School Opening Checklist

District Level

• Confirm that Grade Advancement has occurred (District schools and non-public schools).
• Confirm that the district has advanced to the next Academic School Year (bit-flipped).
• Confirm from Registration > Incoming Students that there are not students pending acceptance.
• Calendar: Confirm that all Holidays, Extraordinary Condition Days, Superintendent Conference Days and relevant district-wide calendar events (BEDS Day, SA129) have been entered into the District Calendar.
  Federal Holidays are added to the District Calendar by eSD, if not previously added by the district.
  Marking Period Events (with their Grade Entry windows) are copied forward to the next school year during School Setup.
  Modify the dates to reflect the new academic year.
  Other Calendar Events, including Progress Report Events with their Grade Entry windows, can be entered prior to advancing the academic school year.

Building Level

Calendar

• Confirm that Semester Dates are correct (updates can be made via the Calendar).
• Confirm that Marking Period Dates and Grade Entry Start/End Dates are established. Marking Period Events (with their Grade Entry windows) are copied forward to the next school year during School Setup. Modify the dates to reflect the new academic year.
• Confirm that Progress Report Dates and Grade Entry Start/End Dates are established. Progress Report Events, and other Calendar Events, can be entered prior to advancing the academic school year.
• Confirm that Bell Schedules are in place and School Start/End Periods are defined. Alternate Bell Schedules are copied forward to the next school year during School Setup.
• Day-Code Generation: Confirm that all Superintendent’s Conference Days, Holidays, and non-school days are established prior to running the Day-Code generator. Day Codes can be generated prior to advancing the academic school year, once ALL relevant Calendar Events have been created.
• Confirm that Time Equivalencies are established, if relevant.

Attendance

• Confirm/establish Attendance Close-Out Defaults. Attendance Close-Out Defaults copy forward when the academic school year is advanced, UNLESS Semesters, Periods, or Day Codes were modified during School Setup.
• Verify Attendance Reason Codes, confirm alignment with BOE policy.
• Confirm/establish Attendance Letter Job parameters. Adjust dates for previously existing Attendance Letter Jobs to reflect the new academic year.
• Adjust Attendance Letter Templates if necessary.
• Confirm/establish Portal Attendance Settings so that Attendance and Student Schedule details will reflect properly.

Grade Reporting

• Confirm/establish Average Formulas.
• Confirm/establish Course Weights.
• Confirm/establish Marking Period Weights.
• Confirm/establish Assessment Weights.
  Average Formulas (both building-level and course-level), Course Weights, Marking Period Weights and Assessment Weights are copied forward to the next school year during School Setup.
• Establish Assessment Dates.

Scheduling - Secondary

Master Schedule 

• Confirm that all actual Rooms are entered (none left as “TBD”).
• Confirm that all new Staff have been entered (none left as “TBD”).
• Confirm that Teacher of Record/Co Teachers have been established by generating the Teacher of Record/Co Teacher Report.

Student Schedules

• Confirm that Homerooms have been updated.
• Confirm that Counselors have been updated.
• Confirm that Advisors have been updated.
• Confirm that Study Halls have been assigned.

Scheduling - Elementary 

• Confirm that all Courses and Sections have been created.
• Confirm that all students have been Mass Class Assigned into classes.
• Confirm that Homerooms and Advisors have been updated.
• Confirm that Teacher of Record/Co Teachers have been established by generating the Teacher of Record/Co Teacher Report.

Student Information

Buses

• Confirm that all Bus Routes have been created.
• Confirm that all Student Bus Stops have been created.
• Confirm that all Student Bus Assignments have been established.

Lockers

• Confirm that all Locker Combinations have been rotated (if relevant).
• Confirm that students’ Locker Assignments have been established.
• Confirm that all “incoming” students’ Locker Assignments have been established.

AIS

• Review and update AIS Plans based on BOE policy.

Miscellaneous

• Update Fees with increases/decreases.

Custom Codes

• If you are using Custom Status Codes, ensure that that are appropriately assigned and color coded.

Parent/Student Portals

Settings

• Confirm that all the appropriate Menu options are set.
• Confirm that all Settings are accurate.
• Confirm that all Announcements are current.
• Confirm that all Documents are uploaded.
• Confirm that Contact Verification forms include the appropriate user defined fields and are published in accordance with school policy (Enforce or allow).
• Confirm that all the System messages include the district name and contact details in the footer.

Teacher Connect

• Establish Teacher Connect default settings from System > Grade Reporting > Teacher Connect Toolkit.
  • Select Save to change Teacher Connect defaults for teachers who have not yet modified their default settings.
  • Select Reset Teacher Connect Toolkit Default to enforce new default settings for all teachers.
  • Tip: If the latter option does not appear enable Module Level permissions under Grade Reporting Teacher Connect Toolkit Reset Teacher Connect Toolkit Default.
• Remember to enable the Indicators column if you are using Custom Codes.

Security

• Establish new Accounts.
• Disable Accounts.
• Inactivate Accounts.
• Review and update Staff Permissions.
• Enforce Password Changes.
• Disable GURU Vendor Access for products no longer in use.