Blog

Creating Staff Inclusion

Scheduling Full role is required to create a Course Inclusion.

  1. Creating Staff Period Inclusion - Individual
  2. Creating Staff Period Inclusion - Bulk
  3. Creating Staff Room Inclusion - Individual
  4. Creating Staff Room Inclusion - Bulk
Creating Staff Period Inclusion - Individual

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Staff > Details > Period Inclusions.

    - Under the New Inclusion section, select the periods that you want to include and click the Add Inclusion button.
Creating Staff Room Inclusion - Individual

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Staff > Details > Room Inclusions.

    - Under the New Inclusion section, select the rooms that you want to include and click the Add Inclusion button.
Creating Course Period Inclusion - Bulk

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Courses.

    - Select the courses to add period code inclusions to and go to multi-action > Add Pd Inclusion.

    - Under the Add Inclusion section, select the period codes that you want to include and click the Add button.

Note: This feature is only available in the next year schedule.
Creating Course Room Inclusion - Bulk

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Courses.

    - Select the courses to add room inclusions to and go to multi-action > Add Rm Inclusion.

    - Under the Add Inclusion section, select the rooms that you want to include and click the Add button.

Note: This feature is only available in the next year schedule.
Creating Staff Period Inclusion - Bulk

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Staff.

    - Select the staff records to add period code inclusions to and go to multi-action > Add Pd Inclusion.

    - Under the Add Inclusion section, select the period codes that you want to include and click the Add button.

Note: This feature is only available in the next year schedule.
Creating Staff Room Inclusion - Bulk

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Staff.

    - Select the staff records to add room code inclusions to and go to multi-action > Add Rm Inclusion.

    - Under the Add Inclusion section, select the rooms that you want to include and click the Add button.

Note: This feature is only available in the next year schedule.
Building Master Schedule
  1. Access the Scheduling Tab: Ensure you are working in the Next Year section of the database.
  2. Search for Courses: Use the search tools to identify the courses you wish to schedule.
  3. Select Courses: Highlight the courses and use the Multi Action > Build Master Sched option.
  4. Resolve Issues: If a course cannot be scheduled, review errors such as missing period codes, teacher inclusions, or student selections. Address these issues before proceeding.
  5. Setup Options: Configure options such as:

        - Build Semesters: Choose whether to schedule the entire year or specific terms.

        - Clear Period Codes and Rooms: Decide whether to clear existing assignments.

        - Maximum Request Level: Schedule courses starting with first-choice requests.

  6. Analyze and Build: Review the selected courses, adjust the order if needed, and click Build Schedule.
  7. Review Results: Check the output for conflicts or scheduling gaps.
Conflict Avg and Non-Conflict Avg on the Build Master Schedule Screen

When analyzing the current schedule using the Analyze Current Schedule button, two key metrics are displayed: Conflict Avg and Non-Conflict Avg. These benchmarks provide insight into how well the schedule accommodates student course selections.

    - Conflict Avg: This metric calculates the average number of scheduling conflicts for course sections. A conflict occurs when a student’s selected courses cannot all be scheduled due to overlapping times or other constraints.

    - Non-Conflict Avg: This metric measures the average number of non-conflicting course sections available to students. Non-conflicts occur when a student’s selections align successfully without overlap.

These averages are determined by examining the relationships between scheduled course sections, including those built in the current run and any previously scheduled sections that involve the same students.

How to Use These Metrics

    - Comparison Benchmarks: The metrics are most useful for comparing complete schedules to identify which configuration best meets student needs.

    - Optimization Tip: In general, maximizing the Non-Conflict Avg has been shown to yield better results for ensuring the highest number of students get their desired courses.
Loading Students into Courses

Once the courses are scheduled, load students into the sections:

  1. Search for Students: Find the group of students to schedule (e.g., seniors first).
  2. Select and Load: Use the Multi Action > Load Into Courses option.
  3. Setup Loading Options: Configure settings like percent capacity, size balancing, and request level priorities.
Course Selection
Course Selections are the process of choosing classes for the next school year. Students, parents, or advisors can participate in this process to create a schedule that aligns with the student’s academic goals and requirements. This collaborative approach ensures that selections meet school policies, prerequisites, and any special considerations while providing the flexibility to tailor the student’s educational experience.

To set up course selections, refer to Configuring Course Selections.
Configuring Course Selections

1. Preliminary Considerations

Before you begin configuring course selections, ensure that you have a clear roadmap. This foundational planning will guide all your subsequent actions.

Key Planning Steps:

    - Identify Next Year’s Course Offerings: Determine which core and elective courses will be available. Core courses are typically mandatory classes (e.g., English 9, World History I) that every student in a given grade level must take, while electives offer more choice.
    - Determine Grade-Level Eligibility: Confirm which courses are open to which grade levels. For example, a course might be restricted solely to 11th and 12th graders.
    - Pre-Loaded Courses vs. Student-Selected Courses: Decide which courses will be automatically added to student records before the selection window opens and which courses students will add themselves.
    - Identify Special-Case Courses: Some courses—like Study Hall or Lunch—may not be chosen by students and should be added after they finalize their selections.

By clarifying these points upfront, you’ll ensure that the settings you configure later align with your school’s academic vision.

2. Advancing Student Grade Levels

Properly advancing grade levels ensures that the system displays only appropriate courses to each student. To advance grade levels, review Advancing Student Grade.

3. Configuring Course Parameters

Key Fields to Configure (Scheduling > Courses):

    - Scheduling Priority: Assign a “1” to core courses and higher numbers for electives to help organize and prioritize scheduling tasks.
    - Default Section Capacity: Set a default maximum number of students for new sections.
    - Student Selection Section:
        - Minimum & Maximum Grade Level: Enter the numeric range of allowed grade levels. For example, 9 to 9 for a 9th-grade-only course, or 9 to 12 for a course open to all high schoolers.
        - Hiding Courses: Leave min and max fields blank if you don’t want a course to appear in online selections.
        - Locking Pre-Loaded Selections: Assign courses to students first, then remove their grade-level eligibility so that they appear but cannot be changed.

By configuring these parameters, students see only relevant courses, and administrators maintain full control over eligibility and requirements.

4. Setting Departmental Scheduling Rules

Departments can have their own rules that shape how students pick courses within that academic area.

Accessing Department Settings (Scheduling > Departments):

    - Rank Selections: Allow students to rank their choices to manage popular electives.
    - Max Courses Per Student: Limit how many courses a student may select in a given department.
    - Is Activity Department?: Typically set to “No” for academic departments.

These department-level settings help maintain balance and coherence in a student’s course load.

5. Pre-Loading Course Selections

Pre-loading ensures that certain mandatory courses are already on a student’s schedule before they begin selecting electives.

Two Approaches:

    - By Students: Select a group of students and add required courses to all of them at once by going to Scheduling > Students > Multi-action > Selections (Add).
    - By Courses First: Navigate to Scheduling > Courses > Details > Selections to add students to each course as needed.

Locking pre-loaded selections (by removing their eligibility ranges) prevents changes, ensuring mandatory courses remain fixed.

6. Establishing End Dates for Selections

Two critical end dates provide a structured schedule for the selection process:

    - Student Online Selection End Date: Set at the student level, it determines how long each student can make changes. Without a valid end date, students cannot select courses.
    - Course Online Selection End Date: Found in Admin > Maintenance > School Info, this date closes the selection window for the entire school division.

Note: Both dates have to be open to make selections through the CMS interface.

7. Adding and Dropping Selections

Administrators can modify course selections through the administrative interface. Navigate to Scheduling > Courses/Students > Details > Selections to add and drop course selections.

8. Configure Course Selections in CMS Portal

To enable users to select courses through the Student, Parent, or Advisor Portal, the CMS Widget - Course Selection (Grid) must be added to the appropriate portals.
CMS Widget - Course Selection (Grid)

The Course Selection (Grid) CMS Widget allows students, parents, and advisors to search for and select courses for students for the next academic year. Administrators can configure its settings to provide a tailored course selection experience. The widget is located within the Updatable group. For more details about adding this widget, see Adding CMS Widget.

The Alternative Type property defines whether students can select alternative courses only within the same department or across multiple departments.

The Course Selection Alternative To Enabled property allows students to designate backup courses in case their primary course choices are unavailable.

The Course Selection Comment Enabled property allows students to add notes to explain or provide context for their course selections.

The Course Selection Rank Enabled property enables students to rank their selected courses by priority.

The Default Number Of Records property sets the default number of courses displayed per page in the selection grid.

The Export Enabled property allows users to export the list of courses from the selection grid.

The Hide Include All property removes the "Include All" checkbox from the search interface. The "Include All" option typically displays all available classes, including those for which the student may not meet the qualifications. This setting is particularly useful when advisors are selecting classes on behalf of students, as it allows them to view and select any classes that may require overrides.

The Is Include All Checked By Default property sets whether the "Include All" checkbox is selected by default when the page loads.

The Is Second Search Hidden property hides the second search bar for a simpler, single-search experience.

The Search Fields property specifies which criteria—such as Course Name, Department, or Teacher—users can use to find courses.

The Max Selections property limits the maximum number of courses students can select, ensuring they adhere to school policies.

The Max Credits property caps the total credit hours students can enroll in to prevent overloading their schedules.

The Ranking Type property of "Auto Rank" prevents users from selecting the same ranking for multiple courses whereas "Any Rank" allows users to select the same ranking for multiple courses.

The Sign Up Limit property is used to restrict the number of signups allowed per course.

The Selected School property specifies which school division’s course catalog is displayed in the widget.

The Semester Type property allows students to select courses either for the full academic year or for a specific term.

The Show Course Description displays the course description entered in Scheduling > Course > Details > Description screen in Campus.

The Show Department Description displays the department description entered in Scheduling > Department > Details > Department Description screen in Campus.
Creating Course

To create a course, you need any of the following roles: Scheduling Full or Registrar Full.

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Courses and click the New button.

    - Enter Course Information and click the Save button.
Creating Course Section

To create a course, you need the following role: Scheduling Full.

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Courses.

    - Click the hyperlink under the Sections/Sections NY column. Note: Sections NY column is used to create a course section in the next year.

    - Click the New Section hyperlink, add Course Section details, and click the Save button.
Course Section

A Course Section refers to the specific instance of a course being taught. While the course contains general curriculum-related information, the course section provides detailed data about the logistics and implementation of the class. Each course section defines who teaches the class, where and when it is held, how many students can enroll, and the specific students assigned to it.

A Course Section can be accessed through Administrator/Scheduling > Courses > Sections screen. To access the page, you need any of the following roles: Registrar Full, Registrar Read, Scheduling Full or Scheduling Read.

Follow the steps in Creating Course Section to create a course section.

The Section is a unique identifier automatically generated by the system for each new course section but it can be overwritten by the user at the time of course section creation.

Allow Weight Calculations Overwrite Until field allows administrators to specify a date until which teachers can override gradebook weighting settings, even if the section already has graded work or reported marks.

The Primary Teacher field assigns the main instructor for the course section.

The Alternate Teacher field is optional and allows for the assignment of a second instructor. This can be useful for team-taught courses or sections that require additional instructional support.

The Capacity field sets the maximum number of students who can enroll in the course section.

The Period Code defines when the course section occurs within the daily schedule. If the master schedule builder is in use, this field can be left blank, as the system will assign period codes automatically during schedule generation. For manually created schedules, the appropriate period code can be selected to ensure proper placement within the rotation.

The Room field specifies the physical or virtual location of the course section. If the master schedule builder is in use, this field can be left blank, as the system will assign rooms automatically during schedule generation.

The Section Name is an optional field that provides additional context or distinguishes the course section from others. Note: For homeroom sections, this field is used to designate the homeroom name.

For course sections spanning multiple terms, use the Copy To Others button to copy details from one term to the next for consistency. If the terms differ, administrators can modify the details for each term independently.
Block

Blocks are the foundational time units in a school’s daily schedule. They divide the school day into manageable segments during which classes, lunch, or other activities take place. Each block is assigned a unique identifier, referred to as a Block Code, to ensure clarity and consistency when creating schedules.

A Block can be accessed through Scheduling > Blocks > Blocks screen. To access the page, you need any of the following roles: Scheduling Full or Scheduling Read.

The Block Code is the primary identifier for a block and serves as its name. Examples include 1st, 2nd, Lunch, or Advisory. These codes are used consistently throughout the system to reference blocks and maintain clarity.

The Second Line provides optional additional information about the block. For example, a block labeled Lunch could have a second line specifying Grades 9-10, helping to clarify its purpose or audience.

The Day of Cycle specifies the day in the cycle when the block is active. For example, in a 5-day cycle, a block might be assigned to Day 3. This ensures that blocks align accurately with the cycle’s structure.

The Cell of Day identifies the block’s unique position in the daily schedule grid. Each cell corresponds to a specific sequence within the schedule, helping to organize the placement of blocks across the day.

The Begin Time and End Time define the start and end of the block. These times establish the block’s duration and placement within the school day. For example, a block might begin at 8:00 AM and end at 9:00 AM, ensuring it fits into the broader schedule structure.

The Template Only field allows a block to appear on the schedule but without being tied to any specific class. Blocks like Lunch or Assembly are examples of template-only blocks that organize the day but are not associated with instructional activities.

The Print on Schedule option determines whether a block appears on printed schedules for students, teachers, or other stakeholders. Blocks that are primarily administrative or non-instructional can be excluded from printed schedules for simplicity.

Follow the steps in Creating Block to create a block.
Creating Block

Scheduling Full role is required to create a block.

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Blocks > Blocks and click the New button.

    - Enter Block details and click the Save button.
Period Code
Period Codes represent the distinct meeting patterns for classes during a scheduling cycle. They dictate when and how often each class meets within the cycle and are essential for managing complex schedules involving rotations, double periods, or interlocking courses.

A Period Code can be accessed through Scheduling > Period Codes screen.

To access the page, you need any of the following roles: Scheduling Full or Scheduling Read. Follow the steps in Creating Period Code to create a period code.
Creating Period Code

Scheduling Full role is required to create a period code.

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Period Codes and click the New button.

    - Use the graphic display of the block grid to map the Period Code:

        - Days of the Cycle: Represented across the top.

        - Blocks: Listed down the side.

    - Click the plus sign (+) in the appropriate cells to select when the class meets. For example:

        - 1st Block on Day 1

        - 3rd Block on Day 2

        - 5th Block on Day 3

    - Adjust as necessary:

        - Remove incorrect selections using the red X.

        - Observe the green-highlighted cells for the selected pattern.

    - Name the Period Code.

    - Click Save to finalize the Period Code.
Course Inclusion
Course Inclusions allow administrators to define period and room parameters for time and location a course can be scheduled. This ensures that courses are scheduled in appropriate rooms and at times that align with teaching requirements and institutional priorities.

Follow the steps in Creating Course Inclusion to create a course inclusion.
Staff Inclusion
Staff Inclusions allow administrators to define period and room parameters for time and location a teacher is available to teach. This ensures that staff availability and requirements are respected when building the master schedule.

Follow the steps in Creating Staff Inclusion to create a course inclusion.
Creating Course Inclusion

Scheduling Full role is required to create a Course Inclusion.

  1. Creating Course Period Inclusion - Individual
  2. Creating Course Period Inclusion - Bulk
  3. Creating Course Room Inclusion - Individual
  4. Creating Course Room Inclusion - Bulk
Creating Course Period Inclusion - Individual

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Courses > Details > Period Inclusions.

    - Under the New Inclusion section, select the period codes that you want to include and click the Add Inclusion button.
Creating Course Room Inclusion - Individual

    - Navigate to Scheduling > Courses > Details > Room Inclusions.

    - Under the New Inclusion section, select the rooms that you want to include and click the Add Inclusion button.
Standard Query: [Admin] Student Barcodes
One of the following roles is required to access this query: Admin Full, Admin Read, Attendance Full, Attendance Read.

This query is used to generate barcodes for students, facilitating check-in/check-out and attendance tracking. To generate the barcodes, specify the grade level parameters and click the “Print to PDF” button on the Results screen.

The Grade Level is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
Importing New Records - Financial Aid Awards
Follow the steps for Importing New Records.

Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
financial_aid_award_id
 No, if all records are blank or unique
 Identifier  “123”  Must be unique; if one value is provided, all must be specified
person_id Yes, unless it can be determined by other fields
 Identifier “123” Determined by person_first_name, person_last_name, and person_birthdate if not specified
person_type Yes Identifier "Student" Must be "Student" or "Inquiry". Case-sensitive validation is applied
person_first_name Yes, if person_id is not specified
 Lookup "John" Used to determine person_id if person_id is blank.
person_last_name Yes, if person_id is not specified
 Lookup "Doe" Used to determine person_id if person_id is blank.
person_birthdate Yes, if person_id is not specified
 Lookup "7/1/2001" Used to determine person_id if person_id is blank.
financial_aid_category_id Yes Identifier “123”
award_amount No Decimal "1000.00" Optional award amount
accept_amount No Decimal “500.00” Optional amount accepted by the individual
comment Yes Text “Special case” Any additional comments or notes (255 Max characters)

Managing Credit Cards

Recording Credit Card Charges


There are 2 ways to record credit card charges:

By Recording Vendor Invoice and Recording Vendor Payment 

     1. Follow the steps of Recording Vendor Invoice to record the purchase.  Debit an expense account and credit Accounts Payable.  Example: If a school purchases laptops from Apple, the invoice would be associated with the Apple vendor.

     2. Follow the steps of Recording Vendor Payment to record the payment of the newly generated invoice with your credit card.  Debit Accounts Payable and credit the liability account associated with your credit card.  

By Recording Miscellaneous Payment

     1. Follow the steps of Recording Miscellaneous Payment to record the purchase.  Debit the expense account and credit the liability account associated with your credit card.  Note: This method is used for miscellaneous charges for which you may not want to record the vendor in the system.

Paying Off Credit Card

Ensure that the credit card statement balance matches the balance on your credit card’s liability account as of the statement date.You can see the posted balance of your liability account on the Finance > Ledger > Chart of Accounts screen. You can use the date picker to specify the statement date.

There are 2 ways to record credit card payments:

Pay by Recording Vendor Invoice and Recording Vendor Payment

     1. Follow the steps of Recording Vendor Invoice to record the new balance from your credit card when you receive the statement. In this case, the vendor is your credit card company. You can debit the liability account associated with your credit card and credit Accounts Payable.  Note: Select the credit card liability account when creating a Product to be used on the invoice.

     2. Follow the steps of Recording Vendor Payment to record when you pay the credit card using the funds from your bank account. You can debit Accounts Payable and credit the bank account.       3. Follow the steps of Writing Checks to print a check in case you are paying your bank with a check.
Note: This method can be used for both checks and bank transfers.

Pay by Recording Miscellaneous Payment

     1. Follow the steps of Recording Miscellaneous Payment to pay the credit card using the funds from your bank account.  Debit the liability account associated with your credit card and credit the bank account.

     2. Follow the steps of Writing Checks to print a check in case you are paying your bank with a check.

Note: This method should only be used for bank transfers.
 
 

 
PCR Educator Transforms School Life for Families, Teachers, and Administrators
Discover how PCR Educator transforms school life by keeping students, parents, teachers, and administrators connected and organized. [Link]
From Inquiry to Enrollment: PCR Educator's Seamless Process
Discover how PCR Educator transforms school operations from inquiries to enrollment with advanced technology and personalized communication. [Link]
Transform Your School Operations with PCR Educator: A Seamless Journey from Inquiry to Enrollment
.Discover how PCR Educator not only simplifies administrative tasks but also strengthens school-family connections, leading to enhanced efficiency and engagement. [Link]
Configuring Grade Book Templates
Grade Book Templates aims to streamline the process of establishing consistent grading structures across courses within a school. By using Grade Book Templates, schools can set up predefined category configurations for courses, allowing teachers to focus solely on creating assessments without the need to set up grade book categories manually.

Setting Up Grade Book Templates in Campus

Step 1: Set Up Grade Book Templates
  1. Navigate to the Administrator>Maintenance>Grade Book Templates tab.
  2. Click New in the upper right-hand corner.
  3. Configure Grade Book Templates.
Step 2: Associate Grade Book Templates with Courses
  1. Navigate to the Administrator tab.
  2. Select Courses.
  3. Click on Details for the desired course.
  4. In the Registrar section, find the Grade Book Template dropdown.
  5. Select the appropriate template from the list.
Impact of Disabling the Grade Book Management Page

  • Category Associations: For templated courses, teachers will not be able to specify or modify category associations. All assessments created will be tied to the categories defined in the template.
  • Assessment Creation: When creating assessments, the category selection will be restricted to those defined in the template for templated courses. Non-templated courses will retain the ability to use non-templated categories.
  • Consistency: This approach ensures that all templated courses adhere to a uniform grading structure, simplifying the grading process and maintaining consistency.

Notes

  • Teacher Responsibilities: Once templates are set, teachers will only be responsible for creating assessments and assigning them to the appropriate categories as defined by the templates.
  • Non-Templated Courses: Courses that are not associated with a Grade Book Template will continue to use the existing grade book category setup process, allowing for more flexibility in category management.
New Feature: Saving Time with Grade Book Templates
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming release of a powerful new feature: Grade Book Templates. 

What's New?

Grade Book Templates will enable schools to establish consistent, pre-defined category setups across desired courses. This feature aims to streamline the grading process and ensure uniformity in assessment categories. Here are the key highlights:

Consistent Category Setup: Schools can now define and enforce category associations for courses, ensuring a standardized structure across the board.

Simplified Assessment Creation: Teachers will no longer need to set up categories; they can focus solely on creating assessments within the predefined categories.

Hybrid Flexibility: For schools that prefer a mix, administrators can allow teachers to manage categories for some courses while retaining control over others. This ensures flexibility and customization to meet the specific needs of each school.

For any questions or further information, feel free to contact our support team.
 
Enhancing Admissions Decisions with PCR Educator's Innovative Support and Analytics
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Close Of The School Year 2024 Announcement
The Closing the School Year Wizard is available! Keep in mind that you can send notifications to next year’s families, and give them access to the Parent Portal (including next year's schedules), prior to closing this school year. As always, please plan ahead and reserve multiple business days with us in case you need support in closing the school year.

Note: The close of the school year wizard will not be available if your school exceeds the purchased database storage amount. Please contact support@pcreducator.com for help addressing this.

Handling Voided Receipts on Deposits
After a receipt is voided, if it was created by auto-pay (for payments created after 6/18/24), you can associate it with a deposit on the date of the void for the same payment processor.

Features:
  1. Void Count and Net Deposit Columns: The deposit list now includes two new columns:
    • Void Count: Displays the number of voided receipts associated with the deposit.
    • Net Deposit: Shows the net amount of the deposit after accounting for voided receipts.
  2. Associated Voids Dashboard Element: You can include an Associated Voids dashboard element to view voided receipts linked to the deposit. This element provides a clear and organized view of all voided receipts, enhancing transparency and ease of tracking.
Steps to Handle Voided Receipts
  1. Void a Receipt:
    • If a receipt needs to be voided, follow the standard procedure to void the receipt.
    • Note: This functionality applies to auto-pay receipts created since the 6/18 release.
  2. Associate with a Deposit:
    • Once a receipt is voided, it can be associated with a deposit on the date of the void, provided it is for the same payment processor.
    • This ensures that the voided receipt is accurately reflected in the deposit records.
  3. Review Deposits:
    • Navigate to the deposit list to review the updated columns:
      • Void Count: Verify the number of voided receipts for each deposit.
      • Net Deposit: Check the net deposit amount after void adjustments.
    • Add the Associated Voids dashboard element to your view. This will display all voided receipts connected to the deposit, making it easier to manage and reconcile your records.
Transformative Decision-Making in Admissions with PCR Educator
PCR Educator's advanced analytics and support system revolutionizes decision-making in school admissions, effectively turning the software into an indispensable team member that enhances institutional effectiveness.
Streamlining School Admissions with PCR Educator's Personalized Guidance
"And here's the really cool part: PCR Educator doesn't just help us collect applications; it's like a guiding light for families, leading them step by step with automated reminders and personalized communication. It's like each family has their own guide, making their way from just looking to fully enrolling a smooth ride." [Link]
Application Setup
The Application Setup contains many general settings for the school database as a whole rather than individual division settings in school info.  To access this page, navigate to Security > Maintenance > Application Setup.  You need Security Full roles to access this page.

Culture controls how currency is shown in Finance (decimal, thousands separator, negative amounts) as well as how dates work.  This includes controlling the display format for financials as well as DAT Query, DAT Fields - Step 2.

Currency Symbol controls the currency symbol shown.  This includes controlling the display format for financials as well as DAT Query, DAT Fields - Step 2.

Time Zone controls how email jobs are scheduled to be sent out, parent teacher conferences start and end times, and DAT date time calculations.  Rather than being based on the local PCR Educator server time, you can specify the timezone the school is located at.  Once specified, times are relative to your timezone time instead.

Email Sender Prefix is a default prefix for various automated notifications.  It replaces everything before the @ in an email address.  Note: Email senders should always be explicitly specified on email templates, and all staff users should always have a valid school email address. 

Email Domain is the institution's email suffix.  It should include the @. Example: @myinstitution.edu  Note:  An SPF Record must be registered with your domain before you can specify an Email Domain in the school database. If the SPF Record is not configured properly and doesn’t pass the validation, the Email Domain setting is ignored.

Merge Link Expiration (days) determines how many days a Reset Password link is valid.

Notification Sender is a default sender for automated emails.  This field is for backward compatibility and should have a generic email like no-reply@pcreducator.com.  Note: Email senders should always be explicitly specified on email templates, and your school personnel users should always have a valid school email address.

Budget Periods determines whether finance enters budgeting data yearly, quarterly, or monthly.

Reconciliation determines if you see individual transactions or a summary on the transaction register for the transaction on the finance reconciliation page.  Generally, it is recommended to reconcile by transaction register as there is less data for you to have to work through.

Deferred Schedule determines when revenue is recognized, considering factors such as invoice dates and deposit dates. Each setting provides a different approach to handling deferred revenue, allowing flexibility based on specific business needs and scenarios. Note: “No Deferral” is used for the “Manual Revenue Recognition” method of recording Finance Unearned/Deferred Revenue. Note: “Earn on Receipt Earn Date Only”, “Earn on Invoices Before Earn Date”, and “Earn on Invoices Always” are all three options used in the Earn Date Revenue Recognition method.

Inquiry Online must be the page in your CMS where a new Inquiry is entered.  The New button in Admissions takes you to the inquiry online page to create the new inquiry.

Apply Online must be the applicant profile page in your CMS, where an applicant applies.

Anticipated Close Date is the date you expect to close out the School Year.  The student’s status and substatus for next year is based on the anticipated close date and any actions associated with the student.  Note: This might be best understood from the Contract where you might have students Pre-Enrolled for the current year to complete the contract, and fully Enrolled as of the next school year.  Such students are anticipated to be fully enrolled as of the Anticipated Close Date.  So their next year status is calculated based on any next year action issued before or on the Anticipated Close Date.

Development Fiscal Month is the month that the development fiscal year switches.

Development Fiscal Day is the day that the development fiscal year switches.  Note: Typically, the Development Fiscal Month and Development Fiscal Day for development is July 1st.

Finance Require Student determines whether every invoice and receipt must have a student specified on each record.  If you are using Balance Calculation - By Student you want to have this setting turned on.

Disable Prerequisites turns off the prerequisite logic.  If you are not using prerequisites, checking this setting improves system performance for Scheduling.

Recurring Donation Email is the email template used to remind donors of an upcoming charge for their recurring donations.

Check In/Out Pincodes determines whether the pin codes must be unique in the entire database, or whether multiple households might have the same pin code when students or other contacts are checking in or checking out the student.  Everyone within a household must have a separate pin code in order to positively identify who is picking up a student.  Emergency Contacts must have Can Pickup checked, and are identified by first name, last name, and pincode in order to check out a student.  Parents must be marked as Okay To Pickup on the student - household relationship in order to check out a student.  Note: The “Check In/Check Out” widget in the CMS has different options to check out student including by Pin Code.  This Check In/Out Pincodes setting works in conjunction with the CMS widget.

Development Post Type determines whether when Recording Development Activity in Finance the activity is recorded as journal entries or miscellaneous receipts.  

Translation Token is based on a subscription to Weglot.  Place the token you receive from Weglot here to enable translation on Contracts and the CMS.

Translation Location determines where the Weglot translation options appear.  Note: It may take several minutes for changes to this setting to appear on the Contract or CMS.

No Attendance Record allows you to override the text shown when no attendance record is present. If no value is specified, the default text "Present" will be used.

Email Css File is a CSS file which determines the visual properties of all emails (typically font type, color, size). 

Top 3 table sizes shows the 3 largest tables by size in your database.  The table size must exceed 0.1GB to appear.
Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance)
Auto-Pay Configuration is a record that represents a collection of rules for payment processing for Automated Payment Processing,  used to pay invoices using the Stored Payment Info, or to accept payments for Contracts or through the CMS. Navigate  to Finance > Maintenance > Auto-Pay Configurations to set up Auto-Pay configurations.  You need the FinanceAR Full role to access this page.  Note:  For fully automated payment processing, create a Customer Invoice Filter which selects the invoices to be paid.  The filter should be sufficiently generic that on any given day, it selects the desired invoices to be paid.

Auto-Pay Configuration Type determines how the Auto-Pay operates.
    - Inactive: The auto-pay configuration is no longer used.
    - Auto: The auto-pay is processed automatically.  The Customer Invoices paid are determined by the Customer Invoice Filter.
    - Manual: The auto-pay configuration is available when using the Finance > AR > Invoices, Auto-Pay multi-action or to accept payments for Contracts or through the CMS.

Payment Configuration is the Payment Configuration used to process the payments.

Stored Payment Type is the type used when processing payments.  For Contracts and CMS if this is specified then the payment used will be recorded with the Stored Payment Info.  Note: If no Auto-pay type is specified, no Stored Payment Info is recorded. Note: When paying invoices via multi-action, if a customer doesn’t have a Stored Payment configured with this Stored Payment Type, no payment is processed for that customer.

Payment Method determines which Stored Payment method this configuration is applicable for.  

Pay Type determines how to charge the invoice.
    - Due Amounts: charges the amount due today if any, as well as any overdue amount.
    - Low Balance: charges the Autoload Amount if the current balance drops below the Autoload Balance. Note: This is typically used to auto-charge for Lunch ledger balances.  
    - Overdue Amounts: charges overdue amounts only.

Pay Options is either Per Customer or Per Student.
    - Per Customer: One payment is charged per customer for all their payable invoices.
    - Per Student: One payment is charged for each student for all that student’s payable invoice.
Note:  If the Application Setup is set for Finance Require Student, then choose the Per Student option.  Otherwise, to minimize convenience fees charged, select Per Customer.  Example:  If a customer has 3 students and 5 invoices to be paid for each student, the Per Customer option initiates only 1 charge to cover all 15 invoices.  The Per Student option initiates 3 charges, one for each student paying the student’s 5 invoices.  

AR (Credit) Account is the Accounts Receivable account used for the customer receipt. Note: If the desired Auto-pay configuration is for Deferred/Unearned revenue, and the “Deferred Schedule” in Application Setup is set to “Earn on Receipt Earn Date Only,” "Earn on Invoices Before Earn Date," or "Earn on Invoices Always," then the AR (Credit) Account must be set to the corresponding Unearned/Deferred Revenue Account. 

Deferred/Unearned Account is only visible if the “Deferred Schedule” in Application Setup is set to “No Deferral”.   It represents the unearned revenue account utilized for payments designated for future invoice applications. Note: The Unearned/Deferred Account is used for deposit receipts being applied to future invoices.  When you finalize the deposit, the reported Accounts Receivable balance will be adjusted from the deposit date through the invoice issued date as long as the invoice is dated later than the deposit.  Example:  In the following example, the customer paid their deposit on 6/1/2016.  The invoice is issued on 7/1/2016 for the next fiscal year.  The unearned account is specified as “Unearned Revenue (Tuition).”  When the receipt is “Finalized,” the following transactions are added to the general ledger.  This results in the AR being reported accurately during the period between when the receipt was received and the invoice is issued: AR is re-increased during the span between the receipt date and the invoice date.

Account Fiscal Year Date Type Amount
Unearned FY16-17 7/1/2016 Debit $1000.00
AR FY16-17 7/1/2016 Credit $1000.00
Unearned FY15-16 6/1/2016 Credit $1000.00
AR FY15-16 6/1/2016 Debit $1000.00


Classification determines the classification used for customer receipts.

Deposit choose “New Deposit” for Credit Cards.  For E-Check, you may specify a deposit which will act as an Undeposited Funds which never gets posted, or “New Deposit”

Deposit Account determines which general ledger account appears on the deposit.  This account represents the bank account where the Payment Processor deposits funds.

Deposit Description determines the description which appears on the deposit.

Deposit Date is required for the initial setup, but the current date is used when creating the actual deposit.

Deposit Classification determines the classification used on the deposit.

Receipt Method determines the receipt method appearing on the customer receipts.

Receipt Memo is the public customer memo used for the customer receipts and statements.

Internal Memo is any internal comment that is not visible to customers.

Convenience Fee Product is the product used to determine any convenience fee for each payment.  Note: The convenience fee is applied as a separate invoice.  Note: Fee information is not required.

Fee AR (Credit) Account is the Accounts Receivable account used for the Convenience Fee invoice.

Fee Classification is the classification used for the Convenience Fee invoice.

Convenience Term is the payment term used for the Convenience Fee invoice.  Note: The payment term is typically set to  “Due Immediately” or similar terms.

Convenience Memo is the customer memo that appears on the convenience fee customer invoice and customer statements.

Post Fee Invoices determines if the convenience fee invoices are posted to the general ledger automatically.

Customer Invoice Filter determines which invoices are eligible to be paid by the auto-pay configuration.  Note:  This field is only applicable if the Auto-Pay Configuration Type is “Auto.”  Note: Customer Invoice filters are configured on the Finance > AR > Customer Invoices page.  You need FinanceAR Full or FinanceAR Read to access this page.  Note:  The Customer Invoice Filter should only include unvoided invoices with an unpaid balance.  Add additional conditions to restrict the invoices based on due dates.  Additional restrictions are at your discretion.  Example: Add additional restrictions for posted only invoices, or Contract 2018 only invoices.

Receipt Email Template is the template for the email that is sent after their payment has been made successfully.  This template is based on an email using the Finance > AR > Receipts multi-action Email. You need FinanceAR Full or FinanceAR Read to access this page.  Note: The email is only applicable to Automated Payment Processing. The email will not go out when the payment is made through the CMS Portal.
 


Administrator Emails are email addresses which receive a payment summary email once the payments are processed.

Note: Convenience Fee Product, Fee AR (Credit) Account, Fee Classification, Convenience Terms, Convenience Memo, and Post Fee Invoices are fields necessary for creating a Convenience Fee invoice.  If no fee is to be charged, leave all of these fields blank.
GL Account
GL Account is an account or record used to sort, store and summarize a school's transactions. These accounts are arranged in the Chart of Accounts.

Note: If you select any of the following “Deferred Schedule” options in Application Setup: "Earn on Receipt Earn Date Only," "Earn on Invoices Before Earn Date," or "Earn on Invoices Always," you must create a new Unearned/Deferred GL Account in the General Ledger for all unearned/deferred revenue. This account functions as both the "AR Credit Account" on the Auto-Pay Configuration for unearned/deferred revenue and the credit account on invoices for all unearned/deferred revenue transactions.

To create a new account, select the correct ledger in the top right corner of the page. Go to Finance > Ledger > Chart of Accounts. Click New on the right side of the page to enter the new account details.

Account Name is the name of the account listed in the chart of accounts. Note: Changing the account name of an existing account will update the account name on all associated transactions.

Account Number is the account number associated with the account. You can enter the account number directly, or click the Account Number link. The account number link has the section, description, and numbers that are listed in Finance > Maintenance > Account Number Mapping. Note: Changing the account number of an existing account will update the account number for all associated transactions.

Account Description can be any description you want to be entered for the account.

Category is the classification the account belongs to. Example: Asset, Liability, Equity, NetAsset, Revenue, Expense, Gain, Loss. Note: This MUST be set to “Liability” for all Unearned/Deferred Revenue Accounts.

Type is the type of account based on the category. Example: Category Revenue - Type Income, Category Asset - Type Bank Account. Note: This MUST be set to “Unearned Revenue” or “Deferred Revenue” for all Unearned/Deferred Revenue Accounts. 

Account Sub Types are a further classification of the account. Make a selection from the drop-down. Note: Sub Types can be added by clicking the Account Sub Types link.

Contra to Account is where you set the account the new account is contra to, if applicable. Note: A contra account is an account that offsets the balance of the associated account.

Is Aggregate? is a checkbox to mark if the account will include the sum balance of this account and any sub-accounts connected to it.

Suppress Reporting? is a checkbox that prevents the account from being listed in the reports.

Note: You can associate accounts with multiple ledgers by going to Finance > Ledgers > Chart of Accounts > Details > Associate with Ledgers.
Finance Unearned / Deferred Revenue

Unearned / Deferred Revenue is when payments are received before the invoice issued date.  An example of unearned/deferred revenue is collecting deposits for re-enrollment contracts for the next fiscal year.  Note: The general ledger account must have a Type of “Unearned Revenue” or “Deferred Revenue.”

There are two approaches to consider when recording unearned/deferred revenue in PCR Educator.
1. Manual Revenue Recognition - Recording the unearned/deferred revenue on the invoice line items: Using this approach, a manual journal entry must be made to move the amounts from unearned/deferred revenue (liability) to revenue (income). Note: Use this approach when the revenue must be recognized in a prorated manner over the course of the year.
2. Earn Date Revenue Recognition - This method involves managing deferred revenue recognition across various scenarios and transaction types. It begins by understanding the conditions under which revenue should be deferred, such as when a receipt is associated with an invoice. The approach varies depending on scenarios like “Earn on Receipt Earn Date Only,” "Earn on Invoices Before Earn Date," and "Earn on Invoices Always," each dictating when revenue is recognized. Overall, the method ensures accurate and compliant deferred revenue recognition, optimizing financial reporting and management.

Note: In the examples below, we've adopted a system where Debits are displayed as positive numbers, while Credits are represented as negative numbers. This method ensures that the total comes out to zero when we sum up all the credits and debits. It's important to note that due to this convention, Revenue might appear as a negative number, even though it signifies gains.

Earn Date Only:

A receipt of $5000 on March 1st will be earned on July 1st. Since this is for Earn Date Only, invoices do not matter.

Record Entry GL Date Cash A/R Deferred Notes
Receipt 3/1/2024 3/1/2024 5000   5000 Dr Cash, Cr Deferred
  3/1/2024 7/1/2024   -5000 -5000 Added automatically when posting Receipt, Dr Deferred, Cr Cash
Total:     5000 -5000  

Earn on Invoices Before Earn date: 

A receipt of $5000 on March 1st will be earned on July 1st. An invoice for $200 will be added on May 1st. Invoices dated after the earn date do not matter.

Record Entry GL Date Cash A/R Deferred Revenue Notes
Receipt 3/1/2024 3/1/2024 5000   5000   Dr Cash, Cr Deferred
  3/1/2024 7/1/2024   -5000 -5000   Added automatically when posting Receipt, Dr Deferred, Cr Cash
Invoice 5/1/2024 5/1/2024   200   -200 Dr A/R, Cr Revenue
  5/1/2024 5/1/2024   200 -200   200 is no longer deferred as of May instead of through July
  5/1/2024 7/1/2024   -200 200   200 is no longer deferred as of May instead of through July
Total 7/1     5000 -4800   -200
 
Earn on Invoices Always: 

A receipt of $5000 on March 1st will be earned on July 1st. Invoice A for $200 will be added on May 1st, and Invoice B for $400 will be added on September 1st.
Record Entry GL Date Cash A/R Deferred Revenue Notes
Receipt 3/1/2024 3/1/2024 5000   5000   Dr Cash, Cr Deferred
  3/1/2024 7/1/2024   -5000 -5000   Added automatically when posting Receipt, Dr Deferred, Cr Cash
Invoice A 5/1/2024 5/1/2024   200   -200 Dr A/R, Cr Revenue
  5/1/2024 5/1/2024   200 -200   200 is no longer deferred as of May instead of through July
  5/1/2024 7/1/2024   -200 200   200 is no longer deferred as of May instead of through July
Invoice B 8/30/2024 9/1/2024   400   -400 Dr A/R, Cr Revenue
  8/30/2024 7/1/2024   -400 400   400 is now deferred through Sept 1st
  8/30/2024 9/1/2024   400 -400   400 is now deferred through Sept 1st
Total 9/1     5000 -4400   -600  
New Feature: Flexible Revenue Recognition
We are thrilled to announce a powerful new feature: Earn Date Revenue Recognition. This enhancement is designed to provide you with more flexible deferred revenue recognition, ensuring your financial reporting and management are optimized.

Key Benefits of Earn Date Revenue Recognition:

Precision and Compliance: Manage deferred revenue recognition across various scenarios and transaction types with accuracy.
Flexibility: Choose from multiple recognition methods to best fit your financial practices.
Improved Financial Reporting: Ensure your financial data reflects real-time, accurate revenue recognition.

Feature Details:

Our Earn Date Revenue Recognition method includes three versatile options:

Earn on Receipt Earn Date Only:
- Recognizes revenue solely based on the receipt earn date, regardless of when the invoice was issued.
- Ensures the timing of invoices does not affect revenue recognition.
Earn on Invoices Before Earn Date:
- If an invoice is issued before the earn date, revenue is recognized on the invoice date.
- Adjusts recognition based on invoice timing, ensuring compliance with financial standards.
Earn on Invoices Always:
- Recognizes revenue based on the invoice date, regardless of the earn date. 
- Overrides the earn date if an invoice is associated, aligning revenue recognition with invoice timing.

To get started, please review these articles and reach out to support@pcreducator.com:

Finance Unearned / Deferred Revenue
Application Setup
Earn Date Revenue Recognition
Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance)
 
Earn Date Revenue Recognition
The “Deferred Schedule” setting under Application Setup must have one of the following selected:

Earn on Receipt Earn Date Only
Recognizes revenue only on the receipt earn date, regardless of when the invoice was issued. In other words, the timing of the invoice doesn't affect when the revenue is recognized. Instead, it's solely based on the earn date listed on the receipt. So, even if an invoice was issued earlier or later, the revenue will be recognized only on the specific date when it's earned.
Earn on Invoices Before Earn Date
Revenue is primarily recognized on the earn date. However, if an invoice is issued before the earn date, the revenue related to that invoice is recognized on the date of the invoice itself. This means that the timing of the invoice impacts when the revenue is recognized. If the invoice date precedes the deposit date, the revenue is recognized as of the deposit date.
Earn on Invoices Always
Recognizes deferred revenue on the earn date, unless there's an invoice associated with the transaction. If an invoice exists, the system adjusts to recognize revenue based on the invoice date, regardless of whether it's before or after the earn date. This means that the timing of the invoice determines when revenue is recognized, overriding the earn date. If the invoice date precedes the deposit date, revenue is recognized as of the deposit date, aligning with the invoice's timing.

Ensuring Accurate Revenue Recognition: Key Requirements

Crediting the Unearned/Deferred GL Account:
To initiate the revenue recognition process, every receipt must be credited to an Unearned/Deferred GL Account. This step ensures that revenue is appropriately recorded and accounted for in our financial statements.
Linking Unearned/Deferred GL Account to Accounts Receivable (A/R):
The Unearned/Deferred GL Account must be directly linked to an Accounts Receivable (A/R) account. This linkage establishes a clear connection between the deferred revenue and its corresponding receivable, facilitating seamless tracking and reconciliation.
Alignment of Earn Date with Deposit Date:
Crucially, the Earn Date must align with or occur after the Deposit (or Credit) date. This requirement ensures that revenue recognition occurs in accordance with the timing of financial transactions, maintaining consistency and accuracy in our accounting records.

Transactions affecting Deferred Revenue and Accounts Receivable remain consistent regardless of whether the invoice precedes or follows the Earn Date.

In the realm of (Re) Enrollment Contracts, the utilization of new logic depends on the Auto-Pay Configuration settings, particularly the association of the Unearned/Deferred GL Account with an Accounts Receivable (A/R) account. When linked with an A/R account, receipts align their Earned Date with the contract invoice's Issued Date, while their credit account mirrors the Unearned/Deferred GL Account, streamlining transaction records. Conversely, when the Unearned/Deferred GL Account lacks A/R association, the receipt credit account will match the invoice A/R account, and the Unearned/Deferred GL Account is specified on the invoice/receipt association just like before. 

For billing automation, the calculation of Earn Dates is critical for streamlining invoice processing, whether through manual multi-action or automatic setups within Auto-Pay Configuration. Earn Dates are automatically determined as the day following the conclusion of the fiscal year associated with the receipt, contingent upon the presence of a suitable unearned credit account.
Navigating the Admissions Process with PCR Educator
PCR Educator enhances the admissions experience by providing families with automated reminders and personalized communication, effectively guiding them from initial inquiry to full enrollment. [Link]
PCR Educator Transforming School Outreach and Communication through Customization and Automation
"We've really seen a difference in attracting families. The way we can tailor our forms and use smart data to reach out has expanded our horizons, attracting a diverse mix of students. It's like we're speaking directly to each family's needs and doing it more efficiently with the system's smart automation and AI that cuts down our heavy lifting." [Link]
New Feature: Support Chat
Great news! We are thrilled to announce a new addition to our support options. Now, when you log into PCR Campus, you can easily start a chat with one of our support agents. Simply use the chat icon in your screen's bottom right-hand corner.

This new feature is designed to provide you with quick and convenient support, ensuring your questions are answered promptly and efficiently. We hope this enhances your experience with us.
 
Enhanced Family Engagement and Efficiency through Customizable Forms and Smart Automation
The ability to tailor inquiry forms and utilize smart data significantly enhances a school's outreach, attracting a diverse student body and streamlining communication, making interactions with each family more personal and efficient. [Link]
PCR Educator Streamlines Enrollment and Strengthens Connections
"PCR Educator has totally changed the game for us. It's like we've found a secret recipe that not only brings in more families but also helps them glide through the enrollment process. The system is so smart that it does a lot of the work for us, letting my team focus on what's really important — building real connections with families." [Link]
PCR Educator: Revolutionizing Enrollment and Enhancing Family Connections
PCR Educator has revolutionized school operations by attracting more families and streamlining enrollment process, allowing the admissions team to concentrate on building meaningful relationships. [Link]
Standard Query: [Admin] Attendance by Day
To access this query, you must have one of the following roles: Admin Full, Admin Read, Attendance Full, Attendance Read, Registrar Full, Registrar Read.

The query generates a comprehensive list of attendance descriptions for every day listed as “In School” in the daily rotation. It allows users to filter results based on Student ID, Student First Name, and/or Student Last Name. It presents essential information, such as the student's name and ID, along with the school day and the attendance description for each day.

The Student ID is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
The Student First Name is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
The Student Last Name is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
 
Standard Query: [Admin] Student Historical Marks
To access this query, you must have one of the following roles: Admin Full, Admin Read, Registrar Full, or Registrar Read.

The query generates a comprehensive list of historical marks for all students, allowing users to filter results based on the selected school year, course name, and/or department name. It presents essential information such as the student's name, ID, and details, including the course name, school year, department name, and term/final marks.

The School Year is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
The Course Name is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
The Department Name is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
 
Optimize Your Academic Planning with PCR Educator’s Course Requisite System
We would like to remind our users about the powerful capabilities of the Course Requisite System, an essential component of PCR Educator's comprehensive school management software. This robust system plays a crucial role in simplifying course registration and ensuring students meet the necessary academic prerequisites and co-requisites.

Key Features of the Course Requisite System:

- Customizable Course Requirements: Set specific prerequisites or co-requisites for each course, ensuring students meet necessary academic standards before enrollment.
- Flexible Course Levels and Types: Group courses into types and levels, making it easier to manage and apply requisites across similar classes.
- Bulk Assignment Capabilities: Quickly assign requisites to multiple courses at once, saving valuable administrative time.
- Registration Overrides: Provide special approval for students to register for courses under exceptional circumstances, offering flexibility when needed.
- Integrated CMS Portal: Allows for seamless entry and viewing of course selections through Teacher, Student, and Parent Portals.

The Course Requisite System is designed to support schools in maintaining a structured academic environment and to assist in student course planning effectively. By leveraging this system, schools can ensure a smooth course selection process that aligns with students’ academic progress and readiness.

For further insights into how to make the most of this feature or for any additional support, please contact our team at support@pcreducator.com. Let’s enhance the way your school manages academic planning and registration!
 
Google SSO (Single Sign-On)
Google SSO (Single Sign-On) allows students, staff, and administrators to use their Google account to log into PCR.

Please navigate to Application Setup and confirm that the Email Domain matches the email domain of your students, staff, and administrators. Next, refer to the articles below to enable Google SSO for both Campus and CMS Portals:

1. Google SSO (Single Sign-On) - Campus
2. Google SSO (Single Sign-On) - CMS Portal
 
Google SSO (Single Sign-On) - Campus
To turn on Google SSO (Single Sign-On) for Campus, please email support@pcreducator.com. 

Note: this feature is only available if your organization purchased the Google SSO module.

Note: Once Google SSO (Single Sign-On) is turned on, all users will be required to log into Campus with their Google account.
 
Google SSO (Single Sign-On) - CMS Portal
You will need the Website Full role to enable Google SSO (Single Sign-On) for the CMS Portal.

To turn on Google SSO (Single Sign-On):
 
  - Log in to the appropriate CMS Portal.
  - Navigate back to the login page.
  - Access the properties of the CMS Widget - Login Control.
  - Enable the setting Enable Google Authentication and click Save.

Note: Use this method only to enable Google SSO (Single Sign-On) for Staff and Student Portals, as staff and students are provided with a Google email account by the school.

Note: Once Google SSO (Single Sign-On) is activated, all users will be required to log into the CMS Portal using their Google account.

Note: this setting is only available if your organization purchased the Google SSO module.
 
Elevate Your Summer Camp Experience
In the bustling atmosphere of educational institutions, managing summer camp activities is crucial for enriching students' learning experiences outside the regular academic calendar. At PCR Educator, we're dedicated to assisting you in navigating the complexities of summer camp management.

The Significance of Effective Summer Camp Planning

An organized summer camp schedule is vital for maximizing engagement and learning opportunities for students. It ensures the effective allocation of resources, caters to diverse interests, and fosters an enjoyable and educational environment for students. However, orchestrating such a program involves various challenges, including activity planning, resource allocation, and communication with parents.

Benefits of Efficient Summer Camp Planning Include:

- Resource Optimization: Efficient use of facilities and materials for various activities.
- Diverse Offerings: A range of activities that cater to different student interests and age groups.
- Enhanced Communication: Streamlined information flow to parents regarding camp schedules, registration, and updates.

How PCR Educator Supports You

Our comprehensive summer camp management software simplifies the intricacies of planning and execution. With features designed to address the unique needs of summer camps, PCR Educator empowers you to deliver an exceptional camp experience.

Free Consultation Opportunity

We're offering a complimentary consultation to explore how our summer camp module can be tailored to your institution's specific requirements. Our experts are ready to demonstrate the software's capabilities, including activity scheduling, registration management, and communication tools.

During Your Consultation, We Will:

- Review your current summer camp planning process and identify improvement opportunities.
- Share best practices for effective summer camp management.
- Illustrate how our software simplifies activity scheduling, registration, and communication.
- Guide you on implementing our solutions to enhance your summer camp offerings.

Connect with Us

Don't let the complexities of summer camp management overshadow the joy and learning it brings to students. Contact us at support@pcreducator.com to schedule your free consultation. Let PCR Educator be your ally in creating an engaging, organized, and memorable summer camp experience.

At PCR Educator, we're more than just a software provider; we're your partner in delivering outstanding educational experiences. Let's work together to make your summer camp a success.
 
Join us in Reno at the ATLIS 2024 Annual Conference
We are excited to announce that PCR Educator will be attending the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS) 2024 Annual Conference, held from April 7-10 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. This prestigious event is a must-attend for technology leaders in independent schools, offering a rich platform for professional development, networking, and innovation in educational technology.

Under the leadership of our President, Maria Duhovich, our team looks forward to connecting with educators, technologists, and thought leaders to share insights and explore new frontiers in educational technology. The ATLIS conference aligns with PCR Educator’s commitment to providing robust, innovative solutions that empower schools and educators to enhance learning experiences.

Join us in Reno for a stimulating exchange of ideas and to learn more about how PCR Educator is driving transformation in independent schools through advanced technology. We are eager to demonstrate our latest products and discuss how we can support your institution in achieving its educational goals.

We invite all attendees to connect with us during the conference to discover the impact of cutting-edge technology in education and how PCR Educator can be part of your school's success story.

Visit our website for more details and follow us for updates on our participation in the ATLIS 2024 Annual Conference. Let's innovate and inspire together for the future of education.

#ATLIS2024 #EducationTechnology #IndependentSchools #PCR Educator
Navigate Annual Forms with Ease
In the fast-paced world of education, effectively managing annual forms is crucial for ensuring that all student, parent, and staff information is accurate, accessible, and secure. PCR Educator is here to support your school in streamlining this essential process, ensuring your focus remains on delivering top-notch education.

The Importance of Efficient Annual Forms Management

Annual forms are vital for keeping your school's records up-to-date. They play a key role in:

- Ensuring Accurate Information: Maintain up-to-date details on students, families, and staff.
- Compliance and Safety: Collect necessary medical, contact, and consent information to comply with regulations and ensure student safety.
- Resource Optimization: Efficiently manage resources by having current data on your school community.

How PCR Educator Can Assist

PCR Educator's comprehensive school management system is designed to simplify the management of annual forms. Our platform offers:

- Customizable Forms: Tailor forms to meet your school's specific needs, ensuring all relevant information is captured efficiently.
- Automation and Integration: Automate the distribution and collection of forms, and seamlessly integrate the data into your school's management system.
- User-Friendly Interface: Provide a straightforward experience for parents and staff, encouraging timely submission and reducing errors.

Exclusive Consultation Offer

We invite you to take advantage of our complimentary consultation service. Our experts are eager to demonstrate how PCR Educator can be customized to streamline your annual forms process, aligning with your school's unique needs.

During the consultation, we will:

- Review your current annual forms process and pinpoint areas for enhancement.
- Share best practices for efficient form management.
- Showcase PCR Educator's functionalities in streamlining form processes.
- Offer strategies for integrating our solutions to improve your form management system.

Get in Touch

Transform your school's annual forms management with PCR Educator. Contact us at support@pcreducator.com to schedule your free consultation. Together, we'll ensure your school's form management is streamlined, secure, and supportive of your educational mission.

At PCR Educator, we're not just a software provider — we're your partner in education, committed to creating a well-organized, efficient, and supportive learning environment.
 
A parent accidentally submitted the wrong (Re) Enrollment Contract. How can I have them complete the correct one?
If a parent has submitted the wrong (Re) Enrollment Contract, you should first clean the student record by following the (Re) Enrollment Contract Cleaning Control Options For Students. Next, void their current AR Invoice to allow for the creation of a new one upon contract submission. If the deposit has already been paid, permit them to skip payment by applying the skip payment action as described in (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup. Finally, send them the new (Re) Enrollment Contract. When it has been submitted, allocate the original AR Receipt to the new AR Invoice.
 
Welcome Jordan to the PCR Educator team!
Welcome Jordan to the PCR Educator team! Fresh from joining, Jordan hit the ground running at the NBOA conference in Atlanta. A heartfelt thank you to all clients and attendees who made a point to visit our booth and greet both Maria Duhovich and Jordan. Your engagement and support are invaluable to us. Here's to fostering stronger connections and advancing educational technology together!
Streamline Your School Scheduling with Expert Guidance
In the dynamic environment of educational institutions, building an effective class schedule is pivotal to ensuring a seamless academic experience for both students and teachers. Recognizing the challenges that come with class scheduling and the construction of a master schedule, we at PCR Educator are committed to supporting you every step of the way.

The Importance of Efficient Scheduling

A well-structured class schedule is the backbone of an educational institution's daily operations. It not only optimizes the use of resources and facilities but also accommodates the diverse needs of students and faculty. However, creating such a schedule can be a complex process, involving numerous variables and constraints.

Efficient scheduling ensures:

- Maximized Resource Utilization: Optimal use of classrooms, labs, and other facilities.
- Enhanced Learning Experience: Balanced class sizes and timings that cater to students' and teachers' needs.
- Reduced Conflicts: Minimized class overlaps, allowing students to enroll in their desired courses without hassle.

How We Can Help

At PCR Educator, we understand the intricacies involved in scheduling and are equipped with the tools and expertise to simplify this process. Our school management software is designed to tackle the challenges of scheduling head-on, providing flexible and efficient solutions.

Free Consultation Offer

To further support our valued clients, we are offering a free consultation service for those who wish to optimize their class scheduling and master schedule building. Our team of experts is ready to provide personalized advice and demonstrate how our software can be tailored to meet your specific needs.

During the consultation, we will:

- Assess your current scheduling process and identify areas for improvement.
- Provide insights on best practices for efficient scheduling.
- Demonstrate the capabilities of our software in simplifying the scheduling process.
- Offer guidance on implementing our solutions to enhance your scheduling system.

Get in Touch

Don't let the complexities of scheduling detract from your institution's educational mission. Reach out to us at support@pcreducator.com to schedule your free consultation. Let us help you streamline your scheduling process, so you can focus on providing an exceptional educational experience.

At PCR Educator, we are more than just a software provider; we are your partner in education. Together, we can create a more organized, efficient, and conducive learning environment.
 
Join Us in Atlanta on February 26th and 27th: Experience Educational Revolution with PCR Educator at NBOA - Updated
PCR Educator is thrilled to share that our President, Maria Duhovich, will be spearheading our presence at the forthcoming National Business Officers Association  conference in Atlanta. This event serves as a prime opportunity for attendees to explore the forefront of educational technology advancements that PCR Educator is introducing to schools and educational entities. Our portfolio, ranging from AI-enhanced tools to all-encompassing school management system, is designed to bolster your educational endeavors. We invite you to our booth to engage with Maria and our dedicated team, gaining insight into our contributions to the evolution of education. We look forward to welcoming you in Atlanta on February 26th & 27th and discussing how PCR Educator is at the vanguard of educational innovation.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Webinar - Part I
This article is an index with timestamps for the topics covered in the following webinar: (Re) Enrollment Contract Webinar - Part I

1. Chart of Accounts [Link]
2. Product Categories and Products [Link]
3. Deposit [Link]
4. Configuring Fiscal Year [Link]
5. Configuring Payment Terms [Link]
6. Customer Invoice Attribute [Link]
7. Enrollment Profiles [Link]
8. (Re) Enrollment Contract Filter [Link]
9. (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings [Link]
 
(Re) Enrollment Contract Webinar - Part II
This article is an index with timestamps for the topics covered in the following webinar: (Re) Enrollment Contract Webinar - Part II

1. Introduction [Link]
2. (Re) Enrollment Contract Student Profiles [Link]
3. (Re) Enrollment Contract Sections [Link]
4. (Re) Enrollment Contract Controls [Link]
5. (Re) Enrollment Contract Holds [Link]
6. (Re) Enrollment Contract Overrides [Link]
7. Thank You Screen [Link]
8. (Re) Enrollment Contract Testing [Link]
9. (Re) Enrollment Contract Cleaning [Link]
Enhance Your Security with Two-Factor Authentication
We are excited to announce an important update to Campus, our administrative portal. Understanding the critical importance of safeguarding your information, we have introduced an Email Based Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) as an additional layer of security for accessing Campus.

What is Two-Factor Authentication?
Two-Factor Authentication adds an extra step to your login process. Once enabled, in addition to the password, users will be required to enter a verification code sent to their email address each time they log in to Campus. This ensures that even if someone knows your password, they won't be able to access your account without also accessing your email.

How to Enable 2FA for Your School?
To activate Two-Factor Authentication for your school, please send an email to support@pcreducator.com. Our team will assist you in enabling this feature promptly.

What Happens Next?
Once Two-Factor Authentication is activated, all users accessing Campus will receive an email containing a unique code each time they attempt to log in. This code must be entered along with the password to gain access. It's a simple step for greatly increased security.

We strongly recommend all our clients to utilize this feature. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at support@pcreducator.com.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for your continued trust in our services.
 
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Two-Factor Authentication adds an extra step to your login process. Once enabled, in addition to the password, users will be required to enter a verification code sent to their email address each time they log in to Campus. This ensures that even if someone knows your password, they will not be able to access your account without also accessing your email.

To activate email-based Two-Factor Authentication for Campus, please send an email to support@pcreducator.com. 

Once Two-Factor Authentication is activated, all users accessing Campus will receive an email containing a unique code each time they attempt to log in. This code must be entered along with the password to gain access.

If you need to create or update users, please review Configuring User and Roles Dictionary.
 
Happy Holidays
Our office will be closed on Monday December 25th and January 1st in observance of Christmas and New Year's. We wish you all happy holidays!
 
Happy Thanksgiving!
Our office will be closed on Thursday November 23rd in observance of Thanksgiving Holiday. We will resume our normal business hours starting Friday November 24th.
 
Exciting New Feature Launch: Enhanced Student Name Tracking for a More Inclusive School Environment
We at PCR Educator are thrilled to announce the launch of our latest feature, designed with inclusivity and responsiveness at its core. Understanding the diverse needs of our school communities, we've introduced an enhanced student name-tracking system. This new feature allows schools to accurately track and manage students' legal names, ensuring that all records are precise and up-to-date.

Our commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive educational environment is reflected in this update. We've listened to the valuable feedback from our dedicated educators and administrators, and we're proud to deliver a solution that not only meets but exceeds your expectations.

Stay tuned for more innovative features as we continue to evolve our platform in alignment with the needs of our vibrant school communities.
 
PCR Educator Has Teamed Up with PaySimple!
🎉 Exciting News! 🎉

We are thrilled to announce that PCR Educator has teamed up with another payment provider, PaySimple! 💳💻

With this new partnership, we continue to provide a seamless and secure payment experience for all our users. PaySimple's cutting-edge payment platform, known for its reliability and user-friendliness, aligns perfectly with our commitment to excellence and innovation.

What does this mean for you? 🤔
🔹 Streamlined Payments: Say goodbye to manual payment processing! PCR Educator's integration with PaySimple automates payment collection, saving you time and effort.
🔹 Enhanced Security: Your financial data is of utmost importance to us. Rest assured, PaySimple employs state-of-the-art security measures to protect your transactions.
🔹 Multiple Payment Options: From credit cards to eChecks, PaySimple supports a wide range of payment methods, ensuring a convenient experience for all users.
🔹 Real-Time Tracking: Keep tabs on your payment status effortlessly. You can monitor payments, check transaction history, and receive instant updates through PCR Educator's intuitive interface.

We continuously strive to improve our services and simplify processes for your convenience. The PCR Educator-PaySimple partnership is a testament to our commitment to innovation and providing you with the best tools in the industry.

Stay tuned for more updates on how this integration will elevate your payment experience. If you have any questions or need assistance, our support team is here to help!
Thank you for being a valued member of the PCR Educator community. Together, we are forging a path toward greater efficiency and success. 🚀

#PCR #PaySimple #PaymentProcessing #Partnership #Innovation #Education #Efficiency
 
Close of the School Year 2023 Announcement
The Closing the School Year Wizard is available (June 1st)! Keep in mind that you can send notifications to next year’s families, and give them access to the Parent Portal (including next year's schedules), prior to closing this school year. As always, please plan ahead and reserve multiple business days with us in case you need support in closing the school year.

Note: The close of the school year wizard will not be available if your school exceeds the purchased database storage amount. Please contact support@pcreducator.com for help addressing this.

Note: Closing the School Year webinar is available here.
PCR EDUCATOR Referral Program!
Dear valued customers, we're thrilled to announce our new PCR EDUCATOR Referral Program! We believe the best recommendations come from those who've experienced our services first-hand, and we want to show our appreciation when you share your positive experiences with your network.

Here's how it works:

🎯 Refer PCR EDUCATOR to another school.
🎁 If they attend a demo of our services, we'll credit your account with $500 as a token of our gratitude.

💰 If they sign up for our services, we'll add an additional $1500 credit to your account!

This is a great way to help other institutions benefit from our services while we show our appreciation for your continued support.
Thank you for being a part of the PCR EDUCATOR community. If you have any questions about our new program, feel free to drop us a message or comment below.

Let's grow together! 🚀

#PCR_EDUCATOR_ReferralProgram #ShareAndEarn #Education #SaaS
 
PCR Educator: Launching SOAP API
Dear PCR Educator Community,

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand new SOAP API! 🎉

Ever wished you could effortlessly access any data from PCR Educator automatically? Your wish just came true! Our SOAP API is designed to allow API users to seamlessly pull any data from PCR Educator, giving you the power to streamline your operations and make data-driven decisions.

This advanced feature further strengthens PCR Educator's commitment to providing cutting-edge, AI-driven school management solutions. We continue to innovate, offering you the tools to transform your educational experience and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of technology.

Whether you're a current user or thinking about joining our community, now is the perfect time to explore what PCR Educator can do for you. Reach out to our team for more information or to schedule a demo of this powerful new feature.

To our existing users, thank you for your continued trust in PCR Educator. We hope this new feature will make your experience even better. To potential new users, we can't wait to show you how PCR Educator's SOAP API can revolutionize your school management!

Let's continue to connect, communicate, and succeed together.

Here's to the future of education! 🍎👩‍🎓👨‍🎓

#PCREducator #SOAPAPI #AI #SchoolManagement #Education #Technology #Innovation
 
DAT API
PCR Educator’s school management software offers a dynamic feature, the Data Analytics Tool (DAT). This versatile module allows for the creation of tailor-made queries that can be exported to suit diverse needs and promote insightful analysis. To further extend its capabilities and flexibility, we have integrated an API, a game-changing addition that opens up new realms of possibilities. This API empowers other API users to pull data from the DAT, offering a seamless experience and making the tool more accessible, more powerful, and more adaptable to a wide range of scenarios.

Note: The DAT API module needs to be enabled by PCR Educator.  If you are interested in using this module, please contact support@pcreducator.com 

This API is accessible via SOAP protocol and the definitions can be reached at the following server address: https://webappsca.pcrsoft.com/Campus/Common/DAT.asmx?wsdl

The API is designed around three core methods: 

1. DAT API - Get DAT Queries
2. DAT API - Get DAT Parameters
3. DAT API - Get DAT Export

These methods collectively allow API users to view each available DAT Query, identify necessary parameters, and export the DAT Query.

A user login with an API Full role, other appropriate user roles (based on the roles specified on the DAT Query), the school connection name, and other inputs are required to access these API methods. 

Note: Please reach out to support@pcreducator.com to obtain the school connection name.
 
DAT API - Get DAT Queries
The DAT API Get DAT Queries method allows API users to pull a list of each available DAT Query based on the user's roles. This feature ensures that users only access the data they are permitted to view, maintaining the security of the data.

To use the Get DAT Queries method, three inputs are required: the username, the password, and the school connection name. Once these inputs are provided, the Get DAT Queries method retrieves a list of each available DAT Query for the user, offering a straightforward, secure method for API users to access the data they need.
 
DAT API - Get DAT Parameters
The DAT API Get DAT Parameters retrieves the necessary parameters that a specific DAT Query may use.

To use this method, four inputs are necessary: the username, the password, the school connection name, and the query id. 

Note: The query id, which can be accessed via the DAT API - Get DAT Queries call, specifies the DAT Query for which the parameters need to be identified.

By successfully employing the Get DAT Parameters method, API users can identify the specific parameters required by a DAT Query, enabling further customization and fine-tuning of the data analysis process.
 
DAT API - Get DAT Export
The DAT API Get DAT Export method enables users to export a specific DAT Query.

To use this method, five inputs are required: the username, the password, the school connection name, the query id, and any necessary parameters that the DAT Query might require. These parameters can be identified using the DAT API - Get DAT Parameters method.

Once these inputs are provided, the Get DAT Export method returns the results of the specified DAT Query, allowing API users to access, analyze, and utilize the data as needed.
AI Report Card Comments
AI Report Card Comments functionality allows teachers to generate personalized, insightful, and engaging comments for their students, based on their report card grades, skills assessments, and gradebook data.

To activate AI Report Card Comments, follow the steps outlined in AI Prerequisites.
 
AI Prerequisites
To access PCR Educator’s OpenAI  features, sign up for an OpenAI API account and provide us with the API key associated with your account. This will enable our school management system to seamlessly integrate with the OpenAI infrastructure.

We understand that adopting new technologies and services may raise concerns, so we want to assure you that OpenAI features are entirely optional. If your school decides not to utilize them, there will be no impact on your existing workflows or usage of our school management system. We deeply respect the autonomy of your institution and offer this feature solely as a valuable resource to further enhance the educational experience.

To proceed with enabling OpenAI features for your institution, please follow these steps:

- Sign up for an OpenAI API account by visiting https://platform.openai.com/account/api-keys
- Navigate to the Billing section and set up a paid account.
- Navigate to the Usage section and set the desired usage limit according to your needs and budget. Remember, this will be the maximum amount of usage your account can reach before it is temporarily suspended until the next billing cycle.
- Upon successful registration, you will receive an API key. Please share this key with us by replying to your ticket or emailing us at support@pcreducator.com
- Once we have received your API key, our technical team will promptly assist you in integrating OpenAI into your school management system. We are committed to providing comprehensive support throughout the process, addressing any queries or concerns that may arise.

We would like to bring your attention to the limitations associated with certain features of our product that utilize the OpenAI API. It is essential to understand these limitations to ensure proper usage and manage expectations.

Reliance on third-party AI model:

1. The features provided by PCR Educator that utilize the OpenAI API rely on a third-party artificial intelligence (AI) model. While the AI model is trained on a vast amount of data and is designed to provide accurate and helpful responses, it may not always be flawless or error-free. There might be instances where the AI model generates responses that are not entirely accurate or may not meet your specific requirements.

Uncertainty and evolving nature of AI technology:

2. AI technology, including the OpenAI API, is constantly evolving. As a result, the accuracy, performance, and capabilities of the AI model utilized by PCR Educator's features may change over time. We make efforts to keep up with the latest advancements and improvements in the field, but we cannot guarantee continuous perfection or immediate adaptation to new scenarios.

Contextual and ethical considerations:

3. The OpenAI API relies on provided prompts to generate responses. The accuracy and appropriateness of the generated responses depend on the quality and specificity of the prompts. It is crucial to provide clear and concise prompts, taking into account the legal, ethical, and contextual considerations relevant to your specific use case. The responsibility to ensure the legality and ethical compliance of the generated content ultimately rests with the user.

4. User data privacy and security:

When utilizing the OpenAI API, certain data, such as prompts and responses, may be processed or stored by OpenAI. While PCR Educator takes precautions to protect your data, it is essential to review and understand OpenAI's data privacy and security policies to ensure compliance and mitigate any potential risks.

5. Continuous improvements and updates:

PCR Educator is committed to enhancing its services and incorporating customer feedback. This may involve making changes to the features that utilize the OpenAI API, including improvements, updates, or even the removal of certain functionalities. We will strive to keep you informed about any significant changes that may impact your usage.

Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
 
🚀 Introducing PCR Educator's Newest Game-Changing Feature: AI-Powered Report Card Comments! 🚀
We know that writing report card comments can be a time-consuming and challenging task. That's why we've partnered with OpenAI to bring you a groundbreaking new feature that will revolutionize the way you create report cards!

Say goodbye to endless hours spent crafting the perfect comments for each student. With our cutting-edge AI technology, you can now generate personalized, insightful, and engaging comments for your students, based on their report card grades, skills assessment, and grade book data.

✨ Here's what you can expect from our AI-Powered Report Card Comments feature:
👩‍🏫 Accurate and individualized comments that reflect each student's unique achievements and areas for growth.
🤖 AI-driven insights that help you identify trends, celebrate progress, and address areas needing improvement.
⏱️ Save precious time and energy so you can focus on what you do best - educating and inspiring your students!

Join us in embracing the future of education with PCR Educator's AI-Powered Report Card Comments. Discover how this innovative tool can transform your report card process and make your life easier.

📣 Spread the word and share this exciting news with your fellow educators! Get started today by contacting our friendly support team for more information.

🌟 PCR Educator - Empowering Teachers, Transforming Education 🌟

#PCREducator #AIReportCardComments #TransformingEducation #EdTech #InnovativeLearning
 
Flag
The Flag functionality serves as an alert or indicator to bring attention to certain aspects of a person’s record. Flags are applicable to students, households, contacts, customers, and vendors and are beneficial for tracking various information, including academic performance, behavioral issues, special needs, and important milestones.

Note: Flags are module-dependent. Example: Customer flags do not show up on the household screen and vice-versa.

To implement flags, follow the steps for Configuring Flags.
 
Configuring Flags
To configure flags:

1. Create or Edit an Attribute in the appropriate module and specify the flag color.  See Creating Attribute for more information. 
2. Tag records with the Attribute by following the steps for Recording Attribute.  Note: You can use Calculated Attributes to automatically tag records. 
3. Navigate to the list page (Example: Administrator > Students) in the appropriate module and click on the gear icon on the right-side of the page.  Click on the Flags column to enable it.

Note: Flags automatically show up on the record’s dashboard screen (Example: Student Info widget on the student dashboard) once the attribute is applied.
 
Custom Flagging for Improved Student and Household Tracking
We are thrilled to announce an exciting new feature that will take your experience with our platform to the next level. Starting today, you can flag students and households, making it easier to keep track of your most important information.

With this new feature, you can easily mark students and households with custom flags, such as "in need of additional support," "honor roll candidate," or "staff child." This will allow you to quickly filter and sort your records, so you can focus on the most critical items on your to-do list.

We understand that keeping track of important information for every student and household can be a daunting task, but with our new flagging feature, you can stay organized and efficient, ensuring that no student falls through the cracks.
 
DAT Fields - Step 2 - Adding Calculated Field
Calculated fields are dynamic formula-based fields added to a DAT Query in DAT FIelds - Step 2.  

To add a new calculated field:
     - Identify the numerical or character fields and their corresponding variable names listed in the first column of the grid.  Note:  You cannot mix character and numeric fields in a calculated field.  Note:  Even if the character field has numeric data, it is only eligible for character fields.  Example: The student Alternate Id field is a character field.  Even if you have numbers in this field, it is still only eligible for a character calculated field.
    - Specify the desired formula below the grid using the variable names identified in the previous step. Example: A / 100 Example: A * B  Example: B +’, ‘ + A
    - Click “Add Calculated Field”

Note: Calculated fields can be constructed from other calculated fields.

Note:  For numeric fields, the type of number shown is determined by the type of numbers involved in the formula.  If only integer numbers are used, the result will be an integer number.  If a decimal number is used at any point, then the result will be a decimal number.  Example: Suppose A represents an integer column.  A / 100 will result in an integer value.  If the value for A is less than 100, the result will be 0.  Example:  Suppose A represents an integer column.  A / 100.0 will result in a value with decimals because the divisor is a decimal.

Note: The following characters may be used to create numeric calculated fields:

( ) Parenthesis controlling the order of mathematical operations. Note: Opening and closing parenthesis must match.
+ Addition
- Subtraction
* Multiplication
/ Division
A-ZZ Variable names corresponding to an existing field.

Note: A calculated field may not be added if the resulting number is too large, too small, or results in an invalid mathematical result.  Example: Division by 0.

Note: The following characters may be used to create character calculated fields:

( ) Optional.  Parenthesis control the order of operations.  Note: Opening and closing parenthesis must match.  Note: Parenthesis are permitted but unnecessary for character calculated fields.
+ Concatenate characters or fields
' Use single quotes (apostrophes) to designate characters included in the calculated field.  Example: 'First: ‘ + A + ‘ Last: ‘ + B  Note: Apostrophes must always appear in pairs.  Note: Currently, it is not possible to include an apostrophe as a character in the calculated field.
A-ZZ Variable names corresponding to an existing field.
Update: Number Of Records
In our ongoing efforts to enhance the performance and user experience on our platform, we have decided to discontinue the option to display 1,000 items in grids or lists. This change will allow us to optimize loading times, reduce system strain, and provide a smoother, more efficient browsing experience.
Verifying Toll-Free Numbers and Preventing SMS Blocking: Action Required

Verifying Toll-Free Numbers

If you use toll free numbers, you will need to verify the numbers to get faster processing after April 1, 2023. Further guidance on the verification process can be found in the following article:
https://support.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/5377174717595-Toll-Free-Message-Verification-for-US-Canada

Preventing SMS Blocking

In an effort to curtail the prevalence of spam in text messaging, phone carriers such as AT&T and Verizon have implemented measures to block messages containing email addresses, URLs, and shortened URLs that do not belong to a registered domain associated with your organization.

To enable the inclusion of these items in your messages, it will be necessary to establish an organization and register the appropriate domains for the email address, URL, and shortened URL If email or URLs are not utilized in your messaging, setting up an organization will not be necessary.

For instructions on establishing an organization and registering domains, please refer to the following article:
https://www.twilio.com/docs/messaging/how-to-configure-link-shortening

Feel free to reach out to PCR Educator Support at support@pcreducator.com if you have any questions.
 
CMS Widget - Sign up Summary
The Sign up Summary CMS widget lists the fees and discounts corresponding to course registrations.  The Sign up Summary widget is found under the Registration option.  Note: These registrations commonly correspond to summer camp sign ups, but may involve any sign ups where the student is registered directly into a course.

Columns 
    - Schedule lists the dates and times the course meets.
    - Amount / Deposit / Total:  Amount is the price less the deposit.  Amount + Deposit = Total. Note: If there is no deposit amount, then the Deposit and Total columns are automatically hidden.

Course Description Page - Optional. This is a link to the page with the course description (Content - Course Page Presenter).  Note: If specified and Show Course Details specifies "Show New Page", a new column will appear in the summary grid for "More Details" which opens this page.

Deposit Product And Type - Optional.  Specify a deposit product and type.  The product applies once per year per record type.  Note: A new year is based around the school year closing date.  If they haven’t received this fee since the last closing date, then the fee will be applied.  Note:  This is often used as a one time registration fee.

No Payment Label - Optional.  The text to be shown when there are no records for the summary widget to present,

Show Course Details - Only Show New Page has an effect on this widget.  The other options are only applicable to the CMS Widget  - Course Sign Up (Tree).

Show Waiver Codes - Optional.  This shows a textbox entering waiver codes.  Waiver codes are applicable for discount products that “Requires Waiver Code”.

Use Credit Balance - This allows applying existing credit balances towards sign ups.  Note: Eligible credit balances must be associated with the customer household signing up for the courses.  Note: All eligible credit balances are in the form of unallocated Receipts or Credits. Portions of the credit balance specific to a student can only be applied to that students’ invoices.  Portions of the credit balance without a student specified may be applied to any invoices for the customer.  Note: Only invoices created during the submission will have credits applied.  Ensure that any unallocated receipts and credits have been applied to other unpaid invoices before turning on this setting.  Note: If the user still must pay a balance, the unearned account associated with the payment method is used when applying credits to the invoices.  If no balance is due upon submission, then the unearned account is determined in the following order:  The unearned account associated with the credit card payment configuration if available, otherwise the unearned account associated with the ECheck configuration if available, otherwise no unearned account is specified.  Note: The ledger for the credit balance is based on the ledger associated with the products for the courses.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Statistics

(Re) Enrollment Contract Statics provides details about potential issues with your (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile setup.

Enrolled Students Un-Accounted For shows a list of all Enrolled students who are not matching any of your existing (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles.  Since all students need to be accounted for, the only students appearing in this list should be current seniors who are graduating.

Students Match Multiple Profiles shows students who qualify for multiple (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles.  This number should be zero.

No Parent Login for Student Contract is a list of students who have any parents that do not have a login setup.  Such students’ parents are not able to start a (Re) Enrollment Contract.   You should create a login for those parents, and inform them of their username and password.  Note: If the number is not zero and the parents have logins, check to make sure that Households Status and Bill To Households options are correctly set in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup.

Profiles Missing Payment Terms is a list of (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles which do not have any payment term options set for them.  Such (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles result in an error when trying to create an invoice for students in that (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.  This number should be zero if you are using (Re) Enrollment Contracts to create invoices or process deposit payments.

Profile Control Missing Payment Terms indicates that the (Re) Enrollment Contract Payment Options Control on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile has (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options with no payment term specified.  Such (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles result in an error when trying to create an invoice for any students when the parent chooses the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option with no payment term.  This number should be zero if you are using (Re) Enrollment Contract to create invoices or process deposit payments

The grid at the bottom lists out each profile and the Payment Terms and/or Products associated with each profile in the order that they appear.  This allows an easier way to review the tuition and deposits for each profile in order to determine if any profiles are missing fees or have incorrect fees.
Credit Balances Available Online for Parents
We're excited to announce a new feature that will make signing up for camps, activities, and summer school even easier for parents. Now parents can use their credit balance to pay for their child's summer programs. This convenient new option means that they can make the most of their available funds without calling your finance office!
Importing New Records - Vendor Invoice Items
Follow the steps for Importing New Records.

The vendor invoice item import allows you to import each invoice line item in its own row.  Note: If the Post Date, Vendor Info, Invoice Date, Vendor Memo, and Total are the same across multiple rows, then those invoice items will be imported as part of the same invoice.

Note: Total must be equal to the sum of the invoice item amounts (invoice_item_quantity * invoice_item_overriden_price) for the specified vendor invoice (determined by Post Date, Vendor Info, Invoice Date, Vendor Memo, and Total). Example: If an invoice has three items worth $10 each, the total amount on all three rows should be entered as $30.

To import all invoice items per invoice in one row, follow the steps for Importing Data for New Records - Vendor Invoices.

Depending on the export file that you are using for the import, you may prefer to use one import over the other.


Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
vendor_id Yes, if vendor_name is not specified Identifier "123"  
vendor_name Yes, if vendor_id is not specified Lookup "Amazon"  
post_date No Data "7/1/2021" Date the invoice is posted to the GL
invoice_date Yes Data "7/1/2021"  
due_date Yes Data "7/1/2021"  
total Yes Data "123" Total amount of the invoice (including all items)
accounts_payable_account_id Yes, if accounts_payable_account_number is not specified Identifier "123" The credit account. See GL Account for more information
accounts_payable_account_number Yes, if accounts_payable_account_id is not specified Lookup "1-00-00-1010-000"  
vendor_memo No Data "Printers" Memo that you may want to display on checks
internal_memo No Data "Printers"  
invoice_number No Data "abc123"  
invoice_alternate_id No Data "abc123"  
pay_to_address_id Yes, if pay_to_address_type is not specified Identifier "123" Create a DAT query to identify the id values
pay_to_address_type Yes, if pay_to_address_id is not specified Lookup "Billing" See Finance > Vendor > Details > Addresses screen
pay_to_address_line1 Yes, if pay_to_address_type is not specified and the vendor has more than one address Lookup "5 ABC Street" See Finance > Vendor > Details > Addresses screen
posted_date No Data "7/1/2021"  
voided_date No Data "7/1/2021"  
void_comment No Data    
invoice_classification_id No, unless you are using classifications Identifier "123"  
invoice_classification_name No, unless you are using classifications Lookup "Upper School" See Finance > Maintenance > Classifications screen
invoice_item_product_id Yes, if invoice_item_product_name is not specified Identifier "123"  
invoice_item_product_name Yes, if invoice_item_product_name is not specified Lookup "Printer"  
invoice_item_account_id Yes, if invoice_item_account_id is not specified Identifier "123" The debit account. See GL Account for more information
invoice_item_account_number Yes, if invoice_item_account_id is not specified Lookup "1-00-00-1010-000"  
invoice_item_overriden_price Yes Data "123" Price for the individual item
invoice_item_quantity Yes Data "123"  
invoice_item_note No Data "Printer"  
item_classification_id No, unless you are using classifications Identifier "123"  
item_classification_name No, unless you are using classifications Lookup "Upper School" See Finance > Maintenance > Classifications screen
Finance - Reports
Finance Reports may be accessed by navigating to Finance - Report or by using multi-actions PDF Reports.  You need Finance Full, Finance Read, FinanceAccountMgrFull or FinanceAccountMgrRead to access these pages.  Finance reports consist of three tabs: 

Finance - Reports General 
Finance - Reports  Fields
Finance - Reports Save
 
Finance - Reports General
The Finance - Reports General tab includes parameters configuring how the report operates.  All Finance reports have the following common parameters:

Parameter Description
Ledger The current ledger. Navigate to Home in order to switch to a new ledger.
Max Chart Layout Depth This determines how deep your selected Chart Layout will show. Any depth greater than the Max Chart Layout Depth will be summarized to the specified maximum depth.
Chart Layout Specify the chart layout to use for the report. Note: Only chart layouts you own or public chart layouts appear as options. Note: Chart layouts with an * are owned by you. Note: The default layout is a basic layout defined by PCR Educator. Please define a custom Chart Layout to use instead.
Include Unposted When checked, both posted and unposted records appear in the results. When unchecked, only posted records appear in the results.
Use Billing Address When checked, this shows the billing address in the report heading.
Report Heading This defines the heading/title on the report.
Font Name The font appearing on the report.
Font Size The font size used by the report.
Show Parameter Summary When checked, a list of all the parameters and their specified values will be appended to the end of the report.

Note: Individual reports include additional parameters specific to the report.
Finance - Reports Fields
The Finance - Reports fields give you control over which fields appear on the report.

Visible determines if the field appears on the report.

Field is an internal, unique reference name for the field.

Header is the header text for the column appearing on the report.

Inches determine how much space is allocated on the report for the field.  Note: The report resizes based on the maximum width of all columns specified.  You are not restricted to a standard paper size.

Formula is the formula used by Custom fields.  Note: To create a custom formula field, click the “New” button at the bottom of the fields list.  To include other fields in the formula, add brackets  around the standard field name.  Example: [ExistingFieldName].  Note: You can use parentheses () and basic mathematical functions +-*/ in a formula.  Make sure to include spaces before and after a mathematical function.  Example: ([ExistingFieldName] - 50) * 1.25

Selected Row allows you to select a row and use the Up and Down buttons at the bottom of the fields list to change the order that the fields appear on the report.
Finance - Reports Save
The Finance - Reports Save allows you to save a report with all of your specified parameters and fields.  The report is available in the Report Request list as a separate report when you wish to run it again.

Report Title is your custom name for the new report report.

Report Type is the name for the source report that may be ignored.

Public determines whether the report only shows for you or for anyone with suitable user roles for the Report Type.

Description allows you to provide a more thorough explanation regarding the report.
Finance - Reports - Budgets
The Budget report can be accessed by navigating to Finance - Reports.  You need FinanceAccountMgr or FinanceBudget roles to access this report.  This report is able to compare 2 different budget fiscal years.

Parameter Description
Budget 1 Budget and Fiscal Year for the first budget
As of Date The budget numbers used are from the start of the fiscal year through the month and day of the date for the specified fiscal year. The year portion of the date is ignored.
Budget 2 Optional. This is a second budget to compare against.

The fields ending in 1 are for the 1st budget specified and the fields ending in 2 are for the second budget specified.
Note: Variance is calculated as:  (Budgeted - Actual)
Note: Variance Percent Available is calculated as: Variance / Budgeted * 100
Note: Under each heading, the applicable date range for the amounts are shown.
Field Description
Annual [Budgeted / Actual / Variance / Variance Percent Available] These are the total annual numbers for the entire fiscal year. The As of Date is ignored.
Annual YTD Variance This is calculated as Annual Budgeted - YTD Actual
Annual Year -X Actual This is the Actual amount for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years prior to the selected fiscal year. The X refers to the number of years prior to the selected fiscal year.
YTD [Budgeted / Actual / Variance / Variance Percent Available] These are the Year To Date numbers for the selected fiscal year and the specified As of Date. Note: The budget numbers are prorated according to the number of days in the budgeting period for the As of Date.
Current [Budgeted / Actual / Variance / Variance Percent Available] These are the numbers through and including the Current Budgeting Period. Note: Current refers to the current budget period based on the As of Date. Example: If you are using quarterly budgeting, your fiscal year starts in July, and the As of Date is February, the current budgeting period is 3.
Current Month Actual This is the actual amount for the month. The month is based on the month specified in the As of Date and only transactions occurring through the As Of Date’s month and day are included in the results.
Previous Month Actual This is the actual amount for one month. The month is based on the month before the specified As of Date.
Pd X [Budgeted / Actual / Variance Variance Percent Available] These are the numbers for the specified budget period. Budget period 1 is the start of your fiscal year. Depending on if you do Yearly, Quarterly, or Monthly budgeting the periods may not have any values. Example: If you use Quarterly budgets, only periods 1 through 4 may have budgets or values. Note: Amounts are for the entire period and ignore the As of Date.
Export/Import PEN
This article is only relevant for Canadian schools for BC Ministry Reporting purposes.

The PEN is a student number supplied by the British Columbia Ministry of Education, uniquely identifying each student across all schools. PCR Educator provides means to manage PENs efficiently through export and import functions.

Every year, as students matriculate to your school, you will need to acquire a PEN from the BC Ministry.  To do this, generate the export file with your students and provide it to the BC Ministry.  The BC Ministry will determine the students new (or existing) PENs, and send you the file back.  Next, you import the received file from the BC Ministry to update the PENs on your student records. 

Access this export by navigating to Admin > Students and using the Special multi-action.  You need Registrar Full or Registrar Read roles to access this page.

To create the export, enter the option header file information for your school, then click Export.

Access this import by navigating to Home > Import > BC PEN.  You need the Import role and the Registrar Full role to access this page.
 
To import PENs for students from the BC Ministry provided file, click Choose File and then click Import PEN.  Matched students that do not already have PENs will be updated with the PEN in the import file.  Note: The file name must match your school’s CEEB code, and the file extension must be either ".ids" or ".pen".
Export/Import Trax
This article is only relevant for Canadian schools for BC Ministry Reporting purposes.

The British Columbia Ministry of Education requires three different file reports for TRAX.  All three of these files can be exported by navigating to Admin > Students and using the Special multi-action.  You need Registrar Full or Registrar Read roles to access this page.

The TRAX export will export all the student, course, and mark data as appropriate for delivery to the BC Ministry.  It is important that the Mark Types are set up correctly for courses so that the correct marks will be pulled into the correct places for current year courses.  The ministry will expect 3 files, each of which is its own export.

The DEM option will generate the student demographics export file.
The CRS option will generate the non-examinable student courses export file.
The XAM option will generate the examinable student courses export file.

Later, after students have taken exams and the BC Ministry has updated grading information, they will send you an XAM file with these grades. The TRAX import is able to use the XAM file to create a new input file suitable for Updating Student Historical Mark in Bulk.  To access the Trax XAM import, navigate to Home > Import > BC Trax.   You will need the Import role as well as the Registrar Full role to access this page.  Any errors found will be included in the output file.  The resulting output file is will be created for importing the exam into Trax Exam %, the school final grade into Trax School %, and the final grade incorporating both into Final Mark.

Note: The files generated will adhere to the BC Ministry file format requirements.  There are numerous 1701 Student Fields and Trax Course Fields available for Canadian schools to accommodate BC Ministry reporting requirements.

Note: For DEM exports, BC Ministry requires a status of ‘A’ (active), ‘T’ (terminated), or ‘D’ (deceased).  In PCR, the student status must be either Enrolled, Withdrew, or Deceased to be mapped correctly.  Any student that has a different status will have a blank Ministry status and not pass the BC Ministry’s validation but will still be included in the export file. Thus, if you have students with an unsupported status, you will need to modify their Ministry status in the export file accordingly or remove their records from the file.

Note:  For DEM exports, the only students exported are those with a grade level code of 10, 11, 12, AD, AN, or the student is taking at least one examinable course.  The student must be taking a current year course.

Note: For CRS exports, non-examinable course records for students with a grade level code of 10, 11, 12, AD, or AN are exported.

Note: For XAM exports, historical examinable course records are exported for students with a grade level integer value of 10, 11, 12, AD, or AN.  All current year examinable course records are exported.

Note: For CRS and XAM exports, only courses with a Trax Course Code are reported.  You can force a course to report for an individual student by providing the Trax Course Code in that student’s override.

Note: For CRS and XAM exports, the course year is reported as follows:
    - If no month is specified, then the latter half of the current school year is used.  Example:  The current school year is 2010/2011 in school info.  No month is specified, so  2011 is used.
    - If a month is specified, and the month is September or later, then the former half of the current school year is used.   Example:  The current school year is 2010/2011 in school info.  The course month is 9 or greater, so 2010 is used.
    - If a month is specified, and the month is before September, then the latter half of the current school year is used.   Example:  The current school year is 2010/2011 in school info.  The course month is less than 9, so 2011 is used.
    - The student override month takes precedence over the mark type month takes precedence over the course month.
   
Note: For CRS and XAM exports, the course month is reported  as follows:
    - If there is an override on the student course, that month is reported.
    - If there is a month specified for a mark type associated with the course section and that course section meets for the mark type’s marking period, then the month associated with the mark type is reported.  Note: In the case of multiple associated mark types with months, the largest integer month will be reported.
    - If there is a month on the course, that month is reported.
    - If no month is specified, then 6 is reported for the month.
 
 
Posting Financial Records to the General Ledger
In order to post transactions to the General Ledger, the fiscal year must be open and the Open Period Date must be on or before the date listed in the chart below. Additional General Ledger transactions may be added as a result of Finance Unearned / Deferred Revenue.
Record General Ledger Date Debits Credits Additional Notes
AR Invoice Issue Date Accounts Receivable Acc Invoice Items Negative invoice items amounts are translated to positive debits in the General Ledger when posting.
AR Deposit Deposit Date The general ledger receives one Debit to the bank account for the sum of all receipts. Each receipt’s credit is credited to the general ledger separately. Regardless of the receipt dates of the receipts associated with the deposit, credits and debits occur on the deposit date.
AR Credit Credit Date Debit Account Credit Accounts Additional debits can be applied by specifying negative credit amounts. These negative credits are translated to positive debits in the General Ledger when posting.
Journal Entry Journal Entry Date Debit Credit
AP Invoice Post Date Invoice Items Accounts Payable Acc The Invoice Date does not impact the General Ledger
AP/Misc Payment Payment Date Debit Accounts Payment Account Negative debit amounts are translated to positive credits in the General Ledger when posting.
AP Credit Memo Credit Memo Date Debit Accounts Account to Credit Additional credits can be applied by specifying negative debit amounts. These negative debits are translated to positive credits in the General Ledger when posting.

Note: There are several dates you may see either in the DAT or on other screens. Post Date (Vendor Invoices) - The date to use in the general ledger for reporting purposes. Posted Modified Date / Posted Modified Date Time - The date/time someone clicked the “Post” button or otherwise caused the record to be posted to transactions.
Importing New Records - Inquiry Actions
Follow the steps for Importing New Records.
Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Inquiry_Id Yes if Inquiry_Last_Name and Inquiry_First_Name are unspecified Identifier "1234"
Inquiry_Last_Name Yes if Inquiry_Id is unspecified. Lookup "John"
Inquiry_First_name Yes if Inquiry_Id is unspecified Lookup "Doe"
Inquiry_School_Id Yes Identifier "1" School Id that the action is associated with.
Academic_Year Yes Datasource Data "20202021" No slashes or hyphens in the number.
Action_Type Yes, if Action_Description is unspecified Identifier "1" This is the id for the action type. Use Action_Description instead.
Action_Description Yes, if Action_Type is unspecified Lookup "Accepted"
Action_Date Yes Data "2020/1/15"
Comment No Data
Action_Applying_For_Grade No Data 11 If this is unspecified, the inquiry’s applying for grade is used. Matches against the grade level Description.
Interviewer_Name No, unless Interviewer_Time is specified Lookup "John Doe" Matches against the Display name for security users. The user must have an Admissions role.
Interviewer_Time No, unless Interviewer_Name is specified Data "4:15 pm"
Event_Id No, unless Attendee_Count is specified Lookup "1" The action must be associated with an event category associated with the event.
Attendee_Count No, unless Event_Id is specified Data "2"
Forms for Staff, Households, Customers, Vendors, and Donors!
Introducing Our Forms for Staff, Households, Customers, Vendors, and Donors! If you're looking for an easy way to collect and distribute important information such as re-enrollment forms, medical updates, emergency information, permissions, and consents, our Forms module is the perfect solution. Already a hit with student forms, we are now expanding our offering to include staff and household records. Don't miss out on the opportunity to streamline your data collection process - contact our support team to learn more and sign up for the new features today!
Translate your CRM Portals
As a part of our commitment to expand the accessibility of our system, we have added a new feature to CRM/CMS Portals that allows you to subscribe to Weglot service that translates all your content automatically.
Gender Inclusive Pronouns
You can now provide your constituents with a better opportunity to self-identify using customizable pronouns' and gender options. The genders and pronouns selected by your students and applicants can later be used for personalized communication via email, text, or mail.
Importing Data
Imports are used to  transfer data into the system in bulk from a text file.  
There are two different import processes:

  1. Importing New Records
  2. Importing Data for Existing Records

Note: Blank column headers must be removed.
Note: A common issue with pasting numerical values into Excel or similar software is that the numerical values get converted into scientific notation.  Online resources are available to help convert the values from scientific notation to a standard format so that the data can be imported.

Type:
Key Id Field - unique record identifier that will be used after the import to identify the imported records. Since this field requires uniqueness, you can only use values which are not previously used. You can also leave this field blank so that the system will automatically assign the next available numerical value. Example: when importing households, household id is a Key Id Field.  Example: if the max household id in the system is X, then using a value X + 1 is recommended. However, leaving this field blank is also a good option as it would allow the system to automatically assign sequential household ids starting with the first available id.
Identifier - identifies an existing record using its unique key id (same as DAT Key Id Field) to be used for the import. Example: student id and course id when importing student courses.
Lookup - identifies the record to be used for the import by looking up records. Typically, when Identifier values are not easily available or not convenient to use, it may be easier to identify referenced records by using Lookup fields. These fields are not necessary when corresponding Identifiers are present.  Example: student first name, student last name, student birthdate represent a lookup when Identifier student id is not available to lookup student_id and to use when importing student courses. Note: lookup fields are not imported themselves. Note: lookup columns can be removed from the import files or left blank if they are not used. Note: at times a record can be identified with just one lookup field, but usually it’s recommended to specify as many as you have available to ensure that the lookup process is deterministic.
Datasource Data - data fields that are being imported that have a predetermined set of available values. Example: student gender when importing students. When entering genders you usually see a dropdown of available values such as Male, Female. Male and Female are values that you predefine ahead of time as a list of available values. When importing, you can only use one of these values.
Data - data fields that are being imported that don’t fall under categories above. Example: student first name when importing students. 
 

Data Type Data Format Example                         
Boolean  0 or 1  0
Date yyyy/mm/dd 2020/02/25
Date-Time yyyy/mm/dd hh:mm 2020/02/25 20:01
Decimal A number with a fractional part and no formatting. Fields that store currency values may have up to two decimal points.  1.25 
File Name The name of the file. Do not include a path. Do include the extension. Note: File names must only include letters, digits, underscores, and periods. Note: When importing records with associated files, select the import template and all associated files for the upload. FileName.pdf
Integer Whole number with no decimal parts or any formatting 1
Text  A string (can contain letters, numbers, and special characters)  Tuition Payment
Labor Day
Our offices will be closed on Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, September 6th.
Financial Aid Categories
Financial aid categories are a way to group financial aid for students and inquiries.  Financial aid categories are also used by (Re) Enrollment Contract to determine which products to use when financial aid is applied to a customer invoice.  To access financial aid categories, navigate to Financial Aid - Financial Aid Categories.  You need the "FinancialAid Full" or "FinancialAid Read" roles to access this page.

Academic Year is the year the associated financial aid is applicable.  New financial aid categories must be created each academic year.

Financial Aid Type allows you to specify what kind of financial aid the category is for.  This type is used for reporting purposes only and has no other impact on software behavior.

Budgeted refers to the maximum amount of financial aid the category is intended to provide.  This amount is used for reporting purposes only and has no other impact on software behavior.  Note: You can still award a total financial aid amount in excess of the budgeted amount.

Product determines which product is used when the financial aid is applied to a customer invoice.  The amount on the invoice line item is based on the financial aid award amount for the student rather than the sales price on the product. The (Re) Enrollment Contract Financial Aid Control has further information on the financial aid product behavior.

Contract Behavior determines how the (Re) Enrollment Contract uses the financial aid.
  - Accept and Invoice copies the awarded amount to the accepted amount.  The financial aid appears on the (Re) Enrollment Contract invoice.
  - Accept Only copies the awarded amount to the accepted amount.  Financial Aid Awards of this kind would be manually converted to Customer Credits at a later date.
  - Ignore causes the associated financial aid to be ignored by the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Contract Action applies the specified financial aid award action to the student's financial aid award when the (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted. 
(Re) Enrollment Contract Financial Aid Control
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Financial Aid Control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract control which presents all of the student’s financial aid that has been entered in Fin Aid > Awards which will be applied to the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  The financial aid award needs to be for the same year as the contract and must not already be listed as accepted.  If there is no financial aid information for the student, this control is hidden on the student’s (Re) Enrollment Contract.  There are no additional (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options for the financial aid control.  

Note: The currency is displayed in accordance with the Currency Symbol and Culture specified in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings.

Note: If the financial aid award for the student is supposed to be applied to the deposit, then you need to specify the deposit amount in the product associated with the financial aid award.

Note: If the financial aid category has a contract behavior of "Ignore" then financial awards in this financial aid category do not appear in the contract.
Why is the student's financial aid not showing in the (Re) Enrollment Contract?
- Check the academic year for the Financial Aid Award.  The year must match the (Re) Enrollment Contract year.

- Check if the award amount has been accepted.  If the accepted amount is already filled in, the (Re) Enrollment Contract will not use the awarded amount.

- Check that the Financial Aid Category does not have the Contract Behavior set to Ignore

- Clean the student’s (Re) Enrollment Contract Options and.  If the contract was started before financial aid was awarded, it will not appear in the contract.
DAT - Financial Aid Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main Financial Aid tables, including the link to Finance.
Announcing Support for Pronouns
Support for pronouns is added for students and inquiries.  

You can customize the pronouns available for your school by navigating to the details for students or inquiries and clicking the pronouns link.  You need DBA Full to modify the pronoun options.  When adding a new pronoun, the subject, object, possessive, and reflexive variation need to be provided.

Pronouns are not required for a record.  If no pronoun is specified, then the pronoun is calculated based on the record's current gender:
Male - He / Him / His / Himself
Female - She / Her / Her / Herself
anything else - They / Them / Their / Themself
Pronouns are available as merge fields in mail merges and comment bank comments.

You can use the multi-action "Update Fields" to mass update pronouns for records.  The student or inquiry imports also support pronouns.
 
Importing New Records - Student Attendance
Field Required Type SampleValue Notes
block_Id No Key Id "1234" All block_ids must have an explicitly defined block_id, or all blocks must not have an explicitly defined block_id
block_id must not be in use already and must be unique
block_code Yes Data "A"
block_code_second_line No Data "Advanced Math" Block_Code provides the main identifier, while Block_Code_Second_Line allows for additional details or differentiation within the same block category
Day_of_Cycle Yes Data "1" Day_of_Cycle must be in range 1-99
Cell_Of_Day Yes Data "1" Cell_Of_Day must be in range 1-99
Begin_Time Yes Data "08:20 AM" Begin_Time date must equal End_Time date (must start and end on the same day)
End_Time Yes Data "09:30 AM"
Template_Only Yes Datasource Data "1" 1 means this is a template block and will always show on a pdf schedule and students are not scheduled into this block, and 0 means that students are scheduled in this block
Print_On_Daily_Schedule Yes Datasource Data "1" 0 means do not show on pdf schedules and 1 means show on pdf schedules
School_Id Yes Identifier "1" Link to School_Id
School_Year Yes Datasource Data "0" 0 means the current year and 1 means next year
Importing New Records
The Import role is required when Importing Data.  However, a user must also have appropriate roles to access the module from where the data is imported.  See Roles Dictionary for more information.
Follow these steps to import new record: 

  1. Navigate to the desired import screen.  Note: Imports are available in the Home > Import menu.
  2. Select Separator (delimiter) and click Create Template to download the import template.  Note: By default, Excel uses tab delimiter.
  3. Open the file with a spreadsheet software.  Note: Excel or similar products can be used for this purpose.
  4. Populate the file and save it as either Text (Tab delimited) or CSV (comma delimited). 
  5. Select the file on the Import screen and click validate.  Note: If the file is validated, the “Validation Successful” message will appear.  Otherwise, validation failure errors will indicate what data needs to be corrected.
  6. Once the file is validated, select it one more time and click Import.

Here is a comprehensive index of Importing New Records articles:

Importing New Records - Addresses
Importing New Records - Alumni Households
Importing New Records - Ask Actions
Importing New Records - Asks
Importing New Records - Attribute Categories
Importing New Records - Attributes
Importing New Records - Blocks
Importing New Records - Budget Accounts
Importing New Records - Campaigns
Importing New Records - Chart Layouts
Importing New Records - Chart of Accounts
Importing New Records - Comment Bank Comments
Importing New Records - Comment Bank Tags
Importing New Records - Contact Actions
Importing New Records - Contact Attributes
Importing New Records - Contact Financial Info
Importing New Records - Contact Outside Donations
Importing New Records - Contact Relations
Importing New Records - Contacts
Importing New Records - Course Equivalencies
Importing New Records - Course Mark Type Headings
Importing New Records - Course Sections
Importing New Records - Course Type Levels
Importing New Records - Courses
Importing New Records - Current Marks
Importing New Records - Customer Credits
Importing New Records - Customer Invoice Items
Importing New Records - Customer Invoices
Importing New Records - Customer Receipts
Importing New Records - Customers and Addresses
Importing New Records - Daily Rotation
Importing New Records - Departments
Importing New Records - Discipline
Importing New Records - Evaluations
Importing New Records - Finance Address/Contact
Importing New Records - Financial Aid Award Actions
Importing New Records - Financial Aid Awards
Importing New Records - Financial Aid Categories
Importing New Records - Fixed Assets
Importing New Records - Funds
Importing New Records - Gifts and Pledges
Importing New Records - Gifts and Pledges (One Payment Per Row)
Importing New Records - Historical Attendance
Importing New Records - Historical Marks
Importing New Records - Household Attributes
Importing New Records - Household Persons
Importing New Records - Households
Importing New Records - Inquiries and Actions
Importing New Records - Inquiry Actions
Importing New Records - Inquiry Attributes
Importing New Records - Journal Entries
Importing New Records - Journal Entry Items
Importing New Records - Mark Entry Types
Importing New Records - Mark Type Headings
Importing New Records - Mark Types
Importing New Records - Miscellaneous Payments
Importing New Records - Miscellaneous Receipts
Importing New Records - MYP Conversion Chart
Importing New Records - Official Reports
Importing New Records - Period Code Blocks
Importing New Records - Period Codes
Importing New Records - Product Categories
Importing New Records - Products
Importing New Records - Rooms
Importing New Records - Staff
Importing New Records - Staff Attributes
Importing New Records - Student Actions
Importing New Records - Student Attendance
Importing New Records - Student Attributes
Importing New Records - Student Awards
Importing New Records - Student Courses
Importing New Records - Student Health Actions
Importing New Records - Student Immunizations
Importing New Records - Student Selections
Importing New Records - Students
Importing New Records - Users
Importing New Records - Vendor Credit Items
Importing New Records - Vendor Credits
Importing New Records - Vendor Invoice Items
Importing New Records - Vendor Invoices
Importing New Records - Vendor Payment Items
Importing New Records - Vendor Payments
Importing New Records - Vendors and Addresses
 
Importing New Records - Students
Follow the steps for Importing New Records.

Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Primary_Household_ID Required if Primary_Household_Name and Primary_Household_Alternative_ID are not unique Identifier "12345" Connects the student record to an already existing household as their Primary Parent household
Note, for adult students this household will represent students themselves (their address, contact information) as opposed to their parents.
Primary_Household_Name Required if Primary_Household_Id and Primary_Household_Alternate_ID are  not populated  Lookup "Smith Family"  
Primary_Household_Alternate_ID Required if Primary_Household_Id or Primary_Household_Name are not populated  Lookup "A1b3"  
Primary_Household_Relationship  Yes Data Source  "Parent", "Self"  Only the two sample values are permitted.
Billing_Household_ID Required if Billing_Household_Name and Billing_Household_Alternative_ID are not unique Identifier "12345" Connects the student record to an already existing household as their Billing household.

Note: The billing household must match with either the Primary or Secondary household.
Billing_Household_Name Required if Billing_Household_Id and Billing_Household_Alternate_ID are  not populated  Lookup "Smith Family"  
Billing_Household_Alternate_ID Required if Billing_Household_Id or Billing_Household_Name are not populated  Lookup "A1b3"  
Secondary_Household_ID No Identifier "12345" Connects the student record to an already existing household as their Secondary Parent household.
Secondary_Household_Name No Lookup "Smith Family"  
Secondary_Household_Alternate_ID No Lookup "A1b3"  
Secondary_Household_Relationship  Required if secondary Household is specified  Data Source "Parent", "Grandparent", "Self"  Only the three sample values are permitted.
 
Student_Id No Key ID Field "1234" If one row has this column populated, all rows must have this column populated
Student_Last_Name Required Data "Smith"  
Student_First_Name Required Data "John"  
Student_Middle_Name No Data "Pittock"  
Student_NickName No Data "Johnny"  
Birthdate No Data "1/1/2000"  
Sex No Datasource data "Male" "Female" This field is named "Sex" in the import but displays as "Gender" in the database. The values used must match the values found in the system. Custom values can be added.
Personal_Pronoun_Id  No Identifier   "1" Create a DAT query to identify the id values.
Lookup_Personal_Pronoun  No Lookup   "He" The lookup will check across subject, object, and possessive pronoun values to find a match.
Phone No Data "(123)-456-7890"  
Email No Data "jsmith@gmail.com"  
Current_Parish No Datasource Data "St. Mary's Catholic Church" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Parish" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Day_Or_Boarding Required Datasource Data "Day"
"Boarding"
"Virtual"		  
ESL_Yes_Or_No Required Datasource Data "Y" or "N"  
International_Yes_Or_No Required Datasource Data "Y" or "N"  
Previous_School No Datasource Data "Grant High School" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Previous Schools" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Financial_Aid_Yes_Or_No Required Datasource Data "Y" or "N"  
Birthplace No Data "Washington"  
Citizen_Of No Datasource Data "USA" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Citizenship" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Native_Lang No Datasource Data "Dutch" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Native Language" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Ethnic_Group No Datasource Data "African American" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Ethnic Group" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Locker_Number No Data "1B"  
Locker_Combination No Data "06-01-45"  
Religion No Datasource Data "Christian" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Religion" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Inquiry_ID No Identifier "12345" Links the student record to an already existing inquiry record. 
Legacy_Code No Datasource Data "Mother" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Religion" in an Admin > Students > Details > Priorities page.
Alternate_ID No Data "a1B45"  
Auditorium_Seat No Data "123b"  
Car_License_Plate No Data "B351A"  
Car_Parking_Registration No Data "5GBA"  
Car_Year No Data 2007  
Car_Make No Data "Toyota"  
Car_Model No Data "Corolla"  
Car_Color No Data "Red"  
Student_Suffix No Data "Jr"  
Care_Card_Number No Data "9281 051 185" For British Columbia only
BC_Pen No Data "129451214" For British Columbia only
BC_School_Funding_Code No Datasource Data "First Nations - 20" For British Columbia only
BC_Band_of_Residence_Code No Datasource Data "Adams Lake - 684" For British Columbia only
BC_Aboriginal_Ancestry_Yes_No No Data "Y" or "N" For British Columbia only
BC_French_Lang_Program_Code No Datasource Data   For British Columbia only
Campus No Datasource Data "Main" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Campus" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Dorm_Room_ID No Identifier "5"  
Student_Dorm_Room_Number No Lookup "5A"  
Student_Dorm_Building No Lookup "Building A"  
Student_Dorm_Lunch_Table No Datasource Data "Table A" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Lunch Table" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Dorm_Room_NY_ID No Identifier "5"  
Student_Dorm_Room_NY_Number No Lookup "5A"  
Student_Dorm_NY_Building No Lookup "Building C"  
Driving_License No Data "123DAV"  
Car2_Color No Data "Green"  
Car2_License_Plate No Data "1B34A"  
Car2_Make No Data "Toyota"  
Car2_Model No Data "Corolla"  
Car2_Parking_Registration No Data "1b3d"  
Car2_Year No Data 2017  
Student_Selection_End_Date No Data "1/1/2023"  
Day_Or_Boarding_NY Required Data "Day
"Boarding"
"Virtual"		  
International_Yes_Or_No_NY Required Data "Y" or "N"  
BC_School_Funding_Code_NY No Datasource Data "First Nations - 20" For British Columbia only
Grade_Level_ID Required if Grade_Level_Code not populated Identifier "1"  
Grade_Level_Code Required if Grade_Level_ID not populated Lookup "PK"  
Next_Grade_Level_ID No Identifier "1"  
Next_Grade_Level_Code No Lookup "PK"  
Pincode No Data "1234" Must pass the requirements set in Security>Maintenance>Application Setup 
Year_Grad No Data "2024" Planned graduation year.
Importing New Records - Inquiries and Actions
Follow the steps for Importing New Records.
Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Inquiry_Id No Key ID Field "1234" If one row has this column populated, all rows must have this column populated
Academic_Year Yes Datasource Data "20212022"  
Inquiry_Last_Name Yes Data "Smith"  
Inquiry_First_Name Yes Data "John"  
Inquiry_Middle_Name No Data "Kipp"  
Inquiry_Preferred_Name No Data "Johnny"  
Birthdate Yes Data "1/1/2000"  
Birthplace No Data "Anytown, USA"  
Sex Yes Datasource data "Male" This field is named "Sex" in the import but displays as "Gender" in the database.
Personal_Pronoun_Id  No Identifier   "1" Create a DAT query to identify the id values.
Lookup_Personal_Pronoun  No Lookup   "He" The lookup will check across subject, object, and possessive pronoun values to find a match.
Citizen_Of No Datasource data "Canada"  
Native_Lang No Datasource data "English"  
Ethnic_Group No Datasource data "Asian"  
Phone No Data "123-456-7890"  
Email No Data "Jsmith@gmail.com"  
Current_School No Datasource data "Lincoln High School"  
         
Inquiry_Source No Datasource data "Facebook"  
         
Current_Parish No Datasource data "St Marys"  
Legacy_Code No Datasource data "Parent"  
Day_Or_Boarding No Datasource data "Day"  
      "Boarding"  
      "Virtual"  
ESL_Yes_or_No No Datasource data "Y" or "N"  
International_Yes_or_No Yes Datasource data "Y" or "N"  
Financial_Aid_Yes_Or_No No Datasource data "Y" or "N"  
Religion No Datasource data "Catholic"  
Additional_Testing_Yes_No No Datasource data "Y" or "N"  
Academic_Support_Yes_No No Datasource data "Y" or "N"  
Inquiry_Suffix No Data "Jr."  
preferred_student_id No Data "12345"  
campus No Datasource data "Main"  
applying_grade_level_id Required if Applying_For_Grade not populated Identifier "2" See Grade Level for more info
applying_for_grade Required if Applying_Grade_Level_ID not populated Lookup "K"  
current_grade_level_id No Identifier "1"  
current_grade No Lookup "PK"  
primary_household_id Yes Identifier "12345" Connects the inquiry record to an already existing household as their Primary Parent household. 

For adult inquiries, this household will represent inquiries themselves (their address, contact information) as opposed to their parents.
primary_household_relationship Yes Datasource  "Parent", "Self" Only the two sample values are permitted.
secondary_household_id No Identifier "12345" Connects the inquiry record to an already existing household as their Secondary Parent household.
secondary_household_relationship Required if the secondary household is specified  Datasource "Parent", "Grandparent", "Self" Only the three sample values are permitted.
billing_household_id Yes Identifier "12345" Connects the inquiry record to an already existing household as their Billing household.

Note: The billing household id must match primary or secondary household id
Action1_Description No Lookup "Inquiry"  
Action1_Type_Id No Key ID Field "12"  
Action1_Academic_Year Yes if Action1_Description or Action1_Type_ID are entered Datasource Data "20212022"  
Action1_Date Yes if Action1_Description or Action1_Type_ID are entered Data "1/24/2020"  
Action1_Applying_Grade_Level_Id Yes if Action1_Description or Action1_Type_ID are entered and Action1_Applying_For_Grade is blank. Identifier "1"  
Action1_Applying_For_Grade Yes if Action1_Description or Action1_Type_ID are entered and Action1_Applying_Grade_Level_Id is blank. Datasource Data "PK"  
Action1_Comment No Data "Contacted via phone"

Note: Action1_Description, Action1_Type_Id, Action1_Academic_Year, Action1_Date, Action1_Applying_Grade_Level_Id, Action1_Applying_For_Grade, and Action1_Comment columns are repeated for a total of 10 times so that multiple actions can be added to the inquiries on import.
Clearing Form Completed Pages
To clear the checkboxes on form pages for all students:
- Navigate to Admin - Site Maps - Details,
- Edit the parent node for the menu's pages
- Click the "Clear Completed Tags" button.

All checkboxes for the child nodes are cleared and ready for new form submission for all students.  Note: The "Clear Completed Tags" button has no effect on nodes without child nodes within the sitemap.
DAT Fields - Step 2 - Totaling
Totaling is a part of DAT Fields - Step 2 process and adds a total at the bottom of the DAT Results - Step 4.  The totaling options depend on the type of data.  For numeric data types, a sum may be added to the results.
Closing the School Year Webinar 2022
The Closing the School Year webinar is available here.
Importing New Records - Historical Marks
Follow the steps for Importing New Records.


Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Student_Id Yes, if student first/last/birthdate is unspecified Identifier “12345”
Student_First_Name No Lookup "John
Student_Last_Name No Lookup "Doe"
Birthdate No Lookup "1/1/2000"
School_Year Yes Data "2000/2001" Courses in the same school year are grouped together on transcripts. Format must be xxxx/yyyy
Grade_Level No Lookup "11" Matches with the integer value in Grade Levels.  Note: This grade level is the grade level of the student when they took the course.
Grade_Level_Id Yes, if grade_level is unspecified Identifier
Course_Name Yes Data "Algebra I" Does not need to match course names offered by your school.
Short_Course_Name No  Data  "MAT104" 
External_Course Yes Datasource "0 1 indicates the course was taken at another school. 0 indicates the course is taken at the school.
School_Name No Data Name of the school an external course is taken
Number_of_Semesters Yes Datasource "2" Possible values include 1, 2, 3, or 4
Credits_Per_Semester No Data "0.5" Value may be 0 or blank.
Include_In_GPA Yes Datasource "1" 1 indicates grades are included in gpa. 0 indicates grades are not included in gpa.
Hist_Transcript_Course_Name No Data An alternative course name which may be shown depending on the transcript setup
Class_Rank_Type No Lookup "AP Only" Source is based on Course “Class Rank” types
Attribute1 No Data
Attribute2 No Data
Attribute3 No Data
Course_Type3 No Data
Department_Id Yes Identifier "5" The department id helps determine which school division the record is for
First_Mark No Data "A"
Second_Mark No Data "95"
Third_Mark No Data "P"
Final_Mark No Data "A"
Teacher_Last_Name No Data "Smith" Does not need to match a teacher name with your school
Teacher_First_Name No Data "Jane" Does not need to match a teacher name with your school
First_Effort No Data
Second_Effort No Data
Third_Effort No Data
Fourth_Effort No Data
First_Quarter No Data
Second_Quarter No Data
Third_Quarter No Data
Fourth_Quarter No Data
First_Exam No Data
Second_Exam No Data
Third_Exam No Data
First_Final_Exam No Data
Second_Final_Exam No Data
Third_Final_Exam No Data
Course_Id No Lookup Leave this field blank unless directed otherwise
Section No Lookup Leave this field blank unless directed otherwise
BC_Trax_Examinable_Course No Datasource "1" 1 indicates that the course is an examinable course, 0 indicates the opposite
BC_Trax_Electronic_Exam No Datasource "1" 1 indicates that the student takes the electronic exam, 0 indicates the opposite
BC_Trax_Course_Code No Data "EN"
BC_Trax_Course_Level No Data "10"
BC_Trax_Course_Type No Data "E" E means equivalency and C means challenge
BC_Trax_Month No Data "6" Must be a value 1-12 or blank
BC_Trax_Proc_Spec_Case No Data "D" R means Rewrite, D means Deferral
BC_Trax_Related_Code No Data “YSSC”
BC_Trax_Related_Level No Data "11B"
BC_Trax_to_Write No Data "1" 1 indicates the student opted to write the optional exam, 0 indicates the opposite
BC_Trax_School_Percent No Data "95"
BC_Trax_Exam_Percent No Data "95"
BC_Trax_Grad_Req No Data "F" F meets Fine Arts, A meets Applied Skills, B meets both requirements
Course_Start_Date No Data "9/1/2000"
Course_End_Date No Data “12/1/2000”
Course_Type_Level_Id No Identifier "6" Course Type Levels are typically used for Graduation Requirements or Prerequisites
Lookup_Course_Type_Level_Id No Lookup "6" Used to look up the couse_type_level_id
Lookup_Course_Type No Lookup "Math" Used to look up the couse_type_level_id
Lookup_Course_Level No Lookup "105" Used to look up the couse_type_level_id

Note: Typically, only First_Mark, Second_Mark, Third_Mark, and/or Final_Mark are showing on transcripts. Other marks are retained only for data mining purposes.
Note: Only one record per student may have the same School_Year, Grade_Level_Id, Course_Name, External_Course, School_Name
Note: Attributes 1-3 and Course_Type3 are used to store custom data
Note: For BC fields, see the TRAX Specification for British Columbia reporting requirements.
Note: Course_Id and Section are included for completeness. These fields are only intended for use by PCR Educator software when Closing the School Year.
Closing the School Year
Closing the school year is the process designed to finalize current school year academic activities and prepare the database for the new year. The Closing the School Year Wizard will walk you through the process.  For a webinar on closing the school year, please see the following video.

Note: The close of the school year needs to occur before the start of the next academic year. The school year may be closed at any point between when PCR Educator makes it available prior to the start of the next academic year.  

Note: If you are operating a Summer Camp in PCR Educator, then you will wait to close the school year until after Summer Camp has finished.  

Note: In general, closing the school year is required for any school that is using the Student Management System (any features related to managing students).

Note:  If you wish to share next year schedules in the CMS Parent/Student Portals prior to closing the school year, the widget properties can be switched to show the next year schedules.

Note:  Closing the School Year is a one-time process that affects every division in the school. There should be one person at the school who coordinates and performs the Closing of the School Year for the entire school. While the Academic Divisions are most affected, the school-based coordinator should understand the process and should ensure that ALL divisions are ready before proceeding.

Note:  Each summer, PCR Educator will open the “Close School Year” for advancing to the new academic year.

Note:  Closing Finance Fiscal Years operate independently of Closing the School Year.  Finance can close their Fiscal Years at their discretion.  

Closing the School Year Wizard
Closing the School Year Checklist
    - Closing the School Year Archive Individual Student Reports
    - Closing the School Year Copy Scheduling Data
    - Closing the School Year Set Next Year Student Fields
    - Closing the School Year Update Status/Substatus for Next Year
    - Closing the School Year Enroll Incoming Students
    - Closing the School Year Adjust the Parent Portal and Student Portal
    - Closing the School Year Confirm Teacher Categories
    - Closing the School Year Set BC Trax Month Field (BC Schools Only)
Closing the School Year Schedule Next Year
Closing the School Year Fix Different Courses with the Same Name
Closing the School Year Confirm Include on Transcript 
Closing the School Year Review Orphaned Grades
Closing the School Year Review Grades to History 
Closing the School Year Review Attendance to History 
Closing the School Year Fix Overlapping Marking Periods
Closing the School Year Review Users
Closing the School Year Request Closing 
Closing the School Year Close the Database Year Step
Closing the School Year Review Post-Close Checklist 
 
Closing the School Year Wizard
To begin Closing the School Year process navigate to Security > Maintenance > Close School Year.  You need the Security Full role to access this page.  Note: If the Close School Year cannot be started, an explanation is provided on the first step.  Note: The second to last step of the Close School Year will have you contact PCR Educator to make an archive.  This may take 1 business day so please plan accordingly.

Closing the School Year does the following:

    - Copies Next Year Student Fields to the current year
    - Moves students to their next grade level
    - Archives student grades to Historical Marks
    - Archives student attendance to Historical Attendance
    - Updates CMS widgets with the setting "Use Next Academic Year" from Yes to No
    - Purges processed notifications, except emails associated with:
        - Inquiry records with an academic year greater or equal to the current admissions year.  Example:  You are closing the school year for 2017/2018.  An inquiry is applying for 2017/2018 and has 3 notifications, 2 of which have already been processed and 1 of which is unprocessed.  The 2 processed notifications will be deleted.  Example:  You are closing the school year for 2017/2018.  An inquiry is applying for 2018/2019 and has 3 notifications, 2 of which have already been processed and 1 of which is unprocessed.  None of these notifications will be deleted.
        - Inquiry Actions Note: Notifications that were associated with an inquiry action where the inquiry action has been deleted will be treated like an Inquiry notification.
        - Finance
        - Financial Aid Awards
        - Student Health Visits
        - Development
        Note: Purging notifications deletes processed Notification Jobs from the date you close the school year which includes removal of the individual notification information as well as any attached files stored in the database.


Note: Once you finish Closing the School Year, the following records will be permanently removed from the database:
    - Gradebook grades
    - Marks for any report
    - Comments for any report

Note: Once you finish Closing the School Year, the following records will be purged and you may not have access to individual details:
    - Attendance records  Note:  Discipline records are retained, but Daily and Period Attendance are purged.
    - Student Pictures for students that do not contain a status of Enrolled for any division in the current or next year.  Example:  The student status is Pre-Enrolled for next year.  The student photo is retained.  Example: The student status is Enrolled in the current year and Graduated for next year.  The student photo is retained this year, but would be removed with next year’s close if the student’s status remains Graduated.  Example: The student Withdrew this year.  Their current and next year status is listed as Withdrew.  The student photo is purged.
    - Inquiry Pictures for inquiries/applicants with an academic year prior to the pre-close admissions year.  Example: The school year being closed is the academic year 2020/2021.  The current year of the inquiry is 2020/2021 even though admissions has moved forward to 2021/2022.  The photo is retained.
    - Student Check In / Check Out records.  If you are billing for Check In / Check Out records, records that have already been billed for will be removed.  If you are not billing for Check In / Check Out records, all records with a check out date will be removed.   Note: Invoices are still retained, but the association to the original Check In / Check Out record will be removed.
   

You may want to consider exporting your data using a DAT Query if you may need these details in the future.
 
Closing the School Year Checklist
There are tasks that must be completed by each and every Academic Division prior to closing the school year.  Note: The following tasks MUST be completed BEFORE you close the school year.

- Closing the School Year Archive Individual Student Reports
- Closing the School Year Copy Scheduling Data
- Closing the School Year Set Next Year Student Fields
- Closing the School Year Update Status/Substatus for Next Year
- Closing the School Year Enroll Incoming Students
- Closing the School Year Adjust the Parent Portal and Student Portal
- Closing the School Year Confirm Teacher Categories
- Closing the School Year Set BC Trax Month Field (BC Schools Only)
- Exporting Data (If Applicable)
 
Closing the School Year Archive Individual Student Reports
Registrars should archive, print, and/or save PDFs of Progress Reports, Report Cards, and Transcripts prior to closing the school year.  Archiving Official Reports can be performed through a multi-action with the files optionally made available to the Parent Portal.  Note: Transcripts do not need to be archived as they can be recreated from the historical marks.

Attendance reports, discipline reports, gradebooks and other reports involving data which is reset year to year may be generated and retained by the school.
 
Closing the School Year Copy Scheduling Data
Closing the school year will replace the current year’s schedule with the next year's schedule.  If you do not have a schedule in the next year, then when the school year is closed you will have no schedule in the current year.

Note: The automatic scheduling functions that allow for using the Master Schedule Builder and the automated “Load Students” DO NOT EXIST in the Current Year. If anyone in the school still needs to use those features, you should not close the school year.

1. Copy the current year Block Codes and Period Codes into the Next Year.  This should be performed in each division that has a schedule.

2. Copy the current year Course Sections to Next Year. Each division may decide to copy the current course sections for next year (and modify them as necessary) OR the division may decide to build all the course sections from scratch. Copying the sections must be done prior to Closing the School Year or there will be no sections when the school year is closed.

For more information about Copying/Moving Schedules, please see the section on Closing the School Year Schedule Next Year.
 
Closing the School Year Set Next Year Student Fields
Ensure that the next  year grade levels for your students are correct.  

Note:  The Next Year grade level fields can be seen on the Admin > Students list or the Scheduling > Students list, and the column is titled Gr NY.  If you do not see the field, click the gear above the details column and enable it.

Note: There are other next year fields which may need to be set including Day or Boarding Next Year, International Next Year, and more.  Advancing student grades can set the next year grade level for students as well as these other fields.

Note: Once the grades are properly advanced, you can begin the scheduling process. Note that in Scheduling, you will be working predominantly with a student’s “grade next year.” The “not returning” students and students without a “grade next year” will not appear in your scheduling lists.
Closing the School Year Update Status/Substatus for Next Year
In Admin > Students, users can view the current and next year status/substatus for their student.  Note:  The next year status and substatus may be different depending on which school division you are currently accessing.  Another way to evaluate students and their status’ is to create a DAT report using Students and linking in the Statuses By Division table.

The administrator can update student status/substatus for next academic year to indicate students who are graduating, returning, or withdrawing.  These changes are configured by Recording Student Actions which determine the Status/Substatus Calculation - Student.

One method is to find all students who are currently newly enrolled and mark them as Active or Returning for the next year. Similarly, all non-returning students can be marked as Withdrew for next year and all Pre-Enrolled students can be marked as Enrolled/Newly Enrolled for next year. Each school may have its own preference for handling this workflow.

Note: The next year student status and substatus will become the current year status and substatus after Closing the School Year.

Note: For students to access the CMS Portals, the student user must have a role of Student.  For parents to access the CMS Parent Portal, the parent user must have a role of Parent or ParentNY.  These roles are calculated according to the Roles Dictionary.  Any student whose status next year is “Graduated” will lose their access to the CMS portals when the school year is closed. To temporarily give students and parents access after Closing the School Year, you can create an action named something like “Portal Access” with an “Enrolled” status modifier, and give it to the student for the next academic year. That way, their status will remain “Enrolled” until you decide to revoke their access by removing the “Portal Access” action at a later date.

Note: The Graduated date on the transcript is usually based on an action of the same name.  It is possible to have a Graduated action configured to not change the status, and instead use a different action to change student status’ to Graduated at a later date.  This way the correct graduated date is shown on the transcript while the student status temporarily remains Enrolled until another action changes the status to Graduated.
Closing the School Year Enroll Incoming Students
This component can be completed before or after closing the school year. The Admissions staff can enroll incoming students by Applying Enrollment Profiles. Enrollment Profiles may also be applied automatically for students submitting (Re) Enrollment Contracts.
Closing the School Year Adjust the Parent Portal and Student Portal
If your school is using the CMS Parent/Student Portals, you need to consider the information you are displaying to the parents and students currently and the information you want them to have access to once the school year rolls over. Once the school year is closed, the next school year’s information is going to be displayed (schedules, homerooms, etc.). Make sure you adjust the portals according to what you want the parents to have access to over the summer.  Note: You can temporarily “disable” pages on these portals by requiring a role like “Security Full” to access the page.  Remove the role requirement to allow access again.  
 
Closing the School Year Confirm Teacher Categories
The CMS Teacher Portal has a widget which allows teachers to map their Gradebook Categories associated with a current year course section to a corresponding section for next year.  This widget is usually placed at the bottom of the Class > Gradebook Settings page.  If the widget isn’t present, it can be added to the page via the Course > Gradebook Next Year option.  Note: If a teacher is teaching the same Course and Section next year, those course sections will automatically be considered mapped and associated gradebook items will be retained.

Example:  A teacher may be teaching Math section 01 this year, but next year they will be teaching Math section 03.  They can match their Math section 01 to next year’s Math section 03.

Teachers that do not have their course sections mapped to a corresponding next year course section will have the following gradebook items cleared:
    - Gradebook Preferences for unmapped course sections
    - Gradebook Assessments for unmapped course sections
    - Gradebook Assessments no longer associated with any course section
    - Gradebook Categories no longer associated with any assessments
 
Closing the School Year Set BC Trax Month Field (BC Schools Only)
When determining the Trax month for a student and a course, PCR Educator will first look at the student course override for the student, then the mark type exam percent’s month / mark type school percent’s month, then the course month (specified on the course).  Setting the BC Trax Month for a  Mark Type Marking Period involves Configuring Mark Types associated with the courses. Note: If multiple months are present for the mark types, the largest integer month for the course section is used.  Example:  There is no student course override.  The mark types for the course have months specified of 1 for quarter one, 3 for quarter two, 6 for quarter three and 8 for quarter four. If the course section only meets semester one then the month used will be 3.  If the course section only meets for quarter one, then the month will be 1.  If the course section is a full year course, then the month will be 8.
 
Closing the School Year Schedule Next Year
Please confirm with the individuals responsible for scheduling each division that they have completed scheduling, or have at least copied the minimum required to next year.  Note:  The master schedule builder and master load student functions are only available as Next Year functions.  If any school division still requires use of these functions, do not close the school year.

Every academic division which contains scheduling information should complete these tasks prior to Closing the School Year:
1.  Copy the existing Blocks to next year.
2.  Copy the existing Period Codes / period code groups to next year.
3.  Copy the Course Sections to next year.
Note:  If these are not copied, then the school division will be creating entirely new ones after the close.

If there are items that have not been taken care of or that need to be adjusted, you can exit the wizard and attend to those items. You may also click one of the links on this step to take you directly to the records in the current school division.

The chart at the bottom of this step indicates the existing blocks, period codes, and sections for each division. Please make sure that you have either copied that data or built new data for all divisions for the upcoming school year for any divisions which have schedules.
 
Closing the School Year Fix Different Courses with the Same Name
This step is to help you clean the data that will be placed into historical marks for the students. If there are no students and courses listed, you may proceed to the next step. 

If a student has two or more courses with the same name but different ids, these will be recorded as multiple different records in historical marks, and these records will show as 2 or more separate lines on the transcript.  Example: A student has grades for courses Algebra I - ID 123 and Algebra I - ID 456. The student will have 2 rows appearing on the transcript, both showing “Algebra I.”

- You have the option to export the list and correct the records after the close.

- You have the option to leave the wizard and handle the courses prior to the close.  Options might include:
    1. Moving all report card grades to one version of the course
    2. Manually recording a historical record for the student regarding this course, then removing their grades from the current year courses.
    3. Migrating Single Student Current Year Marks to History and correcting the historical record.
Closing the School Year Confirm Include on Transcript
The “Include on Transcript” step allows you to locate courses which might be incorrectly excluded from transcripts and history.

The grid shows courses that have mark types that would ordinarily be found in historical marks (Term or Final grades) but the checkbox Include on Transcript is unchecked (which means that the grades would not be moved to history if the setting is not fixed).

The checkbox can be checked directly in the grid.
 
Closing the School Year Review Orphaned Grades
A student may have switched from one section of a course to another without using the “Transfer” button on the Conflicts screen.  In the case of a course set up as a single semester course, both the Orphaned grade and the student current grade (if any) will both be moved to history.  In the case of a full year course, one of the marks will be chosen arbitrarily.  Review any marks appearing in this list and note the “Orphaned?” column.  Note: If the “Orphaned?” column says “yes” then the student is no longer enrolled in that section of the course for that marking period.

If the student has both an Orphaned and non-Orphaned mark for the same course name, the orphaned mark should usually be deleted.

Note: This step shows any students who have more than one grade for the same course and marking period, but a different section.  A student may be legitimately taking multiple different sections of the same single semester course.
 
Closing the School Year Review Grades to History
Historical Marks are those grades that will be saved and used for future transcripts for your students.  The “Reviewing Grades to History” step lists all the grades that will be archived to history.

The listing in the wizard is performed by Division and then by the Mark Types associated with each grade. Check to make sure that the grades will be placed into history correctly.  Note: It is difficult to fix them once they have been archived by Closing the School Year, though there are methods for Updating Historical Marks individually and in bulk.

For Coordinators who are Closing the School Year, make sure that the staff in each division works with you and has “signed off” on this data to ensure that the grades are properly stored. 

Review the total number of marks to be moved, particularly for any counts that seem unusually low or different.  This could indicate that a new courses’ mark types were not set up properly.  Otherwise, confirm that the totals for the various grade types are consistent with the number of students taking graded courses.

Note:  Term grades for course sections meeting only one term will be copied to the final grade for the course section unless a separate final grade mark type is present.

Note:  If you make changes when Configuring Mark Types, double check the Closing the School Year Confirm Include on Transcript step doesn’t include new courses.

Note:  Marking periods named "Not Used" are migrated to history.
Closing the School Year Review Attendance to History
This step highlights the Attendance Types that will be summarized into history for transcripts.

Attendance Summarization

The four types of daily attendance that are summarized are:
  1. Absent Excused
  2. Absent Unexcused
  3. Late Excused
  4. Late Unexcused
These are based on their Historical Meaning. Attendance types without a Historical Meaning or indicated as Virtually Present are not summarized. If you have daily attendance types that do not have historical meaning showing on this step and need to be stored, please modify those records here.

Attendance Calculation

The Review Attendance page shows the total number of days the student participated in school. This calculation is based on the classes they are taking and how many unique days the class met during the year, known as the Daily Rotation. The Daily Rotation can be adjusted by adding or removing meeting days using a suitable day of the cycle to further tweak these numbers.

Additional Notes

  • Period Attendance: Period attendance is not summarized to history. However, Period Attendance can be converted to Daily Attendance. To do this, navigate to Admin > Attendance > Period Attendance, select the desired period attendance records, and use the “Generate Daily” multi-action.

Action Items

  • Ensure the updated total number of days the student participated in school (as shown on the Review Attendance page) is accurate before requesting the closing.
 
Closing the School Year Fix Overlapping Marking Periods
Overlapping marking periods are not permitted.  A daily attendance record that appears during an overlap would be counted multiple times - once for each overlapping marking period.  The marking periods are shown by division with the overlapping periods shown side by side.

To correct bad data in the marking period information, leave the wizard and fix the overlaps in the Marking Period Info. 
Closing the School Year Review Users
Users that are incorrectly set up need to be corrected.  

“Staff associated with multiple users” - Staff records should only be associated with a single user.  The resolution depends on why there are multiple users.  If one of the users is a “parent” user, then this user should be removed and the remaining user used as both a staff and parent user.  If there is a duplicate staff user, disassociate the teacher from the user in the user profile.  Note: Be careful when deciding to remove a Staff user as it may be associated with DAT queries or filters.

“Students associated with multiple users” - Students should only be associated with a single user.  Choose which student user to retain and remove the other users for the student.

Parents associated with multiple users - Parents should only have a single user each.  First, make sure the Household Indicator is correctly specified for the users.  If there are still duplicates for a particular household and indicator, remove the duplicate users.  Note:  If the Parent is also a Staff, retain the staff user.

“Parent users with no indicator” - Make sure to specify the Household Indicator for users associated with households.

“User associated with Students and Household/Staff users” - Student users should not be associated with their parent households.  Household users should not be associated with student records unless the student has a relationship of “Self” with the household.  Self households occur for schools where the student applies and submits contracts instead of their parent performing those steps.  Note: Students who are alumni should receive a new user associated with their new household record.  Students typically have users with emails provided by the school.  After the student graduates, they need a household user based around their personal email address information.
Closing the School Year Request Closing
Prerequisites

All previous steps in the wizard must be completed prior to completing this step, and all divisions should be finished with any data corrections before completing this step.

Attendance Information

The Review Attendance page shows the total number of days that the student participated in school. This calculation is based on the classes they are taking and how many unique days the class met during the year, known as the Daily Rotation. The Daily Rotation can be adjusted by adding or removing meeting days for a suitable day of the cycle to further tweak these numbers.
 
Admissions Year

Admissions Year is the current (pre-close) year that your Admissions is currently operating with. This year is used to determine which notifications are retained in Admissions.

Request Closing

This step directs you to contact PCR Educator to request that our representatives perform additional closing steps.

Important Notes:

  • You do not need to remain on this page while waiting for PCR Educator to contact you.

  • It may take up to 2 business days for PCR Educator to respond.
  • The closing process is not reversible.
  • You should not make any changes after this step and before the year is closed.

Action Items

Wait to hear back from PCR Educator representatives before making any further changes.

Note: PCR Educator may opt to close your school year for you at our discretion. If you strongly wish to close your school year or have specific considerations for the closing timing, please inform us.

 
Closing the School Year Review Post-Close Checklist
After Closing the School Year Close the Database Year Step is finished, please complete the following steps to ready the database for the next Academic Year.
1. Confirm the student status’ for the current year.  Corrections can be made by Recording Student Actions
2. Confirm Homerooms and Advisors for students
3. Update year specific attributes if applicable.  Example: You may be tracking Student groups through attributes.
4. Update the Marking Period Info for the new year
5. Update the Daily Rotation
6. If you are using development, check development campaigns.  Make sure you have the next year Annual Fund created if applicable.  Note: Development fiscal years are independent of the school year and do not get updated through this Close of the Year Process.  This is only a reminder.  Annual Fund campaigns may be created at any time.
7. If you are using Development, run the Alumni Wizard for graduating students.
8. Update online donations to use new year campaigns/products.
9. Check the admissions academic year in School Info
    - Check the Apply Online Academic Years for your Inquiry/Apply Online
    - Follow Advancing Admissions Records for the next admissions year if applicable.
10. Delete/deactivate old Users.  Note: The User article has important information on handling staff users.
11. Remove Purchase Options for former students/faculty

Note: After Closing the School Year, every student’s grade next year will be the same as their current grade.  This is desirable because of how the (Re) Enrollment Contract works. The (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles should be looking at the grade next year field to determine which version of the (Re) Enrollment Contract is shown to the parents. If your (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles operate like this, then you should wait before Advancing Student Grades in the new year until you stop accepting contracts for the new academic year.

Note: The StudentOrInquirySelection widget's "Use Next Academic Year" setting is automatically switched from Yes to No. Ensure you verify and adjust this setting as needed.

Note: After Closing the School Year, the School Year is Closed checkbox will automatically be checked in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup.

Note: Review the End of School Year Checklist
 
Closing the School Year Close the Database Year Step
When you are ready, press the Finish button to proceed.  You will be presented with a page showing the current status of the closing process.  Each step is shown with a timer counting how long the process has been running.  So long as the timer is still counting, the Close of Year process is still running.  Note: This page can be refreshed/reloaded if you experience an internet interruption.  Note: If the page stays on “Please wait…” for more than 1 minute or if you reload the page and it indicates that the school year is not being closed, please contact PCR Support at 301-947-7380 ext 2.  Note:  Some steps may repeatedly start counting over again.  This is expected behavior when there is a lot of data to process.  Note:  Do not press the back button on your browser or close your browser.  Please wait patiently until you are directed to the last step to confirm that the close was successful.
 
Mark Type Marking Period
Mark Type Marking Period details provide means to record a configuration specific to each marking period. 

MP is the marking period.  Check off which marking period the mark type is applicable to.  For Semester based schools, Exam, Term, and Final Exam grades are only valid in marking periods 2 and 4, and  Final grades are only valid in marking period 4.

Weight is the weight for the mark type in that marking period.  

Calculation Type determines how the grade is calculated.  The options available are different for different Grade Type.  Every grade that is used as the basis for calculating another grade has a Reported Mark and an Average.  The Reported Mark may be a letter or a number, while the Average is always a number.  Depending on the Calculation Type involved, grades may be calculated on this Average or based on the average as it currently exists in the grade book.

    - Teacher Entered/Not Calculated means that nothing is calculated and the teacher must enter the grade.  

    - Current Gradebook means that the average is calculated for the current grade book grade.  

    - Average of Course Work and Exams calculates the grade based on the Average specified for the corresponding reported mark.  

    - Current Gradebook and Exams calculates the grade based on the current gradebook average and the exam average.  

    - Average of Terms and Final Exams calculates based on the reported averages.  

    - Current Gradebook and Final Exams calculates the grade based on the current gradebook average and exam average.  

    - Category MYP calculates an MYP grade for a category of the same name.  Courses with such a mark type are forced to have a category of the same name, with weight and assessment possible points matching the weight for the Mark Type.  

    - Reported Category MYP calculates the grade for the course according to the MYP Conversion Chart from the MYP categories.  

BC Trax Type determines if and how the grade is reported for to the British Columbia Ministry of Education.

BC Trax Month specifies what month is reported to the BC Ministry for the BC Trax Type.

Note: For CRS and XAM exports, the BC Trax Month is reported  as follows:
    - If there is an override on the student course, that month is reported.
    - If there is a month specified for a mark type associated with the course section and that course section meets for the mark type’s marking period, then the month associated with the mark type is reported.  Note: In the case of multiple associated mark types with months, the largest integer month will be reported.
    - If there is a month on the course, that month is reported.
    - If no month is specified, then 6 is reported for the month.
 
End of School Year Checklist
At the end of the school year, remember to check the following.  Note: Use the Closing the School Year to close the academic year for the school.  Note: The Closing the School Year Review Post-Close Checklist has additional items for the new school year.

For Admin:

    - Associating Mark Type Headings to Courses for any new courses.

For Admissions:

    - Check the admissions academic year in School Info
    - Check the Apply Online Academic Years for your Inquiry/Apply Online
    - Follow Advancing Admissions Records for the next admissions year if applicable.

For Development:

   - Check the campaigns.  Make sure you have the next year Annual Fund created if applicable.  Note: Development fiscal years are independent of the school year and do not get updated through this Close of the Year Process.  This is only a reminder.  Annual Fund campaigns may be created at any time.
    - Run the Alumni Wizard for graduating students.
    - Update the campaigns/products available for online donations.

For CMS Forms:

    - On the student selection page, check the setting for the “Use Next Academic Year” property to ensure it is correct.

For Summer Camps:

    - Add "Graduated - Summer" or "Withdrew - Summer" actions to all students.  This clears the summer student list in preparation for the next year. Note: Set up these actions to change the status in the summer division only.
    - Disable the Select Student and New Student pages by limiting them to users with the Website Full role.  This prevents new signups for the summer division until the next summer year is prepared.
Purchase Order Status
The Purchase Order status advances according to the following requirements.  When editing a purchase order’s line items, only the portion not already associated with AP Invoices can be edited.  When editing a PO line item that is partially allocated to AP invoices already, a new line item for the remainder is created.  The statuses are listed in their approximate chronological order.

Status PO Editing Requirements for Status
Pending Yes Initial status for all purchase orders.
Submitted For Approval Yes Some line items are awaiting approval by Budget Managers after the staff submits it for approval.
Approved Yes At least one line item is approved by the Budget Managers, and no other line items are waiting for approval.
Declined No All line items are disapproved by the Budget Managers.
Accepted Yes Finance officer accepts an Approved PO. Note: Only approved POs can be accepted.
Received Yes All line items are received.
Completed No further editing allowed. Voiding an invoice association resets the PO status allowing further editing of the line item. Status becomes Completed once all purchase order line items are associated with invoices, or it has been forced completed.

If an item is voided, the status is reset to Accepted or Received.
Canceled No further editing allowed Finance officer cancels the PO.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Invoice / Payment Setup
The various Invoice and Payment options for the (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings are specified on the Contract > Settings page in the “Invoice / Payment Setup” section.

Submission Type determines whether the (Re) Enrollment Contract creates one or two invoices.  The reason you will typically choose one option over the other usually depends on how you want the payment term to work.  Will the payment term include the initial deposit, or not?  If not, then you would use the split invoice option.
    - Split Invoice creates an invoice for the deposit amount and a second invoice for the rest of the tuition and fees to be paid.  If you are using the Auto Post Invoice option, only the first (deposit) invoice is posted.  Note:  If you are specifying an Invoice For Date, both the deposit invoice and the contract invoice are issued on that date.  Note: With a split invoice, it is easier to handle a non-refundable deposit.  If the student decides not to attend, you can simply void the second invoice, and the deposit still pays the first invoice.
    - Single Invoice with Payment creates a single invoice for the entire tuition amount, including the deposit amount.  The deposit is just a payment against this invoice, so when the deposit is made, it partially pays the invoice.  Note: The payment term for the invoice should have the first payment be for the deposit amount due immediately.  Note: The invoice fiscal year is determined by the Invoice For Date setting which is typically set for the first day of your next fiscal year so that all revenue is reported for the next year.

Receivable Account is the Accounts Receivable account which is used by invoices and deposits.
 
Auto Post Invoices automatically posts the invoice after is has been created.  If you are using the “Split Invoice” option for Submission Type, only the deposit invoice is posted.  Note: If you are using Auto Post Invoices, particularly with a future Invoice For Date, make sure the fiscal year for that date is set up and open in Finance!

Charge Any Due Scheduled Payments includes any payments that are due today or overdue as part of the contract submission payment based on the invoice payment term.  This payment is in addition to any required deposit.

Hide Payment Schedule hides the payment schedule on the summary page and the pdf.  The payment schedule is based on the invoice’s payment term.

Pay by Check does not require a payment at the time of (Re) Enrollment Contract submission.  Instead, the parent agrees to mail a check or otherwise pay at a later time.
Echeck Payment Configuration allows parents to pay by Echeck using Automated Payment Processing.
CC Payment Configuration allows parents to pay by Credit Card using Automated Payment Processing.
Note: Automated Payment Processing includes information regarding the General Ledger accounts, Deposit, Unearned/Deferred, Convenience Fee, and other information.  To record Stored Payment Info for customer payments, specify the desired type for the Stored Payment Type in the Automated Payment Processing (Finance).
Note:  Different payment processors may accept only certain credit cards, or may/may not support ECheck payments.  The payment processor may also let you choose which credit cards or payment methods you accept.  Please contact your payment processor for support.

Test Mode is used to run the selected Payment Configuration in test mode.  This allows you to test the (Re) Enrollment Contract without actually accumulating charges.  Note:  Make sure to turn this off before you go live with the (Re) Enrollment Contract!  Note: Invoices and deposits will still be recorded in Finance.

Invoice For Date allows you to specify a specific date that the invoice is issued.  If this date is not specified, the current date is used for the issued date.  Typically you specify this date for the start of the next fiscal year.  The reason to do this is so that all revenue on the invoice is reported in the next fiscal year.  Note:  This setting is used in conjunction with the Unearned/Deferred Account to ensure that Accounts Receivable is not underreported between the initial deposit date and this Invoice For Date.  Note:  Make sure the fiscal year for the Invoice For Date is set up in Finance, or invoices cannot be created.

Deposit Invoice Internal Memo is the internal memo as it appears on the Deposit invoice.  This is applicable only for split invoices only.  If unspecified, the default value is "Deposit Invoice".

Contract Invoice Customer Memo is the customer memo as it appears on the invoices.  This memo shows on the customer statements and is used to clarify what the invoice is for.  Example: "Contract 2010/2011"

Contract Invoice Internal Memo is the internal memo as it appears on the Contract invoice.  If unspecified, the default value is "Contract Invoice".

Invoice Attribute is an attribute to associate with the (Re) Enrollment Contract invoices.  Note: (Re) Enrollment Contract invoices are identified in Finance > Contracts > Student Contracts by matching the Invoice Attribute for the (Re) Enrollment Contract to invoices with that same attribute.  Note:  You should have a new attribute each year for (Re) Enrollment Contract invoices.  If you reuse the attributes year to year, the software will not be able to properly distinguish which invoices are for which (Re) Enrollment Contract, and the totals in Finance > Contracts > Student Contracts will include invoices from multiple (Re) Enrollment Contract years.  Note: Additional Invoice Attributes are added by navigating to Finance > Maintenance > Customer Invoice Attributes.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Tuition, Fees, and Deposits
The tuition and fees for (Re) Enrollment Contract are entered as Finance > Products > Products.

Tuition is a product usually associated with a (Re) Enrollment Contract Text Control which does not give the user a choice to select an amount.  The total amount of the tuition is specified in the product amount.  The deposit amount is specified in the Deposit menu portion of the same product.  Note:  You can use a product type of Default or Deposit.  For the purpose of the (Re) Enrollment Contract, both product types work the same.

Fees are products associated with (Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box Controls, (Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button Controls, (Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Controls, and (Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Multi Controls.  The user choices are the additional fees included in the total amount on the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  The deposit amount for the (Re) Enrollment Contract is adjusted if the product specifies a deposit amount.  Note: If you want the user to pay the entire amount with the deposit, you have the option to set up the product in the Finance Portal such that the amount of the product is 0, but the deposit amount is the amount you want the user to pay when submitting the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Typically, you would specify the full amount in the product amount and the deposit amount.

Note: If you have a fee and you want the user to pay a percentage of the fee with the deposit, set up the product in the Finance Portal such that the amount of the product is the total amount and the deposit amount is either the fixed amount you want the user to pay, or the percentage of the total amount that the user is to pay (the deposit amount would be less than or equal to 1 to specify a percentage payment).

The summary page at the end of the (Re) Enrollment Contract lists out the deposit amount for all products that are selected for the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Financial aid is included as a negative amount in the summary.  If the financial aid product specifies a portion to be applied to deposits, then that portion will be calculated and applied in the Deposit Summary.

The Charges Summary shows the total tuition amount and all of the fees that have been selected. The financial aid award is displayed as a negative amount. The deposit amount is included in the Charges Summary amount if Include Deposit in Charges Summary is selected in (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup
Most of the general (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings are specified on the Contract > Settings page in the “Application Setup” section.

Application Name is for internal purposes only and is used to identify one (Re) Enrollment Contract type and year from another.

Enrollment Year is the year for this (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Actions in the Enrollment Profile Options section are based on this year.  Important: If the Enrollment Year is not correct, do not continue modifying the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Submit Contract Action is the action which is added to the student once the (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted.  Note: The Enrollment Profiles also determines actions which are added upon (Re) Enrollment Contract submission.  The Submit Contract Action should only record that the (Re) Enrollment Contract has been submitted.  Changes to status and substatus should be handled by actions associated with the Enrollment Profiles.

Sign Contract Action is the action applied to the student record when creating the electronically signed version of the contract PDF.  This action will have the electronically signed PDF version of the (Re) Enrollment Contract as a file attachment.  Note:  This is only applicable if Use Electronic Signature is checked.

Not Enrolling Action is the action applied to the student record when the parent presses the “I/We do NOT wish to enroll” button.  Note: The Enrollment Profile specified in the Not Enrolling Profile also has actions which are added when a parent chooses not to re-enroll a student.

Not Enrolling Profile is the Enrollment Profile which determines the set of actions applied to student records when they choose not to re-enroll.

Skip Payment Action is an action that you can specify to allow payments to be skipped on a per-student basis.  You apply the action to the student prior to the (Re) Enrollment Contract being submitted.  Note: You can apply the action prior to the (Re) Enrollment Contract being started by the parent.  As long as the action is present for the (Re) Enrollment Contract’s Enrollment Year, then the payment is skipped.  Note: If stored payment type is specified on the automated payment processing for the Echeck Payment Configuration or the CC Payment Configuration, the parent is still asked for stored payment info even though no payment is required at the time of submission.  To allow the parent to skip recording  stored payment info setup as well, see Skip Stored Payment Action.

Skip Stored Payment Action is an action that you can specify to allow parents to skip providing stored payment information.  Note:  This is only applicable if a Stored PaymentType is specified in the automated payment processing for the Echeck Payment Configuration or the CC Payment Configuration.

Allow Resubmit allows a parent to resubmit a (Re) Enrollment Contract multiple times.  This is especially useful during testing.  Note: You still need to clean the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options for your test student if you have made changes.  See (Re) Enrollment Contract Cleaning Options for Students.  Note: If the (Re) Enrollment Contract is set up to create invoices, new invoices are created every time you submit a (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Use Electronic Signature is used to allow your school to sign (Re) Enrollment Contracts electronically.  When checked, after the (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted by the parent, a copy of the (Re) Enrollment Contract including an additional page with the electronic signature is created when you use the multi-action “Sign” in Finance > Contracts > Student Contracts.  Note:  Parents still need to electronically sign the (Re) Enrollment Contract whether Use Electronic Signature is checked or not.

Electronic Signature is the name of the school representative as it appears on the signed (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Note: This is only applicable if Use Electronic Signature is checked.

Signature Disclosure is the title of the school representative as it appears on the signed (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Note: This is only applicable if Use Electronic Signature is checked.

Households Status and Bill To Households determine which households are eligible to fill out a (Re) Enrollment Contract for a student. We recommend using the Bill To Households option.  Note:  If you choose the “Any” option for Households Status, you should limit the households by the Bill To Households.  If you choose the “Any” option for Bill To Households, you should limit the households by the Households Status.  

Culture determines how dates and numbers appear on the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Currency Symbol determines the currency symbol appearing in front of the (Re) Enrollment Contract numbers.  Note: The payment processor determines which currency is actually used.  This is the currency symbol you should present on the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Email on Error is an email address that we use to send error messages to in the event that an error occurs on the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Example:  Someone submits a (Re) Enrollment Contract and we cannot post the generated invoice because the fiscal year is not open.  The designated email address receives a message about this issue.

Show Deposit as one line shows only one “Deposit Total” when this is checked.  Otherwise, each product with a deposit shows as an individual line item.  Note: Part of the deposit might be paid by financial aid.  If you check this option, only the final “Deposit Total” is shown.
Example:  This is a sample comparing Show Deposit as one line being off or on.


Deposit Summary
K-4 Tuition $2200.00
Financial Aid -$200.00
Deposit Total $2000.00

Deposit Summary
Deposit Total $2000.00
Deposit Total $2000.00


Include Deposit in Charges Summary shows the deposit in the Charges Summary section of the contract as a negative amount.  This shows the parents what they owe after the deposit.  Note: If this is not checked, the deposit is only listed in the Deposit Summary.
Example:  This is a sample comparing Include Deposit in Charges Summary being off or on.  Note that the total shows what the remaining total will be after the deposit is paid.


Charges Summary
Tuition $20000.00
Total $20000.00

Charges Summary
Tuition $20000.00
Deposit -$2000.00
Total $18000.00

Note: If the deposit total and payment total are the same and the Include Deposit in Charges Summary setting is disabled, then the Charges Summary section will be hidden.

Allow Pay in Full provides an option for users to choose to pay the full contract amount upon submit.

Pass-Through to Forms presents a button to parents on the Thank You page allowing them to immediately proceed to the re-enrollment form.

Last Application Date determines the last day that a (Re) Enrollment Contract may be submitted.  This (Re) Enrollment Contract Setting should always be specified as it prevents parents from inadvertently submitting a (Re) Enrollment Contract for a previous academic year.

School Year is Closed determines if the school year has been closed for the database.  In particular, this setting determines whether the Next Year grade level or the Current Year grade level is used when assigning actions.  If the school year is not closed, then the next year grade level is used; otherwise, the current year grade level is used.  Example:  It is currently April of 2015 so the school year is not closed.  John is currently in grade 8 and will be grade 9 next year.  When John’s contract is submitted, the contract submitted action will have grade level 9 chosen since the school year is not closed.  Move ahead to August.  The school year was closed mid-July.  Now, when John submits his application, his current grade level will be used for the contract submitted action.  Note: This setting is automatically set when the Close School Year process is completed.  Next Year grade levels are copied to Current Year grade levels for students as part of closing the school year, which is why this setting is present in the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Note: This setting also determines which Homeroom is shown in the student information.  If the setting is checked, the current year Homeroom is shown.  If the setting is unchecked, the next year Homeroom is shown.

PDF Font determines the font used in the (Re) Enrollment Contract PDF.  Note: The PDF generated by the contract only supports plain text.  Any additional markup in the text is cleaned on the PDF.  This includes (but is not limited to) cleaning bold, italic, underline, font sizes, html lists, html tables, and images.  Hyperlinks appear as plain text.

Time Zone must be specified to ensure timely scheduling of the (Re) Enrollment Contract emails.  This should be set to your school’s local time.

Student Header Attribute shows the comment associated with the specified attribute in the header of the contract along with the rest of the student’s information.  This allows a custom note per student to appear on the contract.
 
New Vendor Roles Announcement
Two new roles for working with Vendors are available.  Now, if a record is an activated vendor then editing of the record’s address and contact information is restricted to the FinanceAPVendor Full role across all modules.  In order to access the Finance - AP - Vendors menu, you must have one of the new roles.  With the initial release, all users having the FinanceAP Full or FinanceAP Read roles also received the corresponding FinanceAPVendor role to maintain compatibility with previous behavior.  The Roles Dictionary is updated accordingly.
 
Roles Dictionary
Roles are identifiers that give a user privileges to access different parts of the software. One person may have many roles associated with their user.  A “Full” role gives the user access to both view and modify information in the selected features, while a “Read” role only gives the user access to view the information in the selected features. 

Note:  If your school has not purchased specific features, then the roles to access those features may not be present either.

Listed below are the descriptions of all of the standard roles offered and what they allow the user to view or modify.  Note: You are able to create custom roles in the CMS website which you may apply to your users and use to limit access to custom pages within your CMS website.
Role Access
Actions Full, Actions Read These roles give access to Inquiry Actions, Student Actions, Student Attributes, Admissions Checklist, and Inquiry Evaluations. Note: You need roles granting access to a corresponding portal. Example: To access the Donor Track Actions in Development, you will need additional roles granting access to the Development portal. To access Student Health Actions, you will need additional roles granting access to the Health portal.
Admin Full, Admin Read These roles give access to the Admin portal. This includes access to students, attributes, households, teachers, homerooms, groups, assignments, and email history.
Admissions Evaluator This role gives access to the Admissions portal, and only provides limited access to portions of the Admissions > Evaluations menu. Note: This role is auto-calculated for a user when they are assigned as an Evaluator to an Inquiry under Admissions > Inquiry > Details > Evaluator.
Admissions Full, Admissions Read These roles Give access to the Admissions portal but do not include access covered by the Actions role (Inquiry Actions, Inquiry Forms, Inquiry Correspondence, and Test). Admissions Full role will also make the user available as an interviewer and have access to relevant email features and inquiry attributes.
Applicant This role is given to parent users who are in the process of applying through the apply online application. Note: This role is automatically applied to any user associated with a parent household having an inquiry record with a status other than "Copied".
ArchivalReports Read This role gives access to view the archived reports of students in the Admin portal.
Archiving Full This role gives access to the Archiving PDFs multi-action, Calculate Official Marks multi-action, the ability to edit or delete Archived PDFs from the database, Marking Period Info, GPA Settings, and Grade Conversion Chart.
Attendance Full, Attendance Read These roles add access to attendance and Attendance Full role gives access to relevant email features in the Admin portal.
CashRegister Full This role gives access as a Cash Register operator in the CMS website.
Comments Full, Comments Read These roles give access to the Report Card, Progress Report, and Interim comments in the Admin portal.
Contract Full, Contract Read These roles give administrative access to the (Re) Enrollment Contract. They give limited access to the Finance portal to allow for setting up contracts. Access includes Chart of Accounts, Customer Invoice Attributes, Products, Payment Terms, and Contracts.
DAT Full This role gives access to the DAT (Data Analytics Tool)
DBA Full, DBA Read Combined with other roles, these roles grant access to see, add, or modify options in drop-down boxes for those features you have full access to. Example: If a user has Admissions Full and DBA Full, they could add or modify dropdown items to admissions features only.
Delete Record This role gives access to delete health records in the Health portal and Households via multi-action.
Development Full, Development Read These roles give access to the Development portal.
Discipline Full, Discipline Read These roles add access to Discipline and Discipline Full role gives access to relevant email features in the Admin portal.
Faculty Full, Faculty Read These roles give access to the Teacher Portal.
Finance Full, Finance Read These roles give access to the Finance portal and viewing (Re) Enrollment Contracts in the Finance portal. Note: Additional roles are required to access specific portions of the finance portal such as the General Ledger. This role also gives access to add product attributes.
FinanceAccountMgr (Full, Read) Finance account managers will need this role in order to be assigned to accounts and to be able to view their accounts in Finance. The account managers DO NOT need the Finance Full or Finance Read role. The Finance Account Mgr Full role will allow the account managers to request a budget for their accounts.
FinanceAP Full, FinanceAP Read These roles give access to Accounts Payable portion of the Finance portal. You will need this along with Finance Full or Finance Read.
FinanceAPVendor Full, FinanceAPVendor Read These roles give access to vendors. Vendor biographical, address, and finance related information cannot be changed without the FinanceAPVendor Full role. You will need this along with a Finance Full or Finance Read role.
FinanceAR Full, FinanceAR Read These roles give access to Accounts Receivable portion of the Finance portal and FinanceAR Full role gives access to any relevant email features and customer attributes. You will need this along with Finance Full or Read.
FinanceBudget Full, FinanceBudget Read These roles give access to the Budget portion of the Finance portal. You will need this along with Finance Full or Read.
FinanceGL Full, Finance GL Read These roles give access to General Ledger portion of the Finance portal and allow you to post and void invoices and payments. You will need this along with Finance Full or Read.
FinancialAid Full, FinancialAid Read These roles give access to all functions within the Financial Aid portal and FinancialAid Full role gives access to any relevant email features.
Health Full, Health Read These roles give access to all functions within the Health portal and Health Full role gives access to any relevant email features.
Import This role gives access to use the import feature within each portal the user has access to. Example: If a user has Admin Full and Import, they would be able to perform any imports that are available in the Admin portal.
Marks Full, Marks Read These roles give access to Report Card, Progress, and Interim marks. They also give access to Historical Marks, Class Rank, and Honor Roll.
Parent This role gives access to the CMS Parent Portal. Note: This role is automatically applied to any user associated with a Parent household having a student with a status Enrolled for current year in any division. Note: Roles required to access a CMS page can be modified. The standard Parent Portal pages already require this role.
Parent NY This role can be used to give new families (with students enrolling in next year) limited access to the CMS Parent Portal. Note: This role is automatically applied to any user associated with a Parent household having a student with a status Enrolled for next year in any division. Note: Roles required to access a CMS page can be modified.
Phone Full This role gives access to the Home > Notification System menu option and to the "Text and Voice" option in the multi-action menu.
ReenrollmentForms Full This role gives administrative access to the (Re) Enrollment Forms.
Registrar Full, Registrar Read These roles give access to basic functions in the Registrar portal and Registrar Full role gives access to any relevant email features.
Scheduling Full, Scheduling Read These roles give access to all functions in the Scheduling portal.
Security Full, Security Read These roles give access to all functions with the Security portal including Roles, Access Codes, User Names, and Passwords for all PCR Educator portals. Security Full role also gives access to the phone/text configuration screen and user email features. Note: Security Full is necessary to access the Admin link on the CMS website.
Stored Payment Any portions of the Development and Finance Portals that are related to updating or using (ie processing payment) Stored Payments require users have this role.
Student This role gives access to the CMS Student Portal. Note: This role is automatically applied to any user directly associated with a student with a status Enrolled for current year in any division. Note: Roles required to access a CMS page can be modified. The standard Student Portal pages already require this role.
Student NY This role can be used to give new students (enrolling next year) limited access to the CMS Student Portal. Note: This role is automatically applied to any user directly associated with a student with a status Enrolled for next year in any division. Note: Roles required to access a CMS page can be modified.
Transport Read, Transport Full These roles give access to transportation information.
User This role is automatically applied to all users.
Website Full This role gives access to edit the Content on the CMS Website. Note: To have access to the Admin link your user must have the Security Full role.

Note: The roles that are automatically applied cannot be manually assigned or removed by users. They are automatically calculated and assigned to users to streamline access and permissions within the system.
Campus Basic Webinar 2022 - Part 1
This article is an index with timestamps for the topics covered in the following webinar:
Campus - Basic Webinar 2022 - Part 1

1. Intro - If you have questions, suggestions, or comments please email them to support@pcreducator.com
2. Home Page
    a. Recent Updates
    b. Update Account Information
    c. History of Updates
    d. Help Documents
    e. Bookmark Links
    f. Support Link to the Ticket System
        i. Live Chat
        ii. Email/Call Support
    g. Knowledge Base and Recent Articles
    h. Switching Finance Ledgers, School Divisions, and Scheduling School Year
3. Admin > Students
    a. Searching for Records
    b. Sorting
    c. Customizing
    d. "All Divisions"
    e. "Include All"
    f. Exporting Data
    g. Selecting Multiple Records
    h. Multi-actions
    i. Links and Popout Links
    j. Dashboards
        i. Adding Dashboards
        ii. Customizing Dashboards
        iii. Exporting Widgets
        iv. Renaming Widgets
    k. Switching Between Records
    l. "Selected Only" Checkbox
    m. Selecting / Unselecting All Records
    n. Record Details
    o. Navigating from Dashboard to Details
    q. Navigating from Details to Dashboard
4. Email
    a. "One Email per Student Household Combination"
    b. "One Email per Student"
    c. Email Fields and Types
    d. Editing Email Type Dropdown Options
    e. Other Email Fields
    f. Email Job Type
    g. Email Action Type
    h. Email Templates
    i. Add Email Fields
    j. Email Example
    k. Preview Email
    l. Test Email
    m. Schedule Email
    n. Merge Fields into Sender Email
    o. Save and Load Email Templates
    p. Send Email
    q. Review Sent Emails
Status/Substatus Calculation - Inquiry
Since inquiries may have different statuses and substatuses per school division and academic year, the inquiries’ current statuses and substatuses are automatically calculated based on the current set of actions, division, and action academic years.

The status/substatus is calculated from the most recent action occurring on or before today for the action academic year.  An action scheduled for a future date does not affect the status/substatus of the inquiry until the date occurs.  The status/substatus further depends on which school divisions the action is associated with.

If an action that modifies the status/substatus of an inquiry record is deleted, the status/substatus is updated based on the most current status/substatus
modifying actions for that academic year.

Note: Unlike for Status/Substatus Calculation - Student, status/substatus is not inherited to the next academic year.  Each academic year is self-contained.  Further, the Anticipated Close Date has no bearing on the admissions status/substatus.

Note: If an Action’s status or substatus is modified or if an Action is associated or disassociated with a School Division, it may take up to 24 hours for all statuses to recalculate.
Admissions Status by Division Announcement 4
The Admissions Status by Division is planned for release this weekend.
Admissions Status by Division Announcement 3
In preparation for the upcoming release in the Admissions Status by Division Announcement, we are adding actions which will cause the status to remain consistent after the update based on the current admissions status.  These actions should be ignored, and are only intended to assist with the transition to the new update.  Review Admissions Status by Division Announcement 2 to review any differences that might still remain between the current status of your inquiries and applicants and what the statuses will become.

Note:  These actions are added to a new action type category “PCR Admissions Update” with an action name beginning with “PCR Fix”.  The modified name on the action is “PCR Admissions Update”

Note: Actions will only be added in divisions that use admissions-specific actions (Inquiry Actions) that are status/substatus modifiers.
New Feature: Advanced Security Enhancements
To ensure PCR Educator stays ahead of the latest security threats, we are updating our security platform with a variety of enhancements for managing customers’ passwords. As a result of these changes, upon release, all users will be required to change their passwords. No actions need to be taken by our customers, as the system will automatically prompt users to change their passwords.
FAQ: How to Withdraw a Student?
1. Archive any reports such as report cards and progress reports.  Note: Review Archiving Official Report for more information.
2. Set up an Enrollment Profile that assigns a Withdrew action to the student.  Note: This step only needs to be done once.  Note: Review Status/Substatus Calculation - Student for examples of Enrollment Profiles.
3. Apply the Enrollment Profile that you created in step 2. Note: Review Applying Enrollment Profile to Students in Bulk for more information.
4. Migrate the student to history.  Note: Review Migrating Single Student Current Year Marks to History for more information.
 
Admissions Status by Division Announcement 2
Prior to the change to the Admissions Status/Substatus calculation, please review how the status and substatus will change after the update.  To review the change:
1. Navigate to the DAT
2. Under the PCR “(Imported)” category, open the DAT report named “[Admissions] Admissions Status Transition”  Note: If you have a dedicated Admissions division, consider adding a condition to limit the results only to the Admissions division.
3. Review the results.  To resolve differences in the status and substatus for a record, ensure that the actions for the record have an appropriate academic year and action date.  The calculation is similar to Status/Substatus Calculation - Student except the statuses are per academic year and are not inherited forward to new academic years.  Note: The status and substatus for this calculation are based on differences between the inquiry record’s academic year, and the resulting status/substatus after the eventual update.


Here are some reasons that the status or substatus may not match:
- The academic year of the inquiry record is different from the academic year of the most recent actions on the record.
- There is a more recent action preempting the desired status.
- Someone forced the status/substatus to change by adding and then deleting an action.
 
Admissions Status by Division Announcement
Soon, we will change the Status/Substatus Calculation - Inquiry to calculate in a similar manner to Status/Substatus Calculation - Student.  Just as with students, the status and substatus will be per division depending on the action associations to divisions.  There will be two major differences:
- Instead of a current and next year status, admissions will have a status per admissions year.  
- The status and substatus will not automatically inherit from one admissions year to the next.
 
DAT - Marks Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the Marks tables.
DAT - Assessments Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the Assessments tables.
DAT - Comments Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the Comments tables.
DAT - Comment Bank Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the Comment Bank tables.
FAQ: What information does the Permanent Student Record’s ‘Student Record Inclusions’ section include?
When printing the ‘Permanent Student Record’ PDF Report, the ‘Student Record Inclusions’ section includes two types of information:

-Any Action with a Category of ‘PSR Student Record Inclusions’

-Health Issues with a Health type of ‘Alert’

You may need to create the ‘PSR Student Record Inclusions’ Action Category from the Admin > Maintenance > Action Categories page. You can enter Health Issues and their types from the Health > Maintenance > Health Issues page.
Log4j vulnerability
PCR Educator is unaffected by the Log4j vulnerability.
Recording Vendor Payments in Bulk
You can record vendor payments in bulk as a multi-action either by Recording Vendor Payments from Vendors or by Recording Vendor Payments from Invoices.

1. Select an option in Group Invoices By dropdown.
    - If “Address” is chosen, the system will generate one payment for each “Pay to Address” specified on each vendor’s invoices. In other words, if one vendor has 10 invoices, where 2 invoices are associated with “A” address and 8 invoices are associated with “B” address, the system will generate two payments. Moreover, this option will generate one check for a maximum number of 10 invoices. For instance, if a vendor has 15 invoices all associated with the same address, the system will generate two payments.
    - If “Invoice” is chosen, the system will generate one payment per invoice. It will generate ten payments for the first example and fifteen payments for the second example.
2. Max Invoices Per Check controls how many invoices may be associated with each check.  By default, a maximum of 10 invoices is associated with each check.  If your checks do not have a preprinted check number, you may choose Maximum instead, and up to 999 invoices may be associated with each check.  When printing checks, additional pages are printed for each 10 invoices.  The additional pages show all the same information for the check except the spelled out amount (PaymentAmountPhrase merge field) is replaced with *****VOID*****.  Note:  If your checks have preprinted check numbers, you must use a maximum of  10.
3. Verify Batch Total Amount that refers to the total amount for all payments combined. It will automatically populate based on the balance remaining on open invoices.
4. Verify Starting Check # that refers to the check number that you are starting with. It will automatically populate to the next available number but you have the option to override it to a number that is not yet used.
5. Verify Batch Number that is used to group all payments that were created together. It will automatically populate to the next available number.
6. Enter other payment details and click Apply Defaults.
7. In the Batch Entry screen, you have the option to override default values. For example, if you are paying ten invoices and they are all paid from the same account except for one invoice, in this screen you can update that one invoice to be paid from a different account.
8. Click Submit.
AP Check Register Print Update
The Check Register Print multi-action is updated to print checks in the following manner:
- If the check has more than 10 invoices/credits associated, additional pages are created with the same check number to generate stubs for the additional invoices/credits.  Up to 999 additional invoices/credits per check are supported.  Note:  If your check has pre-printed check numbers, continue to limit the number of invoices/credits to 10, or you may ruin a check run.  See Recording Vendor Payments in Bulk for more details.
- The order of the invoices of the check stub has been changed to Post Date, Invoice Number, Invoice Id (a substitute for order of entry).  Previously it was ordered by Post Date only.
 
Edit Filter Announcement
Due to popular demand, we’ve added a beta version for editing filters.  It may not work for all filters, but we will be expanding support for more types of filters over time.
Importing New Records - Evaluations

Follow the steps for Importing New Records

Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Person_Id Yes, if Person_First_Name, Person_Last_Name, and Person_Birthdate are not specified. Identifier “123” Id matches either and Inquiry Id or Student Id
Person_Type Yes Lookup “Student” or “Inquiry”  
Academic_Year Yes Data “20212022”  
Evaluation_Type Yes Lookup “Applicant Interview” See Configuring Evaluation for more info.
Evaluation_Site No Datasource Data “Library” Admissions > Evaluations > Evaluation Types > Edit > Evaluation Sites
Recd_Date Yes Data “1/1/2000” Date of when the scores are received.
Taken_Date Yes Data “1/1/2000” Date of when the evaluation is taken.
Comment No Data “abc”  
Grade_Level_Id Yes, if Grade_Level_Code is not specified Identifier “1” Security > Maintenance > Grade Levels.
 Grade_Level_Code  No Lookup "01"  Security > Maintenance > Grade Levels.
Person_First_Name Yes, if Person_Id is not specified. Lookup “John”  
Person_Last_Name Yes, if Person_Id is not specified. Lookup “Doe”  
Person_Birthdate Yes, if Person_Id is not specified. Lookup “1/1/2000”  
Section1_Name No Lookup “Academic Assessment” See Configuring Action (Evaluation Sections) for more info.
Section1_Score_Topic Yes, if Section1_Name is specified. Lookup “Applicant Score” See Score Type for more info.
Section1_Score1 Yes, if Section1_Name is specified. Data “5”  
File_Name No  File Name "Test1.pdf"  The name of the file which corresponds to the row.

Note: Section Name, Section Score Topic, and Section Score fields are repeated to allow additional evaluation score entry.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Our office will be closed on Thursday, November 25th in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. We will resume our normal business hours starting Friday, November 26th.
Importing New Records - Staff
Follow the steps for Importing New Records
Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Teacher_Id No Key ID Field “1234”  
Teacher_Last_Name Required Data “Smith”  
Teacher_First_Name Required Data “Jim”  
Teacher_Office No Data “US01”  
Alternate_Teacher_Id No Data “A1b3”  
Teacher_Sex No Datasource Data “Male” Admin > Staff > Details - Gender
Teacher_Active Yes Boolean  "1"  
Employment_Status No Datasource Data “Full Time” Admin > Staff > Details - Employment Status
Lunch_Table No Datasource Data “Table A” Admin > Staff > Details - Lunch Table
Teacher_Ethnic_Group No Datasource Data “African American” Admin > Staff > Details - Ethnic Group
Hired_Date No Data “12/31/2021”  
Phone_Number No Data “(123)-456-7890  
Household_ID Required if Household_Name is not unique Identifier “1234”  
Household_Name Required if Household_ID is not specified Lookup “Smith Family”  
Importing New Records - Student Courses

Follow the steps for Importing New Records

Field Required Type Sample Value Notes
School_Year Yes Datasource Data “0” Values are either Current Year (0) or Next Year (1). 
Student_Id Required if Student_Last_Name, Student_First_Name, and Birthdate aren’t specified Identifier “1234”  
Student_Last_Name Required if Student_Id is not specified Lookup “Smith”  
Student_First_Name Required if Student_Id is not specified Lookup “Bob”  
Birthdate Required if Student_Id is not specified Lookup “12/31/2000”  
Course_Id Required if Course cannot be determined from Course_Name/Short_Course_Name combination Identifier “1234”  
Course_Name Required if Course_Id is not specified Lookup “Algebra1”  
Short_Course_Name Required if Course_Id is not specified  Lookup “Alg1”  
Section Yes Datasource Data “01” Values can be found found in Scheduling > Courses > Details > Sections
Semester Yes Datasource Data Enter “1” for Semester 1/Trimester 1, “2” for Semester 2/Trimester 2, and “3” for Trimester 3.  
AP Aging Report Update

The "Accounts Payable Aging Report" has been retired in favor of the new "A/P Aging" and "A/P Aging Summary" reports.
 
Standard Filter: [PCR Imported] - Development Mail Recipients
One of the following roles is required to use this DAT Filter: Development Full, Development Read

This DAT Filter finds all Contacts eligible for mailings.  There must be at least one living contact with an address.  They must allow solicitation and mailings.
Donor Action
A Donor Action is an Action that captures activity for a Contact. A user must have Development Full and Actions Full roles to create a Donor Action.

Note: To create an Action, follow the steps of Configuring Action.
Note: When a donor action called “Alert” is added to a Contact record, it shows on all pages in the Contact > Details section. This is a great way to track important notes that should be easily accessible.
 
Admin Action Update
PCR Educator is happy to announce another feature update!
 
All Alert donor actions added to Development contacts will now show on all pages in the Contact > Details section.
 
With this increase in visibility across pages, the Alert action is now an even greater way to keep track of important notes! 
DAT Filter
A DAT Filter is a Data Analytics Tool (DAT) feature that allows you to create comprehensive search conditions to restrict the data you are working with. These filters can be used in:

- a DAT Query

- a list of entities (such as the list of students, courses, or households)

- CMS portal as a mechanism to restrict the visibility of certain elements

- Automated Notifications as a mechanism to determine  the list of recipients

- (Re)Enrollment Contracts and Forms to determine the list of eligible households and students
 
A DAT Filter is similar to a DAT Query since it is constructed in a similar fashion where the initial table is predetermined and then you add conditions and table joins. The main difference is that in case of a DAT Query the output is data in a list or chart format, whilea DAT filter, is a comprehensive mechanism for limiting data.

Note: DAT Filter is a recursive concept as each new DAT Filter may consist of several DAT Filters. 

Note: You have the option for Saving DAT Filters for reuse.

Note: DAT Filters prefixed with “[PCR Imported]” are created by PCR Educator. Feel free to use them as a reference or save them as a new DAT Filter with a new name. We will often update existing and create new queries with the “[PCR Imported]” naming convention - all these filters are removed and replaced during an update. To request a standard DAT filter that you feel may benefit other schools as well, please email support@pcreducator.com.  Note: These filters are for reference only.  Do not use these filters as a setting.  Instead, save a copy of the filter and use the copy instead. 

Follow the steps for Initializing DAT Filter to use DAT Filters.

Here is a comprehensive index of the articles for DAT:

DAT Filter
-Initializing DAT Filter
--Initializing DAT Filter from DAT Query
--Initializing DAT Filter from List
--Adding DAT Filter Condition
--Creating New DAT Filter
---DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions
---DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables
---Managing DAT Filter Conditions 
-Saving DAT Filter
-Managing DAT Filter
--Deleting DAT Filter
-Reviewing Existing DAT Filter
-DAT Query and DAT Filter Common Mistakes
Contract Payment Update
PCR Educator’s latest feature request has been added!

Users now have the option to pay in full on all Contracts. Previously, this feature was limited only to Deposit payments. To enable the new feature, simply go to Contract Settings and check the “Allow Pay in Full” box.

We hope you find this addition beneficial! Please keep the feature requests coming; we are always looking for ways to improve our service.
All Re-Enrollment Links Have been Sent
All applicable schools should now have received their Re-Enrollment Contract link.

For a thorough breakdown of the entire process, see Part 1 and Part 2 of our Enrollment Contract webinar.

Additionally, here’s a handy checklist to look over before making your contracts live.

If your school has not yet received their new Re-Enrollment Contract link, or if you have a question that wasn’t answered in the content above, please reach out to us today! 
When to expect your school's re-enrollment contract link
We have begun sending out Re-Enrollment Contract links today! Expect to receive your school's link within two business days.

Before you make your school's contract live, we recommend checking out our Re-Enrollment Contract Application Guide in the Knowledge Base.

Still have questions or concerns? Get in touch with us today!
Creating DAT Filters
We have released a new video demonstrating PCR Educator’s powerful DAT tool!

This video covers the basics of creating several custom DAT filters. See it on our YouTube channel HERE, and don’t forget to subscribe!

If you have any additional questions that weren’t covered in this video, please reach out today!
Your school's re-enrollment contract links are on the way!
In the coming weeks, we will begin sending out your school’s Re-Enrollment Contract links, along with documentation and videos to help you through the implementation process. 

We encourage you to read over our article on Enrollment Contract Pre-Setup, which will have your school ready to take on the coming process with ease. 

If your school doesn’t currently use PCR Educator’s Enrollment module, here’s a quick look at the powerful system your school could be taking advantage of!
 
Notification Trigger
A notification trigger is a mechanism for sending automated emails when certain conditions are met.Notification triggers are used for various purposes, such as billing reminders, birthday notifications, and announcements.  A full list of notification trigger types is found below.

Note: Notification trigger emails go out between midnight at 7 am local time.  The exceptions are the Purchase Order Update and User Website Forums triggers, which go out right away.
Notification Trigger Types:

      - Notification Trigger - Action Reminder (Admissions)
      - Notification Trigger - Birthday (Household/Contact/Customer)
      - Notification Trigger - Customer Balance Low
      - Notification Trigger - Customer Billing Reminder
      - Notification Trigger - Inquiry Missing Actions
      - Notification Trigger - Donor Pledge Payment Reminder
      - Notification Trigger - Purchase Order Update
      - Notification Trigger - Student Drop Box Teacher Feedback
      - Notification Trigger - Student Gradebook Average
      - Notification Trigger - Student Gradebook Score
      - Notification Trigger - Student Missing Assessment
      - Notification Trigger - Student
      - Notification Trigger - User Website Announcements
      - Notification Trigger - User Website Forums

 Notification Trigger Settings:

Category: notification trigger type

Require Opt In: when unchecked, indicates that all eligible recipients receive emails by default without subscribing. If the setting is checked, users have to subscribe to receive the triggered email.

Is Active: Determines if the notification trigger is in use.

Name: Name of the notification trigger.
      - This name needs to be a unique notification name.
      - The name is shown to users for subscription purposes.

Eligible Recipients Filter (User): The DAT Filter that determines eligible users. This filter needs to be created in the Security module on the Manage Users page. 

      - Recipient / Data Relationship: This setting determines who receives the notification.
      - Action/Assigned To: The recommender receives a notification.
      - Advisor/Advisee: The advisor receives a notification about the student.
      - Contact/Self: The contact receives a notification.
      - Customer/Invoice: The customer receives a notification about their invoice.
      - Parent/Child: The parent receives a notification about their child.
      - Parent/Self: The parent receives a notification.
      - Purchase/Order: All users involved with the purchase order receive a  notification.
      - Student/ Self: The student receives a notification.
      - User/Self: The user receives a notification.

Merge Filter: Determines eligible records. Example: for Customer Balance Low, your merge filter may use criteria that the low balance must be within a specified range. Then, only users who have qualifying balances are included in the automated email. 

      - Action: This DAT Filter is configured in the Admissions > Actions > Email screen.
      - Customer Invoice: This DAT Filter is configured in the Finance > AR > Customer Invoices > Email screen.
      - Household: This DAT Filter is configured in the Admin > Households > Email screen.
      - Person: This DAT Filter is configured in the Admin/Development > Persons > Email screen.
      - Student: This DAT Filter is configured in the Admin > Students > Email screen.
      - User: This DAT Filter is configured in the Security > Users > Email screen.

Email Template: The email that is sent.

      - Email Template (Action): This email template is configured in the Admissions > Actions > Email screen.
      - Email Template (Customer Invoice): This email template is configured in the Finance > AR > Customer Invoices > Email screen.
      - Email Template (Household): This email template is configured in the Admin > Households > Email screen.
      - Email Template (Person): This email template is configured in the Admin/Development > Persons > Email screen.
      - Email Template (Purchase Order): This email template is configured in the Finance > AP > Purchase Order > Email screen.
      - Email Template (Student): This email template is configured in the Admin > Students > Email screen.

Email From: From email on the email.

From Name: From name on the email

From Prefix: This is the part of the e-mail address that appears before the @ symbol (ex. For the email address support@pcreducator.com, the prefix is “support.”

Reply to Name: Reply To Name on the email.

Send Rate determines how often the email is sent.

Days to Prevent Followup determines the number of days after a follow-up email is sent.
Creating Notification Trigger
Security Full role is required to create a notification trigger.

      1. Navigate to Security > Notifications > Notification Triggers.
      2. Click New.
      3. Populate Notification Settings.  For more information about Notification Settings, see Notification Trigger.
      4. In the Visible for Roles setting, specify security roles that users must have to view the email that is sent.  Note: This setting allows users to access emails from the administrative end.
      5. Click Save.
 
Notification Trigger - Action Reminder (Admissions)
Action Reminder trigger generates emails for recommenders reminding them to submit inquiry recommendations.

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.
Notification Trigger - Birthday (Household/Contact/Customer)
Birthday (Household/Contact/Customer) trigger generates emails for  a household, contact, or customer on their birthday.  This trigger is particularly useful to send birthday emails to alums.

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.
Notification Trigger - Customer Balance Low
The purpose of the Customer Balance Low trigger generates automatic emails to customers when their balance is low.  This trigger is particularly useful to remind customers when they have a low lunch balance to upload funds to their accounts.

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.

Custom Settings

Select the appropriate Ledger

Posted Type refers to transactions that are counted in the customer balance. If Posted is selected, then only posted transactions are counted in the customer balance to determine whether it is low.  If Unposted is selected, then both posted and unposted transactions are taken into account in the customer balance to determine whether it is low.

Balance Due At Least determines how low a customer’s balance needs to be for the email to go out.  Note: An overall customer balance of a negative amount means that the customer has a credit.  Example: If you set the Balance Due At Least setting to -10, it means that an email will go out if the customer has a credit of $10 or less.
Notification Trigger - Customer Billing Reminder
Customer Billing Reminder trigger generates automatic reminders to customers when their AR invoice is due.  

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.

Custom Settings

Between _ and _ days before payment due determines the number of days 

If the Posted Only setting is checked, then emails go out only for posted AR invoices that are due.  If the setting is unchecked, emails go out for both posted and unposted AR invoices that are due.
 
Notification Trigger - Inquiry Missing Actions
Inquiry Missing Actions trigger generates emails when items on the Admissions Checklist are not complete. This is a very popular trigger because it helps to ensure that all applicants are reminded about any missing items. 

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger. 

Note: Only the Admissions Checklist Actions that are part of an active Admissions Checklist and are not marked as “Hide From Checklists” show up in the email template.

Custom Settings

Select Admissions Division.  See School Division for more information.
 
Notification Trigger - Donor Pledge Payment Reminder
Donor Pledge Payment Reminder trigger sends automatic email reminders when a pledge payment is due.

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.

Custom Settings

In the Days Before Pledge Due setting, specify the number of days before the donation due date the email reminder goes out.
Notification Trigger - Purchase Order Update
Purchase Order Update trigger sends an automatic email reminder when a purchase order is updated.  The email goes to all parties involved with the purchase order, such as the account manager and the user who submits the order.

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.
 
Notification Trigger - Student Drop Box Teacher Feedback
Student Drop Box Teacher Feedback trigger sends an automatic email reminder to the parent and/or the student when a teacher provides feedback on an assignment through the dropbox feature.  

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.
Notification Trigger - Student Gradebook Average
Student Gradebook Average trigger sends an automatic notification when a student’s gradebook average meets the criteria defined in Custom Settings.  This trigger is particularly useful to notify a parent when their child’s gradebook average drops below a certain percentage.

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.

Custom Settings

In Compare dropdown, select an option on how you want to compare the student’s average to the specified To Average.
Notification Trigger - Student Gradebook Score
Student Gradebook Score trigger sends an automatic notification when a student’s gradebook assessment score meets the criteria defined in Custom Settings.  This trigger is particularly useful to notify a parent when their child’s gradebook assessment score drops below a certain percentage.

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.

Custom Settings

In Compare dropdown, select an option on how you want to compare the student’s average to the specified To Percent.
 
Notification Trigger - Student Missing Assessment
The Student Missing Assessment trigger sends an automatic email reminder to the parent and/or the student when a student has not turned in an assessment past the due date.  

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.
 
Notification Trigger - Student
The Student trigger is the most versatile trigger and can be used for thousands of different scenarios!  You can simply use the combination of Eligible Recipients Filter (User) and Merge Filter (Student) to determine who qualifies to receive an email and then use the Email Template (Student) to send out the desired email.  Example: To send an email reminder to families who have not submitted forms, you can specify a DAT Filter in the Merge Filter (Student) that checks for students who do not have the Forms Submitted action.  And if they fit your DAT Filter, you can send them a custom email that you can select on the Email Template (Student) field.

Here are some scenarios where you can use the Student trigger to send automatic notifications:

     - Missing Forms
      - Missing Contracts
      - Birthday Notification
      - Discipline Notification
      - Parent Teacher Conference Reminder
      - Missing Immunizations 
      - Class Selection Reminder 

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.
 
Notification Trigger - User Website Announcements
The User Website Announcement trigger sends an automatic notification when a news item and/or calendar event is posted in the CMS Portal.

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.

Custom Settings

Announcement Type determines if the email is sent for news items, events, or both.

Eligible Content Types determine for which content types the notification is sent.

In the text editor, enter the announcement.  Note: You can use the Add Fields dropdown to add custom fields.
Notification Trigger - User Website Forums
The User Website Forums trigger sends an automatic notification when a message on a forum/discussion board is posted.

To create a Notification Trigger, follow the steps of Creating Notification Trigger.

Custom Settings

Eligible Content Types determine for which content types the notification is sent.

In the text editor, enter the announcement.  Note: You can use the Add Fields dropdown to add custom fields.
 
Sending Notification to Staff
Phone Full role is required to send text/voice notifications.  Actions Full role is required to send email notifications.

Basic information for staff such as staff name, employment status, and hired date resides on the staff record.  More in-depth information such as the home address, mobile number, personal email address, etc. lives in the staff’s household record.

To send email notifications to staff’s user email, you can navigate to Admin > Staff and use the Email option in the multi-action menu.  For more information, follow the steps of Sending Notification - Email.

To send text/voice notification to the staff’s office phone (which resides on the staff record), you can follow the steps of Sending Notification - Combined and select a filter from the Teacher Filter dropdown.

In most cases, however, you may want to send voice/text/email notifications to Staff’s personal info such as to their mobile number.  In that case, you will need to create a household person filter that pulls the staff information from their household record.  To create such a filter, follow these steps:

      1. Navigate to Admin > Persons and click the filter icon.
      2. Connect the Individual Contacts table to Users to the Teachers table.  In the Teachers table, you can add conditions based on employment status or any other field to filter for desired teachers.  Save the DAT Filter. Note: This filter only works for staff who have user accounts in the system.
      3. When you apply the filter, you will see appropriate records that fit the filter.  You can then select them and go to the multi-action > Text and Voice option to send the notification.  For more information about the Text and Voice option, review Sending Notification - Text and Voice.
 
Sending Notification - Combined
Phone Full role is required to send notifications from the Home screen. This method of sending notifications allows initiating email and text/voice notifications at the same time. It may be a preferred approach for immediate or urgent situations when it’s desirable to quickly reach a large group of people. 

Follow the steps below: 

      1. Navigate to the Home screen
      2. From the Send to Filters dropdowns, select filters for records to whom you want to send notifications.
            a. Household DAT Filter is created in the Admin > Households screen.
            b. Student DAT Filter is created in the Admin > Students screen.
            c. Teacher DAT Filter is created in the Admin > Staff screen.  Note: The Teacher option sends emails to the email address associated with the Teacher’s user account and sends voice/text messages to the office phone found in Admin > Staff > Details screen.  To send notifications to the staff’s household record please follow Sending Notification to Staff..
      3. Select Send Options.  Note: If you select the “Voice - Pre-recorded Message” option, make sure to upload an .mp4 recording in the Message section.
      4. Select Email/Phone Types and/or Fields.  Note: Email/Phone Types and Fields are applicable to emergency contacts as well.  Example: If a household has emergency contacts with the “Mobile” phone specified and you select the “Mobile” type, then emergency contacts will also receive the message on that number.  If you may not wish to send notifications to emergency contacts, you may want to consider using Email/Phone Fields and select Parent-specific emails/phones only.
      5. Compose your message.  You may want to consider saving a template so that you can use it in the future.
      6. Select roles that are allowed to view notification analytics for the notification you are sending.
 
Ask Action
An Ask Action refers to an Action that captures activity for an Ask. A user must have Development Full and Actions Full roles to create an Ask Action.

Note: To create a new Ask, follow the steps of Creating Ask.
Note: To create an Action, follow the steps of Configuring Action.
 
Ask Attribute
An Ask Attribute is a custom field to track information for an Ask.  Development Full role is required to create an Ask Attribute.

Note: To create an Attribute, follow the steps of Creating Attribute.
Note: To create a new Ask, follow the steps of Creating Ask.
 
Ask Track
An Ask Track is a Moves Management Track assigned to an Ask.

Note: To create a new Ask, follow the steps of Creating Ask.
Note: To create a Moves Management Track for the Ask, follow the steps of Creating Moves Management Track.
 
Ask Track Action
An Ask Track Action refers to an Ask Action that captures activity for an Ask Track. A user must have Development Full and Actions Full roles to create an Ask Action.

Note: To create a new Ask, follow the steps of Creating Ask.
Note: To create an Action, follow the steps of Configuring Action.
Ask Team
An Ask Team refers to a group of people that are designated to work on a selected Ask. Typically these team members are volunteers who don’t work in the development office, but assist in connecting with a donor.

Note: To create an Ask Team, follow the steps of Creating Ask Team.
Note: To create a new Ask, follow the steps of Creating Ask.
 
Creating Ask Team
Development Full role is required to create an Ask Team.

      1. Navigate to Development > Asks > Details > Team.
      2. Select a Team Member from the Member dropdown.  Note: All Contact records will show in this dropdown.
      3. Select a Member Type and click Add New Member.

Note: To create a new Ask, follow the steps of Creating Ask.
 
Ask
An Ask is a system that can help by streamlining the fundraising process in order to engage new and renewing donors in a meaningful way and generate increased revenueAsks allow you to identify potential donors and then lead them through Identification, Qualification,Cultivation, Solicitation and Stewardship.. 

Contact refers to the Donor/Organization associated with the Ask. Note: Each ask is directly related to one contact, which means that every ask only has one contact.  However, a single contact may have many asks for different campaigns and funds.

Donor Ask Rating categorizes asks to distinguish different properties  Example: Rating 1 may mean that you expect the selected ask to result in a high dollar amount, so identifying it as rating 1 may help you to allocate more resources to it. Ratings are customizable.  Click the Donor Ask Rating hyperlink to add a new rating in the dropdown.  DBA Full role is needed to add a new rating.

Probability refers to the likelihood (out of 100 percent) that the selected ask results in a donation.

Assigned To determines the user in the system who manages the Ask.  This user is automatically assigned to tasks related to this ask and manages to-do items.  A user must have the Development Full or Development Read role to be assigned an Ask.

Note: To create a new Ask, follow the steps of Creating Ask.
Note: To create a Moves Management Track for the Ask, follow the steps of Creating Moves Management Track.

An Ask typically includes:

      - Ask Action
      - Ask Team
      - Ask Attribute
      - Ask Track
      - Ask Track Action

Once an ask is completed, Ask Result is recorded.  Note: To record ask results, follow the steps of Recording Ask Result.
Creating Ask
Development Full role is needed to create an Ask.

There are two ways to create an Ask.

      1. Creating Ask - Individual
      2. Creating Ask - Bulk

Note: To record an Ask Result, follow the steps of Recording Ask Result.
Note: To create a Moves Management Track for the Ask, follow the steps of Creating Moves Management Track.
 
Creating Ask - Individual
      1. Navigate to Development > Asks and click New. Note: You can also create an individual Ask by going to the Development > Contacts screen and clicking the “New” link under the Ask column.  
      2. Enter Ask Information.
      3. Click Save.
      4. Assign Ask Actions to the Ask if you want to track information related to the ask such as phone calls, emails, or notes.

Note: To record an Ask Result, follow the steps of Recording Ask Result.
Note: To create an Ask for multiple records, follow the steps of Creating Ask - Bulk.
Note: To create a Moves Management Track for the Ask, follow the steps of Creating Moves Management Track.
 
Creating Ask - Bulk
      1. Navigate to Development - Contacts.
      2. Select records for which you want to create an Ask.
      3. Navigate to multi-action > Asks. 
      4. Enter Ask information. Note: At this stage, you are entering default values.
      5. Click Next and review/modify Ask information for each contact.
      6. Click Finish.

Note: To record an Ask Result, follow the steps of Recording Ask Result.
Note: To create an Ask for an individual record, follow the steps of Creating Ask - Individual.
Note: To create a Moves Management Track for the Ask, follow the steps of Creating Moves Management Track.
 
Moves Management Track
Moves management is a cultivation process in which fundraisers manage a series of steps, known as moves, for each prospect. Although these steps vary depending on the individual prospect, each step "moves" the prospect from attention, to interest, to desire to give. Fundraisers continually move prospects toward their next gift.

Each "move" (Action) represents a separate contact that your organization had with the prospect.  These moves include emails, phone calls, letters, faxes, face-to-face conversations, and planned events. Most moves don't involve asking the prospect to make a gift. Instead, they cultivate an affinity for your organization. Example: you might discuss community issues, with a prospect at a dinner party, and of the issues is the focus of your organization. During a dinner party, you don't ask the prospect for a gift, but you do build a relationship. You want to make an impression on the prospect regarding your organization or a giving opportunity.

Moves management track defines a series of actions or moves that should result in a donation. Moves management tracks provide structure and organization by automatically suggesting and scheduling next actions (moves) based on previous steps. Using Moves Management Tracks can be compared to finite state machines where each step directs the next action. Some states can represent loops. For instance, once you qualified a donor for major donation (i.e. ‘Qualification - Positive’), you may have the next action of ‘Contact Email/Phone’. This is an example of a loop action that will continue rescheduling itself at predefined intervals such as every 3 weeks, so that you can continue reaching out to the potential donor until you hear anything back or decide to finish the track due to no response. 

Moves management tracks can be associated with donors or with asks. When associated with asks, moves management tracks assist you in cultivating the ask as they drive the direction of interactions with your prospective donors. 

Note: To create a new track, follow the steps of Creating Moves Management Track.
Note: To assign a record to a new track, follow the steps of Assigning Moves Management Track.
Note: To manage a track, follow the steps of Managing Moves Management Track.
 
Creating Moves Management Track
Development Full role is required to create a Moves Management Track.

      1. Navigate to Development > Maintenance > Track Setup.
      2. Populate Track information.
            a. Enter Action Track Name.
            b. Select Entity Type.
                  i. Donor refers to a track that is assigned directly to the Contact.  The purpose of such a track is to gauge interest for a commitment that does not result in a donation such as for a contact’s interest in volunteering.
                  ii. DonorAsk refers to a track that is assigned to an Ask.  The purpose of such a track is to solicit a donation.
            c. Initial Action is the action that starts the track.  Example: “Major Donor Track Started .”
      3. Click Add New.
      4. Next to the new Track, click Update.
      5. Specify the rest of the actions to finish the track.
            a. Previous Action refers to the action prior to the one you are adding.
            b. Action Due In refers to how many days after the Previous Action is the new one assigned.
            c. Repeat checkbox refers to an action that is repeated multiple times i.e. loop action.  Example: A phone call action may be repeated if the Contact does not answer the first time.

Review a Sample Ask Moves Management Track to get an idea about possible tasks and processes.

Note: To assign a record to a new track, follow the steps of Assigning Moves Management. Track.
Note: To manage a track, follow the steps of Managing Moves Management Track.
 
Assigning Moves Management Track
Development Full role is required to assign a Moves Management Track.

      1. Navigate to Development > Asks > Details > Tracks (or Development > Contacts > Details > Tracks for a Donor level Track).
      2. Populate Track Information.
            a. Select Track.
            b. Specify Assigned To user.
            c. Select Person (optional).
            d. Enter Note (optional).
      3. Click Add.

Note: To create a new track, follow the steps of Creating Moves Management Track.
Note: To manage a track, follow the steps of Managing Moves Management Track.
 
Recording Action using Moves Management Track
As you mark each scheduled action completed, the system suggests the next follow up action based on the selected Moves Management Track. 

There are two ways to record an action for a moves management track:

      1. Development Dashboard > Calendar Widget, hover over the Action and click the hyperlink. You can now complete the existing action and schedule a follow-up action associated with your track.

      2. Ask > Details > Track Actions (or Contact > Details > Track Actions), click on the Action, populate the information, specify the Follow Up Action and click Save.

Note: Once the Track runs its course, go to the Tracks tab to close the track.  
Note: If the Track results in a donation, you may record the donation on the Ask.  Follow the steps of Recording Ask Result.  

Note: To create a new track, follow the steps of Creating Moves Management Track.
Note: To assign a record to a new track, follow the steps of Assigning Moves Management Track.
 
Recording Ask Result
Development Full role is required to record an Ask result.

      1. Navigate to Development > Asks > Details > Result.
      2. If applicable, select a Donation that resulted from the Ask.
      3. Select an option from the Results dropdown.  Note: If the dropdown is blank, you can create new options by clicking the Results hyperlink.  You will need the DBA Full role to add more options.  Example: Results may include options such as “Exceed,” “Meet,” “No Donation.”
      4. Check the Closed box to close the Ask and click Save.
 
Import Menu Location Change
A significant change is coming to PCR Educator’s Import menu.

As it currently stands, each Portal (Admin, Admissions, etc.) has its own Import menu. 

Moving forward, the Import menu will be located under the Home tab, as its actions apply to all Portals.

Have any questions? Please reach out! 
Curious about Contactless Attendance for your school? See it in action here!
During these ever-changing times, accurate attendance records are essential. PCR Educator's attendance system helps schools record who was on campus, when they were on campus and where they were on campus. This can be done from the student’s schedule or class period attendance taken prior to the start of each school day, or every period throughout the day. Our all-encompassing attendance solution limits cross-contamination, lessens staff workload and improves data accuracy.
 
Lately, contactless attendance has been a primary focus of PCR Educator’s mission. Our ID Badging solution allows you to create custom badges from your PCR Educator SIS database. ID barcodes can be printed onto badges for both students and staff. Our ID Badging system also assists in keeping your school’s campus secure. For example, if a mask obscures a visitor’s face, having an ID Badge on hand, or on a lanyard, helps easily verify that visitor belongs on campus.
 
Using their IDs, students can then check in to confirm their presence at school at a Tardy Kiosk, or Positive Attendance Kiosk, using a barcode scanner. When scanners are set to auto-scan, an ID badge is held under the scanner, the scanner reads its barcode, and the student’s information is immediately displayed on the kiosk. Our scanners also read barcodes directly from cell phone screens. Any forgetful students that misplace their IDs can load their digital ID directly onto their phones. Additionally, if neither the phone ID nor digital ID is available, PCR Educator has a combo keypad entry option allowing students to type in their ID manually.  
 
As schools continue reopening and limiting room capacities, or alternate student schedules, Attendance Kiosks can expedite students in moving through your school’s daily processes. For students who arrive late during the day an Attendance Kiosk located in the front office, or near your school’s reception area, will automatically enter tardies into PCR Educator’s database along with a time-stamp. This information is immediately available to teachers, allowing them to admit late students to class while saving front office staff time.
 
Now more than ever, accurate attendance for all students in your school is needed. Attendance scanners can be deployed anywhere attendance needs to be taken. When a student checks in using a Positive Attendance device, the student is entered as present in that room with a time-stamp. Teachers then see these timestamps on their daily rosters.
 
Interested? Here’s a quick video showcasing how our system works.
 
If your school wants to check out PCR Educator’s contactless attendance system more thoroughly or would like to learn how to better utilize it, please reach out to us today! 
 
FAQ: What is the File size limit for Email Attachments?
When creating an Email, the size limit per File is 5MB. While there is no set limit for the entire Email, it is recommended to stay within this 5MB limit as many Email Providers, such as Apple, will automatically decline Emails that are too large.
UI Redesign Early Access
Sign up for the pre-release of PCR Educator’s new user interface starts TODAY!

Our new UI has officially gone online. We think it’s pretty great, but we recognize the need for some outside critique. That’s where you come in.

Your feedback will provide us invaluable insight into anything we may have overlooked or need to improve on. You have the perfect opportunity to make PCR Educator a better service for not only your school but the hundreds of other schools we serve around the world. 

At this stage, we are accepting the first 30 users that sign up for full access to the new UI, so act quick!

If you are interested in participating in the trial, respond to this email or reach out to us at support@pcreducator.com
Sample Ask Moves Management Track
This diagram represents a sample Major Donor Track.
 
Contact Records Generation
Contact records are automatically generated from existing household records in Admin > Households.  Households and Contacts are parallel records that share the same id – meaning that when a household record is created, a contact record of the same id is also created in Development. 

Note: follow the steps of  Excluding Records from Contact List when you want to prevent certain types of households to auto-generate in Development as Contacts.
 
Excluding Records from Contact List
To hide contacts in Development, you can create a calculated attribute called “Exclude from Development.” As long as household records meet the criteria of this attribute and do not have any other attributes, corresponding contact records are not generated in Development. This feature is specifically helpful if you are interested in hiding vendors or non-development affiliated records from your list of contacts.

To create an attribute or Calculated Attribute, follow the steps of Creating Attribute.
 
Improvements to Attendance-taking
PCR Educator's latest update seeks to improve our system by providing users greater flexibility to record additional information during the attendance-taking process. 

The most immediate change is the renaming of Lunch Choices to Attendance Choices. 

The only aspect altered here is the title; functionality remains the same as before.

This proactive adjustment comes after observing many schools using Lunch Choices for non-lunch records. We hope the new name makes for a more useful and versatile label.
Refunding Customer Receipt
Refunding Customer Receipts creates both the AR Refund Invoice and the AP Invoice in a single step. Once finished, follow the steps of  Writing Checks to create a check.  


1. To refund customer receipts, navigate to Finance - AR - Receipts and select the Refund multi-action.  You need the Finance AR Full role to access this multi-action.  Note: The multi-action is only applicable for the unallocated portion of customer receipts.  Fully allocated receipts, miscellaneous receipts, customer credits, and voided receipts are not eligible for a refund in this manner.

2. On the Setup step, specify the information that appears on the AR Refund Invoice and AP Invoice.
     Payment Terms is a shortlist of payment terms with exactly 1 due date in the schedule.  The chosen selection determines the payment term used for the AR Refund Invoice and the payment due date for the AP Invoice.

      Refund Product determines the product which appears on both the AR invoice and the AP invoice.  For products to appear as an option, the product must have the same account specified for both the Sale account and Purchase account.  Note: This account is the same as the Refund Payable account from the Refunding Customers article and nets to 0.

      Refund Date is used as the Issued Date for the AR Invoice and the Invoice Date / Post Date for the AP Invoice. 

      Customer / Vendor Memo appears for the AR Invoice customer memo, the AR Invoice line item note, the AP Invoice vendor memo, and the AP Invoice line item note.  Note: Specify the customer memo so that it indicates that the invoice is a Refund.

       Internal Memo appears for the AR Invoice internal memo and AP Invoice internal memo.  Note:  The AP Invoice internal memo is appended with a note indicating which customer receipt ids are included in the refund.

3. On the Details step, specify the Pay To name that is to appear on the check.  Note: The billing address for the customer is used as the pay to address for the AP invoice. Note: An AR invoice is created for each customer and student pairing from this step. Note:  An AP invoice is created for each customer and pay to name pairing from this step. Example: The Doe family has receipts for three students being refunded.  For the first two students, you specify the name John Doe.  For the third student, you specify Jane Doe.  Three AR refund invoices are created for each student.  Two AP invoices are created, one for John Doe and one for Jane Doe.  When checks are run, one check is created for John Doe and a separate check for Jane Doe.

4. The Summary step includes links to the AR Refund Invoices that are created and the AP Invoices that are created.  The invoices are pre-selected so that you may click on the corresponding link and perform multi-actions.  After this point, it is up to Finance AP to follow the process for Writing Checks.  Note:  If you do not have Finance AP roles, then the AP Invoice link is not available.
Announcing PCR Educator's UI Update
Drum roll, please (you can do that in your head or tap it on a desk, or maybe even a chair).

PCR Educator is beyond excited to announce our big surprise: a fully redesigned User Interface!

Your calls for a more modern user experience haven't fallen on deaf ears. We are right there with you and we feel it's time to take that next step into the future.

To anyone concerned about the release of an update like this mid-school year, have no fear! 

While the update is significant, it will not dramatically alter any of the processes that you and your school are accustomed to. Adding to that, the update will initially be provided only to a select few that opt-in. Expect to hear more about that process very soon...

From there, we will listen to the early adopters and fine-tune the full rollout based on user input. We will provide a multitude of content explaining the update and everything it entails, including step-by-step demonstrations.

Be sure to like and follow our Facebook page, and keep an eye out for our emails for more UI news.
Announcing PCR Educator's UI Update
Drum roll, please (you can do that in your head or tap it on a desk, or maybe even a chair).

PCR Educator is beyond excited to announce our big surprise: a fully redesigned User Interface!

Your calls for a more modern user experience haven't fallen on deaf ears. We are right there with you and we feel it's time to take that next step into the future.

To anyone concerned about the release of an update like this mid-school year, have no fear! 

While the update is significant, it will not dramatically alter any of the processes that you and your school are accustomed to. Adding to that, the update will initially be provided only to a select few that opt-in. Expect to hear more about that process very soon...

From there, we will listen to the early adopters and fine-tune the full rollout based on user input. We will provide a multitude of content explaining the update and everything it entails, including step-by-step demonstrations.

Be sure to like and follow our Facebook page, and keep an eye out for our emails for more UI news.
Attribute
Attributes are custom fields to track information for which no field already exists in the system. Attributes add flexibility to your record-keeping by giving you the ability to define and store special information about a wide variety of record types.  Note: Not all attribute types have the same fields available.

Attribute is the name of the attribute.

Data Type determines what data the attribute comment may have.
  Boolean is a checkbox
  Date
  Hyperlink is a link that must start with one of http:// https:// or ftp://.  The hyperlink shows as a clickable hyperlink on the records. Note: Hyperlinks have a specialized Hyperlink widget used to show hyperlink attributes on the CMS portal.
  Integer is a whole number.
  Text

Lookup Type allows defining selectable options for a Text type attribute.

Allow Custom Text appears if a Lookup Type is specified.  If checked, then choosing a lookup is optional and custom text may be typed instead.

Attribute Timing determines if the attribute is added once to the record as a global value or if the attribute can be added for specific academic years.

Calculate From specifies a filter.  If the record qualifies for the filter, then the record receives the attribute.  Note: Calculated attributes are recalculated daily or if you press the “Refresh Calculated Attributes” button.  An attribute is also recalculated when you initially create or edit an existing calculated attribute.

Flag shows a colored flag on lists or in dashboards if the record has an attribute with the flag.  Note: Multiple attributes can have the same flag color and if the record has any of those attributes, the flag shows.  Note: If you mouse over a flag, a tooltip appears with the name of the attribute creating the flag.
Attribute Category
Attribute category organizes attributes.  Categories are used for filtering, reporting, and search functions.

Category is the name of the category.  Note:  You can move an attribute to a different category when you edit the attribute.

Include in Type Calculations is an additional option for Contact Attributes.  Depending on the order of the Categories and Attributes, the contact’s type is calculated as the highest attribute that the contact has.  Note: Click the “Reorder Categories” button to change the order of the categories.  Note: Click the “Reorder Attributes” button to change the order of the attributes within the category.  
Creating Attribute Category
You need the “Full” role in the appropriate module to create an attribute category.  For more information, review Roles Dictionary.

      1. Navigate to Maintenance > [Record Type] Attributes.  Example: To create student attributes, go to Admin > Maintenance > Student Attributes.
      2. Enter the Category Name in the Category field
      3. Check the Include in Type Calculations checkbox if the new attribute category contains attributes for calculating Contact Types.  Note: This step is only applicable to Contact Attributes.
      4. Click Add Category. The new category is now available for use. 

To create an attribute or Calculated Attribute, follow the steps of Creating Attribute.

To record an attribute on a record, follow the steps of Recording Attribute.
 
Creating Attribute
You need the “Full” role in the appropriate module to create an attribute.  For more information, review Roles Dictionary.

      1. Navigate to Maintenance > [Record Type] Attributes.  Example: To create student attributes, go to Admin > Maintenance > Student Attributes.
      2. Select an Attribute Category for your new attribute.
      3. Specify the  Attribute name.
      4. Click the Add Attribute button. 
      5. Select the desired data type. 
            a. If text Data Type is selected, you may optionally specify a Lookup Type. Check Allow Custom Text to allow users to add their own values not listed in the dropdown.
      6. If you are creating a Calculated Attribute, select a filter from the Calculate From dropdown. 
      7. Set Attribute Timing to Year-Specific if the data you are collecting is year-specific.  Otherwise, set the field to Global.  Note: In student forms, Year-Specific attributes automatically use the School Year specified in School Info.  In Inquiry Forms/Online Application, Year-Specific attributes automatically use the Admissions Year specified in School Info.
      8. Specify a Flag color if desired.
      9. Click Apply.

To create an attribute category, follow the steps of Creating Attribute Category.
To record an attribute on a record, follow the steps of Recording Attribute.
 
Recording Attribute
There are three ways to record attributes.

      1. Recording Attribute - Individual
      2. Recording Attribute - Bulk
      3. Importing New Records (see attribute specific articles)

Note: It’s not possible to record a calculated attribute manually. Calculated attributes appear on the record automatically, but you cannot edit or delete these attributes. Because these attributes are calculated and removed from a record when it does not fit the associated filter anymore, the calculated attributes are not associated with a year.

To create an attribute or Calculated Attribute, follow the steps of Creating Attribute.
 
Recording Attribute - Individual
      1. Navigate to record’s details.  Example: To record student attributes, go to Admin > Students > Details > Attributes.
      2. Select Attribute Category 
      3. Select Attribute 
      4. If creating a [Development] Contact Attributes:
            a. Select Begin and End Fiscal Years if applicable to identify the active period for the assigned attribute. Note: You can leave either of these dropdowns blank. Example: If a contact is a board member during certain years, specify both beginning and end years. However, if a contact is interested in golf, leave both years blank. 
            b. Select Contact Address (default), Primary or Secondary. This selector allows you to associate an attribute with the whole Contact or with specific individuals. Example: the whole family (Contact Address) may be marked as Parent. At the same time, such attributes as Staff, Alumni, or Board Member are typically associated with Primary or Secondary records on the account. 
      5. Depending on the selected Attribute Type, you can: 
            - add a note (Free Text)
            - select a date (Date)
            - enter an integer (Integer)
            - check off a box (Boolean)
            - select a value from a dropdown (Lookup).  Note: If the attribute allows custom text, you can enter a value not available in the dropdown.
      6. Click Add

To create an attribute or Calculated Attribute, follow the steps of Creating Attribute.
 
Recording Attribute - Bulk
      1. Select records.  Example: To record student attributes, select student records.
      2. Go to multi-action dropdown and select Attributes (Add)
      3. Follow steps 2-6 performed for Recording Attribute - Individual

To create an attribute or Calculated Attribute, follow the steps of Creating Attribute.
 
Calculated Attribute
Calculated Attributes are an extension of Attributes. Calculated Attributes are used for the same purpose as Attributes. The only difference between regular Attributes and Calculated Attributes is that the latter are associated with a record automatically once a record fits the criteria associated with each Calculated Attribute.

Example 1: Staff attribute is typically configured as a Calculated Attribute because a school can set up criteria that any Contact associated with an active staff record should have Staff attribute. By taking advantage of the built-in automation, a school can streamline its data processes and increase data accuracy.

Example 2: If a school wants to establish different membership levels, it may consider creating Calculated Attributes. For instance, a school may have Silver Level attributed assigned automatically to any Contact who gives greater than $500 and less than $2500 during the current fiscal year for Annual Campaign.

To create an attribute, follow the steps of Creating Attribute.
To record an attribute on a record, follow the steps of Recording Attribute.
 
Chart Layout
A chart layout is a visual representation of all or selected accounts from the general ledger. 

To create a chart layout, follow the steps of Creating Chart Layout.
To copy/delete/edit a chart layout, follow the steps of Copying/Deleting/Editing Chart Layout.
To use a chart layout in a report, follow the steps in Using Chart Layout.
 
Creating Chart Layout
      1. Navigate to Finance > Maintenance > Chart Layouts
      2. Click the Add New button
            a. Enter Chart Layout Name
            b. If Show Debits Negative is checked, reports will display any debits as negative amounts.
            c. Check Public Available to share the layout with other members of your finance team.
      3. Click Save.  You will now see the new layout in the dropdown menu.  Select the new layout.
      4. Click the + icon
            a. Label: Enter the name of the layout item. This label is printed on the report.
            b. Show Debits: Select how you want to display debit amounts for this node. Inherited will pull from the setting specified in the node one level above.
            c. Header Bolded: Select this option to bold the header
            d. Header Underlined: Select this option to underline the header
            e. Suppress Header: Select this option to suppress the header
            f. Footer Bolded: Select this option to bold the footer
            g. Footer Underlined: Select this option to underline the footer
            h. Item Account Number: This section allows you to specify which accounts are included under this layout item. If the layout item is meant to group sub-levels, you may not have any accounts under that layout item, but you may have sub layout items with accounts. 
                  i. Like: Use this option to add accounts that have a specific value in the account number structure.
                  ii. Range: Use this option for accounts within a range. Note: You will need to specify the full account number when using this option. 
                  iii. In: Use this option to select the accounts from a drop down
            i. Click Add Condition
      5. Click Save
      6. Follow steps 4 and 5 to add more layout items.  Note: You can create up to 10 levels.

Note: When adding accounts to a layout item, please consider any accounts that may be added in the future and the account number structure that will be used.
Note: If not all accounts of a specific type are included, the totals in your reports may not match the totals in other parts of the system. Example: If some Expense accounts are not included in the layout, the totals in your custom chart layout report may not match the standard report that is run using the default layout.  In this case, use the Missing Accounts link to find which accounts are missing from your Chart Layout and add them as needed.
 
Copying/Deleting/Editing Chart Layout
      1. Navigate to Finance > Maintenance > Chart Layouts
      2. Select the Chart Layout that you want to copy from the dropdown
      3. Following Copying Chart Layout to copy the chart layout.  Follow Deleting Chart Layout to delete the chart layout.  Follow Editing Chart Layout to edit the chart layout.
Copying Chart Layout
Follow the steps in Copying/Deleting/Editing Chart Layout.

      1. Click Copy. The new Chart Layout will be named as: [Original Name] + COPY.
      2. Make any adjustments to the new Chart Layout as needed.  See Editing Chart Layout for more information.
Deleting Chart Layout
Follow the steps in Copying/Deleting/Editing Chart Layout.

      1. Click Edit
      2. Click Delete
 
Editing Chart Layout
Follow the steps in Copying/Deleting/Editing Chart Layout.

To edit the name of the layout or update Show Debits Negative/Public Available settings:
      1. Click Edit
      2. Update desired fields and click Save

To edit a layout item:
      1. Click on the heading and modify the settings.  See Creating Chart Layout for more information.
Using Chart Layout
When you run a report that supports a chart layout, you can select the layout from the Chart Layout dropdown.  The Max Chart Layout Depth field allows specifying the maximum depth for the layout. 

Example: The layout below contains three levels of layout items.

Normal Operations and International Programs
Normal Operations
Income
Expense
International Programs
Income
Expense
Transfers
Non-Discretionary Transfers
Capital Use Fees
Tech Fees
School Retreat
Discretionary Transfers
Fund Depreciation
Capital Debt Reduction

When Max Chart Layout Depth is set to 3 or higher the report shows all levels of this layout.  Selecting 1 as Max Chart Layout Depth results in displaying headings “Normal Operations and International Programs” and “Transfers” and their totals while other levels are not shown.
 
Standard Query: [Scheduling] Block List - Today
One of the following roles is required to access this query: Admin Full, Admin Read, Scheduling Full, Scheduling Read.

This query provides a list of all blocks, including their start and end times, along with their Block code for today.

The School ID is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
 
Importing New Records - Households
Please begin by following Importing New Records.

Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Household_ID No Identifier "1" If specified, this field needs to be specified for all households and must be a unique numeric value.
Household_Name Required Data "Jackson Family"  
Parent1_First_Name No Data "John"  
Parent1_Last_Name Required if Parent2_Last_name is not specified Data "Madden"  
Parent2_First_Name No Data "Bob"  
Parent2_Last_Name Required if Parent1_Last_Name is not specified Data "Dole"  
Send_Mail_Yes_No No Data "Y" or "N" Used for "Send Mail" in Admin->Households->Details->Household Details.  Note:  While this field is not technically required, if there is any doubt about how this field should be specified for a household record set it to Y.
Carpool_Yes_No No Data "Y" or "N"  
Safe_Party_Yes_No No Data "Y" or "N" Used for "Safe Party" in Admin->Households->Details->Household Details.
Household_Web_Publish_Yes_No No Data "Y" or "N" Used for "Publish on online directory" in Admin->Households->Details->Household Details.
Household_Alternate_ID No Data "23532asd23" Must be a set of alphanumeric characters.
Household_Salutation No Data "Mr. and Mrs Jones"  
Household_Alernate_Salutation No Data "John and Samantha"  
Household_Addressee1 No Data "Mr H. Jones and Mrs. Q Jones", "Mr. Squall Leonhart"  
Household_Addressee2 No Data "Mrs. Quistis Trepe"  
Household_Address1 No Data "23 Summer Parkway"  
Household_Address2 No Data "Apt 123" Used if you need more room for an address.
Household_Address3 No Data "Ontario" Additional room for an address.
Household_City No Data "Baltimore"  
Household_State No Datasource Data "TX"  
Household_Zip No Data "43562", "34532-3323"  
Household_Country No Datasource Data "USA"  
Household_County_District No Datasource Data "Dallas"  
Household_Phone No Data "(635) 1234-007"  
Household_Email No Data "bigemail38@hotmail.com"  
Parent1_Type No Datasource Data "Mother", "Stepfather", "Guardian" Household Details>Parent1 Type
Parent1_First_Name No Data "Zell"  
Parent1_Middle_Name No Data "Balamb"  
Parent1_Preferred_Name No Data "Kristy"  
Parent1_Previous_Last_Name No Data "Dincht"  
Parent1_Suffix No Data "Jr." Household Details>Parent1 Suffix
Parent1_Sex No Datasource Data "Male" Household Details->Parent1 Gender
Parent1_Title No Datasource Data "Mr."  
Parent1_Birthdate No Data "1/02/64"  
Parent1_Deceased_Date No Data "1/06/15"  
Parent1_Citizenship No Datasource Data "USA"  
Parent1_Native_Language No Datasource Data "German"  
Parent1_Birthplace No Data "Germany"  
Parent1_alternate_ID No Data "23152a42"  
Parent1_Email No Data "Sammytomson@gmail.com"  
Parent1_Email1_Type No Datasource Data "Work"  
Parent1_Phone1 No Data "(234) 234-2235"  
Parent1_Phone1_Type No Datasource Data "Mobile"  
Parent1_Employer No Data "PCR Educator"  
Parent1_Position No Data "Chief Engineer"  
Parent1_Industry No Datasource Data "Software Technology"  
Parent1_Work_Address1 No Data "23 Summer Parkway"  
Parent1_Work_Address2 No Data "Apt 123" Used if you need more room for an address.
Parent1_Work_Address3 No Data "Ontario" Additional room for an address.
Parent1_Work_City No Data "Albany"  
Parent1_Work_State No Data "NY"  
Parent1_Work_Zip No Data "22345", "22234-2345"  
Parent1_Work_Country No Data "USA"  
Parent1_pincode No Data "32234" Used for check in/check out. Generally needed for afterschool activities.
Parent1_Year_Grad No Data 2003  
Parent1_Elementary_School No Data "North Olive Elementary"  
Parent1_Elementary_School_Degree No Data "Elementary School Diploma"  
Parent1_Elementary_School_Gradyr No Data "1973"  
Parent1_Middle_School No Data "Hamilton Middle"  
Parent1_Middle_School_Degree No Data "Middle School Diploma"  
Parent1_Middle_School_Gradyr No Data "1976"  
Parent1_High_School No Data "Moonglade Community High School"  
Parent1_High_School_Degree No Data "High School Diploma"  
Parent1_High_School_Gradyr No Data "1980"  
Parent1_Undergrad_School No Data "Florida State University"  
Parent1_Undergrad_School_Degree No Data "Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering"  
Parent1_Undergrad_School_Gradyr No Data "1984"  
Parent1_Grad_School1 No Data "Harvard University"  
Parent1_Grad_School_Degree1 No Data "Master of Applied Science"  
Parent1_Grad_School_Gradyr1 No Data "1986"  
Parent1_Grad_School2 No Data "Massachusetts Institute of Technology"  
Parent1_Grad_School_Degree2 No Data Doctor of Engineering  
Parent1_Grad_School_Gradyr2 No Data "1990"  
Physician_Name No Data "Dr.John Smith"  
Physician_Phone No Data "(342) 234-2342"  
Physician_Practice_Name No Data "John's Doctor House" Used in Admin->Households->Details->Household Details->Medial Info Practice Name
Insurance_Name No Data "HealthyUSA"  
Insurance_Num No Data "23424"  
Insurance_Group_Num No Data "12345678900"  
Insurance_Primary_Holder_Name No Data "Zell Dincht"  
Insurance_Primary_Holder_Employer No Data "PCR Educator" Used in Admin->Households->Details->Household Details->Medial Info Primary Holder Employer
Dentist_Name No Data "Vance McTeeth"  
Dentist_Phone No Data "(353) 757-3234"  
Bond_Id No Data "234323452" Exclusive for Canada. Used for Canada Learning Bond
Bond_Date_Issued No Data "3/02/10" Exclusive for Canada. Date Learning Bond was issued
Bond_Desc No Data "$1300" Exclusive for Canada. Value/Description of the Learning Bond.
Emergency1_Title No Datasource Data "Mrs."  
Emergency1_Type No Datasource Data "Grandmother"  
Emergency1_Relationship No Datasource Data "Grandfather"  
Emergency1_First_Name No Data "Edea"  
Emergency1_Last_Name No Data "Kramer"  
Emergency1_Ok_To_Pickup No Data "Y" or "N" Used for "Can Pickup" in Admin->Households->Details->Household Details->Emergency Contacts
Emergency1_Pincode No Data 36452 Pincode used for Check in/Check Out.
Emergency1_Phone1 No Data "(635) 235-2356"  
Emergency1_Phone1_Type No Datasource Data "Cell"  
Descriptors_Address1_Descriptor_type_ID No Data "32" Household Attribute Type Id
Descriptors_Address1_category No Lookup "Tuition Package" If the attribute ID is unknown, provide the house attribute category in this field. The system will use the category and attribute description to find the attribute ID.
Descriptors_Address1_attribute_desc No Lookup "Update payment info" If the attribute ID is unknown, provide the house attribute description in this field. The system will use the category and attribute description to find the attribute ID.
Descriptors_Address1_year No Data "20202021" "Must be in the format of 8 digits. (XXXXYYYY). If attribute timing is set to "global", leave this blank."
Descriptors_Address1_descriptor_comment No Data "Use payment info on file" A comment relating to the attribute.

Notes: Parent1_Email and Parent1_Email_Type are repeated 2 more times (for a total of 3 potential email addresses).
All fields for Parent1 are repeated for Parent2.
Parent1_Phone1 and Parent1_Phone1_Type are repeated 3 more times (for a total of 4 potential phone numbers)
Emergency_Phone1 and Emergency_Phone1_Type are repeated 2 more times per contact (for a total of 3 potential phone numbers). All Emergency information is repeated 5 additional times (for a total of 6 contacts).
The Descriptor_address fields are repeated 9 more times (for a total of 10 different addresses)
CMS Widget - Standard Properties
The widget is shared by includes links to pages that the control is associated with.

Widget Name is a user defined name for the control.  This name may appear in the Reusable controls list and can be searched via Admin - Widgets.

Is Reusable places the control under the Add Control - Reusable Controls.  Reusable controls may be placed on many different pages and share all the same widget properties.  Note: Changing the properties of a widget on one of the pages affects its properties on all pages.

Is Published checkbox determines whether the widget is hidden from view. If a widget is not used and you plan to use it later, it should be unpublished.

Filter determines if the CMS widget will be visible based on the filter conditions.   If the current user qualifies for the filter, then the CMS Widget will show. Note: by default when no filters are specified, all widgets are visible.

Users are redirected to the page specified in the Navigate URL property when they click on the widget title.  When enabled on CMS - Sitemap, Navigate URL serves as a dynamic source on CMS - Site Maps.  For more information, review Adding/Removing Page to Site Map through CMS Widget.

Some widgets can be configured to perform conditional logic.  For more information, review CMS - Conditional Logic.
 
CMS - Site Map
A Site Map is an organizational tool for creating structure and direction in a
website. A site map defines the dataset for menu widgets. Note: you may have multiple site maps to support multiple menu structures.

To create a new site map, follow the steps in Creating CMS - Site Map
To delete a site map, follow the steps in Deleting CMS - Site Map
For more information about configuring menu widgets, review CMS Widget - Menu.

Note: You must have the Website Full role to manage site maps.
 
Creating CMS - Site Map
To create a CMS - Site Map, follow the steps below.  
      1. Log in to the CMS Portal.
      2. Click the Admin link on the top left of the page.
      3. Navigate to the Site Maps tab and click New.
      4. Enter the Site Map name in the Title field and check Auto Sort if you want the site map nodes to sort alphabetically.  Otherwise, you can use the arrows on each node to sort manually. Note: the title field is for internal use only.
      5. After the sitemap is created, follow the steps for Adding/Removing Page to Site Map
 
Deleting CMS - Site Map
To delete a CMS - Site Map, follow the steps below.

      1. Log in to the CMS Portal.
      2. Click the Admin link on the top left of the page.
      3. Click the Details link on the Site Map that you would like to delete.
      4. Navigate to the Delete tab and click the delete link.

Note: You can only delete a site map if it is not associated with CMS Widget - Menu.
Adding/Removing Page to Site Map
There are various ways to add and remove pages from a CMS - Site Map.

      - Adding/Removing Page to Site Map through CMS Page
      - Adding/Removing Page to Site Map through CMS Widget
      - Adding/Removing Page to Sitemap Manually
 
Adding/Removing Page to Site Map through CMS Page
To add a CMS Page to the CMS - Site Map:

      1. Navigate to the desired page and click “Content” on the top left of the page.
      2. Under the Details tab, select the Site Map to which you would like to add the page.  Note: You must specify a Previous Page that is also on the site map; the current page will then show up as a subnode under the Previous Page.  Example: If you are adding a Calendar page to the Parent Portal and the parent will be directed to the calendar page from the Parent Portal Home page, then the Parent Portal Home page must be set as the previous page.  For more information, see CMS Page Details.

To remove a CMS Page from the site map:

      1. Navigate to the desired page and click “Content” on the top left of the page.
      2. Under the Details tab, un-select the Site Map from which you would like to remove the page and hit Save. 

Note: Adding/Removing Page to Site Map article provides additional options for Adding/Removing Page to Site Map.
 
Adding/Removing Page to Site Map through CMS Widget
When you create a node on a CMS Site Map, you have an option to enable the Dynamic Data Source property. Note: This property is only relevant for dashboard-type pages which contain multiple widgets. 
When Dynamic Data Source property is enabled, the current node generates child nodes corresponding to all the subpages within that node are automatically added to the site map based on the Navigate URL property on the CMS Widgets that are present on the Profile Container of the page that the node is associated with. Example: The Student Profile page normally has attendance, discipline, and schedule widgets. If the widgets are linked to the corresponding pages through the Navigate URL property, they will appear on the left menu.

Similarly, to remove a page from a Site Map through a CMS Widget, simply clear out the Navigate URL property on the widget.  For more information, see CMS Widget - Standard Properties.

Note: For other methods of adding/removing pages from CMS - Site Map, please review Adding/Removing Page to Site Map.
 
Adding/Removing Page to Site Map Manually
To manually add a page to CMS - Site Map:

      1. Log in to the CMS Portal.
      2. Click the Admin link on the top left of the page.
      3. Go to the Details link on the desired CMS Site Map.
      4. To add a node, click the + icon.
            a. Title: Enter the node title. When you link CMS Widget - Menu and site map together, the name/title will appear on the CMS menu.
            b. URL: Select the appropriate page that you would like to add to the site map.  Note: You can link an external web page by entering the URL of the web page.
            c. Dynamic Data Source: check this box if you would like to automatically add a CMS Page associated with a CMS Widget to the site map.  For more information, review Adding/Removing Page to Sitemap through CMS Widget.
      5. Click Save.

To remove a page from CMS - Site Map:

      1. Log in to the CMS Portal.
      2. Click the Admin link on the top left of the page.
      3. Go to the Details link on the desired CMS Site Map.
      4. Click on the page hyperlink and hit the Delete button.

Note: For other methods of adding/removing pages from CMS - Site Map, please review Adding/Removing Page to Site Map.
 
CMS Widget - Menu
The menu widget is used for navigation on CMS Portal.  The menu is read from the associated site map.

Auto Sort Menu automatically sorts site map items in alphabetical order.

Inquiry or Student setting determines whether to use inquiry or Student record for Track Completion setting.
-- Use  “Inquiry” for inquiry/applicant forms.  
-- Use “Student” for student forms.  
-- Otherwise, “None” must be selected.

Site Map Node Options control the visibility of the menu items
-- Hide Nodes if Current Page Not Found hides the menu if the current page or the previous page is not in the site map.
-- Hide Nodes if Current Page Not On Menu hides the menu if only the current page is not on the site map.
-- Show Nodes if Current Page Not Found shows the menu even if the current page is not on the site map.

Site Map Provider determines the site map that is used to populate the menu.  The Starting Level determines the highest level node to show on the menu and the Levels determines how many levels of nodes are shown. The Levels setting should be set to 1 unless you have a custom website that supports multiple levels.  Note: The highest node begins at level 0.

Track Completion setting allows tracking completed pages (usually represented by a checkmark next to the page name). This setting is only applicable for specialized menus used in various forms such as Annual Forms or Application Online. Enabling this property will add a checkmark on the page when a user saves the page. Note: you must select Inquiry r Student to determine which type of record is used.

When pages are saved through the Track Completion property, they are marked with a Track Tag.  Track Tag must be updated each year in the Forms menu to reset page tracking from the previous year.  Example: You may set Track Tag for 2021 forms to “Forms 2021” and then update it the following year to “Forms 2022”.

Use Smart Menu setting is used in combination with Track Completion to prevent users from accessing the next page until the current page is saved. 
 
Staff
A Staff record identifies an employee of the school.  Note: Each Staff record must have exactly one Staff Household. Note: A staff record may be associated with a Staff User.

The staff record contains basic information such as the name, hired date, employment status, office number, etc.  

Signature allows you to upload a file with the staff signature to use on selected reports.

To create a staff record, please follow the steps in Creating Staff.
 
Staff Household
A staff household record holds household information related to the staff. Typically the staff’s information is recorded as Contact 1 in the associated household. However, married staff records correspond to Contact 1 and Contact 2 in the associated household. Note: follow the steps of configuring Staff User to associate a staff record to Contact 1 or Contact 2  placeholder in the corresponding household.

Admin Full role is required to create a Staff Household.

To create a staff household:

      1. Navigate to Admin > Staff > Details > Staff Household
      2. Select the “Create New” radio button.  Note: If the staff record should be linked to an existing household, you may select the “Link Existing” radio button.
      3. Populate household information and click save.
 
Staff User
A staff user is a User record that is associated with a Staff record.  Security Full role is required to create a staff user record. Note: Staff users must be associated with the staff record and with the corresponding Staff Household.

To create a staff user:

Follow the steps in Configuring New User (Security). 
In the User Profile, associate the user to the staff record.  
In the User Profile, associate the user to the Staff Household. Note: In the household indicator, you must specify whether the staff user is associated with person 1 or person 2 of the staff household record.  
 
Creating Staff
You must have Admin Full, Scheduling Full, Security Full, and Import (for bulk record creation) roles to create staff records. Use one of these methods to create a staff record:

      - Creating Staff - Individual
      - Creating Staff - Bulk
 
Creating Staff - Individual
To create an individual staff record:

      1. Navigate to Admin > Staff and click New
      2. Populate Staff information and click Save
      3. Go to the Staff Household tab and add a household
      4. Follow the steps in Staff User to create a user account
 
Creating Staff - Bulk
To create staff records in bulk:

      1. Follow the steps in Importing New Records - Households to import staff household records.
      2. Follow the steps in Importing New Records - Staff to import staff records.
      3. Follow the steps in Importing New Records - User to import staff user records.
 
Deleting/Deactivating Staff
When a staff member leaves the school, you should deactivate their record. Deleting a Staff Record is an exceptional circumstance. When a staff member leaves the school, you should follow the steps of  Deactivating Staff.  Note: It is recommended that you deactivate the staff record instead of deleting it because you may lose some data such as DAT queries and filters that may be associated with the staff record once you delete it.  Moreover, if the staff person is a current parent or may plan to apply to the school in the future, it will be best to deactivate their record. Note: usually you only delete a staff record when it was created by mistake. 

To delete/deactivate a staff record:

      1. Navigate to Scheduling > Courses > Sections.  Make sure that you have “Current Year Schedule” selected on the top right dropdown.
      2. Search for the staff record based on the Teacher Last/First name fields.  You will see all course sections that are associated with the staff record.
      3. Go to details of each section and remove the staff record from the course section.
      4. Navigate to Scheduling > Courses  > Sections and select “Next Year Schedule” on the top right dropdown.  Complete steps #2 and #3 in the next year.
      5. To deactivate a staff record, follow the steps in Deactivating Staff.  To delete a staff record, follow the steps in Deleting Staff. 
 
Deactivating Staff
Start by following the steps in Deleting/Deactivating Staff.

To deactivate a staff record:

      1. Go to Scheduling > Staff  > Details and set the employment status to the appropriate status.
      2. Navigate to Security > Users > Details of the Staff User record.  Uncheck the “Approved” box and click Save.  Next, click on the Roles tab and remove any staff/admin specific roles.  For more information, please review the Roles Dictionary.  Note: If the staff person is also a parent, then you should not uncheck the “Approved” box.  Instead, update the user account to reflect the non-school email.  For more information, please review User.
 
Deleting Staff
Start by following the steps in Deleting/Deactivating Staff.

To delete the staff record:

      1. Navigate to Security > Users > Details (of the Staff User record) and click on the delete tab to delete the user record.
      2. Navigate to Scheduling > Staff > Details (of the Staff record) and click on the delete tab to delete the staff record.
      3. Go to Admin > Households > Details (of the Staff Household) and click on the delete tab to delete the Staff Household record.
 
Admissions Update
We are pleased to announce yet another streamlining update to PCR Educator! 

Moving forward, Admissions: Inquiry Notes are deprecated. They will now automatically migrate to a new Inquiry Action called Notes.

If you have any questions about the new Inquiry System, please reach out!
 
Online Directory Update
PCR Educator is happy to announce our latest update! After numerous user requests, we have updated the Online Directory system. 

Publish In School Directory will be retired. Moving forward, only Publish In Online Directory will be available. 

In addition, Online Directory will only use Publish In Online Directory Household Indicators.

We hope this simplifies the Online Directory process and removes any redundancies. 

As always, please reach out to us if you need any assistance with Directory configuration.
Alumni Wizard
The Alumni Wizard is a multi-action feature that creates alum households for students. To access the Alumni Wizard you need the Development Full role. The Alumni Wizard is used by accessing any student listing page, selecting students, and then selecting “Alumni Wizard” from the multi-action drop-down.


Alumni Wizard includes several sections:

    Alumni Wizard - Creating Student Household
    Alumni Wizard - Assigning Student Household Attributes
    Alumni Wizard - Assigning Parent Household Attributes

Note: The wizard automatically adds the Alumni role to the student user accounts and also associates these user accounts with the newly created households.
 
Alumni Wizard - Creating Student Household
The Alumni Wizard uses a combination of already existing data along with user input to determine what to populate the Alum Student Households with. 

Note: Following fields are copied from the original parent household: 
    -    Physical Address Fields: Address Line 1, Address Line 2, Address Line 3, State, City, County, and Country.
    -    Student Fields: Gender, First Name, Last Name, Preferred Name, Middle Name, Suffix, Birthdate, Phone1, and Email1.

To configure the rest of the fields:
  1.     Biographical fields: 
            a.    In the first column, select the merge field.
            b.    The system places the selected merge field in the corresponding biographical field in the second column

  2.     Education fields - specify the desired values. Note: select School Info to copy to allow the system to copy the selected school info into the graduation fields. Note: School Type determines whether to populate elementary, middle, or high education sections of the new household.

 
Alumni Wizard - Assigning Parent Household Attributes
The alumni wizard has the ability to add contact attributes to Parent Households. If a parent of the selected student currently has the selected Current Parent Attribute, the system automatically assigns the selected Past Parent Attribute. It will also update the Current Parent Attribute end year to correspond to the student’s graduation year.
Alumni Wizard - Assigning Student Household Attributes
There are two ways to assigning Student Household Attributes within the Alumni Wizard:
  1. Specify New Alum Attribute.Note: Indicator Determines the indicator that should be used for the “New Alum Attribute” selected. Note: Indicator is typically set to primary.

  2. Map Student Attributes to Contact Attributes section by selecting a Contact Attribute for each listed student attribute. Note: student attributes that have no corresponding contact attributes specified will not be migrated to the new household record. If the students selected have student attributes, you can select a corresponding contact attribute that will be added to the alum households.
 
Export 1701
This article is only relevant for Canadian schools for BC Ministry Reporting purposes.

The 1701 export provides the 1701 file necessary for reporting to the British Columbia Ministry of Education for BC schools.  Access this export by navigating to Admin > Students and using the Special multi-action.  You need Registrar Full or Registrar Read roles to access this page.

To create the export file, click Export STD.  This will generate a file ending with the std extension in the format required by the BC Ministry.

Prior to generating the file to the BC Ministry, check the Validate Only checkbox and export the file.  Review and correct any errors appearing in the file.  Repeat this process until no more errors are listed. Then proceed with generating the official 1701 file.

Note: There are numerous 1701 Student Fields available on each student record for Canadian schools to accommodate BC Ministry 1701 reporting requirements.

Note: The “Other” course count is the count of all the student’s courses with a 1701 Course Type of “Other”.  These courses are only counted when students have a grade level corresponding to a 1701 grade level code of 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, SU, or GA.

Note: The “Support” course count is the count of all the student’s courses with a 1701 Course Type of “Support”.  This count is only made for students with a grade level corresponding to a 1701 grade level code of 10, 11, 12, or GA.

Note: The Number of Courses is the count of all the student’s courses with a 1701 Course Type of “Academic”, “Other”, and “Support”. This count is only made for students with a grade level corresponding to a 1701 grade level code of 8, 09, 10, 11, 12, SU, or GA.
IB (International Baccalaureate) MYP Gradebook Setup

Setting up the gradebook for International Baccalaureate MYP involves setting up the Score Types for the course.  The score types automatically become gradebook categories based on the score type’s weight.

  1. Importing New Records - Score Entry Types or Configuring Score Entry Types.  Note: To make management of the entry types easier, create one entry type for each course and grading criteria.  Example: Name Math 8 Criterion A and Note Math 8.  Note: The MYP Comment is the verbal description of the score, the Description is the criteria name and is the same Description for all rows. Example: Description CriterionA, MYP Comment “The student demonstrates a discerning understanding of the text, topic and the author's choices, reliably using clarifying detail, development and support. In creative work, pieces reflect of keen imagination and sensitivity; the student employs literary and/or non-literary features successfully that serve the context and intention. The student exhibits a refined appreciation of applicable terminology, and uses it appropriately.”
  2. Importing New Records - Score Type Headings or Configuring Score Type Headings.  If Configuring Score Type Headings make sure to check the Is MYP checkbox.  If importing Score Type Headings, specify 1 for is_myp.  Note: To make management of the headings easier, create one heading for each Course and specify the course in the Notes.  Example: Topic Language 8 Achievement and Notes Language 8
  3. Importing New Records - Score Types or Configuring Score Types.  The Topic is the name as it appears on the report card and is also the name of the category.  The Grade Type is Other.  The marking period Weight must correspond to the possible points of the MYP criteria.  The Calculation Type must be “Category MYP” (or the formula must be “100” if importing).
  4. Associating Score Type Headings to their Courses or Importing New Records - Course Score Type Headings

 
Importing Data for New Records - Customer Invoice Items
Follow the steps for Importing New Records.

The customer invoice item import allows you to import each invoice line item in its own row.  Note: If the Issued Date, Customer Info, Person Info, Customer Memo, and Total are the same across multiple rows, then those invoice items will be imported as part of the same invoice.

To import all invoice items per invoice in one row, follow the steps for Importing Data for New Records - Customer Invoices.

Depending on the export file that you are using for the import, you may prefer to use one import over the other.
 

Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Customer_Id Yes, If Customer_Name is not specified Identifier "1234"  
Customer_Name Yes, if Customer_Id is not specified Lookup "Smith Family" If you choose to use this field instead of Customer_id, then Customer_Name must be unique in the system
Person_Id Yes, if the invoice is associated to a student and if Person_First_Name, Person_Last_Name, and Person_Birthdate are not specified Identifier "1234"  
Person_First_Name Yes, if the invoice is associated to a student and if Person_Id is not specified Lookup "John"  
Person_Last_Name Yes, if the invoice is associated to a student and if Person_Id is not specified Lookup "Doe"  
Person_Birthdate Yes, if the invoice is associated to a student and if Person_Id is not specified Lookup "1/1/2000"  
Person_Type Yes, if the invoice is associated to a student Lookup "Student" or "Inquiry"  
Total Yes Data "100" Refers to total invoice amount. The amount format should not include commas
Issued_Date Yes Data "1/1/2000"  
Entered_Date Yes Data "1/1/2000"  
Sent_Date No Data "1/1/2000"  
Payment_Term_Id Yes, if Payment_Term_Name is not specified Identifier "123"  
Payment_Term_Name Yes, if Payment_Term_Id is not specified Lookup "Monthly Payment"  
Accounts_Receivable_Account_Id Yes, if Accounts_Receivable_Account_Number is not specified Identifier "123" This account will be debited
Accounts_Receivable_Account_Number Yes, if Accounts_Receivable_Account_Id is not specified Lookup "123" This account will be debited
Customer_Memo No, but recommended Data "Tuition Invoice" Can be displayed to families
Internal_Memo No, but recommended Data "Tuition Invoice"  
Posted_Date No Data "1/1/2000" If you post invoices, you will not be able to edit them
Voided_Date No Data "1/1/2000"  
Void_Comment No Data "Wrong Date"  
Invoice_Alternate_Id No Data "123"  
Invoice_Classification_Id Yes, if you use classifications and if Invoice_Classification_Name is not specified Identifier "123"  
Invoice_Classification_Name Yes, if you use classifications and if Invoice_Classification_Id is not specified Lookup "High School"  
Invoice_Item_Product_Id Yes, If Invoice_Item_Product_Name is not specified Identifier "123" See Product for more information
Invoice_Item_Product_Name Yes, If Invoice_Item_Product_Id is not specified Lookup "Tuition" See Product for more information
Invoice_Item_Account_id Yes, if Invoice_Item_Account_Number is not specified Identifier "123" This refers to the revenue account that will be credited
Invoice_Item_Account_Number Yes, if Invoice_Item_Account_Id is not specified Lookup "123" This refers to the revenue account that will be credited
Invoice_Item_Overriden_Price Yes Data "100" Price for the individual item
Invoice_Item_Quantity Yes Data "1" Quantity for the individual item
Invoice_Item_Note No Data "Tuition"  
Invoice_Item_Classification_Id Yes, if you use classifications and if Invoice_Item_Classification_Name is not specified Identifier "123"  
Invoice_Item_Classification_Name Yes, if you use classifications and if Invoice_Item_Classification_Id is not specified Lookup "High School"
Creating CMS Page
There are two ways to create a CMS Page outlined below.  A user must have a Website Full role to access this feature.

1. Creating New CMS Page 
2. Copying CMS Page
 
Creating New CMS Page
1. Log in to the CMS Portal and click Admin on the top-left
2. Navigate to the Pages tab and click New
3. Populate the page details and properties.  See CMS Page Details for more information.

To access the new page, click Edit Content.  Add CMS Widgets as needed.
 
CMS Template
To enforce consistency across your site, PCR Educator uses page templates. Page templates define the basic characteristics of each different type of page. They define which CMS widgets appear on a page, where CMS widgets are displayed, and the look and feel of your page. They also have predetermined locations with CMS Containers. 

When using a CMS Page Template, your page inherits these different characteristics from its template:
- CMS Page Data
- CMS Page Roles
- CMS Page Filter
- Unauthenticated Url

Note: Adjusting a page template changes all pages built with that template immediately.
To meet the needs of different areas on your site, you can have templates for several different types of pages such as templates for Parent Portal, Parent Portal with student selector, Teacher Portal, or public page template. Each different type of page has a defined set of widget that can be used within it. 
 
CMS Container
CMS Containers are predetermined locations that can be used to house different CMS Widgets on your CMS Page. Containers are defined for each CMS Template. 
 
CMS Page Details
- Title - name of the page
- Description is used for entering keywords for the purposes of SEO
- An appropriate Template must be selected for your page.  See CMS Template for more info. Example: If you are creating a page that will reside in the Parent Portal and should have a dropdown to select a student record, then you must select the template PP w Student Selector.  
- Previous Page is used for navigation. It should be set to the page that users will be directed from to the current page.
- Unauthenticated Url determines the login page for your page.  Note: If your Template already has an Unauthenticated Url specified and you want to keep the same for your current page, then select the Template radio button.  Otherwise, select the appropriate page for Unauthenticated Url.  Example: The Unauthenticated Url page for the Parent Portal will be the Parent Portal Login page.
- Published checkbox determines if the page is accessible to non-admin users.  If a page is not used, it must be unpublished or deleted.
- Action to PDF is used for Forms.  If a Student Action is specified, then the system will generate a pdf of the page when Forms are submitted.  Note: If you would not like your Forms pages to generate a pdf, set the Action to PDF value to “Skip PDF Generation.”
 
CMS Page Data
The Data tab is used to specify what tables are available for editing on the current page.  This feature is specifically used for pages where you are collecting information from users such as on the online application.  Note: If your CMS Template already has Data tables specified and you want to keep the same tables for the current page, then select the Template radio button.  Otherwise, select appropriate tables if applicable.
 
CMS Page Roles
CMS Page Roles is used for restricting CMS Sitemap Page Visibility. Note: If no roles are specified on a page, then the page will be available to the public given that it is published, does not have a DAT Filter specified, and does not have an Unauthenticated Url specified.  Note: If your CMS Template already has roles specified and if you want to keep the same roles on the current page, then select the Template radio button.  Otherwise, select appropriate roles for your page.  For more information on restricting pages, please refer to CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.
CMS Page Filter
CMS Page Filter is used for restricting DAT Filter in the Filters tab. 
 
Advancing Admissions Records - Current Academic Year
Advancing Admissions Records to the current year allows you to process inquiry/applicant records who are still interested in enrolling in the current school year after the school year has been closed (see Closing the School Year). This process will ensure that when you enroll applicants for the current year once the school year is closed, their grade levels and actions are accurate and their contracts populate correctly. Example: an applicant applied for the 2022/2023 academic year in December 2021. They submitted all required documentation by March 2022. At the time the applicant was in [current] grade 8, applying for grade 9. The applicant was placed on a waitlist since there were no open spots for grade 9. In August 2021, after the school year was closed and switched to 2022/2023 the school found an open spot for the applicant and offered enrollment. Note, that the applicant’s current grade level 8 is now incorrect, as it should be  9 in 2022/2023, while still applying for grade level 9.

If you don’t anticipate having many applicants who join for the current year, it may be easier to update their current grade level once you offer them acceptance. Otherwise, follow the steps below to process such applicants in bulk:

1.Navigate to Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants 
2. Search or filterall inquiry records who may potentially enroll in the current year. Note: You may want to save your criteria as a DAT Filter for reuse.
3. Starting from the highest current grade level, repeat the following process one grade level at a time: 
      3a. Within the search results from step 2, limit the inquiries to one current grade level. Example: use search criterion Current Grade Level = 11
      3b. Select all records from 3a.
      3c.  Use the multi-action “Update Fields” and update their current grade level id field to the next grade level. Example: if you used search criterion Current Grade Level = 11 in step 3a, then you need to set current grade level to 12.
 
Advancing Admissions Records
Advancing Admissions Records allows you to re-activate inquiry records for the new Admissions cycle or properly update inquiry records who may potentially enroll for the current year after Closing the School Year.

      - To update inquiry records who plan to enroll in the current academic year, follow the steps for Advancing Admissions Records - Current Academic Year 
      - To re-activate inquiry records for the new Admissions cycle, follow the steps for Advancing Admissions Records - Next Academic Year
 
Importing New Records - Chart Layouts
Follow the steps for Importing New Records.

Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Chart_Layout_Title Yes Data "Balance Sheet" Chart_Layout_Title must have the same Is_Public, Owner_Username, and Owner_UserId for all rows. A different Chart_Layout_Title indicates a separate chart layout being imported.
Is_Public Yes Data "Yes", "No"
Owner_Username No, if Owner_UserId is specified Lookup "abc@school.org"
Owner_UserId No, if Owner_Username is specified Key ID Field "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" The User must have the FinanceGL Full role.
Item_Caption Yes Identifier "Assets"
Parent_Item_Caption Yes for child items that appear under an Item_Caption on a different row Lookup "Assets" If left blank, the current item is a top level item for the chart layout. Chart layouts can only be 10 item levels deep.
Item_Order No Data 1 Integers only. Determines the order the item appears within its parent. The numbers do not need to be sequential. If left blank, the order the item appears in the import file determines the item order.
Is_Header_Bolded No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Is_Header_Italic No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Is_Header_Underlined No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Is_Page_Break_Before No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Is_Page_Break_After No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Is_Footer_Bolded No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Is_Footer_Italic No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Is_Footer_Underlined No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Suppress_Header No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Suppress_Details No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Suppress_Footer No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Show_Debits_Negative No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
YES No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
YES No Datasource Data "Yes", "No" If left blank, the current item inherits the parent’s setting.
Account_Number_Like1 No, if a range or comma list is specified. Data "_1___" See the notes at the end.
Account_Number_Range_Start1 No, if like or a comma list is specified. Yes, if a range end is specified. Datasource Data "11000" See the notes at the end. This must match an existing account number.
Account_Number_Range_End1 Yes Datasource Data "11999" See the notes at the end. This must match an existing account number.
Account_Number_Comma_List1 No, if like or a range is specified. Data "11000, 11500, 35791" See the notes at the end. Accounts in the list must match an existing account number. Any spacing before or after the comma is ignored.

Note: Account_Number_Like1, Account_Number_Range_Start1, Account_Number_Range_End1, and Account_Number_Comma_List1 are repeated 4 more times (for a total of 5).  A minimum of 1 account criterion is required for each Item_Caption.  
Note: If more than one Account_Number criteria are specified, then accounts matching any of the criteria are included when generating a report.  Example: Account_Number_Like1 "1%" and Account_Number_Like2 "%2" would include all accounts starting with 1 or end with 2.  Example: Account_Number_Like1 "1%" and Account_Number_Comma_List1 "55555, 77777" would include all accounts starting with 1 and the accounts 55555 and 77777.
Note: For Account_Number_Like columns, use the same wildcards as found in the article: Can Wildcards Be Used When Searching? 
Advancing Admissions Records - Next Academic Year
Advancing Admissions Records to next year allows you to reactivate inquiry records from previous admissions seasons.

This is typically done to allow the admissions department to reach out to all these potential applicants, inviting them to apply for the new year. Another reason is to update active inquiry records of those who started the process in the previous admissions year, but continue to be interested in the school. In this case, instead of restarting the process, they typically need to continue the started process, so their actions and checklist need to be updated to the new admissions year.  

1. Navigate to Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants
2. Search or filter all inquiry records who need to be reactivated from previous admissions seasons. Note: You may want to save your criteria as a DAT Filter for reuse.
3. Starting from the highest applying for grade level, repeat the following process one grade level at a time:
      3a. Within the search results from step 2, limit the inquiries to one applying for grade level.
      3b. Select all records from 3a.
      3c. Use the multi-action “Update Fields” to update their Applying For Grade to the next grade level. If you wish to advance their current grade level as well, please update their current grade level to match the new academic year.  Example: if you used the search criterion Applying for Grade = 11 in step 3a, then you need to set Applying for Grade to 12.  
      3d. Repeat this process while working towards the lowest grade levels.  Note:  You might have only a few students in later grade levels and choose to update those students manually.  
4. Repeat the process described in step 3 for current grade level that also needs to be updated.

5a. If you are working with a group of students who will restart the admissions process:
      - For all the students from step 2, use Recording Inquiry Action - Bulk to add an Inquiry Action or any other action for the new academic year.  Note:  This process may reset all statuses, substatuses, or both depending on your action settings.  You may need to apply a second action to reset their substatuses.  Example: You could create a dedicated action named “Auto Prospect '' to distinguish all records which were advanced from the previous year and set the statuses and substatuses with a single action.  Note:  You may want to include a comment in the actions indicating that these actions were added due to manual advancement.
5b. If you are updating active inquiry records to the new admissions year to allow them to continue the process without restarting:
      - For all students from step 2, navigate to Admissions>Actions and select all  inquiry actions only for the previous year. Then use the multi-action Update Fields. Update academic year to the new admissions year. Then update applying grade level id to the new grade level. Example: if you had a student applying for 21/22 for 8th grade and then they continue the same application for the 22/23, the inquiry actions associated with this process need to be updated to 9th grade.
 
6. If you would like to preserve the association between inquiry records and their evaluators, navigate to Admissions>Inquiries/Applicants and select all inquiries from step 2. Then use multi-action Advance Evaluator Assignments. 

6a. If you are working with a group of students who will restart the admissions process, use the Copy Assigned Evaluators to New Academic Year button.

6b. If you are updating active inquiry records to the new admissions year to allow them to continue the process without restarting, use the Update Academic Year for Assigned Evaluators button.

7. Using the list from step 2, multi select all records and use update multi-action to update Academic Year field to the active admissions year

8. Send an email to contact the parents/students explaining how to re-apply if desired.


Note:  An important consideration for advancement is the impact on your statistics.  If you use a separate action as in the example from step 5, those records may or may not be included in your statistics or DAT Reports.  The decision on whether to use a new unique action or to apply the Inquiry action will depend on how you want to count these advancing records.
 
Standard Query: [Admin] Period Attendance Taken
One of the following roles is required to access this query: Admin Full, Admin Read, Attendance Full, Attendance Read.

This query provides a list of teachers, including the courses and periods for which they have taken period attendance on a given date.

The Occurrence Date is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
Top Marketing Strategies for Private Schools
Your school is under a new microscope. And if you were planning on things going back to “pre-pandemic normal” — it’s time to scrap those plans. Things aren’t going to go back to “normal.” The Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t like throwing a rock into a still lake, with ripples that move outward until they finally disappear and the stillness returns. Rather, the pandemic was like a storm that morphs and shifts a lake’s landscape, permanently.  The marketing and communications strategies that used to work for your school or district, might not work in 2021 and beyond because the landscape has completely changed. Your plans need to be adapted, reimagined, or even scrapped entirely to meet the new expectations of today’s families. 

Understanding Prospective Families’ New “Liquid” Expectations

What are liquid expectations? The simplest way to define “liquid expectations” is that expectations of customer experience seep from one industry to another.As schools, we often think about how our marketing compares to our direct competitors — the private, charter or public school down the road. But now, families are no longer comparing your school only to direct competitors. They’re comparing your school’s online experience to any and all online experience they’ve had — even those with brands like Amazon and Netflix.After a year of doing almost everything virtually, expectations are high across the board. If grandma can easily order grocery delivery, she better be able to easily pay her grandchild’s tuition online. If mom can order herself a new car in three clicks online, then she should be able to find your school’s calendar in less effort. And if dad can watch whatever sports game he wants on the web, whenever, he definitely wants to see his kids’ events live-streamed.Across the board, your families expect more from online experiences, your school included. They’re harder to impress and harder to please than ever before — and your school’s marketing strategies need to reflect that. 

As we look ahead to this year and the future, it’s important for schools and districts alike to invest time, budget, or resources into the following marketing strategies:

  1. Redesign Your School’s Website
  2. Improve Search Engine Strategy
  3. Create Email Workflows
  4. Start a Blog
  5. Create Content Offers
  6. Consolidate Social Media Accounts
  7. Invest in Consistent, Meaningful Social Media Ads
  8. Invest More Time and Resources into Video 

1. Redesign Your School’s Website

There is plenty of industry research that tells us that a poorly designed website can be the Achilles heel of most brands. 
A bad website experience — especially on mobile — can mar your reputation and lead to a decrease in engagement, site traffic, and more. 
Consider these stats:
     - 79% of people who don’t like what they find on one site will go back and search for another site
     - 52% of users say that a bad mobile experience made them less likely to engage with a company
     - 40% of website visitors will leave if the site takes more than three seconds to load
     - 47% of visitors expect your site to load in two seconds
     - 94% of first impressions are design-related
 
We know that launching a new website is a lot of work in order to do it right. But before you invest any time, budget or effort into any marketing strategies, you need a strong foundation. If your school or district’s current website checks any of the following boxes, this is your top marketing strategy for this year:
     - The website is 3 years old or more
     - The website is responsive, but not mobile-first
     - The website “looks old” in comparison to direct competitors and big brands
     - Your website is difficult to navigate

2. Improve Your Search Engine Strategy

Every school’s search engine strategy contains three main elements:
     - Search Engine Optimization
     - Paid Per Click Advertising (PPC)
     - Online Review Management
Depending on your school’s goals, you may have to invest in one, two, or all three of these elements.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO is a long play that many school marketers don’t have the time or resources for. It requires keyword research and implementation across your site’s title tags, meta descriptions, on-page content, and in most cases, the creation of a good blog. And because the results often aren’t as instantaneous as a paid ad, many school marketers put SEO on the back-burner. (Often, the implementation of an SEO strategy can take many months to reap benefits from because of how long it takes Google to crawl and recrawl site pages.) 

However, an SEO strategy is essential to your school’s success in the digital sphere. 90% of all online experiences begin in search engines, and any results past page one have horrific click-through rates. If you want your school’s website to be found, you need to find the time or budget to bulk up your SEO. 

Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC): PPC ads are an incredibly powerful advertising tool you can use to direct more awareness and website traffic for your school. If your school’s site isn’t ranking well in Google and you don’t have the time or money to spend developing your SEO strategy, you can also go for a paid ad strategy. If you play your cards right and develop strong ad copy, this can land you at the top of page 1 almost immediately. 

Online Reviews: Online reviews are almost always your school’s first impression, and if you don’t have a four-star or five-star review, you may never even get a click-through to your site.

Here are a few statistics to consider when thinking about how much effort you’d like to put into earning better reviews:
     - 90% of consumers read a business’s online reviews before visiting.
     - 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. 
     - 65% of people see online search as the most trusted source of information about people and companies; a higher level of trust than just about any other online or offline source.
 

3. Build Email Workflows

The 2020-21 academic year was one of the busiest years ever for school professionals, and major burnout is still lingering. If you’re looking for ways to get time back in your day, while improving your email marketing strategy, email workflows are a great place to start. 
Email workflows are a staple of a school's inbound marketing strategy. An email workflow is a set of emails that are automatically sent based on the subscriber's contact information, behavior, or preferences. For example, an email workflow can be triggered by a contact submitting a form, but it can also be triggered by a parent's enrollment year or persona.

These automated emails are proven to save you time and increase email engagement. They can be used for nearly any purpose, including:
     - Welcoming newly enrolled families
     - Nurturing prospective families 
     - Onboarding new faculty and staff
     - Reminding community members of upcoming events or deadlines
     - Promoting school events

4. Start a School Blog

A blog is a great way to share helpful advice, build thought leadership, elevate your community’s voice, create a strong library of content, and improve your organic performance in search. While a school blog is by no means as important as some of the other marketing strategies on this list (i.e. your website!), for schools and districts looking to take greater control of their online storytelling, a blog is a great place to start.

Before starting a school blog, ask yourself:
     - Who is going to write our blog content?
     - Where will our blog content live?
     - What will our editing process look like?
     - Who is our target audience?
     - What are the types of topics we want to write about?
     - Do we have the resources to post consistently? (We recommend at least once per week.)

5. Create Your First Content Offer

For most private, international and charter schools, the first time that they get a prospect’s information is via an inquiry form. While inquiry forms are great for capturing the information of individuals ready to learn more about your school, consumer behavior tells us this: If they’re inquiring, they’ve already done their research and you’ve made their shortlist. This means that without a content offer, you’re missing out on a huge audience of individuals who are still weighing their options for their “long list”.
A content offer provides prospective families with something of value to aid in their decision-making process, such as a whitepaper titled “5 Reasons to Attend an All-Boys School” or “How to Choose the Right Preschool.” It can also be a copy of your school’s viewbook.
Content downloads often get higher conversion rates than lead generation forms (such as an inquiry form), which will help you get more families in your pipeline sooner.

6. Invest in Consistent and Meaningful Social Media Ads

If your school hasn’t invested in social media ads yet, your time is now. Prospective families spend a ton of time on social media, and this is a smart (and fairly inexpensive) way to build recognition and gradually increase enrollment. 

Social media is a great advertising tool because:
     - Cost-per-click is significantly lower on average than search ads
     - You can diversify your reach with a variety of lists and campaigns
     - There are plenty of ad formats to experiment with

But, it has to be done correctly. 

If you’ve run social media ads in the past without success, it could have been an issue with your ad content, creative, audience or even goal. For example, promoting your school’s open house to a list that has never heard of your school is going to fall flat.

If you want to invest in social media ads this year, here are three smart campaigns to get you started:

A Top-of-the-Funnel Campaign to Build Awareness: Want to reach new audiences? Upload a list of demographic information about your current families to create a lookalike audience. For this campaign, keep the ad content and creative light with no heavy-hitting “pitch.” The goal here is to get your school’s name in front of new audiences. 
 
A Middle-of-the-Funnel Campaign to Increase Conversions: Engage individuals who have already visited your website using a Facebook Pixel retargeting campaign. For this group, prompt them to inquire or apply.
 
A Bottom-of-the-Funnel Campaign to Encourage Re-Enrollment: We all know that your job isn’t done once a family enrolls. Run social media ads to current families during re-enrollment season with value add content such as student success stories.

7. Consolidate Your Social Media Accounts

While paid ads can help your admissions funnel gain momentum, a consolidated organic social media strategy can help with all-around marketing and communications. If your school or district is struggling to manage a variety of rogue Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts that are either out-of-date or off-brand, this could be an easy win for you!
Schools should only have one Facebook page, one Twitter account, and one Instagram profile. While Twitter is often seen as the “exception to the rule” as schools and districts alike use this platform for sports teams and clubs to provide timely updates, it is essential that your school or district maintain a single profile on Facebook and Instagram — as well as other channels like LinkedIn. 

Consolidating social media accounts has numerous advantages, including:
     - Increased traffic and engagement to your school’s primary pages
     - Consistent tone, voice, brand and content
     - Streamlined access to passwords and privacy settings
     - Fewer comments to manage
     - Streamlined online reviews

8. Invest More Time and Resources into Video

Video gets more engagement than any other form of content — so begin taking tiny steps to integrate it into your marketing strategies for your website, social media, and even email.
If you’re already strapped for time and resources, there is good news for you! Creating video content has never been easier, and after a year of connecting via low-res video, no one is expecting Hollywood-level quality.

If you’d like to incorporate more video into your marketing this year, consider the following:
     - Start small! Aim to post one new video on social media each week. It can be something silly – like following recent Instagram Reel trends — or a promotion for an event.
     - Come up with a list of video ideas. Testimonials, tips from teachers, and interviews make fun and engaging videos.
     - Invest time into a YouTube strategy. If your school is consistently creating longer-length videos, investing in YouTube can help increase your school’s organic search performance.
     - Go live. Livestreaming used to be a “nice-to-have”, but now it’s a “need-to-have” — even if you’re returning to in-person events. 
     - Enlist the help of your community. Students in particular are great resources for creating video content.

In Conclusion

Parent expectations are higher than ever, and it’s essential that your school’s marketing and communications strategy adapt along with them. This is our “new normal”. As your school or district begins to plan its marketing and communication plans for the new school year, use the ideas in this blog to create a list of “must-haves” for ensuring your marketing and communications strategy is future-proofed.
Deleting Google Classroom Course
There are two methods to delete google classroom courses:

1. To delete all provisioned and declined courses, use ‘Delete PROVISIONED and  DECLINED courses in Google’ button located in Admin > Maintenance > Google Classroom. 
2. To delete specific courses sections, navigate to Admin > Courses > Sections and select course sections you want to delete in Google Classroom, then use “Google” multi-action. Click ‘Delete PROVISIONED and  DECLINED courses in Google’.
 
Standard Query: [Finance] Monthly Account Activity
One of the following roles is required to access this query: FinanceGL Full, FinanceGL Read.

This query returns the sum of credit and debit transactions per account within a desired timeframe.

Transaction Date Time is a Parameterized condition.

Note: This report does not limit the results to a specific ledger.  Make sure to adjust the Query to restrict the results to your desired ledger.
 
Importing New Records - User
Follow the steps for Importing New Records.

Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
*Login Yes Data "abc@school.org" If using Google SSO, use full google username such as abc@school.org.
*Password Yes Data "abc123$!" Password should not be shared via email; instead send a link to a reset password page so users can create their own passwords
*Email Yes Data "abc@school.org"  
UserDisplayName No Data "John Doe"  
AlternateId No Data "1234"  
StudentId Yes for student logins unless you use lookup fields to identify the student record Identifier "1234"  
(StudentLastName) No Lookup "Smith"  
(StudentFirstName) No Lookup "John"  
(StudentMiddleName) No Lookup "Adam"  
(StudentPreferredName) No Lookup "Joe"  
(StudentSex) No Lookup "Male"  
(StudentAlternateId) No Lookup "1234"  
TeacherId Yes for staff logins unless you use lookup fields to identify the staff record Identifier "1234"  
(TeacherLastName) No Lookup "Smith"  
(TeacherFirstName) No Lookup "Tina"  
(TeacherOffice) No Lookup "123-456-7890"  
(TeacherSex) No Lookup "Female"  
(TeacherAlternateId) No Lookup "1234"  
HouseholdId Yes for parent, staff, and adult student logins unless you use lookup fields to identify the household record Identifier "1234" Adult students are those students who enroll to the school on their own instead of by their parents
HouseholdIndicator Yes for household logins Datasource Data "P" Valid values are P for contact 1 (Primary) and S for contact 2 (Secondary).
(HouseholdName) No Lookup "Smith Family"  
(HouseholdAddress) No Lookup "5 Choke Cherry"  
(HouseholdCity) No Lookup "Austin"  
(HouseholdState) No Lookup "TX"  
(HouseholdZip) No Lookup "12345"  
(HouseholdCountry) No Lookup "United States"  
(HouseholdPhone) No Lookup "123-456-7890"  
(HouseholdEmail) No Lookup "abc@gmail.com"  
(ParentFirstName) No Lookup "John"  
(ParentMiddleName) No Lookup "Adam"  
(ParentLastName) No Lookup "Doe"  
(ParentSex) No Lookup "Male"  
(ParentAlternateId) No Lookup "12345"  
RoleName1 No Datasource Data "Faculty Full" See Roles Dictionary for more information
SchoolId1 No Datasource Data "1" See School Division for more information
(SchoolName1) No Datasource Data "Bistmar Lower School"

Note: If you connect a user to multiple record types such as Student and Household records or Staff and Household records, make sure that the records are connected in the Admin module. In other words, the student should be connected to the same household record in the Admin module that you connect to the user.

Note: School Name, School id, and Role columns are repeated so that a user can be assigned to multiple School Divisions and roles.

Note: If no HouseholdIndicator is specified, then the name of the parent is used to try and identify the HouseholdIndicator to use.
Importing Data for Existing Records - Students
Follow the steps for Importing Data for Existing Records
Field Required Type Sample Values Notes
Lookup_Student_Id Yes if other Lookup_*** fields are not populated Lookup "12345"  
Lookup_Student_Last_Name Yes if Lookup_Student_ID is not populated Lookup "Smith"  
Lookup_Student_First_Name Yes if Lookup_Student_ID is not populated Lookup "John"  
Lookup_Birthdate Yes if Lookup_Student_ID is not populated Lookup "1/1/2000"  
Student_First_Name Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "John"  
Student_Middle_Name Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Pittock"  
Student_Last_Name Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Smith"  
Student_NickName Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Johnny"  
Birthdate Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "1/1/2000"  
Sex Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource data "Male" "Female" This field is named "Sex" in the import but displays as "Gender" in the database. The values used must match the values found in the system. Custom values can be added.
Phone Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "(123)-456-7890"  
Email Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "jsmith@gmail.com"  
Current_Parish Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "St. Mary's Catholic Church" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Parish" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Day_Or_Boarding Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Day"
"Boarding"
"Virtual"		  
ESL_Yes_Or_No Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Y" or "N"  
International_Yes_Or_No Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Y" or "N"  
Previous_School Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Grant High School" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Previous Schools" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Financial_Aid_Yes_Or_No Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Y" or "N"  
Birthplace Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Washington"  
Citizen_Of Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "USA" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Citizenship" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Native_Lang Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Dutch" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Native Language" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Ethnic_Group Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "African American" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Ethnic Group" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Locker_Number Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "1B"  
Locker_Combination Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "06-01-45"  
Religion Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Christian" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Religion" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Inquiry_ID Yes, if this field needs to be updated Identifier "12345" Links the student record to an already existing inquiry record. 
Legacy_Code Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Mother" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Religion" in an Admin > Students > Details > Priorities page.
Alternate_ID Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "a1B45"  
Auditorium_Seat Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "123b"  
Car_License_Plate Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "B351A"  
Car_Parking_Registration Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "5GBA"  
Car_Year Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data 2007  
Car_Make Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Toyota"  
Car_Model Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Corolla"  
Car_Color Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Red"  
Student_Suffix Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Jr"  
Care_Card_Number Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "9281 051 185" For British Columbia only
BC_Pen Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "129451214" For British Columbia only
BC_School_Funding_Code Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "First Nations - 20" For British Columbia only
BC_Band_of_Residence_Code Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Adams Lake - 684" For British Columbia only
BC_Aboriginal_Ancestry_Yes_No Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Y" or "N" For British Columbia only
BC_French_Lang_Program_Code Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data   For British Columbia only
Campus Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Main" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Campus" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Dorm_Room_ID Yes, if this field needs to be updated Identifier "5"  
Student_Dorm_Room_Number Yes, if this field needs to be updated Lookup "5A"  
Student_Dorm_Building Yes, if this field needs to be updated Lookup "Building A"  
Student_Dorm_Lunch_Table Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "Table A" The possible values are populated by the school by clicking on "Lunch Table" in an Admin > Students > Details page.
Dorm_Room_NY_ID Yes, if this field needs to be updated Identifier "5"  
Student_Dorm_Room_NY_Number Yes, if this field needs to be updated Lookup "5A"  
Student_Dorm_NY_Building Yes, if this field needs to be updated Lookup "Building C"  
Driving_License Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "123DAV"  
Car2_Color Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Green"  
Car2_License_Plate Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "1B34A"  
Car2_Make Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Toyota"  
Car2_Model Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Corolla"  
Car2_Parking_Registration Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "1b3d"  
Car2_Year Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data 2017  
Student_Selection_End_Date Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "1/1/2023"  
Day_Or_Boarding_NY Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Day"
"Boarding"
"Virtual"		  
International_Yes_Or_No_NY Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "Y" or "N"  
BC_School_Funding_Code_NY Yes, if this field needs to be updated Datasource Data "First Nations - 20" For British Columbia only
Grade_Level_ID Yes, if this field needs to be updated Identifier "1"  
Grade_Level_Code Yes, if this field needs to be updated Lookup "PK"  
Next_Grade_Level_ID Yes, if this field needs to be updated Identifier "1"  
Next_Grade_Level_Code Yes, if this field needs to be updated Lookup "PK"  
Pincode Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "1234" Must pass the requirements set in Security>Maintenance>Application Setup 
Year_Grad Yes, if this field needs to be updated Data "2024" Planned graduation year.
Don't Miss Out on the New Waitlist Feature!
PCR Educator is happy to announce our new Waitlist feature!

When users are signing up for classes, camps and activities that are full, they now have an option to join a Waitlist. 
Deadline Extended for Custom Teacher Portal Training Videos!
I know we initially stated that the deadline to qualify for your school's Custom Teacher Training video was earlier this month, but we've decided to shake things up a bit.
 
We received an enormous amount of positive reactions to our Teacher Portal webinar, which in turn led to a ton of requests for custom Teacher Portal Training videos. 

To show how much we appreciate your interest in the recent webinar and promotion, and to give everyone a little bit more time to qualify for their own videos, we are extending the deadline to Thursday, September 2. 

For those that would like a reminder, this video will walk your teachers through the crucial steps of navigating PCR Educator's Teacher Portal, bringing them up to speed in no time at all.

To qualify for a personalized Teacher Portal Training Video, follow these steps:
  1. Like our Facebook page.
  2. Leave a brief, honest review on our Google Business page.
  3. Once we verify that you've left us a review, we will reach out to you and confirm the details you'd like covered in your video.
That's it! And to reiterate, this is still a limited time offer. The new deadline is Thursday, September 2 so don’t delay!
CMS - Conditional Logic
Conditional Logic functionality allows you to tailor your CMS pages to show or hide CMS Widgets or CMS Pages based on the user’s answers to previous questions. In situations when not every question applies to every user, define your user groups early in the form. Then use conditional logic to hide questions that do not apply. 

Example: your form collects information about off-campus activities. But what if this student is not allowed to participate in off-campus activities? A simple dropdown at the start of the form can help. Ask if the student is allowed to participate in off-campus activities. Then set conditional logic on the questions related to off-campus activities so they only display when the off-campus activities question is answered as yes.

Example: your form collects information about the program the applicant applies to. Two programs are offered to 9th graders. But what if this student is a 10th grader? A simple dropdown asking for the grade level at the start of the form can help. Then set conditional logic for the programs’ question so it only displays when the student’s grade level is 10.

Example: Show different content on the thank you page depending on the choices made on the application. If an applicant is interested in skiing, show an exciting article about your school’s winter sports’ programs.

Sometimes you need to hide more than just one or two questions. This is where multi-page forms and skipping entire pages is useful. Group all the questions on specific pages, and use conditional branching to skip pages. As a result, your form will seem shorter and cleaner. 

  1. Follow the steps outlined in CMS - Skipping Pages with Conditional Logic to hide or show entire pages.
  2. Follow the steps outlined in CMS - Skipping Widgets with Conditional Logic to hide or show specific widgets.
 
CMS - Skipping Pages with Conditional Logic
To implement CMS Widget - Conditional Logic skipping pages, follow these steps:

  1. Create a DAT Filter to show pages only to users who fit the filter.  Example: To limit a page so that it is only visible to international families, create a DAT filter that checks for the student’s International Yes/No designation to be set to Yes.
  2. Click Content on the top-left of the page, select the Filter tab on the right and apply the DAT Filter to the page.
 
CMS - Skipping Widgets with Conditional Logic
To implement CMS Widget - Conditional Logic skipping widgets, you need two types of widgets:

  - CMS Widget - Condition Source: this is the widget that controls the visibility of its dependents. If the user’s answer matches the predefined conditions, then dependents show.
  - CMS Widget - Condition Dependent: this widget will show or hide based on the user’s answers provided in the source widget.
 
CMS Widget - Condition Source
CMS Widget - Condition Source widget is used for CMS - Skipping Widgets with Conditional Logic. This widget controls the visibility of other CMS Widgets when Affects Other Widgets Visibility property is checked.  Note: This property is applicable to dropdown and checkbox type widgets.  Note: If you decide to use this feature, make sure to enable the settings on the dependent widgets.  See CMS Widget - Condition Dependent for more information.

Example: Let’s say that you ask users if they are interested in volunteer activities, and if a user selects “Yes”, you want to show the list of activities, then you can enable the Affects Other Widgets Visibility property on the question.
CMS Widget - Condition Dependent
CMS Widget - Condition Source widget is used for CMS - Skipping Widgets with Conditional Logic. This widget is automatically hidden unless its Visibility Value matches the selected value of the widget specified as Visibility Source. 

Note: when using CMS Widget - Checkbox, the checked state is “Yes”, unchecked is “No.”
 
CMS Widget - Text
The Text CMS Widget is a rich-text editor which allows users to add instructions, documents, and other content.  The widget can be found within the Content group.  Please review Adding CMS Widget for more information.  

Note: To limit this widget’s visibility based on conditional logic, please review CMS - Conditional Logic.

Click the plus sign next to the Text property to open the text editor.

The Text CMS Widget provides consistent and unified experience by using the predefined font, font size, and heading colors tailored to your school. 
 
CMS Widget - Inquiry/Student Action
The Inquiry/Student Action CMS Widget records Inquiry Action or Student Action. You may enable file upload to allow users to upload files and record them as actions.  The widget can be found within the Updatable group.  Please review Adding CMS Widget for more information.  To limit this widget’s visibility, review CMS - Conditional Logic.

Action Type determines which action the file should be associated with.  Select a Student Action if the file needs to be uploaded for a Student or select an Inquiry Action if the file needs to be uploaded for an Inquiry/Applicant.

Confirmation Email property is used to send out an email when a file is uploaded.  The emails are configured in Admin/Admissions > Students/Inquiries/Applicants > Email screen.  If the upload is configured for a student record, please set up a student specific email in in the Admin module.. Otherwise, set up an applicant specific email in the Admissions module.

Allowed File Extensions restricts allowed file extensions to the specified list.

Is File Embedded if Possible embeds the file directly on the page so that a user can view the contents of the file after uploading it.

Is File Removable setting allows users to remove any files that they may have uploaded.  If this setting is disabled, the user will need to contact the school if they would like to remove the file that they uploaded.
 
Communicating User Login - No Password
After you finish the process of Configuring Users, email users their usernames and the link to establish their passwords.  Note: This method only applies to non-Admin portals such as Parent Portal, Staff Portal, Apply Online, etc. Note: if you use Google SSO, then you only need to email users their usernames.

    1.  Navigate to Security > Users.  You need the Security Full role.

    2.  Create a DAT Filter to locate the desired users.  Note: The Createdate field is available in the users table and is useful for locating users created by an import.

    3.  Select the users and use Email multi-action.

    4.  Create the email.  Include the “UserName” and a link to a CMS login page with Forgot Password widget. In your email, instruct recipients to use Forgot Password widget.  Note:  This email may be the parent or student’s first introduction to the parent / student portal. Include links to the appropriate portal.  Note:  The email may be saved as a template for reuse. Note: if you use Google SSO, skip instructions about forgot passwords and only share the username and the link to the portal.
 
Communicating User Login / Password
There are two primary ways to share login credentials with users.

  1. Communicating User Login - No Password Note: this is the recommended method.
  2. Communicating User Login and Known Password

Note: if you use Google SSO, then you only need to email users their usernames.
 
Communicating User Login and Known Password
After you finish the process of Configuring Users, email users their usernames and passwords.  Note: This method only applies to non-Admin portals such as Parent Portal, Staff Portal, Apply Online, etc.  Note: this method only works when you import the users and passwords using a format that can be reconstructed using merge fields such as a combination of student id and student last name. Another method is using DAT Query to pull default passwords and updating passwords to default passwords in bulk.  Example:   After creating a DAT Query with the student id, email, and default password field, you can import the new student username and password and email all the students their username and default password.  Note: In the DAT, Default Passwords for students are found in Student Info.  Default Passwords for parents are found in Households.

    1.  Navigate to Security > Users.  You need the Security Full role.

    2.  Create a DAT Filter to locate the desired users.  Note: The Createdate field is available in the users table and is useful for locating users created by an import.

    3.  Select the users and use email multi-action.

    4.  Create the email.  Include the “UserName” and “DefaultPassword” fields.  Note:  This email may be the parent or student’s first introduction to the parent / student portal. Include links to the appropriate portal.  Note:  The email may be saved as a template for reuse.
 
Attendance Update
PCR Educator is excited to announce our newest addition to the Teacher Portal!

A new column has been added to the Attendance screen. This column indicates whether a student is a:
  • Day Student
  • Boarding Student
  • Virtual Student

We hope this update makes things a little easier for both teachers and administrators alike! 
Are You Taking Advantage of Google SSO Support?
Google Single Sign-on (SSO) is a feature that allows an outside vendor to authenticate users against PCR Educator's database. This feature allows users to access PCR Educator's software directly from other software without the need to log in. 
 
You can also use Google SSO to send a user from one PCR Educator application to another without requiring a separate login attempt.
 
Additionally, Google SSO provides another layer of security by taking advantage of Google's 2-Step Verification.

Need help with implementation? Schedule a call today.
Online Donation
Online Donation is a customized online form for your website visitors and existing constituency for donating to the school. You may include the following features:

  - Multiple landing pages for specific campaign or purpose
  - Click-through emails for quick RSVPs to events
  - A flexible fee structure for event tickets
  - Recurring options for donations
  - Single sign on for existing constituency
  - Friendly and customizable email confirmations
  - On-the screen campaign charts reflecting your goals and impacts of individual donors while donating
  - Pre-Filled information for existing constituency
  - Convenient methods for allocating gifts to multiple campaigns and funds

To set up the Online Donation Process, follow these steps:

  1. Configuring Online Donation covers everything that needs to be configured in the administrative portal prior to setting up the Online Donation.
  2. Online Donation Form Configuration covers building the form for online donation or for purchasing tickets for fundraising events. 
  3. Online Donation Email Invitation Configuration covers building the invitation and solicitation emails for click-through sign ups and donations.
  4.Online Donation Management Configuration covers options for donors to access their donation history, updating payment information, or communicating with the school. 
  5. Online Donation Administrative Management covers activities related to managing online donations.
  6. Online Donation Yearly Updates covers considerations related to updating your forms on a yearly basis to reflect new campaigns, funds and events.  
 
Budget Manager Purchase Order Item Approval
Budget managers approve purchase order items associated with GL Accounts that they are responsible for. To approve purchase order items, navigate to Finance - Manager PO Items, select the line items and use the multi-action “Approve PO Items”. You must have the FinanceAccountMgr Full role to access these pages.

The PO items you are approving appear at the top of the page.  For each PO line item, you may determine the Approval or change the Account specified on the purchase order.

Approval - Purchase order line items are initially “Pending” meaning no decision has been made.  Change Approval to Approved or Declined.

Account - The account may be incorrect or unspecified.  You may change the account to one of the accounts that you are the manager for, or you may blank out the account if a different manager needs to approve the line item.

Note:  Remember to click Save to save your changes!

At the bottom of the page is a summary of your accounts to assist you with budgeting.  In the upper right corner of the summary is a drop down for the selected fiscal year.  Note: As PO items are switched between Pending/Approved/Declined, the numbers will update in the summary.
 

Definition PO Status PO Line Item
Committed Purchase Order items awaiting approval. Submitted for Approval or Approved Pending
Obligated Line items on the purchase order are approved but the purchase order is not accepted. Submitted for Approval or Approved Approved
Encumbered The purchase order has been accepted. Accepted Approved
Actual Actual transaction total for the fiscal year. Note: Posted transactions only.
Budgeted Budget total for the fiscal year.

Note: Purchase Orders with a status of Received or Complete would have been invoiced and included in the Actual total.

Example: The following demonstrates where the amount appears for a purchase order as it moves through the purchase order process.
Commitment Obligation Encumbrance Actual
A new purchase order is created and not yet submitted for approval
The purchase order is Submitted for Approval with all items Pending
A budget manager Approves some or all of the purchase order line items
A finance officer Accepts the purchase order
The purchase order is fulfilled by an invoice. The status is either Received or Competed
If, at any point, the purchase order is Canceled

Receipt Menu Merge
PCR Educator’s Finance Module has received an update.

Previously, the Receipts menu and Misc Receipts menu were listed in separate locations. With the next update, these menus will merge.

Receipts and Misc Receipts will be listed together in one menu titled Receipts. Additionally, this update gives you access to many new features including multi-updates, as well as printing and emailing of individual receipts. 
Standard Query: [Admin] Historical Attendance
One of the following roles is required to access this query: Attendance Full, Attendance Read.

This query returns historical attendance information for each student.  Historical attendance information for an individual student can be found in Admin > Student Details > Historical Attendance screen.
 
Demographic Query Update
PCR Educator has added the three new NAIS-required demographic queries to our system. See a complete breakdown of the updated queries below:

Standard Query - [Admin] Demographics for Student Race:
One of the following roles is required to access the query: Admin Full, Admin Read.

This query returns the number of male and female students by ethnicity.

Standard Query - [Admin] Demographics for Nonbinary Students:
One of the following roles is required to access the query: Admin Full, Admin Read.

This query returns the number of students who classify as “Non-Binary”.

Standard Query - [Admin] Demographics for Student Ethnicity:
One of the following roles is required to access the query: Admin Full, Admin Read.

This query returns the number of male and female students in 3 groups:
- Those who are of Latin or Hispanic Origin
- Those who are not of Latin or Hispanic Origin
- Those who are unsure or their ethnicity is unreported.

This query also returns the total number of students.
Teacher Portal Webinar Review
Thank you to everyone that attended last Thursday's Teacher Portal webinar! We hope it answered any lingering questions you may have had about the process. 
 
For anyone that missed it, you can watch the webinar in its entirety on YouTube here. 
 
For those that attended the webinar, we ask that you fill out a brief survey about your experience here.
Standard Query: [Finance] Daily Deposit Total by Account
One of the following roles is required to access the query: Finance Full, Finance Read.

This query returns the sum of all deposits per account per day.  It only includes deposits that have been marked as “deposited.”
 
Google Classroom is Better with PCR Educator!
Google Classroom is better with PCR Educator. 

Fully-integrated Google Classroom support lets 
administrators seamlessly transfer data between the two services, allowing for a greater level of control than ever before.

When you use this API, you have access to the following features:
  • Upload Missing Course Sections to Google Classroom
  • Delete Courses in Google Classroom
  • Sync Students with Google Classroom
  • Sync Categories with Google Classroom
  • Sync Assessments with Google Classroom
  • Sync Grades with Google Classroom
  • Provide an additional layer of security with Google 2-Step Verification
Need help with implementation? Schedule a call today.
CMS Widget - Parent/Student Attendance Entry
The Parent/Student Attendance Entry CMS Widget enables parents and students to proactively report daily and/or period attendance. It is also used to record tardies for students who come in late.

This feature is especially beneficial for instances where a student anticipates absence due to illness, vacation, or other reasons, as well as for notifying the school of planned tardiness or early departures. It ensures the school is informed in advance about a student's attendance status for any given day, facilitating better communication and planning.

Note: The Daily Rotation must be specified as “in school” in order for attendance to be recorded successfully. If the parent chooses a date that isn't considered in school, then no attendance is recorded for that division.

The following table provides various uses and settings of this CMS widget. Note: ‘X’ refers to the scenario where the setting is applicable.

  Daily Attendance Period Attendance Daily & Period Attendance Late Check In
Description of the use   Report daily attendance Report period attendance Report period and daily attendance Record late arrivals
Example A student has classes from 8 to 9 am (Math) and 9.30 am to 10 am (English), then one class from 11 am to 12 pm (Arts), and then another class from 1 pm to 3 pm. The student's parent reports that the student is away from 9 am until 11.30 am because of a doctor's appointment In this scenario, the student is marked with a daily attendance record specified in the Leaving Early Type field In this scenario, the student is marked with the period attendance specified in the Absent Type field for English and with the period attendance specified in the Late Type field for Arts Combination of the daily and period attendance scenarios In this scenario, the student is marked with a daily and/or period attendance record specified in the Late Type field
Required CMS Widgets   N/A N/A N/A CMS Widget - Check In/Check Out
Optional CMS Widgets   CMS Widget - Daily Attendance is optional to allow the parents/students to delete attendance they entered CMS Widget - Period Attendance is optional to allow the parents/students to delete attendance they entered N/A N/A
Absent Type The attendance type to record for a student who will be absent X X X N/A
Add Email Daily Attendance Email to send when daily attendance is reported. This email template is configured in Administrator > Attendance > Daily Attendance > Email screen. The template can have custom fields related to the daily attendance record X N/A X N/A
Add Email to Attendance Email to send to the attendance office when attendance is reported. This email template is configured in Administrator > Students > Email screen X X X X
Add Email to Parent Email to send to the currently logged in user's email address and to the email types and fields that are selected on the template. Note: If you do not select any email types or fields on the email template, then the email will only go out to the logged in user.This email template is configured in Administrator > Students > Email screen X X X X
Error Attendance Already Taken Custom message to display to the user when attendance is already recorded for the day or if a teacher has marked attendance as taken for a course section (for the period attendance settings) X X X N/A
Error No Attendance Saved Custom message to display to the user when attendance is not saved N/A N/A N/A X
Error No Meetings Custom message to display to the user when no class meets for the specified date over the specified time range X X X N/A
Explanation Required Requires explanation in order to save attendance X X X N/A
From Time Text The label to note the time the student plans to arrive at the school X X X N/A
Late Type The specific attendance type to record on a student's record who plans to come late X X X X
Leaving Early Type The specific attendance type to record on a student's record who plans to leave early X X X N/A
Note Text Custom label for the Explanation field X X X N/A
Period Attendance1 Block Only Forces recording attendance for only the first block of a course section for each course section that takes multiple blocks across multiple blocks. Example: A course section is made up of 5 minute blocks totaling 45 minutes. If the student is absent for the course and this setting is unchecked, 9 absent records will be recorded - one for each 5 minute block. N/A X X X
Save As Attendance Type Determines which types of attendance are recorded X X X X
To Time Text The label to note the time the student plans to leave the school X X X N/A
Mail Merge is Now Print
A quick heads up to all our Administrative users:

Mail Merge will now be titled Print. Email Merge will now be titled Email.

Both of these functions will work the same as usual, they just have sprucier names now.
Join Us For Today's Teacher Portal Webinar!
Today's the day! Join us at 11 AM PT/2 PM ET for a thorough walkthrough of PCR Educator's Teacher Portal!

We will guide you through the process of preparing your school's Teacher Portal for a great new academic year!

Today's webinar will feature:
- Configuring Attendance and Gradebook
- Reviewing Student Work and Recording Grades
- Managing Google Classroom Activity
- Configuring Class Pages
- Submitting Purchase Orders
- Communicating with Parents and Students
- Sending Students to the Nurse’s Office
- Running Reports

Click here to view the webinar.
 
Don't Forget to RSVP to Tomorrow's Teacher Portal Webinar!
It's almost here, everyone! Tomorrow, July 29th at 11 AM PT/2 PM ET, join us for our complimentary Teacher Portal Webinar!

Learn how to prepare your school's Teacher Portal for an exciting and engaging new academic year!

Tomorrow's webinar will cover:
- Configuring Attendance and Gradebook
- Reviewing Student Work and Recording Grades
- Managing Google Classroom Activity
- Configuring Class Pages
- Submitting Purchase Orders
- Communicating with Parents and Students
- Sending Students to the Nurse’s Office
- Running Reports

RSVP to the Teacher Portal Webinar through the Customer Portal or on Facebook.

While you're at it, check out our latest webinar here.
Migrating Deposits (including receipts)
1. Select the ledger to migrate transactions from. 
2. Specify the From Date and To Date range.  Note:  If no From Date is specified then all deposits through the To Date are migrated.
3. Select the record type of Deposits and click Next.
4. Review the transactions that will be migrated to the general ledger and click Next.
5. Run the “Post Details Report” as a reference for the data that you are migrating and click Next.
6. Review the summary for what will be migrated.  Click “Migrate Deposits” to create the records.  Note: This summary includes a list of all Journal Entries that will be created. Journal entries are created with a name “Migrated Unearned/Deferred [ledger migrated from]”  Note: Receipts that are voided will result in journal entries for the unearned void as well.  
7. If there are no journal entries  created, you are taken to the deposits list with all the new deposits preselected.  If there are both deposits and journal entries, there will be two links:  One link takes you to the deposits list with all the new deposits preselected.  The other link takes you to the journal entries list with all the new journal entries preselected. Note: Both links open in a new tab.
Migrating Other (Invoices, Credits, Journal Entries)
1. Select the ledger to migrate transactions from.
2. Specify the From Date and To Date range.  Note:  If no From Date is specified then all transactions through the To Date are migrated.
3. Select the record type of Other and click Next.
4. Review the transactions that will be migrated to the general ledger and click Next.
5. Run the “Post Details Report” as a reference for the data that you are migrating and click Next.
6. Enter journal entry information and click “Migrate Journal Entry.”  This will complete the migration.
 
Migrating Payments
1. Select the ledger to migrate transactions from.
2. Specify the From Date and To Date range.  Note:  If no From Date is specified then all payments through the To Date are migrated.
3. Select the record type of Payments and click Next.
4. Review the details of the payments to be migrated and click Next.
5. Review the summary of payments to be migrated and click “Migrate Misc Payments.”  This will complete the migration.
 
Printing - [Finance] Customer Receipt
The [Finance] Customer Receipt template allows you to print AR Receipts.  Follow these steps to configure this template:

1. Go to Sample Templates and download the Finance - Customer Receipt template.
2. Navigate to the Finance Portal > Maintenance > Actions and set up an action within the Customer Receipt Correspondence category. Select the “Mail” method and attach the file that you downloaded in Step 1. For more information about setting up actions, review Configuring Action.
3. To print the AR Receipt, Navigate to Finance > AR > Receipts, select receipt(s) and go to Print option in the multi-action menu.  Click “Print” to generate the document.

Note: Download Sample Templates to use as is or to customize further to achieve the desired appearance.
 
Printing - [Finance] Customer Invoice
The [Finance] Customer Invoice template allows you to print AR Invoices.  Follow these steps to configure this template:

1. Go to Sample Templates and download the Finance - Customer Invoice template.
2. Navigate to the Finance Portal > Maintenance > Actions and set up an action within the Customer Invoice Correspondence category. Select the “Mail” method and attach the file that you downloaded in Step 1. For more information about setting up actions, review Configuring Action.
3. To print the AR Invoice, Navigate to Finance > AR > Invoices, select invoice(s) and go to Print option in the multi-action menu.  Click “Print” to generate the document.

Note: Download Sample Templates to use as is or to customize further to achieve the desired appearance.
 
Admissions Duplicate Check
When the inquiry form is submitted, the system uses an algorithm to identify if the new record is a duplicate.  There are two main scenarios that are taken into account to regulate duplicate records:

1. Admissions Duplicate Check - User Logged In

2. Admissions Duplicate Check - User Not Logged In
 
Admissions Duplicate Check - User Logged In
When the user is already logged into the inquiry form, the algorithm runs an Inquiry Duplication Check to identify if the inquiry record is a duplicate.

If the logged in user is not associated with an existing household and the household email address entered by the user does not exist in the system, then a new household is created upon inquiry form submission.

If the logged in user is not associated with an existing household but the email address already exists in the system, then the user receives an error message to contact the school.  The school can then connect the user to the appropriate household record.

To troubleshoot potential issues, see Application Online Record Check.
Admissions Duplicate Check - User Not Logged In
When a person accesses the inquiry form without logging in, the algorithm checks to see if the household email address is found in an existing household record, matches an existing username, or matches an existing user email.  If there is a match, the applicant receives a message to either log in with their existing account or contact the school.  If there is no match, a new user record is created.

Moreover, the algorithm runs an Inquiry Duplication Check to identify if the inquiry record is a duplicate.

To troubleshoot potential issues, see Application Online Record Check.

Note: This article is only applicable if the Skip Demographic Duplicate Check and Skip User Creating and Duplicate Check properties are not enabled in the CMS Widget - Inquiry Submit widget.
 
Inquiry Duplication Check
Upon inquiry form submission, an algorithm checks to see if the combination of Inquiry First Name, Inquiry Last Name, and Inquiry Birthdate (if populated) match an existing inquiry or student record.  

If the user is logged in and there is a match with an existing student record and that student record is associated with the same household, then the new inquiry record is automatically associated with the student record.  Otherwise, the user receives an error that the inquiry record is a duplicate.  Note: If birthdate is not populated, then the algorithm only checks for Inquiry First Name and Inquiry Last Name fields.

To troubleshoot potential issues, see Application Online Record Check.

Note: This article is only applicable if the Skip Demographic Duplicate Check property is not enabled in the CMS Widget - Inquiry Submit widget.
Application Online Record Check
An administrator with Admissions Full or Admissions Read role can navigate to Admissions > Maintenance > Application Online Record Check to review if a particular record passes the duplication check.

Simply enter the required information in the fields provided and click “Check.” 

Note: This article is only applicable if the Skip Demographic Duplicate Check and Skip User Creating and Duplicate Check properties are not enabled in the CMS Widget - Inquiry Submit widget.
 
RSVP To Next Week's Teacher Portal Webinar Today!
Don't forget to mark your calendars! Next Thursday, July 29th at 11 AM PT/2 PM ET, join us for our complimentary Teacher Portal Webinar!

Learn how to prepare your school's Teacher Portal for an exciting and engaging new academic year!

This webinar will cover:
- Configuring Attendance and Gradebook
- Reviewing Student Work and Recording Grades
- Managing Google Classroom Activity
- Configuring Class Pages
- Submitting Purchase Orders
- Communicating with Parents and Students
- Sending Students to the Nurse’s Office
- Running Reports

RSVP to the Teacher Portal Webinar through the Customer Portal or on Facebook.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Enrollment Options Setup
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Setting Enrollment Options are (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings for new and existing students to determine how actions are applied when starting and completing the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  The enrollment options are specified on the Contract > Settings page.

Enrollment Profile Options section allows you to specify which Enrollment Profile the system automatically applies when the student who matches the selected Status and Substatus submits the (Re) Enrollment Contract. Note: If the School Year is Closed setting is unchecked, then the system will do a match on the student’s next year Status and Substatus.  Otherwise, it will match on the student’s current year Status and Substatus.

You may have several groups of (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings Enrollment Profile Options addressing newly enrolled students, students who are transitioning from their first year in your school to the second, and other re-enrolling students.  The Enrollment Profile which is applied is based on the first matching status and substatus, so the order that the Enrollment Profiles are listed is important.  Note: If nothing is specified for the status field, it matches any status.  If nothing is specified for the substatus field, it matches any substatus.  You should have at least two Enrollment Profiles specified, one for new students and one for returning students.  Example:  In the example below, all students who have a “Pre-Enrolled” status match with the “Enroll New Student” Enrollment Profile and receive the actions associated with that profile.  All students who have an “Enrolled” status match with the “Enroll Existing Student” and receive actions associated with that profile.  In both of these cases, the substatus does not matter and is not checked.

Title Match Status Match Substatus
Enroll New Student Pre-Enrolled
Enroll Existing Student Enrolled

Note:  Withdrawn students are typically excluded by the Student Criteria, and would re-enroll through the admissions process as a Pre-Enrolled student.

Note:  For admissions records, the expected process is the student record is automatically created from the inquiry record with the Pre-Enrolled for Contract enrollment profile actions applied by the (Re) Enrollment Contract when the parent logs in.  Once parents complete the (Re) Enrollment Contract, the student receives actions based on the Enrollment Profile they qualify for in the Enrollment Profile Options.  Note: PCR Educator advises that the Pre-Enrolled enrollment profile contains an action setting the student status to Pre-Enrolled.  A Newly Enrolled enrollment profile should apply actions which set the student’s status to Enrolled and substatus to Newly Enrolled upon (Re) Enrollment Contract submission.  For returning students, the enrollment profile they qualify for should only apply an action which changes their the substatus to Active upon (Re) Enrollment Contract submission.  The Enrolled action should already exist for returning students and have their original enrolled date.  If the student has multiple Enrolled actions the enrolled date on transcripts may report incorrectly.

Note: The (Re) Enrollment Contract is for a specific year, which is also the year that is used as the action academic years when applying the enrollment profile actions.
Custom Teacher Portal Training for Your School!
For a limited time, we are offering a custom Teacher Portal promo and training video for your school. This video will bring your educators up to speed in no time, walking them through the crucial steps of navigating PCR Educator's Teacher Portal.

To qualify for a personalized Teacher Portal Training Video, follow these steps:
  1. Like our Facebook page.
  2. Leave an honest review on our Capterra, Google or Facebook pages.
  3. Once we verify that you've left us a review, we will reach out to you and confirm the details you'd like covered in your video.
And that's it! But don't forget, this is a limited-time offer. The deadline is Monday, August 2nd so don’t delay!
Recording Donations One-at-a-time
Go do Development > Contacts and search for the contact for whom you would like to record a donation.

Under the “Donation” column, click “New.”

- If you are recording a Pledge Payment against an existing pledge/matching donation, select an open pledge/matching donation from the first dropdown. It should automatically populate the next due amount.
- If you are recording a payment for another Contact’s existing Pledge Donation, use the dropdown above Payment for Relation Donation From field and select the donation.  Then select the Contact indicator from the Payment for Relation Donation From dropdown. Note: a Contact can only pay another Contact’s donation if both Contacts are associated through Contact Relationship.  Note: This feature is particularly useful when a Trust or a Foundation is making a payment against another Contact’s pledge/matching Donation. - To create a gift, select the New Gift option from the dropdown and enter the gift amount.
- To create a pledge, select the Total Pledge Amount radio button and enter the total amount that the donor has pledged.
- To create a recurring pledge, select the Recurring Pledge Amount radio button and enter the recurring pledge amount that the donor will be charged each time as designated by the payment frequency in the next step.
- Enter donation details.
- Select an Event if this donation came as a result of an event such as a fundraiser.
- Select an Ask if this donation came as a result of an existing ask in the system.
- Select any Donation Attribute(s) that this donation should be linked to such as an appeal or an event ticket. Click Next.
- For a non-recurring pledge, in the Schedule Configuration screen, use the Daily, Weekly, or Monthly tabs to establish the frequency of the scheduled payments. Click Next. In the Schedule screen, make any manual adjustments to the due date and due amounts for one-time pledges. Click Next.
- For a recurring pledge, enter the starting date and frequency to determine when and how often the donor will be charged the recurring pledge amount.
- Allocate the donation amount to a campaign and fund. The total sum of allocation amounts should match the donation amount. Click Next.
- Select a payment method. The selected payment method serves as a default payment method for future pledge payments if you are recording a new Pledge or Matching donation. There are several payment options:
    a.) if your school enabled Customer Payment Profile and the selected donor already has any saved Customer Payment Profiles on file, you can choose one of them to process the payment via credit card or echeck. A saved payment profile will be indicated by “Credit Card ending in…” or “Echeck ending in…” description;
    b.) if your school enabled Customer Payment Profile, you can process the payment via credit card or echeck by selecting “New Echeck … “ or “New Credit Card …” options.
    c.) if you do not wish to process the payment and want to record that it was already received, you can select one of custom-defined payment method types (such as Check or Cash)
- Click Finish

You will now be directed to the Donation Dashboard which will provide a snapshot of the new donation.
Join Us For Today's Close of the School Year Webinar!
Today's the day! Please join us for a webinar taking you through step-by-step instructions on how to close the school year!

In this webinar, you will learn to:
- Complete Pre-Close Checklist tasks
- Run the Close of the School Year Wizard
- Complete Post-Close Checklist tasks

The webinar begins at 11:00 am PT/2:00 PM ET HERE.

Before joining the webinar, be sure to review our Closing the School Year article. 
Standard Query: [Admin] Courses Without Report Card Mark Types
One of the following roles are required to access the query: Admin Full, Admin Read, Marks Full, Marks Read, Registrar Full, Registrar Read. 

This query returns Courses that do not have Report Card Mark Types associated with them.
 
Teachers Not Able to Take Attendance
If teachers are not able to take attendance, please review the following items that may be causing this problem:

- Verify that your school’s marking period Attendance Dates are in session. This can be updated by navigating to Admin > Maintenance > Marking Period Info.
- Verify that the course section has a period code and it is in session on the date the teacher is trying to take attendance. Example: If the course section is linked to Period 1, go to Scheduling > Period Codes and check to see what daily rotation days Period 1 is in session. Then go to Scheduling > Blocks > Daily Rotation to check if these rotation days are populated and marked as “In School” on the calendar.
- Verify that the course section has students enrolled in it.
- Verify that teachers’ users are associated with the same School Divisions as their course sections.
- Verify that CMS Widget - Class Attendance has all necessary divisions enabled. 
Importing New Records - Addresses
Please begin by following Importing New Records.

Field Required Type SampleValues Notes
Lookup_Household_Id
 
 Required, unless lookup fields are used to identify the contact record Identifier  "1234"   
Lookup_Household_Name Required if Household_ID is not entered Lookup "Smith Family" Must match the name of the household and must be unique if used instead of household_id
Household_Address_Type Required Datasource Data "Primary" Any of the following values or custom values that have been entered as possible values:
Primary
1099
Billing
Address_Line1 Required if none of the other "Address_***" fields are entered. Data "123 1st Ave"  
Address_Line2 Required if none of the other "Address_***" fields are entered. Data "Building C" .
Address_Line3 Required if none of the other "Address_***" fields are entered. Data "Apt 25"  
Address_City Required if none of the other "Address_***" fields are entered. Data "Anywhereville"  
Address_State Required if none of the other "Address_***" fields are entered. Datasource Data "CA" Possible values can be found in the State field on the Admin > Households > Details page.
Address_Zip Required if none of the other "Address_***" fields are entered. Data "12345"  
Address_County Required if none of the other "Address_***" fields are entered. Data "Polk"  
Address_Country Required if none of the other "Address_***" fields are entered. Datasource Data "Canada" Possible values can be found in the Country field on the Admin > Households > Details page.
FAQ: How to Graduate Students
- Navigate to Admin and select students that you want to graduate. You can search based on grade level or any other criteria.
- Go to Multi-Action > Actions (Add) and record the Graduated action for next year. Follow the steps for Recording Student Action - Bulk.

Note: This process should be completed before Closing the School Year.
Note: The grade levels should not be advanced for students who are graduating.
Note: The Graduated action must be configured to change the Status to Graduated. Review the Status/Substatus Calculation - Student article for more information. 
Close of the School Year 2021 Announcement
The Close of the School Year Wizard will be available starting July 1st! Keep in mind that you can send notifications to next year’s families, and give them access to the Parent Portal (including next year's schedules), prior to closing this school year. As always, please plan ahead and reserve multiple business days with us in case you need support in closing the school year.

Note: The close of the school year wizard will not be available if your school exceeds the purchased database storage amount. Please contact support@pcreducator.com for help addressing this.
Closing the School Year (2021)
Closing the school year is the process designed to finalize current school year academic activities and prepare the database for the new year. The “Closing the School Year” Wizard will walk you through the process.  Please plan ahead and reserve several business days just in case you may need support from PCR Educator in closing the school year.

Note: The close of the school year needs to occur before the start of the next academic year. The school year may be closed at any point between when PCR Educator makes it available prior to the start of the next academic year. 

Note: In general, closing the school year is required for any school that is using the Student Management System (any features related to managing students).

Note: If you are operating a Summer Camp in PCR Educator, then you will wait to close the school year until after Summer Camp has finished.

Note:  If you wish to share next year schedules in the CMS Parent/Student Portals prior to closing the school year, the widget properties can be switched to show the next year schedules.

Note: The close of the school year wizard may be restricted if your school exceeds the purchased database storage amount.  Please contact support@pcreducator.com to help you address this.

Note:  Closing the School Year is a one-time process that affects every division in the school. There should be one person at the school who coordinates and performs the Closing of the School Year for the entire school. While the Academic Divisions are most affected, the school-based coordinator should understand the process and should ensure that ALL divisions are ready before proceeding.

Note:  Each summer, PCR Educator will open the “Close School Year” for advancing to the new academic year.

Note:  Closing Finance Fiscal Years operate independently of Closing the School Year.  Finance can close their Fiscal Years at their discretion.  

Contents

“Closing the School Year” Wizard
Pre-Close Checklist
    - Archiving Individual Student Reports
    - Copying Scheduling Data
    - Setting Next Year Student Fields
    - Updating Status/Substatus for Next Year
    - Enrolling Incoming Students
    - Adjusting the Parent Portal and Student Portal
    - Confirming Teacher Categories
    - Setting BC Trax Month Field (BC Schools Only)
Scheduling Next Year
Fixing Different Courses with the Same Name
Confirming Include on Transcript 
Reviewing Orphaned Grades
Reviewing Grades to History 
Reviewing Attendance to History 
Fixing Overlapping Marking Periods
Review Users
Request Closing 
Closing the Database Year Step
Reviewing Post-Close Checklist 

“Closing the School Year” Wizard

 To begin Closing the School Year process navigate to Security > Maintenance > Close School Year.  You need the Security Full role to access this page.  Note: If the Close School Year cannot be started, an explanation is provided on the first step.  Note: The second to last step of the Close School Year will have you contact PCR Educator to make an archive.  This may take 1 business day so please plan accordingly.
Closing the School Year does the following:
     - Copies Next Year Student Fields to the current year
    - Moves students to their next grade level
    - Archives student grades to Historical Marks
    - Archives student attendance to Historical Attendance
    - Purges processed notifications, except emails associated with:
        - Inquiry records with an academic year greater or equal to the current admissions year.  Example:  You are closing the school year for 2017/2018.  An inquiry is applying for 2017/2018 and has 3 notifications, 2 of which have already been processed and 1 of which is unprocessed.  The 2 processed notifications will be deleted.  Example:  You are closing the school year for 2017/2018.  An inquiry is applying for 2018/2019 and has 3 notifications, 2 of which have already been processed and 1 of which is unprocessed.  None of these notifications will be deleted.
        - Inquiry Actions Note: Notifications that were associated with an inquiry action where the inquiry action has been deleted will be treated like an Inquiry notification.
        - Finance
        - Financial Aid Awards
        - Student Health Visits
        - Development
        Note: Purging notifications deletes processed Notification Jobs from the date you close the school year which includes removal of the individual notification information as well as any attached files stored in the database.


Note: Once you finish Closing the School Year, the following records will be permanently removed from the database:
    - Gradebook grades
    - Marks for any report
    - Comments for any report

Note: Once you finish Closing the School Year, the following records will be purged and you may not have access to individual details:
    - Attendance records  Note:  Discipline records are retained, but Daily and Period Attendance are purged.
    - Student Pictures for students that do not contain a status of Enrolled for any division in the current or next year.  Example:  The student status is Pre-Enrolled for next year.  The student photo is retained.  Example: The student status is Enrolled in the current year and Graduated for next year.  The student photo is retained this year, but would be removed with next year’s close if the student’s status remains Graduated.  Example: The student Withdrew this year.  Their current and next year status is listed as Withdrew.  The student photo is purged.
    - Inquiry Pictures for inquiries/applicants with an academic year prior to the pre-close admissions year.  Example: The school year being closed is the academic year 2020/2021.  The current year of the inquiry is 2020/2021 even though admissions has moved forward to 2021/2022.  The photo is retained.
    - Daily rotations with dates prior to the close date.  Future daily rotation dates will be kept intact.
    - Student Check In / Check Out records.  If you are billing for Check In / Check Out records, records that have already been billed for will be removed.  If you are not billing for Check In / Check Out records, all records with a check out date will be removed.   Note: Invoices are still retained, but the association to the original Check In / Check Out record will be removed.

You may want to consider exporting your data using a DAT Query if you may need these details in the future.

Pre-Close Checklist

There are tasks that must be completed by each and every Academic Division prior to closing the school year.  Note: The following tasks MUST be completed BEFORE you close the school year.

- Archiving Individual Student Reports
- Copying Scheduling Data
- Setting Next Year Student Fields
- Updating Status/Substatus for Next Year
- Enrolling Incoming Students
- Adjusting the Parent Portal and Student Portal
- Confirming Teacher Categories
- Setting BC Trax Month Field (BC Schools Only)
- Exporting Data (If Applicable)

Archiving Individual Student Reports

Registrars should archive, print, and/or save PDFs of Progress Reports, Report Cards, and Transcripts prior to closing the school year.  Archiving Official Reports can be performed through a multi-action with the files optionally made available to the Parent Portal.  Note: Transcripts do not need to be archived as they can be recreated from the historical marks.

Attendance reports, discipline reports, gradebooks and other reports involving data which is reset year to year may be generated and retained by the school.

Copying Scheduling Data

Closing the school year will replace the current year’s schedule with the next year's schedule.  If you do not have a schedule in the next year, then when the school year is closed you will have no schedule in the current year.

Note: The automatic scheduling functions that allow for using the Master Schedule Builder and the automated “Load Students” DO NOT EXIST in the Current Year. If anyone in the school still needs to use those features, you should not close the school year.

1. Copy the current year Block Codes and Period Codes into the Next Year.  This should be performed in each division that has a schedule.

2. Copy the current year Course Sections to Next Year. Each division may decide to copy the current course sections for next year (and modify them as necessary) OR the division may decide to build all the course sections from scratch. Copying the sections must be done prior to Closing the School Year or there will be no sections when the school year is closed.

For more information about Copying/Moving Schedules, please see the section on Scheduling Next Year below.

Setting Next Year Student Fields

Ensure that the next  year grade levels for your students are correct.  

Note:  The Next Year grade level fields can be seen on the Admin > Students list or the Scheduling > Students list, and the column is titled Gr NY.  If you do not see the field, click the gear above the details column and enable it.

Note: There are other next year fields which may need to be set including Day or Boarding Next Year, International Next Year, and more.  Advancing student grades can set the next year grade level for students as well as these other fields.

Note: Once the grades are properly advanced, you can begin the scheduling process. Note that in Scheduling, you will be working predominantly with a student’s “grade next year.” The “not returning” students and students without a “grade next year” will not appear in your scheduling lists.

Updating Status/Substatus for Next Year

In Admin > Students, users can view the current and next year status/substatus for their student.  Note:  The next year status and substatus may be different depending on which school division you are currently accessing.  Another way to evaluate students and their status’ is to create a DAT report using Students and linking in the Statuses By Division table.

The administrator can update student status/substatus for next academic year to indicate students who are graduating, returning, or withdrawing.  These changes are configured by Recording Student Actions which determine the Status/Substatus Calculation - Student.

One method is to find all students who are currently newly enrolled and mark them as Active or Returning for the next year. Similarly, all non-returning students can be marked as Withdrew for next year and all Pre-Enrolled students can be marked as Enrolled/Newly Enrolled for next year. Each school may have its own preference for handling this workflow.

Note: The next year student status and substatus will become the current year status and substatus after Closing the School Year.

Note: For students to access the CMS Portals, the student user must have a role of Student.  For parents to access the CMS Parent Portal, the parent user must have a role of Parent or ParentNY.  These roles are calculated according to the Roles Dictionary.  Any student whose status next year is “Graduated” will lose their access to the CMS portals when the school year is closed. To temporarily give students and parents access after Closing the School Year, you can create an action named something like “Portal Access” with an “Enrolled” status modifier, and give it to the student for the next academic year. That way, their status will remain “Enrolled” until you decide to revoke their access by removing the “Portal Access” action at a later date.

Note: The Graduated date on the transcript is usually based on an action of the same name.  It is possible to have a Graduated action configured to not change the status, and instead use a different action to change student status’ to Graduated at a later date.  This way the correct graduated date is shown on the transcript while the student status temporarily remains Enrolled until another action changes the status to Graduated.

Enrolling Incoming Students

This component can be completed before or after closing the school year. The Admissions staff can enroll incoming students by Applying Enrollment Profiles. Enrollment Profiles may also be applied automatically for students submitting (Re) Enrollment Contracts.

Adjusting the Parent Portal and Student Portal

If your school is using the CMS Parent/Student Portals, you need to consider the information you are displaying to the parents and students currently and the information you want them to have access to once the school year rolls over. Once the school year is closed, the next school year’s information is going to be displayed (schedules, homerooms, etc.). Make sure you adjust the portals according to what you want the parents to have access to over the summer.  Note: You can temporarily “disable” pages on these portals by requiring a role like “Security Full” to access the page.  Remove the role requirement to allow access again.  

Confirming Teacher Categories

The CMS Teacher Portal has a widget which allows teachers to map their Gradebook Categories associated with a current year course section to a corresponding section for next year.  This widget is usually placed at the bottom of the Class > Gradebook Settings page.  If the widget isn’t present, it can be added to the page via the Course > Gradebook Next Year option.  Note: If a teacher is teaching the same Course and Section next year, those course sections will automatically be considered mapped and associated gradebook items will be retained.

Example:  A teacher may be teaching Math section 01 this year, but next year they will be teaching Math section 03.  They can match their Math section 01 to next year’s Math section 03.

Teachers that do not have their course sections mapped to a corresponding next year course section will have the following gradebook items cleared:
    - Gradebook Preferences for unmapped course sections
    - Gradebook Assessments for unmapped course sections
    - Gradebook Assessments no longer associated with any course section
    - Gradebook Categories no longer associated with any assessments

Setting BC Trax Month Field (BC Schools Only)

When determining the Trax month for a student and a course, PCR Educator will first look at the student course override for the student, then the mark type exam percent’s month / mark type school percent’s month, then the course month (specified on the course).  Setting the BC Trax Month for a  Mark Type Marking Period involves Configuring Mark Types associated with the courses. Note: If multiple months are present for the mark types, the largest integer month for the course section is used.  Example:  There is no student course override.  The mark types for the course have months specified of 1 for quarter one, 3 for quarter two, 6 for quarter three and 8 for quarter four. If the course section only meets semester one then the month used will be 3.  If the course section only meets for quarter one, then the month will be 1.  If the course section is a full year course, then the month will be 8.

Scheduling Next Year 

Please confirm with the individuals responsible for scheduling each division that they have completed scheduling, or have at least copied the minimum required to next year.  Note:  The master schedule builder and master load student functions are only available as Next Year functions.  If any school division still requires use of these functions, do not close the school year.

Every academic division which contains scheduling information should complete these tasks prior to Closing the School Year:
1.  Copy the existing Blocks to next year.
2.  Copy the existing Period Codes / period code groups to next year.
3.  Copy the Course Sections to next year.
Note:  If these are not copied, then the school division will be creating entirely new ones after the close.

Note: You can set up daily rotations for next year in the current year configuration.  You can do this by going to Scheduling > Blocks > Daily Rotation.  When you close the school year, all rotation days assigned to dates prior to the close of the year will be removed and all future rotation dates will be kept intact.

If there are items that have not been taken care of or that need to be adjusted, you can exit the wizard and attend to those items. You may also click one of the links on this step to take you directly to the records in the current school division.

The chart at the bottom of this step indicates the existing blocks, period codes, and sections for each division. Please make sure that you have either copied that data or built new data for all divisions for the upcoming school year for any divisions which have schedules.

Fixing Different Courses with the Same Name 

This step is to help you clean the data that will be placed into historical marks for the students. If there are no students and courses listed, you may proceed to the next step. 

If a student has two or more courses with the same name but different ids, these will be recorded as multiple different records in historical marks, and these records will show as 2 or more separate lines on the transcript.  Example: A student has grades for courses Algebra I - ID 123 and Algebra I - ID 456. The student will have 2 rows appearing on the transcript, both showing “Algebra I.”

- You have the option to export the list and correct the records after the close.

- You have the option to leave the wizard and handle the courses prior to the close.  Options might include:
    1. Moving all report card grades to one version of the course
    2. Manually recording a historical record for the student regarding this course, then removing their grades from the current year courses.
    3. Migrating Single Student Current Year Marks to History and correcting the historical record.

Confirming Include on Transcript 


The “Include on Transcript” step allows you to locate courses which might be incorrectly excluded from transcripts and history.

The grid shows courses that have mark types that would ordinarily be found in historical marks (Term or Final grades) but the checkbox Include on Transcript is unchecked (which means that the grades would not be moved to history if the setting is not fixed).

The checkbox can be checked directly in the grid.

Reviewing Orphaned Grades

A student may have switched from one section of a course to another without using the “Transfer” button on the Conflicts screen.  In the case of a course set up as a single semester course, both the Orphaned grade and the student current grade (if any) will both be moved to history.  In the case of a full year course, one of the marks will be chosen arbitrarily.  Review any marks appearing in this list and note the “Orphaned?” column.  Note: If the “Orphaned?” column says “yes” then the student is no longer enrolled in that section of the course for that marking period.

If the student has both an Orphaned and non-Orphaned mark for the same course name, the orphaned mark should usually be deleted.

Note: This step shows any students who have more than one grade for the same course and marking period, but a different section.  A student may be legitimately taking multiple different sections of the same single semester course.

Reviewing Grades to History 

Historical Marks are those grades that will be saved and used for future transcripts for your students.  The “Reviewing Grades to History” step lists all the grades that will be archived to history.

The listing in the wizard is performed by Division and then by the Mark Types associated with each grade. Check to make sure that the grades will be placed into history correctly.  Note: It is difficult to fix them once they have been archived by Closing the School Year, though there are methods for Updating Historical Marks individually and in bulk.

For Coordinators who are Closing the School Year, make sure that the staff in each division works with you and has “signed off” on this data to ensure that the grades are properly stored. 

Review the total number of marks to be moved, particularly for any counts that seem unusually low or different.  This could indicate that a new courses’ mark types were not set up properly.  Otherwise, confirm that the totals for the various grade types are consistent with the number of students taking graded courses.

Note:  Term grades for course sections meeting only one term will be copied to the final grade for the course section unless a separate final grade mark type is present.

Note:  If you make changes when Configuring Mark Types, double check the Confirming Include on Transcript step doesn’t include new courses.

Reviewing Attendance to History

This step highlights the Attendance Types that will be summarized into history for transcripts.

The four types of daily attendance that are summarized are Absent Excused, Absent Unexcused, Late Excused, and Late Unexcused based on their Historical Meaning.  Attendance types without a Historical Meaning are not summarized.  If you have daily attendance types that do not have historical meaning showing on this step and that need to be stored, please modify those records here.  Note: Period attendance is not summarized to history.  Note:  Period Attendance can be converted to Daily Attendance by navigating to Admin > Attendance > Period Attendance, selecting the desired period attendance records, and using the “Generate Daily” multi-action.

Fixing Overlapping Marking Periods 

Overlapping marking periods are not permitted.  A daily attendance record that appears during an overlap would be counted multiple times - once for each overlapping marking period.  The marking periods are shown by division with the overlapping periods shown side by side.

To correct bad data in the marking period information, leave the wizard and fix the overlaps in the Marking Period Info. 

Review Users

Users that are incorrectly set up need to be corrected.  

“Staff associated with multiple users” - Staff records should only be associated with a single user.  The resolution depends on why there are multiple users.  If one of the users is a “parent” user, then this user should be removed and the remaining user used as both a staff and parent user.  If there is a duplicate staff user, disassociate the teacher from the user in the user profile.  Note: Be careful when deciding to remove a Staff user as it may be associated with DAT queries or filters.

“Students associated with multiple users” - Students should only be associated with a single user.  Choose which student user to retain and remove the other users for the student.

Parents associated with multiple users - Parents should only have a single user each.  First, make sure the Household Indicator is correctly specified for the users.  If there are still duplicates for a particular household and indicator, remove the duplicate users.  Note:  If the Parent is also a Staff, retain the staff user.

“Parent users with no indicator” - Make sure to specify the Household Indicator for users associated with households.

“User associated with Students and Household/Staff users” - Student users should not be associated with their parent households.  Household users should not be associated with student records. Note: One exception is when the student has a relationship of “Self” with the household.  This occurs for schools where the student applies and submits contracts instead of their parent performing those steps.  Note: Students who are alumni should receive a new user associated with their new household record.  Students typically have users with emails provided by the school.  After the student graduates, they need a household user based around their personal email address information.

Request Closing

All previous steps in the wizard must be completed prior to completing this step and all divisions should be finished with any data corrections before completing this step.

Number of Days School was in session - If your school lists the number of school days on transcripts, please make sure to enter the correct number in the box provided. 180 is the default number displayed.

Admissions Year is the current (pre-close) year that your Admissions is currently operating with.  This year is used to determine which notifications are retained in Admissions.

This step directs you to contact PCR Educator to request that our representatives perform additional closing steps.  Note:  You do not need to remain on this page while waiting for PCR Educator to contact you.  Note: It may take up to 2 business days. Note: The closing process is not reversible. Note: you should not be making any changes after this step and before the year is closed.

Wait to hear back from PCR Educator representatives.

Closing the Database Year Step

If you receive a ticket response from PCR Educator to proceed with Closing the Database, you will need to press the Finish button on this step to finalize the closing. 

When you are ready, press the Finish button to proceed.  You will be presented with a page showing the current status of the closing process.  Each step is shown with a timer counting how long the process has been running.  So long as the timer is still counting, the Close of Year process is still running.  Note: This page can be refreshed/reloaded if you experience an internet interruption.  Note: If the page stays on “Please wait…” for more than 30 seconds or if you reload the page and it indicates that the school year is not being closed, please contact PCR Support at 301-947-7380 ext 2.  Note:  Some steps may start counting over again.  This is expected behavior when there is a lot of data to process.  Note:  Do not press the back button on your browser or close your browser.  Please wait patiently until you are directed to the last step to confirm that the close was successful.

Reviewing Post-Close Checklist 

After Closing the Database Year Step is finished, please complete the following steps to ready the database for the next Academic Year.
1. Confirm the student status’ for the current year.  Corrections can be made by Recording Student Actions
2. Confirm Homerooms and Advisors for students
3. Update year specific attributes if applicable.  Example: You may be tracking Student groups through attributes.
4. Update the Marking Period Info for the new year
5. Update the Daily Rotation
6. If you are using development, check development campaigns.  Make sure you have the next year Annual Fund created if applicable.  Note: Development fiscal years are independent of the school year and do not get updated through this Close of the Year Process.  This is only a reminder.  Annual Fund campaigns may be created at any time.
7. If you are using Development, run the Alumni Wizard for graduating students.
8. Update online donations to use new year campaigns/products.
9. Check the admissions academic year in School Info
    - Check the Apply Online Academic Years for your Inquiry/Apply Online
    - Follow Advancing Admissions Records for the next admissions year if applicable.
10. Delete/deactivate old Users.  Note: The User article has important information on handling staff users.
11. Remove Purchase Options for former students/faculty

Note: After Closing the School Year, every student’s grade next year will be the same as their current grade.  This is desirable because of how the (Re) Enrollment Contract works. The (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles should be looking at the grade next year field to determine which version of the (Re) Enrollment Contract is shown to the parents. If your (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles operate like this, then you should wait before Advancing Student Grades in the new year until you stop accepting contracts for the new academic year.

Note: After Closing the School Year, the School Year is Closed checkbox will automatically be checked in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup.
 
Complementary Student Scheduling Consultations
Need help navigating the delicate process of scheduling students into classes? Let us connect you with one of our scheduling pros, who will come up with a tailor-made solution for your school’s needs! Follow this link to schedule a call today https://bit.ly/3gsDgpF.
Close of the School Year 2021 Announcement
The Close of the School Year Wizard will be available starting July 1st! Keep in mind that you can send notifications to next year’s families, and give them access to the Parent Portal (including next year's schedules), prior to closing this school year. As always, please plan ahead and reserve multiple business days with us in case you need support in closing the school year.

Note: The close of the school year wizard will not be available if your school exceeds the purchased database storage amount. Please contact support@pcreducator.com for help addressing this.
Migrating Single Student Current Year Marks to History
To migrate a single student’s current year marks to history, navigate to Admin > Student > Details > Move To History.  You will need Marks Full roles to access this screen.  

Move To History will act like a closing the school year wizard for just this one student: 
- their marks will move to history 
- the current year grading and comment data will be removed
- daily attendance will be summarized
- attendance records will be removed
- student will be removed from all their classes
GL Account Mapping
Account mapping is the process of creating definable sections in the account numbers that will be used. Each section in the account number can represent a division, department or account type that the school has created.
Example:
 
1-00-1650-12

Division Department Account Type Account Sub Type
(1) 0 (1) (650) (12)

The individual sections of the account number are created in Finance > Maintenance > Account Number. You will need to create the account number mask first.

  - Enter the name of the section in the text box at the top left of the page and click Add Section. 

  - Select the section name, the type and the count. Note: Types like digit and letter use count to represent the number of integers or letters used. Types like specific value allow you to enter a specific letter, integer or symbol. Example: digit 2 represents an account segment with 2 digits. Example: specific value “-” shows as “-” allowing to separate other meaningful segments of an account number.

  - Click Add Mask.
  
  - Repeat steps until all account number sections required are added.

Note: The order of the sections can be rearranged by selecting the up or down arrows under the section name.

The value represented in each section is entered in Finance > Maintenance > Account Number Mappings.

  - Select the section name from the drop-box on the top of the page.

  - Enter the code for that section. Note: The code is the value for that section in the account number. Example: a 2-digit section representing campus of the school may have codes 01 and 02 that refer to descriptions “Austin”, “Washington DC” 

  - Enter the description for the code. Note: The description would be what the value entered for the code represents.

  - Click Add.

  - Repeat steps for all sections added to the account number.
 
GL Account Category / Account Type
Category Type
Asset Bank Account, Accounts Receivable, Fixed Asset, Other, Depreciation, Undeposited Funds, Prepaid Expense.
Equity Equity
Net Asset Unrestricted, Temporarily Restricted, Permanently Restricted, Net Asset
Liability Accounts Payable, Credit Card, Current, Long Term, Deferred Revenue, Unearned Revenue, Other
Revenue Income, Unrestricted, Temporarily Restricted, Permanently Restricted, Other
Expense Wage, Expense, Unrestricted, Temporarily Restricted, Permanently Restricted, Prepaid Expense, Other
Gain Gain, Other
Loss Loss, Other
CMS Widget
CMS Widget is a building element of any CMS page. Content and functionality of CMS pages are defined through CMS widgets. Anything you want your page to do, you do it with a widget. Following are examples of how widgets define the content and functionality of pages in PCR Educator:

  - To display text on your page, you use the CMS Text widget.
  - To display news on your page, you use the News widget.
  - To display a menu on your page, you use the Navigation widget.

Note: All CMS Widgets have a set of CMS Widget - Standard Properties. 
Note: CMS pages are containers where you add the content and the functionality using widgets.

Please follow the steps in Adding CMS Widget to add a new widget.

Here is an index of articles for CMS Widgets:

CMS Widget - Inquiry/Student Action
CMS Widget - Simple Report Runner
CMS Widget - Menu
CMS Widget - Parent/Student Attendance Entry 
CMS Widget - Report Runner
CMS Widget - Sign up Summary
CMS Widget - Simple Report Runner
 

 
Adding CMS Widget
Website Full Role is required to add a CMS Widget.

  1. Click the “Content” link on the top-left of the page.
  2. Click the “Add Widget” tab on the right of the page.
  3. Select the appropriate CMS Container. Note: The selected container will be highlighted on the page to indicate where the CMS Widget is being added.
  4. Select the CMS Widget Category by clicking on the plus icon.
  5. Click on the appropriate CMS Widget to add it to the page.
  6. Specify the properties and click Save.  Note: See CMS Widget - Standard Properties for more information.
 
Standard Query: [Development] Donation Payment Errors
One of the following roles are required to access the query: Development Full, Development Read.

This query returns the contact information, due date/amount, and payment information of any donation containing an error from the last 30 days.
 
Chart of Accounts
Chart of Accounts is a list of all the GL Accounts that have been entered into one of the Ledgers by the school. The accounts are specific to a given ledger and use the format set up in GL Account Mapping.

There are several fundamental types of accounts, each with a specific purpose:

Bank Account: This account is used to record all payments made to the school. It is an asset category with a bank account type.

Accounts Receivable: This account records customer transactions related to billing for goods or services purchased by customers. 

Undeposited Funds: This account temporarily holds payments (such as checks or cash) received but not yet deposited into the bank. It is an asset account that helps track funds awaiting deposit.

Prepaid Expense: This account type records expenses paid in advance, such as insurance or rent, where the benefit will be received in future periods. This account type is available for Asset and Expense accounts.

Fixed Asset: A Fixed Asset account is used to track physical assets owned by the school, such as buildings, equipment, or furniture. The account type for Fixed Assets is categorized as assets.

Depreciation: This account records the reduction in value of the school’s fixed assets over time. Depreciation accounts help allocate the cost of an asset over its useful life and is a contra-asset account.  When working with Fixed Assets, there will be the fixed asset Asset account, a depreciation Asset account, and a depreciation Expense account.

Equity / Net Asset:  These account types are the same concept, with Equity commonly being used for Profit and Net Asset being used for Non Profit.

Unrestricted / Temporarily Restricted / Permanently Restricted: These account types are used to track funding and its use. These account types may appear as a Liability, Revenue, and/or Expense.

Accounts Payable: This account records vendor transactions related to billing for goods or services purchased by the school. 

Credit Card: This is a liability account type for credit cards.

Current: This is a liability account type to track liabilities in the current fiscal year.

Long Term: This is a liability account type to track liabilities spanning multiple fiscal years.

Deferred Revenue / Unearned Revenue: These are used interchangeably; they are liability account types to hold revenue as a liability until it can be considered earned.

Income: This type of account is used to record the revenue that the school has received. 

Wage: This type of account is used to track employee wage expenses.

Gain: This type of account is for increases that are not part of the school’s operation and is used to categorize these gains from revenues for tax purposes.

Loss: This type of account is for decreases that are not part of the school’s operation and is used to categorize these losses from expenses for tax purposes.

Other: These accounts are used for miscellaneous financial activities that don’t fit into the other categories. This category allows for flexible financial tracking and categorization within the ledger.
DAT Search Feature Demonstration
Ever find yourself a little lost in the DAT? What if I told you there was an easy way to find what you’re looking for, and better yet, that we have a video showing you exactly how to do it? 

Your aimless DAT wandering days are over! Take a gander at our latest video showcasing the DAT Search feature here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBBqg3pYnbM
 
Standard Query: [Admin] Interim Comments
One of the following roles are required to access the query: Marks Full, Marks Read, Registrar Full, Registrar Read.

This query returns all saved Interim comments for the current school year along with student and course information.
 
New Feature: Allocating Credit to Invoices when Adding/Dropping Course
More exciting update news! We have added an option to allocate credits to open invoices when adding/dropping courses in the Finance Module. This means that when you drop a student from a class and it results in a credit, this credit can be used to add a student to a new class or to apply it to other open invoices. 
 
Working Smarter, Not Harder, With Smart Forms
PCR Educator’s Smart Forms are interactive forms that rely on real-time answers to previous questions to dynamically change what the user sees next. This functionality allows you to tailor your forms and personalize their appearance. You can also declutter your questionnaires by hiding sections, questions or entire pages based on the information in the database or based on the answers provided earlier in the form. Smart Forms are available for all CMS portals and features, including online inquiry and application process, annual forms, activity registration, parent and student information update forms, online donation and summer forms. 

Check out our latest video to see Smart Forms in action https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEajfvJ_F90.
New Feature: Finance Pay to Name Field
Great news!  We have added a Pay to Name field to AP Invoices allowing you to select the name that will later appear on the payment from a list of names associated with the selected vendor: default Pay to Name, Vendor Name, Contact 1 and Contact 2 names. Vendor Invoice Pay to Name carries over to the payment, although you can still overwrite it on the payment level with one of the names associated with the vendor.
Close of the School Year 2021 Announcement
It’s that time of the year again! Summer break is nearly here! You know, it reminds me of that classic song . . . 

♫School’s out for summer♫
♫School’s out forever♫ 
♫Not really though, just a few months generally but it varies by district♫
♫You should know this, you work in education. It’s actually pretty alarming that you don’t know this♫

Alright, it’s time to settle down and stop with the air guitar. That unforgettable tune was just a segue to our main point:

The Close of the School Year Wizard will be available starting July 1st! Keep in mind that you can send notifications to next year’s families, and give them access to the Parent Portal (including next year's schedules), prior to closing this school year. As always, please plan ahead and reserve multiple business days with us in case you need support in closing the school year.

Note: The close of the school year wizard will not be available if your school exceeds the purchased database storage amount. Please contact support@pcreducator.com for help addressing this.
 
Vendor Payment
A vendor payment is created when a school pays their suppliers for any goods or items that the school may have purchased.

Payment Account refers to the account that will be credited. This will normally be your bank account.

Name on Payment defaults to Pay to Name specified on the invoice, or to the vendor’s Pay to Name for Misc Payments.     Users can select from the vendor’s  Pay To Name (default, specified on the vendor record), Vendor Name, associated Contact 1 or Contact 2 names. Note: Pay to Name specified on the invoice carries over to the check unless overwritten. Example: if a vendor represents a staff household where both Contact 1 and Contact 2 are staff at your school, you will select Contact 1 name for Contact 1, and Contact 2 for Contact 2.

Payment Number refers to the check number or the reference number if you are not paying with a check.  If you are paying with a check, the payment number will be printed on your check.

Vendor Memo is used to enter a payment description that you may possibly show on your check.

Internal Memo is used to enter a payment description that you may not necessarily share with vendors.

Debit Account will normally be your Accounts Payable.
AP Invoice
AP Invoice represents a request for received payment for products and services. AP invoices might represent a bill for ongoing services, or they can be based on purchase orders for specific items and services.  To access AP Invoices navigate to Finance - AP - Invoices.  You will need FinanceAP Full or FinanceAP Read roles to access this page.

Invoice Date is the date as it appears on the invoice.  When entering an invoice for a vendor with a Payment Term, this date will be used to calculate the Due Date.  

Due Date controls when the invoice is shown as due.  Note: You can specify this date according to when you want to pay this invoice rather than when the vendor says the invoice is due.

Post Date controls the ledger transaction date.  This date is also used for vendor balance calculations.  

Posted Date is the date when an invoice was posted to the ledger. This date represents the actual date when the post button was clicked as opposed to Post Date which represents the date when the invoice is recognized in the ledger. Example:  The current date and time is 1/1/2020 2:08pm.  The Post Date specified on the invoice is 2/2/2020.  When you click the button to post the invoice, the invoice will have the Post Date in the ledger as 2/2/2020 while the Posted Date would be 1/1/2020 2:08pm.

Voided Date is the date that the invoice appears as voided in the ledger.

Entered Date is the date and time that the invoice was entered into the system. This date is not controlled by users, but is automatically recorded by the system.

Pay to Name is the name that will appear on the AP Payment such as a printed check. Users can select from the vendor’s  Pay To Name (default, specified on the vendor record), Vendor name, associated Contact 1 or Contact 2 names. Note: Pay to Name specified on the invoice carries over to the check unless overwritten. Example: if a vendor represents a staff household where both Contact 1 and Contact 2 are staff at your school, you will select Contact 1 name for Contact 1, and Contact 2 for Contact 2.
 
FAQ: How to close Apply Online and prevent new applications?
Follow the steps below when you no longer want to accept online applications:

Website Full role is required to make this change. 

  - Navigate to the Applicant Profile page
  - Go to properties of the Applications widget
  - Clear out the Application Academic Year1 and ApplicationAcademicYear2 settings

Note: Please remove any references on your public website that direct users to the online application once the application is closed.

Note: Consider adding a message on the Apply Online login page to let users know that the application is closed.  

Note: If  you plan to close the online application for a specific program, you can remove the option to select that program from your Inquiry Form and the online application.

Note: If you plan to close the online application for specific grade levels, uncheck the grade levels within the Apply Online Grade Levels setting in the Applications widget.
Automatic Birthday Notifications
Automatic Notification Triggers allow schools to send emails automatically through PCR Educator once a specific action or event has occurred. Some common uses of this feature include notifying users when they have a payment due, reminding parents of missing requirements in their admissions application or notifying parents when a student’s grade drops below a certain value. The possibilities are nearly endless!

Follow this link for a how-to video on setting up automatic birthday messages for students https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8JBoJidza0.
Increasing Alumni Engagement at Private Schools
Alumni engagement is all about forming powerful connections that encourage former students to give back. Prior to graduation, they were on campus every day, creating memories to last a lifetime. Now, they’re scattered across the country, making it difficult to maintain those relationships.

Alumni members make up the heart of your school. Nothing comes close to matching the support and connections they provide. And once that support is gone, it can be next to impossible to get it back.

Preferably, you should seek to engage alumni the moment they graduate. Otherwise, their support may begin to fade, leaving you without the emotional and monetary support your school needs.

However, don’t let that discourage you. There are a number of ways to cultivate relationships with alumni that may even earn back the support of those who graduated decades ago. Here are a few effective strategies to help you get started.

Recognize That All Alumni Are Not The Same

7 out of 10 college grads leave with student loan debt. On average, those students owe $33,000. Whether your school is K-12 or a university, your alumni are likely facing debt in their future, or already possess it. Like it or not, these alumni will probably want to pay for their own education before funding someone else’s.

On the other hand, there are many successful, older alumni who you should definitely ask for support. The point is that alumni span nearly all stages of life and financial situations. For schools seeking donations from alumni, segmenting is a must. 

Alumni associations have, at the very least, a contact’s graduation year. With the rise in student debt over the years, this in itself may indicate a graduate’s ability to donate.

Remain True To Your School’s Brand

Alumni often look back on their school days with nostalgic memories rooted in its shared history. If your school has a historic building name, student cheering section, a statue on campus, former beloved faculty or fun athletic ritual, don’t hesitate to play those heartstrings!

Stay Relevant

Staying trendy and tuned in with what is going on in the world should be top of mind when planning to engage your alumni. It could be something that is trending on social media, in the news or a popular sporting event. Almost any high-profile event can be turned into a fun way to engage this group.

Invest in a digital fundraising platform for Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Schools of every size rely on funding to evolve. Directly involving alumni by encouraging them to raise funds themselves is a proven retention strategy. When they take their involvement to the next level, they feel much more involved in the success of your school. A digital fundraising platform allows your school to develop these relationships with much less effort. Here are some great ideas that the right fundraising program could bring to fruition:

Use automation to keep alumni engaged

To re-engage alumni, you need to constantly remind them of their roots. However, depending on the size of your school, this is probably impossible to do on a one-on-one level. That’s where automation can help.

Instead of creating general messages that don’t appeal to anyone, automation that adheres to segmentation allows you to create personalized appeals. In other words, automating communications is only half the process. The other half is ensuring that your messages reach receptive audiences.

To take it a step further, make combinations of segments for different appeals. For instance, start by drafting an appeal for a specific program that a list of donors avidly supports. Then, tailor that message based on the communication platform. That way, you’re adhering to communication preferences while also engaging them based on common interests.

Once you’ve harnessed the power of automated marketing, create targeted newsletters and incorporate it into your fundraising campaigns. This way, alumni can stay up-to-date on what’s happening at their alma mater while saving your development directors more time.

Organize giving events

Create powerful giving initiatives like a crowdfunding campaign, peer-to-peer fundraising or an annual giving day. 

Gamify fundraising

Nothing motivates alumni, or anyone for that matter, like a good competition. Turning fundraising into a game encourages alumni to compete for the top spot and reach important fundraising milestones for digital rewards.

Empower storytellers

Having a platform that identifies supporters with powerful stories is crucial. These stories allow you to build much more engaging campaigns that encourage other alumni to give. 

From payment processors to matching gift systems, fundraising strategy will absolutely involve several tech solutions. Make sure that your chosen platform interacts with the necessary software for your school, or better yet, find a service that provides everything you need in one package.

Implement P2P Fundraising for Recent Grads

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great fit for recent grads who may not initially want to or be able to donate. Your tech-savvy grads are used to navigating social networks. Giving them the opportunity to fundraise empowers within their own social circles gives them the ability to support their school with the skills and resources they have. Some friends and family may give simply to support the alumnus’s goal, but fundraisers may also be able to reach other alumni for whom you don’t have up-to-date contact information.

Here are a few tips on how to implement P2P fundraising:

Make it personal

Some alumni appeals can sound very impersonal and vague.
Whenever possible, ask alumni to fundraise for specific projects. Help create a personal connection for alumni by sending them an impact story relating to their department of study.

Give them a concrete goal

This is another way great way to make fundraising for the school a more focused effort. Offer concrete goals such as funding a specific scholarship, or sending a team to a regional playoff. Show your alumni the real-world impact they provide. Like just about any donor, they want to do good and make a difference.

Link it to Social Media

Use alumni groups on Facebook and LinkedIn to promote fundraising. A graduate can then create a page and share it with their friends and followers.

Give Alumni a Designated Place On Your Website


With most school websites focusing on prospects, it can be very easy to lose sight of your alumni. These pages are often tucked away in your site map, two or three clicks away from the homepage.

Two popular ways to engage alumni using your website are alumni Mini Sites and alumni portals.

Alumni Mini Sites can easily segment your alumni web presence. A Mini Site is an altered version of your main website that’s specifically catered to a certain visitor. Consider creating an alumni Mini Site, with everything an alum would want to look for placed front and center with the primary focus of this website.

An alumni portal is a password-protected area where alumni have access to the same information listed above but in a private area.

Build a Lifelong Relationship


For alumni who have graduated in the past five years, fundraising should place its focus on building lasting relationships with high lifetime donor values. That eighteen to twenty-something that donates $25 could give more and more as their career progresses. Starting with a reasonable ask now can create a relationship that pays off big later on down the line.

To cultivate these long-term relationships means staying in contact with alumni. If a grad isn’t interested in donating or fundraising, ask for up-to-date contact information so you can reach out later on.

Lastly, remember that a healthy relationship needs give and take. Make sure your alumni association is offering networking and reunion events with value to these potential donors. The goal is to be seen as a partner and a valuable resource, not an institution that just calls to ask for cash.

While it makes sense to ask for larger donations from older, more established alumni, make sure your university fundraising strategy provides giving options for your entire community. Like all organizations, your audience is made up of very different people and segmenting will allow you to communicate and fundraise more effectively.
 
(Re) Enrollment Contract Impersonate
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Impersonate allows you to impersonate the parent of a Student to see the same information as parents would see if they used their login and password to access the same application.  Note:  Users available in the dropdown must have the Parent, Parent NY, or Applicant role.  Moreover, the Full Name field must be populated in Security > Users > Details > Profile screen.  Note:  If the parent has a qualifying applicant based on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Admissions Enrolling for Contract Setup, they may be pre-enrolled when you impersonate them.
 
(Re) Enrollment Contract Signature
When a (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted, your school may decide to use (Re) Enrollment Contract Signing process to add the administrative signature at the end of the contract and then publish the countersigned contract to the parent or student portals. In this case, (Re) Enrollment Contract Signature refers to the administrative signature. 

Note: (Re) Enrollment Contract Signing is an optional feature and you may decide that once parents or students submit (Re) Enrollment Contract, the contract is considered executed. Consult your legal representative to decide which approach will work best in your case. 
 
(Re) Enrollment Contract Signature Setup
Contract Full role is required to configure (Re) Enrollment Contract Signature.

Follow (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup to specify Sign Contract Action, Use Electronic Signature, Electronic Signature, and Signature Disclosure settings.

  1. Navigate to the Finance > Contracts > Student Contracts - Signature Setup
  2. Upload a signature that is approximately 260 x 55 pixels. The accepted file extensions include .jpg, .jpeg, and .png.

To sign the contract, follow (Re) Enrollment Contract Signing.
 
(Re) Enrollment Contract Signing
Contract Full role is required to add (Re) Enrollment Contract Signature.

Follow (Re) Enrollment Contract Signature Setup.

  1. Navigate to the Finance > Contracts > Student Contracts
  2. Select student records and select the “Sign” option from the multi-action menu
  3. Click the “Sign” button
 
The Knowledge Base Goes Back to School
PCR Educator’s latest update Knowledge Base makes it easier for users to find solutions to any issues they may run into. The Knowledge Base now contains the Application Guides category, where users can quickly locate all Knowledge Base articles related to a specific topic. Here is a guided tour of this helpful functionality: https://youtu.be/o52IP3g-f9I

Stay tuned for more Application Guides to be added in the future!
(Re) Enrollment Contract
(Re) Enrollment Contract is a customized online application for parents to sign online contracts for their returning and new students.  With the (Re) Enrollment Contract you can have
    - Customized tuition rates by grade level, boarding criteria, citizenship, and more
    - Optional fees for lunch programs, after school, transportation, and more
    - Credits automatically applied for students with financial aid
    - Flexible payment plans
    - Online deposit payments by Credit Card or Electronic Check (ECheck)
    - Invoices automatically generated upon submission
    - Electronically signed pdfs of the options chosen and fees agreed to 

Note: Once a (Re) Enrollment Contract has been completed, your school may send the parent to (Re) Enrollment Forms to update their household information.  Alternatively, you may have parents complete (Re) Enrollment Forms prior to completing the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  (Re) Enrollment Contract Holds has additional information on how you might set this up.

Note: Each (Re) Enrollment Contract configuration can only be used once.  PCR Educator provides a copy of the selected (Re) Enrollment Contract for each new season.

To set up the (Re) Enrollment Contract, follow these steps:

1. (Re) Enrollment Contract Pre-Setup covers everything that needs to be configured in the administrative portal prior to setting up the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

2. (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings covers the various settings which determine how the (Re) Enrollment Contract will operate.

3. (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles are variations of the (Re) Enrollment Contract for different kinds of students.

4. (Re) Enrollment Contract Statistics provides counts and  details for various potential setup issues.

5. (Re) Enrollment Contract Cleaning Control Options for Students resets a student’s contract or applies a custom (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.

6. (Re) Enrollment Contract Impersonate allows you to impersonate a parent and see the (Re) Enrollment Contract as the parent sees it.

7. (Re) Enrollment Contract Sections organize the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

8. (Re) Enrollment Contract Controls are the various controls which appear in each (Re) Enrollment Contract Section.  The controls determine the (Re) Enrollment Contract Tuition, Fees, and Deposits which apply to a (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.

9. (Re) Enrollment Contract Holds define actions which will prevent a student from starting a (Re) Enrollment Contract.

10. (Re) Enrollment Contract Integrity is an important integrity check to use before making the (Re) Enrollment Contract live.

11. (Re) Enrollment Contract Overrides allow you to override the fees for particular student (Re) Enrollment Contracts.

12. (Re) Enrollment Contract Checklist provides a quick summary of items to review before making the (Re) Enrollment Contract live.

(Re) Enrollment Contract
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Year to Year
-Updating (Re) Enrollment Contract Year to Year 
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Pre-Setup
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Settings
--(Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup
--(Re) Enrollment Contract Invoice / Payment Setup
-- (Re) Enrollment Contract Admissions Enrolling for Contract Setup
--(Re) Enrollment Contract Confirmation Email Setup
--(Re) Enrollment Contract Enrollment Options Setup
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Profile
--(Re) Enrollment Contract Profile Configuration
--(Re) Enrollment Contract Profile Alternatives
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Statistics
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Cleaning Control Options for Students
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Impersonate
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Section
--(Re) Enrollment Contract Control
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box Control
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button Control
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Signature Control
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Text Control
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Date Stamp Control
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Financial Aid Control
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Payment Options Control
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Control
---(Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Multi Control
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Holds
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Overrides
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Integrity
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Tuition, Fees, and Deposits
-(Re) Enrollment Contract Instructions
-Verifying (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile
- (Re) Enrollment Contract Checklist
- (Re) Enrollment Contract Signature
- (Re) Enrollment Contract Signature Setup
- (Re) Enrollment Contract Signing
- (Re) Enrollment Contract - Videos
 
FAQ
-Why is my (Re) Enrollment Contract header banner running off the side of the page?
-Why do I not see the new action types I created in (Re) Enrollment Contract > Settings?
-Why is the student’s financial aid not showing in the (Re) Enrollment Contract?
-Why am I not taken to the payment screen before the (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted?
-Why is a student not showing when a parent logs in to the (Re) Enrollment Contract application?
-Why is a graduated or withdrawn student is showing when a parent logs into the (Re) Enrollment Contract application?
-Why am I receiving an error when trying to submit the (Re) Enrollment Contract from the payment page?
-Why is there is extra space between paragraphs on the PDF version of my (Re) Enrollment Contract?
-Why are the drop downs in Finance > Contracts > Student Contracts - Options Selected showing the same option multiple times for (Re) Enrollment Contracts?
-How can I change the line items on the Summary Page in the (Re) Enrollment Contract?
-What does it mean when I receive an error in my email for the (Re) Enrollment Contract?
-How can I manually apply Financial Aid Awards to Customer Invoices?
-A parent accidentally submitted the wrong (Re) Enrollment Contract. How can I have them complete the correct one?
 
PCR Educator’s Email System Receives Expansive Upgrade
PCR Educator's email service has received an extensive update. Here are just a few of the many benefits you can expect to see:
  • Experience speeds up to 10x faster than our previous platform. 
  • Send and track high-volume emails effortlessly.
  • Say goodbye to bounced emails with SMTP Reputation Defender: Automatically catch bad emails before you send them, making unexpected hard or soft bounces a thing of the past.
  • Avoid ending up in the Junk Mailbox with our ironclad spam filter avoidance.
  • Auto-trigger product or feature usage-based emails, onboarding communications and other customer-centric emails.
The best news is that you don’t have to change a thing about your emailing procedure, all of these upgrades are quietly taking place in the background!
Recording Pledge Payments through a Trust or Foundation
PCR Educator is excited to announce a new feature that allows the recording of a pledge payment through a Trust or a Foundation! The new feature enables a Contact to make a payment against another Contact’s pledge as long as they are connected through Contact Relationship. Follow this link for a demonstration of this new feature: https://youtu.be/2uHg5z9hv0A 

For more information, see Recording Donations One-at-a-time. We appreciate your suggestions and are always looking for ways to improve your experience!
 
New Features: Invoice Expense Allocation Report
We are pleased to inform you that we added new features to the Invoice Expense Allocation Report!  
   - The report will now have an option to be grouped by Vendor (if vendor records are selected) or by Invoice (if vendor invoice records are selected). 
   - Moreover, the report will include subtotals. 
   - Finally, we have added additional information such as Invoice Id, Invoice Number, Posted Date, Invoice Date, Vendor Memo, Internal Memo, Pay to Address, Purchase Order Id, Posted Indicator, Voided Indicator, and Transaction Register Id. 
 
Localized DNS Issues
According to https://downdetector.com/status/network-solutions/map/ there are several locations where DNS problems may restrict access to various websites including PCR Educator’s products. Some of the known side effects are undelivered emails and visual appearance issues.
Importing Data for Existing Records
Security Full role is required to import data for existing records.

Follow these steps to import data for an existing record: 

  1. Navigate to the Home > Update and select the appropriate update template.
  2. Select Separator (delimiter) and click Create Template to download the import template.  Note: By default, Excel uses tab delimiter.
  3. Open the file with a spreadsheet.
  4. Populate the required columns and the columns that need to be updated.
  5. Delete all other columns.
  6. Save the file as either Text (Tab delimited) or CSV (comma delimited). 
  7. Select the file on the Update screen and click validate.  Note: If the file is validated, the “Validation Successful” message will appear.  Otherwise, validation failure errors will indicate what data needs to be corrected.
  8. Once the file is validated, select it one more time and click Update.

Note: Besides the lookup columns and the columns that are being updated, all other columns MUST BE DELETED from the file.  Otherwise, the data will be overwritten with blank values.

Here is a comprehensive index of Importing Data for Existing Records articles:

Importing Data for Existing Records - Courses
Importing Data for Existing Records - Customers
Importing Data for Existing Records - Historical Marks
Importing Data for Existing Records - Households
Importing Data for Existing Records - Household Persons
Importing Data for Existing Records - Inquiries
Importing Data for Existing Records - Student Health Issues
Importing Data for Existing Records - Students
Importing Data for Existing Records - Users
 
DAT Calculated/Aggregate Field Condition
DAT Calculated/Aggregate Field Condition is a logical condition that can be added to a selected table as a part of the DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions process. This type of condition can restrict the results of DAT Query based on two types of fields:

  - DAT Calculated Field that is calculated through DAT Fields - Step 2 - Adding Calculated Field
  - DAT Aggregate Field that is calculated through DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating

If you choose to add a DAT Calculated/Aggregate Field Condition condition, follow these steps: 

  - Select Calculated/Aggregate Field condition type
  - Choose the field you want to add the condition for
  - Choose the desired DAT Operator and value if applicable
 
Moving the Academic Year Forward
Before the start of a new admissions cycle, an administrative user must adjust their school’s Apply Online settings to move the academic year forward. Find a full explanation of the process here.
Dive Deeper into Your School’s Data with Our Latest Update
Our latest update brings new features to the Data Analytics tool! You now have the ability to add calculated fields and calculated field conditions to any query. Follow this link for a detailed showcase of these helpful new tools: https://youtu.be/E2OvUncI_Qs
Update: Importing New Records - Student Selections
With the next release, users can bypass the course grade level and birthdate requirements by setting the skip_course_grade_level_and_birthday_validation column to 1.
Projected Mark
Projected Marks functionality allows searching for reported marks or current gradebook marks.  This feature is especially useful for querying on marks that are in the gradebook but have not yet been reported.  Example: searching for students who have below 70% in the gradebook average in a selected course section.

To access Projected Marks, navigate to Admin > Comments & Marks > Marks (Projected).  Marks Full or Marks Read role is required to access this screen. 

The Refresh button calculates the live gradebook average.  Note: It may take a few minutes for marks to refresh.

The Range field enables users to query on min/max gradebook average or reported marks.

Note: The entries highlighted in pink refer to Orphaned Marks.
Strategies to Improve Your Private School’s Retention Rate
As I’m sure you’re well aware, retention is one of the most effective strategies for private or independent schools. It has remained one of the most worthwhile uses of a school administration’s precious time. You’ve likely already experienced some of the benefits of retention- like creating a tight-knit community and a reduction in replacement costs. Not to mention the impact that losing a student or family has on your community — it can be difficult for teachers, students, and faculty to see such an integral part of your school family go. It’s crucial for your school to keep retention high, but that can be a difficult proposition, especially in times like these. To alleviate some of the stress, we’ve created a list of proven strategies to combat student attrition.

Reasons Why Retention is Important

Lessen the impact of COVID-19 and the Increase of Non-Traditional Families 

For many schools, COVID-19 has led to a rush of new and non-traditional families enrolling at private and independent schools. Many families jumped from public to private schools in search of in-person instruction for their children, or a better virtual learning environment if in-person still wasn’t an option. In a perfect world, you’d want these families to stick around long after the circumstances of COVID have subsided. In order to make that happen, you will need to be vigilant about retention. Have a plan in place to make them want to stay.

Retention is Crucial to Hit Enrollment Goals

In the last few years, independent and private schools have been facing growing competition. Over half of private schools have seen increases in voluntary attrition over the last 3 years, according to a study from the Enrollment Management Association (EMA). As more schools vie for families’ attention, you need to ensure you’re beating out the competition from the get-go and keeping your families coming back each year. This is the only way you will hit your enrollment goals year after year.

Retention = Financial Sustainability 

Tuition dollars make up a huge percentage of private and independent schools’ annual revenue— 70 to 80% on average, according to NBOA. With average attrition rates right around 10%, the average-sized school (around 180 students) will lose 16 to17 students per year. That comes out to a staggering $176,000 per year based on the average annual tuition of $11,000 for an independent K-12 school. Safeguarding enrollment should be at the forefront of your mind, whether you’re in the business office, the admissions team or head of the school. 

Attrition Takes a Toll on Your Community 

It can be hard for teachers, students and faculty to see members of your school’s family leave, especially when you work so tirelessly to craft a tight-knit community and strong campus culture. These losses add up, and can eventually create an environment of uncertainty that leads others to consider leaving as well.


Steps to Improve Student Retention

While we don’t pretend to have all the answers, here are some tried and true methods that many schools have used to successfully raise retention rates. 

Find Out Why Students are Leaving

Analyzing your current enrollment statistics and looking for trends in your attrition rate is an essential first step. Are students leaving after specific grades, or is attrition spread across grade levels? Finding out why parents and students aren’t making the transition is essential. Cross-reference changes in your academic or sports program, staff or timetable with the attrition pattern to get an idea of the causes. Use your School Information System’s data analytics tool for analyzing such trends.

Analyzing exit surveys or interviews you’ve conducted with families who have left your school is another crucial way of determining rising attrition rates. Discover why they are exiting and find out where they went. Are there any common trends in the reasoning of these families? If you don’t yet have an exit survey, that’s something that needs to be implemented ASAP. Many schools have started making exit surveys a requirement listed in enrollment contracts. Another option is to include your exit survey directly on the re-enrollment contract, allowing your parents to answer a few questions when choosing not to re-register their children. And regardless of the cause, when a family meets with a school after deciding to leave, they will leave feeling valued and heard, even if they arrived unhappily. 

Also, don’t forget to look at your competition. Families could be leaving your school for what they perceive to be a better option.

Truly Understand Your Families 

All retention strategies start with understanding your families. Actually knowing your families; what their needs are, what they value and why they’ve stayed is necessary to craft marketing messages that make them realize that your school is the best choice for their kids.
The best organizations really understand their customers. Spending some time creating customer personas allow you to ensure that you are meeting the needs of all of your parents.

Find Out What Drives Families to Enroll at Your School in the First Place

Retention truly begins before a family enrolls, so this data is particularly helpful. Ask incoming families what the most important thing is for them in a school and why they’re interested in your school during the admission process. The answers to these questions can help you understand what is actually important to families seeking your school out, so you can focus on showing them ongoing value that is unique to them. Use your student management system’s machine learning capabilities to learn about the students who are a good fit in your community and who thrive in your learning environment. Look for applicants who have similar traits. 

Faculty Workshops

Faculty workshops help teachers and other staff recognize signals that a student may be an attrition risk. Use these workshops to share the opportunities and roles available to them, and gather case studies to further strengthen your ongoing retention efforts.

Staff Enrollment Update Newsletters

Create enrollment newsletters to bring teachers and staff into your exciting news, inform them of new programs, let them in on new admission, enrollment, and retention initiatives, and spotlight faculty members who have helped your admission and enrollment efforts. Customize your inquiry form to identify students with specific interests and leverage your school CRM automation tool to automatically connect applicants with faculty with similar interests. For instance, if you have a new inquiry from a student interested in football, customize your information system to initiate an email from the football coach the next day after the submission to start valuable conversations.

Community Service Days

Plan a school outreach or community service day for everyone at your school, staff included. Clean up your town park, plant flowers at a retirement home, volunteer at a food bank; the opportunities here are endless. Gathering your entire school to contribute acts of service to the broader community around you is an incredible way to build a sense of belonging among students.

New Student Lunches

Organize lunches in your admissions office for new students to hang out informally, extending your connection with them. If your school or an individual student is still virtual- send them a gift card or have lunch delivered to their homes and meet over Zoom. Open up the floor and let these new students share the experience of entering your school, ask for tips or advice, or express any changes they would make. Expressing a desire to learn and improve can mean a lot to new students, and may help you avoid unknown issues for the next incoming class. 

Special Financial Aid Funds and Financial Aid Nights 

Offer special financial aid assistance in times of need — whether that be a pandemic, natural disaster, or any other hardship. Giving extra help and addressing financial concerns families face in difficult seasons can go a long way in ensuring they return to your school. Funds don’t have to be years long; they may be a one-time gift. But lending a helping hand to struggling families will give them time to recover. Hosting financial aid nights and inviting returning families who have voiced a need for some extra financial help is a great way to implement this strategy. Consider implementing Peer-to-Peer fundraising software, allowing families or students to raise funds from their various social circles both inside and out of the school community.  

Parent Ambassador Programs

An organized ambassador program for parents is an excellent way to harness their unique power- and it certainly doesn’t just benefit your school during the enrollment process. Parents often have the time, drive and an inside perspective to offer your school’s other families in moments when you might not. Involving parents also gives them an important role to play and ensures they feel like the crucial part of the community you know they are. People that feel valued tend to stick around. Consider implementing community pages managed by parent volunteers to share events and news directly through your parent and student portals.

State of School Event or Letter

Share how your school is performing through events or a formal letter. Families are eager to know about your school. They’ve invested their time and money, and trust you with their child. Share where you are at, unpack more about your school’s health and clue them into any exciting news. Announce when enrollments are up, explain any new programs as they become available and let them in on your new initiatives. The more they know, the more connected they’ll feel to your school.


In Conclusion

There are countless ways your school can drive up retention, here are just a few strategies that have seen success in the past. At the end of the day, it really comes down to how well you know your staff, students and families. Know your school’s mission like the back of your hand, and try to crack why families find it so valuable. Keep up with enrollment trends, staying up to date with your own school’s and your competitors’. Above all else, strive to connect with your students and your families a little more every day. 

For more strategies on how to improve student retention and anything beyond, reach out to PCR Educator today.
 
 
Unallocated AR Receipt/Credit
Unallocated AR Receipt/Credit is an AR Receipt or an AR Credit that has not been fully allocated to an AR Invoice. FinanceAR Full role is required to allocate AR Receipt/Credit.

To find unallocated AR Receipts/Credits:

  1. Navigate to Finance  AR > Receipts/Credits.
  2. In the search bar, search for Amount Remaining > 0.  The unallocated amount is shown in the UnAllocated column.

There are two main ways to allocate AR Receipts and Credits:

  1. Allocating AR Receipt/Credit - Individual.
  2. Allocating AR Receipt/Credit - Bulk.

Note: Unallocated AR Receipts/Credits are highlighted in pink.
 
Allocating AR Receipt/Credit - Individual
  1. Navigate to Finance > AR > Receipts/Credits and click details on the Unallocated AR Receipt/Credit.
  2. The Invoices section shows any unpaid AR Invoice that is:
    - associated with the same customer
    OR
    - associated with the customer that is connected to the same student as the current AR Receipt/Credit
  3. In the Distribution column specify the allocated amount and in the Deferred/Unearned column, specify the deferred amount (if applicable) and click Save.

Note: You can only populate the Deferred/Unearned column if the AR Invoice Issued Date occurs after the AR Receipt/Credit date.

To allocate AR Receipts/Credits in bulk, see Allocating AR Receipt/Credit - Bulk.
 
Allocating AR Receipt/Credit - Bulk
  1. Navigate to Finance > AR > Receipts/Credits and select Unallocated AR Receipts/Credits.  See Unallocated AR Receipt/Credit for more information.
  2. Go to the multi-action menu > Pay Invoices.
  3. Specify which AR Invoices to pay based on posted type, balance and dates.  
  4. Click Refresh. Review a list of AR Receipts/Credits and the amounts that will be allocated to the listed AR Invoices.  Note: If you do not want an AR Receipt/Credit to be allocated to an AR Invoice, you can un-select the record by using the checkbox to the left of each receipt/invoice combination.
  5. Click Process to allocate AR Receipts/Credits to AR Invoices.
 
FAQ: How to suppress blank merge fields
A common request for mail merges is the need to suppress merge fields when they contain no data.

Example: If you have a label mail merge that is used for creating mailing labels and the Address Line 2 and Address Line 3 merge fields are blank for most but not all of the records, you would want to suppress the merge fields when they contain no data so that there isn't two extra blank lines between the Address Line and the City, State, Zip line.

The following method can be used in Microsoft Word to suppress the merge fields when they contain no data:

1. Toggle the field codes in the mail merge document so that merge fields present in the following manner (Alt+F9 can accomplish this): {MERGEFIELD *Field_name*} 
2. Remove any carriage returns and spaces between the merge field that you want to be suppressed if it is blank and the previous merge field.
3. Insert the following text within the merge field at the closing bracket:
\b "
"

Example:

Original template:

{MERGEFIELD AddressAddress}
{MERGEFIELD AddressAddress2} 
{MERGEFIELD AddressAddress3} 
{MERGEFIELD AddressCity}, {MERGEFIELD AddressState}, {MERGEFIELD AddressZip}

Updated template with blank merge field suppression:
{MERGEFIELD AddressAddress}{MERGEFIELD AddressAddress2 \b "
"}{MERGEFIELD AddressAddress3 \b "
"} 
{MERGEFIELD AddressCity}, {MERGEFIELD AddressState}, {MERGEFIELD AddressZip}
 
Frequently Suggested Feature Makes its Way to Our SIS
We would like to begin by offering our thanks to everyone that responded to our latest customer satisfaction survey. We received some really incredible feedback, as well as some amazing suggestions for future updates. 

One of the most requested features was the ability to switch between school divisions without backing out to your SIS homepage. We are happy to announce that this suggestion has been added! You now have the ability to switch between divisions on just about any page in the SIS. 

Click here to see this new feature in action. 
 
Latest Finance Update Looks to Speed Things Up
PCR Educator has added Default Expense Account as a new field for vendors. When creating Misc Payments for vendors with Default Expense Accounts specified, the system will automatically prepopulate the debit account for faster data entry.
Deceased Date Update
In response to requests and recommendations from our customers, we are expanding the Deceased Date field. To provide more flexibility and ease of data entry, there will be an option to simply check off Is Deceased field without specifying the Deceased date directly. If the date is not specified, the system will record a default value of 1/1/1900 to ensure backward compatibility.
 
Development/Advancement Important Update
In response to requests and recommendations from our customers, we are expanding the Anonymous Until field for donations. To provide more flexibility and ease of data entry when donors choose to donate anonymously without an expiration date, there will be an option to simply check off Is Anonymous field without specifying the Anonymous Until date directly. If the date is not specified, the system will record a default value of 1/1/2100 to ensure backward compatibility.
Payment Reconciliation Guide
As enrollment season marches on, it’s not a bad idea to brush up on PCR Educator’s Payment Reconciliation system. Take a look at these Knowledge Base articles for a full refresher course on how to handle reconciling deposits.
Standard Query: [Development] Notification Recipients
One of the following roles are required to access the query:  Development Full or Development Read.

This query provides information for notifications and recipients associated with Contact records.
Standard Query: [Admin] Notification Recipients
One of the following roles are required to access the query:  Admin Full, Admin Read, Registrar Full, or Registrar Read.

This query provides information for notifications and recipients associated with household records.
 
Dropping Course - Reversing Discount
When a course is dropped, AR Credit is generated that is equal to the course fee.  However, in scenarios when a discount is provided for the course, the AR Credit needs to be adjusted to account for the discount.

1. To drop a course, follow Dropping Course - Refund
2. Navigate to Finance > AR > Credits to find the new AR Credit and go to details. 
3. Update the AR Credit amount so that it is reduced by the discount amount.  At this point, you will see that the Revenue account is debited and the AR account is credited for the amount equal to the credit amount.
4. Click “Add Credit Accounts” to credit the Discount account and debit the Revenue account (by entering a negative amount) and click Save.

Example: A student signs up for a class that costs $100 but is discounted by $50.  Thus, when the AR Invoice is generated, the AR account is debited by $50, the Revenue account is credited by $100 and the discount account is debited by $50.

When the original AR Credit is generated upon Dropping Course - Refund, the Revenue account is debited by $100 and the AR account is credited by $100.

When you follow steps #3 and #4 to accommodate the discount, you will debit the Revenue account by $50, credit the Revenue account by ($50) and credit the Discount account by $50.
Note: Debiting Revenue $50 and Crediting Revenue ($50) results in a total Debit to Revenue to $100.
 
AR Invoice


Debit Credit
Accounts Receivable $50
Revenue
$100
Discount $50

AR Credit


 Debit Credit
Accounts Receivable
$50
Revenue $50 -$50
Discount
$50

Status/Substatus Calculation - Student
Since students may have different statuses and substatuses per school division and school year, the student’s current statuses and substatuses are automatically calculated based on the current set of actions, division, and year.

The current year and the next year statuses for a division are based on the School Year in the School Info. 

The Anticipated Close Date is configured for the whole school through Application Setup and is typically set to July of the next year.

Current year status/substatus is calculated from the most recent action occurring on or before today with an action academic year on or before the School Year.  An action scheduled for the current year for a future date does not affect the status/substatus of the student until the date occurs.  Example:  If an action of “Enrolled” (with a status modifier of “Enrolled”) is applied to a student for the current year dated on or before today and it is the most recent status/substatus modifying action on a student’s record, it updates the current year status/substatus. 

Next year status/substatus is also calculated from the most recent action occurring on or before the Anticipated Close Date of the school year with an action academic year on or before the next School Year. If there are any actions in the future relative to the Anticipated Close Date, they do not affect the next year status until that date occurs.  Note:  If today’s date is after the Anticipated Close Date, then today’s date is used.

If an action that modifies the current year status/substatus of a student is deleted from a student record, the status/substatus is updated based on the most recent available status/substatus modifying action in the current or prior years. Example: A student has an action of “Enrolled” dated on 7/1/2014 and an action of “Withdrew” dated on 7/12/2016. If the action of “Withdrew” is deleted from the record, the status is updated to “Enrolled” because that is the next most recent action available on the student record. However, if there are no other actions available, then the status/substatus is cleared out. In the same example, if both actions are deleted, the status/substatus is cleared out until a new action that modifies status/substatus is added to the record.

Note: If an Action’s status or substatus is modified or if an Action is associated or disassociated with a School Division, it may take up to 24 hours for student statuses to recalculate.

Note:  For these examples, assume the current school year is 2015/2016 and today’s date is July 15, 2016.

Note:  Whenever an action named Enrolled or Withdrew is applied to a student, the system automatically recalculates Enrolled and Withdrew dates shown on transcripts.  The most recent date is used if multiple actions appear on a student record.

Example:
Action Year Date Status Modified Substatus Modifier
Enrolled 2015/2016 9/1/2015 Enrolled Newly Enrolled
Not Returning 2015/2016 3/1/2016 Not Returning
Withdrew 2016/2017 7/1/2016 Withdrawn
Until the school year is closed, this student has a status of “Enrolled” with a substatus of “Not Returning.” Since there is an action for 2016/2017, his status is Withdrawn for 2016/2017. After the year is closed, the student has a status of Withdrawn.  Note:  This situation could occur through the (Re) Enrollment Contract when a parent chooses “I/We do NOT wish to enroll.”

Example:
Action Year Date Status Modified Substatus Modifier
Enrolled 2015/2016 7/1/2015 Enrolled Active
As of July 15, 2016, the student has a status of “Enrolled” and a substatus of “Active.” The student has the same status for the next academic year 2016/2017. After the school year is closed, the student has the same current year status of “Enrolled” and “Active.”

Example:
Action Year Date Status Modified Substatus Modifier
Pre-Enrolled 2015/2016 9/1/2015 Pre--Enrolled
Enrolled 2016/2017 9/1/2016 Enrolled Newly Enrolled
As of July 15, 2016 (prior to closing the school year), this student has a status of “Pre-Enrolled” for both the current year and the next year. After the school year is closed, the student’s status remains “Pre-Enrolled” in the current year until 9/1/2016 when it changes to Enrolled and Newly Enrolled. Note: This is a possible Enrollment Profile action setup for the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Example:
Action Year Date Status Modified Division
Enrolled 2004/2005 7/1/2004 Enrolled Academic
Enrolled - Summer 2015/2016 7/1/2016 Enrolled Summer
Graduated 2015/2016 7/1/2016 Graduated Academic
The student has graduated from the academic division but is still attending summer school. Since “Enrolled – Summer” action is only applicable to the Summer School division and “Graduated” action is only applicable to the academic divisions, the student has a different set of status/substatus in each division.
Update: Contextual Help
We are releasing Contextual Help that is designed to guide our users by conveniently linking articles relevant to the specific features and fields. This new addition will allow you to quickly access help on each administrative page and learn about related materials while managing your system. Simply scroll down, and click on any link to review the article.  
How to enroll a new student without having the parent submit an Enrollment Contract?
1. Navigate to (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup and check which Enrollment Profile is used to enroll new students. 

2. Navigate to Admissions Portal, Go to applicant details > Enroll and enroll them through the appropriate Enrollment Profile.  See Applying Enrollment Profile To Inquiry for more information.  

Note: If parents do not submit the (Re) Enrollment Contract, invoices, receipts and pdfs will not be generated.
 
Handling Returned Customer Payments
Re-enrollment season is in full swing! Now is a great time for a quick refresher course on what to do if one of your customer’s re-enrollment payments ends up bouncing. 

When your customers use checks or eChecks, it’s possible that your bank or your Payment Processor is unable to deposit the payment to your account, or that it needs to revert the transaction. This usually occurs due to insufficient funds, rejected payments, stop payments initiated by your customers or incorrect account numbers.

Check out these Knowledge Base articles for a full breakdown of how to handle returned customer payments.
 
Reconciling Deposits with Payment Processor
The PCR Educator Finance system uses a Payment Processors to process check and credit card payments electronically. Typically a Payment Processor company deposits several receipts at once at a preselected time every day. It’s critical to specify the same settlement time on the PCR Educator side and Payment Processor side to ensure accurate deposit accumulation.  

Note: the system creates separate deposits for echecks and credit cards.
Note: to ensure that receipts from multiple modules go to the same deposit, please specify the same deposit name in all Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance)

1. Reconciling Credit Card Deposits with Payment Processor
2. Reconciling eCheck Deposits with Payment Processor
 
Reconciling Credit Card Deposits with Payment Processor
Below is the suggested process outlining the steps involved in reconciling deposits with the Payment Processor:

1. On the PCR Educator side, make sure that the settlement time matches the selected settlement time for deposits in your Payment Processor.
2. Confirm that the daily credit card deposit in PCR Finance System matches the deposit in your Payment Processor.

Note: Because credit card transactions are immediately authorized, Payment Processors deposit them to your bank account as one deposit once a day. Thus, credit card deposits in the PCR Educator Finance system and in your Payment Processor should always match 100% and require minimum effort to reconcile.
Reconciling eCheck Deposits with Payment Processor
1. Make sure that the settlement time matches the selected settlement time for deposits in your Payment Processor.  Settlement time can be specified in your payment configuration.  See Configuring Payment Configuration for more information.
2.. Update your Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance) to manage undeposited eCheck receipts.  See Configuring Payment Configuration for eCheck Receipts for more information. 
3. Navigate to AR > Receipts and search for receipts that are associated with the undeposited eCheck deposit.  Select the receipts that have been settled by your payment Processor and go to the multi-action > Update Deposits screen.  Select a “New Deposit” from the dropdown.  Enter a deposit description and date (of when these receipts are settled) and click save.
4. Check the deposited checkbox on the deposit details. The deposited indicator identifies that the receipts were deposited. Note: if you do not check the deposited indicator, the system will automatically check it for you when you post your deposit.
5. Post your deposit.  
 
The Cafeteria POS Update You’ve Been Craving
After much demand, PCR Educator has added an option to look up students by name from our Cafeteria Point of Sale system. We hope this was enough to quell your appetite but be sure you save room for seconds. More updates to come!
Propel Your School’s Web Presence into The Next Generation With Google Analytics 4
PCR Educator is excited to announce that we now support Google’s next generation of Analytics: Google Analytics 4, or GA4 for short, across all school websites. You can use this new platform to better understand how your constituents interact with your school over the web.

What is GA4?

Google describes the purpose of the new Google Analytics as a next-generation approach to “privacy-first” tracking. Using Google’s advanced machine learning models, this new system can fill out data for website traffic and user behavior without relying on “hits” coming from every one of your pages. 
GA4 is built on the same platform as the “App + Web” system that they released in 2019. The App + Web version of Analytics was mainly focused on cross-channel data, meaning that it gave users a way to track users across apps, software and a website. The primary difference between the old system and GA4 is how data is tracked. Advanced AI can fill in the gaps where businesses weren’t able to fill out their customer base due to new data collection laws. Many internet users can now opt-out of many forms of internet data collection, leaving a large gap in your school’s ability to understand its constituents. 

How Will This Benefit Your School? 

Apps: Rather than just tracking website performance like the previous system, GA4 lets you track a website, an app or both a website and an app together. Collating data from both a website and an app in the same GA property makes data analysis more straightforward, saving your school time and money.
Simplified tracking: GA4 comes ready-made with a number of actions and events upon installation, saving you the hassle of setting them all up manually. Things like page views, conversions or cross-domain tracking come installed automatically. Keep track of your school’s current and future constituents’ web journeys with no coding required.
Create Stronger Ads: New AI tracking measures ensure stronger audiences for ad campaigns than ever before. Tracking across any device, website or app ensures that your school’s ads will find users where they’re most likely engage. 

Create a new GA4 property:

  1. Sign in to the Analytics account attached to your school website’s existing property.
  2. Navigate to the Admin section.
  3. In the Account column, select the account in which you want to create the property.
  4. In the Property column, select the desired Universal Analytics (Old Google Analytics Account) property for your site.
  5. Select “Upgrade to GA4” and follow the prompts.

For additional information on setting GA4 up for your school’s website, head here.

 
Update DAT

We have added an option to sort the list of available DAT Queries using the author, the name, or the modified date columns.
Returned Customer Payment
When your customers use checks or eChecks, it’s possible that your bank or your Payment Processor is unable to deposit the payment to your account or that it needs to revert the transaction. This usually occurs due to insufficient funds, rejected payments, stop payments initiated by your customers, or incorrect account numbers.

Note: When processing an eCheck transaction, the only thing that is verified by payment processors is the ABA routing number, making sure it is a valid number. If an invalid routing number is entered, the transaction will decline right away. The bank account number is not validated in real time.  It could take a couple of days or more for the account number to be validated so it is very possible that after 3-5 days the eCheck transaction will come back as a decline due to invalid account information or an issue with the funds.

Note: All payment processors provide means for you to be notified about returned payments. You should contact your payment processor to understand the best way to be informed about such situations. 

There are two main ways how payment processors handle the process:
  1. The initial deposit includes all checks. Then there is another reversal entry for the returned payment.
  2. The deposit only includes checks which were processed and were not returned. 

Note: Follow the steps for Processing Returned Customer Payments
 
Processing Returned Customer Payments
Processing return Payments applies to bounced, rejected, or not sufficient fund eCheck and Check transactions.

To process Returned Customer Payments, you need the FinanceGL Full role.

1a. If your payment processor includes all checks in the deposit (including the bounced/rejected/nsf ones) and the returned payment is shown as a separate transaction on your statement, please follow Voiding Returned Customer Payment.

1b. Alternatively, If your payment processor excludes returned payments from the deposit and only notifies you about such instances without any traces on their statements, please follow these steps:

- Navigate to Finance > AR > Customer Receipts and find the original customer receipt.
- Go to Details.
- Associate the receipt with a new deposit by using the Deposit dropdown and selecting “New Deposit” and enter the Deposit Description.  Example: This new deposit may be referred to as “Bounced Deposit” to note why the receipt is separated into its own deposit.  This step will ensure that the original deposit will properly reconcile with the payment processor because it will not include the returned payment.
- Post the new deposit.
- Follow Voiding Returned Customer Payment.
 
Voiding Returned Customer Payment
1. Navigate to Finance > AR > Customer Receipts and find the original customer receipt.
2. Go to Details.
3. Select Void NSF.  
4. If you want to charge additional fees: 
    - Enter Bank Fee if applicable.  This section can be populated if your payment processor or bank charges a fee for the returned payments.  This process will result in a Journal Entry that credits xxx and debits … .
    - Click Next to enter a finance charge that you want the customer to pay the school for the returned payment.
5.  Click Next to void the customer receipt.

This process will:

1. Generate a journal entry for the fee the school needs to pay the payment processor. 
2. Generate a customer invoice for the fee the school charges the customer.
3. Void the receipt.  
 
Start Uploading Files to New Application Evaluations
PCR Educator’s Admissions Portal has been updated. Users now have the ability to upload files while evaluating applicants, giving evaluators a chance to add additional information that would otherwise not fit on a standard rubric.
Course
A course refers to a particular subject taught in the school.  A course is used to group course sections, which contain students, teachers, and class schedule.

A Course can be accessed through Admin/Scheduling > Courses screen.  To access the page, you need any of the following roles: Scheduling Full, Scheduling Read, Registrar Full, or Registrar Read.

Short Name is an abbreviated name of the course and it shows up in various places in the system such as in CMS schedules/calendars.

When using the master schedule builder, sorting by Scheduling Priority will force the algorithm to schedule in iterations starting with the courses with the highest priority (low number). Note: If you set scheduling priority for one course, you must set it for all courses.

Min Birthdate, Max Birthdate, Min Grade Lvl, and Max Grade Lvl determine who can sign up for a course online. If these fields are left blank, then the grade/birthdate requirements are waived.

Transcript Course Name provides an alternative name for a course on the transcript.

Grade Scale Max determines the maximum number of points a student can get in a course.  Example: If Grade Scale Max is set to 100, a course will not support a grade above 100 points.

Report Card Type designates which report card is supported for the course.  PCR Educator has several report card templates.  Therefore, schools can decide which template to use for their courses.

Parent Teacher Conf makes the course eligible for Parent Teacher Conferences sign-ups through the CMS Portal.

Product is specified in the case of any paid course for which a user may sign up.  Finance Full/Read role is required to access this field.
 
Transcript Course Name
The Transcript Course Name field, found in Course > Details is used to provide an alternative name for a course on the transcript. 

Example: Let’s say that your school may have a different internal name for Algebra class but may want to represent the name as “Algebra” on the transcript. You can still set the course name to the internal name and set the Transcript Course Name to “Algebra” so that the preferred course name shows on the transcript.

Note: If the transcript course name is empty, the transcript will pull from the Course Name field.

Transcript Course Name can be used for any PCR Educator Transcript. 
New Update Brings a Simple Solution For Parents to Change Payment Plans
We are so grateful to see all new enrollment and enrollment contracts being submitted, setting up our schools for success in the next year. With that in mind, we have added a new feature that allows parents to change their payment plan directly from their billing site.
Updating Stored Payment Info: Finance Portal
Stored Payment Info can be updated through the Finance Portal.  This is beneficial if a user may call your front-office to provide payment information.

Navigate to AR > Customers > Details > Stored Payment Info
Specify Payment Configuration, Auto-pay Type, enter Credit Card or eCheck information and click Update
 
Updating Stored Payment Info: Development Portal
Stored Payment Info can be updated through the Development Portal.  This is beneficial if a user may call your front-office to provide payment information.

Navigate to AR > Contacts > Details > Stored Payment Info
Specify Payment Configuration, Auto-pay Type, enter Credit Card or eCheck information and click Update
 
Updating Stored Payment Info: Online Donations
When donors make a pledge through the online donation form, their payment information is automatically captured in the system.  When the pledge is due, the Stored Payment Info is automatically used to pay the due amount.

Note: It is recommended that schools use a different Stored Payment Type to distinguish donation payments from other types of payments.
 
CMS Portal: Stored Payment Info Management Widget
In order to configure Stored Payment Info in CMS Portal, please follow these steps:

- Navigate to the page where you would like parents to sign up for Stored Payment Info or create a new page
- Add “Household Auto Billing” widget to the page.  It is found within the “Payments” category.
- Specify settings such as “Allow Banking”, “Allow Credit Card”, “Allow Update”, etc.
- Ensure that the “Is Live” setting is checked.
- Specify Payment Configuration (see Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance)) and Vault Type (Stored Payment Type) 
- Click Save.

Users should then be able to sign up for auto-pay.

Note: You may consider creating different Stored Payment Info pages for various kinds of invoices such as for tuition invoices as opposed to summer/activity invoices.  
 
Updating Stored Payment Info
PCR Educator provides users with various ways to manage Stored Payment Info. Once customers have Stored Payment Info saved, the school can use it to automatically draft funds once associated invoices  are due.  

The Stored Payment Type determines which invoices are charged through which Stored Payment Info.  

Example: A user may use a different Stored Payment Type such as “Tuition” to pay for tuition as opposed to “Summer” for summer classes. In this case, (Re) Enrollment Contract and billing portals will allow updating “Tuition” Stored Payment Info and Summer Stored Payment Info independently of each other.

Before your users can save Stored Payment Info, follow these steps: 

1. Configuring Stored Payment Type
2. Setting up Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance) for each payment type (echeck, credit card) and each Stored Payment Type
3. CMS Portal: Stored Payment Info Management Widget
 

There are six ways to update Stored Payment Info:

1. Updating Stored Payment Info: CMS Portal
2. Updating Stored Payment Info: (Re) Enrollment Contract
3. Updating Stored Payment Info: Activity Sign-Ups
4. Updating Stored Payment Info: Online Donations
5. Updating Stored Payment Info: Finance Portal
5. Updating Stored Payment Info: Development Portal
 

 
Updating Stored Payment Info: CMS Portal
In the CMS Portal, users can navigate to the Auto-Pay page and enter their bank or credit card information.  It is possible to have different auto-pay pages to pay for various kinds of invoices.

Example:  a school may provide parents with an option to use a different auto-pay method for tuition invoices as opposed to summer school invoices.
 
Updating Stored Payment Info: (Re) Enrollment Contract
Schools can configure (Re) Enrollment Contracts so that when parents submit the enrollment contract, their Stored Payment Info can be captured to pay future invoices.  

For more information on configuring Auto-Pay for (Re) Enrollment Contracts, see (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup.
 
Updating Stored Payment Info: Activity Sign-Ups
Schools can configure activity/summer camp sign ups so that when parents pay a deposit for activities, the payment information can be captured in the system to collect remaining payments automatically on their respective due dates.

Note: It is recommended that schools use a different Stored Payment Type to distinguish activity/summer invoices from tuition invoices.  
What information does a “What If” Scenario save?
When a “What If” scenario is created, a snapshot of the following information is saved in that scenario:

- Course Sections
- Course Period and Room Inclusions
- Teacher Period and Room Inclusions
- Student Courses
- Student Selections
- Course Section Grouping
Start Harnessing the Power of PCR Educator’s Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Platform Today
Fundraising is an essential part of every school’s success. Be it for a specific event, project, or any unexpected costs, your school will have to reach out to its community for assistance. But Donor behavior is changing, and tried and true fundraising methods may not receive the results they used to. Today’s changemakers are committed, passionate, driven people-of-action and they are discovering new ways every day to interact with and aid the causes they care about. Tap into the growing network of modern donors with PCR Educator’s Peer-to-Peer fundraising platform. 

What is Peer-to-Peer Fundraising?


Peer-to-Peer fundraising is a specific type of crowdfunding. Traditional crowdfunding, like GoFundMe or similar services, uses a single-tiered approach to solicit funds from donors. In a regular crowdfunding campaign, an organization reaches out directly to its constituency and requests funds.

Peer-to-Peer fundraising differs from basic crowdfunding in that it uses a multi-tiered approach. With Peer-to-Peer fundraising, an organization reaches out to its core group of supporters, empowering them to create personal fundraising pages to share amongst their own network. Instead of banking on instant mass appeal, Peer-to-peer campaigns gain momentum through the continual spread among your supporter’s social circles.

Why Should Your School Use Peer-to-Peer Fundraising?


Raise More Money
  • 39% of Americans say they’ve donated to charity based on a request from a friend or family member. Tap into this sizeable population increase your school’s funds significantly (Source: YouGov 2019 poll).
  • An average Peer-to-Peer fundraiser raises $568 from every 7 donors – 4 of whom will be new to your school (Source: Classy study). 
  • Year-round fundraising solution - This fundraising tactic doesn’t need to be tied to a specifically-timed campaign. Keep a year-round Peer-to-Peer campaign running, giving your supporters an opportunity to raise money for your school by connecting it with significant events from their own lives, like birthdays, holidays, or anniversaries. 
Extend Your Reach and Grow Your Support Base
  • Your network of supporters shares their personal fundraising pages with their own social networks, which helps you grow your school’s campaign audience significantly.
  • Tap into new donor pools that your school wouldn’t have access to otherwise. 
  • Diversify your communication network to connect with a more modern audience.
  • New donors are much more likely to engage if someone they trust is advocating for your school’s cause.
Increase Donor Commitment to Your School’s Mission
  • Since they are fundraising on your school’s behalf, fundraisers will feel responsible for the campaign’s success. This will strengthen their bond with your school and make them more likely to fundraise for future campaigns. 
  • One of the most essential aspects of Peer-to-Peer fundraising is the ability it gives fundraisers to personalize the cause and explain why it matters to them. Donors can relate their own beliefs, values, and identity to your school’s mission, and they can articulate their story in their own words through their personal fundraising pages.

How Your School Can Use PCR Educators Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Platform 

PCR Educator’s fully-integrated Peer-to-Peer fundraising service makes it easy for your school’s supporters to draw attention to its cause. Here are the steps of a typical campaign using our Peer-to-Peer fundraising platform:  
  1. Start by determining a goal for your school’s campaign goal. Set up your main campaign page using PCR Educator’s Peer-to-Peer fundraising platform.
  2. Create a Peer-to-Peer donation page.
  3. Send out a personalized text or email to your peer fundraisers motivating them to support your school by motivating their friends and family. These peer fundraisers could be parents, alumni or even current students. By giving them a framework of your campaign and an opportunity for them to take charge of your mission, you are also sharing the success of your mission.
  4. Peer fundraisers are provided with their own personalized fundraising link that is easily shareable across text, social media, or email.
  5. Once donations start rolling in, new donors receive an automated personalized text or email from the peer fundraiser, thanking them for their support and detailing their impact. At the same time, the peer fundraiser is automatically soft credited for the new donations. They also have access to interactive thermometers tracking gifts in real-time.
  6. Monitor your campaign’s progress using PCR Educator’s advanced data tracking tools and offer continued support to your individual fundraisers.

Want to see PCR Educator’s Peer-to-Peer fundraising tools in action? Click here for a brief demonstration
Reviewing Inquiry Actions From Admin Portal
The process of Enrolling Inquiries creates a student record for the corresponding inquiry record. At times, school administrators may need access to student record information created during the admissions process. Such records are typically stored as Inquiry Actions. To achieve this, school administrators can navigate to Admin>Students>Dashboard and add the Admissions Actions widget. 

Note: Actions Read, Actions Full, or Admissions Evaluator role is required to be able to use this widget. 

Note: Since each Action may have different Read Roles associated with it, please ensure that you modify the specific Actions through Maintenance>Actions enabling the Read Roles for your administrators. Example: The school registrar needs to access a Transcript Inquiry Action. Navigate to Maintenance>Actions, locate the Transcript inquiry action, click on Edit, check the checkbox for Registrar Full and click Save.
These New Security Features are Working Hard to Keep Your Data Safe
PCR Educator continues to strengthen our data security protocols amidst increasing ransomware attacks against schools. Our latest security upgrade includes the following features:

     - Adaptive network hardening 
     - Enhanced encryption to classify sensitive data
     - Daily vulnerability assessments
Update: Changing Gradebook Settings at any Time
In response to our survey results, we have added a new feature that lets administrators to allow teachers overriding gradebook weighting settings even when the selected section has graded work or reported marks. 

To access the new functionality, navigate to Course Section Details and specify Allow Weight Calculations Overwrite Until date. Once this date is specified teachers are able to override their category weighting until the specified date. The teachers can adjust the weights for the individual categories, or turn on/off weighting completely by Configuring Gradebook Settings.
Grade Conversion Chart
The Grade Conversion Chart controls how many GPA Points each letter grade earns in the GPA Calculation.   To access the Grade Conversion Chart, navigate to Admin - Maintenance - Grades Conversion Chart.  You need the Archiving Full or Archiving Read role to access this page.

Grade Letter is the letter grade appearing on the report card or transcript.  Note: There are Special GPA Marks that you may or may not wish to include in the Grade Conversion Chart.  Please review the corresponding article.  Note: If you have number grades on the transcript instead of letter grades, you may want to enumerate all number grades and their corresponding GPA Points in the Grade Conversion Chart.  If the grade assigned is numeric and not found as a Grade Letter in the grade conversion chart, then it will be converted according to the Minimum Percent to find a corresponding Grade Letter. Note:  Multiple grades can have the same GPA Point values.  Example: A+, A, and A- could all be 4.0.

GPA Points is the unweighted point total earned for the letter grade. Note: Additional weighting is specified per course.  Weighting can either be a direct addition such as +0.5 points, or can be a percentage such as 10%.  The default is direct addition.

Gradebook Value is retained for backward compatibility only and can be ignored.

Minimum Percent is the minimum grade book average required to receive the grade.  Note: You may want to include built-in rounding for the minimum percent.  Example: 89.5 for an A

Note: The Grade Conversion Chart is specific to each division.
Special GPA Marks
The following marks have a special meaning in GPA Calculations.

Grade Meaning Explanation
P Pass This will always show the credits for a course on the transcript, will have zero points, and will not affect the GPA.
F Fail This will always show zero credits for a course, will have zero points, and will negatively affect the GPA.
AU Audit These will show zero credits for a course on the transcript, will have zero points, and will not affect the GPA.  Note: Do not include these in the grade conversion chart.  Instead, include them in the Score Entry Type for the course mark type if they should be an option. 

Note:  If you include any of these grades in the Grade Conversion Chart, they will receive associated GPA points and credits.  If GPA Points are 0, then it is the same as a failure.
AUD Audit
CR Credit
DP Doctor Pass
EX Excused
HP Health Pass
I Incomplete
INC Incomplete
IP In Progress
MP Medical Pass
NM No Mark
NY Used for historical grades, indicates the student retakes the class Next Year.
RM Removed Medical
RX Excused Medical (RX is shorthand for prescriptions)
NA Not Applicable
NC No Credit
NG No Grade
W Withdraw
WF Withdraw Fail
WM Withdraw Medical
WP Withdraw Pass

Note:  'P' and 'F' are optional for the grade conversion chart. 'P' and 'F' will always show as an available mark in the drop-downn campus and teacher portal, even if they are not in the grade conversion chart.  Typically, you would include F in the grade conversion chart if your school uses A-F letter grades.

Note: Any other grade that isn’t in the grade conversion chart and isn’t one of the special grades will be treated as a failure: The course will be considered “For Credit” and they will receive 0 GPA points.

Note: The meanings in the chart are optional.  You can specify alternative meanings in your transcript legend.
GPA Calculation
The GPA is calculated as the sum of the GPA points divided by the sum of the GPA credits.  

GPA points are determined by the Grade Conversion Chart and may be further adjusted if the GPA is a weighted GPA and the individual course has additional weighting specified.  

GPA credits are determined by courses’ Credits Per Semester, Number of Semesters, and the type of the grade.  If the grade is a Term grade then the credits attempted are based on the Credits Per Semester for a single term.  If the grade is a Final grade, then the credits attempted are based on the Credits Per Semester multiplied by the Number of Semesters.

Review the Class Rank Details to see how the GPA is calculated for any specific student.
GPA Settings
Each GPA has default settings which are available by navigating to Admin - Maintenance - GPA Settings.  You need the Archiving Full role to access this page.  The standard available GPAs are Progress, Coursework, Term, Year, and Cumulative, though other custom GPAs may be available depending on your situation.

Class Rank Type only runs the GPA  for courses having a specific Class Rank Type.  If this is blank, all courses will be included in the GPA regardless of Class Rank Type.  Leave this setting blank unless directed otherwise.

Division runs the GPA for courses in the specific division only.  If this is blank, it will run courses for all divisions.  Leave this setting blank unless directed otherwise.

Ignore Glyphs evaluates the GPA points and credits as if the mark did not have a plus (+) or minus (-) at the end.  Example: B+ and B- grades would be evaluated as B grades.  Leave this setting unchecked unless directed otherwise.

Include in GPA Courses Only will run the GPA for only courses marked as Include in GPA.  If this setting is unchecked, the GPA will calculate for all courses.  By default, this should be checked.

Min Grade Level is the lowest grade level which is used for the GPA calculation. Example: if the min grade level is set to 11, then marks for grade levels 10 and lower are not used for GPA calculation.

Max Grade Level is the highest grade level which is used for the GPA calculation. Example: if the max grade level is set to 10, then marks for grade levels 11 and higher are not used for GPA calculation.

Min Student Grade Level is the minimum grade level that the student must have in order for the GPA to calculate.  Example: You might decide to only have the GPA calculate for seniors, but you still want the GPA to calculate for their 9th grade courses forward.  In this case, the Min Grade Level would be 9, the Max Grade Level would be 12, and the Min Student Grade Level would be 12.

Projected Type will use any available term grades in the GPA Calculation if there is no final grade yet.  Note: This setting is only applicable if the Term of Final (or Coursework) setting is specified as Final.  If there is only a semester 1 grade, then it will be used.  If there is a semester 1 and semester 2 grade, then both will be used.  

Term of Final (or Coursework) indicates if the GPA should be calculated based on Term grades, Final grades.  This setting is only applicable for Year and Cumulative style GPA Calculations.

Weighted GPA indicates whether the GPA should be weighted or not.

Note: Transcripts will use the specified settings by default.  In the case where the transcript shows both weighted and unweighted GPAs, the transcript will toggle the setting itself for both weighting types.
Class Rank
The class rank calculates the GPA for all selected students.  To run the class rank, navigate to a Student list and use the “Class Rank” multi-action.  You need Registrar Read, Registrar Full, Marks Read, or Marks Full roles to access this multi-action.  Choose the GPA Type that you want to run a class rank for.  This will load the default GPA Settings for the GPA.  Note: Any changes you make here will not change the default GPA Settings.  Note:  School Year is only applicable for Term, Year, and Cumulative GPAs.

Note: When you run the GPA, the results will be sorted according to the highest GPA and shows both the GPA Point and Credit total used for the result.  Clicking the GPA link for the student will show the Class Rank Details for how that GPA was calculated.
Class Rank Detail
The class rank details feature shows how the GPA is calculated for selected students. To run the class rank detail, navigate to a Student list and use the “Class Rank Detail” multi-action.  You need Registrar Read, Registrar Full, Marks Read, or Marks Full roles to access this multi-action.  Use this screen to diagnose why a GPA might be incorrect.  

Each course is calculated as follows:
Points = GPA Points from the Grade Conversion Chart * Credits Per Term * # of Terms
Credits = Credits Per Term * # of Terms

Verify for each row that:
1. All courses that should appear in the GPA actually show up. Note: The most common reason why a GPA is incorrect is when a course is not marked as Include in GPA.  This typically happens when a new course is created for the year, and the Include in GPA checkbox was not checked.  Alternatively, you might have too many courses showing up, and you’ll want to determine why.
2. Verify the Credits per Term is correct.  Note: If this is incorrect, make sure it is correctly specified on the course or historical record.
3. Verify the Terms are correct.  Note:  In the case of a Year or Cumulative GPA that is based on Term grades, you will see 1 row for each Term grade.
4. Verify that the GPA Weight is correct.  Note: If this is not correct, make sure Weighted GPA is checked if you intended to run a weighted GPA.  Next, confirm that weighting is correctly specified on the course or historical record.
5. Verify that the GPA Points are correct per the equation above.  Note: If this is incorrect, confirm that you have the correct number of points specified for the grade in the Grade Conversion Chart.
Can wildcards be used when searching?
If the search is for Contains, Starts With, Ends With, or Like then some wildcards are supported:
Wildcard Description Example
% Matches 0 or more characters John% matches John, Johnson, Johnathan.
_ Matches any single character A__a matches Alma, Alva, Anna
[abc] Matches any character in the list [adl][aen]na matches Anna, Dana, Lena
[a-c] Matches any character in the range. Note: 0 is considered to come after the number 9. To get a range of 0-5 you would use [01-5]. [a-cy-z]% matches everything that starts with A, B, C, X, Y, or Z.

Wild cards can be mixed and matched:

[4-7]-1% matches anything that starts with 4, 5, 6, or 7 followed by a hyphen and 1 then any number of characters.  Depending on your account number setup, this type of search might find all Revenue and Expense accounts for your upper school.

[q-twzf-h]___ matches a 4 letter word that starts with F, G, H, Q, R, S, T, W, or Z.  Notice how you can have a mix of ranges and single characters within the same brackets.

When might you use wild cards?  
- Accounting can use wildcards to match all accounts.  Example: If you have a 6 digit account number, _3_5__  would find all accounts where the second digit is 3 and the 4th digit is 5.
- Searching for names where you don’t know the correct spelling.  Example:  You don’t know if the name is spelled Johnson, Jahnson, Jonson, Jonnson, or some other obscure spelling.  But you do know that it starts with a J and ends with son:  J%son
 
How can I manually apply Financial Aid Awards to Customer Invoices?
There are two ways to apply financial aid awards for a student:

- Applying Financial Aid Awards to Customer Invoices as Line Items
- Applying Financial Aid Awards as Customer Credits

Note: Tuition financial aid should be applied as a customer invoice line item as this will decrease each payment in the customer invoice’s payment schedule.
Applying Financial Aid Awards to Customer Invoices as Line Items
In order to apply financial aid awards to a customer invoice the customer invoice must not be posted and the financial aid award must have the accepted amount specified and not already be associated with another customer invoice.  To apply financial aid awards, navigate to the Finance > AR > Customer Invoice > Details page and click the “Include Fin Aid” button above the Total column.  Note: The button will only appear if there are available financial aid awards to apply.  Note: If the customer invoice is from the (Re) Enrollment Contract, you may want to have the parent resubmit the (Re) Enrollment Contract with the financial aid award instead of applying it manually.  If you apply the financial aid award after the (Re) Enrollment Contract has been submitted, then it will not appear in the (Re) Enrollment Contract PDF.  To allow parents to resubmit with the financial aid award make sure the contract has a (Re) Enrollment Contract Financial Aid Control and then you can (Re) Enrollment Contract Cleaning Control Options for Students.
Applying Financial Aid Awards as Customer Credits
To apply financial aid awards as a customer credit on customer invoices, navigate to Fin Aid > Awards, select the financial aid awards to turn into customer credits, and use the “Aid to Credits” multi-action.  These customer credits can be applied to customer invoices.  Note: The available amount to turn into a customer credit is the difference of the award amount and any unvoided customer invoice line items or customer credits already created.
Boost Your Growth Potential with Google Tag Manager
PCR Educator now supports Google Tag Manager across all its portals and websites, including online inquiry, application, donation forms and event sign-up forms.

Google Tag Manager is a beneficial tool that makes tracking advanced data a breeze. Google Tags can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including scroll tracking, conducting surveys, monitoring form submissions, remarketing, generating heat maps or tracking how people arrive at your website. 

Google Tag Manager enables the speedy implementation and testing of new tags with no coding required. When used in conjunction with Google Analytics, Tag Manager can significantly improve your website’s traffic and conversions.
PCR Educator’s New Update Makes Data Entry More Efficient
In response to user feedback, PCR Educator has added the ability to easily copy fixed assets. We hope this change enables simpler, faster data entry for all users.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Checklist
PCR Educator’s (Re) Enrollment Contract Checklist provides a quick summary of items to review before going live with (Re) Enrollment Contract Application.

Finance/Financial Aid Portal

- Ensure products have the correct amounts: Finance > Maintenance > Products
- Create fiscal year: Finance > Maintenance > Fiscal Years
- Add Financial Aid Awards 
- Configure (Re) Enrollment Contract Holds- Advance students to next Grade Level

(Re) Enrollment Contract Application

(Re) Enrollment Contract Settings

- Configure Student Criteria DAT Filter. This determines the students that are eligible for the (Re) Enrollment Contract.
- Associate a Submit Contract Action and Not Enrolling Action (Skip Payment Action is optional)
- Make sure Allow Resubmit button is not checked
- A/R Account must be specified 
- If collecting payments, Payment Configuration must be specified.  See Configuring Payment Configuration for more information.
- Uncheck Test Mode
- Specify Invoice Attribute.  Note: Each (Re) Enrollment Contract application should use a unique invoice attribute.

(Re) Enrollment Contract Profile

- Make sure all of your profiles are associated with DAT Filter. This determines which students fall into which (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.

Statistics

- Review Enrolled Students Un-Accounted For list and confirm these students are not returning
- Ensure Students Match Multiple Profiles =0
- Confirm No Parent Login for Student Contract =0
- Confirm Profiles Missing Payment Terms =0
- Confirm Profile Control Missing Payment Terms =0
- If you were testing with real students, make sure to Clean Options, Clean PDF, and Clean Submit Action

(Re) Enrollment Contract Section

- Make sure all of your section titles are correct

(Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options

 - Verify that of the content/text is correct in each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile of your contract
- Ensure that products are properly associated with (Re) Enrollment Contract Controls
- Make sure the correct payment terms are associated to the (Re) Enrollment Contract Payment Options Control

Testing Contract

- Check to make sure (Re) Enrollment Contract Holds are working properly for a test student
- Make sure Financial Aid Awards are appearing properly on the (Re) Enrollment Contract
- Test Payments to make sure they are going through
- Test each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile as a parent
  a. Opening the (Re) Enrollment Contract
  b. Submitting the (Re) Enrollment Contract
  c. Viewing the (Re) Enrollment Contract
  d. Viewing the (Re) Enrollment Contract pdf in the Finance Portal
  e. Signing/ Merging/Publishing the (Re) Enrollment Contract to the Parent Portal 
  f. Viewing (Re) Enrollment Contract PDF in the Parent Portal
  g. Recording a payment in the Finance Portal

(Re) Enrollment Contract Integrity

- Review (Re) Enrollment Contract Integrity screen to address any remaining issues
 
Never Miss an Update With PCR Educator’s Email Notification System
Did you know that you can opt into receiving automated email alerts for all PCR Educator software updates? Here’s how:

   1. Go to https://www.pcreducator.com/ 
   2. Click on the Customer Portal link in the page header
   3. Log in with your account credentials
   4. On the right side, under Email Notifications Preferences, click the checkbox next to Announcements
   5. Click Save

And that’s it! 
 
Update: Finance Student Contracts
In response to our users' requests, we are adding two new fields Grade NY and Grade # NY to Finance>Contracts>Student Contracts.
 
Important Update: CMS - Staff Tiles Directory
Staff Tiles Directory is getting a facelift. Please review its new appearance by setting Directory Type to List. You will have 30 days to try the new design and let us know if you may have any questions about it. After 30 days, the system will only use the new look. 
Enable Convenience Fees for eCheck Enrollment Payments Today
Users now have the ability to charge convenience fees for eCheck payments made toward enrollment and re-enrollment contracts. Fees may be set at a custom dollar or percentage amount determined by the user.
Update: Admissions Inquiries/Applicants
We have added the email field to the inquiries/applicants list. As always, you can use the gear icon in the top right corner to adjust the visibility of the fields. 
Update: CMS Purchase Orders
We have added Item Note search field to CMS Purchase Orders where your staff and assistants can search their POs using this field.
Finance Update: Customers
In response to our customers’ feedback, we have eliminated the need to activate customers. With the newest release, by default, the system will automatically show all records that have a balance or who have a billing connection to an enrolled student. To show all records, check “include all”.
Update: CMS Password Reset
In response to our customers’ feedback, Valid Roles property is being deprecated in the upcoming release. This change will facilitate a more robust password reset process for all users using our CMS portals including but not limited to application online, summer programs, faculty and staff portals, student portal, alumni portal, online store, and parent portal.
Use This New Student Indicator to Track Attendance Type
PCR Educator’s latest update brings changes to the Day/Boarding indicator found on the Boarding Info page of a student’s profile. Users will now have the option to set a student’s Day/Boarding status to Virtual. 

We recognize that many schools are on fully-online or hybrid learning schedules, and we hope that this new addition makes the attendance process easier for teachers and administration. 
 
Are You Ready to Outsource These Tasks to Machine Learning?
PCR Educator is releasing a new AI preview feature that leverages the power of machine learning to analyze your data and your website, recommending meaningful improvements to increase engagement and drive results. By closely examining your data, our AI is able to make predictions without being explicitly programmed to, revealing trends and patterns you would be unable to recognize otherwise. This new feature has been shown to identify potential donors, predict applicants who will thrive, or catch mistakes on your website.
Update: Finance Menu Change
In response to the feedback we received from many of you, we have re-organized the menu items related to Account Manager tasks by moving them from the Budgeting submenu to the Finance main menu.  We hope that this change will improve navigation in the Finance module and as always, we appreciate your input!
Infrastructure Upgrade Brings Host of New Features
Phase one of our infrastructure upgrades concluded smoothly just before the start of the New Year. As more schools shift to hybrid or fully online learning curriculums, the need for more robust hardware grows. In order to meet the demands of our increasing user base, we have expanded upon our partnership with Microsoft, allowing for faster, safer service.

This initial upgrade phase focused on security upgrades to our cloud hosting platform and significant hardware updates to our server space. Here are just a few of the new features available to users after this upgrade:

    - Advanced data encryption to keep valuable material safe.

    - Daily vulnerability assessments ensure all security measures are in working order.

    - State-of-the-art equipment to handle the heavy load of fully online learning experiences.

The second phase of upgrades is well underway. These upgrades will allow for audit access and the ability to monitor sensitive data, an advanced threat detection system and enhanced geo-replication.
 
Happy Holidays!
Our office will be closed on Friday December 25th in observance of Christmas. We will resume our normal business hours starting Monday December 28th.
New Year's Day
Our office will be closed on Friday January 1st in observance of New Year's Day. We will resume our normal business hours starting Monday January 4th.
Infrastructure Updates
Important Update: PCR Educator plans for important infrastructure updates to be implemented on December 25th at 12 am ET. The system may be inaccessible for up to 2 minutes. These updates will result in improved performance and security.
Cybersecurity Attacks Continue to Affect Millions of Users Nationwide
Maryland-based PCR Educator prepares a multimillion-dollar expansion of its high-tech data centers architecture, the company disclosed Tuesday.

The first phase of the project will include an upgrade to its virtual cloud-hosting platform later this year—and an expansion of PCR Educator’s partnership with Microsoft. PCR Educator operates one of the state’s largest commercial data centers in Maryland, which hosts, monitors, and manages information technology infrastructure for hundreds of educational institutions.

“We would expect to complete the final phase of the upgrades in early 2021,” said Thomas deBettencourt.

The demand for such upgrades is growing with the increased number of schools operating PCR Educator School Management System.

 “While the project may appear costly on the surface, we feel that these upgrades are necessary to ensure that our clients’ data is subjected to the highest security and information technology standards.”

PCR Educator’s plan to upgrade its infrastructure was announced just days after its competitors suffered from a cyberattack impacting multiple educational organizations. The week of Thanksgiving, the Baltimore County Public Schools system was shut down by a ransomware attack that hit all its network systems. “The cyberattack brought classes to a halt for a few days for the 115,000 students attending classes entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic.” (Baltimore Sun) Earlier this year, one of PCR Educator’s main competitors Blackbaud Inc, which provides software for schools, experienced a similar security breach that resulted in multiple lawsuits from its clients. (BBC News)
 
Update: New Copy Function
We have added a new copy function for Finance > AP > Invoice details to allow users to easily copy an existing AP Invoice.
 
Update: Attendance
We have added a new column Homeroom/Advisor to Daily Attendance, Period Attendance, and Check-In/Out lists to facilitate a more efficient process of contacting homeroom teachers when taking and verifying attendance.
 
Update: Inactive Actions
Action Categories that have no active actions associated with them will now be automatically hidden. When managing actions, please ensure to use "Include Inactive" to show categories with no actions or no active actions.
 
Update: Household/Contact Duplicates and Unreviewed Changes
In an effort to optimize the performance of our applications, the system will automatically cache the number of unreviewed changes for households/contact and the number of duplicates for up to 60 minutes. 
Printing 1099
Prior to printing 1099 forms, please start by Verifying 1099s.

Note: Only those vendors who meet the qualifications established by IRS are included on 1099 forms. In particular, the sum of all payments to the vendor for the selected year should meet the minimum established by the IRS. The system only sums up those payments which are marked as 1099 items. For Misc Payments, navigate to Finance > AP > Misc. Payments > Misc. Payment Details > Details to mark 1099. For payments, navigate to the associated invoices to mark 1099 items Finance > AP >Invoices > Vendor Invoice Details > 1099 Items.

Use the following reports located in Data Analytics Tool (DAT) -> PCR Imported category to print 1099 forms.  Please note, you will need FinanceAP Full or FinanceAP Read roles to access them.

[Finance] 1099 MISC - No Lines
[Finance] 1099 MISC - With Lines Note: This version should not be sent to the IRS.  Please use official IRS documents.
[Finance] 1099 NEC - No Lines 
Note: These reports are for 2020 and later due to changes to the IRS forms.  For forms prior to 2020, please use the report [Finance] 1099 - No Lines (Pre-2020).

- Open the desired report.
- Navigate to the Results tab on the left.
- Click the “Print” button to download the 1099 form.
- Print the form.

These reports are year-specific; to update the tax year:

- Open the desired report.
- Click on the Query tab on the left.
- Click on “1099 Item Totals” table.
- Specify the correct Tax Year below Table Required Parameters.
- Click Save.

Note:  Reporting 1099s to the IRS also involves Printing 1096
Printing 1096
Prior to printing 1096 forms, please start by Verifying 1099s.

Note: Only vendors who meet the qualifications established by the IRS are included on 1099 forms. Please see the Printing 1099 article for details.  The 1096 form is a summary of the 1099 forms.

Use the following reports located in Data Analytics Tool (DAT) -> PCR Imported category to print 1096 forms.  Please note, you will need FinanceAP Full or FinanceAP Read roles to access these reports.

[Finance] 1096 MISC - No Lines
[Finance] 1096 NEC - No Lines

Note: The reports have the same layout, the only difference is whether the report conditions are for Non-Employee Compensation (NEC), or everything else that isn’t NEC.
Note: These reports are for 2020 and later due to changes to the IRS forms.  For forms prior to 2020, please use the report [Finance] 1096 - No Lines (Pre-2020).

- Open the desired report.
- Navigate to Results tab on the left.
- Click the “Print” button to download the 1096 form.
- Print the form.

These reports are year-specific.  To update the tax year:

- Open the desired report.
- Click on the Query tab on the left.
- Click on “1099 Item Totals” table.
- Specify the correct Tax Year below Table Required Parameters.
- Click Save.
 
Printing 1099 and 1096 for Tax Year 2020

In 2020 the IRS changed how Non Employee Compensation is reported as well as the meaning  of the other boxes.  The following changes are available in our system:

New DAT reports are added to the “(PCR) Imported” category:
[Finance] 1096 MISC - No Lines
[Finance] 1099 MISC - With Lines  Note: This version should not be sent to the IRS.  Please use official IRS documents.
[Finance] 1096 NEC - No Lines
[Finance] 1099 MISC - No Lines
[Finance] 1099 NEC - No Lines 

The previous versions of the reports have been renamed with the postfix “(Pre-2020)”.  Example: [Finance] 1099 - No Lines (Pre-2020), [Finance] 1096 - No Lines (Pre-2020)

The box numbers have been changed.
Box 9 is “Crop Insurance Proceeds”  Note:  This was formerly box 10.
Box 10 is “Gross Proceeds Paid to an Attorney”  Note:  This was previously recorded in box 14.  
Box 11 is “Fish Purchased for Resale” and is not expected to be used.
Box 12 is “Section 409a Deferrals”
Box 14 is “Nonqualified deferred compensation”
Note: Invoices and Misc Payments made for tax years prior to 2020 will no longer show the description.  Only the box number will be shown.

Continue to record Non Employee Compensation in Box 7.  This will appear in Box 1 on the 1099 NEC.  For the 2020 tax year records, any information previously recorded in one of the boxes listed above must be recorded in the correct new box instead.  Example:  If you recorded “Gross Proceeds Paid to an Attorney” in box 14, please make sure to move that data to Box 10.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Admissions Enrolling for Contract Setup
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Admissions Enrolling for Contract Setup are (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings for inquiries and existing students to determine how actions are applied when starting and completing the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  The enrollment options are specified on the Contract > Settings page.

Admissions: Enrolling for Contract contains the contract settings controlling which inquiries are ready to fill out a (Re) Enrollment Contract.  In order to submit a (Re) Enrollment Contract, there must be an Admin > Student record.  Note: The applicant record must have a status of “Applicant” as well as the Ready for Contract Action in order to qualify for Pre-Enrollment.

    - Ready for Contract Action is an action on an inquiry record indicating that they are eligible to transition to the student side and the parent may complete a (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Admissions would apply this action to the inquiry record.  It is recommended that you have a dedicated “Ready for Contract” action to use for inquiries instead of relying on “Application Submitted” or another action used for a different purpose. Only inquiries which have the Ready for Contract Action specified for the xxx year will appear in the contract.

    - Pre-Enrolled for Contract is the Enrollment Profile determining the set of actions which are applied to the new student records who are enrolled from admissions based on the Ready for Contract Action.  This Enrollment Profile also determines that actions received by the original inquiry records.  Example:  You have a “Pre-Enroll Student for Contract” profile with an action to set the inquiry record’s status to Enrolled and the student’s status to Pre-Enrolled.  The profile is set to Copy Inquiry Data to Student and would be applicable to all divisions except a summer division.  When a parent with a suitable inquiry logs in, the inquiry gets enrolled as a student with the Pre-Enrolled action, and the admissions record receives an action indicating that they have been Enrolled.  Note: Inquiries eligible to be pre-enrolled are automatically created as students as soon as the parent logs into the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Note:  The newly created student must qualify for the (Re) Enrollment Contract’s Student Criteria for parents to start their (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Make sure the criteria allows for students with a pre-enrolled status, if applicable.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Settings
(Re) Enrollment Contract Settings are settings which determine much of the (Re) Enrollment Contract behavior.  The (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings should be reviewed each year to make sure everything is configured as desired.  Each year, you will receive a new copy of the (Re) Enrollment Contract which you can update for the upcoming contract year.

Header Banner is the banner appearing on the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  The banner should be 926 pixels wide.

Student Criteria determines which students are eligible for parents to choose and complete a (Re) Enrollment Contract with.  This is based on a student DAT Filter which you create in Admin > Students.  Note: The DAT Filter condition is stored independently with the criteria.  This means that if you change or delete the original DAT Filter accessed through the Admin portal, the existing criteria for the (Re) Enrollment Contract are not impacted.  If you wish to modify the criteria, first create the new student DAT Filter .  Next, edit the criteria and choose the DAT Filter to use.  Note: Make sure that the criteria allow parents to start (Re) Enrollment Contracts for pre-enrolled students per the (Re) Enrollment Contract Enrollment Options Setup.

The following (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings are covered in separate articles:
- (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup
- (Re) Enrollment Contract Invoice / Payment Setup
- (Re) Enrollment Contract Admissions Enrolling for Contract Setup
- (Re) Enrollment Contract Confirmation Email Setup
- (Re) Enrollment Contract Enrollment Options Setup
(Re) Enrollment Contract Confirmation Email Setup
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Confirmation Email Setup is a part of (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings which determines which email templates are used when parents submit a (Re) Enrollment Contract. The confirmation email options are specified on the Contract > Settings page in the “Confirmation Email Setup” section.
 
Email Domain is the institution's email suffix.  It should include the @ symbol. Example: @myinstitution.edu  Note:  An SPF Record must be registered with your domain before you can specify an Email Domain in the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Template (Customer Receipt) is the email template used for the deposit payment made by the parent.  This is only sent if a deposit is required and a payment is made at the time of the (Re) Enrollment Contract’s submission.

Template (Student) is the email template used for a thank you message confirming that the (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted.  If the Households Status is set to Primary, you should use a template with the “One email per student” option.  For any other Households Status or Bill To Households options, you would need to use the “One email per student/household combination” option to ensure that the parent user receives an email.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Profile Configuration
To create a new (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile for the (Re) Enrollment Contract, click the New link button in the grid.  Provide a Description and Filter, then click save.  Note: The available DAT Filters are based on student DAT Filters with the All Divisions checkbox checked.  Note: The DAT Filter conditions are stored independently with the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.  This means that if you change or delete the DAT Filter, the existing (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile is not impacted.  If you wish to modify how the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile works, first create a new DAT Filter in Admin > Students.  Next, edit the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile in the (Re) Enrollment Contract and choose the DAT Filter to use.

Note: If you delete a (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile, all the content for that (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile is deleted.  Please be careful when deleting (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles.  You can always create a new (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile, use the “Copy to Other Profiles” button, and later delete the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile you do not want.

Note: Each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile has a Students statistic which tells you which students qualify for this (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.

Note: Review the (Re) Enrollment Contract Statistics for any issues that may result from your current profile setup.
 
(Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option
(Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options are the various settings specific to each (Re) Enrollment Contract Control.  Note: These (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options can have different values for each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.  Note: Each (Re) Enrollment Contract Control has an html edit box to provide a custom description which appears on the (Re) Enrollment Contract and the (Re) Enrollment Contract PDF.

Default To determines whether the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option should be selected by default or not.  This applies to  (Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box controls, (Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button controls, (Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Controls, (Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Multi Controls and (Re) Enrollment Contract Payment Options Controls.  Note: When multiple choices are available on a control, only one choice should be selected by default.  If you do not choose a default for (Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button controls, then the first choice is automatically selected.

Product is included on the (Re) Enrollment Contract invoice if the control is selected by the parent.  Note:  If you include a product for a non-selectable control such as a Text control, that product is always included on the invoice.  The tuition product will usually be specified on a text control.  Note:  Specifying a product is optional.  You can leave the product blank for (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options that do not involve fees.  Note: The deposit portion of a product does not appear in the (Re) Enrollment Contract text, but does appear on the summary page prior to submitting the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Payment Method Option has options for None, Check, Credit Card, and Echeck.  (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings Invoice / Payment Setup has the master list for which choices a user may pay with.  If over the course of submitting the (Re) Enrollment Contract, all of the user’s (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options have a Payment Method Option of None, then the user is provided a choice from the master list of payment options on how they wish to pay.  If one of their (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options specifies a specific payment method, then the user is directed to that payment method when submitting the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Note: The payment method of Check means “Pay later by check.”  Note: If no deposit amount is due at the time of (Re) Enrollment Contract submission, they are not required to pay during submission. Note: If a Stored Payment Type has been specified in Automated Payment Processing (Finance), even if there is no deposit due, the user is still asked to provide payment information if Credit Card or ECheck were selected.

Payment Term determines the payment term to use for the (Re) Enrollment Contract invoice.  Note: This (Re) Enrollment Contract Setting is only applicable for the (Re) Enrollment Contract Payment Options control.

Title appears in the DAT and Finance > Contracts > Student Contracts - Option Selected as a means to search for selected (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options without dealing with complicated html markup and spacing.  You should provide a simple title to use in place of the detailed description.   Note: This setting is only applicable for (Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button controls,(Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box controls, (Re) Enrollment Contracts Transportation Controls, and (Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Multi Controls.

The “Add Fee” button adds a [[Fee][ field into the text editor.  This shows the amount that is associated with the selected product when a parent is viewing the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  If the product amount is changed in Finance, the amount is also changed in the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  The [[Fee]] field works much like an email field.  Note: Once a (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted, the fee appearing in the PDF does not change if you change the product in Finance. Note: Whenever possible, you should not be hardcoding the fee in any text.  Instead, rely on the product fee being merged into the text.  By not hardcoding the fee into text controls for each profile, you will find it easier to keep any text changes in sync between the profiles, and only need to make sure that the correct product is associated with the profile option.  Also, any fees you override through (Re) Enrollment Contract Overrides will appear correctly.  If you hardcode the fees in the text, the fees shown in the contract text may not match up with the actual fees being charged.

The “Add New Option” button adds a new (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option for a (Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button control.

The “Save” button saves the changes you have made.  Note:  The changes are only applicable to the currently selected (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.

The “Copy to Other Profiles” button copies the current contents for the control to the same control in all the other (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles.  This helps save time and prevents the need to re-enter information for each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.  Note:  If you have already set up the control for another (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile, do not use the copy button as it replaces your changes for the control in the other (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Cleaning Control Options for Students
Cleaning (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options for Students on a (Re) Enrollment Contract is primarily used for testing purposes.  To access the cleaning options, navigate to the Contract > Profiles page.  Whenever a student starts a (Re) Enrollment Contract, all the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile’s (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options for that student are copied to their (Re) Enrollment Contract.  If you make changes to the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile, or to the student such that they qualify for a different (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile, the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options for that student need to be removed (cleaned).  After cleaning, when the (Re) Enrollment Contract is started for the student, the new updated (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile Control Options will be copied.

To clean the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options you must provide the student’s id.

The “Clean Options” button clears the current (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options from the student’s (Re) Enrollment Contract.

The “Clean PDF” removes the PDF file for a submitted (Re) Enrollment Contract.  PDFs for a (Re) Enrollment Contract are not overwritten unless the Allow Resubmit (Re) Enrollment Contract Setting is specified.

The “Clean Submit/Sign/UnEnrolling Action” removes the Contract actions from the student.  This also has the effect of removing the PDF as the PDF is tied to the action.  (Re) Enrollment Contracts cannot be resubmitted if the student already has a Contract Submitted action unless the Allow Resubmit (Re) Enrollment Contract Setting is specified.

Note:  Cleaning these (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options from a student resets their (Re) Enrollment Contract state as unsubmitted; however, any invoices or payments that were created are still present.  Note: If there are already any non-voided contract invoices and no new payments are submitted, then no new invoices will be created.  This means new financial aid is not applied.  Either void the original invoices, or apply the financial aid awards manually.  

Note:  Previously accepted financial aid is not cleared on this page.  If the student has financial aid which is supposed to be applied to the (Re) Enrollment Contract, make sure the award is not already Accepted from a previous submission.

Apply Selected Profile applies the actions associated with the selected Enrollment Profile to the student whose id is specified in the textbox.  This is used to assist you in testing the various (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles, and should only be used on a test student for the purpose of testing.
Pre-Authorization
Pre-authorization charge is a temporary hold placed by a merchant on the customer’s credit card or debit card to validate payment information.  In PCR Educator, a Pre-authorization charge of approximately $10-$12 is assessed when a person saves their credit or debit card in Stored Payment Info to use with Finance - Auto-Pay or Automated Payment Processing (Development) for Donations.  The charge is voided within a few business days.  

Note: Follow this article to find out about 3 Tips for Increasing Sustaining (Recurring) Donations.

Note: To set up Stored Payment Type, see Configuring Stored Payment Type article.

Note: Auto-Pay Results (Finance) can be accessed through the Finance Portal.  Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance) provides more details about configuring Automated Payment Processing.
 
FAQ: Who Gets the New IRS 1099-NEC Form?
The Internal Revenue Service reintroduced Form 1099-NEC to report payments for services of $600 or more during 2020 to independent contractors and freelancers. In the past, such payments were reported on Form 1099-MISC along with other types of income (prizes, awards, etc). Copy A of the 1099-NEC form is due to the IRS by February 1, 2021, for year 2020, with the “B” copies deadline to the actual contractor-recipients also being February 1, 2021. Please note that as a result of this change, you need to double-check how 1099 items are allocated.

You will find the following in the DAT - PCR Imported category.

These are queries for generating IRS forms prior to 2020:
[Finance] 1096 - No Lines (Pre-2020)
[Finance] 1096 - With Lines (Pre-2020)
[Finance] 1099 - No Lines (Pre-2020)
[Finance] 1099 - With Lines (Pre-2020)

These are new queries and printable forms for 2020:
[Finance] 1096 MISC - No Lines
[Finance] 1099 MISC - With Lines
[Finance] 1096 NEC - No Lines
[Finance] 1099 MISC - No Lines
[Finance] 1099 NEC - No Lines

Happy Thanksgiving!
Our office will be closed on Thursday November 26th in observance of Thanksgiving Holiday. We will resume our normal business hours starting Friday November 27th.
Copying CMS Page

There are three options for copying CMS Page(s):

- Copy (Basic) - copies the properties of the page including CMS Page Details, CMS Page Data, CMS Page Roles, CMS Page Filter(s). Note: this is the easiest way to create a new page that is similar to an existing page but has different content.  
- Copy - copies the same information as Copy (Basic), but also adds the same CMS Widgets to the new page. Note: as a result of this function, CMS Widgets are now shared between the original page and the new page, which means that changing their properties on one page will change them in the other place. This function should be used in rare cases when you may want to recreate a page and its widgets.
- Deep Copy - copies the same information as Copy (Basic), but also copies all CMS Widgets to the new page. Note: this function is useful in cases when you are creating a new page which will have similar configuration to the original page. Since the new widgets are copies of the original widgets, it’s safe to change their properties without affecting the original page and its widgets. Note: Widgets marked as Reusable are not copied, but added to the new page. This means that Reusable widgets are now shared between the original page and the new page, which, in turn, means that changing their properties in one page will change them in the other place.

 
Update: Attendance Option Renamed
With the next release, the “Attendance” option in Admin > Students > Multi-Action screen will be renamed to “Record Attendance”.
Attendance Roster PDF Discontinued
Starting November 9th, 2020 the Attendance Roster PDF report will be replaced by [ADM] Class List DAT query. The new query provides more flexibility in terms of restricting data and has an option to add additional fields to the report. We appreciate your cooperation.
Reach Support with a Click of a Button
Have you noticed the “Email/Call Support” link in the administrative portal? 

When you need support, simply click on it, describe the problem and hit send! This will automatically generate a ticket and ensure that your questions are addressed efficiently.
 
You can even do this before you call the support line so we have all the info we need to help you!
 
Managing Middle and High School Attendance - Video
This article is an index with timestamps for the topics covered in the following video:
Attendance Management

1. Intro
    a. There are different methods of managing attendance
        i. Lower Schools usually take daily attendance for homeroom
        ii. High Schools usually take period attendance and admins use that to mark daily attendance.  Period attendance records are used as a tool to determine how daily attendance should be marked for each student.
        iii. In this video, we will cover the second scenario
            1. The Staff Portal should be configured to take period attendance only.  
2. Marking Attendance for the Future
    a. Administrators can mark attendance in the future (ex: if someone will be on vacation or a group going on a field trip)
    b. Select students > multi-action > Attendance and enter attendance (both daily and period) for the future
3. Staff Perspective (Period 1)
    a. When staff log in, they will be able to see attendance entered by the administrator and not be able to modify it
    b. We will mark a couple of students as absent
4. Administrative Perspective (After Period 1)
    a. Admin runs Standard Query: [Admin] Period Attendance Not Taken and notifies staff to take attendance who have not taken it yet. 
    b. Admin reviews period attendance after period 1 and reaches out to parents to see if students will be absent for the entire day or come in late
    c. Admin then marks the daily attendance accordingly
5. Staff Perspective (Period 2)
    a. When a staff member goes in to take period attendance, they will see students that are absent for the day. If there are other students who are also absent or tardy, the staff member will mark them as such
6. Administrative Perspective (After Period 2)
    a. Admin runs Standard Query: [Admin] Period Attendance Not Taken and notifies staff to take attendance who have not taken it yet. 
    b. Admin reviews period attendance after period 2 and identifies if there are any other students who are absent.  If so, the admin looks to figure out why and marks daily attendance accordingly
7. Administrative Perspective (End of the Day)
    a. At the end of the day, the admin ensures that all students with period attendance records should have a corresponding daily attendance record

Note: if you have teachers who are not able to take attendance, check out Teachers Not Able to Take Attendance

Note: To take attendance, Marking Period Info and Daily Rotation need to be set up. You may configure Attendance Types and Attendance Points and Discipline Points as needed.

Note: follow these resources for building and customizing DAT Queries and DAT Filters:
 --- DAT Webinar - Attendance
 --- DAT - Attendance Data Structure  
 --- Standard Query: [Admin] Daily Attendance
 --- Standard Query: [Admin] Orphaned Period Attendance
 --- Standard Query: [Admin] Present and Absent for a Day
 --- Standard Query: [Admin] Attendance Details
 --- Standard Query: [Admin] Period Attendance Not Taken
 
How St. George’s School Streamlined Their Admissions Process with PCR Educator
Since fully adopting PCR Educator School Management System, St. George’s School has earned impressive admissions results, including:
• A nearly 62% reduction in paperwork in the first year
• An additional 92% paperwork reduction in the second year
• 28% increase in applications
• A highly accelerated committee review process
DAT - Development Data Structure
The diagram describes relationship with the main development tables. 
Google Classroom Integration
Google Classroom Integration is currently offered as Beta. The integration allows administrators to push or pull data facilitating data exchange between PCR Educator and Google.

When you use this API, you have access to the following features:

- Uploading Missing Course Sections to Google Classroom
- Deleting Google Classroom Course
- Syncing Students with Google Classroom
- Syncing Categories with Google Classroom
- Syncing Assessments with Google Classroom
- Syncing Grades with Google Classroom

Before you begin, follow these steps for Connecting PCR Educator to Google Classroom.

Note: do not use these features without testing. Please request that PCR Educator creates a Google Test division for you where you can configure test courses, teachers, and students. 
Note: all features are division-specific and only affect information within the selected division.
Note: all features only evaluate Current Year information in PCR Educator system.
Note: since Google Classroom courses do not have support for terms (marking period,  semesters, trimesters, or quarters), PCR Educator relies on Google Classroom section name to store section and term information.
Note: once courses are created in Google, teachers can rename them.
Example: a Math course in PCR Educator with section 01 is represented by two Google Classroom Courses: Math 01 Term: 1 and Math 01 Term: 2. Connecting PCR Educator to Google Classroom
Follow this checklist to establish Google Classroom Integration within PCR Educator.


- Create a new google account for administering and configuring Google Classroom. Note: name the account as pcreducator@[yourdomain]. Note: this account needs to have Super Admin privileges. Note: provide the credentials to your PCR Educator representative assisting you with this integration
- Log in as the newly created user pcreducator@[yourdomain] and navigate to https://console.developers.google.com/ 
create a new project
- Enable the following APIs: Google Classroom API, Google Calendar, Google Admin SDK
- For Calendar: Google Calendar API
- Configure OAuth consent screen. Note: use Internal Application Type
- Create a service account 
- Grant this service account access to project marking it with the Owner role
- Grant users access to this service account. Note: connect pcreducator@[yourdomain] account. Note: in addition to pcreducator@[yourdomain] user, add your own user if desired Note: specify these users for “Service account users role” and for “Service account admins role”
- Navigate to the service account’s details and edit its domain-wide delegation by enabling “G Suite Domain-wide Delegation”
- Create a new JSON key
- Download the key file as “credentials.json” Note: the name is important, so make sure to rename to “credentials.json”
- From your G Suite domain’s Admin console, go to Main menu> Security > API controls
- In the Domain wide delegation pane, select Manage Domain Wide Delegation
- Click Add New
- In the Client ID field, enter the client ID obtained from the service account creation steps above
- In the OAuth Scopes field, enter a comma-delimited list below:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.guardianlinks.students,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.profile.emails,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.rosters,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.courses,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.profile.photos,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.student-submissions.me.readonly,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.coursework.students,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.topics,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.coursework.me,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.announcements,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.rosters.readonly
,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.topics.readonly,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.courses.readonly,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.announcements.readonly,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.push-notifications,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.student-submissions.students.readonly,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.guardianlinks.me.readonly,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.guardianlinks.students.readonly, https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.profile.emails

For Calendar:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar,
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar.events,
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar.events.readonly,
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar.readonly,
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar.settings.readonly,
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.user


- Click Authorize
- Navigate to PCR Educator’s Admin Portal: Admin>Maintenance>Google Classroom and upload the “credentials.json”
- Make sure you see the message “The file credentials.json is present”
- Go to google console with the newly created user (pcreducator@[yourdomain]) and navigate to Classroom General Settings (Apps > Additional Google services > Settings for Classroom > General settings)
- Look at Who can create classes? Setting. If this setting is limited to teachers or pending teachers, you will have to add pcreducator@[yourdomain] as your teacher as otherwise this account will not have enough permissions to generate classes in Google Classroom
https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/6071551?hl=en#zippy=%2Cverify-teachers
 
Uploading Course Sections to Google Classroom
Navigate to Admin>Maintenance>Google Classroom and click the ‘Upload Missing Course Sections’ button to upload missing course sections to Google Classroom. 

PCR Educator uploads its course sections from the current scheduling year and selected division to Google Classroom when all these conditions are met:

- Course section is connected to a primary teacher with a valid user that has a valid email.

Note: if a teacher DECLINES a class in google classroom, the system will not try to sync this class anymore. This method should be used when teachers choose to use classes they create themselves in situations when they don’t want any syncing.
Note: if a teacher ARCHIVES a class in google classroom, the system will no longer sync that class and instead attempt to create a new class next time you use the Uploading Course Sections button or next time it syncs. Ensure that teachers archive their old classes once the term finishes.
Note:  if the system created a class in Google Classroom, but the teacher no longer teaches that class, you have two options. First, if the class has no content, you can first decline it and then follow the steps of Deleting Google Classroom Course. If the course already has content that you don’t want to lose, you can manually add the new teacher to the class in Google and remove the old teacher.
 
Uploading Missing Course Sections to Google Classroom
Navigate to Admin>Maintenance>Google Classroom and click ‘Upload Missing Course Sections’ button to upload missing course sections to Google Classroom.
Syncing Students with Google Classroom
Navigate to Admin>Maintenance>Google Classroom and click the ‘Sync Students’ button to connect students to their courses in Google Classroom.

PCR Educator connects students  from the current scheduling year and selected division to their courses in Google Classroom when all these conditions are met:

- Students in PCR Educator belong to current year sections within the selected division and these sections are already available in Google Classroom  
- Each student in PCR Educator has exactly one valid user account with  an email address matching the Google account
- Students in PCR Educator belong to sections that are currently active. Active course sections need to be associated with a current Term (Trimester or Semester). The current term should have its attendance begin date be today or earlier and its end date to be today to later.
Note: when using the manual sync (i.e. clicking the Sync Students button), the system will sync students up to one month before the beginning of the term. Example: your first day of school is September 1. If you try to sync students in July by clicking Sync Students button, the system will not sync them. However, it will sync them if you clicked the same button on any day after August 1.
 
Syncing Categories with Google Classroom
Google Classroom does not have a concept of categories. So there are two approaches that you can take to ensure successful integration:

1. Using Google Classroom Topics. Navigate to Admin>Maintenance>Google Classroom and click the ‘Sync Categories’ button to push categories configured in PCR Educator to Google Classroom. 
Note: Teachers must enter default type for each category to enable successful integration.
Note: Teachers must be instructed to specify Topic for all assignments. Google Classroom Topics convert into PCR Educator categories. Empty Topics/Categories are not supported by PCR Educator.

2. Selecting a single PCR Educator’s Category as the default for any assignment from google classroom. Example: you have coursework and exams in PCR Educator. You mark coursework with a default type and leave all other categories (exams in this case) without default categories. Then, because there is only one category with a default type (coursework), any google assignment will go to coursework category. Note: when using this method you never sync categories between PCR Educator and Google.
Syncing Assessments with Google Classroom
Navigate to Admin>Maintenance>Google Classroom and click the ‘Sync Assessments’ button to pull assessments from Google Classroom.
Syncing Grades with Google Classroom
Navigate to Admin>Maintenance>Google Classroom and click the ‘Sync Grades’ button to pull grades from Google Classroom.
Apply Online Academic Years
Please remember to update the academic years for your Inquiry/Apply Online application.

To make this change, please click here for more information.
Labor Day
Our offices will be closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, September 8th.
Looking for Google Classroom Users
In preparation for the upcoming school year, we looking for schools to try out our Student Management System Integration with Google Classroom.
School POS Now Supports Touchless Transactions
PCR Educator has expanded touchless transaction options for its School POS, Store, and Cafeteria System. Students and staff can easily scan their ID Cards or ID to charge their accounts while getting their items in line.
Close of the School Year 2020 Announcement
Close of the School Year Wizard is now available! Please keep in mind that you can send notifications to next year families and give them access to the Parent Portal (including next year's schedules) prior to closing the school year. Moreover, please plan ahead and reserve several business days just in case you may need support from PCR Educator in closing the school year. As previously announced, the wizard will delete all notifications for non-current inquiries/applicants and all notifications generated during previous academic years for students.

The wizard will not delete:

- any Financial or Development notifications
- any notifications attached to actions

Note: The close of the school year wizard will not be available if your school exceeds the purchased database storage amount. Please contact support@pcreducator.com to help you address this.
Standard Query: [Admin] Parent Teacher Conferences by Household
This query returns Parent-Teacher Conference registrations in the selected School Division. This query also has the option to produce a report. Click the “Print” button on the Results screen to generate a Parent-Teacher Conferences By Household report.

The School Id is set as a DAT Parametrized Condition.
Complimentary School Scheduling Consultation
Contact us today to connect with our scheduling pros who have scheduled US Airways flights and participated in other high-profile projects. Let PCR Educator help you navigate the rapidly changing dynamics of scheduling students into classes. 
Standard Query: [Admin] Present and Absent for a Day
This query returns a list of the enrolled students’ attendance records for a given School Division and attendance date. The School Id (School Division) and Occurrence Date are set as DAT Parameterized Conditions.

The DAT also has a print option that supplies the results listed alphabetically by student name with the attendance type, time and explanation.

Note: A blank space in the results for Attendance Description denotes the student was present.
Standard Query: [Admin] Student Evaluation Results
This query returns a list of students and their Evaluation results.
Standard Query: [Admin] Students Per Grade Level
This query returns the total number of enrolled students in each grade level based on the School Year.

The School Year is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition and accepts the value of 0 for current year or 1 for next year.
Standard Query: [Admin] Staff who are Current Parents
This query returns a list of staff who are parents of currently enrolled students in any School Division.
Annual Forms
Watch this cool video featuring our Forms. This app allows your parents to easily update their data on the go, upload required files, and ensure that all their information is up-to-date. Our system will automatically remind them about any missing forms to ensure that their students are ready for the new year: Annual Forms
Standard Query: [Admissions] Applicants with Households
This query returns inquiries/applicants for the current Admissions Year with their household information.
Independence Day
Our offices will be closed on Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independence Day. We will resume normal hours on Monday, July 6th.
4 seconds for Daily Health Check-in
PCR Educator is assisting schools in launching Daily Health Check-in procedures which can be used by students, parents, and staff. The form is designed to work on any device and can be used as a check-in station at a school's entrance or as a self-serving app that is available for parents on their devices. The form is fully customizable and allows for collecting any data.
Standard Query: [Admissions] Diversity Report
This query returns demographic information for inquiries/applicants in the current Admissions Year.
Standard Query: [Admissions] Inquiries w/Evaluators
This query returns a list of inquiries/applicants who have Evaluators assigned to them for the selected Academic Year.

The Academic Year is a DAT Parameterized Condition.
Standard Query: [Admissions] Inquiries w/o Evaluators
This query returns a list of inquiries/applicants who do not have Evaluators assigned to them for the selected Academic Year.

The Academic Year is a DAT Parameterized Condition.
Standard Query: [Admissions] Inquiry Action Statistics
This query returns a number of inquiries/applicants who have a specified action in the selected Academic year or forward. The results are broken down by Grade Level (the Action was received in) and Gender.

The Academic Year is a DAT Parameterized Condition.
Standard Query: [Admissions] Inquiry Action Statistics Totals
This query returns the number of inquiries/applicants who have the specified Action in the selected Academic Year or forward.

The Academic Year is a DAT Parameterized Condition.
FAQ: Uploading Documentation to Discipline Records
PCR Educator School CRM now has a new exciting feature that allows administrators to easily upload documents for each discipline record and share them with staff, parents, or students. 
Standard Query: [Admissions] Evaluation Results
This query returns a list of inquiries/applicants and their Evaluation results in the specified Academic Year or forward.

The Academic Year is a DAT Parameterized Condition.
Standard Query: [Admissions] Totals by Status/Substatus
This query returns a total number of inquiries/applicants by Status and Substatus in the current Admissions Year.
Google Classroom Integration Announcement
PCR Educator is planning to release Google Classroom integration, which helps students and teachers organize assignments, boost collaboration, and foster better communication while reaping the benefits on our integrated School CRM system.
Standard Query: [Admissions] Totals by Grade Level/Gender
This query returns a total number of inquiries/applicants based on Gender and Applying for Grade in the current Admissions year.
Entering AR Invoice
To enter AR Invoice, you should have FinanceAR Full role. There are multiple ways how AR Invoices are entered in the system:

- Entering AR Invoice - Individually
- Entering AR Invoice - in Bulk
- Importing AR Invoice
- Generating AR Invoice Automatically
Entering AR Invoice - Individually
To enter AR Invoice, you should have FinanceAR Full role.

To enter an AR Invoice:

- Navigate to Finance > Customers or to Finance > Students  
- Locate the desired customer or student account by using the search or DAT Filter function
- Click on Invoice hyperlink of the selected account
- Enter Invoice Information and click Save

Note: You can also access this process directly from a customer dashboard or student dashboard and clicking on “New Invoice” button.
Entering AR Invoice - in Bulk
To enter AR Invoices in bulk, you should have FinanceAR Full role.

To enter an AR Invoice:

- Navigate to Finance > Students  
- Select the desired students accounts by using the search or DAT Filter function and using the checkbox for each record or using ‘Select All’ checkbox to select all filtered students
- Use multi-action Invoices
- Enter Invoice Information and click Save

Note: If any of the students have qualifying Financial Aid Award with available funds, the system will list them allowing you to include these awards as AR Invoice Line Items on newly created invoices.
Generating AR Invoice Automatically
PCR Educator system features a variety of processes which automatically generate AR Invoices based on predefined conditions. These are some of the products and services which generate AR Invoices automatically:

- (Re) Enrollment Contract (specifically (Re) Enrollment Contract Invoice / Payment Setup)
- Summer Camp and Summer School
- Online Store
- Point of Sale (POS), Lunch and Cafeteria 
- After School, Extended Day and Before School 
Generating Finance Charges for AR Invoices
To generate finance charges you will need FinanceAR Full role. 

Note: While the Finance Charges feature can be used for any types of finance charges, late fees is one of the common applications of this functionality. 

Note: The process and timing of late fee invoice creation will be driven by your school’s procedures and legal agreements, but in general, it involves the following steps: 

Note: before starting the process of generating late fees, navigate to Finance > AR > Receipts to ensure that you don’t have any unallocated AR Receipts. Example: consider a family who overpaid. Even if you allocate their receipt to all invoices, there is still an overpayment. You may decide to keep this overpayment as opposed to refunding it. In that case, a portion of the AR Receipt is unallocated. Later, when you create a new invoice, you are given an option to allocate any unused funds, but depending on the exact process used you may still end up with a portion of an AR Receipt being unallocated to this new invoice. Thus, make sure to allocate all applicable AR Receipts before charging late fees. 

- Navigate to Finance > AR > Invoices. Note: all overdue invoices are highlighted 
- Apply ‘Invoice is overdue’ search criteria to find all overdue invoices. Note: you can use DAT Filter if you want to exclude some invoices based on your specific requirements. Note: adjust the selection process if finance charges are not specific to overdue invoices.
- Select all desired invoices.
- Use multi-action Finance Charges.
- Specify rate type (percentage or flat rate) and rate.
- Fill out the details of the Finance Charge Invoice and click ‘Apply Defaults.’
- The system lists all invoices which will be generated. Note: you can arbitrarily override charges for each invoice in case there are any exceptions.
- Click Submit
- The system generates all new invoices
Standard Query: [Admissions] Totals by Zip Code
This query returns the number of inquiries/applicants per Household Zip Code in the current Admissions year.
Restricting Access to CMS Pages, CMS Widgets and Features
One of the most powerful tools in the Content Management System (CMS) is the option to control what content and features are made accessible to different groups of users.  For instance, if you add information to the Parent Portal that only pertains to high school families, you can make that content visible only to high school families and hide it from other users.

There are several ways to restrict access to CMS pages, CMS Widgets, and their corresponding features:

1. Restricting CMS Page by DAT Filter
2. Restricting CMS Widget by DAT Filter
3. Restricting CMS Page by Role
4. Restricting CMS Page through CMS Sitemap
5. Restricting CMS Page by Unpublishing 
6. Restricting CMS Widget by Navigation Property
7. Restricting Content by Content Type

Note: To restrict access to forms, follow Restricting CMS Page by Unpublishing and Restricting CMS Widget by Navigation Property.

Note:  The combination of CMS Page roles, filters, published status along with the current user’s authentication status affects CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.

Note: A DAT Filter is applied to a CMS Page or a CMS Widget through CMS DAT Filter Application.
Restricting CMS Page by DAT Filter
In CMS Portals, CMS Pages can be made visible or hidden based on a DAT Filter.  This method is particularly useful for restricting content to users that meet multifaceted criteria. To restrict CMS Page by DAT Filter:

- Follow Creating New DAT Filter instructions in the Administrative Module.
- Navigate to the desired CMS Page in the CMS Portal and click the “Content” link.
- Open the “Filter” tab on the right-side of the page, select the “Page” radio button, pick the DAT Filter, and click Save.  This CMS Page will now only be accessible to users that fit the DAT Filter criteria.

Note:  The combination of CMS Page roles, filters, published status along with the current user’s authentication status affects CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.

Note: A DAT Filter is applied to a CMS Page or a CMS Widget through CMS DAT Filter Application
Restricting CMS Widget by DAT Filter
In CMS Portals, CMS Widgets can be made visible or hidden based on a DAT Filter.  This method is particularly useful if you want to restrict content to users that meet multifaceted criteria. 

- Follow Creating New DAT Filter instructions in the Administrative Module.
- Navigate to the desired CMS Page in the CMS Portal and click the “Content” link.
- Click on the gear icon on the CMS Widget, select the DAT Filter from the “Filter” dropdown and click Save.  This CMS Widget will now only be visible to users that fit the DAT Filter criteria.

Note: A DAT Filter is applied to a CMS Page or a CMS Widget through CMS DAT Filter Application

Note: If the gear icon on a CMS Widget is not visible, it means that the CMS Widget is locked.  Please reach out to PCR Educator Support for further help.
Restricting CMS Page by Role
In CMS Portals, CMS Pages can be made visible or hidden based on any custom role(s) or role(s) defined in Roles Dictionary through two methods:

1. Restricting CMS Page by Role - Individually. 
2. Restricting CMS Page by Role - in Bulk.  

Note:  The combination of CMS Page roles, filters, published status along with the current user’s authentication status affects CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.
Restricting CMS Page by Role - Individually
To assign role(s) to an individual CMS Page:

- Navigate to the desired CMS Page in the CMS Portal and click the “Content” link.
- Open the “Roles” tab on the right-side of the CMS Page, select the “Page” radio button, pick the role(s) that users need to access the CMS Page, and click Save.  Note: If you select the “Master Page” radio button, then the current CMS Page will automatically be restricted based on the role(s) assigned to the CMS Master Page.

Note:  The combination of CMS Page roles, filters, published status along with the current user’s authentication status affects CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.

Note: CMS Pages can be made visible or hidden based on any custom role(s) or role(s) defined in Roles Dictionary.
 
Restricting CMS Page by Role - in Bulk
In CMS Portals, CMS Pages can be made visible or hidden based on a role(s). 

To assign role(s) in bulk:

- In your CMS Portal, navigate to Admin > Pages.
- Select desired CMS Pages.
- Select “Assign Roles” from the multi-action menu and click “Go.”
- Select a role and click “Assign.”

Note:  The combination of CMS Page roles, filters, published status along with the current user’s authentication status affects CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.

Note: CMS Pages can be made visible or hidden based on any custom role(s) or role(s) defined in Roles Dictionary.
Restricting CMS Page through CMS Sitemap
This method can be used if you want to completely remove a CMS Page from a menu.

- In your CMS Portal, navigate to Admin > Site Maps.
- Go to Details of the appropriate CMS Sitemap.
- Click on the hyperlink of the page that you want to remove.
- Click delete.

Note: Removing a page from the CMS Sitemap does not delete the page from the system.  You can always add it back by clicking “+” on the CMS Sitemap and selecting the CMS Page.

Note: If the CMS Page is not removable from the CMS Sitemap because it does not have a hyperlink that you can click on, it means that the CMS Sitemap node has the setting “Dynamic Data Source” enabled.  This setting automatically creates a menu item on the CMS Sitemap from corresponding dashboard CMS Widgets.  

To remove the CMS Page that is dynamically added by a CMS Widget , you can either:
- Navigate to properties of the corresponding CMS Widget and remove the CMS Page link from the “Navigate URL” field.
- Disable the “Dynamic Data Source” setting,which will remove all CMS Pages connected through the Dynamic Data Source.

Note: Removing a CMS Page from the CMS Sitemap does not prevent  users from accessing it if they have a direct link to the CMS Page.  You can prevent users from accessing a CMS Page  by using the Unpublishing CMS Page method.

Note:  The combination of CMS Page roles, filters, published status along with the current user’s authentication status affects CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.
Restricting CMS Page by Unpublishing
A CMS Page should be unpublished if it is not currently being used but may be used in the future.  An unpublished CMS Page can only be accessed by administrators with Website Full role.  There are two ways to unpublish a CMS Page:

1. Restricting CMS Page by Unpublishing - Individually. 
2. Restricting CMS Page by Unpublishing - in Bulk.  

Note:  The combination of CMS Page roles, filters, published status along with the current user’s authentication status affects CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.
Restricting CMS Page by Unpublishing - Individually
To unpublish an individual CMS Page:

- Navigate to the desired CMS Page in the CMS Portal and click on the “Content” link.
- Open the “Details” tab on the right-side of the CMS Page, uncheck the “Published” box and click Save.

Note:  The combination of CMS Page roles, filters, published status along with the current user’s authentication status affects CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.
Restricting CMS Page by Unpublishing - in Bulk
To unpublish CMS Pages in bulk:

- In your CMS Portal, navigate to Admin > Pages.
- Select CMS Pages that you would like to unpublish.
- Select “Publish / Unpublish” from the multi-action menu and click “Go.”
- Click “Unpublish Selected Pages.”

Note:  The combination of CMS Page roles, filters, published status along with the current user’s authentication status affects CMS Sitemap Page Visibility.
Restricting CMS Widget by Navigation Property
There are certain CMS Widgets in the CMS Portal that provide access to a set of other CMS Pages.  For example, the “Applications” CMS Widget provides access to application CMS Pages and the “Student/Inquiry Selection” CMS Widget provides access to Forms and registration CMS Pages.

To configure these CMS Widgets:

- Navigate to the CMS Page with the appropriate CMS Widget and click the “Content” link.
- Click on the gear icon on the CMS Widget and specify the desired CMS Page to redirect the user.
 
Restricting Content by Content Type
Content delivered by various CMS Widgets such as news, calendar, image galleries, and discussion boards can be restricted by Content Type.

To restrict content based on Content Type:

- Configure Content Type and Content Type Category.
- Navigate to the CMS Page with an applicable CMS Widget such as the CMS Widget - Calendar and click the “Content” link.  
- Click the gear icon on the CMS Widget and specify the appropriate Content Types or Content Type Categories.  Then click Save.

Note: On CMS Widget - Content Editor (typically used for class pages), select the “Current Content Type” property to automatically show content specific to the selected content type.
 
CMS DAT Filter Application
In the CMS Portal, a DAT Filter is applied to a CMS Page or a CMS Widget based on the selected entity.  The DAT Filter verifies whether the currently selected household, student, inquiry, etc. matches DAT Filter conditions; this can be done both directly or indirectly.  

Example: If a user logs in to the Parent Portal, the DAT Filter indirectly reads the household information associated with the currently logged in user; and if the household matches the household entity DAT Filter conditions, then the logged in user can access the CMS Page or a CMS Widget that the DAT Filter is applied to.  

Example: If a user switches between students in the Parent Portal, the DAT Filter directly reads the student information based on the selected student record; and if the student record matches the student entity DAT Filter conditions, then the logged in user can access the CMS Page or a CMS Widget that the DAT Filter is applied to.

Example: If we apply a student entity DAT Filter with a condition of grades 9-12 (high school students) to a CMS Widget - Students with Households Directory, the DAT Filter will NOT restrict what students show up in the directory.  Instead, it will display the directory only if the students that fit the DAT Filter conditions are selected. 
Standard Query: [Comments] Staff Comments
This query returns course information and report card student and course comments entered by staff. A report card student comment must exist for the query to produce results but if a course comment does not exist, the “Course Comments” column will be empty. This query also has an option to produce a document.

The School Id and Marking Period fields use the DAT Parameterized Condition.
Product
Products are items or services being purchased from vendors or sold to customers.  To configure products, navigate to Finance - Maintenance - Products.  You need Contract Full, Contract Read, Finance Full, or Finance Read to access this page.   Note: Products are ledger specific, but the names need to be unique across all ledgers.  If the same product appears in multiple ledgers, name them accordingly.  Example: The General Ledger has a product called “Credit Card Convenience Fee”.  The Summer ledger has a product called “Credit Card Convenience Fee - Summer”.

Name is the name for the product.

Category is the category for the product.

Active indicates if the product will appear as an option on invoices.

This product is sold to customers allows the product to be specified on AR invoices.

This product is purchased from vendors allows the product to be specified on AP invoice.
Description is a short description of the product.

Price is the default purchase or sales price for the product.

Is NSLP is used to designate that the product is for the National School Lunch Program. Note: This field is used by the “Lunch Counts by Date” and “Lunch Totals by Product Category” Finance dashboard widgets.

Revenue/Expense Account is the default account to specify on the invoice when the product is selected.  Note: You can choose accounts besides revenue or expense.  Typically the accounts would be revenue or expense.

Product Type determines how the product is used.
  • Default is used for most products.
  • Deposit is originally used for (Re) Enrollment Contract deposits.  Note: There is no functional difference between Default and Deposit.  Both allow specifying a Deposit amount in the left menu.  The Deposit option is retained for backwards compatibility only.  Use Default instead.
  • Discount is for Summer Camp and POS purchases.
  • Donation is for specifying online donations.
  • Fee (Fixed Amount) is used for fee products where a fixed amount is applied.  Example: ECheck convenience fees are usually a fixed amount.  Note: Permissible values for fees may be subject to state or local regulations.
  • Fee (Percentage) is used for fee products where a percentage is applied.  Example: Credit Card convenience fees are usually a percentage. Note: Permissible rates for fees may be subject to state or local regulations. Example: late fees are usually a percentage.
Standard Query: [Development] $0 - $499 Contacts
This query returns Contact information for Contacts who have donated $0-$499 in their lifetime.
Note: This list will include Contacts who have never donated as well.
Client Relationship Management (CRM) Automation
Family Actions, Contact Actions, and Customer Actions are excellent features that allow schools to keep track of their interactions with a contact. Such actions may include scheduling a call, generating an automated email, creating personalized touchpoints, or simply recording activity on a family/customer level.

In addition to scheduling or completing an activity, Family Actions, Contact Actions, and Customer Actions feature an advanced customer relationship management tool that allows associating a customer with a predefined track of actions where each follow-up depends on the outcome of the previous step.

For instance, if you have a family that is interested in volunteering, you may predefine a decision tree that features such actions as Volunteering Inquiry, Volunteering Inquiry Confirmation Email, Volunteering Call, Volunteering Interview, Volunteering Assignment. In this case, Volunteering Inquiry Confirmation Email will be automatically emailed to the family once they complete your Volunteering Inquiry form.
Standard Query: [Development] $500 - $1000 Contacts
This query returns Contact information for Contacts who have donated $500-$1000 in their lifetime.
Standard Query: [Scheduling] Next Year Section Enrolled Totals by Next Grade Level
This query returns a list of all next year course sections for the specified division and a count of enrolled students by grade level.  Returned fields include the course name, course id, section, and grade levels -1 to 12.  Note:  Term is not included in the results.  To include a break down for each semester, include the Student Courses’ Semester field on the Query step.  Note: To change the query to work with the current year instead, change the school year condition as well as all references to the next grade level.

The School Id is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
Reflecting School Admissions Application Fees in Finance Portal
PCR Educator Online Application can be configured to automatically record your school’s application fees as Misc Receipts. This option eliminates the need to migrate the transactions between Admissions and Finance. It also guarantees that all application fees are reflected in the general ledger and appear for reconciliation.

To enable this feature, navigate to your Online Application submission page and specify Deposit Description, Ledger, Misc Receipt Credit Account, Misc Receipt Debit Account.
Charging Echeck Processing Fees
In addition to providing options for our schools to automatically charge credit card processing fees, we have added an option to automatically charge processing fees with eCheck (Electronic Check) transactions. Just like with credit card convenience fees, the new eCheck convenience fee feature is optional and allows each school to establish how this fee is calculated, whether it is represented as a fixed amount or as a percentage of the transaction.
Standard Query: [Development] $1001 - $5000 Contacts
This query returns Contact information for Contacts who have donated $1001-$5000 in their lifetime.
Standard Query: [Development] $5,000+ Contacts
This query returns Contact information for Contacts who have donated $5000 or more in their lifetime.
Standard Query: [Admin] Students Per School Division
This query returns the total number of enrolled students and grade level capacities in each School Division based on the School Year.

The School Year is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition and accepts the value of 0 for current year or 1 for next year.
Standard Query: [Development] LYBNT
This DAT Query returns information on contacts that donated last year but have not donated this year.
Point of Sale (POS)
Point of Sales (POS) allows for the purchase of products from a specific ledger.  Each Point of Sale (POS) uses  a separate Cash Register (POS) for a specific ledger.  There are various Purchase Options for existing students and staff based on an available balance with any difference made up with cash. Purchases may be made anonymously with cash payments.  Note: Anonymous purchases are recorded as Miscellaneous Receipts.  Purchases by students and staff are recorded as Accounts Receivable Invoices and Receipts.  All transactions are recorded according to the specified Ledger.  Example: Lunch Choices are recorded in a Lunch/Cafeteria ledger.  Note: a school may have several Cash Register (POS) stations within a ledger. For instance, three separate locations for school stores. However, separate types of Point of Sales (POS) stations generally belong to different ledgers. For example, a school may have a separate ledger for Lunch and for Online Store. The main criterion for deciding about separating a ledger involves balance considerations as statements and balance calculations are performed on per ledger basis.
Configuring Point of Sale (POS)

To configure a Point of Sales (POS) each of the following must be configured.

1. Creating Ledger for the Point of Sales (POS)
     a. Accounts applicable to the new Ledger need to be associated from the General Ledger. Note: This usually consists of Cash, Accounts Receivable, Net Asset, and one or more Revenue accounts for Products being sold.
2. Configuring Product Category in the new Ledger.
3. Configuring Product (POS) in the new Ledger.
4. Configuring Users with the CashRegister Full role.
5. Configuring Lunch Choices if the POS if for the cafeteria
6. Configuring Cash Register (POS)
7. Configuring Lunch Discounts
Lunch Choice
A lunch choice is a selectable option consisting of one or more products. When the student arrives for lunch, the Cash Register (POS) will automatically load the products associated with the student’s lunch choice.  Teachers may also have lunch choices recorded and loaded in the same manner.  See Specifying Lunch Choices (CMS) for options to record lunch choices.

Description is the name of the Lunch Choice option.

Enabled determines if the option is available for selection.

Product is the one or more products associated with the lunch choice.

Note:  It is possible to automatically apply discounts to lunch purchases.  Set up a student attribute for each discount level.  Then set up a separate discount product for each eligible attribute.
Configuring Lunch Choice
To configure Lunch Choices navigate to Finance > Maintenance > Lunch Choices Setup.  You need Finance Full or Finance Read roles to access the Finance Portal and Admin Full to see the menu option.  Also consider exactly how users will be Specifying Lunch Choice (CMS).
Specifying Lunch Choice (CMS)
Lunch Choices for students may be specified in several ways:

1. The teacher may record the lunch choice while taking attendance.  The parent may specify the lunch choice in the Parent Portal.  Note: Parent selection is not configured by default.

To enable Lunch Choices when taking attendance, show the Lunch Choices column on the attendance widget.  Note: This option is usually only used for Homeroom attendance.


2. Teachers may record the lunch choice from the teacher portal outside of the attendance widget. To enable Lunch Choices separate from attendance, add the Course - Class Lunch Choices widget.  The widget allows for recording the student lunch choice and teacher lunch choice.


3. To enable parents to make Lunch Choices for their students, add the Students - Student Lunch Choice widget.  

Lunch Choice Start Time is the earliest parents may make a lunch choice selection for today.

Lunch Choice End Time is the latest parents may make lunch choices for today.  Note: Set this time early enough so that the cafeteria can prepare meals for the day.

Max Days To Pre Schedule is how many days into the future that parents may make a lunch choice selection for their student.
Configuring Cash Register (POS)
The Cash Register (POS) consists of 2-4 pages depending on the selected approach. Once the desired option is selected, your project manager configures the system to operate as requested.
Product Category
Product Categories organize different products.  To configure product categories, navigate to Finance > Maintenance > Product Categories.  You need Contract Full, Contract Read, Finance Full, or Finance Read to access this page.  Example: The Products of 10th Grade Tuition, 11th Grade Tuition, and 12th Grade Tuition would be placed in a Product Category called Tuition.

Product Category Name is the name of the product category.

Description is a long description of the product category.

Default Revenue Account is a default revenue account for products sold to customers. Note: The individual products in the product category may have a different account specified.  Note: This field is not required.

Default Expense Account is the expense account for products purchased from vendors.  Note: The individual products in the product category may have a different account specified.  Note: This field is not required.

Note: Aside from the Online Store, less is more when configuring Product Categories.  Their use is primarily as an organizational tool.  In the case of the Online Store, Product Category Attributes are used to group merchandise into departments.  Example: Apparel, School Supplies, Gifts, Text Books, etc.
Memorial Day
Our offices will be closed on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, May 26th.
 
DAT - Common Student Tables: Statuses
The Status by Division table tracks the student status by each division for both the current year and the next year.  When linking to this table, specify the school names and school year that are important for your DAT Filter or DAT Query.  Note: By default, the software adds a condition for your current school division.  Note: The DAT - Basic Student Data Structure shows how the tables in this article are combined.  Avoid DAT Query And DAT Filter Common Mistakes when including this table.
Field Description
Name This is the name of the school division.
School Id This is the school id for the school division. Note: If Name is specified, then the School Id does not need to be specified.
School Year Str This is a more readable version of School Year
School Year 0 corresponds to the current year and 1 corresponds to the next year. Note: If School Year Str is specified, then the School Year does not need to be specified.
Status The status of the student for the School Id/Name and School Year
Substatus The substatus of the student for the School Id/Name and School Year

Example:  You want to exclude Summer School only students as an option on the (Re) Enrollment Forms.  To accomplish this, you will want to restrict your filter to students whose current grade is less than the highest grade level and whose status is Enrolled for next year in your non-summer divisions.  Note: Use the current grade level because the next grade level usually also matches the current grade level for graduating students:  A student who is grade 12 this year may also have grade 12 listed for next year.  Note: Use the next year’s status because new students who complete a contract are Enrolled for next year.  Note:  Some students may participate in both the summer and the main divisions.  Therefore, the status for the summer division is irrelevant.  The student must be enrolled for the main divisions.

Construct the new DAT Filter as follows:
  1. Start by Creating New DAT Query
  2. Select Student Info for the initial table. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table
  3. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions to limit the grade levels to non-graduating grade levels in the current year.  This is achieved using the Grade Level Code or Grade Level Num field.
  4. Next DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables to link Student Info to Status By Division.
  5. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions for Status = Enrolled, School Year Str = Next Year, and School Name of your non-Summer divisions.  Note:  If available, specifying an Admissions division is usually sufficient.
DAT - Common Student Tables: Households
To connect students to households use the connecting table Relations - Student / Inquiry / Teacher.  Note:  This table is also used to connect Inquiries to Households and Teachers to Households.  Note: The DAT - Basic Student Data Structure shows how the tables mentioned in this article are combined.  Avoid DAT Query And DAT Filter Common Mistakes when including to these tables.

Field Description
Bill To Yes No This indicates if the connected household is the Billing household for the record. “Y” indicates that the household is the Billing household. “N” indicates the household is not a Billing household. Note: A record can only have one Billing household.
Primary Indicator This indicates if the household is the Primary household for the record. “P” indicates that the associated household is the primary household. “N” indicates that the household is a Non-primary household. Note: A record can only have one Primary household.
Relationship This differentiates households as either Parent, Grandparent, or Self. Note: For a relationship of Parent, refer to the Parent1 Type and Parent2 Type for the nature of the relationship. Note: Self is used to indicate a domestic household for an international student. Note: Teacher records always have the relationship of Parent for their household.

Example:  You want to get a list of all students and their grandparents.
  1. Start by Creating New DAT Query
  2. Select Student Info for the DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table
  3. Link Student Info to Relations - Student / Inquiry / Household by DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables
    • Since we want Grandparents, DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Condition for Relationship of Grandparent.
  4. Link Relations - Student / Inquiry / Household to Households.
DAT - Common Student Tables: Actions
Student Actions play an important role in the Status/Substatus Calculation - Student as well as tracking if (Re) Enrollment Contracts and (Re) Enrollment Forms have been submitted. When linking to this table, specify the academic year for your DAT Filter or DAT Query. Note: You can use DAT Functional Operators to make your filter more generic and reusable. Note: The DAT - Basic Student Data Structure shows how the tables mentioned in this article are combined. Avoid DAT Query And DAT Filter Common Mistakes when including this table.

Field Description
Academic Year This indicates which year the action pertains to. A student may have the same action for multiple years. Example: Students are expected to submit (Re) Enrollment Forms each year.
Action Date This is the date the action takes effect. Some actions are future dated because the student’s status is to change on a specific date. Example: Graduated actions for seniors are added to student records early to include the graduated date on the Transcripts. They are also future dated so that the student remains enrolled through the rest of the school session.
Action Description This is the name of the action.


Example:  DAT Filter for students that have not submitted (Re) Enrollment Forms.

  1. Start by Creating New DAT Query.  Note: If you are on a student list like Admin - Students, you can skip to step 3 start a DAT Filter.
  2. Select Student Info for the initial table. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table
    • To restrict students to enrolled students see the article for DAT - Common Student Tables: Statuses
  3. Start a new DAT Filter
  4. Link Student Info to Student Actions.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables
  5. Add a DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Condition for Academic Year = 20202021
  6. Add a DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Condition for Actions Description = Forms Submitted.  Note: The specific name of your forms submitted action may vary from this example.
  7. Save your filter conditions and Add your filter.
  8. Change your filter to Must Not Have.
DAT - Basic Student Data Structure
This diagram describes the relationship between students and the most commonly linked tables.
Standard Query: [Admin] Period Attendance Not Taken
This query provides a list of teachers, including the classes and periods for which they have not taken period attendance on a given date. The rotation date is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition. 
Standard Query: [Admin] Report Card Statuses
This query returns counts on each status of Student Report Card Comments for the selected Division and Marking Period.
Standard Query: [Admin] Report Card Statuses by Department
This query returns counts on each status of Student Report Card Comments for the selected Division and Marking Period by department.
Standard Query: [Admin] Students Per School
This query provides a list of the total number of enrolled students and the grade level capacities in each division/school per grade level based on the school year.

The school year is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition and accepts the value of 0 for current year or 1 for next year. 
FAQ: Why are Assessments still editable for some teachers and not others?
There are two reasons why assessments can still be editable for some teachers and not others: 
  1. The teacher’s user has the Marks Full role, which grants them the ability to change assessments and marks outside of the date ranges set in the Marking Period Info.

  2. The teachers are teaching course sections in different divisions with marking periods that have different date ranges set in the  Marking Period Info.
FAQ: Why is a campaign/fund not available for allocation?
For a campaign/fund to be available for a donation to allocate to, the Donation Date must be greater than or equal to the Start Date and less than (not equal to) the End date of the campaign.

Example: if you want to allocate a donation that has a Donation Date of 6/30/2019 to a particular campaign, the campaign must have a Start Date less than or equal to 6/30/2019 and an End Date that is Greater Than 6/30/2019. 
 
DAT Query and DAT Filter Common Mistakes
The following are common mistakes related to creating a DAT Query with  Data Analytics Tool (DAT).

- DAT Filtering Differences: Must Have (A and B) versus Must Have A and Must Have B.  
    - Mostly, your DAT Filters will be of the Must Have (A and B) variety.  The conditions A and B are related and must be tested together.  Example:  Inquiry Must Have Action Description Application Received and Academic Year 2015/2016.  Both the action description and the academic year are checked for the same action record. If you add two separate filters, one filter for inquiry Must Have Academic Year = 2016/2017 and the second filter for inquiry Must Have Action Description = Application Received, you won’t be getting the results you expect.  You will get a list of all applicants who have any action for the academic year 2016/2017, and have another Application Received action for any year.  This means someone who applied 3 years ago and re-inquiried this year would meet the criteria.  The conditions for the Action Description and Academic Year must be conditions on the same filter. 
    - Sometimes, your DAT filters will be of the Must Have (A and X) and Must Have (B and Y) variety.  In this case, the test for A and B are supposed to be independent.  Example:  The student Must Have Course Name “English 12”, and the student Must Have Course Name “AP Calculus”.  
        i. The natural inclination is to create a single filter for the student Must Have Course Name in English 12, AP Calculus.  The way filters work is they check each record for a match.  Does the student have “English 12”?  Yes?  Then the student passes the condition.  This filter acts like an OR condition, listing students who are taking either English 12 OR AP Calculus since either one is sufficient to pass the condition.  You will have too many results. 
        ii. The next try:  the student Must Have Course Name = English 12 And Course Name = AP Calculus.  Now, suppose a student has English 12.  Again, each record is checked for a match: The first condition is a match, but the second is not - English 12 is not AP Calculus.  This second attempt return no results.  
        iii. So how do you correctly check that a student has both?  You need two separate filters: the student Must Have Course Name = English 12 And the student Must Have Course Name AP Calculus.  Note:  Schedules have school years.  These filters are not complete without specifying the school year that class is for.  As with “Actions have Academic Years” and “Schedules have a school year” above, the school year must appear in both filters. Note: (i) uses a range, which when used outside of a filter can be used for DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting.  Notice that the values for the pivot are turned into columns, and if the record matches one or more of those columns, those matched columns have values.  If no columns are matched, the record does not appear at all.

- Student’s Status:  The “Student Info” used to have Status and Substatus fields, but these were only there for backward compatibility.  To ensure you get the correct status, link Student Info to “Statuses By Division”.  This table will have the statuses for each division and current/next year.  Make sure to specify the status you want, for the school divisions you want, in the school year you want.

- Inquiry’s Status: The “Inquiries” table used to have Status and Substatus fields, but these were only there for backward compatibility. To ensure you get the correct status, link “Inquiries” to the “Inquiry Divisions” table. This table has the statuses for each division and academic year.

- If you link students (or inquiries) to households, and only want one row per student returned, add a condition limiting the Primary Indicator to P for the “Relations - Student/Inquiry/Teacher” to only get the primary households.

- Generally, it is not recommended to attempt creating filters when the relevant data is not present as the process of constructing conditions may be challenging. In particular, since the system automatically presents available options using the data in the database, the functionality of specifying conditions is limited.

- It is not recommended to place a DAT Query as a DAT Dashboard Element if it is expected to return more than 20 records because it may affect performance and take up a large amount of real estate on your dashboard. 

- Checking for the absence of a record:  To check for the non-existence of a record, you must use a Must Not Have filter.  Example: You want a list of Applicants who have not completed a Student Visit.  Construct your filter exactly as if you were looking for all the Applicants that did complete the Student Visit, but use Must Not Have for the filter instead of Must Have.  Example:  You want to find all students who do not have an action of Field Trip.  The common mistake is to search for all student who “Must Have” and action with action description <> “Field Trip.”  If a student has any other action besides “Field Trip” they will match the criteria for this filter.  An “Enrolled” action has an action description unequal to “Field Trip” and matches the erroneous criteria.

- Actions have Academic Years: When looking for Inquiries/Applicants or Students who may have or have not completed certain actions, remember to include the Academic Year.  Inquiries may have previously inquired and completed various actions, but chances are you are only interested in actions for the year they are currently applying for.  Similarly, Students may enroll in your school one year, withdraw another year, and then come back years later.  

- Schedules have a school year: When working with Scheduling tables, most of them have a School Year which should be specified.  These tables would include Student Courses, Course Sections, Selections, and more.  Before you start scheduling for next year, your queries will appear to work fine without a school year.  However, once you start building next year schedules, if you haven’t been specifying a school year, then both current year, next year, and What If Scenarios may start showing up.  Note: School Years in scheduling are designated 0 for the current year, 1 for the next year.

- For Development > Donation, records may have donation types of Gift, Pledge, Pledge Payment, Matching, or Soft Credit.  If you are totally actual giving amounts received then exclude donation types of Pledge, Matching, and Soft Credit.  Note:  If you include both Pledge and Pledge Payment in a DAT Query, then you may double count the amounts: once for the original Pledge and again for each pledge payment to that pledge.  Note: Donation types of Matching are a special kind of Pledge and should be treated the same as Pledges.  If your report excludes Pledges for the purposes of reporting then it should exclude Matching as well.

- For Daily and Period attendance no record is saved for students who are present.  If you want to create a “Perfect Attendance” report, you will want to only select student fields and then apply a Must Not Have filter to your list of students.  Example: You want a list of all students who received no discipline points during the marking period.  You would create a filter connecting to Combined Period Attend And Discipline.  Then add a condition for your date range and for points > 0.  Save your conditions, click add, and change the filter type to Must Not Have.
How to mark deceased date?
You need Admin Full and Security Full roles to complete this process.

1. Navigate to Admin > Households > Details > Parent 1/Parent 2 (or Development > Contacts > Details > Contact Primary/Secondary for a donor record) and enter the deceased date.
2. Clear associated phones and emails.
3. Update addressee and salutation information in Household Details/Contact Address page.
4. If applicable, navigate to Security > Users > Details > Delete to delete the user account.

Note: If the spouse of the deceased contact remarries, you can use the Split Parents functionality to split the household so that the deceased person has their own household; then add the new spouse to the same household as the remarried contact.

Note: If you are splitting a donor record, make sure to update giving records so that they are associated with the correct donor.
What does a notification “read date” indicate?
The “read date” field generally indicates the date and time when an email has been opened by the recipient. The read date is not a guaranteed approach and it is not recommended for looking at the absolute number of read messages, but it could be used for statistical purposes to compare time trends, population groups, and other criteria in identifying the best approaches to sending out emails.
Video: Creating Assignments for Online Submission
Learn how to create electronic assignments using PCR Educator Student Information System: https://youtu.be/pTbFc16ORPw.
Video: Submitting Assignments Electronically
Follow this video to see how parents and students can submit electronic assignments: https://youtu.be/A1GG1dzFcNU.
Video: Grading Assignments Submitted Online
Follow this video to see how teachers can grade assignments submitted electronically: https://youtu.be/GEj2oFj5oYM.
Text and Voice Communication
As timely and efficient communication with students, staff and families become essential, we have expanded our Text and Voice functions allowing administrators to easily initiate text and voice messages directly from students. Use "Text and Voice" multi-action to access the new feature.
PCR Educator to Offer Free Access to Student Information System and Communication Platform For 90 Days For New K-12 Schools
Bethesda, Maryland – In the coming weeks, many Americans will be affected either directly or indirectly by COVID-19 and PCR Educator is dedicated to serving its customers in providing a cloud-based system for schools. Students, parents, and staff depend upon reliable access to the school management system in nearly every aspect of their educational experience and PCR Educator is committed to ensuring our customers maintain uninterrupted access to these important features which allow schools to continue their operations in a remote environment. To ease the strain in this challenging time, beginning Monday, March 16, PCR Educator commits to the following for 90 days:
  • PCR Educator will offer free Student Information System and Communication Platform for 90 days to schools that do not already have a PCR Educator subscription and at any service level. To enroll inquire at https://www.pcreducator.com/Request-Information---Free-Student-Information-System/57374.
  • PCR Educator will partner with school districts and schools to ensure local communities are aware of these tools to help students learn remotely.
  • PCR Educator will provide new communications tools to its customers complimentary.
As the country works collaboratively to contain this pandemic, cloud-based school management systems will be increasingly essential to ensuring that students across the country are able to learn remotely, that teachers can continue to educate, and that parents stay connected and engaged with the schools. 

PCR Educator will ensure that its customers will continue to receive reliable access to such essential tools as Online Assignment Submission, Online Report Card delivery, Online Re-Enrollment and Enrollment, Online Admissions, Online Payments, Online Donations, Attendance Online, and Online Course Selection. PCR Educator will continue to closely monitor this dynamic situation and is well-prepared to continue delivering reliable connectivity. PCR Educator has extensive business and workforce continuity plans in place that will be adjusted as needed to best serve all our customers and employees.
 
Q & A: Surveying Parents
Q: How can we use PCR Educator to survey parents about possible online instructions?
A: The easiest way to collect responses to surveys is by adding survey questions directly to your parent portal. You can create a new page for these questions and then email all parents using our bulk email feature to invite everyone to participate. We recommend using student or household attributes to record the responses. 
Q & A: Collecting COPPA Forms
Q: How can we use PCR Educator for COPPA forms to collect parental consent if our school is shut down due to coronavirus?
A: The simplest way to collect parental consent is by using our forms application that allows parents to provide their signature and also automatically generates a PDF a version of the form that the school can keep for its records. 
Q & A: Preparing for School Shut Down and Remote Instruction
Q: What tools does PCR Educator provide which can help our school to continue its operations if we need to switch to remote operations due to the novel coronavirus?
A: PCR Educator system is designed to facilitate efficient school operations entirely online. All you need is internet access to use our system. These are some core features which can be especially useful:
-         Online Forum feature for students, parents, and teachers designed to facilitate discussions within a class environment
-         Online Assignment Submission
-         Online Assignment Calendar for tracking classwork and homework
-         Online Report Card delivery
-         Online Re-Enrollment and Enrollment
-         Online Applicant Review System
-         Online Report Card Comments and Marks ReviewSystem
-         Online Payments-         Online Invoicing-       Online Gradebook
-         Online Inquiry and Application
-         Online Teacher Recommendations
-         Online Donations
-         Attendance Online
-         Online Course Selection
Q & A: Can we create custom fields in PCR Educator?
Q: Can we create forms with custom fields that are not a part of our database?
A: Yes, PCR Educator system provides custom fields functionality that allows schools to easily track any information and use in custom forms, queries, and dashboards.
Q & A: Evergreen Contract
Q: Does PCR Educator support the evergreen (Re) Enrollment Contracts?
A: Yes, our (Re) Enrollment Contract application can easily be configured to support schools that operate on the evergreen basis. Some of the relevant features include the ability to allow parents to communicate to the school if their children are not reenrolling and an option for auto-billing that collects the tuition payments automatically.
Q & A: Using DAT Query as a multi-action
Q: Many times, we need to run DAT Query for specific children who do not have a common denominator.  Is there a way to build a DAT Query that would pull from the selected students? 
A: Absolutely! If you include DAT Key Id Field such as student id using your example with students, then you can use DAT Multi-Action to apply that query to the list of the selected records. This approach also works with courses, staff, donations and households.
Scheduled Maintenance
Our west coast data center will be undergoing scheduled maintenance between 7 am ET on February 22nd (Saturday) to 7 am ET on February 23rd (Sunday). There may be minor interruptions in service within that period. We appreciate your cooperation.
Testing Payment Configuration
Payment for individual PCR Educator applications and products may be placed in a Test Mode during setup.  The actual behavior of the Test Mode varies by Payment Processor and does not record transactions to your school’s live account.  Customer Invoices, Deposits, and Customer Receipts are still created when Test Mode is on.  Note:  Do NOT use real credit card or bank information for Test Mode.

Use the following test information which is generally accepted by most Payment Processors.  Note:  The test transaction amount should be at least $1.
 
For Credit Card
Credit Card Number 4111111111111111 Visa
Security Code/CSV 555 Some processors may generate an error code based on specific CSV numbers
Expiration Date Current or future If the expiration date is in the past, the transaction is usually declined.
Name on Card Test, Test The name does not matter.
Billing Address Any The billing address does not matter.

Note:  Do NOT use real credit card information for Test Mode.  

For ECheck
Routing Number 052001633 Bank of America
Account Number 999999999999 Invalid Account Number with Bank of America
Account Type Any For testing, the account type does not matter. Note: For live accounts, Savings Accounts are subject to Federal Reserve Board Regulation D
Name on Account Test The name does not matter.
Account Address Any The address does not matter
Email Email is not required
Note:  Do NOT use real bank account information for Test Mode.  


The following link provides additional information for testing with Authorize.Net
https://developer.authorize.net/hello_world/testing_guide/

The following link provides additional information for testing with Network Merchants (NMI)
https://support.nmi.com/hc/en-gb/articles/115002375583-Test-Cards

The following link provides additional information for testing with Pay Simple
https://documentation.paysimple.com/docs/sandbox
 
How do we check emails or text messages that went out?
Navigate to Notifications > Notifications to review individual emails, text messages and voice calls that are generated through PCR Educator. Notice, there is an Error column that is helpful for analyzing unsuccessful notifications. Note: When an email is successfully sent but is not delivered by the recipient server, it typically bounces back to the sender. In that case, the Error column is not populated.  Note: Email categorized as spam does not populate the Error column and the sender does not receive a bounced back email.

Note:  The most common error is “No emails to send to.”  To resolve this error, review Why does my notification job have no recipients?
Reconciling Deposits with Payment Gateway
The PCR Educator Finance system uses one of the customers selected Payment Gateways to process check and credit card payments electronically. Typically a Payment Gateway company deposits several receipts at once at a preselected time every day. You can specify the same time on the PCR Educator side as well so that the PCR Educator Finance system would also accumulate all receipts received within a day to the same deposit. However, at times your Payment Gateway company may postpone depositing some receipts which may create a discrepancy between the deposit recorded in PCR Educator Finance system and in your Payment Gateway.

Note: the system creates separate deposits for echecks and credit cards.

Below is the suggested process outlining the steps involved in reconciling deposits with payment gateway:

  1. On the PCR Educator side, make sure that the settlement time matches the selected settlement time for deposits in your Payment Gateway.
  2. Make sure to configure your (Re) Enrollment Contract and other applications that process payments not to post deposits automatically. 
  3. When a deposit appears in your payment gateway, locate the deposit in the PCR Educator Finance system by navigating to Finance>AR>Deposits and clicking on the Details. The system shows a list of all receipts which are included in the selected deposit. 
  4. Confirm that the list of receipts matches in both systems. In case when PCR Educator Finance system has receipts that are not shown on the Payment Gateway side, reassociate the erroneous receipts with a deposit in the future. Note: you can click on the receipt Id to navigate to the receipt dashboard. From there, click on Receipt Info heading to repoint the receipt to a new deposit.
  5. Once deposits match in both systems, check the deposited checkbox on the deposit details. The deposited indicator identifies that the receipts were deposited. Note: if you do not check the deposited indicator, the system will automatically check it for you when you post your deposit.
  6. You may now post your deposit. 
Contact Relationship
There are two main ways to track contact relationships:

1. Implied Relationship is automatically calculated by the development module based on a contact’s connections to students, inquiries or staff. Typically these relations are entered at the point of admissions or hiring and automatically show in development module. 

2. Contact-to-Contact Relationship tracks relationships between contacts such as business/owner, business/employee, child/parent. You have an option to select Contact Address, Contact Primary, or Contact Secondary for each side of the relationship. Example: 
Name Address / Primary / Secondary Relationship Inverse Name Inverse Address / Primary / Secondary Inverse Relationship Note
Alvarez Family Address Parent John Alvarez Primary Child John is a son of Mary and Alex Alvarez who are recorded as Alvarez Family. John is recorded as a primary contact of another Alvarez Family contact.
Mary Alvarez Secondary Owner IZ Corp Address Business Mary Alvarez is a secondary contact in Alvarez Family contact. She owns IZ Corp.
Alex Alvarez Primary Sibling Fe Jillian Primary Sibling Alex and Fe are siblings. Alex is the primary contact of Alvarez Family and Fe is the primary contact of Jillian Family.
Contact Financial Information
Contact Financial Information tracks various financial information related to the contact. Example: Real Estate, Securities, Private Company Worth, Annual Income, Annual Income Business, Business Holdings.
Contact Award
Contact Awards refer to records of achievement associated with the selected contact. 
Contact Address
Contact Address represents a mailing address of a contact. Each contact must have exactly one primary address and exactly one billing address. However, contact may have multiple addresses.
Contact
Contact is a constituency record that serves as a development extension of each household record in the database. A contact is a family consisting of one or two individuals, an organization or business. 

Published Name is the internal identifier for a constituency record. This name is the primary displayed name used in development. Example: Schwartz Family, Microsoft Corporation. Note: The “Name” search field on the contacts list searches across both contact first and last names, Published Name, and household name. Note: when Published Name is not specified, the system automatically shows the household name unless you are accessing a DAT Query or DAT Filter.

Send Mail (Development) alerts the system to automatically exclude contacts from all development mailings when this field is not checked.

Solicitor to Contact identifies a separate contact that is marked as a solicitor to the selected contact.

Contact Attributes and Contact Types are used to assign custom labels to contacts and to identify their roles and relations to the school.

Contact Address identifies the contact as a whole as opposed to Contact Primary and Contact Secondary records which refer to individual persons (typically spouses) within the contact.

Contact Relationships track contact relationships with students, inquiries, staff, and other contacts.

Contact Addresses are used to record different addresses associated with the contact.

Contact Awards are used to record awards, achievements and other honors that you may want to track on a contact level.

Donations are used to record gifts, pledges, matching pledges for the selected contact.

Contact Financial Information allows for tracking financial information about the selected contact.

Outside Donations allows for tracking information about the contact’s gifts and pledges to other organizations.

Stored Payment Info keeps payment information that a contact saved in your system. For instance, if a contact signs up for a recurring gift online, their payment information is saved in the system to allow for automated withdrawals on the selected due dates.

Note: You should set up policies and procedures guide specifying how users at your organization enter data, maintain records, and perform various functions related to your Raiser’s Edge database. By documenting your rules and guidelines for data entry, you help ensure the consistency of your data. Consistent data entry is crucial to the accuracy and validity of your reports, summaries, and queries.
Sample Templates
Here are a few templates available to use.

LABELS - Students (3x10)
ENVELOPE - Student
ENVELOPE - Households
DIRECTORY - Households
DIRECTORY - Students
Finance - Customer Invoice
Finance - Customer Receipt
HTML/RTF - Report Card Comments, Emails, and Website Content
Copying and pasting text from Word or other text editors may cause some formatting issues due to these programs’ built-in translation of text HTML. It is recommended that you enter text directly into a text editor or clean the text first by pasting it into Notepad. The table below shows which HTML elements are supported by the different content editors implemented by PCR Educator. Note: All HTML markup is removed when constructing PDFs.  For PDFs generated from the CMS, the font style is determined by the PDF Label Style widget setting. If the text appears in the Title widget setting then the title text renders as bold.

Style/Element Report Comments Emails Website Content
bolding
x
x
x
italicizing
x
x
x
underlining
x
x
x
a
x
x
b
x
x
br
x
x
div
x
x
font
x
x
h1
x
x
h2
x
x
h3
x
x
h4
x
x
h5
x
x
h6
x
x
head
x
x
hr
x
x
img
x
x
label
x
x
li
x
x
ol
x
x
p
x
x
span
x
x
strong
x
x
table
x
x
td
x
x
th
x
x
tr
x
x
u
x
x
ul
x
x
All other HTML Formats and Elements
x
Merging Duplicate Inquiries
Merging Duplicate Inquiries is a feature that allows administrators to identify two inquiry records and merge them into one record. Since the system automatically prevents duplicates, this situation is rare. When entering inquiry information on the Inquiry Online page, a duplicate check is performed. The inquiry first name, last name, and birth date are used to match records already entered in Admissions. 

Follow these steps to merge two inquiry records into one:
- Go to Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants.

- Select the two duplicate inquiry records that you want to merge. Note: If there are more than two entries that need to be merged, the process will need to be completed two entries at a time. Note: The system shows the number of potential inquiries in the upper right corner. When you click on it, the system shows these potential duplicates.

- Go to multi-action Merge Inquiries. 

- The system displays information for both inquiries side by side.

- Identify the information that you want to keep.

- Click the Merge Inquiries button. Note: Once the two records are merged, the original records no longer exist.

Once the merge process is completed, the system presents the merged inquiry record. 
How do you manually add an Inquiry from the Admissions Portal?
1. Follow Application Setup to ensure the administrative portal is connected to the public inquiry page. 
2. Go to Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants. 
3. Select "New" on the right side of the page.
4. The Inquiry Online page opens. 
5. Fill out the inquiry information on this page.
6. Submit the inquiry. 
7. Upon submit, the Actions checked in the properties are added to the Inquiry. These actions are marked with the user that submitted the inquiry.
8. Upon submit,  if an email was added to the submit action, the email will go to the parent email that you have entered for them.

Note: Entering an Inquiry in this manner  will create the inquiry the same as if the parent had done so. The parent can then continue the process.
FAQ: Recognizing Revenue on a Payment Plan
PCR Educator’s Finance Module recognizes revenue based on the customer invoice issued date. When a customer invoice is posted, transactions are created in the General Ledger with a transaction date that matches the issued date of the invoice. As a result, if an invoice is issued on July 1st and has scheduled due dates that span across the fiscal year, the revenue will still be recognized on July 1st.

If you may wish to recognize revenue based on the payment plan’s due date, you can generate new invoices that are issued on each due date of the payment plan.
CMS Sitemap Page Visibility
User
Unauthenticated Authenticated & Qualifies Authenticated & Unqualified
Page Un-published Hides Hides Hides
Published Shows Shows Shows
Roles Authenticate URL Present Shows Shows Hides
No Authenticate URL Hides Shows Hides
Filters Authenticate URL Present Shows Shows Hides
No Authenticate URL Hides Shows Hides


Note: If there is any situation which would result in the page being hidden for the user, then the page menu item will be hidden.  Example: The page is published (Shows), the user qualifies based on roles (Shows), but does not qualify based on filters (Hides).  The page menu item will be hidden.

Note: When in Content Edit mode, all pages in the site maps are visible regardless of roles, filters, or if the page is published.

Note: Pages may inherit roles from the master page.  Filters are not inherited from the master page.

Note: A page is public if the page is Published and has no Roles or Filters specified.  While such a page will show with an Unathenticated URL specified, the best practice is to leave the Unauthenticated URL blank for public pages.
Standard Query: [Admin] Parents of Alumni
This query returns information of all parent households tied to graduated students.
Why is My Teacher Recommendation Form Blank?
When a recommendation is requested, the system generates a unique link that ties a specific applicant to a specific recommendation type and a specific teacher.  The teacher then has that unique link sent to them, and when they click on it, it loads the recommendation page with all the information.  If you see a blank page as an administrator, please click the “Content” link on the top-left corner of the page; you will then be able to view and edit all widgets on your recommendation form.  You will need the “Website Full” role to access the form in Content mode.
Standard Query: [Admin] Parent Teacher Conferences by Student

This query returns Parent-Teacher Conference registrations in the selected division/school id. The results (sorted by student names) include student information, household information, and conference dates/times. 

The School Id is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition.
Teacher Portal Training Video
The following training videos are created from the teacher perspective.

General Navigation discusses how to navigate around the Teacher Portal and configure your Dashboards.

Period Attendance and Discipline shows how to record period attendance and discipline.  Note: Period attendance is taken for a specific course section.  Daily attendance is configured separately and is usually used by Elementary schools or schools which only take attendance during Homerooms.  Note:  To track who has taken attendance, period attendance must be recorded.  The attendance widget can be configured to show one type of attendance and record both types.

Email Parents and Students shows how to use the email function to contact parents and students. Note: The options for teachers may vary by school configuration. Example:  Some schools allow the teacher to pick which household/parent emails to send to.  Others may pre-select specific emails only and not provide an option for teachers.
Admissions Checklist Workshop
Are you ready to take your Admissions workflow to the next level? Join us for an online workshop taking you through step by step instructions on how to configure Admissions Checklists, increase touchpoints with your applicants through email drip campaigns, and much more! Admissions Checklists allow schools to systematically manage their admissions workflow and identify items that can be completed by groups of applicants.  Some examples may include submitting required forms, requesting recommendations, and signing up for events.  In this workshop, you will learn to:
 
  • Configure Admissions Checklists
  • Create Automatic Email Triggers
  • Assign Applicants to your Team
  • Review "to do" Items on your Calendar 
 
Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 Time: 2:00 PM ET/ 11:00 AM PT

https://youtu.be/B93yZfl9a3g
 
 
Standard Query: [Admin] Orphaned Period Attendance
This query provides a list of all period attendance entries for students who are no longer in a given course section. It returns the student name, the period attendance entry date, and course information.
How to manually add siblings in Admissions?
1. Go to  Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants 
2. Locate the first Inquiry from the Household
3. Click “Details” for that Inquiry to enter the Inquiry details page. 
4. Select the Application Form from the left side menu. 
5. Selecting the Application Form tab brings up the applicant profile page on the portal for that student. Or you can choose a user (if more than one is connected to the inquiry) and select “Go”. 
6. On the applicant profile page, select the “New Inquiry” option from the Inquiry selector.
7. A new inquiry page opens. Fill this page out as you would a normal inquiry entry.
Standard Query: [Admin] Interim Marks
This query returns all saved Interim marks for the current school year along with student and course information.
Standard Query: [Admin] Enrolled Students with Grandparent Households
This query provides a list for currently enrolled students in a selected division with grandparent household information including names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers.

The School Id is set as a DAT Parametrized Condition.
Update: Add Students to Homeroom/Advisor Class
In the next release, the multi-action options of “Add to Homeroom” and “Add to Advisor” in Admin/Scheduling > Students will be deprecated. Instead, please use the “Sections (Add)” option to enroll students in advisory and homeroom classes. To designate a course as advisory or homeroom, go to Scheduling > Courses > Course Details and check off the “Is Homeroom” or “Is Advisory” box.
Standard Query: [Admin] Enrolled Students with Parent Households
This query provides a list of currently enrolled students in the selected division along with parent household information including addresses, names, emails, and phone numbers.


 The School Division Id is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition. 
Update: Inquiry/Student Actions File Upload Control
Our Inquiry/Student Actions File Upload widget which is frequently used in Apply Online and in Parent Portal for uploading various documents, files, and portfolio pieces is getting a facelift! The small and subtle change is designed to streamline your parents’ experience when it comes to the upload process. After the release, this widget will automatically upload files when a user clicks the Save (or Next) button eliminating the need to click the upload button. Set the ‘Required’ property if these files must be submitted or leave it blank for optional submissions.
Standard Query: [Admin] Dropped Classes
This query provides a list of all the students who were dropped from each course and when these students were dropped. 

The School Id is set as a DAT Parameterized Condition. 
Standard Query: [Admin] Daily Attendance
This query returns daily attendance records based on the School ID and Occurrence Date. The School Id signifies the division associated with these records whereas the Occurrence Date indicates the attendance date. 

The results are sorted by Student Last Name, Student First Name, and Attendance Description. There is a template associated with this query that renders a document containing the results when the "Print” button is clicked
 
Period Attendance Not Taken PDF Report
As previously announced, the “Period Attendance Not Taken” pdf report has been replaced by a DAT query called “[Admin] Period Attendance Not Taken."
Configuring Admissions Checklist Process
1. Configuring Action Category if necessary.
2. Configuring Actions using an Action Category with the correct action entity type for the Action.
3. Configuring Evaluations and Configuring Action (Evaluation Sections)
4. Configuring Admissions Recommendations Process
5. Configuring Admissions Event Sign-up Process
6. Adding Test Data
  - Go to Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants > click “New” to create a new inquiry record
  - Add all actions that you will be using for your Admissions Checklists and their filters by Recording Inquiry Action for the newly created inquiry.
7. Creating DAT Filters for the Admissions Checklist
8. Configuring Admissions Checklist
9. Associate Admissions Checklist Actions
Labor Day
Our offices will be closed on Monday, September 2nd in observance of Labor Day. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, September 3rd.
Correspondence Records Consolidated to Actions
Student and Inquiry correspondence records can now be accessed through Student Details > Actions screen and Inquiry Details > Checklists screen.

For more information about recording an inquiry action, click here.
For more information about recording a student action, click here.
Apply Online: Moving Academic Year Forward
Prior to the beginning of each admissions cycle, an administrative user who has a role of ‘Website Full’ will need to adjust the Apply Online to move the academic years forward.

- Log into the appropriate page as an administrator.
- Click ‘Content’ on the top-left corner of the page.

Inquiry/Application Forms

- Locate the field that denotes the Academic Year and go to properties of the widget by clicking the gear icon on the widget itself.
- Check off appropriate academic years that you wish to make available and uncheck years that you wish to disable. Click Save.

Note: You may have different widgets that denote the Academic Year in your Inquiry form and in your Application. You will need to ensure that it is updated it in both places.

Applicant Profile

- Locate the ‘Applications’ widget and go to properties of the widget by clicking the gear icon on the widget itself.
- Select the academic years from ‘Application Academic Year1’ and ‘Application Academic Year2’ dropdowns. Click Save.

Note: If you prefer to leave only one academic year open, set ‘Application Academic Year2’ to a blank value.
Standard Query: [Admin] Attendance Details
This query provides a list of attendance information for students based on the marking period range for a specified school division. It shows the type of attendance entered along with the explanation and the date that the attendance occurred for each student.

The School Id and Marking Period Number uses DAT Parameterized Conditions allowing you to change them on the results page. The school id can be found on the home page in the dropdown in the upper right-hand side of the page.
DAT - Check In / Check Out Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the Check In / Check Out tables.
DAT - Lunch Choices Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the Lunch Choice tables.
DAT - Attendance Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main Admin Attendance tables.
DAT Webinar - Attendance
Please use this article as a supplemental resource for this DAT Webinar:
https://youtu.be/O6-Hk12ZG0Y
  
1. Intro
    a.  Discuss the basics of building Attendance queries.  Send emails to support@pcreducator.com for suggestions.   link
    b.  The Data Analytics Tool (DAT) is a comprehensive system for creating on-the-fly filters, exports, dashboards, emailing, queries and reports supporting advanced database concepts with left joins, logical conditions, aliasing, aggregates, pivots, predefined reports, parameterization, and flexible security access. link
    c.  DAT Query considerations link
        i. Plan what information will be extracted. 
        ii. Plan a workflow on what tables to use in the DAT - Attendance Data Structure  link
            a. Tables in the DAT - Attendance Data Structure 
                i.  Primary Tables: Students, Courses, Teachers link
                ii.  Supporting Tables  link
                iii. Red box / key fields explanation to avoid DAT Filter Common Mistakes link
                        - School Id field link
                        - Record Type field link
                        - School Year field link
            b. Tables in the DAT - Check In / Check Out Data Structure link
            c. Tables in the DAT - Lunch Choices Data Structure link
            d. Student “Statuses by Division” DAT Filter Common Mistakes link
            e.  Finding School Id on the Home page link
2.  Modify "[Admin] Attendance Details" to show: all students who were absent in the past week link
    a. “PCR Imported” category standard reports link
    b. Accessing DAT Query "[Admin] Attendance Details" link
        i. Review the report DAT Query - Step 1 link
        ii. Review the DAT - Attendance Data Structure link
        iii.  Add a DAT Field Condition on school id for Daily Attendance link
            a. Plus vs Link link
            b. School Division DAT Functional Operator link
            c.  Add school id as a DAT Parameterized Condition link
        v.  View Results.  Demonstrate changing parameter on DAT Results - Step 4 link
        vi.  Remove “Grade Level” table link
        vii. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Sorting link
        viii. DAT Column Order - Step 3  link
        ix. Remove “Grade Level Int” on DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
        x. DAT Results - Step 4  link
        xi. Change school id parameter link
        xii. Change report to show Occurrence Date in The Last 7 Days link
            a. Add DAT Functional Operator condition for The Last 7 days link
        xiv. Reorder results by date on DAT Fields - Step 2 - Sorting link
        xiii. DAT Results - Step 4 link
   c. DAT Save - Step 6 saving a standard query link
        i. Choose a different query group link
        ii.  Choose roles for the query link
            a. Role considerations for query link
3.  Teachers who haven't taken period attendance yet (today) link
    a. Accessing DAT Query "[Admin] Period Attendance Not Taken" link
        i. Review the report on DAT Query - Step 1 link
            a. Explanation of “With or Without” in DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables link
        ii. Review the DAT - Attendance Data Structure link
        iii.  Add a DAT Field Condition for Courses.  Use the DAT Functional Operator “School Division” to specify Upper School.  link
        iv.  Add a DAT Field Condition on rotation date using DAT Functional Operator “Today” link
        v. DAT Results - Step 4  link
        vii. Change date display format on DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance link
        viii. DAT Results - Step 4 link
   b. DAT Save - Step 6 saving a standard query link
        i.  Choose roles for the query link
        ii. Name the query link
        iii. Choose a different query group link
        iv. Optional query description link
    c. Add DAT Dashboard Element using a DAT Grid widget link
    d. Change report to show how many times teachers haven’t taken period attendance link
        i. Edit report DAT Query - Step 1 link
        ii. Change rotation date condition using the DAT Functional Operator “The Next” 0 Days. link
        iii. Remove unnecessary tables and columns. link
            a. Keep link to courses but include no columns  link
        iv. DAT Results - Step 4 link
        vi. DAT Fields - Step 2 link
            a.  Count Distinct on Rotation Date using DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating  link
            b.  Alias to Total on Rotation Date using DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance link
            c. Why Count Distinct instead of Count?  link
        vi. Change sort order for descending total DAT Fields - Step 2 - Sorting link
        vii. DAT Results - Step 4 link
            a. Value of including DAT Key Id Field columns: teacher id link
                i. View Dashboard link
                ii. Select All link
        viii. DAT Column Order - Step 3 versus DAT Fields - Step 2 - Sorting order link
   d. DAT Save - Step 6 saving a standard query   link
        i. Update versus Save New link
3.  Creating New DAT Query “Discipline point totals per student” link
    a. Review the DAT - Attendance Data Structure link
        i. Add Student Info and student fields using DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables and  DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Periods Attendance and Discipline link
        iii. DAT Results - Step 4 link
            a. Discussion on Discipline Points and how they may be used link
            b. Discussion on totalling link
        iv. Remove the unnecessary fields DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
        v. Add sum DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating link
        vi. DAT Column Order - Step 3  link
        vii. DAT Results - Step 4 link
        viii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions, limit students using Status By Division DAT Filter Common Mistakes link
4. New Report “Discipline points by month” - statistics report.  A demonstration of data mining statistics. link
    a. Creating New DAT Query link
        i. Review the DAT - Attendance Data Structure link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table Period Attendance and Discipline  link
            a. DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
        iii. DAT Results - Step 4 link
        iv. Discussion of Unique Rows versus All Rows on DAT Fields - Step 2 - Uniqueness link
        v. DAT Query - Step 1 link
            a. Add multi-select condition for all 12 months.  Only months where data actually appears can be added in the condition.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions link
            b. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions for discipline points <> 0.  link
            c. Remove unnecessary columns DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
        vi. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting for the Sum of Discipline Points. link
        vii. Discuss DAT Results - Step 4  link
    b. Discussion of other possible variations of the report link
5. Creating New DAT Query “Lunch Choices for Today” link
    a. Overview of the DAT - Lunch Choices Data Structure  link
    b. Creating New DAT Query link
        i. Review  the DAT - Lunch Choices Data Structure link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table “Lunch Choices” link
        iii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables “Lunch Choice Options” link
            a. Remove automatic DAT Field Condition for School Id link
        iv. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables “With or Without” to “Student Info” link
        v. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables “With or Without” to “Teachers” link
        vi. DAT Results - Step 4 link
        vii. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance link
    c. Change report to “Lunch Choice Counts for Today” link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1, remove links Student Info and Teachers link
        ii. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating count of the Lunch Choice Option Id link
        iii. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Sorting and DAT Column Order - Step 3 link
        iv. Discuss DAT Results - Step 4 link
6. Creating New DAT Query “Checked In but not Checked Out” link
    a. Overview of the DAT - Check In / Check Out Data Structure  link
    b. Creating New DAT Query  link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table “Student Info”  link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables “Check In / Check Out” link
            a. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions for Check In Time (a mistake, should be Check Out Time) using the DAT Functional Operator “Is Blank” link
            b. Add condition for Program Type link
            c. Correct the condition to use Check Out Time link
        iii. DAT Results - Step 4 link
        iv. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance for the date link
        v. DAT Column Order - Step 3  link
        vi. DAT Results - Step 4 link
        iv. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance for the time link
        v. DAT Results - Step 4 link
        vi. DAT Save - Step 6 link
7. Webinar Summary link
 
Close of the School Year 2019 Announcement
Close of the School Year Wizard was made available on July 1st. Please keep in mind that you can send notifications to next year families and give them access to the Parent Portal (including next year's schedules) prior to closing the school year. Moreover, please plan ahead and reserve several business days just in case you may need support from PCR Educator in closing the school year.  As previously announced, the wizard will delete all notifications for non-current inquiries/applicants and all notifications generated during previous academic years for students.

The wizard will not delete:

- any Financial or Development notifications
- any notifications attached to actions

Note: The close of the school year wizard will not be available if your school exceeds the purchased database storage amount.  Please contact support@pcreducator.com to help you address this.
Configuring Admissions Event Sign-up Process
To set up new Admissions Events for the CMS Apply Online, perform the following steps.

In the Admissions module:
1. Create an Action using an Action Category of type “Inquiry” to represent your event.  Note: The action needs to have the read role “Applicant” in order to be available for parents to sign up.  Example: Create an action with the Action Name “Open House” using the “Inquiry Actions” Action Category.
2. Create the Admissions Event Category. Associate the event category to your Action. 
3. Configuring Admissions Events for the dates and times that parents may sign up.
4. Create an Admissions > Actions email template for the event signup thank you email.
5. Add the action as an Admissions Checklist Action.  Note: Parents will only be able to sign up for events on Admissions Checklists that their applicant qualifies for.

Configuration in the Admissions module is complete.  The rest of the setup is in the CMS Apply Online.  Note: It is easiest to set up the pages in the reverse order that parents access them as each page will need to reference the next page.
1. Create an event signup thank you page.
2. Create an events signup page.  Note: Add the widget Admissions - Event Sign Up
3. Optional: Create an events calendar page. Note: Add the widget Admissions - Event Calendar
4. Add an Applicant Profile widget for events signup. Note: Add the widget Admissions Profile - Events
5. Optional: Create an event check-in page.  Note: Add the widget Admissions - Event Check In Note: The check-in page would be used on-site at the event to record event attendance.

Note:  The Apply Online Webinar Part 2 discusses events setup in both the Admissions Module and the CMS Apply Online.
Configuring Admissions Recommendations Process
To set up new recommendations for the CMS Apply Online, perform the following steps.

In the Admissions module:
1. Create an Action using an Action Category of type “Inquiry Recommendation” to represent the recommendation.  Note: The actions need to have the read role “Applicant” to be available for parents to request the recommendation.  Example: Create an action with the Action Name “Math Recommendation” using the “Inquiry Recommendations” Action Category.
2. Add the action as an Admissions Checklist Action.  Note: Parents will only be able to request recommendations for action on Admissions Checklists that their applicant qualifies for.
3. Create Inquiry Action Attributes to record information you will request from the recommending teacher.  Note: The attributes will be associated with the inquiry action and do not need to be yearable as the action already has an academic year.
4. Create an Admissions > Actions email template for the recommendation request email to send to the recommender.  Note: The “ActionMergeUrl” merge field must be used as the link to access the inquiry recommendation page.
5. Create an Admissions > Actions email template for the thank you email to send to the recommender.

Configuration in the Admissions module is complete.  The rest of the setup is in the CMS Apply Online.  Note: It is easiest to set up the pages in the reverse order that users access them as each page will need to reference the next page.
1. Create the Recommendation Submitted thank you page.  Note: This page should be publicly accessible.
2. Create the Inquiry Recommendation page that the recommender will submit.  Note: This page should be publicly accessible.  Note: Add the widget Admissions - Teacher Submit Request.  Note:  Make sure the page has “Attributes Inquiries” checked under the “Data” tab.  Note:  Use the Updatable - WizardBox to add Inquiry Action Attribute fields.
3. Optional: Create the Inquiry Recommendation Request Thank You page.  Note: Instead of sending the parent to a thank you page, you may wish to return them to the Applicant Profile page.
4. Create the Inquiry Recommendation Request page.  Note: Add the widget Admissions - Teacher Request Recommendation
5. Add an Applicant Profile widget for inquiry recommendations. Note: Add the widget Admissions Profile - Recommendations

Note:  The Apply Online Webinar Part 2 discusses recommendation setup in both the Admissions Module and the CMS Apply Online.
DAT - Admissions Inquiries Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main Admissions Inquiries tables.
DAT - Admissions Inquiry Actions Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main Admissions Inquiry Actions tables.
DAT - Admissions Inquiry Action Types Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main Admissions Inquiry Action Types tables.
DAT - Admissions Evaluations Data Structure

The diagram describes the relationships between the main Admissions Evaluations tables.
Daily Rotation
The daily rotation is used to establish the schedule for the school calendar associating each calendar day with the rotation day.  To access the daily rotation, make sure you are in the Current Year Schedule and navigate to Scheduling > Blocks > Daily Rotation.  You need Scheduling Full or Scheduling Read roles to access this page.  Note: The daily rotation is specific to each school division.  Make sure every division with a schedule has its daily rotation set up.

For each day that school meets, specify the Day of Cycle for that day and choose the Day Status of In School.  Note: The Day Status for a day when school is in session must be In School.  All other statuses are considered a variation of out of school - holidays, conference days, or other school closings.  Note: The days in the daily rotation work in conjunction with the attendance dates in Marking Period Info.

Day of Cycle is the type of schedule for that day based and corresponds to Block day of cycles.  Note: If the school does not meet for a specific day and you wish to record a Day Status, use the day of cycle 99.  Example:  The school has an “In Service” day on Wednesday.  You can specify Wednesday with a Day Status of “In Service” and Day of Cycle 99.  Note:  You can create additional Day of Cycles in you Blocks and Daily Schedule with alternative meeting times/schedules.  Example:  If you wish to schedule a “Half Day” of school, create blocks for an unused Day of Cycle with appropriate meeting times for the Half Day.  Update the Period Codes to include these new blocks.  Then use the new Half Day Day of Cycle for the Daily Rotation date.

Day Status is either In School or some variation of no school.  Note: If no day status is recorded for a day, then the school does not meet and the Day of Cycle will default to the first option in the drop-down.  Note: When you “Manage Day Status” the rule of “Attendance Day” is used to assist in recording calculated attendance.  Only “In School” should have the rule “Attendance Day” specified.  Example:  You mark a student absent for 2 weeks.  Days during that 2-week stretch that are not an “Attendance Day” will not have an attendance record recorded.

Note:  Make sure you remember to press “Save Changes” when you are finished!

Note: It is recommended to only set up the Daily Rotation for one month at a time.  If you set up the entire year in advance, and there is a surprise event which disrupts the school schedule, you may end up needing to shift several months worth of data.  If you only set up a month at a time, you would only need to modify a few weeks of data.
Standard Query: [Admin] Add/Drops
This query provides a list of all enrolled students and classes they are dropped from or added to. It has a predefined parameter to specify the school division id. The school id can be found on the home page of Campus in the dropdown on the right-hand side of the page.

Action Type refers to the add/drop action. Action Types of “Add” or “Drop” specify that a student was added or dropped from the class individually. This may have been done through the Conflicts List in Scheduling > Student > Details > Conflicts. Action Types of “a-all” and “d-all” specify that student(s) were added and dropped from a class(es) using the bulk option in multi-action menu (Add Sections/Drop Sections).

This query also has the option to produce a document. Simply click the “Print” button on the Results screen to produce an Add/Drop report.
Advancing Student Grade
To set the Grade Level Next Year, Day or Boarding Next Year, International Next Year, and/or School Fund Code Next Year for students in bulk, navigate to Students and use the multi-action “Next Year.”  You need the Scheduling Full role to access this multi-action.

Note: The next grade level for a student is determined by the Grade Level setup and the student’s current grade level.
Official Report
Official Reports are archived PDF reports retained in the database and often made available for download on the Teacher Portal or Parent Portal.  Official Reports may be accessed by navigating to Administrator > Comments&Marks > Official Reports.  You need the Registrar Read or Registrar Full role to access this page.  Official Reports may also be accessed by navigating to Admin > Student > Details > Progress PDF, Admin > Student > Details> Report Cards PDF, or Admin > Student > Details > Transcripts PDF.  You will need Registrar Read, Registrar Full, or ArchivalReports Read role to access these pages.

Report Type is either Report Card, Progress Report, or Transcript

Sub Type is an option your school controls.  The standard setup only has an option of “Default” but other options can be added to allow for multiple reports of the same Report Type for the same Marking Period.  Example: You might choose to archive two versions of the transcript: an unofficial version available for download on the Parent Portal, and an official version for internal use only.  Since they are both the same report for the same year, you can differentiate them by saving them with a different Sub Type.

Academic Year is the school year that the report is for.

Household is the household the report is for.  Most reports have an address appearing on the report.  If a student has multiple “send mail” households associated, each household will receive their own copy of the report.

Available Date is the date/time that the report will be available for parents to download the report on the Parent Portal.  Note:  This date time is based on the Time Zone specified in the Application Setup (CMS/Website).  Note:  If no Available Date is specified, the report will not be available for download by parents on the CMS Parent Portal.

Note:  Only one archived pdf may exist for a given Report Type, Sub Type, Year, Marking Period, Household, and Student combination.  If you want to have multiple reports then use a different Sub Type to differential them.

Note:  While it is possible to manually upload individual PDF reports, Archiving Official Reports is the preferred way to create Official Reports.
Archiving Official Report
To archive official reports, navigate to Students and use the multi-action “Archive PDF.”  You need the Archiving Full role to access this function.

Before Archiving Official Reports, make sure all Marks and Comments have been entered into the system and approved.  Preview the PDF Reports for the students to make sure that the reports are correct and that you know which report card style and settings you will use for archiving.  Note:  You should only preview or archive PDF reports one grade level at a time.  Note: If the report is blank for a student, review the article Why is my report card blank when I run a report card pdf?

Overwrite when checked, this will overwrite an existing Official Report if one is present for the student.  Otherwise only new Official Reports will be archived.

Note: If you have students with an Academic or Financial Hold, you should archive those reports separately.  When the report can be released to parents, the Available Date can be updated accordingly.

Note: If a student originally had an Incomplete when the report was archived, the report can be re-archived using the Overwrite option.  Similarly, if there were corrections made to a student’s grades or comments, the report should be re-archived using the Overwrite option.

Note: Archiving generates reports for qualifying primary households which now include primary households with a relationship of Grandparent.  Prior behavior limited PDFs to parents only.
DAT Diagrams
The following are all articles with DAT Diagrams:
DAT - Admissions Evaluations Data Structure
DAT - Admissions Inquiries Data Structure
DAT - Admissions Inquiry Actions Data Structure
DAT - Admissions Inquiry Action Types Data Structure
DAT - Attendance Data Structure
DAT - Basic Student Data Structure
DAT - Check In / Check Out Data Structure
DAT - Development Data Structure
DAT - Lunch Choices Data Structure
DAT - Finance AR Customer Statement Data Structure
DAT - Finance AR Data Structure
DAT - Finance AP Data Structure
DAT - Financial Aid Data Structure
DAT - (Re) Enrollment Data Structure
DAT - Scheduling Data Structure
 
DAT Webinar - Admin/Admissions
Please use this article as a supplemental resource for this DAT Webinar


1. Intro link
    a.  The Data Analytics Tool (DAT) is a comprehensive system for creating on-the-fly filters, exports, dashboards, emailing, queries and reports supporting advanced database concepts with left joins, logical conditions, aliasing, aggregates, pivots, predefined reports, parameterization, and flexible security access.
    b.  Difference between the DMT and the DAT link
    c. Connecting students to teachers link
        i.  Students taking classes from Teachers  link
        ii.  Students connected to Staff Households  link
2. Creating New DAT Query link
    a. Common tables link
        i. Student table link
        ii. Inquiry table link
        iii. Household table link
        iv. Search for a table or field link
        v. Student Actions table link
        vi. Student Attributes table link
        vii. Inquiry Action table link
        viii. Inquiry Attributes table link
    b. Find applicants applying for 9th grade or higher  link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table inquiries link
        ii.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
        iii.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions link
    c. List of Inquiries Report  link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table inquiries link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
        iii. DAT Results - Step 4 review results link
        iv. DAT Column Order - Step 3 link
        v. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance - rename fields link
        vi. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions link
        vii. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance - Change display format link
        viii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions on a field that is not displayed link
        ix. DAT Parameterized Condition link
        x. DAT Functional Operator link
        xi. Adding multiple conditions link
            - Advanced AND / OR conditions link
    d. Students with Forms Actions  link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table students link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields  link
        iii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Student Actions for "Handbook Policy" link
        iv. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions link
        v. DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields action date link
        vi. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance link
        vii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Using "With or With Out" link
        viii. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance to change date display format link
        ix. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables to the same table Student Actions for "Field Trip Permission" and "Photo Release" link
        x. DAT Query and DAT Filter Common Mistakes - Why are there more records now? Limit actions by academic year. link
    e. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting Inquiry counts by Academic Year link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table inquiries and DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions link
        iii. Add Multi-select condition on academic year link
        iv. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting link
        v. DAT Save - Step 6 link
        vi. Opening saved DAT Query link
3. Adding DAT Dashboard Element link
    a. Adding a new Data Analytics Grid widget link
    b. Select DAT Query to use link
    c. Adding a new Data Analytics Chart widget link
4. Printing from DAT
    a. Create a student discipline report
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table students  link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables discipline  link
        iii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields discipline points  link
        iv. DAT Column Order - Step 3 link
        v. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating discipline points link
        vi. DAT Query and DAT Filter Common Mistakes Add a condition to limit by School Id link
        vii. DAT Results - Step 4  Individual records are different than the totals.  Why?  Default shows unique records. link
        viii. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Uniqueness link
        ix. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating discipline points again  link
    b. DAT - Creating Templates link
        i. Set up data source link
            - Download datasource header file link
            - Create MS Word mail merge document  link
            - Upload MS Word document to DAT link
        ii. DAT - Using Templates link
DAT Webinar - Development
Please use this article as a supplemental resource for this DAT Webinar.

1. DAT Dashboard Elements
2. Modifying stock DAT Query in the "PCR (Imported)" DAT Group  link
    a. [Development] $1001 - $5000 Donors link
        i. Adding fields DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
        ii. Adding conditions DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions   link
        iii. Changing fields  DAT Fields - Step 2  link
        iv. Saving report DAT Save - Step 6  link
    b. [Development] Campaign Comparison Summary  link
        i. Showing Years as Columns using DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting link
4.  Creating New DAT Query - Donation and Campaigns Report LYNTY  link
    a.  Donation allocations  link
    b.  Restrict donations by fiscal year link
    c.  Campaign Allocations link
    d.  Sum donation amounts DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating  link
Videos
New users should first watch the Campus Basic Webinar and Campus Basic Webinar 2 for an overview on basic navigation and functions.

DAT - Webinars provide detailed information on creating a DAT Query for various modules such as Admissions and Development and use other features of the DAT including printing letters and configuring dashboard widgets.

Admissions - Videos provide information about Admissions setup, Apply Online, Recommendations and other Admissions topics.  Note: “Send Decision Letters” is an excellent overview on printing documents.

CMS - Videos provide instructions on working with the PCR Educator CMS, including working with pages and widgets.

Development - Videos provide information on various Development topics including Tax Receipts, Relationships, and Emailing Contacts.

Finance/Student Billing - Videos provide information about various Finance portal topic including the setup for Point of Sales (POS) and Cafeteria.  Note: For (Re) Enrollment Contract and (Re) Enrollment Forms related finance videos, see (Re) Enrollment.

Managing Middle and High School Attendance - Video provides information on how teachers can take period attendance and administrative staff can input daily attendance.

(Re) Enrollment Contract - Videos provide information about (Re) Enrollment Contract, (Re) Enrollment Forms and Student Billing.

Registrar - Videos provide information about official reporting including Comment Status Management, and archiving PDF reports.

Scheduling - Videos provide information on the setting up Blocks, Period Codes, Course Sections, Student Selections, Student Courses, Courses, Departments, Teachers, Rooms, Period Code / Room Restrictions, and building schedules.

Summer School/Summer Camp - Videos provide information on setting up and managing a Summer Camp school division.

A webinar for Closing the School Year is available here.
Admissions - Videos
Applicant Evaluations discusses Configuring Evaluations, Assigning Evaluators, Submitting Evaluations as an applicant, and reporting on Evaluations in a DAT Query.

Apply Online Webinar Part 1 - Apply Online Webinar Part 1.
Apply Online Webinar Part 2 - Apply Online Webinar Part 2.

IEP Report discusses how to set up for an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Topics include setting up IEP Actions, accessing the actions through the Teacher Portal, and reporting on the actions through a DAT print.

Online Teacher Recommendations discusses Teacher Recommendations including how to request a recommendation as a parent, submitting a pdf file to complete the request as the recommender, and reviewing the submission in Admissions.

Send Decision Letters (Email & Print) discusses setting up and sending emails using an email or sending letters using a print.

PCR Educator Transforms School Life for Families, Teachers, and Administrators

From Inquiry to Enrollment: PCR Educator's Seamless Process

Enhancing Admissions Decisions with PCR Educator's Innovative Support and Analytics

Streamlining School Admissions with PCR Educator's Personalized Guidance

PCR Educator Transforming School Outreach and Communication through Customization and Automation

PCR Educator Streamlines Enrollment and Strengthens Connections
Apply Online Webinar Part 2
This article is an index with timestamps for the topics covered in the following webinar:
Apply Online Webinar Part 2

1. Intro
    a.   If you have questions or suggestions, please send an email to support@pcreducator.com.
link
2. Custom Attribute dropdown example link
    a. Ask what term someone is applying for: Fall or Spring  link
    b. Set up the attribute link
    c. Choose the Attribute Category link
    d. Create the Lookup link
    e. Create the Attribute link
        i. Allow Customer Text link
    f. Add the widget to the CMS page using a Wizard Box link
        i. Field options: “Use all but selected value” vs “Use only selected values” link
    g. Move the widget link
3. Restrict widget and page visibility link
    a. Hiding a widget
        i. Restrict “What program applying for” to lower school applicants link
        ii. Add a Filter to the widget.  link
        iii. View page and the widget is hidden.  link
        iv. Remove a Filter from the widget.  link
    b. Hiding a page
        i. Hide scholastic info page link
        ii. Add a Filter to the page link
        iii. View a different page and the page is hidden.  link
        iv. Remove a Filter from the page.  link
4. Teacher Recommendations link
    a. Big picture - the parent requests a recommendation link
        i. Parent fills out teacher’s contact information link
        ii. Teacher receives an email link
        iii. Teacher fills out recommendation link
        iv. Student recommendation is updated link
        v. Viewing the recommendation as an administrator link
    b. Setting up a recommendation link
        i. Setting up Email Templates for Actions.  link
            - Specify the Recommendation url link
        ii. Setting up Inquiry Action Attributes link
        iii. Setting up the Recommendation Action  link
            a. Set the Applicant role link
            b. Who can request Recommendations and when? link
            c. Associate the Action with a Checklist link
    c. Setting up the recommendation form in CMS link
        i.  Pages 
            a. Applicant Profile page, Teacher Recommendations request widget link
            b. Teacher Recommendation Request page link
            c. Recommendation Form page link
            d.  Recommendation Submitted Thank You page link
        ii. Set up pages in reverse order  - Thank you page link
            a. Finding the Recommendation pages link
            b. Recommendation Successfully Submitted page link
            c. Recommendation Form page setup link
                - Teacher Submit Recommendation widget link
                - Email on Submit property link
                - Thank You Page Location property link
                - Simple Recommendation Form property link
            d. Recommendation Request page link
                - Teacher Request Recommendation widget link
                - Navigate To property link
            e. Applicant Profile page link
                - Teacher Recommendations widget link
    d. Testing the Recommendation Form link
5. Events  link
    a. Set up an Events Action link
    b. Link the Action to Checklists link
    c. Create Event Categories link
        i. Close Sign Up # Days before link
        ii. Is Comment Visible link
        iii. Max Attendees Per Family link
        iv. Action link
    d. Create Events link
        i. Create Event Schedule link
        ii. Delete Event link
    e. Set up the CMS pages link
        i. Applicant Profile page, Events widget link
        ii. Event Calendar page link
        iii. Event Signup page link
        iv. Event Calendar page, Events Calendar widget setup link
        v. Event Signup page, Event Signup widget setup link
    f. Locating your event pages link
 
Apply Online Webinar Part 1
This article is an index with timestamps for the topics covered in the following webinar:
Apply Online Webinar Part 1

1. Intro
    a. This webinar will cover setting up the Inquiry Form and Online Application. link
    b.   If you have questions or suggestions, please send an email to support@pcreducator.com.
2. Big Picture
    a. Create a login “Apply Online Setup”  link
    b. Login to the Apply Online link
    c. Every Page has an Id link
    d. Pages in the Apply Online link
        i. Login page link
        ii. Inquiry Online page link
        iii. Applicant Profile page link
            - I’m sent to the Inquiry Online instead? link
        iv. Application pages link
            - Accessing site map link
        v. Thank you page link
    e. Automatic Email Templates link
        i. Inquiry Automatic Email - user credential link
        ii. Application Automatic Email - admissions record link
    f. Inquiry Attributes  link
        i. Set up attributes  link
            - Attribute Range: Global vs Year link
            - Attribute Type link
    g. Most common widgets link
        i. Adding widgets link
            - Text link
            - Wizard Box link
            - Specifying a label link
            - Making a widget required link
            - Providing an example link
            - Mask for phone numbers link
            - Multiple line text box link
        ii. Editing existing widgets link
        iii. Deleting widgets link
        iv. Viewing the page link
3. Inquiry Form
    a. Modifying the Inquiry Form link
    b. Existing Parents and the Inquiry Form link
    c. Mandatory Fields link
    d. Inquiry Submit button link
        i. Actions on Submit link
        ii. Emails on Submit link
        iii. Error on Submit link
        iv. Send User Email options link
        v. Thank You Page location link
4. Applicant Profile link
        a. Delete Profile widget link
        b. Add profile widget link
        c. Applications widget link
            i. Academic Years link
            ii. Action when starting / submitting link
            iii. Applying for Grade Levels link
            iv. Apply Online Location link
            v. Title link
            vi. Submit Location link
            vii. Show History link
        d. Widgets show based on the Applying for Academic Year link
        e. Start a new Inquiry link
5. Apply Online Application link
        a. Typical Application Pages
        b. Applicant Info  link
        c. Family Info  link
        d. Applicant Essay link
        e. Required Forms link
        f. Submit Application link
            i. Application Summary widget link
                - Application Fee link
                - Waiver Codes link
                - Different Application Fees link
            ii. Application Submit widget link
                - Actions on Submit link
                - Emails on Submit link
                - Payment Required link
                - Process in Test Mode link
                - Payment Configuration link
                - Thank You page link
                - Thank You email link
        g. Add pages to the left menu link
        h. Remove pages from  the left menu link
 
Development - Videos
Development Relationships demonstrates how to create and view relationships in the Development module.

Emailing Volunteer demonstrates sending a bulk emailing to Contacts.

How to Generate Tax Receipts demonstrates Generating Tax Receipt Record (Development) and Printing Tax Receipt (Development).
CMS - Videos
Mini Sites discusses setting up a mini-site within you CMS portal.  Topics include creating Content Types and Class pages.  The mini-site is demonstrated from the Teacher perspective and the Parent/Student perspective.
(Re) Enrollment Contract - Videos
(Re) Enrollment Contract Webinar - Part I

(Re) Enrollment Contract Webinar - Part II

Student Billing from (Re) Enrollment Contracts (Part 1) demonstrates the parent’s perspective for submitting a (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Student Billing from (Re) Enrollment Contracts (Part 2) demonstrates the finance officer’s perspective for reviewing (Re) Enrollment Contracts in the Finance module as well as submitting a (Re) Enrollment Contract payment on the CMS Parent Portal.
Finance/Student Billing - Videos
Lunch and Cafeteria POS demonstrates using the Cash Register (POS) to manage lunch purchases including purchase options, pre-ordering lunches, and support for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

This video walks you through the Purchase Order process—from placing a purchase order to tracking budget impact and closing out the order. See how teachers, budget managers, and finance admins collaborate effortlessly in real-time to maintain budget integrity and optimize financial planning.
Scheduling - Videos
Master Schedule discusses scheduling for next year.  Topics covered include:
    - Managing Blocks
    - Managing Period Codes
    - Managing Courses
    - Managing Course Sections
    - Creating Period Inclusions and Room Inclusions
    - Using What If scenarios. 
    - Managing Student Selections
    - Using the Build Master Schedule function
    - Using the Load Students into Courses function
    - Useful pdf reports for scheduling
    - Using Student Conflicts List. 
    - Master Schedule.
 
Registrar - Videos
Online Review for Report Card Comment statuses discusses Comment Status Management. This includes the initial setup, the interaction between the teacher and administrator as the comment status changes, notifications of comment status change, approval of a comment, archiving reports, and accessing archived reports as a teacher or parent.
Independence Day
Our offices will be closed on Thursday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. We will resume normal hours on Friday, July 5th.
Campus Basic Webinar 2
This article is an index with timestamps for the topics covered in the following webinar:
Campus Basic Webinar 2

1. Intro link
    a. Topic covered include Managing Relations, Daily Rotation, Managing Courses, Enrolling Students into Courses, Taking Attendance, Parent Teacher Conferences, and PDF Reports.
    b. If you have any questions or comments, please email them to support@pcreducator.com link
2. Managing Relationships link
    a. Student - Household relationships link
        i. Linking households to students link
        ii. Changing Primary/Bill To/etc link
    b. Split/Switch households link
        i. Switch Parent order link
        ii. Split Parents link
    c. Merge Household Multi-action link
        i. Switch Ids link
3. Daily Rotation link
        i. Day Status link
        ii. Recommendation: Setup only one month in advance link
4. Managing Courses link
    a. Departments link
        i. Report Order link
        ii. Change Report Order link
    b. Advisory and Homeroom courses link
    c. Creating a new section for a course link
    d. Viewing sections for a course link
5. Changing a student schedule using the Conflicts List link
    a. Conflicts and Over Capacity link
    b. Switching sections link
    c. Drop a course section link
    d. Searching for courses to add link
        i. Search for Non-Conflicts link
    e. Bumped courses - student selected the course but did not receive it link
    f. Student Schedule PDF reports link
        i. Grid vs Grid2 schedules link
        ii. Send Email when Complete link
        iii. Additional conditions link
        iv. Remove additional condition link
6. Taking attendance  link
    a. Taking attendance by multi-action link
        i. Overwrite Existing Daily Attendance link
    b. Viewing daily attendance link
        i. Recorded attendance uses the daily rotation link
        ii. View period attendance link
        iii. Edit attendance link
            - Edit period attendance at the same time link
        iv. Attendance PDF report link
    c. Period Attendance link
    d. Multi-actions for attendance link
7. Parent Teacher Conferences link
    a. Overview link
    b. Updating Parent Teacher Conference manually link
    c. Unschedule a Parent Teacher Conference manually link
    d. Parent Teacher Conference PDF report link
8. PDF Report link
    a. Manage visible reports with Report Exclusions link
 
Summer School/Summer Camp - Videos
Summer School/Camp:
Part 1 discusses setting up Summer school including creating accounts, products, courses, period codes, teachers, and course sections
Part 2 demonstrates signing up for Summer camp from the parent’s perspective.
Part 3 demonstrates accessing Summer classes as Teacher.
Part 4 demonstrates how to view Summer registration as an Administrator after parents have signed up their children.  Topics include viewing students, course sign-ups, example DAT reports, and Finance.
 
Administrative Interface Changes
We are expecting interface changes in our administrative portals. Most one-column pages will be presented in two columns on larger devices.
Campus Basic Webinar
This article is an index with timestamps for the topics covered in the following webinar:
Campus Basic Webinar

1. Intro - If you have questions, suggestions, or comments please email them to support@pcreducator.com
2. Home Page
    a. Recent Updates
    b. Update Account Information
    c. History of Updates
    d. Help Documents
    e. Bookmark Links
    f. Support Link to the Ticket System
        i. Live Chat
        ii. Call Support at 301-947-7380 ext 2
    g. Knowledge Base and Recent Articles
    h. Switching Finance Ledgers, School Divisions, and Scheduling School Year
3. Admin > Students
    a. Searching for Records
    b. Sorting
    c. Customizing
    d. "All Divisions"
    e. "Include All"
    f. Exporting Data
    g. Selecting Multiple Records
    h. Multi-actions
    i. Links and Popout Links
    j. Dashboards
        i. Adding Dashboards
        ii. Customizing Dashboards
        iii. Exporting Widgets
        iv. Renaming Widgets
    k. Page Help
    l. Switching Between Records
    m. "Selected Only" Checkbox
    n. Selecting / Unselecting All Records
    o. Record Details
    p. Navigating from Dashboard to Details
    q. Navigating from Details to Dashboard
4. Email
    a. "One Email per Student Household Combination"
    b. "One Email per Student"
    c. Email Fields and Types
    d. Editing Email Type Dropdown Options
    e. Other Email Fields
    f. Email Job Type
    g. Email Action Type
    h. Email Templates
    i. Add Email Fields
    j. Email Example
    k. Preview Email
    l. Test Email
    m. Schedule Email
    n. Merge Fields into Sender Email
    o. Save and Load Email Templates
    p. Send Email
    q. Review Sent Emails
5. Print
    a. Print Actions
    b. Print "Student With HH Contact"
    c. Print Data Source
    d. Create Template in Word
    e. Upload Template
    f. Action Roles
    g. Runner Print
    h. Mark Correspondence
    i. Exclude If Sent Checkbox
DAT Webinar - Scheduling
Please use this article as a supplemental resource for this DAT Webinar:  https://youtu.be/TKexAY9kD4o

1. Intro
    a.  Cover the basics of building Scheduling queries.  Send emails to support@pcreducator.com for suggestions. link
    b.  The Data Analytics Tool (DAT) is a comprehensive system for creating on-the-fly filters, exports, dashboards, emailing, queries and reports supporting advanced database concepts with left joins, logical conditions, aliasing, aggregates, pivots, predefined reports, parameterization, and flexible security access.  link
    c.  DAT Query considerations link
        i. Plan what information will be extracted. link
        ii. Plan a workflow on what tables to use in the DAT - Scheduling Data Structure link
            a. Most common starting tables in the DAT - Scheduling Data Structure link
                i.  Student Info link
                    a. Statuses by Division - Used to get the student status. link
                    b. Red box / key fields explanation to avoid DAT Filter Common Mistakes link
                        - School Year field link
                        - Academic Year field link
                ii.  Teachers link
                iii.  Rooms link
                iv.  Courses link
                v.  Departments link
            b. Other important tables in the DAT - Scheduling Data Structure link
                i.  Selections link
                ii.  Student Courses link
                iii.  Course Sections link
                iv.  Course Section Rooms link
                v.  Class Schedule - link
                vi.  Class Schedule Blocks - This links Blocks to Class Schedule. link
                vii.  Blocks link
                viii.  Block Rotation link
2.  Standard "[Admin] Class List" query link
    a. Open "[Admin] Class List" link
        i. Review the report link
            -  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables using With or Without link
            -  DAT Results - Step 4 link
        ii. Review the DAT - Scheduling Data Structure link
        iii.  Add a DAT Field Condition on school id link
        iv.  Make school id a DAT Parameterized Condition  link
        v. Connect Courses to School Info by DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables link
            -  Automatic DAT Field Condition added to School Info link
        vi.  Demonstrate changing parameter on DAT Results - Step 4 link
    b.  Modify the schedule to show days and blocks. link
        i.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Course Sections to Class Schedule link
        ii.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Class Schedule to Class Schedule Blocks link
        iii.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Class Schedule Blocks to Blocks link
        iv. DAT Display Field Day of Cycle and Block Code link
        v. Add DAT Field Condition Multi-select Day of Cycle for days 1 through 5. link
        vi. Review DAT Results - Step 4 link
        vi. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting "Day of Cycle" on Min(Block Code) link
           - Still on parameter lower school link
        vii. Review DAT Results - Step 4 link
    c. DAT Save - Step 6 saving a standard query link
        i. Choose a different query group link
        ii.  Choose roles for the query link
3.  Class totals with capacity and available seats link
    a. Planning the query using DAT - Scheduling Data Structure link
    a.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table Courses  link
        i. Include DAT Key Id Field link
        i. Add school id DAT Parameterized Condition link
    b.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Courses to Course Section link
        i.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions for school year link
            - School years over 100 link
        ii. Add DAT Parameterized Condition for semester link
        iii.  DAT Display Field Section and Section Capacity link
    c.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Course Section to Student Courses link
    d.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Student Courses to Student Info link
        i. Course Sections and Student Courses use the same school year.  Note: All scheduling tables linked directly to each other automatically use the same school id (when available) and school year, except where there is a table which breaks that sequence.  Example: Departments -> Courses -> Course Sections -> Class Schedule all use the same School Id.  Example: Courses > Student Courses > Student Info > Status By Division do not all use the same school year.  The students table does not have a school year which means the school year needs to be specified on Status by Division.  Note:  You can use a condition “= Other  Field” to create this link manually. link
    e.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Student Info to Statuses by Division link
        i.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions Status Enrolled link
        ii. No School Id condition.  link
        iii.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions School Year for the current year link
    f. DAT Display Field Student Id link
    g.  Review DAT Results - Step 4 link
        i. DAT Key Id Field as links link
    f.  DAT Column Order - Step 3 columns link
    g. DAT Fields - Step 2 link
        i.  DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating Student Id using Distinct Count link
            a. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance  of the aggregate field link
    h.  Review count in DAT Results - Step 4 link
    i. DAT Fields - Step 2 link
        i.  DAT Fields - Step 2 - Adding Calculated Field Section Capacity - Student Id as “Available Spots” link
    j.  Review DAT Results - Step 4 link
        i. Verifying DAT Results - Step 4 link
    k. Summary explanation of DAT Fields - Step 2 - Adding Calculated Field link
    l. Changing school id parameter value in DAT Results - Step 4 link
5. Student Selections by Department - does a student have selections for the academic departments? link
    a. Planning the query using the DAT - Scheduling Data Structure link
    b.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table Student Info  link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields link
    c.  Link in Statuses by Division link
        i. Add conditions for next school year  link
    b.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Selections link
        i. Specify next school year link
    c.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Courses link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions for School Id link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields Course Id link
    d.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Departments link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields Department Name.  link
    e. Review DAT Results - Step 4 link
    f.  Change DAT Column Order - Step 3 link
    g. Creating a pivot for DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions using DAT Operator Multi-select on department names  link
        ii. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting Department Name on Count of Course Id link
    h.  View DAT Results - Step 4 link
        i. Interpreting the DAT Results - Step 4 link
    i. Discussion DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting link
        i. Implications for this query in different divisions link
4. Review and summary link
 
DAT - Scheduling Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main Scheduling tables.
Unable to Login - Administrative Portals
If a user is unable to login to any of Administrative Portals:
    - Confirm that the user has a suitable role associated from the Roles Dictionary.

    - Confirm that the user has at least one school associated.

    - If they are unable to access the Finance portal, confirm that the user has at least one ledger associated.
Unable to Login - CMS Website
If the user is unable to login to a CMS page, then confirm that their user has sufficient rights to access the page.
    1. Check that they are trying to log into an appropriate location.  Example: Parents should not be trying to log into the teacher portal or student portal.

    2. Check that the user has appropriate roles.  Example: To access the Teacher Portal, a user must have the Faculty Full or Faculty Read roles.  To access the parent portal, the user must have the Parent role.  To access the student portal, the user must have the Student role.   Note:  For parents, make sure the user Profile is associated with a household connected with an Enrolled student.  For students, make sure the user Profile is associated with an Enrolled student.

    3. Check the target page for any additional criteria to access it.
        i. Log in to the target page with a user having the Website Full role.
        ii. Click “Content” in the upper left corner.
        iii. In the right menu, expand Roles.  Check for the roles required to access the page.  Does the user have all the necessary roles?
        iv. Expand Filter.  Check for any filters limiting access to the page.  Does the user qualify for the filter specified (if any)?
        Note:  It is possible that the roles in (iii) or the filters in (iv) are specified on the master page.  If you believe this may be the case, submit a ticket to support@pcreducator.com.
Migrating DMT to DAT
In order to migrate a DMT to DAT, follow these steps:
1. Review existing DMT queries and clean up duplicate or unused DMT queries.
2. Compare the remaining DMT queries to the existing DAT queries including those available as a DAT Standard Query 
    a. If you believe your report would be beneficial to other schools as a DAT Standard Query,  email support@pcreducator.com with a Bookmark link to the DMT query and an explanation of its purpose.
3. Recreate the remaining DMT queries in the DAT.

Note:  Existing DMT Filters will be accessible as DAT filters and don't need to be updated.

Note: Queries and Filters are associated with users.  If a user’s query or filter does not include roles, it is only visible to the original user that creates the query or filter.
Unable to Login
If a user is unable to log in:
    1. Confirm that the correct username is being used.  Note: Copying and pasting a username out of an email will sometimes include an extra space at the end.  Make sure the username is spelled correctly.  Note: Make sure Caps Lock is off.
        i.  Confirm that the user is Approved and that the user is not Locked Out.  A user cannot log in if they are not Approved or if they have been Locked Out.  If a user has been unapproved, make sure there isn’t a business or security reason for the user being unapproved.

    2. Confirm that the correct password is being used.
        i. If the option is available, advise the user to reset their password using a Forgot Password option.  Note:  An email will be sent to the email address associated with the user containing further instructions on how to reset the password.  Note:  If the user has been locked out due to too many failed password attempts, Forgot Password will unlock the user.
        ii.  Reset the user’s password yourself to ensure the password is a known value.  Note:  The password must be at least six characters long.  Note: Once the user logs in, they should change their password to something only they know.

    3. Confirm the link/page that the user is trying to log into.
        i. If they are trying to log into (Re) Enrollment Contract or (Re) Enrollment Forms) and receive a message “The scn or appId is invalid” then the link they are using is missing important information.  Find out where they received the link from.  If they received it from an email, then the email originator needs to make sure a correct link is sent to all recipients.  If they are accessing it from a website link, the website link needs to be corrected.

    4. Have them try logging in using a different browser.  If they are able to successfully log in with a different browser, then they should clear their cache and cookies for browser they want to use and try again.

    5. If the user is trying to log into a non-PCR Educator page, refer to Troubleshooting Web Services.  

    6. If your school is set up for LDAP, confirm that the username exists in your LDAP configuration and that the username matches the username in Security > Users.


If they are still unable to log in, then they most likely are missing something required to access the page itself.  In this situation, the user is constantly redirected to log in again even though their username and password are correct.  If the username or password were incorrect, they would receive a message indicating so.  If there is no such message proceed to:
     - Unable to Login - CMS Website
     - Unable to Login - Administrative Portals

If you still cannot identify why the user is unable to access the page, submit a ticket to PCR Educator support.  Email support@pcreducator.com and include the user name, the login link they are trying to use, and a “bookmark” link to their user in Security > Users > Details.
DAT Webinar - Finance
Please use this article as a supplemental resource for this DAT Webinar:  
https://youtu.be/NPamEQVu_MA

1. Intro link
    a.  The Data Analytics Tool (DAT) is a comprehensive system for creating on-the-fly filters, exports, dashboards, documents, emailing, queries and reports supporting advanced database concepts with left joins, logical conditions, aliasing, aggregates, pivots, predefined reports, parametrization, and flexible security access.
    b.  This webinar will focus on Student Billing for Customer Invoice / Receipts and a few Accounts Payable queries for Vendor Invoices / Payments. link
    c. If you have comments or feedback, please send them to support@pcreducator.com link
    d. DAT Query considerations link
2. Finance AR
    a. Finance AR Diagram link
    b. Customers table link
    c. Customer Invoices table link
        i. Customer Invoice fields link
    d. Customer Invoice Items table link
    e. Products table link
    f. Customer Invoice Schedule table link
    g. Customer Invoice Receipts table link
    h. Customer Receipts table link
        i. Customer Receipt fields link
3. Finance AP
    a. Finance AP Diagram link
    b. Vendors table link
    c. Vendor Invoices table link
        i. Vendor Invoice fields link
    d. Vendor Invoice Items table link
    e. Products table table link
    f. Vendor Invoice Payments table link
    g. Vendor Payments table link
        i. Vendor Payment fields link
4.  Building a DAT Query for 2019/2020 Customer Contract Invoices link
    a. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table Customers link
    b. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Households link
        i. Check DAT Results - Step 4 to confirm data  link
    c. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Customer Invoices link
        i. Include DAT Key Id Fields link
    d. DAT Column Order - Step 3  link
    e. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance link
    g. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Sorting link
    g. Limit results to Contracts 2019/2020 link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions link
    j. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Customer Invoice Items link
    k. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Products link
    l. Cleaning up the results DAT Fields - Step 2 link
    m. Showing Invoice Due Dates link
        i.  DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Customer Invoice Schedule link
    n. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions to limit due dates by adding a range condition link
        i. DAT Parameterized Condition for the date range link
    o. Changing the DAT Results - Step 4 using parameters link
    p. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Customer Receipts link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Customer Invoice Receipts link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Customer Receipts link
    q. Review DAT Results - Step 4 link
        i. Where did my records go? link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables to Customer Invoice Receipts using “With or Without” link
5. Accounts Payable query for Vendors and Invoices link
    a. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table Vendors link
    b. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Households link
    c. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Vendor Invoices link
    d. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Vendor Items link
    e. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Products link
    F. Change DAT Column Order - Step 3 link
    g. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance link
    h. DAT Results - Step 4 link
    i. Include Payments in Results link
        i. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Vendor Invoice Payments link
        ii. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables Vendor Payments link
    j. DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance link
    k. Change DAT Column Order - Step 3  link
    l. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables to include invoices “With or Without” payments link
6. Standard Finance DAT Queries link
    a. [Finance] Customer Balance Details  link
    b. Customizing a Standard DAT Query link
 
Default Username
The default username is calculated as follows:
    1) The user’s email address is used as the username.

    2) If there is no email address, the user’s first name (dot) last name is used. 
        a. If there is more than one person with the exact same first and last name, the system adds numbers after the last name until a unique username is found. 

    3) Records without an email address or a first and last name use the record ID number for the User Name. 

Note: Some schools have established custom defaults. Check with you school’s PCR Educator account manager or email support@pcreducator.com if you have questions about the default username settings for your school.
 
Default Password
The default password is a password calculated by PCR Educator.  This allows the password to be known for printing and emailing and can be used for Communicating Login / Password information.  Users should change their passwords to something else known only to them at the first opportunity.

Note:  Passwords are encrypted with a one-way hash and cannot be retrieved.  If a password is forgotten, it must be reset to a new password.  The default password is only accurate until the password is changed to something else.
 
Refunding Customer Payment Shortcut
If you do not need to print a check to the customer for the refund, then you can use this shortcut instead of the full Refunding Customer process.  Example:  You refund back to the customer’s credit card or bank account through a payment processor.

1. Recording Customer Credit to acknowledge a credit balance. 
    - This Customer Credit credits AR and Debit “Refund Allowance”  Note:  “Refund Allowance” is a contra revenue account.  Note:  Whether you specify the original Revenue account of the Refund Allowance account is based on your accounting practices.
    - This Credit is used to establish a balance to refund.  Note: If you already have a Customer Receipt with the unallocated amount to refund, then do not create a separate Credit.  Note: Voiding an invoice reverses both AR and Revenue for the invoice, and any associated receipts become unallocated.  In this case, do not create a separate credit.

2. Recording Refund Customer Invoice to offset the credit balance
    - The Customer Invoice debits AR and Credit Cash

3. Allocating Customer Credit from step 1 to Refund Customer Invoice from step 2.

In this case, there are no changes to Accounts Payable, and you do not reference the “Refunds Payable” liability account.
 


Cash AR Revenue
Initial Customer Invoice +AR +Revenue
Initial Customer Receipt +Cash -AR
Refund - Customer Credit -AR -Revenue (or Refund Allowance)
Refund - Customer Invoice -Cash +AR
Total 0 0 0
Configuring User
Users may be configured in several ways.
    - Configuring User (Admin / Admissions)
    - Configuring New User (Security)
    - Configuring Existing User (Security)
    - Enrolling Inquiries
    - Importing New Records - User
 
Configuring User (Admin / Admissions)
Admin and Admissions staff can create or update basic user information for parents and students.

To configure student users, navigate to Student > Details > Login.  You need the Admin Full, Admissions Full, or Registrar Full role to access this page.

To configure parent users, navigate to Households > Details > Login Parent 1 or Households > Details > Login Parent 2.  You need the Admin Full, Admissions Full, or Registrar Full role to access this page.

If no user is associated with the record, click the “Create User” button.  Note:  Generally, use the Default Password option for Communicating the Login / Password by way of an email.  

If one or more users are already associated with the record, those users are listed.  You have access to update the Username, Email, Full Name, User Alt Id, Approved fields as well as the ability to reset the password to the Default Password or to another password of your choice.  

Note: For parent logins, if their user does not have a Household Indicator specified, a message appears indicating that the user is missing the indicator.  This needs to be corrected in the Security portal.

Note: If the record has users with roles besides Parent, Applicant, or Student then your own user must have the Security Full role in order to access the page for that record.  These pages are intended to manage basic parent and student users by regular Admin and Admissions staff.  Records having users with higher levels of system access must be managed by Security Full staff.
Configuring New User (Security)
To configure a new user, navigate to Security > Users and click New.  You need the Security Full role to access this page.  A wizard will assist you in creating the new user.

Note:  There is no option to use the Default Password when creating the user in this manner.  Parent and Student users are normally created during the Admissions or Enrollment process.
Configuring Existing User (Security)
To configure an existing user, navigate to Security > Users.  You need Security Full or Security Read role to access this page.
User Profile
The user profile determines which record in PCR Educator the user is granted access to. Note:  While rare, a user is not required to be associated with a record in the user profile.  For the most part, every user will have a Student, Household, or Staff association.  Note: Multiple users can be associated with the same record.  This usually only occurs for testing purposes.  Example: Testing (Re) Enrollment Contract.

Full Name is a name for your convenience.  Since many usernames are an email address or otherwise incomprehensible, this name provides clarity regarding who the user is.

Alternate Id is typically used for imports or synching with other systems.

Staff is the staff record the user has access to.

Household is the household record that the user has access to.

Household Indicator is the individual contact within the household the user has access to.  Note: This must be accurately specified for Web Services to operate correctly.

Student is the student record the user has access to.

Note:  Student users should only have a Student record associated.  Do not associate a student user with a Household or Staff record.

Note:  Picking a Staff record limits the available Household record options.  Similarly, picking a Household record limits the available Staff record options.  This ensures that only the household associated with the staff member is assigned and vice versa.  If you pick either Staff or Household and the corresponding record is not available then either the Staff record is not associated with a household, or they are associated with a wrong household.  You might need to use the merge households multi-action to combine a staff and parent household into one household record.
User
A user is a record that consists of a username and password combination along with roles and associations which grant or limiting access to records and portals.  Note: A user is not the parent, student, or staff record itself, but grants access to the parent, student, or staff record.  Potentially, multiple users can be tied to the same record.  Example: A parent user is able to access the Parent Portal and view their student’s records.

Username is synonymous with login.  The username and password are used to authenticate a person wanting to access the system.

Email is an email address unique to the user and is used for resetting passwords or for user-based emails.  Note: Resetting forgotten passwords may be performed via searching by username or email address; therefore, a user email should be unique.  Note:  The user email address is available only for User email.  If the user wants to receive general emails to the same email address, the email should also be included in the User Profile record’s email.

Approved determines whether a user may log in.  Note:  Approval is only confirmed during the login.  Unapproving a user after they are already logged in does not force the user to be logged out.  Example:  You may choose to unapprove a Parent user if they are severely delinquent on their payments.  Example:  Instead of deleting a former staff user, you may opt to unapprove the user until you are confident that you will not need access to any of their DAT queries or reports.

Locked indicates that the user had too many unsuccessful password attempts in a row.  After five failed attempts, the user is locked.  Note: If a user chooses to reset their password, the user is unlocked automatically during the reset process.

Ledgers determine which ledgers a user has access to.  Note: Only users with access to Finance should have ledgers associated.

Roles grant access to different pages and functions.  The Roles Dictionary has details about individual roles.  Note:  Additional roles may be created in the CMS Website.  Note: Some roles are automatically calculated for a user and are not assigned manually. 
Calculated Role Criteria
Student User is attached to student with a status of Enrolled for the current year
Parent User is attached to a household which is attached with a relationship of Parent to a student with a status of Enrolled for the current year
Applicant User is attached to a household which is attached with a relationship of Parent to an admissions inquiry/applicant record with a status unequal to Copied
Admissions Evaluator User is assigned as an evaluator for at least one inquiry/applicant record
Student/Household/Donor Attribute as role If the attribute is assigned to a corresponding record attached to the user, the attribute will appear as a Role for the user. Note: Attribute roles are applicable to CMS Website Content Types only. If a year is specified with the attribute, the content type will be restrictable by roles with that year.

Schools determine which school divisions the user has access to.  Note: Only school staff users should have schools associated.  Parents and Students should not have schools associated unless they are also school staff.

User Profile determines which record in the system the user is associated with.

Note: Users should be cleaned up regularly - particularly when they involve staff turnover.  Users can be removed without losing most information including grades or households.  Note:  An important exception includes DAT queries and DAT filters becoming inaccessible once a user is removed.  Before removing a staff user, make sure to save a copy of any important DAT queries and DAT filters the school will need for reference in the future.  Note: When a staff member leaves the school, consider completely removing the school user.  If they are still associated with the school as a parent, they should use a regular parent user - without any Ledgers or Schools and with limited Roles.
Close of the School Year 2019 Announcement
Close of the School Year Wizard will be available on July 1st. Please keep in mind that you can send notifications to next year families and give them access to the Parent Portal (including next year's schedules) prior to closing the school year. Moreover, please plan ahead and reserve several business days just in case you may need support from PCR Educator in closing the school year.  As previously announced, the wizard will delete all notifications for non-current inquiries/applicants and all notifications generated during previous academic years for students.

The wizard will not delete:

- any Financial or Development notifications
- any notifications attached to actions

Note: The close of the school year wizard will not be available if your school exceeds the purchased database storage amount.  Please contact support@pcreducator.com to help you address this.
Voiding Tax Receipts (Development)
To void an existing Tax Receipt Record (Development), navigate to Development > Maintenance > Tax Receipts.  You need Development Read or Development Full roles to access this page.   

There are two options to void receipts.  You will need the Development Full role to void a tax receipt.

    1) To void an individual tax receipt, click the “Void” button in the far right column.

    2) To void multiple tax receipts, select the desired tax receipts to void and use the multi-action Void Tax Receipts.  Click the “Void Tax Receipts” button to void the selected tax receipts.  Note: Selected tax receipts which are already voided will show as red in the Selected Tax Receipts list.
Printing Tax Receipt (Development)
To access tax receipt records, navigate to Development > Maintenance > Tax Receipts. You need Development Read or Development Full roles to access this page.  

With the desired tax receipts selected, use the Print multi-action. Note: You need to set up a Donor Tax Receipt action category and action first.  Here is a sample tax receipt document you can use as a starting point for your tax receipt document.
Tax Receipt Record (Development)
Tax receipts provide a donor with a record of their itemized gifts and pledge payments so that they can claim these charitable deductions on their federal income tax returns. PCR Educator provides functionality to generate these tax receipts and create documents directly from the Development module.  

Tax Receipt Options:
Each Payment Each Payment in a Period Each Donor in a Period
Options Send out a Tax Receipt for each payment (Gift or Pledge Payment) you receive Send out a Tax Receipt for each gift/pledge payment, within a certain period Send out Tax Receipt for each donor within a certain period (a half of a year, a whole year, or a different length of time that your school chooses).
Example: A donor has made a gift for $100 in February, and pledge for $500. For the pledge, you have received $100 pledge payments in March, May, and July, with pending $100 payments not yet received in September and November. If you send out a tax receipt for each payment you received, the donor receives 4 different tax receipts (Feb, March, May, and July payments). The Payment Id can be used as the tax receipt number. If your school wants to send a tax receipt from January 1, through June 30 (first half of the year), the donor receives three tax receipts. One for the gift in February for $100 and one for each pledge payment in March and May for $100 each. If tax receipts are generated for dates January 1 through June 30, the donor receives one tax receipt of $300 for the selected date range.

Note: It is recommended to post donations before generating tax receipts.
Generating Tax Receipt Record (Development)
To generate a Tax Receipt Record (Development), navigate to Development > Donations, select the donations you want to create tax receipts for, and use the multi-action Generate Tax #.  You need the Development Full role to access this multi-action.  

The start and end date for the tax receipts limits donations and pledge payments for the tax receipt to this date range.

Exclude NOT Posted excludes all unposted donations from the tax receipt.

Location is where the tax receipts are generated.  Note: This can be the name of your school.

Signature is the name of the person generating the tax receipts.

Exclude payments with assigned receipts excludes any donations and pledge payments which are already associated with another unvoided tax receipt.

Generate new receipts for payments with receipts, void existing voids any previous tax receipts that the donations or pledge payments were associated with, and creates new tax receipts.  Use this option to recreate tax receipts in the event of a mistake creating previous tax receipts.

One tax receipt per donation generates one tax receipt per donation or pledge payment.

One tax receipt per donor generates one tax receipt per donor.  The individual donor tax receipt may involve multiple donations and pledge payments.

After clicking the “Generate” button, you are taken to a page with all the tax receipts just created already pre-selected.  
 
Auto-Pay Results (Finance)
Whether the Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance)  is run manually or automatically, the results can be reviewed by navigating to Finance > AR > Auto-Payment Results.  You need FinanceAR Full or FinanceAR Read roles to access this page.  Here, all the auto-pays that have been run and when are available for review.  Click the date to see the profile for the Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance) run which includes information about the setup used and the invoices which it was run for.  Click “Details” to see the individual results.  Note:  An Auto-Pay Configuration that is currently in progress may be reviewed through these screens.

Each payment consists of three steps: A charge attempt, the creation of the receipt, and the creation of the fee invoice if applicable.

1) Charge step - If the charge step is successful, it shows “Success” and includes a transaction number which may be used as a reference with the Payment Processor.  If the charge step fails, there is a “Charge Failed” message and additional details which indicate why it failed.  Common reasons for failure include:  
    - Invalid Card or Bank Account information:  It is possible that some of the information was typed in wrong by the customer.  Alternatively, a replacement credit card may have been issued to the customer with a new card number, and they never updated the information.
    - Expired Credit Card:  Eventually credit cards expire and it is the customer’s responsibility to update the card information.  This message can sometimes be misleading:  Payment Processors match the card information with the customer name and address.  If the name or zip code do not match, the Payment Processor may inaccurately return “Expired” as the error message.
Note: If this says “Waiting Charge”, then the Auto-Pay Configuration is still progress.  If no new charges have been made after a few minutes of waiting and reloading the page, the process may be stalled.  A new Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance) run will need to be initiated for the remaining unpaid invoices.

2) Create Receipt step.  At this point, the customer is successfully charged.  It is rare, but possible that the receipt fails to create.  In this case, create the receipt and any fee invoice manually.  If the receipt was created successfully, a link with the receipt id is visible.

3)  Create Fee Invoice step, if applicable.  It is rare, but possible that the fee invoice fails to create.  In this case, create the fee invoice manually.  If the fee invoice was created successfully, a link with the invoice id is visible.
 
Memorial Day
Our offices will be closed on Monday, May 27th in observance of Memorial Day. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, May 28th.
Automated Payment Processing (Finance)
Automated Payment Processing can be initiated by PCR Educator Finance System or by your finance staff. The typical cycle follows this process: 

- Parents/Students sign up for automated payments during enrollment and specify their preferred credit card or eCheck. During this time they are able to select available payment plans based on the plans offered by your organization. In some cases it means that they have multiple options such as monthly, yearly, semi-annually. In other cases, you may specify that the total amount due will be collected by a certain date unless the payment is received earlier. Note: When parents enroll for auto-pay through the (re)enrollment contract, their existing stored payment information associated with the same Stored Payment Type will be overwritten. If you wish to allow parents to use different stored payment information for each year, you must create a different Stored Payment Type for each year. Please see Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance) for more information.
- Parents/Students update their preferred credit card or eCheck  through their portals using CMS Website in case their information changes.
- Process payments: 
    -If manual setting is used, finance staff need to select all AR Customer Invoices that they want to process and use the multi-action Auto-Pay to verify the charges and initiate the charge.
    Note: The “review invoice” step provides the opportunity to review the invoices which are being charged, and exclude individual invoices at this time by unchecking the checkbox.
    Note: The “process payments” step shows a summary of every payment which will be made.  The “Amount” is the total of the invoice amounts to be paid.  The “Fee” is the convenience fee which will be invoiced, if applicable.  The “Total” is the actual amount which will be processed and is the sum of the Amount and Fee.
    Note: The “process payments” step shows a summary of every payment which will be made.  The “Amount” is the total of the invoice amounts to be paid.  The “Fee” is the convenience fee which will be invoiced, if applicable.  The “Total” is the actual amount which will be processed and is the sum of the Amount and Fee. 
    Note:  The processing of payments after the submit button is pressed may be a long running process as each payment request needs to be submitted to the Payment Processor and the result returned to PCR Educator.
    -If auto setting is used, PCR Educator automatically processes all customer invoices that match the configuration.

- Whether the Auto-Pay is run manually or automatically, after the payments are processed, review the Auto-Pay Results (Finance) to see if there were any unprocessed items.
Automated Payment Processing (Development)
Donations may be entered by the contact through the CMS Website using Online Giving features or may be entered by development staff when Recording Donations One-at-a-time.  To configure a Pledge or Recurring Pledge to be automatically collected by PCR Educator and recorded in the system, specify a payment method using the desired Stored Payment Type and Payment Processor.  If payment information was provided by the contact, put in the new/updated payment information for the Stored Payment Type and Payment Processor.

If there is no suitable Stored Payment Type available, begin by Configuring Stored Payment Types.

Note: Automatic payments are processed overnight.

Note: If an automatic payment fails, then the error is recorded with the payment.  All payments can be reviewed by navigating to Development > Payments.  You need Development Read or Development Full roles to access this page.  

Note: Automatic payments may fail for many reasons, some of the most common include a Credit Card expiration.  The error column has a checkbox if an error occurred, and hovering the mouse pointer over the checkbox shows the error in a tooltip.  Note: Find the error in the DAT by building a query with Development > Scheduled Payments and include the “error” field.
Stored Payment Info
Stored Payments are PCR Educators reference to the credit card or electronic check information stored with the Payment Processor.  Each household in the PCR Educator database may have multiple Stored Payments, one for each Stored Payment Type designated by the school.

Note: This is only a reference to the Payment Processor’s information.  PCR Educator does not store the credit card or bank account information.
Stored Payment Type
The purpose of Stored Payment Types is to give parents the option for different payment methods under different scenarios.  Example: A parent may want to pay tuition by ECheck but make pledge payments by Credit Card.  Allow the parents to store their donation information with a “Donation” Stored Payment Type and their tuition payment information with a “Tuition” Stored Payment Type.
Configuring Stored Payment Type
There are two ways to configure Stored Payment Types.
     1. Navigate to Finance > Maintenance > Stored Payment Types.  You need FinanceAR Full or FinanceAR Read to access this page.
     2. Navigate to Development > Maintenance > Stored Payment Types.  You need Development Full to access this page.

To add a new Stored Payment Type, specify the name of the new type in the text box and click the “Add” button.
DAT - Finance AR Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main Finance AR tables.
DAT - Finance AR Customer Statement Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main tables for creating a Customer Statement.  Note:  Dashed lines indicate that a table may not have a record for any given row, and the table should be joined With Or Without when DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables
DAT - Finance AP Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main Finance AP tables.
DAT - Webinar
The Data Analytics Tool video recordings can be accessed below:

DAT Webinar - Development Level I covers reporting for contacts, donations, payments, and campaigns.
DAT Webinar - (Re) Enrollment covers reporting that is specific to (Re) Enrollment Contract and (Re) Enrollment Forms.
DAT Webinar - Development covers reporting that is specific to the Development module such as donor and donation reports. It also goes over updating standard development reports.
DAT Webinar - Admin/Admissions covers reporting that is specific to the Admin/Admissions modules such as student and household based reports, inquiry reports, and printing documents.
DAT Webinar - Attendance covers building queries for Daily Attendance, Period Attendance/Discipline, Attendance Not Take, Lunch Choices, and Check In/Check Out.
DAT Webinar - Basics covers the basics of the Data Analytics Tool such as creating a new report, sorting functionality, setting column orders, pivoting functionality and more.
DAT Webinar - Finance covers building queries involving customer invoices/receipts and vendor invoices/receipts including a discussion of the common tables for Finance.
DAT Webinar- Schedule covers building queries involving schedules including a discussion of the most common tables for Scheduling
Automated Payment Processing
Automated Payment Processing is a process that automatically charges your customers/contacts based on predefined rules. Some examples of automated payment processing include:

Automated collection of tuition based on the payment plan selected by parents Automated Payment Processing (Finance)
Automated collection of recurring donations or pledge payments Automated Payment Processing (Development)
Automated collection of summer camp and summer school fees by a due date Automated Payment Processing (Finance)
Automated replenishment of student accounts once they reach a predefined limit Automated Payment Processing (Finance)

To setup automated payment processing, follow the steps for:
- Configuring Payment Configuration
- Configuring Stored Payment Types
- Configuring Auto-Pay Configuration (Finance) or Automated Payment Processing (Development)
 
Payment Configuration
A Payment Configuration is a record that captures the required information provided by the Payment Processor that is necessary to process any payments. All payment processors have some form of id and password to give PCR Educator access.  
Configuring Payment Configuration
To add a new Payment Configuration record, navigate to Security > Maintenance > Payment Configurations.  You need Security Full or Security Read roles to access the Security portal and the DBA Full role to access the Payment Configuration page. Choose the Payment Processor from the New Payment Configuration drop down. 

Settlement Time is the time of day the payment processor picks up transactions for settlement. Note: The Settlement Time should match the time specified in your payment processor for the purpose of Reconciling Deposits With Payment Processor.
 
Processor Description is a description identifying the payment configuration.  Note: You may have separate payment configurations to accept donations and tuition payments.

For Authorize.Net, enter a Login and Transaction Key provided by Authorize.Net.  PCR Educator does not have this information.

For Network Merchants, enter a Login and Password provided by  Network Merchants.  PCR Educator does not have this information.

For PaySimple, enter the API Key and Username provided by PaySimple.  PCR Educator does not have this information.

For L19, enter the Account Number, Configuration Id, and the Secret key provided by L19.  PCR Educator does not have this information. 

For Moneris, enter a Store ID and API Token provided by Moneris.  PCR Educator does not have this information.

Note:  Be careful about deleting Payment Configurations as they may be used by (Re) Enrollment Contract or the CMS website.

Note: After adding a new Payment Configuration, specify it in the Application Setup (CMS/Website), payment submit widgets on the CMS Website, and in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Invoice / Payment Setup.
Why does my notification job have no recipients?
The most common reason that an email does not have any recipients is that you are sending an email to households and the household does not have Send Mail checked.  The other possibility is that the record does not have any email addresses or any valid email addresses.  Note: A list of all invalid email addresses can be accessed by navigating to Security > Maintenance > Validate Emails.  You need the Security Full role to access this page.
Why can't a user access the Finance portal?
To access the Finance portal, make sure the user has a role of Contract Full, Contract Read, Finance Full, Finance Read, FinanceAccountMgr Read, or FinanceAccountMgr Full.  Make sure the user is associated with at least one ledger. 
Why can't I change the Category or Assessment Weight preferences for my gradebook?
The settings for Gradebook Category and Gradebook Assessment weighting can have a very significant impact on how grades are calculated.  Therefore, as soon as there is a single saved Progress or Report Card mark for the course section - in any marking period - the ability to change the course section’s weighting preferences is disabled.  Note: The school administration can temporarily enable changing weights and preferences per course section by specifying an Allow Weight Calculations Overwrite Until date.

In the specific case where a teacher did not specify any preferences, the preferences can be added by navigating to Admin > Courses or Scheduling > Courses and using the “Gradebook Preferences” multi-action. You must have both Registrar Full and Security Full roles to access this multi-action.  Regardless which setting you choose for Update Sections Having, if the preference has not been specified for a course section, it will be added.  Note: All sections of the selected courses will be updated.
 
Why is my DAT Query or DAT Filter slow?
The DAT Query and DAT Filter are powerful and flexible features.  Depending on the complexity of the query and the amount of data it may take some time to process the request.  Even if the query looks simple, some of the tables are performing advanced calculations to make the data more convenient for you to work with.  The more tables, conditions, and filters included in a DAT Query the slower it may become.

Some suggestions to improve the speed of your DAT Query or DAT Filter:
- Instead of using Contains, Not Contains, Starts With, or Ends With, use the “=” or “<>” DAT Operators.
- Avoid relinking to the same table multiple times.
 
Refunding Customer
Customer Refund is a transaction that is used to reimburse a customer's money. Refunding Customer Payment is performed to show money given back to a customer to refund for services the customer is not happy with, for merchandise/service not received or for overpayments. Refunding Customer Payments process is used in situations when the original receipt was allocated to an invoice or multiple invoices.  Note: If the refund is to result in a check, use Refunding Customer Receipts to create both the AR Refund Invoice and the AP Refund invoice in a single step.

Note: If you do not need to print a paper check to the customer, you may wish to use the Refunding Customer Payment Shortcut instead.

The process of refunding a customer involves:

1. Recording Customer Credit to acknowledge a credit balance. Skip this step if you are refunding an overpayment as the customer already has a credit balance.
    - This Customer Credit credits AR and debits “Refund Allowance”  Note:  Instead of debiting a “Refund Allowance” account, you could add lines to debit the individual revenue accounts appearing on the original invoices.  You should use one method or the other.  It may get confusing if you use the refund allowance in some cases but not others.   Note: “Refund Allowance” is a contra revenue account.
     - The amount being refunded can be for the full amount of the overpayment or for a lesser amount.
    - From the customer’s perspective, the customer credit is the refund invoice, and the customer invoice in step 2 is the payment of that refund.  Use appropriate Customer Memo descriptions for the customer credit and customer invoice as necessary.

2. Recording Refund Customer Invoice to offset the credit balance
    - The Customer Invoice debits AR and credits “Refunds Payable” Note: “Refunds Payable” is a liability account.  You may want a dedicated “Refund” product associated with this account.  The product should be marked as sold to customers and have an amount of $0.00.

3. Allocating Customer Credit from step 1 to pay Refund Customer Invoice from step 2.

At this point, the net change to AR and Revenue is 0.  The customer statement shows these items as being refunded.  The “Refunds Payable” liability account has a balance for any refunds that require repayment.

4. Recording Refund Vendor Invoice to recognize the money owed to the customer
    - The Vendor Invoice credits AP and Debit “Refunds Payable”

5. Recording Refund Vendor Payment to reflect the payment made to the customer
    - The Vendor Payment debits AP and Credit Cash

6. Allocating Vendor Payment from step 5 to pay Refund Vendor Invoice from step 4.  Note: Paying through the invoice list automatically creates this allocation.

Cash AR Revenue Refunds Payable AP
Initial Customer Invoice +AR +Revenue
Initial Customer Receipt +Cash -AR
Refund - Customer Credit -AR -Revenue (Refund Allowance)
Refund - Customer Invoice +AR +Refunds Payable
Refund - AP Invoice -Refunds Payable +AP
Refund - AP Payment -Cash -AP
Total 0 0 0 0 0
Adding / Dropping Course Student Billing
Adding / Dropping Course Student Billing is used when adding or dropping a student from a course that requires payment, such as summer camp, summer school, extended day programs, etc.  To access the Add / Drop page, navigate to Finance > AR > Students > Details, then click on Add / Drops.  You need FinanceAR Full or FinanceAR Read roles to access this page.  When added, courses generate an invoice.  When dropped, courses generate credits.

Term is the term to show the courses for.

Year is whether to show Current Year or Next Year course schedules.

Include All Courses shows courses that the student does not normally qualify for.  By default, only courses that the student qualifies for are shown.  Qualifying for a course is based on the course’s Min/Max birthdate, Min/Max grade level, Permissible Gender, and whether the course belongs to an Activity department.

The Current grid shows the current courses the student is enrolled in.  

The Available grid shows courses that are eligible to add.  Note: Courses listed in orange are courses that conflict with at least one course the student is already enrolled in.

Price is the sales price of the product associated with the course.

Invoice is the amount invoiced if any.  Note:  If you add the course to the student schedule manually on another screen, no invoices are generated or associated with the course.  You need to manually invoice for such a course.

Spots are the number of spots remaining available. 

Adding Course - Invoice to enroll a student in courses and generate invoices.

Dropping Course - Refund to remove a student from the course and generate a credit.

Note: Students normally sign up for these type of courses online.
 
Adding Course - Invoice
To add a student to courses though the Adding / Dropping Course Student Billing screen:

   1. Check the checkbox next to the courses you want to add from the Available grid.  Click Next.

   2. Review the invoice to be generated.  Specify the desired date, payment terms, and anything else as appropriate.  When you are satisfied with the invoice to be generated, click Next.

   3. The invoice has been generated.  You see a list of all invoices and credits that have been generated for the student as well as any receipts.  Note: An asterisk (*) appears next to the newly created invoice.
 
Dropping Course - Refund
To drop a student from courses through the Adding / Dropping Course Student Billing screen:

    1. Check the checkbox next to the courses you want to drop from the Current grid.  Click Next.

    2. Review the credits to be generated.  Specify the date, customer memo, and anything else as appropriate.  When you are satisfied with the credit to be generated, click Next.  Note: A separate credit is generated for each line item.

   3. The credits have been generated and are applied to any unpaid invoices.  You see a list of all invoices and credits that have been generated for the student as well as any receipts.  Note: An asterisk (*) appears next to the newly created credits.

Note:  In the event that the invoice has already been paid, the credit will have a remainder.  This credit can be refunded as a Refund Overpayment.
Configuring Parent Teacher Conference
In order to access parent teacher conferences configuration, you will need the Admin Full role. Prior to configuring parent teacher conference, confirm that Marking Period Info is also properly configured.

To create new parent teacher conferences
- Navigate to Admin > Staff
- Select the teachers you wish to create conferences for 
- Use the multi-action Parent-Teacher Conference
- Fill out the fields
- Click one of the desired Generate buttons

From Date is the starting date to generate parent teacher conferences.

To Date is the ending date to generate parent teacher conferences.

From Time is that starting time on any given day that the first parent teacher conference will be scheduled.

To Time is the ending time which no parent teacher conferences will be scheduled past.

Length is the length of time for each parent teacher conference time slot.

Interval is the amount of time between time slots, usually to allow time for parents to travel from one meeting to the next.

Room will be the room shown in the parent teacher conference time slot to the parents.  You can choose to use the room specified in the Office field for the teacher, or you can specify a specific room (or leave it blank) for all the generated time slots.  This field is optional and can be left blank

Note: If you want to have Parent Teacher Conferences more than once per Term for the same division, you will need to delete the original signup slots and create new ones.

Note: The parent teacher conference registration dates should fall within the open dates of the marking period in which the registration falls. Do not try to schedule first trimester conferences in marking period one if the attendance dates for that period have already closed.

Note: The only teachers who will appear as options for the parent are teachers teaching  courses that have the Parent Teacher Conf checkbox checked.

Note: If From Date and To Date span over a weekend, then parent teacher conferences will be generated for the weekend too.  So, if you have parent teacher conferences Friday and Monday, but not on the weekend, then you will need to run the wizard twice - once for Friday and once for Monday.

Note: The last parent teacher conference time slot on a day will end before or on the To Time.  If a time slot end time (calculated as the slot start time plus Length) would exceed the To Time, that slot will not be created.

Note: If the schedules are different on different days for a set of teachers, you can run this wizard one day at a time.  Clicking the “Generate and go to Teachers List” button will take you back to the list of selected teachers.  Then run the multi-action again for the second day.  Conveniently, your originally selected teachers will still be selected.

Note: Determine if you have passing times.  Passing times are not explicitly scheduled; instead, they are left as gaps between conference times.

Note: Teachers will be able to view Parent Teacher Conference sign-ups on the Teacher Portal calendar.  Parents will be able to view their sign-ups on the parent teacher conference signup page in the Parent Portal.  Note:  Consider having the closing date at least 48 hours before the first conference. Closing a few days prior to the first conference allows the teachers to print the schedules and gather their materials for their scheduled conferences.  Note:  Determine whether or not you will “require” parents to be registered in advance or whether you allow (or encourage) walk-ins. If walk-ins are encouraged, you will need one or two staff persons available to schedule the walk-ins on the days of the conferences.

Note: You should consider how you will communicate when, where and how the parents will sign up for parent teacher conferences.  Options include an email, updating the website with instructions, or both.

Note: It is not possible to have overlapping conferences or two conferences at the same time for the same teacher.

Note: Parent teacher conferences belong to the selected school division. Thus, it's important to select the correct division before creating new conferences to ensure that they are properly shown to parents in their portal.
DAT - (Re) Enrollment Data Structure
The diagram describes the relationships between the main (Re) Enrollment Contract, (Re) Enrollment Forms, and Finance tables.
DAT Webinar - (Re) Enrollment
Please use this article as a supplemental resource for this DAT Webinar:  DAT Enrollment Webinar

1. Intro
    a. The Data Analytics Tool (DAT) is a comprehensive system for creating on-the-fly filters, exports, dashboards, print templates, emailing, queries and reports supporting advanced database concepts with left joins, logical conditions, aliasing, aggregates, pivots, predefined reports, parametrization, and flexible security access.
    b. We will cover the basics of building (Re) Enrollment related queries.  If you have suggestions, please send an email to support@pcreducator.com.  Based on your feedback, we may host another webinar to go over new questions and query suggestions.
    c. DAT Query considerations
        i. What information are you looking to extract?
        ii. Where is that information stored?
        iii. How to access that information in the DAT Query?
    d. Most common tables in the DAT - (Re) Enrollment Data Structure - 3 minutes 4 seconds
2. (Re) Enrollment Contract Options Selected - 12 minutes 30 seconds
3. (Re) Enrollment Contract Submitted by Year - 22 minutes 15 seconds
4. (Re) Enrollment Contract Customer Invoices and Customer Invoice Items - 28 minutes 31 seconds
5. Forms Submitted - 39 minutes 24 seconds
6. Forms Submitted with Actions/Attributes - 43 minutes 45 second
 
Period Attendance Not Taken PDF Report
The “Period Attendance Not Taken” pdf report will be replaced by a DAT query called “[Admin] Period Attendance Not Taken” in the 2019/2020 academic year. Please start using the new query so that you have enough time for the transition.
DAT Enrollment Webinar Meeting Link
You have been invited to a join the PCR Educator Enrollment DAT Webinar!

Join the webinar: join.me/697-369-988

Friday, March 15, 2019 02:00 PM 
Eastern Time (US & Canada) 
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To dial in by phone:
United States - Cambridge, MA 
+1.857.706.3435

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+1.302.202.5900

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+1.720.650.5050

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+1.213.226.1066

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+1.646.307.1990

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+1.646.749.3135

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Conference ID: 
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Updating (Re) Enrollment Contract Year to Year
PCR Educator sends out new links for the (Re) Enrollment Contract Year to Year based on the previous year (Re) Enrollment Contract.  When updating your (Re) Enrollment Contract Year to Year:

    - Confirm that the Last Application Date and Electronic Signature in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup is correct. 

    - Confirm that the Invoice for Date, Invoice Customer Memo, and Invoice Attribute is updated in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Invoice / Payment Setup with appropriate dates and years.

    - Review each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile for any dates which may need to be updated.  

    - Review all email templates used in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Confirmation Email Setup for dates which may need to be updated.  

    - Review all downloadable files for dates which may need to be updated.  Downloadable files may appear as links in the email template body, as an attachment on the email template, or as links in instructions.

    - Review tuition products to ensure the tuition amounts for the next year are correct.

    - Review (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile filters for any filters referencing hard-coded years.

    - Update the widget properties for the Single Sign On (SSO) widget if you are using the SSO widget on your CMS portals to passthrough to (Re) Enrollment Contracts or Forms.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Instructions
By default (Re) Enrollment Contract may include generic instructions for users. Update these instructions to make sure that they reflect the specifics of your school by accessing these pages with a user with Contract Full role: 

    a. Login page - Note: To edit the text on this page, login, then return to the login page.
    b. Start page shown immediately after the login.
    c. Summary page - Note: Step through the (Re) Enrollment Contract with eligible student.
    d. Payment Selection page - Note: If the student options result in a deposit amount due and no payment method is chosen through options within the (Re) Enrollment Contract, then the user is sent to a payment selection page.
    e. Credit Card Payment page - Note: Choose a payment method of credit card and have a deposit due amount to access this page.
    f. Thank You page - Note: Submit a (Re) Enrollment Contract with an eligible student.
Verifying (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile
One of the important steps in verifying that the (Re) Enrollment Contract is ready to be released to parents is confirming that each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile is tested.  Follow these steps to test each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile:
    - Submit a (Re) Enrollment Contract using a student which qualifies for (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.
    - Verify the text and options for each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.
    - Confirm that each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile has (Re) Enrollment Contract Payment Options Control specifying a payment term.  If a parent attempts to submit a contract without a payment term, the invoice cannot be created and they will receive an error.
    - Remember is changes are made to a (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile or (Re) Enrollment Contact Controls, the options for the student must be cleaned prior to further testing: (Re) Enrollment Contract Cleaning Control Options for Students

Note:  If a change is made to the test student such that they would qualify for a different enrollment profile then the options must be cleaned for the student prior to further testing.  Note:  This is also true once the (Re) Enrollment Contract is live.  If a student is changed such that they would qualify for a different (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile then their options must be cleaned.  Example: The student was listed as a Day student, but has been switched to be a Boarding student.  You have a different (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile for each of those situations.  The student options should be cleaned.  Otherwise, if the parent has already begun the (Re) Enrollment Contract then they will see the Day options and fees.
DAT Webinar - Development Level I
Please use this article as a supplemental resource for this DAT webinar: link

1. Intro
    a.  The Data Analytics Tool (DAT) is a comprehensive system for creating on-the-fly filters, exports, dashboards, print templates, emailing, queries and reports supporting advanced database concepts with left joins, logical conditions, aliasing, aggregates, pivots, predefined reports, parametrization, and flexible security access.
    b.  Cover the basics of building Development related queries.  Send emails to support@pcreducator.com for suggestions.
    c.  DAT Query considerations
        i. Plan what information will be extracted.
        ii. Plan a workflow on what tables are used and how they will be connected.
            a. Most common tables in the DAT - Development Data Structure
                i.  Donor - Used to pull basic donor information. 
                ii.  Donation - Used to pull basic donation information.
                iii.  Contact Attributes - Used to pull contact attributes such as Current Parent, Board Member etc.
                iv.  Households - Used to pull family information such as address, emails, phone numbers and more.
                v.  Fund Allocation - Used to connect donation table to campaigns and funds table and the amount allocated to each.
                vi.  Campaigns - Used to pull campaign information such as campaign description, type, goal and more.
                vii.  Funds - Used to pull fund information such as fund description, fund code, and more.
                viii.  Relations - Student/Inquiry/Teacher - Used to connect the households table to students/inquiries/teacher records.
2.  All Donors with Donations Query
    a.  Start with the Donor table and select common fields such as donor id, contact name, and donor type.
    b.  Connect the Households table and select common fields such as address, contact names, emails, and phone numbers.
    c.  Connect the Donor table to the Donation (Giving) table and select common fields such as donation amount, donation date, donation type etc.
        i.  What is the Donation Type field used for and what is the difference between Original Amount, Donation Amount, and Written Off Amount.
    d.  Connect the Donation table to the Fund Allocation table.
    e.  Connect the Fund Allocation table to the Campaigns and Funds tables and select common fields.
    f.  Organize the fields, change the sort order, and change the column order
        i.  Update Aliases and Display formats
    g.  Exclude the Pledge Payment donation type from the query because this query is to show donations that have either been pledged, sent in as a one time gift, or are soft credits.  If both Pledge and Pledge Type donation types are included in the query, it will count the amounts twice.
        i.Show how the conditions work.
    h.  Change this into a query that only shows donors with students affiliated with the school.
        i.  Connect the Relations - Student/Inquiry/Teacher table to the Households table.
        ii.  Connect the Student Info table to the Relations - Student/Inquiry/Teacher table.
            a.  Optionally, the query can even restrict the results to primary households or grandparent households in the relations table.
                i.  Student Info table - Used to pull basic student information.
3.  Total Donations by Fiscal Year
    a.  Start with the Donation table.
        i.  Exclude Pledge Payments and Soft Credits.
        ii.  Add a Fiscal Year Offset multi-select condition for the Current and Last 4 Fiscal Years.
    b.  Navigate to Fields and update the Display Format for Donation Amount.
    c.  Set Pivot Aggregate to Sum Donation Amount and run the query.
    d.  Add other conditions to this query as needed.  For example, to total up soft credits set the condition on the table to only include soft credits.
4.  Update an existing Standard Query - [Development] Fiscal Year
    a.  This query lists the sum of donations that each family donated in the last 5 years.
    b.  Add household information.
        i.  Connect the Donor table to the Households table and select desired fields.
    c.  Save the query.
        i. When updating a standard query and re-saving it, select a different name and store it in a different group.  If the query is kept it in PCR(Imported) group, it will be overwritten.
5.  Add Queries to Dashboard
    a.  How to add a query    
6.  Run a DAT Query report through multi-action
Student Purchase Option
The Purchase Options for students are accessed by navigating to Finance > AR > Student > Details > Purchase Options.  To access this page, you need FinanceAR Full or FinanceAR Read.  

Note:  The student’s available balance uses the Balance Calculation - By Student.
Purchase Option
Purchase Options determine how the available balance is calculated for purchases from Point of Sales (POS), including Cafeteria.  Note: Purchase Options are specific for each ledger.  If you have a Lunch ledger and General ledger, different rules may be specified for the same person in each ledger.

There are two ways to run the Point of Sales, and a combination of both may be used.  
1. The Debit Balance option allows customers to preload available funds which then are used by the student or teacher for purchases. 
2. The Credit Balance option allows schools to extend credit to students and teachers, who are able to charge purchases on the account even if their balance is equal to or less than zero. 

Max Per Invoice limits the total of each POS invoice. This setting is typically used in situations when a student is overspending and parents want to limit the total per purchase.

Max Unpaid Balance is the maximum allowed credit balance.  This option is typically used for the credit balance setup, where Max Unpaid Balance is set to the amount of credit to be extended. Note: Max Unpaid Balance is based on the actual customer balance at the end.  The actual customer balance is determined by the Balance Calculation.  Example:  The Max Unpaid Balance is ($50).  The customer’s actual balance is ($42).  The customer has $8 of credit still available for POS purchases.

Currently, there is support for:
    - Student Purchase Options
    - Teacher Purchase Options
 
Teacher Purchase Option
The Purchase Options for teachers are accessed by navigating to Finance > AR > Customer > Details > Stored Payment Info.  To access this page, you need FinanceAR Full or FinanceAR Read.  

Note:  The teacher’s available balance uses the Balance Calculation - By Customer.  Invoices and Receipts are not applied to individual teachers within a Customer household.

Note: Each teacher, even if they are associated with the same Customer household may have different Teacher Purchase Options.
 
Grade Type - Report Card
These are the grade type options available for Report Card Mark Types.

Course Work refers to the grade earned from assignments graded in the course during the marking period.

Exam refers to an end of Term exam.  This must be entered by the teacher if it is used. This Grade Type is not required.

Term is the semester or trimester grade for the Term.  For Semester schools, the software calculates the Term grade as (CW1 * CW1W + CW2 * CW2W + E1 * E1W) / (CW1W + CW2W + E1W) where CW refers Course Work, W refers to Weight and E refers to Exam.  For Trimester schools, the software calculates Term grade as (CW1 * CW1W + E1 * E1W) / (CW1W + E1W).  Schools can choose to have the Term grade’s average calculated by treating CW1 and CW2 as a whole instead of 2 independent marking periods.  This is managed in School Info by Grade Totaling.  In such a case, the CW1 weight should be 0 since CW2 already includes both CW1 and CW2 assessment grades.

Final Exam is an exam that counts towards the Final rather than towards the Term.  You can have up to 1 Final Exam per term.  This Grade Type is not required.

Final is the final grade for the year.  For semester schools, the software calculates the Final grade as (T1 * T1W + FE1 * FE1W + T2 * T2W + FE2 * FE2W)  / (T1W + FE1W + T2W + FE2W) where T refers to Term, W refers to Weight, and FE refers to Final Exam.  For trimester schools, the software calculates the Final grade as (T1 * T1W + FE1 * FE1W + T2 * T2W + FE2 * FE2W + T3 * T3W + FE3 * FE3W)  / (T1W + FE1W + T2W + FE2W + T3W + FE3W).  This mark type is not required. Schools can choose to have the Final grades’ average calculated by treating the whole year as a single entity instead of 3 or 4 independent marking periods.  This is managed in School Info by Grade Totaling.  In this case, the CW3 (or CW4 in the case of Semester schools) and Final grade are both based on all the assessments for the whole year.  In such a case, the weight for the earlier Term grades should be 0.  Note:  Single term courses treat a Term grade as their final grade.  Do not use a Grade Type of Final for single term courses.

Effort stores an effort grade per marking period.  This Grade Type is not required.

Other stores any other grades or skills you want to report on report cards.  Elementary schools typically use this for most of their grading needs.  This Grade Type is not required.
Admissions Records: Inquiry vs Applicant
For the purpose of documentation and administrative interfaces, any students in the admissions database (prospective students) are generally referred to as Inquiry or Applicant regardless of their actual status and substatus which are custom per school.
Enrollment Profile
An Enrollment Profile is a predefined set of actions with special rules determining the academic year and the date for the actions which are applied to students and inquiries. By encapsulating all actions necessary for enrollment into an Enrollment Profile, the enrollment procedure is simplified and available for automated enrollment scenarios such as (Re) Enrollment Contracts and summer camp. In particular, an Enrollment Profile may contain several actions which set the desired status and substatus for the inquiry and the student records for the current and next academic year.

There are several ways of configuring enrollment profiles and student actions.
    - Configuring Enrollment Profile (School-centric)

    - Configuring Enrollment Profile (Division-centric)

    - Configuring Enrollment Profile (Hybrid)
Configuring Enrollment Profile
Before configuring an Enrollment Profile, ensure all the desired Inquiry and Student actions have been created. To configure an Enrollment Profile navigate to Admissions > Maintenance > Enrollment Profiles. You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.

Enrollment Profile Name is the name identifying the enrollment profile. This name is only used by administrators to identify the enrollment profile and is not exposed to families.

Divisions are the school divisions for which the enrollment profile is available.

Additional Processing
    -  Copy Inquiry to Student determines whether to copy inquiry data to the student record. This setting will generally be set to yes unless the enrollment profile is used for summer school and summer camp. When the enrollment profile is used for summer, it may be desirable to leave the inquiry record as is and not copy its data to the student side, as it’s expected that the inquiry will continue its admissions process independently from the summer division. When this setting is set to yes, the system migrates financial aid awards to the student record and copies priorities and photos. When this setting is set to yes, you can  Select Inquiry Actions to be applied to an inquiry record upon enrollment. Select an action that changes status so that you can easily filter out inquiries that are already migrated to the student side.   
    - Copy Student to Inquiry determines whether to copy student data back to the inquiry record.  If the inquiry record no longer has a relationship to the household, that relationship is re-established.  Any financial aid associated with the student record will be moved back to the inquiry record.  Note: If there is no inquiry record, the student actions will still be applied, and the student will be dropped from courses if Drop Students from Course Sections is checked. Note: This setting should be used to unenroll an existing student and is typically used in situations when the student was enrolled by mistake.

Enrollment Year determines which academic year the action(s) are created for. Actions can be created for the Enrollment year and the year prior to Enrollment.  Example: The student is enrolling for the next year, but the student record needs to be created now in order for the parents to fill out a (Re) Enrollment Contract.  You want the Enrolled action specified for the Enrollment year; however, the student record is created now, and you do not want to see them on student lists for the current year.  So, you can specify a “Pre-Enrolled” action for the Enrollment Year - 1 without an  Enrollment Month and Day. The “Pre-Enrolled” action has the academic year before the Enrollment year and the action date is for the date that the parent begins the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  For the current year, the student appears as Pre-Enrolled.

Enrollment Month and Day determines the month and day that the action uses based on the Enrollment Year.  Note: If the Enrollment Month and Day are not specified, the action is dated for the current date at the time the Enrollment Profile is used.  

Inquiry Actions are the set of actions that are applied to the Inquiry when they are enrolled as a Student.  Example: You want all Inquiry statuses to change to “Enrolled.” Include a suitable action to change the Inquiry’s status.  Example:  You want all Inquiry statuses to change to “Copied.”  Include a suitable action to change the Inquiry’s status.

Student Actions are the set of actions applied to the Student records. These actions usually change the student’s Status, Substatus, or both. Common statuses for Enrollment Profiles are Enrolled or Pre-Enrolled.

Drop Students from Course Sections determines if students are dropped from all their courses whether or not the Enrollment Profile is used. Note: The student is dropped from all courses in the current year and the next year in all divisions. Except for very unusual circumstances, this setting is always set to “No” for Enrollment Profiles.

Note: Students' “Enrolled Date” is calculated based on the most recent “Enrolled” action on the student record. Returning students should not receive a new enrolled action each year. If necessary, an action besides “Enrolled,” such as an action called “Returning,”  could be applied instead.  Example: If a student receives an Enrolled action dated 9/1/2016 and another Enrolled action dated 8/1/2017, the enrollment date is calculated as 8/1/2017. The transcript reports the enrolled date as 8/1/2017. Note: This works the same way for Graduated and Withdrew actions.  Note: Enrolled, Graduated, and Withdrew dates are shown on transcripts depending on the transcript settings. Note: The name of the action is referenced for calculating the enrollment date.  If you have an action named “Returning,” which sets the student’s status to Enrolled, this does not impact the enrolled date on transcripts.

Create User Checkboxes: The create user checkboxes that were previously only in Campus when applying for an enrollment profile are now on the enrollment profile widget itself. This includes the Multi-Action Enroll and the Details - Enroll options, which now have settings to create parent and student records directly from the Enrollment Profile.

Password Settings: The password doesn't matter when creating new users, as they should use the Reset Password function to set their password.
Configuring Enrollment Profile (School-centric)
Configuring Enrollment Profiles to be school-centric means that a student’s statuses and substatus are consistent across all the school divisions.  This is the standard setup for most schools at this time and has the advantage of being relatively simple and convenient in its setup.  Note: This setup cannot be used if there are regular divisions (Elementary, Middle, and High) as well as divisions such as Summer School or After School.  The key factor is that there might exist students of the same grade level which might be enrolled in one division and not another.  Example:  Student A is grade 10 and enrolled in High School.  Student B is grade 10 and enrolled in Summer School.  With a School-centric approach, both students show in the student lists for both divisions. 

Actions which specify a student’s status and substatus are shared across all divisions.  Example:  When a student is Enrolled in Elementary School, they also have a status of Enrolled for Middle School and High School.  If the student is Withdrawn, they appear withdrawn in all divisions.  Note:  The Enrolled Elementary School student does not show up in the Middle School of High School division by default as those school divisions restrict the appearing students by grade level.

Advantages:
    - Fewer actions are required as you only need 1 action to handle each status and substatus change.
    - Searching for a student status is simplified as you don’t need to consider different divisions.  Note: Student status is still dependant on the school year.  
    - Cross-divisional students do not require early enrollment actions.  Example:  If a middle school student takes a high school class, they can be added to the class in scheduling and are already considered “Enrolled” and show up in attendance rosters and gradebook without additional Student Actions.

Disadvantages:
    - Cannot be used with a Summer Camp / Summer School setup as additional divisions.
    - Status by division may be considered inaccurate.  Example:  A first grade student has an Enrolled status even from the High School’s perspective.
    - Cannot “Graduate” students from individual divisions and have that reflected in the student’s status.
 
Configuring Enrollment Profile (Division-centric)
Configuring Enrollment Profiles to be division-centric means that a student’s statuses and substatus are different for each school division.  This approach is the most flexible, but also the most complex.

Actions which specify a student’s status and substatus specific to each division.  Example:  And Elementary School student receive an action called “Enrolled Elementary”.  They only have an Enrolled status for the Elementary School division.  They have no status for the Middle School or High School.  

Advantages:
    - The most flexible setup
    - The most accurate setup in terms of student enrollment in each division
    - Operates correctly with Summer Camp or divisions where separate enrollment is necessary

Disadvantages:
    - Requires actions which change statuses and substatuses to be created for each division
    - Requires enrollment profiles for each division
    - More complex setup for Admin, Admissions, and (Re) Enrollment Contracts
    - Cross-divisional students require an action to make them Enrolled in the other division.  Example:  If a middle school student takes a high school class, that student must receive an action which sets their high school status to Enrolled so they show up in attendance rosters and gradebook for their high school class.
Configuring Enrollment Profile (Hybrid)
A hybrid approach is a hybrid of Configuring Enrollment Profile (School-centric) and 
Configuring Enrollment Profile (Division-centric).  The intention is to use the Division-centric setup where necessary but otherwise take a School-centric approach.

Example:  Your school has an Lower School, Middle School, Upper School, and Summer Camp divisions.  You can set up shared actions and profiles with a School-centric setup for the Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School.  You can set up Division-centric actions for the Summer Camp.   The main division has standard shared actions with the advantages and disadvantages of a School-centric setup - the Enrolled action is associated with all three divisions.  The Summer Camp has its own separate set of actions in a Division-centric setup - the Summer Enrolled action is only associated with the Summer Camp division.

Note: Schools with an Admissions division can be considered a hybrid setup.  Even if the Lower, Middle, and High Schools all have individualized Enrolled actions, those actions are also shared with the Admissions division.

Advantages:
    - A relatively simpler setup than a full Division-centric setup
    - Can be retrofitted to an existing School-centric setup when adding a Summer Camp division

Disadvantages:
    - Status by division may be considered inaccurate for the divisions sharing actions.  Example:  A first grade student has an Enrolled status even from the High School’s perspective.
    - Cannot “Graduate” students from individual divisions sharing actions and have that reflected in the student’s status.
 
Enrollment Profile Scenarios
The following scenarios include the most common enrollment scenarios and an explanation for why the Enrollment Profile options are set the way they are.

Profile Name Description Additional Processing Inquiry Actions Student Actions
Enroll New Student This Enrollment Profile is typically used by Admissions to enroll a new student to the school. It applies to all non-Summer Camp divisions. Copy Inquiry To Student Enrolled or Copied
Note: The action must change the applicant's status.		 1. Enrolled Note: Sets the student’s status to “Enrolled.” Note: Specify an Enrollment Month and Day that the student is considered Enrolled.

2. Newly Enrolled Note: Sets the student’s substatus to “Newly Enrolled.”

Note: You may choose to have only one action of Enrolled which sets both the status to “Enrolled” and the substatus to “Newly Enrolled.”
Enroll Existing Student This Enrollment Profile is typically used by the (Re) Enrollment Contract only, though if students must re-apply each year then Admissions uses this profile as well. It applies to all non-Summer Camp divisions. Copy Inquiry To Student 1. Active Note: Sets the student’s substatus to “Active.”
Pre-Enroll Student for Contract This Enrollment Profile is typically only used for (Re) Enrollment Contract to tentatively enroll a new student to the school. It applies to all non-Summer Camp division. Copy Inquiry To Student Enrolled or Copied
Note: The action must change the applicant's status. 		1.Pre-Enrolled Note: Sets the student’s Status to “Pre-Enrolled.”

Note: You may include additional actions to track the (Re) Enrollment Contract process. These actions may set the substatus.

Note: No action setting the student status to Enrolled is applied by this profile. Instead, when the (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted, the “Enroll New Student” Enrollment Profile is applied.
Not Enrolling This Enrollment Profile is typically used for (Re) Enrollment Contract to indicate that the student is not returning for the year. This Enrollment Profile can also be applied by an administrator to achieve the same results. It applies to all non-Summer Camp divisions. None 1. Withdrew Note: Sets the student’s status to “Withdrew.”

Note: The Enrollment Month and Day should be specified such that the action is dated after the last day of school so that the student’s status remains “Enrolled” until that date.
Enroll Summer Student The Enrollment Profile only applies to Summer School, and should only include actions associated with the Summer School division. None 1. Enrolled Summer Note: Sets the student’s status to “Enrolled” for the Summer division only.

2. Summer In Progress Note: Sets the student’s substatus to “Summer in Progress” for the Summer division only.

Note: When the Summer Camp application is submitted an action is applied to set the substatus to Active - for the Summer Camp only.
Withdraw Student This Profile is used to withdraw a student. Note: If a student is enrolled by mistake, use Unenroll Student instead. None 1. Withdrew Note: Sets the student’s status to “Withdrew.”
Unenroll Student This Profile is used to unenroll a student and push the record back to Admissions. It applies to all non-Summer Camp divisions.

Note: Unenrolling a student should only be used in the case of a student enrolled by mistake. If the student decides they are not coming, they should be withdrawn. 		Copy Student To Inquiry Applicant and Unenrolled Note: Sets the status to Applicant and the substatus to Unenrolled. The Substatus of Unenrolled alerts Admissions that the record was pushed back. 1. Withdrew Note: Sets the student’s status to “Withdrew.”

Note: These are only recommendations for how the profiles could be set up.  For instance, you may want to have the “Pre-Enroll Student for Contract” set student substatuses to “Contract Pending,”  or you might want to have the Pre-Enrolled action applied in the previous enrollment year instead of the current. You might also want to have actions specific to divisions, such as when Configuring Enrollment Profile (Division-centric). The actions involved and the status and substatus you use might differ depending on your specific processes. Note: PCR Educator expects the status to be “Enrolled” for current students.  Which action changes the status to “Enrolled” isn’t so important.  Other standard statuses include “Graduated” and “Withdrew.”  Statuses that are non-standard are treated as students who are not “Enrolled.”  Example: Non-standard statuses could include “Pre-Enrolled” or “Expelled.”  Neither status is required, and such students are treated as not “Enrolled.”

Note:  For a Division-centric setup, you have enrollment profiles for each division.

Note: Enrollment Profiles may be applied to inquiry records when you Enrolling Inquiries, or Applying Enrollment Profiles to students.

Note: (Re) Enrollment Contract pre-enrolls applicants using the contract's academic year. Enrollments where an explicit academic year is not specified use the inquiry’s academic year. If the academic year matches the admissions year (see School Info), then the student's current grade level is set to match the applying for grade level.  In any other scenario, the student’s current grade level is set to the applicant record's current grade level. The student's next year grade level is always set to the applying for grade level.

Note: The create user checkboxes that were previously only in Campus when applying an enrollment profile are now on the enrollment profile widget itself. This includes the Multi-Action Enroll and the Details - Enroll options, which now have settings to create parent and student records directly from the Enrollment Profile. The password doesn't matter when creating new users, as they should use the Reset Password function to set their password.
Enrolling Inquiries
The process of Enrolling an Inquiry:

    - creates a student record if no record previously existed
    - copies inquiry data to student
    - adds actions to the inquiry record so that it can be easily distinguished from other records which are still in admissions
    - adds actions to the newly created student record.

The process of enrolling is governed by the chosen Enrollment Profile. If a Preferred Student Id is specified in the inquiry record and there is no existing student with the same id, the new student is created with the specified Preferred Student Id.  If such a student id does already exist, then the student record is updated with the inquiry record information.  If no Preferred Student Id is specified, then the student is created with the next available student id, and the Preferred Student Id is updated in the inquiry record to match this id.

Enrollment Profile is the enrollment profile used for the enrollment procedure. “Enroll New Student” profile is typically used to enroll an accepted applicant through Inquiry->Details. This enrollment profile is provided by PCR Educator by default, as most inquiries are new students to the school.

Enrollment Year is the academic year that the inquiry is enrolling for.

Create Default Student Login creates a login with a Default Username and Default Password.

Create Default Parent Logins creates parent logins with a Default Username and Default Password.  Note: Since parents should be inquiring and applying through the Inquiry/Apply Online, they should have already created at least one user.

There are several ways an inquiry can be Enrolled:
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiries in Bulk
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry Through (Re) Enrollment Contract
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry Through Summer Camp
 
Applying Enrollment Profile
There are several ways enrollment profiles can be applied to inquiries or students:
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Students in Bulk
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Student Through (Re) Enrollment Contract
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiries in Bulk
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry Through (Re) Enrollment Contract
    - Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry Through Summer Camp
Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry
Enrolling inquiries one at a time, navigate to Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants > Details > Enroll.  You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.
Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiries in Bulk
Enrolling inquiries in bulk navigate to Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants, and choose the multi-action “Enroll.”
Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry Through (Re) Enrollment Contract
Enrolling inquiries though (Re) Enrollment Contract, apply the appropriate action as designated by the Ready for Contract Action setting in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Enrollment Options Setup.  When a parent logs into the (Re) Enrollment Contract, the student is Enrolled based on the Pre-Enrolled for Contract Enrollment Profile.
Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry Through Summer Camp
Enrolling inquiries though Summer Camp, make sure you have an appropriate Enrollment Profile Scenario set up for summer school students.  When the parent selects an inquiry in Summer Camp, the student is Enrolled based on the Enrollment Profile and School Division specified for the control’s settings.
Applying Enrollment Profile to Students in Bulk
To apply an enrollment profile to students, navigate to Students, and choose the multi-action Apply Enrollment Profile.  You need the Actions Full role to use this multi-action.
Applying Enrollment Profile to Student Through (Re) Enrollment Contract
Students who complete a (Re) Enrollment Contract may have an enrollment profile applied upon (Re) Enrollment Contract submission.  The profile applied to the student is based on the Enrollment Profile Options specified in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Enrollment Options Setup.  Students who choose not to re-enroll, will have the Not Enrolling Profile applied as specified in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup.  Finally, students who come from admission by Applying Enrollment Profile to Inquiry Through (Re) Enrollment Contract will have the Pre-Enrolled for Contract enrollment profile applied. 
Updates: Student Tests/Evaluations
Please note, that with the new release Student Tests are renamed to Student Evaluations.
Updates: Saving DAT Filters
With the new release, saving DAT filters has the option to overwrite an existing filter with the new filter - allowing you to replace the filter without having to change the associated filter elsewhere.

Note:  Criteria for (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings and (Re) Enrollment Forms need to be updated separately as no link is retained to the original filter.
Action
Action is a record that captures activity for a particular entity. These records may change a status/substatus, generate correspondence, or record more general information - depending on the action category and the action method.  Note:  For recording non-dated non-standard information on a record, consider using Attributes.

Change Status To determines whether the action changes status.  This only applies to categories with an action entity type of Student or Inquiry.  In the case of students, the status is changed for the divisions associated with the action.  The Status/Substatus Calculation is different for Inquiries and Students.

Change Substatus To determines whether the action changes a substatus.  This only applies to categories with an action entity type of Student or Inquiry.  In the case of students, the substatus is changed for the divisions associated with the action.  The Status/Substatus Calculation is different for Inquiries and Students.

Scoring Category determines which scoring category is used for evaluation actions.  This only applies to categories with an action entity type of Evaluation.

Method determines what kind of correspondence method the action uses.  
    - None refers to standard actions which are not used for mail merge or email..
    - Mail refers to Print actions. Use Upload New Template for uploading the template.
    - Email refers to email actions. Use Select Template to tie the action to its email template. 

Is Active indicates whether the action can be used. Leave this field unchecked when you decide to stop using the selected action. 

Instructions is a field that captures a free-form text that can be displayed on Inquiry Recommendation page. This field is only relevant to actions with an Action Category of Inquiry Recommendation.

Divisions determine the visibility of the selected action by division.  Changes to a student’s status or substatus only apply for divisions the action is associated with.  Note:  This is key for dealing with students in a separate division like Summer Camp.  A student might Enroll in summer camp, but not participate in the main school divisions.  Summer Camp has its own action that handles Enrolled status separate from the main divisions, and vice versa.

Read Roles determines which users can see the action.

Edit Roles determine which users have access to modify the action. Note: Only Evaluation and Student actions have Edit Roles available for modification.

Note: Enrollment Profiles are configured with actions which change status and are associated with appropriate divisions.
 
Why is an action not appearing?
For an action to appear for a record, it must be Active, associated with the current Division, and be the correct type of Category.  Check that your user and the action’s Read Role both share at least one role.
Status/Substatus Calculation
    - Status/Substatus Calculation - Inquiry
    - Status/Substatus Calculation - Student
    - Status/Substatus Calculation - Financial Aid
 
Status/Substatus Calculation - Financial Aid
The status of a Financial Aid Award is automatically calculated from the action date with the highest date.
Configuring Action
To configure actions, navigate to Maintenance > Actions.  You need the Actions Full role, and one of the roles required to access the module.
Configuring Action (Evaluation Sections)
For actions with an action Category of Evaluation, editing the action has an additional tab for Sections.

Example: The SAT has multiple graded sections: Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and Essay.  Each one of these is added as a separate section.  The scores that you record for each section depends on the Scoring Category associated with the action.  For an SAT scoring category, you might want to record a Raw Score and Percentile, which are set up with the Scoring Category.  Later, when recording a specific evaluation for a student, you are able to enter the Raw Score and Percentile for each section of the SAT action.

Example: An Admissions Interview action may have multiple sections: Academic Assessment, Community Involvement, Personal Assessment.   The scores that you record for each section depends on the Scoring Category associated with the action. For Admissions Interview, you may want to create a new Scoring Category with a Score Entry Type that allows a numeric entry of 1 through 5.

Note: The Evaluation Site dropdown options are configurable by using the Test Sites link in the upper right corner of the “actions” tab in the Edit Action popup.
Evaluation
An Evaluation is a specialized action for students and inquiries (Action Entity Type = Evaluation). In addition to capturing standard action data such as date, type, and comment, evaluations also capture scores. Typically evaluations are used to capture standardized test results, interview results, application review results, admissions committee decisions.
Configuring Evaluation
To configure evaluations:

1. Create a Score Entry Type.  Note: Score entry types for evaluations are always “All Division” score entry types.
2. Create a Scoring Category.
3. Create a Score Type.
4. Create Evaluation Categories.  
5. Create Evaluations.  Note:  This is a subset of Actions, except this page only shows actions associated with an Evaluation action category.  Example: Some Admissions evaluation types you might include are “Interview” or “Committee Recommendation.”

In the case when you want the school members without Admissions roles to be able to log into the Admissions module, review their assigned applicants’ data, and record the results of the evaluations (interviews, assessments, committee decisions, application recommendations), follow these extra steps:

6. Create Evaluation Requirements.  Note:  This is a subset of Admissions Checklist Actions, except the page only shows actions associated with an Evaluation action category.  Note: Evaluation actions must be part of a checklist for an Evaluator to access them.
7. Follow the steps for Assigning Evaluators
8. Follow the steps for Configuring Evaluation Dashboard
9. Follow the steps for Recording Inquiry Action - by Evaluator

Note: Recording student evaluations is performed through Student > Details > Evaluations.
Scoring Category
Scoring Category determines the type of the evaluation.  Example: Interview, Committee Recommendation, Admissions Decision, Standardized Test, ERB, SAT, PSAT, SSAT.

To configure scoring categories, navigate to:
     - Admin > Maintenance > Scoring Categories.  You need the Admin Full role to access this page.
OR
     - Admissions > Evaluations > 2 Scoring Categories.  You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.


Note is a field available for your convenience to describe the category.
 
Score Type
Score type is the type of the score recorded on each section of an evaluation. 
Example:  You have created a scoring category SAT, then you add two Score Types: Scaled Score that uses Scaled Score Score Entry Type and Percentile that uses Percentile Score Entry Type. 

To configure Score Types, navigate to:
    - Admin > Maintenance > Score Types.  You need the Admin Full role to access this page.
OR
    - Admissions > Evaluations > Score Types.  You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.

Score Type determines the scoring options for a scoring section on the evaluation.

Notes is a field available for your convenience.

Entry Type is the score entry type determining what kind of values are available to enter.

Example:  For each section of an SAT, you might want to record the total Score, as well as the Percentile the student falls in for each of Written, Verbal, Math, etc.  “Score” and “Percentile” are your score types.
Admissions Checklist
An admissions checklist is a named set of ordered actions that is associated with an inquiry filter which defines a group of inquiry records. The Admissions Checklist is a very important concept that allows schools and parents to:
- quickly see all actions which are expected to be completed for the selected inquiry/applicant record
- quickly review all completed actions
- manage workflows and automated actions which are triggered by completed actions
Example:  An Applicant checklist associated with an Applicant filter (all inquiries with inquiry action’s action description = Application Received for the current admissions year) tracks all actions that any applicant has to complete (interviews, test results, visits, etc).
Example: An Inquiry checklist associated with an Inquiry filter (all inquiries with a status = Inquiry) tracks all available actions for inquiries with a status of Inquiry.
Example: Parents attend an “Open House” event.  The “Open House” event is the a previous action for a follow-up “Open House Thank You Email” action.  When the “Open House” action is marked as completed, then the follow-up “Open House Thank You Email” is automatically scheduled and sent.

To create or edit an admissions checklist, navigate to Admissions > Maintenance > Checklists.  You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.  Note: You should consider what different admissions checklists you will want to create, and create the DAT Filters first.  Planning the admissions checklists ahead of time will simplify the checklist creation processes.

Note: Admissions checklists do not need to be mutually exclusive. I.e. you may have a checklist Applicant to keep track of all actions necessary for any applicant, but you may also have Applicant Upper School and Applicant Lower School checklists to track actions specific to the relevant divisions. When the system loads a checklist for the selected inquiry record, it automatically determines which checklist qualify based on the filters. In other words, an inquiry may belong to multiple checklists.  For example, a foreign applicant belongs to both the All Applicants checklist and Foreign Applicants checklist.

Filter is a filter to determine which inquiries belong to the current admissions checklist.

Completed Action is an action applied to the inquiry record once all actions in the current checklist are completed.  Note:  This action can change the status or substatus resulting in the inquiry belonging to a new checklist with a new set of actions to complete.

Example: All your inquiries are receive an initial phone call and are invited to an open house.  All your applicants need to complete an interview, submit a teacher recommendation, and submit an application.  All your foreign applicants need to submit a copy of their VISA, a copy of the Passport, and a record of immunizations.  Your middle and high school applicants might need to submit a current report card or transcript.  These could be five separate checklists: All Inquiries, All Applicants, Foreign Applicants, Middle School, High School.
Admissions Checklist Action
The Admissions Checklist Actions are actions which appear for the inquiries who qualify for the Admissions Checklist.  To add or change actions for an Admissions Checklist, navigate to Admissions > Maintenance > Checklist Actions.  You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.

Checklist is the current Admissions Checklist you want to modify.

Action Order determines the order that the actions appear on an Admissions Checklist when the selected sort order is set to Action Order (as opposed to the default one which is by Date).  Note: If an inquiry qualifies for many Admissions Checklists, then the actions may be mixed together if some actions have the same order in different Admissions Checklists.

Hide From Checklists allows an action to be associated with the Admissions Checklist, but not be shown on the checklist or on the Notification Trigger - Inquiry Missing Actions template.  Example: This is used for actions like an optional Open House event.  An Open House action must be associated with an Admissions Checklist in order for the action to be an option for parents of inquiries on the CMS Apply Online.  The action would have the “Parent” role and be hidden from the admissions checklist.

Previous Action works in conjunction with Action Due In ___ Day(s) to automatically apply the action once the previous action is recorded. Note: The previous action must be completed before this action is automatically scheduled.  Example: You want to automatically send a follow-up email 10 days after a parent inquires.  You could set up an “Inquiry Follow-up Email” action with a suitable email template, and specify that this action’s Previous Action as the Inquiry Received action and the Action Due In ___ Day(s) is 10.  Note: An action that is added through an Enrollment Profile will not trigger the checklist.  For example, if Action A is configured to be due 3 days after Action B and if Action B is added through an Enrollment Profile, it will not trigger Action A.

Required # is the number of required selected actions for the selected checklist. This setting is typically used for Evaluation actions determining how many actions of that type must be completed for the inquiry.  Example: You have an Applicant Interview action.  Each applicant is interviewed twice.  Specify the Required # as 2, and the Admissions Checklist shows two instances of the action to be filled out.

Note: Actions may appear in more than one Admissions Checklist.  If an action appears in more than 1 checklist, and the Required # is 1 in all associated checklists, the action only needs to be completed once to satisfy each checklist.
Recording Inquiry Action
There are multiple ways to record inquiry actions.  
    - Recording Inquiry Action - Individual

    - Recording Inquiry Action - Bulk

    - Recording Inquiry Action - by Evaluator

    - Importing Inquiry Action

Note: Many types of inquiry actions may be recorded indirectly.  For instance, when a parent inquires on the CMS Parent Portal, an initial action is assigned to the inquiry when they press the submit button.  When the parent submits the Application Online, another action is applied when they press the submit button.  Actions may also be scheduled or applied automatically based on the Admissions Checklist an inquiry is associated with.
Recording Inquiry Action - Individual
Navigate to Admissions > Inquiry/Applicants > Details > Checklists.   You need the Admissions Read or Admissions Full role to access this area of the Admissions module and the Actions Full or Actions Read role to access this page.

Note:  The system shows/records actions for the selected Admissions Checklist academic year.  The academic year dropdown appears in the upper right corner of the page.

Locate the appropriate Admissions Checklist action and click the “Schedule” or “Complete” checkbox.  Alternatively, if the action is not in the Admissions Checklist, choose the appropriate item from the Action dropdown at the bottom of the page and click the “Add” button.

Note:  If you choose an Email action, you have the opportunity to edit the email to be sent. 
Note:  If you choose an Evaluation action, additional section and score fields are available.  The Evaluation Site dropdown is customized by Configuring Action (Evaluation Sections) 
Note:  If you choose a Mail action, you have the option to generate and print the associated document.

To upload a file attachment, click on the paper clip image in the files column.

To delete an action, click the link of a scheduled or completed action, and click the “delete” button.  Note: If the action scheduled an email to be sent in the future, deleting the action does not delete the email notification job.  The notification job must be deleted separately.

Note: You can change the sort order from Action Date to Action Order using the dropdown on the top left.
Recording Inquiry Action - Bulk
Navigate to Admissions > Inquiry/Applicants.  You need the Admissions Full or Admissions Read role to access this page.  Select the desired set of inquiries and use the multi-action “Actions”.  You need the Actions Full role to perform this multi-action.

Specify the desired Action, Academic Year, Scheduled Date if applicable, Completed Date, and Comment.  Click the “Create New” button to generate the actions.

Note:  Actions with a Method of “Email” will not schedule emails to be sent.  Instead, of using the “Actions” multi-action, use the “Email” multi-action.  When creating the email, you have the opportunity to choose an Action which will be applied to the selected inquiries.
Inquiry Action List
A list of all the inquiry actions are accessible by navigating to Admissions > Actions. You need the Admissions Full, Admissions Read, or Admissions Evaluator role to access the Admissions module and the Actions Full or Actions Read role to access this page.

The main purpose of this page is to perform multi-actions on the actions:
    - Inquiry Action Delete Multi-action
    - Inquiry Action Mark Completed Multi-action
    - Email Multi-action
 
Inquiry Action Delete Multi-action
The Delete multi-action allows mass deletion of selected inquiry actions.  To access the delete multi-action navigate to Admissions > Actions.  You need the Admissions Full, Admissions Read, or Admissions Evaluator role to access the module.  You need the Actions Full or Actions Read role to access this page.  Select the desired actions to delete, and choose the multi-action Delete.  You need the Actions Full role to use this multi-action.

On the following page, you see a list confirming which actions are to be deleted.  Click the “Delete” button to delete the actions.

Note:  Deleting actions having a method of email will not cancel scheduled email notification jobs.
Inquiry Action Mark Completed Multi-action
The Mark Completed multi-action sets the completed date for the selected actions.  To access the Mark Completed multi-action navigate to Admissions > Actions.  You need the Admissions Full, Admissions Read, or Admissions Evaluator role to access the module.  You need the Actions Full or Actions Read role to access this page.  You need the Actions Full role to use this multi-action.  Select the desired actions to complete, and choose the multi-action Mark Completed.

There are two options for how the completed date is set.
    - Mark completed as of a specific date and time of your choice.
    - Mark completed as of the action’s scheduled date.  

Click “Save” to mark the completed dates for the selected actions.
 
Assigning Evaluator
Evaluators are the users assigned to selected applicants for the purpose of having a limited access to only these applicants, reviewing them and recording the results of Evaluations.  There are two ways to assign evaluators:
    - Managing Evaluators for individual inquiries
OR
    - Assigning Evaluator - Bulk

Note: You may have multiple evaluators for an inquiry in a given academic year.  

Note: You may have different advisors for different academic years.
 
Removing Evaluator
Evaluators may be removed from inquiries in two different ways:
    - Managing Evaluators for individual inquiries
OR
    - Removing Evaluator - Bulk

Note: This process removes the association of the evaluator from the inquiry.  The evaluator user is still retained.  If they are no longer an evaluator for any inquiries, they automatically lose the Admissions Evaluator role.
Assigning Evaluator - Bulk
You need the Admissions Full role to access the page and perform the multi-action. You can assign evaluators in bulk using a multi-action of “Assign Evaluator” on one of these pages:
    - Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants

    - Admissions > Evaluations > 7 Assign Evaluators

To complete the assignment: 
1. Select the inquiries who will be assigned the evaluators.

2. Choose the multi-action “Assign Evaluators” to begin adding evaluators.

3. Choose the users who are to evaluate the selected inquiries.

4. Choose the academic year that they evaluate the selected inquiries.

5. Click “Save.”
 
Removing Evaluator - Bulk
You need the Admissions Full role to access the page and perform the multi-action. You can remove evaluators in bulk using a multi-action of “Remove Evaluators” on one of these pages:
    - Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants

    - Admissions > Evaluations > 7 Assign Evaluators

1. Select the inquiries who no longer will be assigned the evaluators.

2. Choose the multi-action “Remove Evaluators” to begin removing evaluators.

3. Choose the users who no longer evaluate the selected inquiries.

4. Choose the academic year.

5. Click “Remove.”
 
Managing Evaluator
To manage evaluators for an Inquiry record, navigate to Admissions > Inquiry/Applicants > Details and choose Evaluators from the left menu.  You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.

The currently associated Evaluators are listed in the top grid.  To remove any evaluators, select them and click the “Remove” button.

The available users to associated as Evaluators are listed in the bottom grid.  To add any evaluators, select them and click the “Assign” button.
 
Configuring Evaluation Dashboard
To set up the dashboard that Evaluators see when entering their evaluations, navigate to Admissions > Evaluations > 8 Setup Evaluation Dashboard.  You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.

Check the checkbox next to the profile elements which should be available to the evaluators and click “Save.”

Note: These profile elements are shown where Recording Admissions Evaluation - by Evaluator.
Recording Inquiry Action - by Evaluator
As an Evaluator, to record an Admissions Evaluation for an inquiry navigate to Admissions > Evaluations > 9 Evaluations.  You need the Admissions Evaluator role to access this page.  Locate the desired Inquiry and Evaluation, and click the “Review” link.  Note:  By default, only inquiries who have a checklist for the current admissions year (or later) and do not yet have the number of required reviews completed show up for the evaluator.

If the evaluation has not yet been started, click the “Start” button.

The “Save” button allows you to record information without completing the evaluation.

The “Undo” button cancels the evaluation and discards any saved data.  To resume the evaluation after an “Undo,” click the “Start” button.

The “Submit” button finalizes the evaluation.  Note:  Once the evaluation is submitted, you cannot make any more changes.

Note:  Change where you enter the evaluation information by using the buttons in the top right of the entry section.  You may place the entry section on the left, right, or bottom of the page.

Note: Evaluations also appear as actions on the Admissions Checklist.
Admissions Event Category
An Admissions Event Category organizes all events of a particular type and includes additional information regarding how those events operate.  To access the Admissions Event Category page navigate to Admissions > Maintenance > Event Categories.  You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.

Name is the name of the Event Category.

Close Sign Up # Days Before closes the online signup the specified number of days before the event.  If this is not specified, then parents can sign up the same day.

Is Comment Visible determines whether the comment entry is available for parents during the signup process.

Max Attendees Per Family determines the maximum number attendees a parent may specify during signup.  Note:  There is a maximum capacity for Admissions Events. If the maximum capacity is 20 and you list 4 max attendees per family, the maximum could be reached once you have 5 families - each with 4 participants - signed up. You may wish to specify the max attendees per family as “one” so that the count matches your availability.  In the registration instruction, explain that only the inquiry is counted and that all other attendees should be listed by the family under the comment - Is Comment Visible would be checked in this case.

Action determines the action which is added to the inquiry record when a parent signs up for an event.

Instruction is any instructions to include with the Event.  Note: The best practice for emails for events is to use a generic email template with the Instruction as a merge field to customize the message for events in different event categories.
Admissions Event
An Admissions Event is a record that tracks admissions events. You may create any number of admissions events for each Admissions Event Category. Typically available admissions events are exposed to parents through CMS Admissions Portal where parents can sign up for the upcoming events. Similarly, you can record an inquiry action that is connected to an event. To access Admissions Events, navigate to Admissions > Maintenance > Events.  You need the Admissions Full role to access this page.  Note: By default, this page shows all upcoming events. To see all events in this Event Category including prior events, click the Include All Events checkbox.

The Category dropdown determines which event category show / create.

Date is the date of an individual event.

Start is the start time of the event.

End is the end time of the event.

Capacity is how many people may sign up for an event.  Note: This is different than the Max Attendees Per Family in the Admissions Event Category.  Capacity limits the total number of signups for the timeslot and is based on the sum of each sign-up’s attendee count.

Attending is the current count of attendees for the event.  Note: You have the option of only allowing 1 attendee per signup and allowing the parent to list the actual attendees in a comment.

Seats Left is how many more attendees spots are available to sign up for the event.
Configuring Admissions Event
Configure Admissions Events by using the New Events wizard.

1) Choose the Admissions Event Category from the dropdown at the top.

2) Specify how often the events should be created.  Note: The numbers refer to an interval whether you pick “Days” or a particular day of the week.  Example: If you pick “2nd” and “Tuesday” this creates meetings every other Tuesday within your date range.  If you pick “3rd” and “Day”, this creates meetings every 3 days within your date range.

3) Specify the range of dates for the events.

4) Specify the range of times for the events on each day.

5) Specify the length of time in minutes that a single event meets for.

6)  Specify the interval of time in minutes between each event.  Note:  This is a gap of time between each event to allow for clean or other preparation for the next set of attendees.

7) Specify the capacity for the events.

8) Click the “Schedule” button to schedule the events.  Events are created according to your specifications.

You may edit or delete individual events once they are created.  Note:  You are able to create multiple events to meet for the same dates and times or for overlapping times.

Note: You may want to run the New Events wizard multiple times if the events meet for different intervals.  Example:  Suppose you have an event that runs M-F over a 1 month span between 10am and 2pm.  For most of those days, the event meeting times are 1 hour long.  However, on Wednesday and Friday, it is 45 minutes long and only runs until 1pm.  In this case, schedule the following in the wizard:
    - Every 1st Monday, 10am to 2pm, length 60
    - Every 1st Tuesday, 10am to 2pm, length 60
    - Every 1st Thursday, 10am to 2pm, length 60
    - Every 1st Wednesday, 10am to 5pm, length 45
    - Every 1st Friday, 10am to 5pm, length 45
The result has 4 meeting times each Monday, Tuesday,  and Thursday of the month, and 6 meeting times each Wednesday and Friday of the month.  No meeting times are scheduled on the weekends.
 
Student Action
Student Action is a record that captures activity for a particular student.

Academic Year is the academic year of the student action.

Grade Level is the grade level of the student for the Academic Year.

Action Date is the date of the action.  Note:  The action date does not need to be within the academic year.

Action Category is the category of the student action.

Comment is a comment you may include with the action.  Note: A comment is not required.

An action may change the student’s status, substatus, Enrolled date, or Withdrew date.  Details for the Status/Substatus Calculation - Student are found in a separate article.
Recording Student Action
Recording student actions may be done individually or in bulk.

Recording Student Action - Individual may be performed by navigating to Students > Details > Actions.  You need an appropriate role to access the module, and the Actions Full or Actions Read role to access the page.

Recording Student Action - Bulk may be performed by navigating to Students and using the multi-action Actions.  You need an appropriate role to access the module, and the Actions Full role to perform the multi-action.
 
Recording Student Action - Individual
When recording an individual student action, specify the Academic Year, Grade Level, Action Date, Action Category, Action and click the “Add New” button.  Note: The Comment is not required but may be specified if desired.
Recording Student Action - Bulk
When recording student actions in bulk, specify the Academic Year, Action Category, Action, Grade Level, and Action Date and click the “Save” button.  Note:  The Comment is not required but may be specified if desired.

For the Grade Level, you may choose to use:
    - Current - This sets the action grade level to the student’s current year grade level.
    - Next Year - This sets the action grade level to the student’s next year grade level.
    - Specified - The specified grade level is used to all actions.
 
Recording Student Evaluation
To record new student evaluation, navigate to Admin > Student > Details > Evaluations.  You need the Registrar Full or Registrar Read role to access this page.

To record a new evaluation for a student, specify the Academic Year, Date, Taken Date, Type, and Grade Level for the evaluation and click the “Add New” button.  

Once the evaluation has been created, click on the evaluation name to enter the scores.  The score options are different depending on the Type of evaluation selected.

To upload a file attachment for an evaluation, click on the paper clip image in the files column.
 
Action Category
Action categories are organizational entities designed to group together similar actions.  To access action categories, navigate to Maintenance > Action Categories.  You need the Actions Full role.

Category Name is the name of the category which groups the actions.  Note:  Usually you have at least one Action Category per Action Entity Type.  Example: You have a single Action Category named “Student Actions” with the Action Entity Type of Student.

Action Entity Type refers to the entity type for the selected category.
Entity Type Module Methods Note
Check Finance Mail
Customer Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AR > Customers, multi-action Email.
Customer Credit Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AR > Credits, multi-action Email.
Customer Invoice Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AR > Invoices, multi-action Email.
Customer Receipt Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AR > Receipts, multi-action Email.
Discipline Admin Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Admin > Discipline, multi-action Email.
Donor Development None, Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Development > Contacts, multi-action Email Donor.
Donor Ask Development None, Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Development > Asks, multi-action Email.
Donor Donation Development Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Development > Donations, multi-action Email.
Donor Event Development Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Development > Events > Event Attendance, multi-action Email Attendee.
Donor Individual Development None, Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Development > Persons, multi-action Email.
Donor Payment Development Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Development > Payments, multi-action Email.
Donor Tax Receipt Development Mail
Evaluation Admin None Evaluation is for recording Evaluations for inquiries and students.
Financial Aid Award Fin Aid None, Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Fin Aid > Awards, multi-action Email.
Household Admin, Admissions, Health, Development, Fin Aid, Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created from any households list page using the “Email Household” multi-action.
Inquiry Admissions None, Mail, Email The actions may change the inquiry status or substatus. Email templates are created through the Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants, multi-action Email with the option “One email per student/household combination” selected.
Inquiry Recommendation Admissions Email Email templates are created through the Inquiry Actions List using the multi-action Email.
Inquiry With HH Contact Admissions Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants, multi-action Email with the option “One email per student” selected. Note: The default behavior for inquiry merges with households is to generate one record per inquiry/household combination. This variation guarantees only one email/document per inquiry record.
Misc Payment Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AP > Misc. Payments, multi-action Email.
Misc Receipt Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AR > Receipts, multi-action Email.
Purchase Order Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AP > Purchase Orders, multi-action Email.
Student Admin, Admissions, Health, Development, Fin Aid, Finance None, Mail, Email The actions may change the student status or substatus in one or more divisions. Note: Email templates are created from any student list page using the Email multi-action with the option “One email per student/household combination” selected.
Student Check In Out Admin Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Admin > Attendance > Check In/Check Out, multi-action Email.
Student Daily Attendance Admin Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Admin > Attendance > Daily Attendance, multi-action Email.
Student Health Health None Student Health actions appear in the Health module only.
Student Health Visit Health None, Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Health > Health Visits, multi-action Email. Student Health Visits appear in the Health module only.
Student Period Attendance Admin Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Admin > Attendance > PAttendance, multi-action Email.
Student With HH Contact Admin, Admissions, Health, Development, Fin Aid, Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created from any student list page using the Email multi-action with the option “One email per student” selected. Note: The default behavior for student merges with households is to generate one record per student/household combination. This variation guarantees only one email/document per student record.
Teacher Admin, Scheduling None, Email Email templates are created through the Admin > Staff, multi-action Email, or Scheduling > Staff, multi-action Email.
User Security Email Email templates are created through the Security > Users, multi-action Email.
Vendor Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AP > Vendors, multi-action Email.
Vendor Credit Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AP > Credit Memos, multi-action Email.
Vendor Invoice Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AP > Invoices, multi-action Email.
Vendor Payment Finance Mail, Email Email templates are created through the Finance > AP > Payments, multi-action Email.
DAT Multi-Action
If you have included a suitable DAT Key Id Field, you can use the DAT Multi-Action to run your DAT Query for selected records.  You will need the DAT Full role to use the DAT Multi-Action (available for Students, Households, Inquiries/Applicants, Courses, Staff, Donations).

Example:  You’ve created a DAT Query with student id column.  Under Admin > Students, you select all your 9th graders and use the multi-action DAT Query.  Choosing the desired DAT Query from the drop-down will run that DAT Query, but only for your 9th graders.

Example: You’ve created a DAT Query for the students and their courses.  You’ve included the student id column and course id column.  You can run this same query by Admin > Students, choosing students, and running the multi-action DAT Query, or by Admin > Courses, choosing courses, and running the multi-action DAT Query.

Note: The drop-down will include options for any DAT Query which you have created or which you have roles for that also have the suitable id.
Saving DAT Filter
You can save a DAT Filter for your personal reuse, or to make it available to other users.  There are two ways you might reach the Save Filter screen.

1. Click Save on a DAT Filter popup window.  Note: You can replace an existing filter by choosing it from the dropdown on the Save screen.

2. Managing DAT Filter

For a saved filter, the following information is required:

Filter Name is the name of the filter as it will appear in the drop-downs. Filter names must be unique in the system. Note: Filters that you are not the author of, but have role access to use, will have an asterisk * at the end of the filter name in drop-downs.

All Divisions determines if the filter will appear in other school divisions as an option in drop-downs.  If the filter has conditions specific to the current division, leave this unchecked.  Note: All Divisions must be checked for a saved filter to be available as an option when creating calculated attributes.

Roles determine which other users can see and use the filter.  Such users are able to add additional conditions or save their own copy of the DAT Filter. Note: Consider carefully before making a filter available to other user roles.  Fields are already restricted in terms of which roles can access them; however, if you create a filter based on those fields and specify roles - anyone with those roles is able to run your filter.
CMS Widgets - Reporting Options
Reporting Options appear on two types of CMS Widgets:
    - CMS Widget - Report Runner
    - CMS Widget - Simple Report Runner

Send Email When Complete determines whether an email is sent to the user’s email address when the report has finished rendering.  Note: Send Email When Complete is only applicable to PDF reports.

Show Extra Conditions determines whether additional conditions may be added when running the report. Note: Show Extra Conditions is only applicable to PDF reports.

Single Record determines whether a report is run for an individual record or a set of selected records.

Note:  To make reports available to teachers, associate the Faculty role with the DAT Query.  To make the report available to parents, associate the Parent role with the DAT Query. To make the report available to students, associate the Student role with the DAT Query. 

Note: Be careful regarding what information is made available in the DAT Query - while the ability to access health and financial information is initially hidden behind user roles in the DAT, the user who creates the report can specify whatever roles they wish for the report availability.  Note: Custom roles can be created in the CMS, and used as roles for a DAT Query.
CMS Widget - Report Runner
The Report Runner widgets described below allow users to run various reports (predefined and DAT Query reports) in CMS.  

Note: Report runners have additional CMS Widget - Reporting Options available.
Widget Name Single Record Additional Information
Course > Report Runner Optional Multiple courses are selected via the Course > Class List widget. If courses are not selected in this manner, make sure Single Record is checked to allow the report to operate on the currently selected course section.
Student > Report Runner Optional Multiple students are selected via the Students > Student List widget. If students are not selected in this manner, make sure Single Record is checked to allow the report to operate on the currently selected student.
Teacher > Report Runner Always The widget uses the teacher record associated with the currently logged in user for generating reports.
CMS Widget - Simple Report Runner
The CMS Widget - Simple Report Runner is designed to generate a PDF report or a DAT Query as predefined by an Administrator, whereas the CMS Widget - Report Runner provides users with the flexibility to select a PDF report or a DAT Query from a dropdown menu.

Note: The Title and Navigate Url CMS Widget properties are only applicable when added to a CMS Profile.

Note:  Simple Report Runner has additional CMS Widget - Reporting Options available.

Note: PDF reports are still restricted by the current user’s roles.  If the Administrator chooses a PDF report that the user lacks roles to generate, then they are unable to generate the report. Example:  The “Customer Statement” report can only be viewed by users with a Parent role.  If you place the Simple Report Runner with the “Customer Statement” report on the student portal or teacher portal, those users are generally be unable to request the report.

Note: DAT Query is not restricted by the current user’s roles.  Any report specified by the Administrator is generated.  

Note:  Only DAT Query with no parameters are available as options.
 
Report Inclusion
Report Portal Inclusions determine which PDF reports are available for users in CMS Widget - Report Runners and CMS Widget - Simple Report Runners.  To access Report Portal Inclusions, navigate to Security > Maintenance > Report Portal Inclusions.  You need Security Full to access this page. 

This page lists all PDF reports which may be made available on the CMS website.  The PDF reports are visible based on the roles that have been selected.  Note: If no roles are selected, then the report will not be available.

Note: This does not impact the Administrative portals.  Visibility on the Administrative portals is based on Report Exclusions.

Note: DAT Query reports’ inclusion and exclusion is controlled by roles. For instance, to make a DAT Query available for Staff, save it with Staff role checked.
Report Exclusion
Report Exclusions determine which reports are visible for your school.  To access Report Exclusions, navigate to Security > Maintenance > Report Exclusion.  You need Security Full to access this page.  To exclude a report, uncheck the box next to the report and save.

Note:  PCR Educator has many Report Card and Transcript offerings.  To simplify reporting interface, exclude versions of these reports that your school does not use.

Note: This does not impact the CMS website options.  Visibility on the CMS is based on Report Inclusion.
DAT Standard Query
PCR Educator features a variety of DAT Standard Queries which are provided to all customers and available in  through “PCR (Imported)” DAT Group. These DAT Queries can be used as a starting point for creating new reports and for understanding how different data structures work together.

Note: To suggest a new standard DAT Query which might benefit everyone, please email support@pcreducator.com.
DAT Development Webinar Meeting Link
You have been invited to a join the PCR Educator Development DAT Webinar!

Join the webinar: join.me/514-338-931

Friday, February 1, 2019 02:00 PM 
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To dial in by phone:
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+1.404.400.8750

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More phone numbers

Conference ID: 
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Development DAT Webinar
The date for the Development DAT webinar is set! It will be held on February 1st at 2 pm ET. This webinar will cover the basics of Development DAT reports including how to access the most common tables, how to build fundraising reports from scratch, and how to update standard reports to meet your school’s needs. To register, simply email support@pcreducator.com with the subject “DAT Development Registration” and we will register you.
How can I help a parent who receives an error message when filling out our Inquiry Form?
Go to Admissions > Maintenance > Application Online Record Check and enter the requested information to see how to resolve the error.  To access this screen, you need Admissions Full or Admissions Read role.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Year to Year
Every year, PCR Educator sends out new links for the upcoming (Re) Enrollment Contract.  This contract shows the Enrollment Year in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup which must match the contract year.

Important: If the Enrollment Year is not correct, do not continue modifying the (Re) Enrollment Contract.
School Division
A school division is a separate entity within your school.  School are typically separated into divisions such as Upper School, Middle School, Lower School, Admissions.  Note: You might also have a separate division for Summer School, Athletics, or Extracurricular Activities.

Creating a separate School Division allows you to:
- Manage different types of schedules within each division
- Manage different types of grades and reports per division
- Support different number of marking periods (trimesters, semesters, quarters) per division
- Limit which students are visible within each division Note: Student by Division explains in detail how a student might belong to a division.

Note: School Divisions are initially set up by PCR Educator.  If you need more school divisions, you need to contact PCR Educator to have new ones created. 

Note: School ids can be found under Home in the dropdown in the upper right-hand side of the page.
 
School Info
School divisions are managed under Admin > Maintenance > School Info.  To access this page, you need the Admin Full role.

School Name is the name of the division as it appears in the drop-down selection and on various reports.

Campus is a field to track locations.  This is a data only field and has no impact on students, grading, or reports.

School Type specifies whether the school is semester or trimester based.  This is important for marking period info, scheduling, attendance, and reporting.  Note: Do not change this without consulting PCR Educator.

School Year is the current school year.  Note: Do not change this directly.  Instead, use the close of school year process.

Admissions Year is the year that admissions is working with.  The admissions screens default to showing inquiries and applicants from this year forward.  Usually, this is one year ahead of the current school year, but depending on the needs of the admissions office and the time of year, this field may match the current year or be two years ahead of the current school year.

Report Heading 1 is a heading that appears on progress reports, report cards, and transcripts.  The exact placement and style depend on the report, but usually this heading is at the top of the first page in the center.

Report Heading 2 is a heading that appears on progress reports, report cards, and transcripts.  The exact placement and style depend on the report, but usually this heading appears just below Report Heading 1.

CEEB traditionally refers to College Entrance Examination Board code; however, this code may be used as a generic school identifier.  In the case of BC Canada schools, this field is for the school code.

Gradebook Totaling determines how the grades are calculated throughout the year.  Note: Sometimes semester schools have 2 reporting periods rather 4 reporting periods.  In this case, they only use marking periods 2 and 4.  Grade totaling is a separate consideration.  Note: Do not change this after grades have been reported.  Gradebook Totalling options are:
    -Marking Period means that each marking period is treated as a distinct grading entity.  Only assessments appearing in that marking period count towards that marking period grade.
    -Term means that the grades rollup for each term for a Semester based school.  Example: the Semester 2 grade is based on all the assessments for marking periods 3 and 4 as if a single grading period.
    -Year means that the grades rollup for the entire year.  Example: The Trimester 3 grade for the year is based on all the assessments for marking periods 1, 2, and 3 as a single grading period.

Student Include All means the include all checkbox defaults to checked when visiting the student screens.  This is for student lists only and does not affect inquiry/applicant lists or re-enrollment contract of forms lists.

Address, City, State, Zip, and Country determine the address as it should appear on Progress Reports, Report Cards, and Transcripts.

Phone, and Fax  are the school numbers that appear on Progress Reports, Report Cards, and Transcripts.  These fields may appear on other reports as well.


Online Selection End Date controls the last day for online student selections.  This field may be overridden by an Online Selection End Date for individual students.

Online Selection Rank Type controls how the ranking works for student selections.
    -Within Department means that selections in each department are ranked separately.  The result is that all departments which require a rank will have at least one course of rank 1.
    -Within Student means that all the student’s selections are ranked across all their selections.  There is a single rank 1 selection, a single rank 2 selection, etc.
Note: Alternative Courses have their own ranking within their primary course.  
Note: The Course Selections (Tree) and Course Selections (Grid) CMS widgets for student selections have additional settings which further control how rankings are specified.
Note: Departments have a Rank Selections setting determining whether courses are ranked or not.  If the department Rank Selections is turned off, no dropdown appears showing a rank option and all courses selected within the department receive a rank of 1.

Course Repeatable changes the default prerequisite behavior when students make course selections.  If checked, courses are generally repeatable, unless there is a specific prerequisite on the course limiting repeatability.  If unchecked, courses are generally not repeatable unless there is a specific prerequisite on the course permitting repeatability

Schedule on the Fly enables a screen for creating schedules by entering meeting times.  This is typically only ever used by elementary schools who have custom schedules for teachers which do not fit any particular pattern and cannot be recorded easily as Period Codes.  Instead of entering blocks and period codes, you type in the times a course section meets.  Note: Using Schedule on the Fly may cause Scheduling > Blocks > Block Grid as well as various grid style PDF reports to be incomprehensible.  Note: Checking this enables a second option called Schedule on the Fly Type.  

Schedule on the Fly Type determines how the blocks are created in the system when Schedule on The Fly option is used. When Schedule on The Fly option is checked, the blocks and period codes are created by the system as opposed to by the users. Therefore, Schedule on the Fly Type controls how the system creates such blocks:
    - Reduce Number of Blocks reuses and reduces the total number of blocks in the system.  This option makes the blocks easier to understand and manage - however, student, teacher, and room conflict detection is not reliable as cells of day may not match up.  Also, if you initially schedule 2 teachers for the same time, and later change the time for another teacher - since they both originally shared the same block, they are both moved.
    - Reduce Overlaps splits blocks apart so that when times overlap, multiple blocks are created.  This option is more technically correct from the system’s standpoint for conflict detection based on day of cycle and cell of day but may lead to a largely incomprehensible block schedule.

School Logo is the logo that appears on Progress Reports, Report Cards, Transcripts, and other reports.  Note:  The recommended size for your logo is between 100px by 100px to 200px by 100px.  Note: This image is used to print on some PDF reports (usually in the upper left corner) and is approximately 1 inch high. An attempt is made to resize your logo to this height and width to maintain the original aspect ratio.

Grade Levels are the grade levels enabled for this school division.

# of Seats is used to assign the number of available seats per grade level. This number can later be used to compare the number of available spaces and the number of enrolled students, for example to determine how enrollment compares to the school capacity.  The “Student and Inquiry Totals” widget available on the Admissions -> Dashboard uses # of Seats for its calculations. 

Note: Your access to different divisions as is controlled by the security configurations for your user.  If you cannot access a particular school Division, someone with Security Full access needs to adjust your user settings.

Note: The main school address can be different than the billing address as used by finance.
School Info (Finance)
To access this page, you need the Finance Full or Finance Read role.  To make changes you need the Finance Full role.

School Name is the name of the school division as it appears on various reports.

Address is the address as it should appear on finance reports.  Note: The address fields for Finance are separate from the address for the main school.

Address, City, State, Zip, and Country determine the address as it should appear on finance reports.

Phone, and Fax are the school numbers that appear on finance reports.

Tax Number appears on various official Finance reports, such as Form 1096 MISC and Form 1099 MISC.

School Logo is the logo that appears on various financial reports.  Note: The logo is shared with the main school division and their reports.
 
Grade Level
Grade levels are defined for the whole school (database). Using School Info configuration, a school administrator can associate some or all of database grade levels to the selected division.  To configure grade levels navigate to Security > Maintenance > Grade Levels.  You need DBA Full or Security Full roles to access this page.

Code is a short form description for a grade level.  Example: PK for Pre-Kindergarten  Note: You may want to have a leading 0 for single digit number grades to force them to sort alphabetically in various places.

Integer Value acts as a sorting mechanism for the grade level.

Description is the long description for the grade level.  Note: You will mostly be working with the Code throughout the system.

Adjective is available as a merge field for Admissions email and print templates.  Example: Grade level 5 can have the adjective of fifth.  This allows the merges to include sentences like “Welcome to the fifth grade.”  You could use 5th for the adjective instead.

Next Grade Level is used by the student multi-action “Next Year” to determine the next grade level to assign to a student based on their current grade level.

1701 Code Is used for BC Ministry Reporting and is applicable only to BC Canada schools.
 
Application Setup (CMS/Website)
The Application Setup page contains many general settings controlling the behavior of the Content Management System CMS portals and your website.  To access this page, log in as an administrator.  Click the “admin” link in the upper left corner, then navigate to Security > Maintenance.  You need Security Full or Website Full roles to access this page.

PDF Header is the header which appears on the Apply Online pdf.

Google Analytics is an id for page statistics tracking by Google Analytics.  The id is typically in the format of UA-########-#

Email on Error is the email that is used for receiving possible errors or warnings related to your CMS application. Note: Typically, this email is set to the school’s database administrator or main PCR Educator contact at the school. 

Payment Configuration is the default payment configuration for the website.  Payment submission widgets may allow you to override this default setting and choose a different payment configuration for that specific widget.  If no payment configuration is specified on the widget, then the default is used.

Timezone specifies what time zone the school is in.  This is used for scheduling email notifications, parent-teacher conference sign up cutoff times, and parent/student access to archived PDF reports.

Culture determines how currency is shown (decimal, thousands separator, negative amounts) as well as how dates appear.  This includes controlling the display format for financials such as customer statements.

Currency Symbol controls the currency symbol shown.  This includes controlling the display format for financials such as customer statements.

Favicon Directory allows you to upload a favicon to a directory for your website.
SPF Record
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an open standard for preventing sender address forgery.  An SPF record is an optional .txt file in the DNS record for your domain name which specifies what email servers are allowed to send email using your domain name.  You must have an SPF record configured if you want to send emails from PCR Educator and have them appear as if they come from your school.  Example: When sending out emails from Admin and the CMS Teacher Portal, you can have the emails go out as rsmith@bistmarschool.edu instead of rsmith@pcreducator.com.  Note:  You must have an SPF record setup in order to send emails through PCR Educator.
- Configuring SPF Sender Authentication
- Updating Existing SPF Record
- Checking SPF Record
Configuring SPF Sender Authentication
If you have an SPF record set for your domain (i.e. yourdomain.org) already, you must add a unique alphanumeric string before the “all” part of this record in order to authenticate mailings through your PCR Educator account. If you do not have an existing SPF record for your domain, you must create a TXT record with “include:pcrsoft.com”.  An example of an spf record is:

v=spf1 include:pcrsoft.com -all.

In this example, there is a unique SPF record for the authorization of outbound mail for PCR Educator (pcrsoft.com). The "-all" inclusion versus an "~all" inclusion indicates that this SPF record is the only record used to authenticate mail for your domain. Make sure to include any other authorized sender into this SPF record if you need to authenticate mailings from other sources.
Never create more than one SPF1 record for a given domain. If you have multiple SPF records for one domain, you need to merge any additional SPF records into one SPF record. You also cannot have more than 10 DNS lookups in your single SPF record.  See here for details: https://sendgrid.com/docs/ui/account-and-settings/spf-limitations/
Updating Existing SPF Record
Add “include:pcrsoft.com” to your existing record.
For example, if your existing SPF record looks like:
v=spf1 a mx include:_spf.google.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all
Just add “include:pcrsoft.com” at the end of the string, before the “*all” part:
v=spf1 a mx include:_spf.google.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:pcrsoft.com -all
 
Checking SPF Record
Once you have your SPF record set up, you can check it using one of these sites:
https://mxtoolbox.com/spf.aspx - has basic testing for the SPF record.
https://www.kitterman.com/spf/validate.html - allows more diagnostics for the SPF record.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Profile Alternatives
The more (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles you have, the more work it is to build the DAT Filters and maintain the control texts and options.  You want to limit the number of profiles you need to maintain, and sometimes you can consider other options.  

Example: You may have lower tuition for students of Faculty members.  Instead of adding new profiles for Faculty Students, you might be able to use one of the following options instead.
    - If you have very few such students, you can use (Re) Enrollment Contract Overrides to set their specific tuition amounts.  Keep in mind that if you make any changes to the contracts or products, you need to clean and redo the options for each student.
    - Create Financial Aid for the students of your faculty.  The (Re) Enrollment Contract Financial Aid Control includes appropriate financial aid adjusting the tuition or total contract amount.

Note:  You can only use this approach when the verbiage on an existing (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile is acceptable.  If there is custom verbiage or different options you want to make available to the parent submitting the (Re) Enrollment Contract then you will need to create new DAT Filters and (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Pre-Setup
To set up the (Re) Enrollment Contract you need to have already created the following:

1. Set up the Finance > Ledger > Chart of Accounts.  The minimum requirements to generate invoices and accept payments for (Re) Enrollment Contracts are a Revenue account, an Accounts Receivable account, a Bank Account, and a NetAsset account.  Note: The Net Asset account has an account category called NetAsset, and is not an Asset account.

2. Set up Finance > Products > Product Categories.  Every fee in the (Re) Enrollment Contract must have a corresponding product.  Product Categories provide a way to organize your products.  Example: Tuition, Financial Aid, Class Fees.

3. Set up Finance > Products > Products.  Every fee in the (Re) Enrollment Contract must have a corresponding product.  The product description is shown to parents on the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  The amount used to calculate the (Re) Enrollment Contract deposit is specified in the Deposit section of the product, if applicable. Example:  You have a tuition product named Tuition Grade 5.  The tuition amount is $20,000.  The deposit amount could be specified as a precise amount such as $2000 or as a percent as $0.25 which would calculate the deposit amount as $4000. Note: Financial Aid also requires a product associated with a revenue or expense account to be set up - if you are using financial aid.  Typically, the financial aid product will be associated with a contra revenue account.  Note: Deposit amounts less than or equal to 1 are treated as a percentage of the product amount.

4. Set up Finance > Maintenance > Fiscal Years.  Fiscal years must be created for both the current school year and the next school year.  The fiscal years must be open to allow posting of invoices and receipts.  Deposits are made in the current fiscal year.  Invoices are created in either fiscal year depending on (Re) Enrollment Contract Invoice / Payment Setup.

5. Set up Finance > Maintenance > Payment Terms.  Payment terms determine the schedule of payments that the invoice is due.  Example: You might have payment terms for your tuition such as One Annual Payment, 3 Payments, 10 Payments over 10 Months.  For instance, the 10 Month payment plan could be 10 payments with 10% due each payment, and the first payment due July 1st.  The payment terms you choose to offer your parents are up to you.

6. Set up Fin Aid > Fin Aid Categories.  Financial aid categories are a way to organize financial aid awards.  Example: Scholarships, Books, Work Study Grant, etc.

7. Set up Fin Aid > Awards.  These are financial aid awards given out to students.  Note: The award must be for the same academic year as the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  If the accepted amount has been filled in, the (Re) Enrollment Contract does not display the award as it has already been indicated as accepted elsewhere.  The (Re) Enrollment Contract automatically accepts awarded amounts that are not already accepted.

8. Set up Security > Maintenance > Payment Configurations.  Payment Configurations are necessary to accept Credit Card or ECheck payments during (Re) Enrollment Contract submission.  If there is no payment configuration specified, payments are disabled.

9. Set up actions under Admin > Maintenance > Actions Setup for different scenarios.
    - Contract Submitted
    - Contract Not Enrolling
    - Contract Skip Payment
    - Contract Signed
    - Contract Financial Hold
Note: The actual names of the actions are up to you.  Note: For the Contract Signed action to be visible for parents on the Parent Portal, the action must have a read role of “Parent.”  This allows the parent to download the signed pdf version of the (Re) Enrollment Contract.

10. Set up Contract Administrator and Contract Test logins in Security > Users.
    - You need an administrator login to set up the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Consider creating a ContractSetup login for this purpose.  The user needs the DBA Full role.  This user should be associated with a test household and student so that you can navigate the (Re) Enrollment Contract.
    -  You should have a non-administrator login with a test household and test student so that you can see how the (Re) Enrollment Contract appears to your parents.  The test student should be tied to the test parent household.  The user should be tied to the test parent household, but not the test student.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Profile
(Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles separate all students into distinct groups (profiles) allowing a school to customize the appearance and the content of your (Re) Enrollment Contract for students in each group.  To access the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles for the (Re) Enrollment Contract, choose the Profiles menu.  A simple (Re) Enrollment Contract might have two (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles - one for existing students and one for new students.  A more complicated (Re) Enrollment Contract might have over a dozen (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles depending on the grade level of the student, whether they are receiving financial aid, if they are foreign or local, etc., with each permutation being a different (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.  Note:  You should have as few (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles as possible while still accommodating all your students.  There may be (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile Alternatives for you to consider.

Each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile consists of a name and an associated Student DAT Filter.  When the parent begins a contract for a student, the DAT Filter determines which (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile the student belongs to.  Example:  Here we have a (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile specific for 9th and 10th grade students.  In this case, to qualify for the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile, the student must have a next year grade level of 9 or 10, and be an Enrolled student.  (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles will typically involve status and grade level next year, though you might also include Day or Boarding, International, or even custom attributes when determining your profiles.

Name Query Description
9-10 must have Student Info (Grade Level Ny in (9, 10)) And must have Student Info, Statuses By Division (School Year Str = Next Year AND Status = Enrolled AND Substatus <> Not Returning)

Note: Every student who participates in contracts should qualify for exactly one (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.  The DAT Filters for the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles must not overlap.

Note: You might want to consider creating (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile based on tuition levels since each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile has a tuition product.  Example:  The tuition amount for lower school might be much different than the high school.  Because the tuition amount is different, the product associated with (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options will need to be different.  So, you would need a (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile for lower school and high school.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Section
(Re) Enrollment Contract Sections are containers which help you to organize the (Re) Enrollment Contract controls. The role of (Re) Enrollment Contract Sections is purely aesthetic and can be compared to use of paragraphs in a long document.  To access (Re) Enrollment Contract Sections for the contract, choose the Sections menu.  Some examples of (Re) Enrollment Contract Sections typically used in contracts are Introduction, Disclosure and Consent, Electronic Enrollment Agreement, Photography Permission, Tuition, Terms and Conditions, Payment Options, Lunch Plan, Transportation Plan, etc.  

Note: All (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles include the same (Re) Enrollment Contract Sections.  You cannot hide (Re) Enrollment Contract Sections for individual (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles or individual students.

Note: It is recommended to avoid having a (Re) Enrollment Contract Section dedicated to financial aid in a (Re) Enrollment Contract as such a (Re) Enrollment Contract Section will appear for all students whether they have financial aid or not.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Control
(Re) Enrollment Contract Controls are the individual controls determining the general layout of information and options within a (Re) Enrollment Contract Sections.  To access the controls in the (Re) Enrollment Contract, choose the Controls menu.  Note: (Re) Enrollment Contract Controls appear for all (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles; however, the content may be different for each (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.  Example: If you put a textbox and checkbox in a (Re) Enrollment Contract Section, then the text box and checkbox appears in all (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles for editing.  Note: If a control has no text for a particular (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile, the control does not appear on the individual student’s (Re) Enrollment Contract.

To add a new control:

1. Choose the desired (Re) Enrollment Contract Section to add the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control to.

2. Specify a name for the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control.

3. Choose the type of (Re) Enrollment Contract Control to be added.

4. Click the “Add new control” button.

Once a (Re) Enrollment Contract Control has been added, if the control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box control or a (Re) Enrollment Contract Signature control, you can make the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control required.  The available (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options vary depending upon the type of control selected.
 
(Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box Control
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box Control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract Control which is a small interactive box that can be toggled by the user to indicate an affirmative or negative choice. It only has two possible values: checked or unchecked. 

 Note: If the control was made “Required,” then the user will not be able to submit the contract without marking the checkbox as checked.  Note: this control type is typically reserved for various terms, conditions, and consents.

You may choose to associate the (Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box Control control with a product.  If the  (Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box Control is checked, then the product associated with the checked item is included on the (Re) Enrollment Contract invoice.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button Control
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button Control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract Control that allows the user to choose only one of a predefined set of mutually exclusive options.  While there is no “required” (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option for radio buttons, one choice is always selected.  If you want to make sure that the user is aware that they have to select an (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option, you can create a required checkbox control above or below the (Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button Control.  This will prevent the parent from just scrolling through the contract without looking at the radio button control.  Example:  You want to make sure that the parent reviews the available payment plans rather than just scrolling through and clicking submit.  In the example below, the parent must check the “I/We agree” checkbox in order to submit the(Re) Enrollment Contract.  This checkbox is immediately before the payment plan.

I/We agree to the following payment option of our choice (please check this box and select one below):

Ten Monthly Payments
Semi-Annual Payment
Annual Payment

Each radio button (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option is associated with a different product (or no product) and is included on the (Re) Enrollment Contract invoice based on the product associated with the user’s selection. 
 
(Re) Enrollment Contract Signature Control
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Signature Control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract Control providing a text box which allows the user filling out the (Re) Enrollment Contract to enter their electronic signature.  

Note:  This control should not be used for any other purpose.  The information is not stored anywhere other than the PDF version of the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  You are not able to pull this information from a DAT report.  When a (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted, the action date corresponds to the submission date.  Actions can be added, changed or deleted by school personnel.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Text Control
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Text Control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract Control that is used to display text on the(Re) Enrollment Contract. This control has no user input options and is used to present information to the user.

Note:  If you are editing a large amount of text, you may wish to type the text in notepad and later paste the text into the text editor.  This prevents any errors or unsaved text due to the application timing out.

Important: If you are copying text from an external source such as a Word document, you should paste it into notepad first, then copy the plain text from notepad and paste it into the text editor.  This clears all formatting.  Formatting should only be performed in the text editor for consistent (Re) Enrollment Contract formatting presentation.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Date Stamp Control
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Date Stamp Control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract Control which automatically shows the current date. This is used so parents do not have to enter the date for when signing the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  There are no edit for the date stamp.  The formatting of the date is determined by the Culture specified on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings page.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Payment Options Control
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Payment Options Control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract Control 
that allows the user to choose only one of a predefined set of mutually exclusive payment plans for the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  The payment options appear similar to the (Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button Control; however, you also specify a Payment Term for each (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option.  Note: Each (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option must have a payment term specified.  An error occurs when the (Re) Enrollment Contract tries to create an invoice, and no payment term is selected.

Note:  If you associate products with the payment options, those fees are included on the invoice.  If those products are included on other controls, the fees appear multiple times on the (Re) Enrollment Contract invoice - once for each control where the fee is selected.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Control
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract Control that allows parents to select up to two stops for the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  This control functions in a similar manner to the (Re) Enrollment Contract Radio Button Control, but is specially designed to sign up the student for the selected bus routes and stops upon (Re) Enrollment Contract submission.

Note:  When adding the control under Controls, you configure whether the parent is picking one stop or two stops.

Note:  If no stop options are appearing, please contact PCR Educator to ensure that the (Re) Enrollment Contract application is configured correctly.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Multi Control
The (Re) Enrollment Contract Transportation Multi Control is a (Re) Enrollment Contract Control showing a checkbox for parents to pick multiple routes with up to 2 stops per route for the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  This control functions in a similar manner to the (Re) Enrollment Contract Check Box Control, but is specially designed to sign the student up for the selected bus routes and stops upon (Re) Enrollment Contract submission.

Note:  When adding the control under Controls, you configure whether the parent is picking one stop or two stops.

Note:  If no stop options are appearing, please contact PCR Educator to ensure your (Re) Enrollment Contract application is configured correctly.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Holds
(Re) Enrollment Contract Holds are actions applied on a student record which prevent a parent from starting the (Re) Enrollment Contract for the student. The (Re) Enrollment Contract Holds page allows you to specify these hold actions and a custom message is displayed to parents for students having the hold action.

Note: The action added to the student must have the same academic year as the (Re) Enrollment Contract.  If the (Re) Enrollment Contract year is for 2013/2014, then the hold action must be for the 2013/2014 academic year.

Note: It does not matter if the hold action is the more recent action or not.  As long as the student has the action for the academic year of the (Re) Enrollment Contact, their contract cannot be started.  After the hold is resolved, you must delete the hold action.  Once you remove the hold action, the parent has to log out and log back in as the hold status is checked every time the parent logs in.  

Example:  Typical holds might be academic holds or financial holds.  For the hold message, you include a brief general explanation about the nature of the hold, the actions they must take, and who they need to contact in order to have the hold resolved.

Note: If you are using both (Re) Enrollment Contract and (Re) Enrollment Forms and the forms must be filled out first, you can create a hold action for all students who are filling out the forms.  Example: Suppose we have created an action called “Forms Not Submitted.”  You may name the action differently per your requirements.
    1.  Add a “Forms Not Submitted” action to all students who are completing both (Re) Enrollment Forms and (Re) Enrollment Contracts.  Make sure to use the academic year of the (Re) Enrollment Contract for the action’s academic year.
    2.  On the (Re) Enrollment Forms settings page, specify the “Forms Not Submitted” action in the Delete Contract Hold field.  Once the (Re) Enrollment Form is submitted, this action will be deleted if it is present.
    3.  On the (Re) Enrollment Contract Holds page, add the “Forms Not Submitted” action as a hold with instructions and a link to the (Re) Enrollment Forms.
Parents who attempt to complete the (Re) Enrollment Contract first will be directed to complete the (Re) Enrollment Forms.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Overrides
(Re) Enrollment Contract Overrides is a concept that allows schools to handle exceptions by overriding the fees calculated by the system based on the student’s (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.  When a parent starts a (Re) Enrollment Contract for a student, the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options are applied to that student based on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile they belong to.  Once the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options are populated, the fees can be customized.

If a student has not yet begun the (Re) Enrollment Contract, they appear in the list of Students without options.  To modify their fee structure, choose the student and click the “Create Contract Options” button.  This creates their (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options based on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile they match - as if the parent has started the (Re) Enrollment Contract for that student.

If a student has already begun the (Re) Enrollment Contract, or once you have created their (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options, and their (Re) Enrollment Contract is not yet submitted then you can adjust their fees.
    1. Choose the student whose fee you need to adjust.  Note: If the student does not appear in this dropdown, either they have not yet begun the (Re) Enrollment Contract or the (Re) Enrollment Contract may already be submitted.
    2. Locate the fee you wish to change.
    3. Change the fee to the desired amount and click the Save button.  Note:  You can specify a negative fee amount.  Note: The total of all fees should not result in a negative invoice.  Invoices with a negative total cannot be posted.

Once you have changed the fee structure for the student’s (Re) Enrollment Contract, the parent must log back in to see the updated fees in any text on the screen.

Note:  If you change the student record in a manner such that they now qualify for a different profile, you need to clean the student’s (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options as explained in (Re) Enrollment Contract Cleaning Options for Students.  Now, re-create the student’s (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options using the Students without options process above, and modify the fees as desired.
(Re) Enrollment Contract Integrity
(Re) Enrollment Contract Integrity is an evaluation of the state of your (Re) Enrollment Contract.  Prior to going live with your (Re) Enrollment Contract review any message appearing on the Integrity page.  Make sure to address any problems listed prior to going live.
 
Why is my (Re) Enrollment Contract header banner running off the side of the page?
Make sure the header image that is uploaded for the (Re) Enrollment Contract is 926px wide.
Why do I not see the new action types I created in (Re) Enrollment Contract > Settings?
For actions in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup, make sure the action types you created are Student Actions rather than Inquiry Actions.
Why am I not taken to the payment screen before the (Re) Enrollment Contract is submitted?
- Check that the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile has products/fees associated with it.

- Check that there is a payment configuration selected on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings page.

- Check that you have specified a Contract Submitted action and Not Enrolling action on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings page.
Why is a student not showing when a parent logs in to the (Re) Enrollment Contract application?
- Check that the student has a grade level next year specified.

- Check that the student qualifies based on the Student Criteria on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings page.

- Check the Households Status and Bill To Households on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings page.  Make sure the student’s household qualifies.

- If the student is currently in Admissions but not enrolled, check that the admissions record has a Ready For Contract action specified with an appropriate academic year.

- Check that the student qualifies for one of the (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles.
Why is a graduated or withdrawn student is showing when a parent logs into the (Re) Enrollment Contract application?
Make sure such students are excluded by the Student Criteria on the (Re) Enrollment Contract Settings page.
Why am I receiving an error when trying to submit the (Re) Enrollment Contract from the payment page?
- Make sure all of the payment choices in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Payment Options Control have a payment term associated for the student’s (Re) Enrollment Contract Profile.  An invoice cannot be created without a payment term.

- Contact your payment processor to find out if and why the payment is not going through.
 
Why is there is extra space between paragraphs on the PDF version of my (Re) Enrollment Contract?
Repeat these steps for each control:
1. Cut the text out of the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control in the (Re) Enrollment Contract application.
2. Paste the text into Word (for reference).
3. Paste the text into Notepad.
4. Save the control so that the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control is blank.
5. Copy the text in Notepad.
6. Paste the text into the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control.
7. Make all font style changes in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control.
8. Save the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control.

The purpose of these steps is to ensure that no additional hidden markup is included due to the text being pasted from Word or another application.  All styling of the text must be made in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control editor.
 
Why are the drop downs in Finance > Contracts > Student Contracts - Options Selected showing the same option multiple times for (Re) Enrollment Contracts?
- This could be caused by having different (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options for different (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles.  If all (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles should be the same, please check that all (Re) Enrollment Contract Profiles are in fact the same.  Consider using the “Copy To Other Profiles” button.

- Clean the (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Options for all students that have ever been used for testing purposes.
How can I change the line items on the Summary Page in the (Re) Enrollment Contract?
This line item information is coming from the Product created in Finance > Products > Products.  Change the description field for the product will change the summary on the (Re) Enrollment Contract.
What does it mean when I receive an error in my email for the (Re) Enrollment Contract?
This email is being generated because your email address is in the Email on Error field in the (Re) Enrollment Contract Application Setup.  The application sends you an email every time there is an error when generating an invoice for a student.

Example: “Student Name (#####) cannot insert the value NULL into column ‘payment_term_id’ table ‘xxxx’; column does not allow nulls.  INSERT fails.”

    - The ‘Student Name’ is the student that the error pertains to.
    - The (#####) is the student’s id.
    - The error message tells you why the invoice was not created.  In this example, the invoice was not created because the was no (Re) Enrollment Contract Control Option selected specifying a payment term.
PCR Educator Offers UNLIMITED Data Storage to All Customers
The need to count your data usage is now a thing of the past at PCR Educator, one of the first student information systems operating in the K-12 educational marketplace.  This shift towards free and UNLIMITED data is the next step in PCR Educator’s evolution toward a truly cloud-based solution. This improvement is a direct response to the ever-changing IT needs of independent schools, public schools, and districts that work with PCR Educator.

“Even though we now offer UNLIMITED data at no additional charge, we will not sacrifice on the download or upload speeds. Unlike other providers, we will always maintain the highest speeds even if a school uses significantly more data,” said Fahad Memon, Vice President of Customer Success and Relations at PCR Educator.  “And keep in mind that we will continue to work hard to protect our schools’ data.  We can proudly say that in over 20 years of doing business, we have never suffered a data breach of any kind.”

For this UNLIMITED plan to take effect, existing PCR Educator Schools and Districts should contact their Customer Service Representative to sign new agreements with updated terms and conditions.  PCR Educator offers three, five and seven year agreements.

Also in PCR Educator news, this week it was announced that the Company will be presenting at the National Association of Independent School (NAIS) in Long Beach, California at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in booth 582 from February 27th to March 1st.  For more information contact sales@pcreducator.com.
Period Attendance Not Taken PDF Report
The “Period Attendance Not Taken” pdf report will be replaced by a DAT query called “[Admin] Period Attendance Not Taken” in the 2019/2020 academic year. Please start using the new query so that you have enough time for the transition.
Households by Division
Unless the “all divisions” option is checked, the list of households (Admin > Households, Health  > Households, FinAid > Households, ...) only shows records which belong to the selected division. A household record belongs to the currently selected division if the household has a student which belongs to the currently selected division.  See Students by Division for details on when a student belongs to a division.

Unless the “include all” checkbox is also checked, the system will only show households which have a Student with a status of Enrolled for the currently selected school division.  Note: See Households Include All (Admissions) for how “include all” works in for the Admissions portal.
Household Include All (Admissions)
Unless the “include all” checkbox is checked, the system will only show households with an Inquiry / Applicant for the admissions year in the currently selected school division.
Merge Household Multi-action
Merge Household Multi-action
The Merge Household multi-action merges two household records resulting in only one household.  You need either Admin Full, Admissions Full, or Development Full roles to perform the multi-action.  To begin the multi-action:
1) Navigate to one of the following screens:
    - Admin > Households.  You need the Admin or Registrar roles to access this page.
    - Admissions > Households.  You need Admissions roles to access this page.
    - Development > Contacts.  You need Development roles to access this page.
    - Fin Aid > Households.  
    - Finance > Customers.  You need FinanceAR roles to access this page.
    - Finance > Vendors.  You need FinanceAP roles to access this page.
    - Health > Households.
2) Select 2 records.  Note: You must select exactly 2 records.  You can only merge 2 records at a time.
3) Choose the “Merge Households” multi-action option.

The “Switch Ids” button allows you to switch which household id you want to keep.  The default behavior is to keep the smaller household id and merge the other record to this id.  You can choose to keep the other id by clicking Switch Ids.

For each field that has a value in both household records, you are able to choose which value to keep.  Note: The parents in one household may be in a different order than parents in the other household.  You should use the Switch Parents Multi-action or the Switch Parent function to swap the order of the parents.

For ancillary records associated with the households, data associated with both households are listed and records are merged into the final household according to your selections.  If there are no selections, all records are merged to the final household.  These records are shown for your convenience so that you can determine if further adjustment may be required after the merge.  Example: There may be multiple relationships for students or inquiries with the same name.  This might mean you have duplicate inquiry records to clean up.

Note:  All records associated with the original households will reference the remaining household after the merge.  Example:  There may be different users for each household record.  Once merged, all users for the removed household are linked to the remaining household instead.
Switch Parents Multi-action
The Switch Parents Multi-action allows you to swap parent 1 and parent 2 for the household.  To begin the multi-action, select households, donor contacts, finance customers, or finance vendor records then choose the “Switch Parents” multi-action option.  You need Admin Full, Admissions Full, Development Full, or Registrar Full roles to perform this multi-action.  

Note: This function switches parent 1 and parent 2 information including contact, employment, and education information.

Note: Switching parents also switches the parent indicators for their users, donations and other records.
Switch Parents
The Switch Parents function switches parent 1 and parent 2.   To access this page, navigate to one of:
    - Admin > Households > Details > Split/Switch. You need Admin Full or Registrar Full roles to access these pages.  
    - Admissions > Households > Details > Split/Switch. You need the Admissions Full role to access this page. 
    - Development > Contacts > Details > Split/Switch. You need the Development Full role to access this page.  

This function switches parent 1 and parent 2 information including contact, employment, and education information.  Note: Switching parents also switches the indicators for their users, donations and other records.  Switching parents is useful for the merge household multi-action when you need the parents to appear in a different order.
Split Parents
The Split Parents function separates one household into two households. Each resulting household only has one parent. This feature is useful to record divorces.  To access this page, navigate to one of:
    - Admin > Households > Details > Split/Switch. You need Admin Full or Registrar Full roles to access these pages.  
    - Admissions > Households > Details > Split/Switch. You need the Admissions Full role to access this page. 
    - Development > Contacts > Details > Split/Switch. You need the Development Full role to access this page.  

Split Household creates a new household and migrates the Parent 2 information into Parent 1 of the new household.  Shared fields such as household name and address stay the same.  Records specifically associated with Parent 2 of the original household are changed to Parent 1 of the new household.  Example: Parent 2’s donations and their user are changed to associate with parent 1 of the new household.  Note: Archived reports such as report cards only appear with the original household. The report cards are generated with the household’s address at the time.  Note: All records not explicitly associated with Parent 2 remain with the original household.  You may wish to switch parents to keep address based giving with a particular parent.
Why are duplicate emails being sent out on our Apply Online submit?
The Apply Online Submit widget that is typically placed at the very end of your online application governs the rules and processes associated with application behavior when an applicant submits an online application. One of its properties Thank You Email allows administrators to specify what email template to use to generate a confirmation email for the applicant. In addition to email types specified on the saved template, PCR Educator system always sends the email to the user submitting the application. This mechanism is designed to ensure that even if there is a situation where the current user has an email address different from household emails, he/she will still receive a confirmation. To only have one email sent to the user submitting the application, do not select any recipient email types on the template and be sure to use the “One email per student” radio button option when creating / saving the template.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Our office will be closed on Thursday November 22nd in observance of Thanksgiving Holiday. We will resume our normal business hours starting Friday November 23rd.
Cash Register (POS)
The Cash Register (POS) is used to process purchases made by existing parents, students, teachers, and guests (collectively referred to as customers). Schools may use Cash Register (POS) as a POS system for their cafeteria, for a school store or for other purposes where products are purchased such as a ticket sales booth. 

The Cash Register (POS) has two possible modes of operation.

Cash Register (POS) - Single Mode Cash Register (POS) - Dual Mode
Description The cashier (operator) provides the customer information and processes the order. Only the operator interacts with the screen. The customer and the cashier (operator) have access to separate screens. The customer or the operator provides the customer information to begin the order. The operator completes the order.
Operator Screen The Operator Screen is a page that is presented to the cash register operator. This page allows the operator to:
- load current customer account information by entering their credentials
- adjust order details, adding new or removing existing items
- review current customer balance information
- process the order

Allow Submit Negative Balance Determines whether a submit button is shown or not for a Customer who has a zero or negative balance. Can be overridden by setting a Max Unpaid Balance to allow Students to buy Lunch on Credit.

Always Use Household Balance If yes, the system uses Balance Calculation - By Customer, if no then Balance Calculation - By Student.
 
AR Account  determines what AR account to use when creating Invoices.

Auto Post Invoice determines whether transactions are automatically posted after submission. If yes, both invoices and miscellaneous receipts are automatically posted.

Cache Balance For One Day When this is checked, balances are handled in the following manner:
- Lunch balances are precalculated each night at midnight.
- If a student purchases something, their balance is reduced right away. Similarly, if funds are added from the Cash Register (POS) to their account, the available balance is increased right away.
- The only time a balance is not accurate is when the new activity is recorded in the Finance module on the same day. If funds are added by the parent through the parent portal to the lunch balance, the current day balance is updated immediately.

Cash Account determines the Cash account to be debited when a cash payment is received. This can happen if the customer does not have a high enough account balance, or in the case of an anonymous transaction involving a guest.

Cash Payment Method determines the payment method appearing on receipts for Cash transactions.

Classification determines the classification that is used for invoices, deposits, and misc receipts. This is only required if you are using Classifications in Finance.

Customer Memo determines the memo as it appears on new invoices, deposits, and misc receipts.

Deposit Description is an additional description to appear on the deposit for misc receipts. The deposit name appears in the format of [Deposit Description] [Date] [Payment Method] [user] where [Date] [Payment Method] [user] is always provided by the system.

Internal Memo determines the memo as it appears on new invoices, deposits, and misc receipts.

Ledger determines the ledger that is used for invoices, deposits, and receipts. It also checks that all accounts and products are in the correct ledger.

Payment Term determines the payment term for the invoice. Note: You should choose a payment term with the Net Due immediately.

Products Per Page determines the number of products to show at a time. Note: Keep this to a relatively small number to improve screen performance. Especially keep images associated with the product to a small size.

Show Customer Balance determines if the customer’s current balance is shown. For teachers and households, the customer balance is based on the Balance Calculation - By Customer. For students, the balance is based on the Student Purchase Options for the current student. This is additional balance information which does not need to be shown, but may help clarify where the eligible balance is coming from in the case of a student.

Show Customer Eligible determines if the customer’s eligible balance is shown. For teachers and households, the eligible balance is based on the Balance Calculation - By Customer. For students, the balance is based on the Always Use Household Balance setting and the Student Purchase Options for the current student. This would normally always be checked for an Operator screen.

Show Order Discounts determines whether any discounts for the order are shown on the screen. Note: Even if discounts are not shown, they are still be applied to the order total. Note: As a school, you may choose not to show the discounts on the screen to protect the privacy of students who are on a reduced lunch program.

Show Order Price determines whether the price for each individual product line item is shown.

Show Payment Summary determines if the payment summary is shown at the bottom of the order. If this is not checked, only a submit/cancel button is shown. This would normally always be checked for an Operator screen.
Cash Register Operation determines how the widget behaves, and should always be set to Single for Single Mode. Cash Register Operation determines how the widget behaves, and should always be set to Server for Dual mode.
Client Screen The Client Screen is a page that is presented to customers in line. When customers approach the cash register, they have an option to:
- provide their credentials. Their account automatically prepopulates on the operator’s screen
- review their available balance information
- review the current order as it is being processed
Not applicable to Cash Register (POS) - Single Mode The Cash Register Coordinator is a widget which coordinates all the other Cash Register widgets on a page. This widget is REQUIRED.

Always Use Household Balance If yes, the system uses Balance Calculation - By Customer, if no Balance Calculation - By Student.

Cache Balance For One Day When this is checked, balances are handled in the following manner:
- Lunch balances are precalculated each night at midnight.
- If a student purchases something, their balance is reduced right away. Similarly, if funds are added from the Cash Register (POS) to their account, the available balance is increased right away.
- The only time a balance is not accurate is when the new activity is recorded in the Finance module on the same day. If funds are added by the parent through the parent portal to the lunch balance, the current day balance is updated immediately.

Cash Register Operation determines how the widget behaves, and should always be set to “Client” for the customer in Dual mode.

Ledger determines the ledger that is used for invoices, deposits, and receipts. It also checks that all accounts and products are in the correct ledger.
The Cash Register Customer is a widget which shows the current customer information. This widget is REQUIRED.

Allow Sign In determines if the customer can enter their credentials. It is up to your school if you want to make this option available, or if only the operator may provide the credentials. The sign in options include providing a login name, teacher id, or student id. The login name option will always be available if Allow Sign In is checked.

Login With Student Id determines if providing a student id is an acceptable credential. This setting is only applicable if Allow Sign In is checked.

Login With Teacher Id determines if providing a teacher id is an acceptable credential. This setting is only applicable if Allow Sign In is checked.

Show Customer Balance determines if the customer’s current balance is shown. For teachers and households, the customer balance is based on the Balance Calculation - By Customer. For students, the balance is based on the Student Purchase Options for the current student. This is additional balance information which is does not need to be shown, but may help clarify where the eligible balance is coming from in the case of a student.

Show Customer Eligible determines if the customer’s eligible balance is shown. For teachers and households, the eligible balance is based on the Balance Calculation - By Customer. For students, the balance is based on the Always Use Household Balance setting and the Student Purchase Options for the current student. This would normally always be checked for an Operator screen.
The Cash Register Order is a widget which shows the products being purchased. This widget is OPTIONAL.

Allow Delete Product determines if a product can be deleted from the order by the customer. Note: This must always be unchecked for Dual mode.

Show Order Discounts determines whether any discounts are shown on screen. Note: Even if discounts are not shown, they are still applied to the order total. Note: As a school, you may choose not to show the discounts on the screen to protect the privacy of students who are on a reduced lunch program.

Show Order Price determines whether the price for each individual product line item is shown.
DAT Webinar - Basics
Please use this article as a supplemental resource for this DAT Webinar: Training Video

1. Intro
    a. Tool that enables users to build custom reports by defining specific criteria. These reports can then be exported or used to create charts/graphs and print documents
    b. Report considerations
        i. What information are you looking to extract? 
        ii. Plan a workflow on what tables you will use and how you will connect them
    c. Most common tables 
        i. Student Information use Student Info table 
        ii. Household Information use Households table 
        iii. Admissions Information use Inquiries table 
        iv. Other common tables
            1. Student Attributes 
            2. Student Actions 
            3. Inquiry Actions 
            4. Inquiry Attributes 
            5. Relations Student/Inquiry/Teacher

2. DAT Query - Step 1
    a. Select an initial table from a group
        i. For example, select Student Info table from the Students group 
                1. If you are not sure which table a particular field resides in, use the search box to find appropriate tables 
        ii. Check all the fields that you would like to include in your report from this table and click Save 
                1. To add additional information from this table, click the “Student Info” link
        iii. Once you have at least one field selected, you can run your report at any time by clicking the “Results” tab to the left 
        iv. You can move back and forth between the tabs on the left 
        v. To link the Student Info table to family information, click + next to Student info and connect it to the Relations Student/Inquiry/Teacher table and hit save 
            1. With Condition 
                a. This will only include data if it matches both tables 
                    i. For example, if you select “With” the results will only show information for students that have a relationship associated with a household 
            2. With or Without Condition 
                a. This will include all data from the first table and show blank values from the second table if there is no matches in the second table 
                    i. For example, if you select “With or Without,” the results will show blank household values for students that do not have a relationship associated with a household

        vi. Next click the + next to the Relations Student/Inquiry/Teacher table and link that to the Households table 
            1. You can now select fields that hold household information such as household address, household phone, parent names etc. and click save 
        vii. Click on Results to see your updated report with both Student and Household Information 
        viii. Let’s take this a step further and only include students that are enrolled in the school 
            1. Click the “Student Info” link 
            2. Under the Conditions, set Status = Enrolled and hit Add to the righthand side and click Save.  Note: For schools that use summer divisions, instead of using “Status” field, they should link the student info table to Statuses by Divisions to ensure that they are extracting enrolled students from Academic or Summer Divisions (whichever is desired) 
        ix. If you click “Results,” you should now see only enrolled students and their household information 
        x. At this point you may have noticed that some students show multiple times because they may have grandparent and other secondary households linked to them 
        xi. Let’s take the report one step further and only include primary households 
            1. Click the “Relations – Student/Inquiry/Teacher” table 
            2. Add a condition “Primary Indicator” = “P” and click “Add” and then “Save” 
        xii. If you click Results, you should now only see information for students and their primary households

3. DAT Fields - Step 2 
    a. Alias – Rename original field to the desired name 
    b. Sort – Sort fields in any order. You can also grab fields and move them up or down. The Sort will start from the top field and in the order (ascending or descending that you specify) 
    c. Aggregate – Count records, Average, and Sum data depending on the field you have selected 
    d. Pivot Aggregate – Convert rows to columns for the purpose of counting, summing, or averaging data 
    e. Display Format – For fields such as dates and amounts, you can specify how you would like to display those fields
    f. All Rows – Shows all rows in the results 
    g. Unique Rows – Shows distinct rows in the results i. For example, if you have two records in your report that are identical, the report will only display one record 
    h. Unique Rows with Counts – Shows distinct rows with a total count per row 
    i. For example, if you have two records in your report that are identical, the report will only display one record but show a count of 2

4. DAT Column Order - Step 3 
    a. Drag and drop fields to rearrange the order of columns in your report

5. DAT Results - Step 4 
    a. Export button will download the data in an excel spreadsheet 
    b. Print – You can set up a template and use the data source from the report and associate the template to the report. Once this is done, you can use the template to print documents anytime from your report 
        i. To download data source, click the “DataSource” button 
        ii. Create a DAT - Printing Results template
        iii. Once you have the template created, upload it using the “Upload” button

6. DAT Save - Step 6 
    a. Query Name – Enter the report name 
    b. Query Group – Select the category to save this report in 
    c. Description – There is a description box to the right which is automatically populated with the fields that you have selected. You can overwrite it to provide a new description 
    d. Roles – Check the user roles for which this report should be visible 
        i. For example, if you check Admin Full, all users in your system with the Admin Full role will be able to access it 
        ii. If you do not check any roles, only you will be able to access the report 

7. Additional Functionality 
    a. Chart: DAT Chart - Step 5 
        i. Chart tab will be enabled in any report that uses an aggregate field such as “Count,” “Average,” or “Sum” in the Fields tab 
        ii. Select your x axis, y axis and chart type to view your report as a visual reference 
    b. Dashboard: DAT Dashboard Element
        i. You can add any DAT report or chart to your dashboards 
            1. For example, to add a DAT report to the Admin dashboard, click the Admin tab 
            2. In the “New Widget” dropdown, there will be an option to select “Data Analytics Chart” and “Data Analytics Grid” 
                a. To add a report, select Data Analytics Grid and click Add. You will then see an option on the widget to select an existing report 
                b. To add a chart, select Data Analytics Chart and click Add. You will see an option on the widget to select an existing report that 
    c. Pivoting: DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting - Pivot function is used to convert rows to columns for the purpose of counting, summing, averaging, or finding min/max of your data 
        i. For example, you can use this do determine how much each family donated in the last 5 years 
            1. Start with the Donor table and link it to Donation (Giving ) table 
            2. Include donor information such as Contact Name and any desired fields from the Donor table 
            3. From the Donation (Giving) table, select the Donation Amount and Fiscal Year Offset field. Fiscal Year Offset will automatically keep your report up to date each year so that you do not have to manually specify fiscal years every year 
                a. The most important part of using “Pivot” is to add a “multiselect” condition on the field that you are trying to show as columns 
                b. In this example, you can set Fiscal Year Offset > Multi-select > 0, -1, -2, -3, -4. The input 0 refers to the current year, -1 refers to last year etc. 
            4. Next, go to “Fields” tab and set Pivot Aggregate on the Fiscal Year Offset to “Sum (Donation Amount)” and run the report 
            5. This report is a pre-built report called “[Development] Fiscal Year Report” for your reference 
    d. Pre-built Reports: DAT Group
        i. In DAT > PCR (Imported) Group, you can find standard pre-built reports. Feel free to modify them and save them as a new report in another group so they are specific to your school’s needs. We will often update and create new reports in the PCR (Imported) group. To request a standard report that you feel may benefit other schools as well, please email support@pcreducator.com and we can deploy that report to all schools
 
Recording Credit Card Payment from Bank Account
A school may decide to pay vendor invoices with a credit card and then pay the credit card company at the end of each billing cycle.

To record this process in PCR Educator, the following steps are recommended:

1.  Follow the steps of Recording Vendor Invoice to record the purchase.  You can debit an expense account and credit Accounts Payable.  Example: If a school purchases laptops from Apple, the invoice would be associated with Apple vendor.
2.  Follow the steps of Recording Vendor Payment to record the payment of the newly generated invoice with your credit card. .  You can debit Accounts Payable and credit the expense account associated with your credit card.  
3.  Follow the steps of Recording Vendor Invoice to record the new balance from your credit card when you receive the statement. In this case, the vendor is your credit card company.You can debit an expense account and credit Accounts Payable.  
4.  Follow the steps of Recording Vendor Payment to record when you pay the credit card using the funds from your bank account. You can debit Accounts Payable and credit the Cash account.  
5.  Follow the steps of Writing Checks to print a check in case you are paying your bank with a check.
Reviewing Existing DMT Filter
Use the same processes as when Reviewing Existing DAT Filter.
Why is my report card blank when I run a report card pdf?
There are several possibilities for why a report card pdf is blank.

- The most common reason a specific student’s report card is blank is because they do not have any Parent households with Send Mail checked.  Report cards are generated with an address to send to a specific household.  If there are no send mail households, the report card will have no data. 

- Are you running the correct report?  Courses have a Report Card Type associated with them. If the wrong type of report is being run, then courses won't show up. And since the student likely has all the same type of courses, the student won't have anything to print. Note: If a particular course is not showing up on the report card, make sure that the Report Card Type is specified for that course.

-  Are you running the report from the wrong division?  Report cards are based on courses, which are division specific. If you run it from the admissions division, you will get no data.

- Does the student have any marks or student comments?  Report cards will only print if there is a student comment or mark.  A course comment alone is not sufficient for a report card to print.  This situation could occur if teachers haven’t entered comments yet, and if the registrar hasn’t used the Calculate Official Marks function to pull the marks (not all schools use the calculate function).  Note: If a particular course isn’t showing up for students, check to ensure that the course has Mark Type Headings associated.
DAT
Data Analytics Tool (DAT) is a comprehensive system for creating on-the-fly filters, exports, dashboards, printing, emailing, queries and reports supporting advanced database concepts with left joins, logical conditions, aliasing, aggregates, pivots, predefined reports, parametrization, and flexible security access.
DAT Query
The DAT Query is the core part of our Data Analytics Tool that allows you to create custom data sets.  You can then use these data sets for:

- DAT Dashboard Element 

- DAT - Printing Results

- DAT Multi-Action

DAT Query items can be categorized and shared with other users based on user roles.

Here is a comprehensive index of the articles for DAT:
DAT Query
--DAT Group
--DAT Dashboard Element
--DAT Chart
--DAT Grid
--DAT Query and DAT Filter Common Mistakes
--DAT Multi-Action
--DAT Calculated/Aggregate Field Condition
--Accessing DAT Query
--Creating New DAT Query
----DAT Query - Step 1
------DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table
------DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions
--------DAT Field Condition
----------DAT Operator
----------DAT Functional Operator
--------DAT Parameterized Condition
------DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields
--------DAT Display Field
--------DAT Key Id Field
------DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables
----DAT Fields - Step 2
------DAT Fields - Step 2 - Uniqueness
------DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance
------DAT Fields - Step 2 - Sorting
------DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating
------DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting
------DAT Fields - Step 2 - Adding Calculated Field
------DAT Fields - Step 2 - Totaling
----DAT Column Order - Step 3 
----DAT Results - Step 4
------DAT - Printing Results
--------DAT - Creating Templates
--------DAT - Using Templates
----DAT Chart - Step 5
----DAT Save - Step 6
-DAT Diagrams
-DAT Webinar - Attendance
--DAT - Attendance Data Structure
--DAT - Lunch Choices Data Structure
--DAT - Check In / Check Out Data Structure
-DAT Webinar - Development Level I
--DAT - Development Data Structure
-DAT Webinar - Finance
--DAT - Finance AR Data Structure
--DAT - Finance AP Data Structure
--DAT - Finance AR Customer Statement Data Structure
-DAT Webinar - (Re) Enrollment
--DAT - (Re) Enrollment Data Structure
-DAT Webinar - Scheduling
--DAT - Scheduling Data Structure
-DAT - Admissions Evaluations Data Structure
-DAT - Admissions Inquiries Data Structure
-DAT - Admissions Inquiry Actions Data Structure
-DAT - Admissions Inquiry Action Types Data Structure
-DAT - Basic Student Data Structure
--DAT - Common Student Tables: Actions
--DAT - Common Student Tables: Households
--DAT - Common Student Tables: Statuses
-CMS Widget - Report Runner
-CMS Widget - Simple Report Runner
DAT Group
Each DAT Query is associated to a DAT Group. DAT Groups allow you to organize Data Analytics Tool queries into groups.  To access the group page, navigate to DAT > Manage Groups.  You must have the Security Full role to access this page.

To add a new Group, enter the name next to the Save button and click Save.

To delete a Group, click the [X] button next to the group name.  

Note: If you delete a group, the queries associated with the group will no longer be accessible.  

Note: The “PCR (Imported)” Group is created by PCR Educator and has standard pre-built queries. Feel free to modify and save them as a new query in *another* group so that they are specific to your school’s needs. We will often update existing and create new queries in the “PCR (Imported)” group  - all queries saved in this group are removed and replaced during an update. To request a standard query that you feel may benefit other schools as well, please email support@pcreducator.com.
DAT Dashboard Element
Data Analytics Tool (DAT) provides an option to display DAT Query results on various dashboards throughout the system.  There are two types of dashboard elements which can be used to display a DAT Query output:

- DAT Chart

- DAT Grid

Note: It is not recommended to place a DAT Query as a DAT Dashboard Element if it is expected to return more than 20 records because it may affect performance and take up a large amount of real estate on your dashboard. 
DAT Chart
Data Analytics Tool (DAT) provides an option to display DAT Query results on various dashboards throughout the system as a custom chart. DAT Chart is a dashboard element that can be added to any dashboard screen. This dashboard widget allows you to display a DAT Query that has a chart.
DAT Grid
Data Analytics Tool (DAT) provides an option to display DAT Query results on various dashboards throughout the system as a custom grid.  DAT Grid is a dashboard element that can be added to any dashboard screen. This dashboard widget allows you to display DAT Query results as a grid.
Accessing DAT Query
To access any DAT Query navigate to the Data Analytics Tool (DAT) module.  You will need the DAT Full role to access this page. There are several functions available on this page:

- Creating New DAT Query by clicking on the New button.

- Editing Existing DAT Query by clicking on the Edit button next to the chosen DAT Query.  This will take you to DAT Query - Step 1 for the query.

- Opening an existing DAT Query by clicking on the Open button next to the chosen DAT Query.  This will take you to DAT Results - Step 4 for the query.

- Deleting an existing DAT Query by clicking the Delete button. Note: You must be either the owner of the DAT Query or have the Security Full role to delete a query.

- Searching for a DAT Query 

There are a few DAT Query and DAT Filter Common Mistakes you should know about.

Note: The search dropdown of DAT Groups will only show DAT Groups which have a DAT Query that your user can access.  There may be other DAT Groups which have no DAT Query associated or no DAT Query that your user can access.
Creating New DAT Query
To create a new DAT Query, navigate to Data Analytics Tool (DAT) (DAT -> Queries) and click on the New button. The process of creating Creating New DAT Query consists of the following steps:

1. DAT Query - Step 1

2. DAT Fields - Step 2

3. DAT Column Order - Step 3 

4. DAT Results - Step 4

5. DAT Chart - Step 5

6. DAT Save - Step 6
DAT Query - Step 1
DAT Query - Step 1 is the first process of creating a DAT Query. This step consists of the following functions:

1. DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table

2. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions

3. DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields

4. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables

Continue to add tables (step 4) and add fields and conditions (steps 2,3) until you are finished.

Note: Once you have at least one table and at least one display field, you are able to proceed to DAT Results - Step 4.
DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table
Choosing the initial data table is a part of DAT Query - Step 1. There are two options for choosing the initial table:

- Click on [+] next to the data category, then click on the chosen data table.

- Use Find Table or Find Field feature on the bottom of the page.

Some tables (such as 1099 items) may require that you specify additional parameters for that table to operate. When you select such a table, the system presents Table Required Parameters.
 
DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions
When following DAT Query - Step 1 procedures, you have an option to add conditions to any table in your DAT Query. The option to add conditions is presented:

    - after DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table

    - after DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables

    - after you navigate to DAT > Queries > Query and click on any chosen table in your DAT Query 

Note: The options for each condition are shown based on your school’s data. For example, if you are looking to add a student grade level condition, the possible grade level options available will be based on the grade levels that are assigned to your students. Therefore, prior to adding a new condition, it is recommended that you have data in the system for that specific condition. If you are still in the beginning stages of implementation and may not yet have data for the condition you are trying to include, you can temporarily add data to a test record.

To add conditions to your DAT Query:

1. Specify condition criteria by:
    - Selecting Field to add DAT Field Condition
    - Selecting New Filter to create a brand new DAT Filter to add as a condition.
    - Selecting Saved Filter to use a saved DAT Filter as a condition
    - Selecting Calculated/Aggregate Field to add DAT Calculated/Aggregate Field Condition
2. Click Add to add the condition 

3. Check “Parameterize” checkbox to turn any simple condition into DAT Parameterized Condition if desired

Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3 for each condition.

4. When you add more than one condition for the chosen table, you have an option to change how these conditions interact using parentheses as well as specifying AND or OR logical modifiers using the provided logical conditions box.  If you make any OR conditions, be sure to include parentheses to ensure the order of operations are as desired. Note: The default behavior is to AND all conditions together.

Note: Click the Save button to save conditions and exit the table properties wizard.
DAT Field Condition
DAT Field Condition is a logical condition that can be added to a selected table as a part of the DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions process. If you choose to add a Field condition, follow these steps:

1. Choose the field you want to add the condition for.

2. Choose the desired DAT Operator and value if applicable.  
DAT Operator
DAT Operator is a part of DAT Field Condition that governs the relationship between the selected field and user-provided values. Note that the operator options change based on the type (numeric, date, or text) of the chosen field. 

In addition to simple DAT Operators such as: =, <>, >, <, contains, not contains, starts with, ends with, multi-select and range, you also have an option to use DAT Functional Operators.

Note: For those operators which have an option for you to specify values, the system only shows 50 first values in your database, so if you don’t see a value you are looking for, you can type it directly in the value box.
DAT Functional Operator
DAT Functional Operator is a version of DAT Operator that uses system-calculated values for conditions as opposed to user-specified values as in the case with simple DAT Operators. When you select one of the DAT Functional Operators, you won’t need to specify the operator values directly, as these are calculated by the system. The list of available DAT Functional Operators may change depending on the chosen table, field and data type. 

    - Academic Year calculates the academic year based on the current School Year in School Info.    

    - Academic Year (Admissions) calculates the academic year based on the Admissions Year in School Info. 

    - Fiscal Year (Finance) calculates the fiscal year based on the fiscal years set up in Finance. 

    - Fiscal Year (Development) calculates the fiscal year based on Security > Maintenance > Application Setup page’s Development Fiscal Date field.

    - School Division calculates the school id to use based on your current school division.  This allows the same DAT Query to be used in multiple divisions, but still only show division specific information.  You would generally only use this for fields involving a school id such as course school id or department school id.

    - Is Blank (Date) checks if no value is specified.

    - The Next (Date) checks if the specified date field’s value occurs in the next minutes / hours / days / months / quarters / years as specified by you.  Note: The Next is intended to search based on a statement like “I want a list of all the emails scheduled to go out in The Next 10 days.”   The search condition is properly described as <= 10 days in the future from today.  Note:  The Next is intended to be future looking.  To have the condition apply to a date in the past, use a negative value.  Example: The Next -10 Days means 10 in the past going backwards.  Note: Date comparisons are based on school timezone information if it is specified in the application settings, otherwise server time is used.

    - The Last (Date) checks if the specified date field’s value occurs in the previous minutes / hours / days / months / quarters / years as specified by you.  Note: The Last is intended to search based on a statement like “I want a list of all the emails sent out in The Last 5 days.”   The search condition is properly described as >= 5 days ago from today.  Note:  The Last is intended to be past looking.  To have the condition apply to a date in the future, use a negative value.  Example:  The Last -5 Days means 5 days in the future going forward.  Note: Date comparisons are based on school timezone information if it is specified in the application settings, otherwise server time is used.

Note:  The Next and The Last are able to work together to define a range of time.  Example: "I want a list of all emails in The Last 5 days and The Next 5 days."  This defines a range of time from 5 days ago through 5 days from now.

    - Today always uses today’s date when you access the query. Note: Date comparisons are based on school timezone information if it is specified in the application settings, otherwise server time is used.

   - Other Field allows you to do a comparison with a field appearing in the current table, or with a previous table further up the join conditions.
 
DAT Parameterized Condition
When you add a simple DAT Field Condition with a single value, you have the option to parameterize the condition.  Parameterizing a condition allows anyone running the query to override the supplied (default) value with a new value. You can specify the new value on the Results tab of your query.

Note: Parameterization is very useful for dates. You can set up a generic query based on one date and parameterize it.  When accessing the query later, you can easily just change the date without having to edit any query conditions.
DAT Query - Step 1 - Selecting Display Fields
When following DAT Query - Step 1 procedures, you have an option to select DAT Display Fields for any table in your DAT Query. The option to select display fields is presented:
  - after DAT Query - Step 1 - Choosing Initial Table

  - after DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables

  - after you navigate to DAT > Queries > Query and click on any chosen table in your DAT Query

To select a field, simply check the checkbox next to its name. Then, click the Save button to save selected DAT Display Fields and exit table properties wizard.

Note: it is recommended to include DAT Key Id Fields for each table in your DAT Query unless you are planning to aggregate the data in which case DAT Key Id Fields may need to be excluded.
DAT Display Field
DAT Display Fields are shown in the results for your DAT Query. 
DAT Key Id Field
DAT Key Id Field is a unique record identifier that exists in most DAT Tables.  The following table lists out various DAT Key Id Fields.

Table Field
Students > Student Info Student Id
Admissions > Inquiries Inquiry Id
Teachers > Teachers Teacher Id
Households > Households Household Id
Scheduling > Courses Course Id
Security > Users User Id
Development > Donor Donor Id
Development > Donation Donation Id
Development > Asks Ask Id
Finance > Customers Customer Id
Finance > Vendors Vendor Id
Finance > Customer Orders Order Id
Finance > Customer Invoices Customer Invoice Id
Finance > Customer Receipts Customer Receipt Id
Finance > Customer Misc Receipts Customer Receipt Id
Finance > Deposits Deposit Id
Finance > Purchase Orders Purchase Order Id
Finance > Vendor Invoices Vendor Invoice Id
Finance > Vendor Payments Vendor Payment Id
Finance > Vendor Misc Payments Vendor Payment Id
Finance > Accounts Account Id
Finance > Fixed Assets Fixed Asset Id
Finance > Journal Entries Journal Entry Id
DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables
A DAT Query allows you to pull data from multiple tables. The Connecting Tables mechanism allows you to connect (join) different tables in your DAT Query. To connect one of the tables in your DAT Query to a new table, navigate to DAT Query - Step 1 (DAT > Queries > Query).

1. Click the [+] icon next to the table you are connecting to.

2. Choose whether you will connect “with” or “with or without”.
    - If you choose “with”, the newly connected table must have data for the original table’s record to show up.  
    - If you choose “with or without”, the original table’s records will always show; however, the newly connected table might not have any data for a particular record - and those columns are empty.

Example:  Your initial table is students, and you choose to join to actions.  For the actions, you are going to include DAT Field Conditions only for Enrolled actions in 2014/2015.  If you choose “with”, only students who have such an action appear in the result set.  If you choose “with or without”, then all students appear in the result set, but action fields are empty for students who do not have an Enrolled action for 2014/2015.

Note: If you link to a table “with or without”, and additional tables connected to that table will also be linked as “with or without”.

Note: Tables that are connected as “with or without” show as italicized.

Note: It is entirely possible to add the same table multiple times.  Suppose you want to see all your applicants for the 2014/2015 school year.  You also want to see their inquiry action date, apply online date, and copied date.  Many of your inquiry records for the year may or may not have apply online or copied dates.  So, you connect Inquiry Actions to your inquiries three times:   Once for action types of Inquiry for academic year 2014/2015; once for action types of Applicant; once for action types of Copied.  Each of these links would be made with the “with or without” option.
DAT Fields - Step 2
DAT Fields - Step 2
The DAT Fields - Step 2 (DAT > Queries > Fields) is an optional step for creating a DAT Query. The DAT Fields - Step 2 step covers the following features:

- DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance

- DAT Fields - Step 2 - Sorting

- DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating

- DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting

- DAT Fields - Step 2 - Uniqueness

- DAT Fields - Step 2 - Adding Calculated Field

- DAT Fields - Step 2 - Totaling

Path refers to the table for the field.  Sometimes you might have the field appear multiple times and this path helps you distinguish which field is which.

Field is the name of the field being referenced.
DAT Fields - Step 2 - Customizing Display Fields Appearance
Customizing Display Fields Appearance is a part of the DAT Fields - Step 2 process. For each selected DAT Display Field in a DAT Query, a user has an option to customize:

Alias is the name of the heading / column name as it will appear in the result.  If it is left blank, then the heading is based on the field.

Display Format governs the display format of the chosen field.  The available options depend on the type of the field, and this is most useful for dates and currency.
DAT Fields - Step 2 - Sorting
Sorting is a part of the DAT Fields - Step 2 process. To change the sort order of the data in your DAT Query:

    - Drag and drop display fields to change the order of sorting

    - Indicate Sort direction (Ascending or Descending) for each field
 
DAT Fields - Step 2 - Uniqueness
There are a few different ways in the DAT Fields - Step 2 process to handle duplicate data in a query.  The options in the drop-down include:

    - All Rows will show all rows which could include duplicate rows.

    - Unique Rows will remove duplicate rows from the results.

    - Unique Rows with Count will remove duplicate rows from the results, but also include a count of how many times that particular row would have appeared.
DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating
Aggregation is a part of the DAT Fields - Step 2 process and it allows you to use of one of the aggregate functions as opposed to using the field directly. You can specify an aggregate function for any numeric DAT Display Field. 

Example:  You have selected fields for customer and invoice total.  You can use the sum aggregate to get the invoice totals for customers.  Suppose you now change that to have customer, invoice date, and invoice total.  Now, when you use the sum aggregate on the invoice total, you will get the daily invoice total for customers.  Each additional field you have in your result will further determine how the Aggregate is calculated.

    - Count will give a count of all the values.

    - Distinct Count will give a count of unique values.

    - Average will give the arithmetic mean - defined as Sum / Count

    - Max will find the maximum value.

    - Min will find the minimum value.

    - Sum will add up all the values.
DAT Fields - Step 2 - Pivoting
Pivoting is a part of DAT Fields - Step 2 process and it allows converting rows to columns for the purpose of counting, summing, averaging, or finding min/max values for your data.  Only DAT Display Fields that have a Multi-Select condition from the DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions step are eligible to be a Pivot Aggregate column.  The multi-selected values become new columns on the result and will show the values in the rows according to the aggregate function.  Example:  The 1099 query for merging 1099 MISC in finance has a condition on Box Number for values 1 through 14.  The pivot aggregate function is a Sum on the Box Paid Amount.  The resulting output lists each box number as a column, and the value for each column is the sum of the paid amounts for that box number for each vendor.
 
DAT Column Order - Step 3
DAT Column Order - Step 3 (DAT>Queries>Column Order)  allows you to drag and drop the fields into the order you want them to appear in your result.

Note:  Typically you would want the columns you are sorting by first to be the first columns appearing in your result.  However, the order the columns appear in the result, and the order that the data is sorted can be totally different.
DAT Results - Step 4
DAT Results - Step 4 (DAT > Queries > Results) shows the results of your query and allows you to:

- Export the data

- Override default values for DAT Field Conditions 

- Navigate to an entity dashboard by clicking on a hyperlinked id filed on each row if you have included any DAT Key Id Fields

- Select all records at once by clicking Select All if the query contains any DAT Key Id Fields.

- Use DAT - Printing Results features
DAT - Printing Results
DAT Query results can be used to print documents within the system as a part of DAT Results - Step 4.  Follow these steps to use DAT - Printing Results features:

1.DAT - Creating Templates

2.DAT - Using Templates
DAT - Creating Templates
To create a DAT - Printing Results Template access DAT Results - Step 4, then:

1. Click the DataSource button to create a header file.

2.  Use the header file to create a template in MS Word and save it with a doc extension.

3. Select your new template by clicking the Select button next to Upload New Template.

4. Click the Upload button to upload the new Template.
 
DAT - Using Templates
To print DAT Query results, access  DAT Results - Step 4, then:

1. If the selected DAT Query does not have an associated template, follow DAT - Creating Templates steps to create one.

2. Click Print
 
DAT Chart - Step 5
DAT Chart step allows you to see the result of your DAT Query as a chart. The DAT Chart step is only enabled for queries which have aggregated display fields (DAT Fields - Step 2 - Aggregating). 

The Data Group may be any non-aggregate field and will sub-group the data according to the selected field.

Note: Pivot Aggregate fields do not qualify as an Aggregate field for the purposes of making a Chart.
 
DAT Save - Step 6
This step allows you to save your query so that it can be reused at a later time.

Note: The description box is pre-populated with a description of your query based on the fields and conditions you’ve added.  You may choose to provide a new description.

Note: If you change your DAT Query, the description is re-calculated based on those changes.  You will need to specify your custom description again if desired.

The query roles determine which other users are able to see the query.  Anyone with one of the specified roles is able to run the query.

Note: Only the author of the query may save any changes to the query.  However, anyone with roles to access to the query may make changes and save their own new version of the query.

Note: Consider carefully before making a query available to other user roles.  DAT Display Fields are already restricted in terms of which roles can access them when building a DAT Query; however, if you create a query based on those fields and specify different roles for the query as a whole - anyone with the roles to access the query will be able to see all the data on the query result, including fields they might not normally have access to.

If you are the owner of the query, you will have the option to “Update” the query.  This will save over the current query.

The option to “Save New” which will create a new copy of the query with any changes you have made.
 
Initializing DAT Filter
A DAT Filter may be initialized two ways:

- Initializing DAT Filter from DAT Query: The filter operates on the currently selected table.

- Initializing DAT Filter from List: The filter operates on the currently selected list of records.
 
Initializing DAT Filter from DAT Query
To initialize a new filter:

1. Click on the table name that would be used for the new filter.

2. Under “Conditions” pick “New Filter” from the available choices.

3. Click on the orange filter (funnel) icon.

The next step is Adding DAT Filter Condition.
Initializing DAT Filter from List
1. Navigate to the list.

2. Click on the filter (funnel) icon.

The next step is Adding DAT Filter Condition.
Adding DAT Filter Condition
DAT Filter is a recursive concept because it can be created from other filters or consist of other filters. The resulting DAT Filter may consist of multiple DAT Filters, which in turn may have multiple conditions. Each filter can be added:

- from Creating New DAT Filter on the fly using the New Filter selector next to Add New Filter Item label

- from a previously saved DAT Filter by selecting the name of the filter next to Add New Filter Item label
 
Creating New DAT Filter
Creating New DAT Filter uses the same concepts as Creating New DAT Query, so to create a new DAT Filter follow these steps:

1. DAT Query - Step 1 - Adding Conditions

2. DAT Query - Step 1 - Connecting Tables

Repeat steps 1 and 2 as many times as needed. Once you finish creating the new DAT Filter, click Add button on the top.
 
Managing DAT Filter Conditions
Once you are finished Adding DAT Filter Conditions, you have an option to indicate whether each DAT Filter condition will use “Must Have” or “Must Not Have” logic. 

The most common use for “Must Have” or “Must Not Have” are to find students that have or do not have certain actions, attributes, or courses.  Example: You want to find all the students who have submitted a contract for 2014/2015.  When building your filter, search for students that have a “Student Action” with an “Action Description” of Contract Submitted, and an “Academic Year” of 2014/2015.  Add your filter conditions, add your filter, then apply your filter.  Example: You want to find all the students who have NOT submitted a contract for 2014/2015.  When building your filter, search for students that have a “Student Action” with an “Action Description” of Contract Submitted, and an “Academic Year” of 2014/2015.   Add your filter conditions, add your filter, change it to “Must Not Have”, then apply your filter.

When you add more than one filter, you have an option to change how these conditions interact using parentheses as well as AND or OR logical modifiers.  If you make any OR conditions, be sure to include parentheses to ensure the order of operation are as desired.  

Note: The default behavior is to AND all conditions together.
Managing DAT Filter
You can access the Manage Filters page by navigating to Maintenance > Filters.  You will need the DAT Full roles to access this page.  The Manage Filters page lists all DAT Filters that you have authored or otherwise have roles to access.  By default, only filters authored by you are listed; however, you can use the drop-down to switch which authors you are looking at.

- Click Edit for Saving DAT Filters.

- Click the [X] image in the last column for Deleting DAT Filters

Note: The Category determines what kind of data the filter would apply to.
Deleting DAT Filter
If you are the author or if you have the Security Full role, you may delete a DAT Filter.

Note: Be careful about which DAT Filters you delete.  If a DAT filter is used by the website to limit page or control visibility or to determine which email templates are to be sent, these will no longer work once the filter is deleted.  DAT Filters might also be used for triggered notifications or other processes, which will no longer work if the filter is deleted.
Reviewing Existing DAT Filter
When you create a DAT Filter, the system automatically generates a description for the new filter. To review the description of a saved DAT filter:

- navigate to the list of entities where this filter is available
- select the name of the filter from the filter drop-down
- click the orange funnel/filter icon to load the filter popup

The system presents the details and the description of the selected filter. 
 
Browser Updates
We are aware that an update that Firefox/IE recently made to their browsers has impacted some functionality in our system. While we are waiting for Firefox/IE to address these issues, we recommend that our clients use the most up-to-date version of Google Chrome to access PCR Educator Software. We appreciate your cooperation.
Email Issue with Chrome Extension Grammarly
On the Email screen, if you receive a popup error that reads, "Error while executing filter StripScriptsFilter - TypeError: Cannot read property 'replace' of undefined," please review your Chrome extensions to make sure that Grammarly is disabled.

This link provides information on how to manage Chrome extensions

Grammarly extension has a script/code that accesses text fields on a given webpage. It also attempts to modify the page to provide feedback to a user. This code, which is owned and maintained by Grammarly inserts its own HTML and also sometimes works incorrectly causing pages to crash. PCR Educator has no technical capability to access Grammarly code and to fix it and thus the only solution is to disable Grammarly extension or use "incognito" browser feature.

This is a known problem that affects many web applications:
Grammarly Known Errors
 
Why can’t I change the Weight for my Gradebook Category?
The category weight cannot be changed if there is a Report Card mark or Progress Report mark recorded for any student in any marking period of the associated course section.  Note: If the category is an MYP Category, then the weight is determined by the Mark Type and cannot be changed by the teacher.  Note: The school administration can temporarily enable changing weights and preferences per course section by specifying an Allow Weight Calculations Overwrite Until date.

If you want to use new weights for the upcoming marking period, create a new category (or set of categories) with the desired weights and make sure the new assessments are created with the new categories.  

Example: Suppose you have two categories, “Tests” is worth 40% of the grade and “Homework” is worth 60% of the grade.  In quarter 2, you decide you want Tests to be worth 50% and Homework to be worth 50%.  To accomplish this, create a category called “Tests Q2” and “Homework Q2” with the appropriate weights.  This way, you are not changing the gradebook category weighting for an existing category; instead, you are creating new gradebook categories with new gradebook category weights.  Make sure that all your gradebook assessments in quarter 2 are using the new categories.
PCR Educator Customer Portal
https://www.pcreducator.com/Customer-Portal/40969

PCR Educator Customer Portal provides access to several functions:

1.  It allows your school staff to communicate with other schools in a discussion board.  For example, if an Admissions staff member from your team wants to learn how other schools handle a specific process in our system, this is a good platform to compare notes with other schools. 
2.  It allows your school staff to register to modules that may be of their interest or pertinent to their day to day activities.  They can then participate in a discussion forum for modules for which they are registered.  This will also ensure that if we send notifications about a module for which they are registered, they will be included in our emails.
3.  It allows your school staff to subscribe/unsubscribe from different types of notifications.  For example, they may choose to subscribe to Critical Updates and unsubscribe from Newsletters.
4.  It provides access to help articles and FAQs that can easily be searched for by keywords. A user does not need to log in to access this functionality.

A school administrator can manage their staff accounts through the PCR Educator School Portal.

If you do not yet have access to the PCR Educator Customer Portal, please reach out to support@pcreducator.com for more information.
PCR Educator School Portal
https://www.pcreducator.com/School-Portal/40598

PCR School Portal allows school administrators to register employees to specific modules, add new staff, and deactivate staff who have left the school or do not wish to use the PCR Educator Customer Portal. 

If you are a school administrator and do not have access to the PCR Educator School Portal, please reach out to support@pcreducator.com for more information.
Delete Student
To delete a student, navigate to Admin > Student > Details > Delete.  You need the Admin Full role to access this page.  

Note: Deleting a student is an unrecoverable action.  Make very sure that you have the correct student before you delete them.

Note: Deleting a student will remove all of the student’s data.  This includes their actions, schedule, attendance, grade history, and user.  Any invoices or receipts associated with the student will lose the student association.

Note: Household records associated with the student will also be deleted if there are no other students associated with the household, there are no financial records associated with the household, and there are no giving or donor attribute records associated with the household.
Our Parent Teacher Conferences are based on Term 1 classes, but the actual conferences will be spanning over Terms 1 and 2. When we create such conferences, what should we specify as the “Term”?
Since the parent teacher conferences are based on classes that students are signed up for in Term 1, please select Term 1 when you create PTCs. To ensure that families can sign up for PTCs even during the start of Term 2, please go to Admin > Maintenance > Marking Period Info and verify that Parent-Teacher Conference Registration dates in Term 1 are set appropriately. It is ok if parent-teacher conference registration dates in Term 1 overlap the attendance dates in Term 2.
Uploading Picture
Schools can upload the following pictures:

1. Uploading Applicant Picture
2. Uploading Parent Picture
3. Uploading Staff Picture
4. Uploading Student Picture
Uploading Picture Requirements
Note: The size of any individual photo cannot exceed 2MB.

Note: The only file extensions supported are .jpeg, .png, and .gif.  The photos must be in one of these three formats.
Uploading Student Picture
There are two ways to upload student pictures.

1. Uploading Student Picture Individually
2. Uploading Student Picture in Bulk
 
Uploading Student Picture Individually
To upload an individual student picture, navigate to Admin > Students > Details > Picture.  You will need Admin Full or Admin Read roles to access this page. Please review Uploading Pictures Requirements prior to following the steps below.

To add or replace the current file:
- Click the “Select” button.
- Navigate to the directory with your file.
- Select the file.
- Click the “Open” button.
- Click the “Save Uploaded Photo” button.
Uploading Student Picture in Bulk
To upload multiple student pictures at once, navigate to Admin > Maintenance > Upload Student Pictures.  You will need the Admin Full role to access this page. 

In order to upload the photos in bulk, each photo will need to be named with the id of the student it will be associated with.  Example: John Doe has a student id of 12345.  You have a photo for him named “JohnDoe.png”.  His photo’s file name should be renamed to “12345.png”.

Note: When renaming the files to include the id, do not change the file’s extension.

Please review Uploading Picture Requirements prior to following the steps below.

To upload the new photos:
- Click on the “Select” button.
- Navigate to the directory with your photos.
- Select all the photos to upload.  If you want to select all the files in the directory, you can press and hold “Ctrl” and then press the “A” button.
- Click “Open”.  The files will then begin to upload.  Wait until they have finished uploading successfully.
- Click the “Upload Selected Files” button.
Uploading Staff Picture
There are two ways to upload staff pictures.

1. Uploading Staff Picture Individually
2. Uploading Staff Picture in Bulk
 
Uploading Staff Picture Individually
To upload an individual staff picture, navigate to Admin > Staff > Details > Photo.  You will need Admin Full or Admin Read roles to access this page. Please review Uploading Pictures Requirements prior to following the steps below.

To add or replace the current file:
- Click the “Choose File” button.
- Navigate to the directory with your file.
- Select the file.
- Click the “Open” button.
- Click the “Attach File” button.
 
Uploading Staff Picture in Bulk
To upload multiple staff pictures at once, navigate to Admin > Maintenance > Upload Staff Pictures.  You will need the Admin Full role to access this page. 

In order to upload the photos in bulk, each photo will need to be named with the id of the staff it will be associated with.  Example: John Doe has a teacher id of 12345.  You have a photo for him named “JohnDoe.png”.  His photo’s file name should be renamed to “12345.png”.

Note: When renaming the files to include the id, do not change the file’s extension.

Please review Uploading Pictures Requirements prior to following the steps below.

To upload the new photos:
- Click on the “Select” button.
- Navigate to the directory with your photos.
- Select all the photos to upload.  If you want to select all the files in the directory, you can press and hold “Ctrl” and then press the “A” button.
- Click “Open”.  The files will then begin to upload.  Wait until they have finished uploading successfully.
- Click the “Upload Selected Files” button.
Uploading Parent Picture
There are two ways to upload parent pictures.

1. Uploading Parent Picture Individually
2. Uploading Parent Picture in Bulk
 
Uploading Parent Picture Individually
To upload an individual parent picture, navigate to Admin > Households > Details > Photos.  You will need Admin Full or Admin Read roles to access this page. Please review Uploading Pictures Requirements prior to following the steps below.

To add or replace the current file:
- Click the “Choose File” button.
- Navigate to the directory with your file.
- Select the file.
- Click the “Open” button.
- Click the “Attach File” button.
 
Uploading Parent Picture in Bulk
To upload multiple parent pictures at once, navigate to Admin > Maintenance > Upload Parent Pictures.  You will need the Admin Full role to access this page.

In order to upload the photos in bulk, each photo will need to be named with the id of the parent it will be associated with along with either “-0” for the first parent, or “-1” for the second parent.  Example:  You have photos of Mr. and Mrs. Smith to upload.  Their household id is 67890.  Mrs. Smith is the parent 1 record, and Mr. Smith is the parent 2 record.  Mrs. Smith’s photo would need to be renamed to “67890-0.gif”.  Mr. Smith’s photo would need to be renamed to “67890-1.gif”.

Note: When renaming the files to include the id, do not change the file’s extension.

Please review Uploading Pictures Requirements prior to following the steps below.

To upload the new photos:
- Click on the “Select” button.
- Navigate to the directory with your photos.
- Select all the photos to upload.  If you want to select all the files in the directory, you can press and hold “Ctrl” and then press the “A” button.
- Click “Open”.  The files will then begin to upload.  Wait until they have finished uploading successfully.
- Click the “Upload Selected Files” button.
 
Uploading Applicant Picture
To upload an individual applicant picture, navigate to Admissions > Inquiries/Applicants > Details > Picture.  You will need Admissions Full or Admissions Read roles to access this page. Please review Uploading Pictures Requirements prior to following the steps below.

To add or replace the current file:
- Click the “Choose File” button.
- Navigate to the directory with your file.
- Select the file.
- Click the “Open” button.
- Click the “Attach File” button.

Note: Pictures for applicants should primarily be uploaded by parents through the Apply Online.
Verifying 1099
Please use the following reports located in Data Analytics Tool (DAT) -> PCR Imported category
prior to preparing 1099 forms and sending them to your vendors. Please note, you will need  FinanceAP Full or FinanceAP Read roles to access them.

- [Finance] 1099 Verification Report – Invoices
- [Finance] 1099 Verification Report - Misc Payments
- [Finance] 1099 Verification Report - Summary

These reports are year-specific, so you need to make sure to pull the correct year. To do so:
- Open a report.
- Click on Query tab on the left.
- Click on ‘1099 Items’ table.
- Specify the correct Tax Year below Table Required Parameters.
- Click Save.
Troubleshooting Parent Teacher Conferences
If Parent Teacher Conferences are not showing for parents, please check the following:

- Are the Parent Teacher Conference Registration Dates open in Marking Period Info?  In particular, make sure the years are correct.  Also, don’t forget to click Save!
- Make sure the Parent Teacher Conf checkbox is checked for the Course.
- Have you set up Parent Teacher Conferences for a future date?  Configuring Parent Teacher Conferences is necessary for each Term that Parent Teacher Conferences are held.
- Do the parents have a student enrolled in a course section taught by a teacher eligible for Parent Teacher Conferences?  The course section must have a teacher, the course must be eligible for Parent Teacher Conferences, and the student must be enrolled in the section.
- Does the student belong to the school division where the conferences are created? Review Student by Division to understand how students are associated with divisions.
- Are there settings you need to change on the portal?  Please review Configuring Parent Portal for Parent Teacher Conferences

If Parent-Teacher Conferences are not being generated for the selected teacher, please check the following:
- Does this teacher already have conferences at the same time? It is not possible to have overlapping conferences or two conferences at the same time for the same teacher.

 
BC Ministry Reporting
For schools responsible for reporting to the British Columbia Ministry of Education, there are a number of fields available which need to be maintained, and a number of imports and exports available.  

1. Export/Import PEN
2. Export 1701
3. Export/Import Trax

Note: Every export will need the school’s Facility Code specified in the CEEB code in School Info.  To see and access many of these fields your school must be a Canada school.

Note: Grade Levels need to be configured to map to your school’s grade levels with a suitable 1701 code.

Note: Please review the 1701 specifications and TRAX specifications for detailed information about the BC Ministry reporting requirements.
1701 Student Fields
This article is only relevant for Canadian schools for BC Ministry Reporting purposes.

To support reporting of students to the British Columbia Ministry of Education, there are numerous fields available on the Student records.  To access these fields, navigate to Admin > Student > Details, and scroll down to the Canadian heading.  You will need Admin Full, Admin Read, Registrar Full, or Registrar Read to access this screen.

School Fund Code is the fund code for the student in the current year.

Fund Code Next Year is the fund code for the student next year.  When the current school year is closed, this will be moved to the School Fund Code

Note: The fields appearing on this screen are important for the BC Ministry Reporting requirements.  Some fields are important for 1701 Specifications, others the TRAX Specifications.  Some are important for both.
Trax Course Fields
This article is only relevant for Canadian schools for BC Ministry Reporting purposes.

To support reporting of courses to the British Columbia Ministry of Education for our BC schools, there are numerous fields available on the Course records.  To access these fields, navigate to Admin > Course > Details, and scroll down to the Canadian heading.  You will need Admin Full, Admin Read, Registrar Full, or Registrar Read to access this screen.

These fields are also available to be changed for individual student courses in Historical Marks and Student Course Overrides.  The fields appearing on this screen are important for the BC Ministry Reporting requirements.  Some fields are important for 1701 Specifications, others the TRAX Specifications.  Some are important for both.
1701 Specification
This article is only relevant for Canadian schools for BC Ministry Reporting purposes.

The 1701 specifications are available for download here.
TRAX Specification
This article is only relevant for Canadian schools for BC Ministry Reporting purposes.

The Trax specifications are available for download here.
Accounts Receivable Reconciliation
The reconciliation of accounts receivable is the process of matching customer balances to the accounts receivable total stated in the general ledger. This matching process is important because it proves that the general ledger figure for receivables is justified.

There are two primary methods of accounts receivable reconciliation:  

1. Reconciling Customer Balance to A/R Aging Report. 
2. Reconciling Customer Balance to General Ledger.

To reconcile accounts receivable account:

- Navigate to Finance > AR > Customers screen.  
- Click the “Balance” column.
- Specify balance parameters.  For more information, see Customer Balance Configuration.
- Click Finish.

At the bottom of the screen, review the total customer balance for your Accounts Receivable account as you can then compare that to the A/R Aging report and/or to the general ledger.
 
Reconciling Customer Balance to A/R Aging Report
- Navigate to Finance > Reports.
- From the list of reports, select A/R Aging or A/R Aging Summary report.  A/R Aging report provides details that make up each customer’s balance whereas A/R Aging Summary report only lists the customer’s balance.
- Enter report parameters and click Request Report.
- Compare the Aging Report balances against the balances on the AR > Customers screen to confirm they match.  If they do not match, review Identifying Discrepancy In Accounts Receivable Reconciliation to identify a possible cause for any discrepancies.
Reconciling Customer Balance to General Ledger
- Navigate to Finance > Ledger > Chart of Accounts screen.  This screen shows ledger balance for each account.
- Search for the appropriate Accounts Receivable account.
- At the top of the screen, there is a “Date” field.  Enter the date to match the date you specified in the Customer Balance screen.
- Compare the General Ledger balance against the Customer Balance to confirm they match.  If they do not match, review Identifying Discrepancy In Accounts Receivable Reconciliation to identify a possible cause for any discrepancies.

Note:  The General Ledger screen only takes into account posted transactions.  Therefore, if you are reconciling the Customer Balance screen to the General Ledger, do not include unposted transactions in Customer Balance Configuration screen.
Customer Balance Configuration
In Finance > AR > Customers/Students screens,  there is a section that breaks down the balance by transaction type and account.  By default, the balance is calculated as of today.  However, the school can adjust settings to view customer balances as of a certain date, include unposted transactions, exclude liability accounts etc.  To access balance calculation settings, click the “Balance” column.

If a category in Excluded Account Categories is checked, any transactions within that category are not included in the customer balance.  Example:  If your school has a deferred account set up to hold payments that were paid before the invoice issued date, it is recommended to exclude Liability account category.  This prevents deferred payments to be counted in the customer balance if the “To Date” in balance settings is set prior to the invoice issued date.

Transactions are calculated in the customer balance starting from the date specified in From Date up until the date specified in the To Date field.  If From Date is not specified, the balance calculation takes into account all transactions up until the To Date.

If Include Unposted is checked, transactions that are not posted as of the selected range of dates are taken into account in the balance calculation.  
Identifying Discrepancy in Accounts Receivable Reconciliation
When reconciliation is conducted, there may be differences between the customer balance and the general ledger balance.  Any of the following reasons can account for these differences:

- There are journal entries posted to the accounts receivable account. In DAT, there is a report called [Finance] AR Reconciliation - Summary, that breaks down transactions by description.  This will help you identify if there are any journal entries associated with your accounts receivable account.
- There are miscellaneous receipts posted to the accounts receivable account.  In DAT, there is a report called [Finance] AR Reconciliation - Summary, that breaks down transactions by description.  This will help you identify if there are any miscellaneous receipts associated with your accounts receivable account.
- There are invoices that credit the accounts receivable account instead of debiting it.  In DAT, there is a report called 
[Finance] AR Reconciliation - Invoices Debiting AR Account that will help you identify such invoices.
- There are receipts/credits that debit the accounts receivable account instead of crediting it.  In DAT, there is a report called [Finance] AR Reconciliation - Receipts/Credits Debiting AR Account that will help you identify such receipts/credits.
- The parameters specified in the Customer Balance Configuration screen do not match those that are specified in the General Ledger screen.  Example:  Unposted transactions may be set to show on Customer Balance - - Configuration screen whereas the General Ledger screen only takes into account posted transactions.

Similarly, there may be differences between the customer balance and the customer aging report.  Any of the following reasons can account for these differences:

- There are invoices that credit the accounts receivable account instead of debiting it.  In DAT, there is a report called 
[Finance] AR Reconciliation - Invoices Debiting AR Account that will help you identify such invoices.
- There are receipts/credits that debit the accounts receivable account instead of crediting it.   In DAT, there is a report called [Finance] AR Reconciliation - Receipts/Credits Debiting AR Account that will help you identify such receipts/credits.
- The parameters specified in the Customer Balance Configuration screen do not match those that are specified in the Aging Report.  Example:  Unposted transactions may be set to show on Customer Balance Configuration screen whereas the A/R Aging Report may be configured to show posted transactions only.
Balance Calculation Scenarios
Below are different scenarios related to balance calculation. 

Scenario I:  Smith Family has two posted invoices of $500 each issued on 7/1/2018.  They make a payment of $1000 on 7/15/2018 which was posted the same day.  

i) What is the customer balance as of 7/5/2018?

The customer balance as of 7/5/2018 is $1000 since the invoices are posted prior to 7/5/2018 and receipts are posted after 7/5/2018.

ii) What is the customer balance as of 7/16/2018?

The customer balance as of 7/16/2018 is $0 since the customer paid off their invoices prior to 7/16/2018.

Scenario II:  John Able is an enrolled student at the school.  His parents are divorced and will each pay half of John’s tuition.  John goes to a fancy school so his total tuition amount is $40,000.  An invoice of $20,000 is billed to his father and another invoice is billed to his mother.  His father has paid $15,000 of the invoice as of today and his mother has paid $10,000 of the invoice as of today.

i) What is the father’s balance as of today?

The father’s balance as of today is $5,000 since he has paid $15,000 of the invoice.

ii)  What is the mother’s balance as of today?

The mother’s balance as of today is $10,000 since she has paid $10,000 of the invoice.

iii) What is John’s (student) balance as of today?

John’s student balance as of today is $15,000 since both of his parents have paid $25,000 out of his total invoice of $40,000.

Scenario III: Beckham Family has decided to pay tuition for the student Rick Nile, who is connected to the Nile Family.  Since Rick does not go to as fancy of a school as John, his family is billed $10,000 for tuition.  The invoice is posted and is issued on 7/1/2018.  Beckham Family pays the invoice on 7/15/2018 but their receipt is not posted until 7/20/2018.  The payment is then bounced on 7/25/2018 so the school has to void the receipt on that day.

i) What is the Nile Family’s posted customer balance as of 7/5/2018?

Nile Family’s posted customer balance as of 7/5/2018 is $10,000 since the invoice is not paid at that time.

ii) What is Beckham Family’s customer balance as of 7/17/2018 if unposted transactions are included?

Beckham Family’s customer balance as of 7/17/2018 is $0 since their receipt has paid off another customer’s invoice.

iii) What is Rick’s student balance as of as of 7/17/2018 if unposted transactions are included?

Rick’s student balance as of 7/17/2018 is $0 since his invoice has been paid off by Beckham Family’s receipt.

iii) What is Nile Family’s posted customer balance as of 7/20/2018?

Nile Family’s posted customer balance as of 7/20/2018 is $0 since their invoice has been paid off by Beckham Family’s receipt.

iiii) What is Nile Family’s posted customer balance as of 7/29/18?

Nile Family’s posted customer balance as of 7/29/18 is $10,000 since Beckham Family’s payment bounced on 7/25/2018.
 
Balance Calculation
There are two ways to calculate balances in PCR Educator system:

1. Balance Calculation - By Student 
2. Balance Calculation - By Customer

Finance > AR always allows schools to review balances by student or by household, however, it is important that a school chooses one approach and maintains consistent interface to parents when it comes to calculating balances for Point of Sales (including Cafeteria), low balance automated notifications, online statements and payment options.

Customer balances are calculated based on customer invoices, customer receipts, and customer credits.  Student balances are calculated based on invoices, receipts, and credits that are associated with the student record.  Other types of transactions such as miscellaneous receipts are not taken into account.  

The Finance > AR > Customers screen shows customer balances for each customer and a total balance separated by transaction type and account at the bottom of the screen.  Similarly, the Finance > AR > Students screen shows student balances for each student and total balance separated by transaction type and account at the bottom of the screen.  The balance calculation takes into account settings described in Customer Balance Configuration.


Type Include Unposted Calculation Method
Invoice No This section is calculated based on transactions associated with customer/student invoices. In the As of [Date] column, all credit transactions are summed up and subtracted from all debit transactions where the invoice issued date falls within the specified As of [Date]. In the After [Date] column, all credit transactions are summed up and subtracted from all debit transactions where the invoice issued date falls after the date specified in After [Date] column. Note: Invoices should only have debit transactions to the accounts receivable account unless they are voided.
Invoice Yes This section is calculated based on the total amount of all invoices associated with the customer/student. As of [Date] includes total amount from invoices not posted as of the issued date specified in this field. After [Date] includes total amount from unposted invoices that are issued after the date specified in this field.
Receipt/Credit No This section is calculated based on transactions associated with customer/student receipts or credits. Each receipt/credit has a debit and a credit transaction. The accounts receivable account is debited on a receipt/credit and the transaction is reversed (credited) if the receipt/credit is voided. For any receipt/credit that is voided, the amount that is debited is summed up and added to the sum of the credited amounts from posted receipts/credits. Example: Let’s say that a customer has a posted receipt of $500 and a voided receipt of $200 as of [Date]. The total amount in As of [Date] column for posted receipts will show ($300).
Receipt/Credit Yes  This section is calculated based on transactions associated with customer/student receipts or credits. As of [Date] includes totals from receipts/credits not posted prior to the date specified in this field. After [Date] includes totals from unposted receipts/credits that are dated after the date specified in this field. Note: If a customer pays an invoice for another customer, the receipt amount is counted only in the customer balance of the person whose invoice is paid. Example: Let’s say that a student’s grandmother pays $500 against an open invoice of $1000 billed to the student’s parent. The parent will now have a balance of $500 whereas the grandmother will have a zero balance even though she has a receipt of $500 associated with her record.
Our school has just started. Parents and students cannot see their class schedule even though the control is visible. Why?
If parents and students are not able to see class schedule, please review the following items that may be causing this problem:

- Verify that your school’s marking period Attendance Dates are in session. This can be updated by navigating to Admin > Maintenance > Marking Period Info.
- Verify that the course section has a period code and it is in session in the current term. Example: If the course section is linked to Period 1, go to Scheduling > Period Codes and check to see what daily rotation days Period 1 is in session. Then go to Scheduling > Blocks > Daily Rotation to check if these rotation days are populated and marked as “In School” on the calendar.
Mark Type Heading
Mark Types Headings organize Mark Types into groups for Report Cards, Progress Reports, and Interim Reports.

Subject is the heading as it appears on the portals and on reports.

Note can be used to help you identify the heading and how it is used. 
Example: You might have multiple headings of the subject “Grades”, but with different grading requirements at different grade levels, or course subjects.  You want the heading to say Grades on the report card but need to differentiate them when associating them with courses.  You can add a more detailed description for your own convenience in this field.

Use the up and down arrows to the left of the existing headings to control the order that they should appear - both on the teacher portal and on reports.

Headings can only be deleted if they have no mark types attached.

Note: Mark Types Headings must be added to course before teachers can enter grades.  There are multiple ways for configuring course mark type headings.
 
Configuring Mark Type Heading
To create a new Mark Type Heading, you need the Registrar Full or Registrar Read role to access the page.

To configure Mark Type Headings:
- Navigate to Admin > Maintenance > Mark Type Headings.
- Choose whether the heading is Report Card, Progress Report, or Interim Report.
- If the heading is for a Middle Years Program of an IB school and each Mark Type is a category in the course, check Is MYP.
- Click the Add New Button.
 
Mark Type
Mark Types determine what grades are available to appear on the Report Cards, Progress Reports, or Interims. Mark Types are organized by Mark Type Headings.

Topic is what appears on the reports for the name of the grade.

Notes is additional information about the grade.  Certain report cards may make use of the Notes field, but it is usually only for internal use.

Score Entry Type determines what sort of values may be entered.  

Grade Type determines  what this type of score means.  The available options for the Grade Type changes depending on whether you choose Report Card, Progress Report, or Interim:

    - Grade Type - Report Card
    - Grade Type - Progress Report
    - Grade Type - Interim 

For each mark type that you set up, you also need to specify Mark Type Marking Period details. 
Grade Type - Progress Report
These are the grade type options available for Progress Report Mark Types.

Progress Grade is like a Course Work grade, except it is only calculated for grades up through the Faculty Progress Report Entry end date.  Required for Progress Reports.

Progress Effort designates an effort grade for progress reports.  This Grade Type is not required.

Progress Other is for any other grades or skills you might want on the progress reports.  This Grade Type is not required.

Other is another option for any grades or skills you might want on the progress reports.  This Grade Type is not required.
Grade Type - Interim
These are the grade type options available for Interim Mark Types.

Other is the only choice. This Grade Type is not required.

Note: Many schools do not have interim grades.  Instead, they only have an interim comment, and if teachers want to provide a grade, they include it in the comment.
Configuring Mark Type
To access mark types, navigate to Admin > Maintenance > Mark Types.  You need Registrar Full or Registrar Read roles to access this page.

To create a new mark type:
- Choose whether it is for Report Card, Progress, or Interim.  
- Choose the Mark Type Heading it will appear under.  
- Choose the Score Entry Type it will use.
- Click “Add New”.

Use the up and down arrows above each mark type to change the order that they should appear.

Once any grades have been entered for a mark type, you will no longer be able to delete the mark type.
Score Entry Type
Score Entry Types describe what options are available for entering reported grades or evaluations.

Name is the name of the score entry type. This name is not visible to teachers, it’s used for identifying score entry types when associating them with mark types.

Method determines how the score is entered or otherwise selected.

All Divisions designates a score entry type as available as an Action evaluation only.

Notes are any notes used to help explain or differentiate a score entry type.  Since there are usually many MYP entry types for each MYP course, all the criteria for the same course should include the course name in the notes.

Once a Score Entry Type is created, please specify possible Score Entry Type Values.
Configuring Score Entry Type
To add a new Score Entry Type, you will need Admin Full or Registrar Full roles.
- Navigate to Admin > Maintenance > Score Entry Types.
- Specify the Name.
- Specify the Method of entry.
- If this is for an Action Evaluation, check the All Divisions check box.
- Add a Note if desired.
- Click Add New Type.

Once the new Score Entry Type has been added:  
- Click Details on the Score Entry Type.
- Go to Values.
- Click Add New, and add the appropriate Score Entry Type Values.
- Click Save.
 
Score Entry Type Value
Score Entry Type Values determine which values are permitted for the score entry type.

Letter is a single option available in the radio button or dropdown. You will need to add each letter option that would appear in the radio button or drop down.
    - Single Value is the letter value as it will appear on reports.
    - Numeric Value is the minimum average for a student to receive this letter value.
    - MYP Comment is the comment which would be shown for an MYP letter option.

Number Range specifies the acceptable range and precision for a number to be entered.  This would only be added one time for any Score Entry Type.  
    - Min Value is the lowest value that can be entered.
    - Max Value is the highest value that can be entered.
    - # Decimals is the total number of decimals that can be entered.

Freeform: Anything may be written.

Note: You can have multiple Letter values and a Number Range for a single score entry type at the same time.  In this case, the primary grade would be a number grade while the letter grades would be variations on excused scores such as NG, P, F, EX.

Note: The maximum length of text permitted for a grade is 10 characters.  This would include any numbers typed in for a number grade and FreeForm text entry.
 
Associating Mark Type Headings to Courses
There are two ways to associate mark type headings to courses.
1. Associating Mark Type Headings to Courses Individually
2. Associating Mark Type Headings to Courses in Bulk
 
Associating Mark Type Headings to Courses Individually
Mark type headings for a course are managed on the page Admin > Courses > Details > Mark Types.  You need the Registrar Read or Registrar Full roles to access this page.

To associate a mark type heading to a course:
- Check the checkbox next to the mark type heading to be added to the course.
- Click the right arrow button to add the mark type heading.

To remove a mark type heading from a course:
- Click the delete [X] button.

Note: If the course already has any mark entered for a mark type associated with that heading, you will not be able to remove the heading.

Note: The action of adding or removing an MYP mark type heading from a course will result in grade book category changes.
Associating Mark Type Headings to Courses in Bulk
To remove a mark type heading from multiple courses, navigate to Admin > Courses.  You need Registrar Full to access this page and multi-action.

- Select the courses to associate the mark type heading to.
- Pick the “Add Mark Type” option from the multi-action drop down at the top or bottom of the grid.
- Check the boxes next to the headings you wish to associate with the course.
- Click the “Associate” button.
Balance Calculation - By Student
When a school calculates balances by student, the balance displayed on the student’s dashboard, POS screen, online statements and payments only reflects activity for the selected student and not his/her siblings. 

Example: if a student is part of blended family and the balance is tracked by student, then any household associated with that student can add “lunch” money to the student account and see the current student’s balance for cafeteria. At the same time, each student associated with these households will not share the same balance. This also means that the lunch money will need to be loaded individually for each student. This is a great option for schools with many blended households.
Balance Calculation - By Customer
When  school calculates balances by customer, the balance displayed on a POS screen for student, online statements and payments reflects all activity for the selected customer regardless of the associated student (if any).

Example: if there are several students in a family and the balance is tracked by customer, then whenever any of the siblings access POS, they will all share the same billing household customer balance. Similarly, if a school established Max Unpaid Balance in Student Purchase Option, then this option will take into account the customer balance. This option allows parents to load lunch money once for the whole family as opposed to loading it for each student individually. However, since the balance is tracked by customer, other households connected to the same students will not have access to either seeing the balance or loading the money onto the account. 

Note: consider a situation when the balance is tracked by customer and a school creates an invoice for Smith Family for their daughter Amy’s fieldtrip. In this case, Smith family is marked as Amy’s billing household and Amy’s name is referenced on the invoice. Amy’s grandparents Jack and Karie Forest can still send a check to the school to cover her field trip and the system will allow the user to accept the receipt from a non-billing household. However, since the original invoice is not associated with Forest household and online statement and payments are configured to be shown by customer, Jack and Karie will not see Smith Family’s balance.  
Historical Mark
Historical Marks are all the grades that appear on transcripts from prior years.

Academic Year is the year the grades are applicable to.  Note that most transcripts will sort the courses first by Academic Year then by Department’s Report Order then by Course Name.
If you wish to designate a historical mark as a summer course, keep this sort order in mind.  An example would be 2010/Sum which would put the class in a section after 2010/2011 year but before the 2011/2012 year.

Course Name is the standard name of the course.

Transcript Course Name is an alternate name for the course which may be shown on transcripts, depending on the transcript settings.  The default is to show the Course Name.

Type-Level is used for prerequisite logic, containing the type and level of the course.

School Name is the name of the school where the course was taken.  This field will normally be blank unless the course was taken at an external school.

Grade Level is the grade level of the student at the time the course was taken.

Number of Terms is the number of semesters or trimesters the course met for.

Credits Per Term is how many credits are earned for each semester of the course.

GPA Weight is the grade point average weighting.

Class Rank Type is used for including courses in specialized class ranks.

Example: where Class Rank Type might be used - you can designate all AP courses as AP, and run a Class Rank.  Some schools have a separate GPA for just their academic courses or some other variation of a custom GPA.

Department is the department the course belongs to.

Staff First Name is the first name of the primary teacher who taught the course.

Staff Last Name is the last name of the primary teacher who taught the course.

Attribute 1 is a field to store arbitrary information.

Attribute 2 is a field to store arbitrary information.

Attribute 3 is a field to store arbitrary information.

Include In GPA determines whether or not the course is included in GPA calculations.

External indicates whether the course was taken at the school or taken elsewhere.

Marks option will change depending on if your school is set up as Semester or Trimester school.  The Mark Type article will explain in greater detail what these marks mean.

TRAX are fields specifically used to comply with British Columbia Canada reporting requirements.  Most schools will not see these fields.  Please refer to the BC Ministry of Education TRAX documentation for details.

Trax Exam % is the grade of the exam provided by the BC Ministry

Trax School % the final grade assigned by the school.  The Trax School % does not include the Trax Exam % in its average, and the grade is based only on the course work performed at the school.  For an Examinable Course, the BC Ministry will provide both the Trax Exam % and Final Mark.

Examinable Course indicates if the course is an examinable course
.
Electronic Exam indicates if the exam was taken electronically
.
Month refers to the Exam month for examinable courses.

Code is the course code for this course.

Level is the course level for this course.

Related Code is the related course code for this course.

Related Level is the related course code for this course.

Type refers to the Course Type of Challenge, Equivalency or none.

Grad Req indicates whether a course meets the requirements for Fine Arts, Applied Skills, or Both.

Special Case indicates whether there is a provincial exam special case.

To Write Exam Grade 12, 2004 Grad Program only for optional written exams.


Note:  Transcripts generally only show grades of Semester/Trimester, Final, or both.  The other marks are retained for historical purposes.
Configuring Historical Mark
To ensure historical marks are reported correctly, current year schedule courses must be configured correctly.  The settings for the course are accessed via Admin > Courses > Courses > Details. You will need the Registrar Full role to access the Registrar portion of the courses’ information.

For particular course grades to migrate to historical marks or appear on transcripts, make sure that Include On Transcript is checked.  If your school has alternate names for the course which appear on the transcript, specify the Transcript Course Name.  If the course is to be included in GPA calculations, make sure that the Credits Per Term, and Include In GPA are specified.  If the course is to have a weighted GPA, then specify the appropriate GPA Weight.  If the course is part of a special type of GPA calculation, you may also need to specify the Class Rank type.

The other important consideration for grades to appear on transcripts correctly is to make sure that the course has appropriate Mark Types associated.

Note:  Most schools don’t have a special Class Rank type which would calculate on a transcript.

Note: If a class is not set to Include On Transcript, then it will not be moved to historical marks when closing the school year.
Updating Historical Mark
There are several methods for updating historical marks for students.

1. Updating Historical Mark for a Single Student
2. Migrating Single Student Current Year Marks to History
3. Importing New Records - Historical Marks
4. Updating Student Historical Marks in Bulk
Updating Historical Mark for a Single Student
To manage an individual student’s historical marks, navigate to Admin > Student > Details > Historical Marks.  You will need Marks Full or Marks Read roles to access this screen.  

- If the course and year is not already present, in the upper right corner of the screen select the appropriate year and click New.

Note: If the desired year is not available in the drop-down, add a new record with any year and you will be able to modify the year on a new record.

- If the course and year are already present, then press the Edit button next to the course name to modify the grades or other data.  

- Don’t forget to Save!
Updating Student Historical Mark in Bulk
A school can mass update existing historical marks by navigating to Home > Update > Historical Marks.  You need the Security Full role to access this page.  

Note: The easiest way to use the update historical marks is to create a DAT report that includes Hist Student Mark Id, and other fields you want to update.  Export the data, make sure the column names match the Update column name and run the Update.
How do I add new grades for summer courses or historical courses to transcripts?
There are a number of ways for Updating Historical Marks.

If the course was taken last year, and you were expecting it to migrate to history as part of the close of school year, please ensure that the course is set to Include On Transcript.
Parent Teacher Conference
Parent Teacher Conference records allow schools to track short meetings or conferences between parents and teachers to discuss a child's progress at school and find solutions to academic or behavioral problems. Each teacher will have many open time slots available for the parents to sign up for from Parent Portal.  

Date is the date of the Parent Teacher Conference time slot.

Start is the start time of the time slot.

End is the end time of the time slot.

Teacher is the teacher the time slot is for.  

Household is the household signed up for the time slot. When new time slots are created, they are not associated with any households or students.

Student is the student signed up for the time slot.  Initially, no student should be specified.

Room is the room that the Parent Teacher Conference will be meeting in.  Optional.

Note: Parent Teacher Conferences are separated by school division and Term.

Note: Follow the steps for Configuring Parent Teacher Conference to create new conferences.

Note: Follow the steps for Troubleshooting Parent Teacher Conferences in case something does not show as expected.
Updating Parent Teacher Conference
To manage already created parent teacher conference time slots
- Navigate to Admin > Maintenance > Parent Teacher Conferences. You will need the  Admin Full role to access this page.
- Click the Schedule link to edit a specific time slot.
- To delete time slots, check the slots to be deleted and use the multi-action Delete.

Room is the room the conference would be held in.

Student is the student signed up for the slot.

Household is the household signed up for the slot.

Note: Reasons you might edit a time slot would be to change the room or unschedule/reschedule a parent for a time slot outside of the open dates.  Mostly, parents should sign up for their desired time slots through the Parent Portal.
 
Configuring Parent Portal for Parent Teacher Conferences
Signups for a Parent Teacher Conference are made by the parent.  The parent will first pick the desired Teacher, then the Date, then the Time on that day.  The teachers appearing in the dropdown will be based on the currently selected student.  The dates will be limited to only days that the teacher has an open time slot.  Only open time slots will be shown.

To add the widget for parent teacher conferences to a page, you would find it under Updatable > Parent Teacher Conf.  The settings specific to this widget include:

Limit Signups
- None means there is no limit per Course Section or per Teacher
- Once Per Student Per Course Section means that the parent may meet with the same teacher multiple times.  Useful if the time is needed to discuss course subject matter for each course.
- Once Per Student Per Teacher means that even if the student has multiple classes with the same teacher, the parents can still only sign up for that teacher once.

Max Signups Per Household limits the total number of signups by the household across all their students. 

Example: if the household has 5 students, and the max signups per household is 2, they will be able to sign up for at most 2 conferences.  If the setting is empty, there is no limit.

Max Signups Per Student limits the household signups based on how many students they have.  If the setting is empty, there is no limit.

Read Only is used if you just want parents to be able to see their signups without making changes.  You would use this to make a reporting only page.  If the current date is outside of the open date ranges for parent teacher conferences in Configuring Marking Period Info, then the widget will automatically be read-only.

Show All Students when checked will show parent teacher conference sign-ups for all a household’s students.  If unchecked, only the currently selected student’s signups will show up.

Limit Signups, Max Signups Per Household, Max Signups Per Student all work together when limiting signups.

Households will not be able to sign up for conflicting times.

Note: For signups, Parent Teacher Conferences use the time zone specified in the CMS application settings.  If no timezone is specified the local server time is used.

Note: Parent Teacher Conferences only display slots for primary teachers for each course section for the selected student. 

Note: Parent teacher conferences are specific to the teacher, not the course section.  This means that individual teachers have their own parent teacher conference schedules.  Secondary teachers won’t see the primary teacher’s schedule.
Soft Credit
Soft Credits are a means to recognize another donor for playing an important role in the actual donation received.

Contact - The other donor receiving credit for the donation
Amount - The amount the other donor will be soft credited for
 
Recording Soft Credit
Adding a soft credit to donations is performed under Development > Donation > Details > Soft Credit.  To access this page, you will need Development Full or Development Read roles.  To edit soft credits, you will need the Development Full role.

Note: You can add multiple donors receiving soft credit, and the amount to be soft credited is entirely up to the discretion of the development office.  

Note: Soft Credits will not impact the actual giving dollar amounts or statistics, or affect Finance reconciliation with Development.
Marking Period Info
Marking Period Info records control visibility and access for a variety of Term and Quarter specific functions.  You can access this page under Admin > Maintenance > Marking Period Info.  To access this page, you will need Archiving Full, or Archiving Read roles.  The Term will be designated as either Semester or Trimester depending on how the School Info is set up and can be different for each school division. 

Period Name is the name of the marking period.  In the case of a Trimester school, there will be one marking period per Trimester.  In the case of a Semester school, there will be two marking periods per term (Quarters).

Attendance Dates refers to the date range when classes are actually in session. 

Faculty Report Card Entry controls when teachers are able to enter Report Card marks and comments for the marking period.

Faculty Progress Report Entry controls when teachers are able to enter Progress Report marks and comments for the marking period.

Faculty Gradebook Open controls when teachers can enter grades for the marking period.

Student Self Entry controls when students may enter Self Comments on the Student Portal.

Parent-Teacher Conference Registration dates controls when parents may sign up for Parent Teacher Conference on the Parent Portal.

Student Activity Registration dates control when students may sign up for a Student Activity Course.

Notes:

Semester divisions must have exactly two semesters and two marking periods per semester.  Trimester divisions must have exactly three trimesters and one marking period per trimester.

A Semester school can opt to not use certain marking periods if they only want one marking period per Term.  If a school chooses to do this, they should use marking periods 2 and 4 in order for the grades to operate properly in grade book, report cards, and transcripts.

Generally, Faculty Gradebook Open may extend somewhat past the end of the Attendance Dates as teacher work on finalizing Report Card grades.  It should not extend past the Faculty Report Card Entry dates.

All start dates take effect as of midnight of that day.  All end dates include through the end of the day, turning off at 11:59 pm.  Also note that this is the local time specified in Application Settings.
 
Student by Division
Unless “all divisions” option is checked, the list of student (Admin>Students, Admissions>Students, Development>Students, or Scheduling>Students ...) only shows records which belong to the selected division. A student record belongs to the currently selected division if:

-   The user is looking at the student records from any location other than Scheduling>Students or the user selected current year scheduling and the student:
       -   is enrolled in any course from the currently selected division
       OR
       -   has any course selections for the currently selected division, 
       OR
       -   belongs to a course waitlist in the currently selected division
       OR
       -   has a grade level associated with the currently selected division.

OR

-   The user is looking at the student records from Scheduling>Students, the user selected next year scheduling, and the student:
       -   has next year grade level that is associated with the currently selected division
       OR
       -   has course selections for next year for the currently selected division
       OR
       -   belongs to a course waitlist for next year in the currently selected division
       OR
       -   has a next year grade level associated with the currently selected division.


Unless “include all” checkbox is also checked, the system will only show students if

-   The user is looking at the student records from any location other than Scheduling>Students  or the user selected current year scheduling and the student has a status of Enrolled in the currently selected division.

OR

-   The user is looking at the student records from Scheduling>Students, the user selected next year scheduling, and the student has next year status of Enrolled in the currently selected division.
 
How to remove Form submitted status?
Forms centers around updating information and consenting to various requirements of the school. In the end a Forms Submitted action is generated with any PDFs being associated with that action. So, aside from deleting the action (which also removed the PDFs generated), there should be nothing more to reset.
Recording Development Activity in Finance through Journal Entries - Reconciliation
The Finance Manager can record development activity into the General Ledger through journal entries. For more information, see Recording Development Activity in Finance through Journal Entries.

To access reconciliation reports, a user must have GL Full role.

To reconcile development activity with the finance ledger, go to DAT and select the PCR (Imported) group. Open the report called [Finance] Donation Reconciliation Report. This report will provide donation information, transaction date (posted to the ledger), journal entry information, and account information of each transaction.

To review a list of all transactions that have been posted by the Development Office but have not yet been posted as journal entries by the Finance Office, go to DAT, select the PCR (Imported) group and review the report called [Finance] Unposted Development Transactions.

Through the combination of the two reports, the finance office should be able to tie out all posted donations by the Development Office.
Labor Day
Our offices will be closed on Monday, September 3rd 2018 in observance of Labor Day. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, September 4th 2018.
Staff / Teacher by Division
Unless “all divisions” option is checked, the list of staff and teacher records (Admin>Staff or Scheduling ->Staff) only shows records which belong to the selected division.

A staff record belongs to the currently selected division if one of the criteria applies:

- The staff record is connected to a user account which is associated with the currently selected division. 
OR
- The staff is marked as a primary or secondary teacher for at least one course section for the current year.
OR 
- The staff is marked as a primary or secondary teacher for at least one course section for the next scheduling year, the user selected next year scheduling and the user is looking at the staff records from Scheduling ->Staff.

Example: if a user selects “Next Year Schedule” on the home page, then only teachers who teach any course sections in next year schedule will show up on the list of staff records (Scheduling ->Staff) unless they are associated with user accounts connected to the currently selected division.
 
Is there a way to remove all assessments from last year which automatically moved to current year?
Each teacher can delete his or her assessments by navigating to the list of assessments in the Teacher Portal, selecting all assessments in bulk and using a multi-action “Delete Assessments" option.
Budget Manager
Budget Managers are users in a school who have access to specific General Ledger Accounts for managing purposes. Budget Managers can:

- See any activity in the general ledger related to their accounts;
- Review and approve purchase orders related to their accounts;
- Submit budget requests for their accounts;
- Review budget reports related to their accounts;
Assigning Budget Managers to Finance Accounts
To associate an account, a user must have FinanceBudget Full role.For a user to have access to Budget Manager features, a user must have FinanceAccountMgr Read or FinanceAccountMgr Full roles. Only FinanceAccountMgr Full role allows edits (approving purchase orders or submitting budget requests).

There are several ways to assign budget managers to finance accounts:

- Assigning Budget Managers to Finance Accounts Individually
- Assigning Budget Managers to Finance Accounts in Bulk

Assigning Budget Managers to Finance Accounts Individually

- Navigate to Finance>Ledger>Chart of Accounts> Account Details>Budget Managers
- Select any user with a role of FinanceAccountMgr Full or FinanceAccountMgr Read and click Add.

The newly assigned budget manager will be listed below.

Assigning Budget Managers to Finance Accounts in Bulk

- Navigate to Finance>Ledger>Chart of Accounts>
- Multi-select accounts
- Use multi-action Add Managers
- Select any user with a role of FinanceAccountMgr Full or FinanceAccountMgr Read and click Add.
Merging Gradebook Category
When a long term substitute takes over a course section, they will need control over the gradebook from the previous teacher as well as the ability to add new gradebook assessments over the course of the year.

The process of merging gradebook categories allows the new teacher to copy gradebook categories that the original teacher was using in their gradebook.

In the Teacher Portal, navigate to the Gradebook Preferences page to view the “Category Merge” widget. Please note that each school has the flexibility to rename this page and add it to the Teacher Portal according to their preferences.
In the Original Category dropdown, select the name of a gradebook category that the previous teacher had created.
In the Merge To dropdown, select a gradebook category that the new teacher has created and click the merge button to merge the two gradebook categories. Otherwise, select Copy Original Category and click the merge button to associate the original gradebook category to the new teacher.
Recording Extra Credit
To record extra credit on a specific gradebook assessment, simply enter more points than the possible number of points allotted for the gradebook assessment. You will receive a popup message as a warning that the number of points you are entering exceed the total possible points. Press “Ok” to save the grade.

Alternatively, if extra credit does not belong to any particular gradebook assessment, you can create a new gradebook assessment and set the possible points amount to zero. Adding any grade above a zero to this type of gradebook assessment will provide students with extra credit.

Note: Extra credit will be calculated based on your gradebook set up. For instance, same number of extra credit points in a higher weighted gradebook category will impact the overall grade more than a lower weighted gradebook category.
Gradebook Assessment Type
Gradebook Assessment Types are used to label different gradebook assessments that are entered by the teacher in the CMS Teacher Portal. With gradebook assessment types, you can specify the maximum number of gradebook assessments that a student can have in a specific period with that gradebook assessment type. Example: A school may restrict each student to have a maximum of 1 test or project on any given day.
Recording Gradebook Assessment Type
- Go to Security > Maintenance > Gradebook Assessment Types.

- Enter the Name of the gradebook assessment type. This will be the gradebook assessment type name that the teachers will be selecting from when entering a gradebook assessment.

- In Assessments per Student, enter the number of gradebook assessments a student could have in a day.

- Enter the Interval in Days. This will not allow a student to have another gradebook assessment of the same type within that number of days. This will prohibit a student from having two tests in two days.

Note: A school is required to have at least one gradebook assessment type but Assessments per Student and Interval in Days fields are not required if your school does not have a limit on how many gradebook assessments a student can have within a specific period.
Gradebook Category
A gradebook category is used to group gradebook assessments. i.e., tests, homework, quizzes, projects, etc. Gradebook categories may be weighted and must be entered before you add gradebook assessments.
Gradebook Assessment
An gradebook assessment is referred to as any graded or non-graded item that the teacher assigns to a class; i.e., a single homework, report, reading assignment or test. Example: A gradebook category may be called “Test,” while a gradebook assessment may be called “Test Ch 1” or “Test Ch 2.”

Each gradebook category may have many gradebook assessments and teachers can input gradebook assessments throughout any open marking period.

Description refers to the gradebook assessment name and is displayed on the Student and Parent Portal as well as the Teacher Portal.
Short Description (10 character limit) in an abbreviated gradebook assessment name and is displayed in the gradebook.
Possible Points refers to the total number of points a gradebook assessment is graded on.
Start Date refers to when the gradebook assessment is assigned to students or when students should start working on the gradebook assessment.
Due Date refers to the last day to complete the gradebook assessment. A gradebook assessment can have the same start and due date.
Visible Date determines when the gradebook assessment will show online to students and parents. Example: if you want to show a gradebook assessment on the calendar only a week before the gradebook assessment start date, you can set the visible date to one week before the start date.
If Show in Gradebook option is selected, the gradebook assessment will be visible in the gradebook for teachers to enter grades. Note: If a gradebook assessment such as an assigned reading project will not be graded, the Show in Gradebook option can be unchecked.
If Enable Dropbox is selected, students will be able to submit gradebook assessments electronically.
Configuring Gradebook
Each teacher needs to set up gradebook categories in the CMS Staff Portal in order for them to enter gradebook assessments to show on the calendar and in the gradebook. 

Recording Gradebook Category

To create gradebook categories:
- Navigate to the Gradebook Settings/Preferences page in your Teacher Portal. Please note that each school has the flexibility to rename this page and add it to the - Teacher Portal according to their preferences.
- In the Add New Category section, select the division you want to add the gradebook category to from the Division dropdown and Enter the gradebook category name.
- Click “Add.” The gradebook category should now be added to this page.
- Click “Edit” on the bottom right corner of the gradebook category.
- Use checkboxes to select all of the course sections that the gradebook category applies to.
- In the Weight column, you can specify the gradebook category weighting for each section.
- Use the Excl. Drop column to make the gradebook category ineligible for lowest grade calculation. For more information, see Configuring Gradebook Settings.
- Click the Update button in the bottom right corner of the gradebook category to save the changes you have made.

Notes:

- Gradebook categories and gradebook category weighting are set up for the entire school year.
- You may not change a gradebook category or gradebook category weight once progress or report card marks have been recorded. Doing so could skew the grades that were already populated.  Note: The school administration can temporarily enable changing weights and preferences per course section by specifying an Allow Weight Calculations Overwrite Until date. 
- If you want to modify the gradebook category weighting after a marking period while leaving the calculations for that marking period unchanged, you must add a new gradebook category with a new gradebook category name. Example:  You have a Homework category worth 20% in quarter 1 and 2.  You want it to only be worth 10% in quarter 3 and 4.  Add a new category called Homework Q3 with the new weight and only use the new category for new homework.  This way, you are not changing the gradebook category weighting, you are creating new gradebook categories with new gradebook category weights.
- You cannot move an existing gradebook assessment to a different gradebook category.

Recording Gradebook Assessment

- On the Assessments screen, click “New.”
- Enter gradebook assessment details.
- If there is any additional information you would like to enter about the gradebook assessments, you can record that information in the multi-line text box.
- This information will be available to students and parents.
- Select the classes that you would like to apply this gradebook assessment to by using the checkboxes to the left of the course name.
- With each selected course, you can enter additional information:
*Points: Populate this if you’d like to override points for a specific section.
*Start: Populate this if you’d like to override start date for a specific section.
*Due: Populate this if you’d like to override due date for a specific section.
*Visible: Populate this if you’d like to override visible date for a specific section.
- Click “Save.”
Configuring Gradebook Settings
In your Staff Portal, navigate to the Gradebook Settings/Preferences page.  This may be located under the “Class” heading or somewhere else depending on your school’s set up.

- Check Category Weight if certain gradebook categories will have more impact on the gradebook average than others. For example, If gradebook assessments within the Test gradebook category will have more impact on the gradebook than gradebook assessments within the Homework gradebook category, you will check the Category Weight option.

- Check Assessment Weight if certain gradebook assessments within a specific category will be have more impact on the gradebook than others.  Note: With the exception of some math and science teachers, no one uses this setting.

- Check Hide Gradebook option if you do not wish to share your gradebook grades in the Parent/Student Portals.

- Check Lowest Grade Calculation if you want to drop a gradebook assessment score.  The gradebook will automatically highlight the lowest grade based on the lowest grade calculation that is set.

Note: The lowest grade will only be calculated based on gradebook categories that do not have the Excl Drop option checked.

Note: The system will NOT automatically drop the lowest grade, it is up to the teacher to exclude grades at the end of the term.

Note:  If categories are not appearing in your gradebook when you Group By Category, this indicates that these settings have not been saved.  To resolve this, save the gradebook settings for the course section.
Gradebook
The gradebook provides functionality for teachers to see each student, different gradebook categories, all previous grades, and how the current grade affects the gradebook category average and the overall gradebook average to date.

The gradebook also has columns for primary reported marks (quarter, exam, term, and final) to show how gradebook assessment scores affect grades that will be transferred to report cards. For more information on setting up reported marks, refer to Configuring Mark Types.

Group By Category option in the dropdown is used to list gradebook assessments by gradebook category.

Group By Date option will list gradebook assessments in order by their due dates.

The header of the gradebook widget has icons that are used for various displays and to export the gradebook.

Sort Ascending icon sorts each column in an ascending order. Student name columns are sorted in alphabetical order by last name whereas gradebook assessment and reported marks columns are sorted in numerical order from lowest to highest value.

Sort Descending icon sorts each column in a descending order. Student name columns are sorted in reverse alphabetical order by last name whereas gradebook assessment and reported marks columns are sorted in numerical order from highest to lowest value.

Switch X and Y Axis icon provides teachers the option to show student names in columns and gradebook assessment names in rows and vice versa.

Export icon extracts the gradebook into an excel spreadsheet.

Refresh icon recalculates all gradebook grades.

Open in New Window opens the gradebook on an empty page (without top or left navigation menu). This function provides more real estate for the gradebook and reduces the amount of scrolling in order for teachers to view the entire gradebook.

The Replace functionality can be accessed by clicking on any gradebook assessment column. This option allows teachers to find/replace grades for any gradebook assessment. This feature is convenient if teachers want to use a default grade for their gradebook assessments.

The Save and Recalculate functionality for reported marks can be accessed by clicking on a reported mark column. “Save All” button will finalize grades that will show on the report card and “Clear All” will recalculate grades if additional gradebook assessment scores are added after the teacher has finalized reported marks.

Note: When “Save All” option is used, reported marks will be saved and additional gradebook assessment scores will NOT affect saved grades unless the teacher recalculates reported marks by pressing “Clear All” button and then resaving the grades.
Recording Gradebook Grades
- Navigate to the gradebook page. This may be located under the “Class” heading or somewhere else depending on your school’s set up.
- If gradebook categories have been configured, gradebook assessments have been created, and gradebook entry dates are open, you should be able to view and record gradebook grades for each student.
- To add a gradebook assessment grade, click onto one of the cells that correspond to the correct student and gradebook assessment. The student row and gradebook assessment column will be highlighted and you should be able to enter a numerical grade.
- To enter a comment for a specific grade, right click on the cell. A pop-up box should show up which will allow you to enter a comment.
- Grades are automatically saved when you move the cursor to another cell.
- Verify that grades are calculated based on your gradebook category/assessment weights.

Notes:

- By default, each cell will contain two asterisks. The gradebook will not include this gradebook assessment in the calculated marks for any student with the two asterisks. Any gradebook assessments that are marked with **, will show up in the “Missing Grades” widget in the Teacher Portal if the gradebook assessment due dates have passed.
- The values that can be entered into the gradebook include:
* Numbers – The total number of points the student received on a gradebook assessment. If the student received no credit for a gradebook assessment, make sure you enter 0 (zero) for the gradebook assessment.
* EX – This can be used to mark that a gradebook assessment is excused. This will not be calculated into the student’s grade and will not appear as a missing grade for the student.
* IP – This can be used to mark that a gradebook assessment is in progress. This will not be calculated into the student’s grade and will not appear as a missing grade for the student.
Recording Development Activity in Finance
There are two primary ways to record  Development activity in Finance:
1. Recording Development Activity in Finance through Journal Entries
2. Recording Development Activity in Finance through Misc Receipts

The chosen selection is recorded on the database level and affects all the processes of integrating Development and Finance.

Prior to posting to General Ledger, verify that each Development Fund is properly mapped to revenue account in General Ledger. This will allows the system to determine which accounts need to be credited or debited. Navigate to Finance>Maintenance>Development Funds to record this mapping.
 
Recording Development Activity in Finance through Journal Entries
Any development activity that is posted in development can be posted to Finance. To post a donation in Development module, a user must have Development Full role and should also be associated with General Ledger. However, the user does not need any Finance roles to perform Development Post.

To record Development Activity in Finance, the user must have GL Full role.

1. Navigate to Finance->Banking>Development Transactions
2. Select all transactions to be included in the new journal entry.
3. Use multi-action “Create Journal Entry”
4. Specify journal entry details. 
5. The system produces a table of credits and debits for each type of transactions. Select the correct accounts. The system will automatically pull revenue accounts for associated funds. 
6. Check “post if able” to post the new journal entry automatically
7. Click Save

You are now redirected to Finance>Ledger>Journal Entries>Dashboard, the dashboard for the newly created Journal Entry. Note, that each line item on this journal entry is referencing Development Transaction Id which references the original development transactions.


 
Type Debit Credit
Post Gift Asset - Bank Account Associated Revenue Accounts
Post Matching Asset - Accounts Receivable Associated Revenue Accounts
Post Pledge Asset - Accounts Receivable Associated Revenue Accounts
Post Pledge Payment Asset - Bank Account Asset - Accounts Receivable
Void Gift Associated Revenue Accounts Asset - Bank Account
Void Matching Associated Revenue Accounts
Asset - Accounts Receivable		 Asset - Accounts Receivable
Expense
Void Pledge Associated Revenue Accounts
Asset - Accounts Receivable		 Asset - Accounts Receivable
Expense
Void Pledge Payment Asset - Accounts Receivable Asset - Bank Account
Write Off Matching Expense Asset - Accounts Receivable
Write Off Pledge Expense Asset - Accounts Receivable
Attendance Type
Attendance Types are types associated with attendance records in a database. The definition of attendance types is shared across all divisions, however, you may enable/disable each one of the types per division.

Attendance Type Description – the label associated with the attendance type. 

Historical Meaning – this identifier allows schools to associate custom defined attendance types with predefined attendance types: Absent Excused, Absent Unexcused, Late Excused, Late Unexcused, Virtually Present, and Present. The historical meaning will determine how attendance is summarized at the end of the year, how it’s displayed on report cards and transcripts.  

Note: We will not include a "No Attendance Record" attendance type as an option if an attendance type with a historical meaning of "Present" is in the list of attendance types. “Present” attendance types can have points associated with them.

Example: a school has attendance types: Absent Excused (Doctor Visit), Absent Excused (Approved Family Absence), Absent Excused (Sports Game). If these three attendance types are associated with historical meaning Absent Excused, then at the end of the year, the system will summarize all records for these three types as Absent Excused for historical attendance (Admin>Students>Dashboard>Details>Historical Attendance), report cards, transcripts.

Navigate to Security>Maintenance>Attendance Types to configure attendance types.

Navigate to Admin>Maintenance>Attendance Setup to configure attendance types on the division level. Here you can specify default attendance points associated with each type, enable/disable each attendance type for the selected division and identify whether each attendance type is teacher selectable. Teachers are only allowed to record attendance for teacher selectable attendance types. 

Note: In the scenario when a student exhibits multiple attendance types on a given day, for example, if the student arrives late and leaves early, you can create a consolidated Attendance Type such as “Late/Leaving Early.”
Attendance Points and Discipline Points
Period Attendance and Discipline records can be associated with points. Associating these records with points allows schools to keep track of the cumulative points accumulated by each student. A school may create reports to review students and their cumulative points and use them to create mail or email communication to parents or administrators when students exceed predefined points thresholds. Schools can also use negative points. Negative points are often used to record serving detention or similar occurrences. 

A school may associate default points with each attendance or discipline type. Default points are automatically prepopulated when a new attendance record is being recorded. However, a user may override the default attendance point.
 
Can someone please explain why when I selected 680 "Enrolled" students to archive their final reports, PCR Educator showed that 695 reports are being archived?
When reports are archived, they are archived for each household that is connected to a student and has the “send mail” option checked. If you have students that are linked to more than one household with the “send mail” option checked, then it is expected by design that more reports will be generated than the number of students that were selected.
Is there a way to check the number of free students in a particular block?
A user must have Scheduling Full or Scheduling Read role to access this functionality.

To check the number of free students in a particular block, navigate to Scheduling > Students. Select your students and go to multi-action menu > Free Periods. If students are free during a certain block, it will show a numerical value on the left corner of the cell, which you can click on to view student names. You can toggle between marking periods using the dropdown on the top left side of the page.
Recording Vendor Payment
A user must have FinanceAP Full role to record Vendor Payments.

There are several methods to record vendor payments.

1. Recording Vendor Payments from Payments Screen.
2. Recording Vendor Payments from Vendors.
3. Recording Vendor Payments from Invoices.
4. Recording individual payments from AP > Invoices using "Make Payment" button.
5. Importing Vendor Payments.
Recording Vendor Payments from Payments Screen
This method is particularly useful for recording vendor payments when there is no corresponding invoice.

- Navigate to Finance > AP > Payments and click the “New” button.
- Enter payment details.
- If there are any open invoices for the selected vendor, you will see them at the bottom of the screen under “Invoices” heading. You can allocate the payment amount to invoices as needed.
Click Save.
Recording Vendor Payments from Vendors
Using this method, you can select vendors that you wish to pay and the system will automatically allocate the vendor payment to any open invoices.

- Navigate to Finance > AP > Vendors and select vendors.
- Go to multi-action menu and select Generate Payments.
- Follow the steps for Recording Vendor Payments in Bulk.
Recording Vendor Payments from Invoices
Through this method, you can select unpaid vendor invoices and generate vendor payments.

Navigate to Finance > AP > Vendor Invoices.
Select Invoices.
Go to multi-action menu and select Generate Vendor Payments.
Follow the steps for Recording Vendor Payments in Bulk.
Writing Checks
A user must have FinanceAP Full role to write checks.

Before printing checks, make sure to follow the steps of Recording Vendor Payments to generate vendor payments. Any vendor payment that is paid with a method of “Check” can be printed on a check template in PCR Educator. Contact support@pcreducator.com for configuring your check template.

- Navigate to Finance > AP > Check Register.
- Select the checks you may wish to print.
- Go to multi-action menu and select “Print Checks.”
- Click the “Print” button next to your check template.
- Download the file from the Result column and print it on your actual checks.
- If the checks look correct, click the Mark Printed button to tag them. This will ensure that when next time checks are processed, the same checks will not be printed again as long as Don’t Reprint Already Printed box is checked.
Recording Donations in Bulk
- Go do Development > Contacts
- Select all contacts associated with new donations.
- Select “Batch Donation Entry” from one of the multi-action dropdowns.
- Specify batch defaults. These are the donation fields that will apply to all new donations. None of the batch default fields are required. 
- In the case when you want the system to use scheduled due date for any pledge payment as opposed to the specified default donation date, select “Scheduled” next to “Pledge Payment Date.”
- Click “Apply Defaults”
- The next screen lists all selected contacts with a corresponding record for a new donation. 
- In the case when a contact has a Pledge/Matching with an open balance, the system automatically assumes that the new entry will be a Pledge Payment. In this case, the system will preselect Pledge Payment type, donation alternate salutation, payment amount, campaign/fund and donation attributes.
- If you decide to record a new Gift, select “New Gift - …” in the first column and enter all donation fields.
- Click submit.

You will now be directed to the list of donations. 
Finance - Monthly Closing
How do we close a month so that we do not accidentally post a transaction/entry to a month that has already been reported to the Finance Committee or audited by our external auditors?

In the fiscal year setup (Finance > Maintenance > Fiscal Years > Details), there is a field called "Open Period Date." Once the month is closed, you can update that to the next month. For example, if August is closed, you can change the open date to 9/1. This will allow you to enter invoices/receipts/credits in the closed month but you will not be able to post them unless you re-open the month.

The same concept applies to future months or years.  You can enter invoices/receipts/credits in the future but you will not be able to post in a future year it is not open.  You can post in future months as long as they are within the open period of your active fiscal year.
Reconciling Account Balances between Ledgers
A school may wish to migrate financial activity from their secondary ledgers to the general ledger. This will ensure that reports such trial balance, balance sheet, bank reconciliation, income statement etc. can reflect transactions from all ledgers in one place.

Schools can choose to migrate data to the primary ledger as often as they may need. If certain transactions have already been moved over, the migration process will ignore them the next time the school runs the migration function.

Note: In order to migrate data from one ledger to another, accounts linked to your financial activity must be associated with both ledgers.

Note: In order to migrate data from one ledger to another, transactions must be posted.

The migration functionality uses two methods to transfer transactions from one ledger to another.

1.  Deposits (including receipts) are migrated as parallel deposits in the general ledger except the customer receipts will be replaced by miscellaneous receipts in the general ledger. This is to ensure that receipts brought over from the secondary ledger do not affect the customer balance in the general ledger.

2.  Other transactions (Invoices, Credits, Journal Entries) are migrated as journal entries to the general ledger. One journal entry will be created for all transactions per day. So if a school migrates a 30 day period of data and each day as at least one transaction, the system will generate 30 journal entries.
Migrating Invoices, Credits, Journal Entries between Ledgers
A user must have Finance Full or Finance Read and GL Full role to migrate ledgers.

1. In the general ledger, go to Finance > Ledger > Migrate Ledgers.
2. On the “Migrate From” field, select the ledger you would like to migrate transactions from to the general ledger.
3. On the “Through Date” field, specify the end date for transactions that you would like to migrate to the general ledger and click Next.
4. On the “Record Type” field, select Other (Invoices, Credits, Journal Entries) and click Next.
5. Review the transactions that will be migrated to the general ledger and click Next.
6. Run the “Post Details Report” as a reference for the data that you are migrating and click Next.
7. Enter journal entry information and click “Create Journal Entry.” This will complete the migration.
Creating Ledger
Go to Finance > Maintenance > Ledgers

Enter Ledger Name and click “Create New”

To provide users access to a ledger, go to Security > Users > Details > Ledgers, select the desired ledger and click “Save.” Similarly, to remove access, simply uncheck the box and click “Save.”

To access the new ledger, go to "Home" and select the new ledger from the "Ledger" drop down located to the right.

If there are certain accounts that may be available in multiple ledgers, you can associate them to other ledgers by going to Ledger > Chart of Accounts > Details > Associate with Ledgers.

Note: Even when an account is associated with multiple ledgers, financial activity for that account will be independent for each ledger
Ledgers
General Ledger

A general ledger represents the formal ledger for a school’s financial statements. It provides a complete record of financial transactions over the life of the school. The ledger holds account information that is needed to prepare financial statements and includes accounts for assets, liabilities, owners' equity, revenues and expenses.

Other Ledgers

A school may wish to use a separate ledger for certain financial activities such as those that come from summer school or lunch program.

Benefits of using separate ledgers:

- It is easy to distinguish financial activities between primary school transactions and all other transactions (lunch, summer, after school etc.)
- It provides the option to limit user access to appropriate ledger
- It adds flexibility to run separate student /family balances and customer statements
- Allows the option to create automatic email triggers appropriate to the ledger. For example, a tuition reminder email can be associated to the general ledger whereas the low lunch balance email can be associated to the lunch ledger
- It enables parents to upload funds specifically to pay for lunch

Example 1: Suppose that a family has a student that is enrolled both in the academic division and the summer school division. If a school dedicates a separate ledger to academic and summer activities, the parent will be able to easily distinguish their summer balance from the academic balance in the Parent Portal. Moreover, if an admin user is only permitted to manage the summer ledger, they will only be able to access this family’s summer transactions.

Example 2: Suppose that a school uses the lunch module and wants to notify parents when they have a low balance in their account so they can add more funds. If a school dedicates a separate ledger to lunch accounting, a parent will be able to easily distinguish their lunch balance from the academic balance in the Parent Portal. Additionally, this will provide an option for parents to load funds that may only be used to pay lunch invoices.

Note: It is not necessary to recreate same accounts in multiple ledgers; if you prefer to use the same account in all ledgers but wish to keep activity within each ledger separate, simply associate the account with desired ledgers.
How can I get rid of the duplicate teachers? It doesn’t look like they are separate records as the same id number is attached to each duplicate record.
When you see the same teacher (with the same id listed twice), it means that you have two users who are connected to this teacher. Navigate to Security>Teachers and search users by the teacher id. Once you identify the user record that should be disconnected from the teacher, go to Details -> Profile and click Delete button next to the teacher’s name. Then click Save. 
Donation
Donations are contributions that a contact (donor) makes. There are different Donation Types that schools can record.

Frequently Used Terms

Donation Date refers to the original date the donation was received.

Original Amount reflects the initial amount that is recorded on a donation. Original Amount = Donation Amount + Written Off Amount.

Written Off Amount reflects the amount that the school is not able to collect on a donation.

Donation Amount reflects the total collectible amount after Written Off Amount is subtracted. Donation Amount = Original Amount - Written Off Amount.

Paid Amount reflects the total amount paid.

Balance = Donation Amount - Paid Amount.

# of Installments option will evenly distribute the total pledge amount into the specified number of installments.

Installment Amount option will automatically designate the number of installments it will take to pay off the pledge.

Non Tax Deductible refers to the amount that donors cannot deduct from their income on their tax returns.

Description field is used to provide a short description of the donation . This information can be shown in documents and emails and has a limit of 255 characters.

Note field is used to provide a long description of the donation. This information is usually kept internally and not shared with donors. It has a limit of 2000 characters.

Anonymous Until field refers to a date up until the donor wishes to remain anonymous for a donation. If the donor wishes to remain anonymous indefinitely, please enter a date far into the future.

Indicator field provides an option to associate the donation to the entire family or an individual contact within the family.

Donation Alternate Salutation can be used to address a donor with a different salutation on a specific donation. A school may wish to use a donor’s nickname/preferred name on donations that are allocated to an Alumni Fund.
Donation Types
A Gift is commonly used to record a one-time donation made by the donor with an enclosed payment.

A Pledge is a commitment made by the donor with payments that are due in the future. A donor may decide to submit the first payment right away or wait until the future to fulfill the pledge. A pledge can be set up to have a defined final payment date or it can be set up as a recurring pledge, where the donor commits to periodical payments without a defined end date.

A Matching Donation provides a way for companies and organizations to match donations that are made by their employees or corporate partners.

Note: A matching donation is always treated like a pledge even if there is only one payment made against it.

Example: Let’s say that a donor gives a gift of $100 to your school. If their company fully matches the gift, you will create a matching donation which will automatically be set up as a pledge with a scheduled due date. Once the pledge payment from the company is received, you will allocate that payment to the open pledge.

A Pledge Payment is a payment received on an existing pledge or a matching pledge.
Pledge Write-Off
Pledge write-offs reduce the amount of the pledge.  When a constituent is unable to fulfill a pledge, write off the balance so unnecessary pledge reminders are not sent and reports are not inflated with projected amounts of incoming funds. 

Example: Dellerege Family pledged $2,000 and paid five installments of $300 each, leaving a $500 balance.  Dellerege Family decides not to pay the remaining balance. 

To write off a scheduled payment:  
1. Navigate to Payments tab under Donation Details (Development>Donations>Dashboard>Donation Details>Payments)
2. Locate the row corresponding to the scheduled payment (unpaid) you want to write off and click Write Off button.

After the selected payment is written off, the Donation Amount is reduced by the written off amount. Note, Original Donation Amount preserves the amount originally pledged by the donor.

Example: Since Dellerege Family decides not to pay $500 and associated pledge payments are written off, the Original Donation Amount is now $2,000, Donation Amount is $1,500, Written-off Amount is $500, Paid Amount is $1,500 and Balance is $0.

Note: to write-off the entire balance, navigate to Donation Details and use left menu Write Off.
Campaign
Campaigns are a school’s overall objectives to raise money. Each campaign has goals, types, start dates and end dates.

Example: a school may have a New Building Campaign, an Endowment Campaign, or an Annual Giving Campaign.
Fund
A fund is a specific financial purpose of a gift. A fund identifies how to track donations for financial purposes. Funds are key to donations management. Because funds are so closely linked with donations, the Fund field is required when you enter donations. If necessary, you can allocate the same donation to different funds. PCR Educator allows a school to link Funds to General Ledger accounts. Once this mapping is established, the system allows for a seamless integration of Fundraising and Finance module by automatically distributing credits and debits for selected accounts in General Ledger.

Note: If your school has an Annual Campaign, you will contact people to donate money for the year. The donors may not care what their donations are spent on, so they want their funds to go into an unrestricted fund, which means the school can spend the money wherever it is needed. However, the donor could specify a particular fund that they would like to donate to, such as the Physical Education Fund or the Library Fund.

Note: If your school is not interested in using different funds, you must create an unrestricted fund (Create a new fund and name it unrestricted) and associate it with all of your campaigns.
Creating Fund
To create a fund, go to Development > Maintenance > Funds.

- In the Fund Code field, enter the name of the fund
- In the Goal field, enter the goal amount for the fund
- In the Description field, you can enter a longer description of the fund although it is not required
- Select Available in Online Donations field if donors should be able to select this fund through the online giving form
Creating Campaign
A user must have Development Full role to access Campaign management functions

Go to Development > Campaigns and click the “New” button.

- In the Campaign Name field, enter the name of the campaign
- In the Campaign Type field, select an existing campaign type or create a new type.
- In the Start Date field, specify the beginning date of this campaign
- In the End Date field, specify the end date of this campaign
- In the Goal field, enter the overall goal amount for this campaign
- Select Available in Online Donations field if donors should be able to select this campaign through the online giving form
- Click Save
Campaign/Fund Association
When donations are entered into the system, a user can allocate them to campaigns and funds. This information can then be used to pull into various reports and development widgets for analysis. To associate a campaign to a fund, go to Development > Campaigns > Details > Funds. Select a fund from the dropdown and click “Associate Fund with Campaign.” A campaign can be associated with multiple funds.
Funds/GL Account Mapping
For schools that use the Finance Module to track and reconcile donations with the General Ledger, it is important to map GL accounts to Development Funds so when donations are moved to finance, they hit the correct accounts in the GL.

To set up Funds to GL Account Mapping, please go to Finance > Maintenance > Development Funds. In “Corresponding Account” column, please select the GL account that should map to each fund. When a donation is brought to the finance module, this account is credited in GL.
Campaign Type
A campaign type is used to group campaigns. To create a new campaign type, go to details of any existing donation and click the hyperlink on the “Campaign Type” field. The hyperlink will only be visible to users with DBA Full role

Example: Annual Giving 17/18 and Annual Giving 18/19 may be grouped with a campaign type of Annual Giving.
Contact Attribute Categories and Attributes Sample Configuration
Below is a typical example for Contact Attributes configuration. All the categories below were marked to be included in type calculations. Board Members category has a higher priority than Parent category because it’s positioned higher in the list. This means that in case when a contact has attributes from both categories, its contact type will be automatically assigned to the attribute positioned higher in the list.

Board Members
- - - Board Member  
- - - Board Chair  

Parent
- - - Parent
- - - Parent of Alumni  
- - - Parent Non Graduate  
- - - Prospect Parent

Alumn
- - - Alumn

Faculty/Staff
- - - Faculty  
- - - Staff  

Grandparent
- - - Grandparent  
- - - Grandparent of Alumn  
- - - Grandparent Non Graduate  

Friend
- - - Friend  
- - - Society Membership  
- - - Solicitor  

Business
- - - Business  
- - - Foundation  
- - - Non-profit  
- - - Government Agency  
- - - Financial Institution  
Contact Type
Contact Types are custom fields which allow schools to label contacts. Contact Types are automatically assigned from the highest priority attributes associated with the Contact. Note, only active attributes are included in the calculation. If a contact is not associated with any active attributes belonging to a category, the contact will be assigned a type of Unidentified.

Example: consider a school with the following attributes configuration.

Board Members
- - - Board Member  
- - - Board Chair  

Parent
- - - Parent
- - - Parent of Alumni  
- - - Parent Non Graduate  
- - - Prospect Parent

Alumn
- - - Alumn

Faculty/Staff
- - - Faculty  
- - - Staff  

Grandparent
- - - Grandparent  
- - - Grandparent of Alumn  
- - - Grandparent Non Graduate  

Friend
- - - Friend  
- - - Society Membership  
- - - Solicitor  

Business
- - - Business  
- - - Foundation  
- - - Non-profit  
- - - Government Agency  
- - - Financial Institution  

Consider a family with the following attributes:

Dellerege Family (Contact Address) --- Parent
George Dellerege (Contact Primary) --- Board Member
Olga Dellerege (Contact Secondary) --- Staff

Because Board Member is the highest priority attribute assigned to this Contact, the Contact Type is automatically calculated as Board Member.

Note: individuals within each contact have their own types. These types are calculated based on the highest attributes assigned to each individual and its address. Example: in the example above Olga's type is Parent because the address has a Parent attribute which has a higher priority than the Staff attribute. George's type is Board Member since this attribute has a higher priority than Parent. 
 
Apply Online Academic Years
Please remember to update the academic years for your Inquiry/Apply Online application.

To make this change, please click here for more information.
Gender
We had a fantastic discussion with our schools last year about the need for more flexibility when it comes to recording genders. Our goal was to implement a feature that would allow each school to define a set of available genders and control these values for different parts of your school management system. We are getting ready for the release and this is what you need to know:
- The default options are Female and Male and these are the only values which are used for gender balancing in our Scheduling Software
- Each school can add any additional options
- Each school can control which of the predefined gender options are available on the Inquiry Online, Application Online, and Parent Portal
- Transcripts and Reports Cards will display a student’s gender as defined: Female or Male (or any other option a school adds) as opposed to one character as it used to be before
- API will continue passing only the first character of the gender to ensure backward compatibility with those vendors who expect only one-character gender identification. However, if you add additional genders, please make sure to check with your vendor to ensure that the receiving system is capable of accepting any values other than F and M.
Scheduled Maintenance
A scheduled maintenance to our database system will occur on June 20th from 1 - 3 AM CT. Your access to Campus and CMS Portals may be temporarily unavailable during this time-frame. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
We will discontinue the old Inquiry Online, Application Online, Event Scheduling by July 1, 2018. Hopefully, most of you didnt even know that these three exist, but if you use any products which contain these URLs, we urge you to reach out to your account consultant or support group as soon as possible to transition to the latest software:

https://webapps.pcrsoft.com/applicationonlinev2/
https://webappsca.pcrsoft.com/applicationonlinev2/
https://webapps.pcrsoft.com/eventscheduling
https://webappsca.pcrsoft.com/eventscheduling
(Re)-Enrollment Forms 2018/2019
It's that time of the year!

If you are setting up (Re)-Enrollment Forms, please refer to this document and the corresponding webinar. Please email support@pcreducator.com to get your 18/19 link.
Importing Student Passwords and Emailing Them Out

Question:

We would like to email out student passwords. I can't see a field to email other than "log in" which is just the username and not the password. Is there a way to 1. import student passwords to PCR and 2. to email that information to each individual student?

Answer:

Passwords
For security reasons, all passwords are encrypted before they are stored in Campus and it is technically impossible to decrypt those passwords.
Using Default Passwords
If a student's login was automatically created in Campus and their password had not been changed, his/her login will be using the default password, which is a field that is available in a Security -> Users email. You can force a student's login to use their default password by going to their (student) Details -> Login page and making sure that the "Use Default Password" radio button is selected before clicking the Change Password button.
Using Reset Password Link
If you create (or already have) a page that has the "ResetPassword" widget, you can provide your students with their usernames and a link to the aforementioned page during an email; they will be able to reset their passwords after submitting the necessary information. 
Using Imported Passwords
You can import student passwords in Campus by going to Security -> Import -> Security Imports -> Users. More information regarding importing usernames and passwords can be found on that page. When importing passwords, some schools like to create passwords for users that follow a predefined pattern (e.g. a student's password could be his/her first name + last name + student ID). Since this information is available as merge fields (i.e. StudentFirstName, StudentLastName and StudentId) when conducting an email, schools can choose to relay this information to the students when sending out an email containing information regarding their logins and passwords.
How To Make Your School Database GDPR Compliant

How to Make Your Database GDPR Compliant

https://www.hallaminternet.com/how-to-make-your-website-gdpr-compliant/

1. Forms: Active Opt-In

Forms that invite users to subscribe to newsletters or indicate contact preferences must default to “no” or be blank. You will need to check your forms to ensure this is the case.

2. Granular Opt-In

The consent you are asking for should be set out separately for accepting terms and conditions, and acceptance of consent for other ways of using data. Users should be able to provide separate consent for different types of processing.

3. Easy to Withdraw Permission or Opt-Out

It must be just as easy to remove consent as it was to grant it, and individuals always need to know they have the right to withdraw their consent. In terms of your web user experience, this means unsubscribing could consist of selectively withdrawing consent to specific streams of communication.


4. Named Parties

Your web forms must clearly identify each party for which the consent is being granted. It isn’t enough to say specifically defined categories of third-party organizations. They need to be named.


5. Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has very kindly provided a sample privacy notice that you can use on your website. It is concise, transparent, and easily accessible. You will also need to update your terms and conditions on your website to reference GDPR terminology. In particular, you will need to make it transparent what you will do with the information once you’ve received it, and how long you will retain this information both on your website and also by your office systems.

Good and bad examples of Privacy Notices:
https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1625136/good-and-bad-examples-of-privacy-notices.pdf

For your reuse:


6. Children under age of 16

Because individuals will only be able to give consent if they are over 16 years old, you should ensure that the person providing the consent is the holder of parental responsibility over the child.

GDPR
The GDPR is a legislation passed within the European Union (EU), which focuses on protecting the personal data of EU citizens. The legislation is unique as it sets forth regulations for any business that controls or processes EU citizen data, regardless of the company’s location. 

Does GDPR affect your school? 

If you have an inquiry, an applicant, a parent or any other user is phisically located in European Union at the moment when they submit their data to your school, then GDPR applies to your organization. 

When does the GDPR go into effect?

May 25, 2018

What constitutes personal data?

Any information related to a natural person or ‘Data Subject’, that can be used to directly or indirectly identify the person. It can be anything from a name, a photo, an email address, bank details, posts on social networking websites, medical information, or a computer IP address.

What is the difference between a data processor and a data controller?

A controller is the entity that determines the purposes, conditions and means of the processing of personal data (School), while the processor is an entity which processes personal data on behalf of the controller (PCR Educator).

Do data processors need 'explicit' or 'unambiguous' data subject consent - and what is the difference?

The request for consent must be given in an intelligible and easily accessible form, with the purpose for data processing attached to that consent - meaning it must be unambiguous. Consent must be clear and distinguishable from other matters and provided in an intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language. It must be as easy to withdraw consent as it is to give it.  Explicit consent is required only for processing sensitive personal data. However, for non-sensitive data, “unambiguous” consent will suffice. When the processing has multiple purposes, the processor or controller must obtain consent for each purpose. Please refer to https://ico.org.uk/media/about-the-ico/consultations/2013551/draft-gdpr-consent-guidance-for-consultation-201703.pdf for more information.

Lawful basis for processing personal data.

You should identify the lawful basis for your processing activity in the GDPR, document it and update your privacy notice to explain it. If the data processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject (school) or processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party (i.e a student enrolls in the school, parents sign the enrollment agreement and the school needs to proces the student’s data to perform its business), then controller (school) does not need a consent.

What about Data Subjects under the age of 16?

Parental consent will be required to process the personal data of children under the age of 16 for online services; member states may legislate for a lower age of consent but this will not be below the age of 13.

How does the GDPR affect policy surrounding data breaches?

To comply with GDPR and to facilitate compliance with GRPR for our client schools, PCR Educator,  as soon as reasonably practicable upon becoming aware, will notify its customer of any breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized  disclosure  of,  or  access  to,  personal  data  transmitted,  stored  or otherwise  processed  by  PCR Educator,  its  sub-processors,  or  any  other  identified  or unidentified third party. Consequently, upon receiving a notification from PCR Educator about a data breach,  your school must notify the data privacy supervisory authority in the EU member states of which the affected individuals are residents within 72 hours, unless you can demonstrate that the data breach is “unlikely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons.” PCR Educator is revising its agreements with ourc clients to ensure that this provision is clearely communicated in the contract.

What changes should a school make with regards to GDPR and its use of PCR Educator?

The schools should identify the areas where they collect any data from any individuals where the collection of the data is not justified under the following clause:
“processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.”  Then, update these data entry forms to include consents that would serve as a basis for lawful data processing.

If you are interested to learn more, the full legislation and additional regulation details can be found at http://www.eugdpr.org/.
Never Forget Attaching a File Again
The embarrassing moment comes soon enough – a mere few minutes after you send out an email with the promised files to all parents, you receive a quick note (or few hundred notes in case you used PCR Educator’s email multi-action): “Did you mean to attach something..?” We think this reminder is a bit too late. PCR Educator now analyzes your draft emails and alerts you about any missing attachments before it delivers the message if it contains one of these phrases:
  • I have attached
  • I’ve attached
  • I have included
  • I’ve included
  • See the attached
  • See the attachment
  • Attached file
  • Is attached
  • Are attached
How do I give new families access to the Parent Portal?

Question:

We have families that have submitted the contract and have students that are enrolled in the next year.  I still want them to be able to access the Parent Portal this year so that they can pay their bills online.  However, the 'Parent' role is added to a user record only if they are linked to a student that is enrolled in the current year.  How can I give such can such families access to the Parent Portal?

Answer:

You can give such families access to the Parent Portal by making desired pages in the Parent Portal visible to the "Applicant" role.  This way, even if the student is enrolled in the next year, their parent will have an "Applicant" role and will be able to access the portal.
Enrollment Contract Updates
We are planning to release a new version of Enrollment Contract application on May 12. The main updates include:

- ability to tie payment plan options to payment methods (i.e. a user may select 10 monthly payments by eCheck or 10 monthly payment by credit card, and the system will bypass the payment method selection upon submit, directing the user to the preselected payment method). The new addition will provide a finer control over payment plan/method options and the additional fees/discounts.

- improved PDF generation process supporting Chinese characters. The new PDF contracts may differ slightly from the old PDF output. Please contact support@pcreducator.com if you would like to access the prerelease and review an example of your contract.
 
Close of the School Year 2018 Announcement
This year close of the school year wizard will purge all notifications generated for families, staff and students; all admissions notifications for accepted applicants or applicants for previous admissions years. Currently, we do not plan to purge development or finance notifications.

Please contact support@pcreducator.com if you have any questions or comments.
 
How to record advance tuition payments to reduce monthly payments?

Question:

I have a family that has made a couple of payments in advance. They have paid $1,500 in order to reduce their monthly payments by $150 per month (we have a 10-month payment cycle). Can you recommend a way for me to apply the 2 advance payments evenly over the 10-month payment period rather than to the earliest payments? 

Answer:

If they are planning to pay $640 each month from May to Feb, it may be best to set the due amount for May 1st payment to be $2140 and allocate the $1500 against it. This way, the remaining amount on May first and every month after will be $640 ($150 less per month).
Development Updates
We are expecting some very exciting changes in our Advancement / Fundraising module. Pledge payments will be recorded as donations of type “Pledge Payment.” With this change our customers will enjoy a number of new features:
- Ability to record attributes on the pledge payment level
- Ability to convert a gift record to a pledge payment
- Improved tax receipt generation and tracking
- Improved soft credit tracking
- Improved campaign and fund allocation tracking
As this upgrade involves significant modifications to the database structure, our consultants will be reaching out to all our development users to navigate them through the upgrade process. As the result of this change, DMT fields, filters and reports will no longer be available and all reporting functions will be performed through DAT. Please contact  support@pcreducator.com to get assistance to transition. 
 
Display Number of Rows on Students List
PCR Educator's administrative portal allows users to customize the number of rows displayed on student lists. To manage this, click the gear icon on the right-hand side and indicate your preferred number of rows from the dropdown.
Privacy Statement
Privacy Statement

Preferred Computing Resources, Inc. (“PCR Educator” or the “Company”) is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals who register to use the Services as defined below (“Customers”). This Privacy Statement describes PCR Educator privacy practices in relation to the use of the Company’s Web applications and the related applications and services offered by PCR Educator (the “Services”).

1. Software covered

This Privacy Statement covers the information practices of all software produced by PCR Educator.

Websites designed and powered by PCR Educator may contain links to other Websites. The information practices or the content of such other Websites is governed by the privacy statements of such other Websites. PCR Educator encourages you to review the privacy statements of other Websites to understand their information practices.

2. Information collected

PCR Educator may collect information through the use of commonly-used information-gathering tools, such as cookies and Web beacons (“Website Navigational Information”). Website Navigational Information includes standard information from your Web browser (such as browser type and browser language), your Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, and the actions you take on the Company’s Websites (such as the Web pages viewed and the links clicked). For additional information about the collection of Website Navigational Information by PCR Educator and others, please refer to section 4.

3. Use of information collected

PCR Educator uses Data About its customers to perform the services requested. For example, if you fill out a support ticket form, PCR Educator will use the information provided to contact you regarding your service. 

PCR Educator uses Website Navigational Information to operate and improve the Company’s Web applications. 

4. Website Navigational Information

Cookies, Web Beacons and IP Addresses
PCR Educator uses commonly-used information-gathering tools, such as cookies and Web beacons, to collect information as you navigate PCR Educator’s applications (“Website Navigational Information”). This section describes the types of Website Navigational Information used and how this information may be used.

Cookies
PCR Educator uses cookies to make interactions with the PCR Educator applications easy and meaningful. When you visit one of the web pages served by PCR Educator, PCR Educator’s servers send a cookie to your computer. 

PCR Educator uses cookies that are session-based and persistent-based. Session cookies exist only during one session. They disappear from your computer when you close your browser software or turn off your computer. Persistent cookies remain on your computer after you close your browser or turn off your computer. Please note that if you disable your Web browser’s ability to accept cookies, you will not be able to successfully use the Services.

The following sets out how PCR Educator uses different categories of cookies:
 
Type of Cookies Description
Required cookies Required cookies enable you to navigate PCR Educator applications and use its features, such as accessing secure areas and using PCR Educator Services. PCR Educator uses cookies containing encrypted information to allow the Company to uniquely identify you. Each time you log into the Services, a cookie containing an encrypted, unique identifier that is tied to your account is placed on your browser. These cookies allow the Company to uniquely identify you when you are logged into the Services and to process your online transactions and requests.
Performance cookies These cookies collect information about how Visitors use our Website, including which pages visitors go to most often and if they receive error messages from certain pages. These cookies do not collect information that individually identifies a Visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and anonymous. It is only used to improve how the Company’s Website functions and performs.
Functionality cookies Functionality cookies allow the Company’s Web applications to remember information you have entered or choices you make and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies also enable you to optimize your use of PCR Educator Services after logging in. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to web pages that you can customize. PCR Educator also uses its databases to store your preferences or display content based upon what you view on our applications to personalize your visit.

IP Addresses
When you visit PCR Educator Web applications, the Company collects your Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses to track and aggregate non-personal information. PCR Educator also collects IP addresses from Customers whey they log into the Services as part of the Company’s security features.

Do Not Track 
Currently, various browsers – including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari – offer a “do not track” or “DNT” option that relies on a technology known as a DNT header, which sends a signal to Websites' visited by the user about the user's browser DNT preference setting. PCR Educator does not currently commit to responding to browsers' DNT signals with respect to the Company's Web applications, in part, because no common industry standard for DNT has been adopted by industry groups, technology companies or regulators, including no consistent standard of interpreting user intent. PCR Educator takes privacy and meaningful choice seriously and will make efforts to continue to monitor developments around DNT browser technology and the implementation of a standard. 

5. Refer a friend, and customer testimonials

Customers may elect to use the Company’s referral program to inform friends about the Company’s Services. When using the referral program, the Company requests the friend’s name and email address.

PCR Educator may post a list of Customers and testimonials on the Company’s Website that contains information such as Customer names and titles. PCR Educator obtains the consent of each Customer prior to posting any information on such a list or posting testimonials.

PCR Educator may share a list of Customers and testimonials with PCR Educator perspective clients that contain information such as Customer names and titles. PCR Educator obtains the consent of each Customer prior to sharing any information on such a list or sharing testimonials. 

6. Sharing of information collected

Service Providers
PCR Educator does not share Data about PCR Educator Customers with the Company's contracted service providers. Unless described in this Privacy Statement, PCR Educator does not share, sell, rent, or trade any information with third parties for their promotional purposes.

Business Partners 
From time to time, PCR Educator may partner with other companies to jointly offer products or services. If you purchase or specifically express interest in a jointly-offered product or service from PCR Educator, the Company may share data collected in connection with your purchase with our partners. PCR Educator does not control our business partners’ use of the customers’ data we collect, and their use of the information will be in accordance with their own privacy policies. If you do not wish for your information to be shared in this manner, you may opt not to purchase or specifically express interest in a jointly offered product or service.

Third Parties
This Privacy Statement sets forth the information PCR Educator collects through the Company’s Web applications and the information we share with third parties. PCR Educator does not authorize the collection of personal information by third parties through advertising technologies deployed on the PCR Educator web applications, nor do we share personal information with any third parties collected from the PCR Educator web applications, except as provided in this Privacy Statement. Section 4 of this Privacy Statement, Website Navigational Information, specifically addresses the information we collect through cookies. 

Compelled Disclosure 
PCR Educator reserves the right to use or disclose information provided if required by law or if the Company reasonably believes that use or disclosure is necessary to protect the Company’s rights and/or to comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process. 

7. Customer Data

PCR Educator Customers may electronically submit data or information to the Services for hosting and processing purposes (“Customer Data”). PCR Educator will not review, share, distribute, or reference any such Customer Data except as provided in PCR Educator Master Subscription Agreement, or as may be required by law. In accordance with PCR Educator Agreement, PCR Educator may access Customer Data only for the purpose of providing the Services or preventing or addressing service or technical problems or as may be required by law. Additional information about the Company’s security practices with respect to Customer Data can be reviewed in our PCR Educator Security Overview document.

8. Changes to this Privacy Statement

PCR Educator reserves the right to change this Privacy Statement. PCR Educator will provide notification of the material changes to this Privacy Statement through the Company’s Websites at least thirty (30) business days prior to the change taking effect.
 
Security Overview
PCR Educator understands that the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our customers' information are vital to their business operations and our own success. We use a multi-layered approach to protect that key information, constantly monitoring and improving our application, systems, and processes to meet the growing demands and challenges of security.

Secure data centers
Our service is collocated in dedicated spaces at top-tier data centers. These facilities provide carrier-level support, including:

Access control and physical security
    - 24-hour manned security, including foot patrols and perimeter inspections
    - Biometric scanning for access
    - Dedicated concrete-walled Data Center rooms
    - Computing equipment in access-controlled steel cages
    - Video surveillance throughout facility and perimeter
    - Building engineered for local seismic, storm, and flood risks
    - Tracking of asset removal

Environmental controls
    - Humidity and temperature control
    - Redundant (N+1) cooling system

Power
    - Underground utility power feed
    - Redundant (N+1) CPS/UPS systems
    - Redundant power distribution units (PDUs)
    - Redundant (N+1) diesel generators with on-site diesel fuel storage

Network
    - Concrete vaults for fiber entry
    - Redundant internal networks
    - Network neutral; connects to all major carriers and located near major Internet hubs
    - High bandwidth capacity

Fire detection and suppression
    - VESDA (very early smoke detection apparatus)
    - Dual-alarmed, dual-interlock, multi-zone, pre-action dry pipe water-based fire suppression

Secure transmission and sessions
    - Connection to the PCR Educator environment is via SSL 3.0, using global step-up certificates from Verisign, ensuring that our users have a secure connection from their browsers to our service
    - Individual user sessions are identified and re-verified with each transaction, using a unique token created at login

Network protection
    - Perimeter firewalls and edge routers block unused protocols
    - Internal firewalls segregate traffic between the application and database tiers
    - Intrusion detection sensors throughout the internal network report events to a security event management system for logging, alerts, and reports

Backups
    - All data are backed up to tape at each data center, on a rotating schedule specified in your Agreement 

Testing and assessments
PCR Educator tests all code for security vulnerabilities before release and regularly scans our network and systems for vulnerabilities. 

Security Monitoring
Our Information Security department monitors notification from various sources and alerts from internal systems to identify and manage threats.

Secure Data Storage
 PCR Educator does not store credit card or bank account information in its system. The system also protects your school by encrypting passwords. PCR Educator staff is not authorized to assist users with requests involving violating our security and privacy policy including but not limited to requests for storing, displaying, or retrieving any unencrypted passwords, credit cards, or bank information. 
 
3 Tips for Increasing Sustaining (Recurring) Donations
A sustaining donation (also referred to as a recurring gift) is a donation with multiple ongoing payments, including payments of a specific amount that occur over a defined internal that may or may not have an end date or equal installments of a specific amount. PCR Educator Development system allows your donors to sign up for recurring donations electronically through online giving forms. It also lets your development staff enter such donations directly through the administrative section of the software. Below are a few tips for attracting recurring donors. 

1. Break down the costs:

Breaking down the size of a contribution into smaller installments is a technique which has been proven to work by for-profits. Car dealers, appliance stores, furniture stores, you name it, all have been successfully appealing to shoppers who may be scared off by high price tags, by advertising low monthly payments. This technique extends easily to non-profits, especially independent schools appealing to recent graduates.

2. Translate the costs into the impact:

This is actually the reverse operation to the one mentioned above. Reassure your donors that their recurring donations will have a great impact by illustrating what each donation can accomplish. What does $10/month, $20/week, $100/year mean for your school? Creating a simple infographic that translates your donors’ recurring donation may have a long-lasting effect. Advocates for Children of New York which works on behalf of children who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination created a table to show how different giving levels make a difference in their operations:

“$10 a month – Pays for an expert to counsel a parent on our Helpline about the educational and support options available for a child with autism. $25 a month – Allows AFC to organize an outreach event for children in foster care as a forum to educate and empower their caregivers about their special learning challenges. $50 a month – Provides three hours of attorney time to prepare for and attend a meeting with the Board of Education to resolve a dispute over the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a struggling student.”
(http://www.advocatesforchildren.org/support_our_work/donate_now)

3. Leverage technology and automated payments:

Take advantage of automated payments, saved payment profiles and other techniques which mitigate any inconvenience associated with recurring donations. As marketing researchers from Sandford University point out, “The simple fact of having to pay from two separate pools — or opening one’s wallet a second time — created another deliberation point, explains Khan. It served to make people think twice about buying, and hence stopped their purchasing in its tracks. “ (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/buyer-beware-shopping-can-lead-more-well-shopping)
Open Integration
After many years of integrating with Finalsite, Whipple Hill and Blackbaud, PCR Educator has announced that it will extend its API to any other provider. This move will allow any independent school who uses PCR Educator to connect with other providers ensuring seamless experience for their constituency.


How to Add Your School’s Portal to Your Home Screen (iPhone/iPad) in 3 Easy Steps
PCR Educator Parent Portal and Teacher Portal have so many important and convenient features that you are pretty much guaranteed to visit them several times a day. While our responsive design layout makes online access from mobile devices convenient and user-friendly, we want to remind you about one cool feature which will further enhance your teachers and your parents’ experience. Using visual bookmark option for iPhones and iPads you can now add PCR Educator’s icon to your tablet’s home screen. What’s more amazing is that the icon can display the school logo if you also use PCR Educator’s website. To make this feature even more exciting, we should mention that it takes less than a minute to setup:

Step 1:

Load the desired page using Safari on your device. Touch the action button.

Tip 1:

Make sure that you choose a page within Parent Portal or Teacher Portal (as opposed to the login pages)

Tip 2:

If you don’t have the link handy, email it to yourself so that you don’t need to type long URLs.



Step 2:

On the popup screen, touch the “Add to Home Screen” option.



Step 3:
Either keep the default name provided or type another name you prefer. When you are ready, tap the Add button to create the icon on the Home screen.

Tip:

Don’t choose a name that’s too long because it needs to fit under a standard icon. 



Now you have your icon on the home screen:

5 Useful Tricks for using PCR Educator Dashboards
Independent Schools rely on data analysis on a daily basis. Easy access to accurate data metrics may create opportunities which may not exist otherwise. For example, you may see a quick opening to accept a waitlisted student, because another one just declined re-enrollment. You may also see that your major donor efforts need reinforcement in a particular area, as you don’t have enough qualifying projects or some solicitors are underperforming. There are many answers which can be obtained using PCR Educator Dashboards, which allow you to view key metrics at a glance and tailor the view to your own needs even if you don’t have a data analysis degree.

1.    Customize the Widgets on your Dashboard

PCR Educator has created a default dashboard for each relevant area: Admissions Dashboard, Student Dashboard, Applicant Dashboard and dozens more. Each dashboard consists of a default set of elements. Add the elements you need and remove the irrelevant ones: every user in the system has their own dashboard configuration and your actions won’t affect anyone besides your account. You can also rearrange your elements by dragging them to the desired location. Furthermore, each widget has its own set of configurations and parameters that you should select to obtain the desired results. The system automatically saves all of your settings, so the next time you access the same dashboard; it will have the correct layout, arrangement, and configuration.

2.    Create Multiple Dashboards

Go beyond single dashboards by creating multiple versions for each dashboard for different purposes and situations. Instead of one Admissions Dashboard, you could create multiple impressions. For example, make an “Enrollment” dashboard that would consist of widgets which are necessary during the enrollment season: custom grids comparing returning students, available spots for each grade level, gender ratios and waitlisted students; enrollment agreements. “Marketing” dashboard, in turn, would focus on your marketing efforts – newsletter metrics; analysis of the previous schools for applicants; source of inquiry which would indicate whether your radio advertisement is more successful than google ads.

3.    Create your own widgets

If you have access to PCR Educator Data Analytics Tool, take advantage of one of its favorite features which allows you to produce your own dashboard widgets in a form of a grid or a chart and place it on any dashboard in the system. Data Analytics Tool is fantastic for generating complex grids, charts, and reports. It includes “left join” support, functional conditions, parameterized conditions, data formatting, aggregates, and pivots.

4.    Export the data right from the dashboard

Exporting functionality is easily the simplest and most unknown feature of PCR Educator dashboards. Simply click on the “up arrow” on any of the widgets to export the data.

5.    Use Dashboards for Presentations and Meetings

Toss those folders with printed reports aside – the data is no longer accurate by the time you enter the conference room. Instead, prepare a presentation using our Dashboards. First, create a new dashboard for your upcoming presentation. Then, add all relevant elements and configure them for the presentation. If your colleagues need access to some very specific charts or reports which are not included in the standard list, just use Data Analytics Tool to create the necessary widgets. Once you are presenting, remember that all widgets allow you to drill-down by clicking on the data inside each widget.

3 Ways Schools Can Improve Emergency Voicemail Delivery
Emergency Notification System for Independent SchoolsPCR Educator’s Voice/Text/Email Emergency Notification System for independent schools was upgraded with a Machine Detection Algorithm from our partner Cisco. The algorithm analyzes the call recipient’s voice to determine whether it’s a human or a machine, improving the quality of the delivered message and the accuracy of voicemails left with answering machines. Thus, when our system executes emergency calls to your constituency, it is also able to leave voicemails when the call is not picked up by the recipient.

One of the important concepts related to machine-human and machine-machine interactions is the accuracy of the aforementioned algorithm. It can be quite tricky to distinguish a machine from a human because of the variety of answering machines and service providers. Ultimately, only a human, scoring the call, can guarantee if it was answered by a machine or a human as we don’t have true artificial intelligence machines yet.

Nevertheless, the machine detection algorithm can be relatively successful in recognizing the answering machine by analyzing the length of the silence period and deciding when to start dictating the message to ensure that the answering machine on the other end is ready to receive that message. For example, we analyze vocal patterns when distinguishing humans and machines. Additionally, our algorithm evaluates the user’s reaction to prompts. By offering the call recipient to take an action when asked whether they want to listen to the emergency message, we are able to detect answering machines which cannot react to the given prompt and provide no input.  We are also waiting for a beep signal which usually identifies an answering machine.

While our engineers constantly work on improving the accuracy of machine detection, there are several measures our schools can take which would greatly improve the results.

Customer Awareness

For example, if your customers are aware of the fact that they may occasionally receive an important call from you, they would be more likely to listen to the introductory message, which gives the machine detection algorithm a chance to analyze the user behavior when asked to perform certain actions to continue the call, therefore identifying themselves as humans. PCR Educator Emergency Notification System includes your school name in its introductory message lest call recipients discard the call as a spam.  

Caller Identification

Similarly, your users will likely pick up the call if they are familiar with your number. Thus, it is important to invest time and resources in educating your constituency. Just like you may occasionally practice fire drills; it may be worth conducting test emergency message distribution on a yearly basis. It also goes without saying that it is crucial to maintain an accurate list of your constituency and all relevant numbers which could be used in case of an emergency.

Accurate Emergency Numbers

Since PCR Educator provides an integrated database that includes Student Information System, Admissions, Finance and Fundraising, the phone numbers would usually be very accurate and up-to-date as they will be constantly updated and verified by all departments as well as parents. We also recommend that you use our electronic Reenrollment and Enrollment Forms application which walks your parents through the process of updating their information and confirming the accuracy of unchanged information.
PCR Educator Report Samples
Hebrew Sample Report Card
Hebrew Sample Report Card 2
Lower School - 2 Semesters with Comments
Lower School - Elementary Report Card Skills Only One MP
Lower School - Elementary Report Card Skills Only Three MP
MYP Report Card
MYP Report Card OLD Q3
PYP Report Card
Upper School - Final Transcript
Upper School - First Quarter Report Card with Shading
Upper School - Fourth Quarter Report Card with Grades Summary
Upper School - Second Quarter Report Card without Grades Summary
Upper School - Third Quarter Report Card with Period Attendance
Upper School - Transcript S1 S2 Final
Upper/Middle School Semester Report
PCR Educator School Information System is an online database engineered for schools and universities to deliver the highest level of flexibility, unique experience, transparent communication and customized design.

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