I'm in my second year as Registrar at a private school. Is seems to me that the entire first marking period is a drop add period for students. Though we have a week of drop add at the beginning of the semester, students are able to drop an elective up through the halfway point of the first marking period when progress reports are sent home, without getting a W. And students are also able to change the level of a course (from honors to regular or vice versa) at any time during the first marking period without getting a W. This is disruptive for teachers who's class lists are constantly changing. I was just wondering how other schools handle schedule changes.

well if it was up to you I would say you have to cut down on that time you allow for add/drop. We have a strict 7 day policy, and then it is a WF on their transcript, it cuts that down alot, as well they are only allowed to go into a study hall, NO Credit and we have a strict graduation policy as well so if they do this too much NO Graduation

We have always had the same problem and no matter how firm your change dates there will always be exceptions especially when teachers suggest a level change within a subject. I have always wished that Registrar's Office would give you the option of transferring grades and attendance especially when the change is to a different level of the same subject. Good luck!

Sadly, our system has been and remains pretty much the same as yours. Last year we made the decision that for this year NO drops or adds would be allowed once the school year started (our students get their schedules in July and can make changes then). Students can move up and down the levels (Honors or Regular) throughout the first marking period, and from the very first day of school I have been making at least two schedule changes a day. It is a nuisance. Teachers get tired of changing their class rosters (they are required to keep a "paper and pencil" gradebook in addition to the electronic one) but they are the ones for the most part initiating these changes. Regarding transferring grades from one class section to another, the BB phone help desk yesterday told me that if you go into the CLASS record and use the checkboxes there and WITHDRAW (do not DROP) from the one section and then use the checkboxes to ENROLL into the new section, the grades (and I guess attendance) associated with that student will transfer to the new course section. That seems awfully labor intensive, but that's the way it works. Director of Academic Computing Services Pope John XXIII High School Sparta NJ 07871

I was under the impression ( I think I tried it) that even if you handle the transfers the way that you were told that the transferred courses STILL appeared on the transcript (and report cards) along with the credit attempted for that course which we do not want, especially, in the case of a level change. Is that not the case?

We use version 6 and when a schedule change occurs, you can either drop the course or withdraw from the course. If you don't want the course to show up on transcripts then you should use the drop option. The course literally disappears this way.

You can use the Transfer feature to move students from one section of the same course to another, and that moves all attendance records and grades also.

Yes, we use 6 also. The problem is that often we would like the option to transfer the grades and attendance to the new course which you can't when you "drop" a course. You are caught, either you lose the grades and attendance if you "drop" or you have to print the courses and attempted credit if you "transfer".

No, what I am referring to is when you have to change a student to a different level such as English 10 to English 10 Honors or vice versa. That is one course to an entirely different course. I understand transferring within the same course.

In version 6, when you use the transfer feature, the only grades that transfer are the grades currently residing in the Blackbaud Grades module. Any grades in Faculty Access (e.g. daily grades, homework, tests, etc) that have not been brought into Blackbaud Grades will be lost. Before I make a transfer or drop, I log into Faculty Access as each teacher involved, print the appropriate section grades and then make the scheduling changes.

Correct! What a pain in the neck that is to do. That's why I wish that you always had the option of transferring any grades that you wanted to and they went into the new couse in FAWEB. Sorry I got everyone off the original subject.

I don't think that the grades in FAWeb are lost. If the former teacher selects the Show Historical Information box under preferences in FAWeb, the student who has dropped the course will appear in red with all the old grades in the gradebook. So, as long as this teachers shares this information with the new teacher, you shouldn't have to print anything out. Tara Tatasciore Registrar/Math Teacher Archmere Academy Claymont DE 19801

You are right. They are not lost but SOMEONE has to share them in some form.

Thanks, I didn't know about this transfer feature! So, if a student is moving from one section of a course to another with the same teacher, and I use the transfer option, then all the grades will be moved in FAWeb also? This option is found under Edit class timetable, right? The teachers will love not having to retype the grades. Tara Tatasciore Registrar/Math Teacher Archmere Academy Claymont DE 19801

Tara, one last reply. I agree with Eleanor Dobson below. The grades are NOT transferred to a new couse or asection in FAWEB rather only those posted to Registrar's Office to different section of the same course. All I have said in any of these replies is that it would great IF you had the option and ability to transfer grades in FAWEB but the program doesn't allow this!! This would be very difficult because of differing grade setups for individual teachers. Sorry for any misunderstanding. You will have to contiune with your present method.