Adding Program Criteria to an Academic Program

Users may add program criteria to an academic program. These criteria allow for course requirements, test requirements, graduation requirements, GPA requirements, or any combination of the four to evaluate the student on the successful passing of a requirement. For example, a student may be required to take three foreign language courses of the same language, or demonstrate successful assessment of the language, or successfully complete a graduation program related to the foreign language, while maintaining a specific grade point average. 

Once program criteria are added, users may add Student Status requirements to the program. This criteria can be updated based on a logical expression. Each status may only be set up once to match a logical expression. Student Status options may vary by state. 

This is an AND/OR tool. A requirement for passing needs to be this course AND this course OR this assessment, or this course AND this test OR this GPA. 

Screenshot of the Program Criteria Editor in Academic ProgramsProgram Criteria Editor in Academic Programs

Program Criteria Editor 

FieldDescription
Criteria Description
Required
Use this field to enter a description of what the student needs to take to fulfill the program criteria. This does not have to be the course name (it could be the course name), but rather a district's description of what the student needs to take to fulfill the criteria.
Logical Expression
Required
The Logical Expression field allows users to incorporate conditions between fields within a filter. This field effectively uses the OR and AND relationships between sub-requirements. 
Credit TypeThis selection is used in the student's Course Plan and the Academic Plan Progress Report. The selected credit type determines the credit category where requirement deficiencies exist.
Display Alert
Display OrderUse this field to determine the order in which the requirements display based on the entered numeric value. Requirements without an entered sequence display first. Since this is a sorting field, enter sequence values for all requirements or for no requirements.

Adding Course Criteria 

Course requirements define specific courses that must be completed and allow requirements to include courses from multiple credit types. 

Changing courses affects the interpretation of academic plan requirements. If course numbers are changed in the course catalog and are not updated in Academic Plan Course Requirements, the Program will continue to reference the original courses, resulting in inaccurate progress tracking. 
Screenshot of the Course Requirements EditorCourse Requirement Editor

Ensure the correct Year, School and Calendar is selected in the Campus toolbar.

  1. To add course requirements to the program, press the New Requirement button and select Course from the displayed list. 
  2. For more detailed field information, see the Course Requirement Fields
  3. Enter the Transcript/Course Numbers for the program.
  4. Enter a State Code for the requirements.
  5. Enter the Minimum Credits for the entered description. This is a required field.
  6. Enter the Minimum GPA the student must achieve for this requirement.
  7. Select the Evaluate Credits From option, and then select the desired Credit Type from the Limit Credit Type dropdown, if desired.
  8. Mark the Scheduling Priority checkbox, if desired.
  9. Mark the Recommended checkbox, if desired.
  10. Select a Suggested Grade level, if needed.
  11. Press Preview Course List to verify all appropriate courses are added.

Course Requirement Fields

FieldDescription

Transcript/Course Number(s)

Required

This column accepts a list of comma separated course numbers that may contain wildcard symbols (% = zero or many characters; _ = exactly 1 character per underscore; [ ] = a range of characters). Course numbers entered here are for course numbers district-wide (from any school) or any transcripted course numbers that fulfills the requirement.


Transcript information DOES NOT INCLUDE records from standards-based grades.

State Code(s)

Displays with State Course Codes that meet the requirement. 

Minimum Credits

Required

This column lists the minimum number of credits the student must receive upon completion of the course requirement. Totals entered here determine if the student is on track. The entered value MUST be greater than zero.


If the Credit Type this rule applies to field is populated, the student must meet or exceed the entered value in this field. This displays on the Graduation Progress screen in the Portal. Otherwise, there is a warning on the Course Plan. When the student does meet or exceed this value, the Course Plan field displays in green, indicating the student is on track.

Minimum GPA

The value entered here is the minimum GPA the student must meet per the courses listed for that course requirement. This is a numeric field that allows up to 7 digits (3 places before decimal point, 4 places after decimal point). The student's course GPA value on the transcript must meet or exceed this value in order to fulfill this requirement.


If the Credit Type this rule applies to field is populated, the student must meet or exceed the entered value in this field. This displays on the Graduation Progress screen in the Portal. Otherwise, there is a warning on the Course Plan. When the student does meet or exceed this value, the Course Plan field displays in green, indicating the student is on track.

Evaluate Credits From

This selection is used in the student's Course Plan tab and the Academic Plan Progress Report. The selected credit type determines the credit category where requirement deficiencies exist.


When a value is selected in this field, the Limit to Credit Type field displays.

Scheduling Priority

When marked, this requirement is given a priority status when a student is assigned this graduation program and needs this course to meet graduation requirements. This priority column is used in the Scheduling Board when loading course requests.


Students who have prioritized requests are placed into the requested course section in a randomized order by grade level and loaded first. Students who do not have prioritized requests are placed into the requested course sections in a randomized order by grade level and loaded second.


For example.

  • On the Course Requirements for the Advanced Science Curriculum Graduation Program, AP Physics is marked as priority.
  • Colleen Student will be a senior in the next school year and is assigned the Advanced Science Curriculum Graduation Program. She requests AP Physics as part of her coursework for the next year. 
  • Dean Student will be a senior in the next school year and is assigned the General Graduation Requirements Graduation Program. He also requests AP Physics because he did very well in AP Chemistry during his junior year and would like to keep learning. He also requests AP Physics as part of his coursework for the next year.
  • AP Physics has a maximum seat count of 10.
  • In addition to Colleen and Dean, there are 8 other students who have also requested AP Physics.
  • When the Master Scheduler loads course requests for AP Physics, Colleen is placed first into the section roster, along with any other student who is part of the Advanced Science Curriculum Graduation Program. Dean is placed after the priority students into the section roster, as long as there is still room (the maximum seat count has not been met). 

Priority may be set for any course requirement, whether a grade level has been selected for fulfillment or not.


When a program is copied, the priority designation on a course requirement is also copied.

Recommended

When marked, this checkbox turns the course requirement into a suggestion and draws attention to these courses in the student's Course Plan.


Recommended course numbers entered in the Transcript/Course Numbers field display in bold in the Course Planner and on the Portal Academic Planning.


The course requirement is hidden on the Grad Progress tab and on the Academic Plan Progress report, and the message on the Academic Status Report that it is required does not display.

Limit to Credit Type

Indicates from which credit type the totals are counted.

  • When no value is selected, the course requirements count all credits earned for the specific course for credit types tied to the Parent Credit Group (assigned on the Program Detail Editor).
  • When a Credit Type is selected, the course requirement counts all credits earned for the specific course numbers, regardless of the Parent Credit Group (or child credit type).
Suggested Grade

This field allows users to suggest the grade level at which the student should complete the course requirement and draws attention to these courses in the student's Course Plan. When this field is populated:


When searching for courses in the Course Catalog, an indication of a grade level suggestion displays. And, these courses display in bold.


Grade levels are not included when:

  • They have a sequence of zero.
  • The Exclude from cumulative GPA/Rank calculations checkbox is marked.
Preview Course ListA popup screen displays listing the course numbers entered in the Transcript/Course Number(s) field for ONLY the selected calendar.
Screenshot of the Preview Course ListPreview Course List

Adding Test Criteria 

The Test Requirements tool can align specific tests students are required to pass with an Academic Program. The user must have the Test Code or State Code for the test being applied to apply the requirements.

Screenshot of the Test Requirement EditorTest Requirement Editor
  1. To add test requirements to the program, press the New Requirement button and select Test from the displayed list. 
  2. For more detailed field information, see the Test Requirement Fields
  3. Enter the Test Codes for the program.
  4. Enter the State Codes for the program.
  5. Enter the Subject for the test requirement.
  6. Select the desired Score Evaluation for the test requirement. This is a required field.
  7. Enter the Minimum Raw Score for the test requirement, if applicable.
  8. Enter the Minimum Scale Score for the test requirement, if applicable.
  9. Mark the Assume Passed option if desired. 
  10. Enter the Count for the test requirement, if applicable.
  11. Press Preview Test List to verify all appropriate tests are added.

Test Requirement Fields

FieldDescription
Test Code(s)

Displays which Test Codes meet the requirement. A value must be entered in either this field or the State Code field.

If a Test Code is entered on the Assessment Setup, the same values need to be entered here. Wildcard values can be entered (% or _).

State Code(s)

Displays with State Test Codes meet the requirement. A value must be entered in either this field or the Test Code field.

If a State Code is entered on the Assessment Setup, the same values need to be entered here. Wildcard values can be entered (% or _).

Subject

Indicates the area of knowledge this requirement covers. This value matches the Subject selection on the Assessment Setup. Options are from the Test Attribute/Dictionary list.

Minimum Raw Score

Requires a numeric value entered that represents the minimum score needed to pass this requirement, depending on the selected Score Evaluation. This value overrides a passing score set on the Results on the Assessment Setup.

  • When the Score Evaluation is set to Count of Passing Tests, this field is disabled.
  • When the Score Evaluation is set to One Score At or Above, a value must be entered in this field or in the Minimum Scale Score field, depending on which score option is used in the Test Detail.
  • When the Score Evaluation is set to Sum of Scores At or Above, a value must be entered in this field or in the Minimum Scale Score field, depending on which score option is used in the Test Detail.

Score Evaluation

Required

Indicates how a student's assessment results affect the completion of the requirement. A test requirement can be set to one of three modes:

  • Count of Passing Tests
  • One Score At or Above
  • Sum of Scores At or Above

A requirement may be that the student must take and pass at least two state assessments for Science. The Score Evaluation can be set to Count of Passing Tests, with a Count Value entered as 2.


The selection here also determines whether the Minimum Raw Score, Minimum Scale Score and the Count fields require a value.

Minimum Scale Score

Requires a numeric value entered that represents the minimum score needed to pass this requirement, depending on the selected Score Evaluation. This value overrides a passing score set on the Results on the Assessment Setup.

  • When the Score Evaluation is set to Count of Passing Tests, this field is disabled.
  • When the Score Evaluation is set to One Score At or Above, a value must be entered in this field or in the Minimum Raw Score field, depending on which score option is used in the Test Detail.
  • When the Score Evaluation is set to Sum of Scores At or Above, a value must be entered in this field or in the Minimum Raw Score field, depending on which score option is used in the Test Detail.
Assume Passed

When marked, the requirement for the entered test is considered to be met, and related alerts that display in the Course Plan Admin tool do not display (meaning, a student can save their Course Plan even if Enforce All Rules is marked and they have not yet taken the assessment).

Count

Indicates how many tests are required to pass the requirement depending on the selected Score Evaluation.

  • When the ScoreEvaluation is set to Count of Passing Tests,  a value must be entered in this field.
  • When the Score Evaluation is set to One Score At or Above, this field is disabled.
  • When the Score Evaluation is set to Sum of Scores At or Above, this field is disabled.
Preview Test ListDisplays the matching tests based on the entered test codes, state codes and subject selection.

Adding GPA Criteria

The GPA (Grade Point Average) Requirements editor indicates the overall GPA and GPA per course credit the student in this program needs to successfully complete the program’s requirements.

Screenshot of the GPA Requirement EditorGPA Requirement Editor
GPA Requirements associated with an academic program are only used to track progress for the academic program. It does not affect enrollment end status assignment on an enrollment record.

Be aware of any state requirements in place for certain programs. For example, in order for a student to receive a diploma, the Unweighted GPA 4.0 scale might have to be used, but for actual successful program completion, the student may need to get a B (3.0) or higher for advanced courses.  

Also note that Custom GPAs can be created for use with the Academic Program. If desired, specific courses can be associated with the Custom GPA.

 See the GPA Calculations in Campus article for additional GPA information. 
  1. To add GPA requirements to the program, press the New Requirement button and select GPA from the displayed list. 
  2. For more detailed field information, see the GPA Requirement Fields
  3. Select the desired GPA Calculation from the dropdown list.
  4. Select the desired GPA Calculation Type from the dropdown list.
  5. Enter the Minimum Overall GPA value for this program.
  6. Enter the Minimum GPA per Course Credit value for this program.

GPA Requirement Fields

FieldDescription

GPA Calculation


Lists the available GPA Calculations that can be assigned to this compound requirement.

GPA Calculation Type


Indicates the type of GPA calculation used. The selected calculation type that is used for course requirements also uses this calculation type. Four options are available:

  • Weighted (default selection) - GPA is based on a numeric scale
  • Unweighted  - GPA is an average of all class grades typically based on a 4.0 grade scale
  • Weighted with bonus points - Bonus points act as a bump to the GPA of specific class grades typically based on a numeric scale
  • Unweighted with bonus points - Bonus points act as a bump to the GPA of specific class grades typically based on a 4.0 scale

Minimum Overall GPA

Required

Entered numeric value (up to 6 digits) indicates the overall GPA the student must have for successful completion of this program. The selections made in the GPA Calculation and the GPA Calculation Type fields are used when comparing this entered value to the student's cumulative GPA, as follows:

  • If the student's cumulative GPA is greater than or equal to this value, the student is considered to be On Track and the Progress cell displays green.
  • If the student's cumulative GPA is less than or equal to this value, the student is considered to be Off Track and the Progress cell displays red.
Minimum GPA per Course Credit

Entered numeric value (up to 7 digits) indicates the overall GPA per course credit the student must have for successful completion of this program. The value entered here is compared to the GPA value displayed on the transcript record and the GPA value entered on the Score Group that is assigned to the course.


The selections made in the GPA Calculation and GPA Calculation Type fields are used when comparing this entered value to the student's GPA per course, as follows:

  • If the student's course GPA is 3.5 and the minimum GPA per course credit is 2.0, the student is considered to be on track.
  • If the student's course GPA is 1.9 and the minimum GPA per course credit is 2.0, the student is considered to be off track. 

This logic displays on the Grad Progress by displaying in red on the Grad Progress Credit Group for those that do not meet the entered value or if the student has zero credits toward the academic program.


It also displays on the Course Plan Credit Group for courses that have received a score. If the student does not meet the entered value, the name of the course and the number of credits received display in a pop-up. 

Adding Academic Program Criteria

Academic Program Requirements list any Academic Programs a student must take in order to meet the requirements of their Graduation Program. Students must also be assigned to the Academic Program(s) and plan enough courses to complete the minimum number of required Academic Programs to satisfy the requirement.

Screenshot of the Academic Program Requirement EditorAcademic Program Requirement Editor
  1. To add GPA requirements to the program, press the New Requirement button and select GPA from the displayed list. 
  2. For more detailed field information, see the Academic Program Requirement Fields
  3. Select the desired AcademicProgram Options. This is a required field. 
  4. Enter the Minimum Required for the entered description. This is a required field.

Academic Program Requirement Fields

FieldDescription

Academic Program Options

Required

Lists the selected Academic Programs. These programs are created in the Academic Programs tool. Inactive programs display in red.

Minimum Required

Required

Indicates the minimum number of Academic Programs the student needs to complete. This number cannot be greater than the number of Academic Programs created.

Adding Child Criteria 

Stand-alone Compound Requirements can be used as Child Requirements for evaluation of one Compound in comparison to another Compound. For example, when a mathematics compound requirement is created, it can be included as a Child Requirement to the STEAM Compound Requirement grouping. Using a Child Compound Requirement, staff, students and parents can quickly identify whether or not the student is successfully completing the requirements of the Program and where to focus more effort.  Additionally, Child Compound Requirements can be used as a way to gauge student progress towards Scholarship requirements and other Academic Plans. 

Screenshot of the Child Criteria Requirement EditorChild Criteria Requirement Editor

When creating a Compound Requirement, Child Compounds are created first and attached to the Parent Compound. To begin creating a Child Compound select "New Compound Requirement."

Once all Child Compound Requirements are created the Parent Compound Requirement can be built. Using the dropdown box, link each child to the parent and create a Logical Expression to define relationships using an AND and OR statement. 

Child Criteria Requirement Fields

FieldDescription

Child Criteria

Required

This selection is used to link the Child Compound Requirement to the Parent Compound Requirement. 


A Child Requirement can be used only once across all Parent Compound Requirements. 

Linked Child CriteriaAll criteria linked to the child criteria displays here.