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It's important to understand
how SOL Tracker handles course grades when imported into the system (via the
Receive Data From Other Source utility). When using the
Course Grades Information Only option, SOL Tracker resolves a State
Course Code to any corresponding SOL test. If you do not use the
option to specify a specific testing period, then it looks at all tests on
file for each student across all testing periods (that do not already have a
Course Grade). Because many student retake tests, this can lead
to ambiguity and cause SOL Tracker to skip certain records because it cannot
resolve which test to apply the Course Grade to.
Look at this example. A student takes Algebra I in Spring 2002 and fails
both the course and the SOL test. The student then retakes the course
and test in Summer 2002, and passes the SOL test but still fails the course.
Finally, in Spring 2003, he retakes the course for credit and passes.
He doesn't take the SOL test again because previously passed it, but a
bubble sheet is still submitted specifying that he passed in a previous
administration. Here are the tests on file for that student:
| AlgI-EOC |
Spring 2002 |
SOL Score: Fail |
Course Grade: Fail |
| AlgI-EOC |
Summer 2002 |
SOL Score: Pass |
Course Grade: Fail |
| AlgI-EOC |
Spring 2003 |
SOL Score: 999 (passed in
previous administration) |
Course Grade: Pass |
Your Student Management System (SMS) should
have 3 distinct course grades on file since the student took the course 3
times. If you exported the course grades for all testing periods into one
file, there would be 3 entries and 3 tests on file. SOL Tracker
wouldn't know which test to apply any given course grade to. This is
referred to as an ambiguous entry, and would be skipped during the import.
Any student that only took the test once would have the course grade
imported because there are no other tests on file to cause ambiguity.
If you exported the data into files separated by school years, any students
that took the test only once during the school year (not including tests
marked as a Retest, Expedited Re-Take or Recovery) would be imported fine if
you use the option to specify a specific school year that corresponds to the
file. However, referring back to our sample student, in the 2001-02
file you'd get both the spring and summer course grades for this student,
and there would still be ambiguity. Which course grade applies to which
test? SOL Tracker can't tell which, so will skip these during the import.
Finally, if you export course grades for specific testing periods, and
import specifying the option for a specific testing period, there's no
ambiguity. The spring 2002 file will contain the spring course grade, and
the summer file the summer course grade. Tracker will only look at tests
during the given testing period when the specific testing period option is
used during the course grades import. When you import the course
grades for Spring 2003, the 999 test score will receive the passing course
grade from that period. That will be the one that actually gives him the
verified credit within the system. The Pass back in summer 2002 will have a
failing course grade --- so no credit.
An important item to note is that if a student has two test, one of which is
a "normal" test and the other is marked as a Retest, Recovery or Expedited
Re-Take, this is not considered ambiguous and the course grade is applied to
both test records.
In summary, it is always best to export course grades from specific testing
periods into distinct files, and then import them using the option to
specify the specific testing period. This should avoid ambiguities and
skipped records. |
