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CAREER ADVISOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

(CAMS) GUIDE TO COURSE PLANNER

US

20097

INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................ 1About the Course Planner Module...............................................................................................1How does it Work?.......................................................................................................................2What do I Have to do? ................................................................................................................2How Long Will it Take?................................................................................................................2

ACCESSING THE CAREER ADVISOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM...............................................3

QUICK TOUR OF CAMS HOMEPAGE...........................................................................................4

DEMO STUDENTS......................................................................................................................... 5

USING THE COURSE PLANNER..................................................................................................6Selecting Courses .......................................................................................................................6Diplomas & Certifications.............................................................................................................7

STUDENT ADMINISTRATION.......................................................................................................8Student List – View a Students Course Planner..........................................................................8Custom Editing Course Selections..............................................................................................9Reports...................................................................................................................................... 10Course Planner Status Explanation...........................................................................................10Annual Course planner Timeline................................................................................................11

APPLICATION CONFIGURATION...............................................................................................12

APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................... 15Support Structure....................................................................................................................... 15Roles and Expectations.............................................................................................................15Setup Checklist.......................................................................................................................... 16Deployment Suggestions...........................................................................................................17

Table of Contents

About the Course Planner Module

The Course Planner module is a powerful set of tools to help students plan courses that reflect their career aspirations and graduation requirements. Integrated with your student information system, it brings together critical information, such as past credit history, diploma requirements tracking, prerequisites, and course recommendations.Online Course Selection - Automated course verification is configured at the school level.Customized Advisory Alerts - Special advisory alerts appear when a particular course or combination of courses is chosen.Diploma & Certificate Tracking - Track course selections against multiple diploma options and certification programs.Data Integration - Student data and course history are managed through integration with your student information system.Export Course Selections - Easily export students’ course selections for integration with your scheduling system.Teacher Recommendations - 8th grade teachers can recommend

This manual is designed to help guidance staff and teachers understand the following questions:

How does it work?

What do I have to do?

How long will it take?

Many times new software can be intimidating. This is particularly true with guidance staff and administrators who already have a full schedule. We sometimes feel that the current system works and that this new software could potentially be disruptive or overwhelming.

This is not the case with the Course Planner Module. We understand clearly that we simply cannot introduce software that adds more time to your day or has no benefit. The objective or vision of the Course Planner is the following:

To centralize information for students, parents, guidance and administrators.

To present this information in a way that encourages student success.

To provide tools for guidance and administrators that save time and money.

We strongly encourage you to take some extra time in the beginning to understand the application and the tools you have available. By doing this you will see the time savings and benefit as you “fine tune” the application to your specific needs.

The Course Planner is a tool for guidance counselors and the software will save time and money when used. The success of the program is directly related to the stakeholders embracing and using the software to its full potential.

Career Cruising CAMS Guide Page 1

Introduction

How does it Work?

1. The student uses Career Cruising resources to research careers, schools and self assessment tools. They can save all this information to their Portfolio.

2. Next the student will plan the courses needed to reach their post secondary destination. Because the Course Planner has the students historical credit history, the application can immediately indicate whether a course can be taken (ie pre-requisite requirements are met)

3. The real power of the software is the way it presents all the information. It provides a realistic view of what the student is trying to accomplish.

What do I have to do?

The Course Planner Module is very flexible and is an extremely useful tool for guidance departments. It is important that you understand how the application works and what it is capable of – you will then be able to help students and parents to use the software to its full capabilities. The user interface for students and parents requires no training.

You will also find that the software can help with many of your repetitive tasks (through warnings and configurations). This will allow you more time to focus on student guidance.

How long will it take?

The more you use the application, the more you will benefit from its features. To understand and learn the software, you should be prepared to invest approximately 2-3 hours reading the material below and experimenting with the application.


Introduction

CAMS Login Screen

To access CAMS, go to the following webpage:

http://www.careercruising.com/School/Login.aspx

To log in, simply enter your site username, site password, and your personal advisor password. Then click on the Submit button. (Your site username and site password are the username and password you use to log into Career Cruising.)

If you do not have your advisor password, please contact the lead Career Cruising contact at your school.

When you log in for the first time, you will need to read and agree to the Career Advisor Management System Agreement.


Accessing the Career Advisor Management System

http://www.careercruising.com/School/Login.aspx

This is summary information relative to the Course Planner, CAMS has many other features available to schools. More information can be found in the full CAMS User Guide that is available under the Helpful Documents section as indicated below.

Advisor HomepageThis is the page you see below. Select the top button on the left menu to return to the home page.

Search for StudentsThis allows for more detailed searches on students using specific criteria.

View Student ListThis can be done under All Students or My Students. It will display and print a list of student names, user names and passwords.

Course Planner ReportsThis menu item links to reports related to the Course Planner.

Demo StudentsThis links to 5 demo students from each grade. You can experiment with these students to see how the program works.

Helpful DocumentsThis area has documents related to all Career Cruising features.


Tour of CAMS Homepage

Advisor Homepage – Course Planner

Explanation of Demo Students

Demo students can be used to experiment with the application. The Course Planner can be configured in many ways and it is important to see how different grades and students appear. Demo students are copies of existing students from each grade (renamed anonymously).Demo students will look and appear like the other students, however they will be Inactive. Inactive students will not show up in any reports.

When a school is setup, five demo students from each grade will be created.

How to Access the Demo Students

A list of demo students can be viewed from the Advisor Homepage (see note 1 & 3 on the previous page). At this point there are two ways to experiment with a demo student.

CAMS View

Allows users to view / edit Course Planner while remaining inside the CAMS application. Allows users to access the administrative override features of Course Planner.Users will not have the full functionality of the Portfolio


Demo Students

To view a demo student Course Planner under the CAMS view, click the PortfolioID of the student. More information on the CAMS view of the Course Planner is available in the section Student Administration.

Portfolio / Student View

Requires a separate login via the normal portfolio login method.Allows users to see the full Portfolio and functionality of a student.Good for training guidance staff on how the application looks to a student.

To view a demo student under the Portfolio view:Note the Username and Password of the demo student you want to use. Alternately, print this list to distribute to others (ie training).Go to http://www.careercruising.comEnter your school Username and Password.Enter a demo student Username and Password.

Once logged in, select the Course Planner button on the left menu to view the student planner.

Demo students are a great way for users to learn how the Course Planner functions. They should be used when training or simply for a refresher if you have not used the application for an extended period of time.


http://www.careercruising.com/

Course Planner Page

This section covers basic functionality that is available to students and advisors / teachers. The CAMS view as discussed above offers additional functionality. More information on the CAMS view of the Course Planner is available in the section Student Administration.

Editing Course Selections

If the credit history is available for this student, the courses will be listed under the previous or current student year. The current selection year will be outlined and will have a submit button at the bottom.

The courses that are in yellow boxes are required courses. These refer to a limited selection of courses that a student must select from. They are usually configured to ensure that the student will meet graduation requirements.

The “Not Returning” link allows students that are graduating or leaving a school to indicate they do not need to fill out course selections.

The book icon is a link to a printable description of all the courses. This can also include customized sections designed by each school.The printer icon links to the Parent Sign Off Sheet. This sheet will only display in draft mode until the student course selections are submitted for the selection year.

Clicking on a the “+” or “-“ icon under each course will add or remove it from the planner. You can hover your mouse over a course code to get more information on a course.

When adding a course, the user will be presented with various options on how to select a course, depending on how the school is configured.


Using the Course Planner

http://localhost/Individual/CP_CourseCalendar.aspx?SID=28150

http://localhost/School/CP_Authorize.aspx?PortfolioID=3941954

Diploma & Certification Page

The student would be required to fill out all slots in the current selection year. Once this is complete, students can submit (or lock in) their selections by clicking on the submit button.

Diplomas & Certifications

This section allows students to track progress against degree requirements as defined by a school. Each requirement is outlined and indicates how many credits have been achieved, planned and still required.

Additional sub degrees can also be added so a student can see how they track against a specific major or certification.

NOTE: Students can also click on the Requirements link to get more customized information about a degree.


Student List

Student List – View a Students Course Planner

The Student List is the central point for managing student information. You can access the complete Student List, the list of students assigned to you as an advisor, or use the Search for Students feature to generate custom Student Lists.

To access the Student List, click on the View Student List link in either the All Students or My Students section on the Advisor Homepage. From the View / Action dropdown menu of the Student List, you can access a number of options. Select Course Planner to access a student’s course selections.

The Student List can be exported as either a text file or an Excel spreadsheet. You can use this feature to distribute usernames and passwords, to create checklists, or for any other purpose requiring a list of student portfolios.


CAMS - Student Administration

Edit Course Selections

Custom Editing Course Selections

There are usually exceptions during the course selection process that require guidance staff to override specific students’ selections. Some scenarios where this might occur are:

Transfer students that meet a specific pre-requisite requirement but it’s not properly represented in their transcript.

Special need students. Courses not offered to general student population.

Advisors have the ability to make any change at any time to a student’s record when in CAMS.

To access this area, select the administration option from the drop menu at the top of the course planner.

If the school rules dictate that a student can not take a particular course, the advisor can approve or authorize the course by clicking in the checkbox next to the course.

Advisors can add additional courses manually.

When complete, save the record.

Reports

CAMS users can access the Course Planner Reports from the menu on the left. This area contains all the reports relevant to the Course Planner.

Course Planner Completions Summary


Student Administration

Student Administration

Completion Summary Report

The first report under the Summary Reports is called the Submission Status Summary. This report will indicate the overall status of all students at a school. It shows the status of students grouped by grade, users can select the total to link to a list of specific students.

Course Planner Status Explanation

Status Description

INCOMPLETE Student has not completed their course selections for the current year.

COMPLETEStudent has completed their course selections for the current year, but must still submit their selections. Students will not be allowed to submit selections until after the Submission Start Date.

SUBMITTEDWhen a student submits courses after the Submission Start Date, a final copy of their course selections will be printed with an area for signatures. The status will then be set to SUBMITTED and the course selection process will be locked.

SIGNED Once a student has returned their sign off sheet with a parental signature, the status will be set to SIGNED.

NOT RETURNING Student has indicated that they are not returning.

NOT RETURNING(Signed)

Once a student has returned their Not Returning sheet with a parental signature, the student will be set to NOT RETUNRING (Signed).

Annual Course Planner Timeline


Research & ExplorationThis period begins with a student data import and update of any course changes from the previous year. Students can then use the application to plan and select courses for future years based on their research and portfolio development.

Submission Start DateIndicates the date that student can “lock in” their course selections for the upcoming year. This usually incorporates another import of student data which can include the first semester marks if available.

Submission End DateAll students should have their selections complete and submitted by this date. Students with completed selections will be frozen and the selections transferred back to your scheduling system. Students can still plan for future years, but current selections will be read only.

Closing DateFrom period 3-4 adjustments can be made to the scheduling system (they do not have to be reflected in Course Planner). Closing date indicates the year end – students can still use the Course Planner after this date.


Overview

CAMS users with administrator permissions will be able to change the application settings. This is only recommended for users specifically trained in this area as it affects the entire application and course selection process.

Most configuration settings are used for preparing the application. Administrators have access to these features but should only be used in consultation with your account manager. This section will provide documentation on the features that are used most often. To access this area, click on the blue Course Planner menu button on the left.

Course DisciplinesA discipline is simply a way to group or categorize courses. This section allows users to add or edit the discipline list. It is also an area that can be used to customize the Student Course Guide under each discipline as it appears in the guide.

Course MasterThis area allows users to add or edit course descriptions, alerts and pre-requisite requirements. Search for a course or look under an existing category. Once you see the course you would like to edit, click on the course code for the edit screens.

Editing is divided into three areas and represented by the tabs at the top of the page: General – This area controls the basic look of the course and the number of credits. Relationships – This determines which discipline or cluster the course will appear under. Alerts – This are allows users to set up pre-requisite alerts or advisory notes about a

specific course.

Course Master - Adding a CourseSelect the Course Planner button on the menu bar on the left. Click on the Course Master link.Click on the Add New Course link at the top right. Enter the course code or select from a district list if available and click submit.

1. Fill in the required information. Note that the course can be associated with a district description. If you associate a course with a district and the Use District Description is checked, then you can add extra information in the text box that appears. Click the Save/Next button when complete.

2. Click the Relationship tab to assign the course to a discipline, then click the Save button.3. Click the Alerts tab to add an Advisor / Course note. These are the notes that pop up on

the student planner. Be sure to double check the pre-requisite requirements if you add a district course code as the match to local courses is not an exact science.

Note: If the user forgets to assign the course to a discipline (step 2), you can search for the course under the Course Master by either typing in the first part of the course code, then clicking the Find button or select the Unassigned at the top of the drop menu.

Course Master – Changing a Course CodeSelect the Course Planner button on the menu bar on the left. Click on the Course Master link. Find the course to be changed and click on the code to edit.

1. Change the course code to the new code.2. Change the Course Name3. Update the district course link if applicable.4. Click the Save button.

Remember to double check the Relationship and Alert Tab.

Student Course GuideThis link allows you to view the course guide as a student would see it. The URL in the address bar can be shared so other departments can review the course guide for accuracy.

Course Cluster Matching


Application Configuration

From here you select a cluster and then indicate which courses you want listed under the cluster when student select courses. The courses with the yellow icon are courses that exist in a required course group.

Grade SettingsThis area allows users to set specific grade level configurations. It is recommended that you contact technical support before editing this area. It is important to understand the dates as you will have to set them each year.

Year Starts – Students will not be able to submit their course selections before this date. All other functionality will still be available. After this date they will be able to submit their selections, but the parent sign off sheet will only be a draft copy. They can continue to change and edit their course selections. This is usually set for August or September.

Allow Lock-In – After this date, students can continue to change and edit their course selections until they print a parent sign off sheet. When they print the sign off sheet they will be warned that the courses selected will be final. This usually is set for the end of the first semester after the latest grade / marks are uploaded.

Target Finish Date – This is just an indicator of when course submissions are due. Currently it serves no functionality other than to inform students that selections are due by this date

Stop Online Selections – Students will no longer be able to submit courses after this date.

Returned SheetsThis feature can be seen by all users and allows administrators to mark a student’s status as SIGNED. This would occur when the student returns the signed course selection sheet to the school.

Upload CenterThis is an area where users can upload specific files or graphics that would only be seen or referenced in the Student Course Guide.

Student Login InformationThis explains the direct login link for students.

Student Course Guide EditingThis allows users to edit the General section of the Student Guide. Note that course information is handled from the Course Master, however all other information can be customized in this area. When students view the course calendar there are two areas – General and Disciplines

GeneralThis contains things like "Message from the Principal", or "Special Education Programs", charts, graphics etc.

» OPTION 1 - You can add as many sections as you want and edit the information online. Please note the editor on this page handles basic word processing functionality. You can add or edit this area in CAMS by clicking on the blue Course Planner button on the left menu, then click the link Student Course Guide Editing on the right column under Adminstrative.

» OPTION 2 - You can create this area in a word document and send it to us. We will post the information as a PDF document (as is). This document should not contain any course descriptions or details since this must be edited directly in the application under course master. This method would be recommended for highly formatted student guides or first time users.

DisciplinesThis information is stored in our database in a specific format. This allows for:


Categorization by discipline Credit clarification so we can calculate degree requirements Grade level classification Pre-requisite rule definition

You can add or edit this area in CAMS by clicking on the blue Course Planner button on the left menu, then click the link Course Master. This is an area you should become familiar with so you can make the application perform the way you expect.

These two parts will be presented to the student as one when they click on the Student Course Guide. You can see how this looks by viewing a student planner and clicking on the "book" icon at the top right. You can also view this in CAMS by clicking on the blue Course Planner button on the left menu, then click the link Student Course Guide.


Support Structure

Roles and Expectations

Position Description Initial Time Annual Time

District LiaisonGeneral Duties

To assist in setting up the initial training. To advise in decisions regarding overall

software implementation. To assist in issues such as billing, annual

license renewal.Recommended Person

Board or district level person associated with student success or secondary schools.

No computer knowledge required

n/a 3-4 hours

School Application

Administrator

General Duties Approval of software configuration (initial

setup and verification of course and pre-requisites).

Administering users and permissions. Maintaining application and data.

Recommended Person Guidance Head, Vice Principal, Admin

Secretary Basic internet computer knowledge required Knowledge of courses

Initial Configuration6-8 hours

Training1 hour live web seminar

6-8 hours

Guidance

General Duties Using the software to assist student in

guidance related activities.Recommended Person

Guidance Staff

Training1 hour live web seminar

Initial Exploration2 hours

Course Planner Module is designed to save time for guidance staff.


c

District Liaison

School Application

Administrator

Guidance Guidance

Career Cruising Account Manager

Career Cruising Account Manager

School Application

Administrator

Guidance Guidance

School Application

Administrator

Guidance Guidance

Career Cruising Implementation

Specialist

Appendix

Setup Checklist

The course planner module will be pre-customized for your particular school by Career Cruising based on information provided by your school or district. It will be your responsibility to check for any discrepancies using the following steps. Be prepared to spend approximately 6-8 hours reviewing and getting familiar with the application.

STEP PROCEDURE DESCRIPTION1 Demo Students From the Advisor Homepage, select the link Course Planner Demo

Students to view 5 students from each grade. Click on each student and determine if the historical courses

are appearing properly. 8th grade students will not have any history.

Using an 8th grade student, add courses to all the required slots (yellow) for every grade column to ensure they are selecting from the proper courses. Note: Required slots with only one course will be automatically filled for a student.

Continue filling in some elective slots to ensure the courses are categorized properly.

Click on the Diploma Tab and review the diploma requirements for accuracy.

2 Student Course Guide

Select the Course Planner button on the left and the click on the Student Course Guide link to review.

Ensure that the guide appears as desired. It is recommended that you send this link to other department

leads in your school for verification.3 Files & Links Schools have the opportunity to display customized links or files when

a student logs into the portfolio section. You can add this information at the bottom of the Advisor Page.

4 Add Advisors Create login accounts for other advisors (guidance staff) that will be using the system. From the Advisor Page, select the link Add New Advisor.

Set the Access Type to “Teacher/Advisor” It is highly recommended that there is only one person with

Access Type “Career Cruising Administrator”. There are a number of options / settings and they should be controlled by only one person.

A list of advisors with passwords can be viewed under the link View List of All Advisors.

5 Review Helpful Documents

Click on the Helpful Documents button on the left menu. Career Advisor Management System (CAMS) Guide -

Course Planner: More detailed information on the features of CAMS that are related to the Course Planner.

Course Planner Classroom Activity: Simple activity or guide to help students get started with the Course Planner.

For Parents: What is the Course Planner?: One page feature list to help introduce the Course Planner to parents.

6 Student Login Information

Click the Course Planner button on the left menu. Click the “Student Login Information” link. Review the information to understand how students can log in.

IMPORTANT: When distributing the login accounts to other staff, be sure to include the CAMS Quick Start - Course Planner document found under Helpful Documents. Write in the Site (school) Username and Site Password. They will need this in addition to their personal advisor password.


Appendix

Deployment Suggestions

» First year deployment requires the most preparation and testing. It is recommended that you deploy as early as possible to avoid last minute adjustments or improper course selections.

» Be sure to understand and set the Submission Start Date under Grade Settings (Page 13). You can have students start using the application without actually locking in their course selections by setting the Submission Start Date to sometime in the future.

» When releasing the first time, consider exposing a smaller number of students to the application before the entire school uses it. This will uncover any additional configuration settings that have to be adjusted. Many schools test with a classroom from each grade level.
