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SIS 2000+ Mark Reporting

Step 3, Create Mark Definitions

A Mark Definition is a mark reporting period made up of a user-selected set of Mark Reporting Timeline Points. Mark Definitions are created and named using this application. Then Timeline Points are assigned to them. Later, courses will be linked to Mark Definitions. This will define which Timeline Points will be associated with each class; and in turn, the order in which these points are displayed in the columns seen in the Mark Reporting entry applications.

The illustration below is an example of how Timeline Points may be grouped into Mark Definitions.

Fig. 19 - sample Mark Definitions

In the sample above, the Mark definition called "Semester 1" will be collecting and processing the following Marks:

• Quarter 1 Progress Report
• Quarter 1 Report Card
• Quarter 2 Progress Report
• Fall Sports
• Quarter 2 Report Card
• Semester 1 Marks

3.1 Pre-Plan Mark Definitions
Before proceeding, it is useful to plan and name Mark Definitions on paper using the Timeline Worksheet in a similar manner as the illustration above. Draw brackets around the Timeline Points that will be included in each mark reporting period (Mark Definition) to be defined. Determine the descriptive name that will be used for each Mark definition.

3.2 Open Mark Definitions application
From the Mark Reporting Menu, click on the Definitions icon button.

Fig. 20 - Mark Definitions main screen

3.3 Name Mark Definitions
First, each Mark Definition to be used must be created and named. Then the Timeline Points can be associated to them later.

3.2.1 Add a Definition
Click on the Add command button at the bottom of the screen. The three fields across the top of the screen will become enabled (Fig. 21). Enter a Mark Definition name in the Description field. Assign a Code and a Sort Order for the new Mark Definition.


Fig. 21

3.2.2 Save
Click on the Save command button to save the Mark Definition.

3.2.3 Repeat
Repeat the above steps until all Mark Definitions to be used are defined (Defined Mark Definitions will be displayed in the summary list.) or continue to the next step to add Categories to the Mark Definition just created - then return to Step 3.1 to add more Mark Definitions.

3.4.1 Find a Mark Definition
Use the List command button or the VCR buttons to navigate through the existing Mark Definitions (displayed in the Description field at the top of the screen). Once the appropriate Mark Definition is selected, Categories will be defined for it.

3.4.2 Open the Add Category dialog



Click the Edit command button to activate the edit mode, signified when the Add Category command button turns from gray to blue. Then click on the Add Category command button to open the 'Add Category for Current Definition' screen (Fig. 22).


Fig. 22

3.4.3 Select a Timeline Point
Use the field button in the Mark Reporting Timeline Point field to view the available selections. These are the Points that were pre-defined in the Timeline application (Step 2). Select one.

3.4.4 Select the Mark Reporting Term Code
Select a Term Code that corresponds to the Timeline Point just selected. Each Timeline point must have its own Mark Reporting Term defined because each term can only be used once in each Mark Definition. These term codes are coming from the Term Codes table (zterm) that was set-up earlier through the Table Editor in Step 1.

3.3.5 Enter a Category Description
This is a user-defined description. It is normally named in a similar fashion to the Timeline Point and Term that have already been selected. In the example below (Fig 23), the names and codes used are very similar. This was done to ensure that the correct Timeline Point would be associated with the correct term, and used in the appropriate Mark Definition.


Fig. 23

3.4.6 Save Category



Click on the Save Category command button to save the Category or go to Step 3.5.2 to add Items to the current Category. If the Category is saved at this time, the view will revert to the 'Define Categories for Definition' tab on the main program screen, displaying the Categories entered so far in the form of a summary list (Fig. 24). The Seq field in the leftmost column will display the sequence number of the Timeline Point used, as defined in the Timeline application.


Fig. 24

3.4.7 Edit a Category



In the 'Define Categories for Definition' tab, click the Edit command button to activate the edit mode, signified when the Add Category command button turns from gray to blue. In the summary list, click on a Category to edit until the line is selected by a small pointer on the far left (Fig. 24). Click the now-enabled Edit Category command button to open the 'Edit Category for Current Definition' screen (Fig. 25). Make necessary changes and then execute the Save Category command, or Undo to exit the screen without saving changes.


Fig. 25 - edit mode

Here's how this logic fits into the "Virtual Timeline":

Fig. 26

In the above illustration, for the "Quarter 1 Timeline Point", both Academic and Citizenship marks will be collected and "Letter Marks with +/-" and "Citizenship" Marks will be used respectively.

The following add Item procedures can be carried out from the edit mode of a Category (the 'Edit Category for Current Definition' screen) or while still in the Add Category mode, before saving the Category (the 'Add Category for Current Definition' screen). If the 'Add Category for Current Definition' screen is still open from previous steps, skip Step 3.5.1 and go to Step 3.5.2.

3.5.1 Select a Category
In the 'Define Categories for Definition tab' on the main screen, click the Edit command button to activate the edit mode, signified when the Add Category command button turns from gray to blue. In the summary list, click on the target Category until the line is selected by a small pointer on the far left (Fig. 27).


Fig. 27

Click the now enabled Edit Category command button to open the 'Edit Category for Current Definition' screen (Fig. 28).


Fig. 28

3.5.2 Open Add dialog



Click on the Add Item command button to open the 'Add Item for Current Category' screen (Fig. 29).


Fig. 29

3.5.3 Enter Item Attributes


• Mark Reporting Type -

Select a Type from the drop-down list, such as Academic, Attitude, Conduct, etc. These codes come from the Mark Type Codes table defined in Step 1.
• Mark Reporting Set -

Select a Set from the drop-down list, such as Letter Marks with +/-, Letter Marks with no +/-, Numeric, etc. These codes come from the Mark Set Codes table defined in Step 1.
• Post Mark to History -

Put a check in this field the particular item will be posted to the students' academic history (transcript). This is normally only checked for Semester Marks, not Quarter Progress or End of Quarter Marks. Furthermore, it is more likely to be used for Semester Academic Marks, rather than Semester Behavior Marks.
• Award Credit -
  (This field is enabled only when there is a check mark in the Post Mark to History field above.) Check this box to post credit earned for this item to the the student's academic history (transcript). This is normally only checked for Semester Marks, not Quarter Progress or End of Quarter Marks. Furthermore, it is more likely to be used for Semester Academic Marks, rather than Semester Behavior Marks.
• Calculate Grade -

The check box and drop-down selector will be used if this is a Mark that will be automatically calculated from other data. This will likely be the case for Semester Marks or for Year-End Final Marks, if your school prefers those Marks to be calculated, but unlikely for Progress Reports. Mark Calculation set-up is detailed below, Step 3.6..

3.5.4 Save Item



Click on the Save Item command button, or Undo to exit the dialog without saving. The view will revert to the 'Edit (or Add) Category for Current Definition' screen. Items added will appear in the table in the middle of the screen (Fig. 30)


Fig. 30

3.5.5 Repeat
Repeat the above steps to add more Items as required.

3.5.6 Edit or Delete an Item
To edit or delete an existing Item, click on the target Item in the list until it is highlighted with a small pointer in the leftmost column (Fig. 28). Click on the Edit Item or Delete Item command button, as required.

3.6.1 Select a Mark Calculation to Add



Go to the 'Calculations' tab. Click on the Edit command button to activate the edit mode (if not already in the edit mode) and then click on the Add Calculation command button to open the 'Add Calculation for Current Definition' screen (Fig. 31).


Fig. 31

From the drop-down list in the Calculation field, select the Calculation you will be adding (choices come from the Mark Calculation Definitions table in the Table Editor).

3.6.2 Define Attributes of Calculation to be Added

• Description -

Enter a descriptive name for the Calculation.
• Priority -

A numerical value to set the priority of the Calculation. '1' is the first priority, '2' is second, etc.
• Add -

The value entered here will be added to the value calculated for the associated Calculation Items and the Mark entered will reflect this added value.
• Multiply -

The value calculated for the associated Calculation Items will be multiplied by the value entered here, and the resulting Mark will reflect this inflated value.


NOTE: If you are choosing to use both an added value and a multiplied value, the multiplication takes place first, then the addition.

3.6.3 Add Items to Calculation



Now you need to tell the system which Marks will be included in this Calculation. Click the Add Item command button. If the new Calculation has not yet been saved, a prompt will appear (Fig. 32) for the option of saving the Calculation. Answer "Yes" to proceed.


Fig. 32

The 'Add Item for Current Calculation' screen will open (Fig. 33).


Fig. 33

Define Item attributes as follows:

• Mark Reporting Category -

Select the Mark Reporting Category where the Mark to be included in this Calculation is stored.
• Mark Reporting Type -

Select the Mark Type that you will be calculating from the selected Category.
• Weight -

Define the weighting of this Mark in relation to the other Marks included in this Calculation. (Leaving all Marks with a weight of '1' means that they all have an equal weight in the Final Mark Calculation.)
• If Missing -

If there is no Mark for a student in the defined Category and Type, what should the system do? Choose from:
• Exclude -

The system will ignore the missing Mark and complete its calculation only on the Marks that it finds.
• Abort -

The system will not give a student with a missing Mark a calculated Mark.
• Count as Zero -

The system will treat a missing Mark as a Mark of '0' (or equivalent) in its calculations.

3.6.4 Save Item
Save the Item when you are done by clicking the Save Item button. The view will revert to the 'Edit Calculation for Current Definition Screen' (Fig. 34) displaying the Items added in a summary list.


Fig. 34

3.6.5 Repeat
Continue adding Items to a Calculation as needed by repeating the above steps for each Item.

3.6.6 Sample Mark Calculations

• A First Semester Mark Average calculation

In the scenario in the above illustration (Fig. 34), a first semester mark average is calculated from the First Quarter and Second Quarter Academic Marks. They are weighted equally. If either Mark is missing, it is basically ignored in the calculations. (i.e., if the student only had a Mark for a course in Quarter 2, the Semester calculation would ignore the missing Quarter 1 Mark and calculate a Semester Mark for the student that is the same as the Quarter 2 Mark. If you had chosen to abort the calculation if a Mark was missing, no Mark would be calculated for the student, and the Final Mark would be blank. If you chose to Count the missing mark as Zero, the missing Quarter 1 Marks would be counted as a Zero, and the student's Semester Mark would be negatively affected in the calculation.)
• A scenario where you might use an alternate calculation:

Assume that you are calculating a Final Mark for a year-long course. You want that Final Mark to be calculated based on Semester Marks that were already calculated from a set-up like the example above. But, you have some students that do not have complete Semester 1 and Semester 2 Marks. For those students, you do not want to use the Semester 1 and 2 Marks in your calculation, but instead you want to calculate whatever Quarter Marks those students have. To accomplish this, you will set-up a new Mark Calculation and an alternate for that calculation.

• From the Calculations tab, click Edit and then Add Calculation to open the 'Add (Edit) Calculation for Current Definition' screen (Fig. 35).


Fig. 35


• Select the appropriate Calculation and give it a description. Set the Priority to 1. Use the Add and Multiply features as desired.
• Add Items of Semester 1 and Semester 2 Final (or Academic, whichever you have used) Marks. Set the If Missing selectors from both Marks to ABORT. This will cause this Calculation to stop if it encounters a missing Mark. You want it to stop this Calculation so that it will move on to the alternate.
• Save the Calculation.
• Click Add Calculation again to add the alternate calculation.


Fig. 36


• Select the same Calculation as you did above, but give this one a different description. Set the Priority to 2. Use the Add and Multiply features as desired (Fig. 36).
• Add Items of Quarter 1, 2, 3, and 4 Academic Marks. Set the If Missing selectors for theses Marks to EXCLUDE. Choose exclude so that the calculation will continue for the Marks that are there and ignore any missing Marks in any of the selected Mark Reporting Periods.
• Save the Calculation. Click Done to return to the main Calculations tab.
• The results of what you entered will be displayed (Fig. 37):


Fig. 37 - Sample of a Mark Calculation with an alternate Calculation defined.

When this Mark Calculation is run, the Final Mark Semester Average will be attempted first (that was set up to Average the 2 Semester Marks). But, if one of the Semester Marks is missing, this Calculation will be aborted and the system will then move on and complete the alternate Calculation, the Average of the 4 Quarter Marks. The system goes through Calculations based on the Priority order you designate, with '1' being the highest priority.

3.7.1 Activate Edit mode
Go to the 'Define Categories for Definition' tab. Click the Edit command button at the bottom of the screen to activate the edit mode, signified when the Add Category, Edit Category, and Delete Category command buttons turn to blue.

3.7.2 Select Category and activate the 'Edit Category' mode
Select the appropriate Category from the grid by clicking on the target entry line until it is selected by a small pointer on the left ('First Semester Marks' for example in Fig. 38).


Fig. 38

Click the Edit Category command button to open the 'Edit Category for Current Definition' screen (Fig. 39).

3.7.3 Select a Mark Type to associate and activate the 'Edit Item' mode
In the 'Edit Category' screen, select a Mark Type from the list of Items for that Category by clicking on the target entry line until it is selected by a small pointer on the left (Fig. 39).


Fig. 39

Then click on the Edit Item command button to open the 'Edit Item for Current Category' screen (Fig. 40).

3.7.4 Associate and save
In the 'Edit Item' screen (Fig. 40), check off the Calculate Grade check box and, in the now-enabled drop-down list, select the appropriate Calculation to associate with this Mark Item. Click the Save Item command button to save the associative attributes, or Undo to cancel.


Fig. 40 - Mark Calculation selected for a Mark Item.

After saving, the view will revert to the list of Items in the grid. This Mark Item is now a Calculated Mark and is designated as such with a check under the 'Calc' column (Fig. 41).


Fig. 41


NOTE: You only designate an Item as Calculated ('Calc') if it is the Item where the resulting Calculation will be entered. You do not check off Calc for each individual Item included in the Calculation. 'Calc' means "this is a calculated Mark".

Semester 1 Mark Definition


Fig. 42


Fig. 43



Semester 2 Mark Definition


Fig. 44 - sample, "Semester 2" Mark Definition


Fig. 45