Nevada Conference Q&A-March 2013
1. Is there a way to run reports based on a specific selection, such as Entry Level, class, or teacher?
A: Yes. Using the navigation on the left hand toolbar, you can click the + sign next to folders there for Entry or Current Level, Keywords, or demographic information to choose a selection, such as a specific Entry or Current level. Then, go to Find>Current FY in Selection to insure you have just current FY students with that selection. Most reports are based on starting selection, so from here you can run reports on just that group of students.
Additionally, you can use the Find>Class Search/Class Search-Active Only, or Staff Search to bring up students enrolled in a specific class (or selection of classes), students currently actively enrolled in a specific class(es), or students in a class (or classes) in which a staff member is assigned.
2. What are the different statuses in the classes, and what do they mean? Should we be marking students as Left or Completed Class? Does marking a student Left mean we can’t do anything else with the record?
A: Students should be exited from classes when they stop attending (the federal definition of exiting is no service for 90 days or greater), or when the class ends and you wish to exit them completely or enroll them into a new class and exit them from their existing class(es). The different statuses of Left, Completed Class, Transferred, Never Attended, etc. are not used by the database for any reporting purposes- they are for your own personal tracking. The database just wants to know if they are actively enrolled and eligible to receive hours in that time frame, or exited.
Exiting students will mean that you can no longer assign hours to them after that date. You can still give them hours between their start date and end date in a class if teachers turn in hours after you have already exited the student. You can also re-enroll them in a class if they return.
Students need to be exited in order to populate Table 5, and the quarter of exit is important for employment outcomes, so it’s important that you correctly exit students when they actually leave; do not wait until the end of the fiscal year and then exit everyone.
Be sure to update the class status to Completed once all students have been exited from the class and the class is actually completed. You can leave it as Active if you will re-enroll more students at a later point in time.
3. Is there a way to search on the cohorts yet? Are cohorts included when we do a General Goals Search? I am trying to get goal/cohort info for my quarterly report and am not sure if I am getting the correct results.
A: If a student is in a cohort, they will be on Table 5, with the exception of Enter/Retain Employment students who leave after the cutoff for 12/13, in which case they will populated 13/14 or 14/15's tables. So the easiest way to search for cohorts is to do an NRS Table Search on Table 5 by going to Find>NRS Table Search>Table 5. You can also use the Potential Cohort Search to see who will populate a cohort once they leave.
4. Do we need to update the Included in Survey and/or Responded to Survey check boxes on the cohort tab for Obtained a GED or secondary school diploma since it is set by the system and marked as Yes for Achieved Outcome.
A: The Responded to Survey box should continue to be updated. For students who will be data matched, the Responded to Survey box can be checked as soon as the cohort populates, since they will be included in the data match. If they are not in a data match, the Responded to Survey box should be checked when the student responds to your survey, regardless of whether or not they achieved the outcome.
5. Is the Included in Survey box going away?
A: Yes. Beginning 12/13, Table 5 is being updated and will no longer include a column for Included in Survey. We will make the changes to the Tables, Searches, and data fields before the end of the fiscal year.
6. LACES is automatically entering a Goal for Obtain GED with the set and met dates equal to the date the GED was completed. Do we need to do anything with this goal?
A: No. The goals folder is for informational purposes only at this point (except for updating employment goals for students who exited prior to 7-1-12) so you do not need to do anything with that goal.
7. Do we need to update the Included in Survey and/or Responded to Survey check boxes when we verify the Postsecondary outcome for students in that cohort?
A: You need to update the Responded to Survey checkbox based on the instructions above. Included in Survey will be removed prior to 6-30-13 and does not need to be updated since it will be removed this year.
8. Do we need to be doing anything with the students in the employment cohort that have a SSN and are being data matched by the state?
A: If the student is being data matched, you can choose to populate the Responded to Survey box since really that box is indicating that the student has responded to survey OR was used for data match. This can be done as a batch using the "Adjust NRS Survey Data" under the New menu.
9. Do we need to do anything with the Diploma Info tab?
A: Only if you need to indicate completion of a GED or other secondary school credential and do not have the scores with which to do so through the Assessment folder.
10. Our Table 5 is showing an incorrect percentage for the Obtain a GED. I am assuming this has to do with the survey questions. Please advise where we correct this—Goals & Ach or Cohorts tab.
A: Whether you update in the Goals & Ach folder or the Cohorts tab will depend on when they exited. If it is for employment outcomes and the student exited prior to 7-1-12, use the Goals folder/goals survey option. If they exited after 7-1-12 and/or the outcome is educational, use the Cohort folder/cohort survey option. Remember that Column F should never be larger than Column D, because students cannot meet the outcomes without either responding to the survey or being used in a data match. So, the easiest way to fix this is to run the Table 5 search and then do a batch update on all the students in Column F to indicate that they have responded to the survey/were used for data match.
From All Students, go to Find>NRS Table Search>Table 5. Click on Column F for each outcome. When the results are returned, go to New>Adjust NRS Survey Data, choosing the goals or cohort option based on type of outcome and exit date, as discussed above. Indicate the Responded to Survey for the current selection and save, then run a new FY summary so that the results will populate your tables. Please let me know if you have any problems or questions on this. I am happy to walk you through it over the phone if you want.
11. If the employment status changes for a student while they are enrolled, should we change it on LACES? This is done in Work History, correct?
A: You can change it in LACES if you choose and we do recommend that you update whenever you learn new information, but remember that the Cohort will be based on status at entry when they exit, not on an updated status. The updated status will only affect the cohort if the student exits the program and returns with a different status. Yes, it is updated through the Work History folder, which can be accessed directly from the Work History folder, or via a link in the Demographics folder.
12. How can I access the training database?
A: Log onto LACES via your usual URL: https://laces.literacypro.com/NV. Choose the NV LACES Training agency instead of your own. Log in using one of the following usernames and password:
Username: nvtraining1, nvtraining2, nvtraining3, etc. up to nvtraining16
Password: password
13. What if I need more help or have more questions?
A: Please contact our technical support department at any time via the Request Form on your database’s User News page or at 1-888-714-9464. There is no additional fee for tech support, and we’re always happy to help with any LACES questions you may have, or suggestions you’d like to make.