PRPS AR Users Guide

PRPS AR Users Guide

Installing AR *

Access Levels and Passwords *

Administrator access *

Administrator password *

Adding Students *

Network Version of AR. *

Manually *

Importing Into AR *

Exporting Student Information *

School Year, Marking Periods *

Network Version *

School Year *

Data Doctor *

Backing up or Saving your data *

Year-end Checklist *

Beginning of New School Year *

Promoting Students *

Go to STAR Reading Management *

ATOS *

Installing Reading Practice Quizzes and Literacy Skills Tests *

Maximizing AR *

Goal-Setting *

Reports *

Modeling *

Installing AR
Stand alone installation

Follow the directions in the installation guide that came with the software.

Network installation

Follow the directions in the installation guide.

Make sure you point the data location in Preferences to the proper network volume location. (If you don’t know where this is call the Technology Group).

Access Levels and Passwords
Administrator access

If you are using AR on a Network, you will need to limit access to the main database by setting up Administrator access. To insure the security and integrity of the data in the database, Administrator access must be limited to the following users:

Site Reading Renaissance (RR) Coordinator
Site Reading Specialist
Site Computer Lab Technician (if applicable)
Pertinent Technology Group Staff
District RR Coordinator (Shauna Udell)

All others will have Classroom access privileges.

Administrator password

The Administrator password will be assigned to each site. This will be the same password for STAR if you are using both on a Network. This password will not be given to any individuals not listed above. Should the password need to be changed, the Site RR Coordinator will contact the District RR Coordinator. The District RR Coordinator will relay any changes to the other District personnel. The Site RR Coordinator will relay changes to other site personnel.

Adding Students

If you are using a Network Version of AR, your students will be added when you add to STAR. However, you will have to enroll them into their respective classes.

Manually

See page 3-3 in AR manual.

For the ID field use the students Permanent Identification Number from Aeries.

Importing Into AR

Sneaker net the downloaded disk to computer(s) to import information to.

Open AR Management
Make sure you have already added all classes
Select School

Select Student

Put disk in your disk drive.
Select Student

Select Import

Follow direction in AR.
When asked if you want to enroll be sure to select yes enroll this student and all other students I add at this time

Select enroll the students in an existing class

Select the class
Finish

Exporting Student Information

Should a student leave your school to attend another school in our district, export their records and send to the new school.

Follow the directions in the AR manual page 3-16 and be cognizant of the following:

If you are on a Macintosh format, use PC Exchange and a PC disk. This way schools that have PC format will be able to import information.
New school will send a confirmation to old school after successfully importing student records.
Do not delete student’s records until you have received confirmation from new school that they have successfully imported student’s records.
If you are out of Student Capacity and have not received confirmation from the new school, unenroll the student(s) that have left. Their records will remain intact and this will allow you additional student capacity.

School Year, Marking Periods

If you are using a Network for both STAR and AR then your School Year and Marking Periods will be the same as STAR.

Network Version

School Year

Use first student day and last student day.

Data Doctor

Run the Data Doctor once every marking period to keep your AR Reading software running efficiently. (See AR manual page 10-2). This should be done either before or after your marking period testing, not during. Be sure to have your AR data saved in another location, like a zip disk, before running the Data Doctor.

Data Doctor Password

Make this the same as your Administrator password.

Backing up or Saving your data

It is recommended that you back up to a ZIP drive. Make sure the ZIP drive is then kept in a secure location and preferably off-site.

Year-end Checklist

At the end of the school year, please do the following:

Back up data to zip disk and save in a secure place.
Run Data Doctor.
Elementary Schools need to create an export file of your 5^th grade students to send to appropriate Middle School.

Export disk should be sent to the Site Reading Renaissance Coordinator.

Do not delete students until you have received confirmation from the new school.

Middle Schools need to create an export file of your 8^th grade students to send to the High School.

Export disk should be sent to

Do not delete students until the beginning of the new school year.

Beginning of New School Year

At the beginning of the school year, please do the following:

Set school year and marking periods.
Promote students.

Elementary school should promote 6^th graders, but do not delete until you have received confirmation from the Middle School.

Request data on any transferred students from previous school.
Import any transferred student data.

Import regular school year data first and summer school data second.

Unenroll all students from previous class.
Update Teacher and class information as needed.
Enroll students in new classes.
Delete students who have left your school once you have received confirmation from new school.

Promoting Students

Go to STAR Reading Management

Go to School

Select the Students menu at the top
Select Promote

Follow the Student Promotion Wizard

ATOS

If you are running version 5.12 or higher you will need to update your existing database of titles to the new readability levels, which are called ATOS. To insure a consistency across the district, please switch to ATOS by August 2001.

Installing Reading Practice Quizzes and Literacy Skills Tests

Follow the directions in your AR manual page 5-3.

If you are using a Network version, you will only need to install the tests one time.

Maximizing AR
Goal-Setting

One important aspect of reading motivation is the setting of goals. Setting individualized student achievement goals allow you to tailor program expectations to each student’s ability. By helping the student set achievable goals, you allow every student in the Reading Renaissance program to feel a sense of success and accomplishment.

After STAR testing for each Marking Period, the teacher will complete an individual student-reading plan for each student (a goal-setting chart and blank Student Reading Plan are included). An updated or new reading plan should be completed at each Marking Period. It is a really good idea to share these plans at Parent Conferences.

Reports

Teachers will run a weekly Diagnostic report and identify students who are at-risk.
Teachers will run a monthly Diagnostic Report and submit it to the Site Reading Specialist and Principal.
The Site Principal and Reading Specialist will review monthly Diagnostic Reports and confer with classroom teachers about at-risk students.

Modeling

All staff will be encouraged to model a lifelong love of reading by participating in the Reading Renaissance program. Staff members should select books from the school library, read them, test on them and display their individual TOPS Report for students to see. This proves to be not only highly motivational for the students but opens up communication between students and staff as well.