Send command, can two different teachers work on the same student reports at the same time?

3

NO. Let us assume that you have just completed all your Language Arts grades for your class at school. Upon exiting you make your two data diskettes for backup (one green and one red) as instructed. You plan to give your first backup diskette (the green one) to your Phys-Ed teacher to work on at her home that evening while you work on your second backup diskette (the red one) at your home completing the Science grades. Don't ... Your data will no longer be synchronized. If you proceed, the next morning your data on the two diskettes will contain the following information and it will be impossible to combine the data. - 1st backup ("green" diskette) contains - LA & Phys-Ed marks - 2nd backup ("red" diskette) contains - LA & Science marks. Note the Open/Get command, which copies the contents of floppies to the computer's hard drive does not append (or add data to the end of an existing set of data). Rather it replaces all the data on the hard drive with the data from the floppy. Since your two diskettes now have different data there is no process available using this software which will allow you to compile the LA & Phys-Ed & Science marks to a floppy or computer hard drive. To facilitate this inter-change of data from itinerants, many schools have requested that itinerants pass along their grades and data on paper to the classroom teacher for entry.

1	As a teacher of a multi-grade 1-3 classroom, why can I not print all my students' checklists when I click on the "Preview/Print All Student Checklists" button?

1

When an educator wishes to preview or print ALL reports, the software has to load a template with a title such as "Student Report Grade 1" and merge the specific student data into this template. Since each checklist template has a specific grade level (identified just below the header of "THE WINNIPEG SCHOOL DIVISION"), only reports for students in this grade level are selected for preview or print. As such, educators of multi-grade classrooms must preview or print students in each grade level separately.

2

I have a split Grade 3/4 class. When I first enter the Checklist area, I can click on either the "Next" or "Previous" buttons to examine every child in my split class regardless of whether they are in Grade 3 or Grade 4. However why, when I click on the "Preview/Print All Student Checklists", do I only see the students in either Grade 3 or Grade 4 and not my entire class?

2

When you first enter the Checklist or Anecdotal sections, the computer software examines all students in a multi-grade environment. However as soon as one clicks on any "Preview/Print" button, the total number of students is reduced to display only those within the "active" grade level. This means that if a Grade 3 child was displayed in the red box at the top of the Checklist and one clicked any "Preview//Print" button, the software has to load up the "active" student's Grade level report card template (in this case Grade 3). One may click on the Rolodex icon to navigate through all the students but because the Grade 3 template is loaded, one can preview (and print) only Grade 3 children.

3	How do I print the upper Grade level(s) in a split class?

3

When one first enters the Checklist or Anecdotal areas, the red box at the top of the screen always displays, in alphabetical order by last name, the students by grade level starting with the lowest grade. If, for example, one is teaching a Grade 3/4 split class, a Grade 3 student will be displayed initially. One must click on the "Next" button repeatedly to advance through all Grade 3 students. Once the first student in the upper grade (in this case, Grade 4) is displayed in the red box, one should click anywhere in the Checklist or Anecdotal portion to make this report (and grade level) "active". When one now clicks on the "Preview/Print Current or All" button, the "active" grade level report(s) will be previewed and printed

4	After I have been locked into a certain grade level in a split class environment, how can I go back to the state where I can navigate through my entire class regardless of Grade level?

4

As soon as one clicks on the "Preview/Print" button, the software "locks" into the grade level of the "active" report. If one is in the Anecdotal and clicks on the "Close Anecdotal" button and then the "Close Checklist Form" button, one will return to the main menu screen. When one clicks on the respective "Report" button and returns to the Checklist or Anecdotal portions, one will be able to click on the "Next" or "Previous" buttons to navigate through one entire split class. This complete navigation through all students in a multi-grade classroom will be in effect until one clicks on a "Preview/Print" button which will "lock" in a specific grade level.