Understanding & Using CoolSIS A10 - Course Catalog v

Introduction By the end of this presentation you will know Basics of Course Catalog Why Course Categories are needed How to configure Course Categories Usage of Course Categories How to create a Course in a Catalog Course Properties and Features Estimated Presentation Time: 50 Min. * Some screens in this presentation might have minor differences than yours depending on the location, state, and time zone.

Course Catalog Is a district-wide tool Has all courses which can be offered by the schools in the district Provides unified course codes, credits, names, types, and categories for schools Is the first thing to build for proper use of the Academics module Should be managed by the Chief Academic Officer in the district Can be modified anytime by the Chief Academic Officer based on course needs in the field Can be accessed through the Academics menu

Course Categories Everything starts with Course Categories Set up once at the very beginning Courses in both course catalog and school are put under categories Used in graduation requirements, transcripts, etc. Very risky to change later on once the course catalog is built and in use

How to Configure Course Categories

Usage of Course Catalog Schools choose the courses to be offered from the same Course Catalog

Usage of Course Catalog This helps the central office monitor schools and their courses

Creating a Course in Catalog

Course Properties Active Only Active courses can be offered Inactive courses can not be offered any more Code Course codes are used in many reports and CoolSIS screens Use meaningful codes. For example: o Eng-M01: English Language Arts, Middle School, 1st year o Soc-M03: Social Studies, Middle School, 3rd year o Mat-H01: Mathematics-High School 1st year o M2545 or 1025: State-given codes It's the district's responsibility to assign meaningful codes

Course Properties State Course Code Is not mandatory but may be required for state reporting Name Regular course name such as: Algebra 1, AP Biology, etc. Category The category course is classified as Type Recommended course type: Core/Regular/Elective/Club Schools can offer this course under a different type Credits/Term Recommended Credits per term (semester) Schools can assign a different value during course creation

Course Properties Grade Calculation Policy Not applicable: No grading for this course o Does not appear in transcript, mostly used for clubs. Observe only: Students will observe the classes only. o Appears in transcript with no grade info Pass/Fail: Grading will result in either Pass or Fail o Appears in transcript as either Pass or Fail o Does not affect GPA Normal: Regular grading Weighted: Will behave different in Weighted GPA calculation o 1 point is added to numerical values in Weighted GPA calculation o For example, an "A" equals 5.0 instead of 4.0 and an "F" equals 1.0 instead of 0.0

Course Properties School Level Recommended school level of the course: Elementary, Middle, or High Schools can assign a different level during course creation Non Academic Put a tick in the box, if course is not academic Non-academic courses do not contribute to Academic GPA but contribute to Total GPA Sample non-academic courses: Physical Education, Arts, Sustained Silent Reading, Study Hour, Law and Youth, etc. College Prep Leave the box checked if course o helps a student waive it o helps a student get an acceptance easier Sample courses: AP Calculus, Algebra, Creative Writing, etc.

Course Properties Description Feature: It is necessary to write a brief description, especially for college prep courses. This way everyone can see the content.

Quiz 1. Who should administer the Course Catalog, why? A- Course Catalog should be managed by a Chief Academic Officer in district. 2. Why is it very risky to change Course Catalog during the academic year? A- It might affect existing courses taken from the catalog which are in use. 3. What is the purpose of “Not Applicable” grading policy? A-“Not Applicable” grading is mostly used for clubs and does not appear in the transcript. 4. What is the difference between “GPA” and “Non Weighted GPA” calculation methods? A- 5. How many course types are there in CoolSIS and what are they? A- There are three types of course in CoolSIS; School Level, Non Academic and College Prep.