Add a Course Section
To create a Course Section, navigate to the Course. Click on the + Add New Course Section button.
We will describe the form by part. Let's start with the top portion.
By default, the Active toggle button will be turned on. You can turn it off if you are not ready to publish the Course Section and it won't show on the course catalog.
Fill out the Course Section Name. This is a mandatory field.
Select the School Calendar that will be associated with the course section.
Select a Grade Scale. You can select "not graded" if the course is not graded. Select "numeric" if a numeric grade will be given. Select the school's grade scale if a letter grade will be given. It will list the available grade scales the school has. You can also select "allow teacher's own grade scale" which means that the teacher will create his own grade scale and the course will bypass the school grade scale.
Fill out the Credit Hours field. If the credit hours were entered in the course level, then the course section will inherit it and display it here. You can edit it if required.
Enter the number of Seats for the section. Remember the sets must be equal to or less than the classroom that will be assigned to it later in the form.
Select an Attendance Category. Usually, most schools will have only one to choose from.
The Course Section switches are explained below.
Allow Student Conflict enables scheduling of a student into multiple course sections running at the same day, time and room. All conflicts will be ignored.
Allow Teacher Conflict enables scheduling of a teacher into multiple course sections running at the same day, time and room. All conflicts will be ignored.
Allow Room Conflict enables scheduling of multiple course sections running at the same day, time in the same room. Conflicts will be ignored.
Course is Weighted - when turned on, will make the system look for the weighted grade scale values for calculating GPA and CGPA. It is usually used for AP (Advanced Placement) classes in high schools that carry more weight than a normal course.
Affects Class Rank - when selected, will calculate and rank students in the class.
Affects Honor Roll - when turned on, will contribute the grade towards the calculation of honor roll. You should setup the honor roll first by navigating to Settings->Grades->Honor Roll.
Use Standards - when turned on, will allow you to enter US Common Core standards or school-specific standards for the course. You have to create the standards ahead of the time by navigating to Settings->Grades->Standards Based Grades.
Virtual Class - when turned on, the system will not require you to enter Schedule Type, Room, Period, and Meeting Days.
Online Meeting Link - when turned on, this will allow you to enter the web address (link) of the live meeting and its password if required).
Duration of a course section can either follow a marking period or occur on a custom date range.
If the course section occurs during a pre-set marking period, then select the value from the drop-down. If it occurs in a custom date range, then select the start and end date from the date picker.
The custom date range allows trade schools to start and end a course within any date range without having to setup marking periods.
Let's discuss the Schedule Type. There are several options.
Fixed Schedule - this option is used when a course section occurs one or more days (in a week) during the same period (time) and in the same room. Select the Room, Period, Meeting Days and turn on Take Attendance switch if the teacher marks attendance for the class.
Variable Schedule - this option is used when a course section occurs in different periods and rooms in different days of the week. Select Day (meeting day), Period, Room and turn on Take Attendance switch if the teacher marks attendance for the class.
Enter by Calendar Days - this option is used when a course section does not follow any pattern and is totally random or dependent of demand and teacher availability. This is recorded in openSIS like users add meetings to their calendars. Open the calendar and click on any work-day. The Add Class modal will open up. Enter Period, Room and turn on Take Attendance switch if the teacher marks attendance for the class. Finally Submit the form and the system will create the course section occurrences for those dates.
Block/Rotating Schedule - The rotating block schedule is designed to maximize time, resources, and relationships. Students have more opportunities over their four years at high school to engage in a greater variety of learning opportunities or concentrate on areas of their interests.
This type of schedule provides students with the responsibility to enhance their high school experience by engaging these enriching opportunities unavailable in the traditional schedule.
The student goes to every class every day, usually in the same order, but classes meet at a different period each day. For example, a class that meets first period on Monday will meet second period on Tuesday; Monday's second period meets at third period on Tuesday; etc.
To setup Block/Rotating schedule, the school admin must first define the block days in the Settings -> School->Periods setup. In this example given below, there are three rotation days defined by A Day, B Day, and C Day. Each day must have its own periods with start and end times defined.
Once that is set, then in the Course Section, select the Block/Rotating Schedule option and enter the Block/Rotation Day, Period, and Room information. If the teachers takes attendance, turn on the Take Attendance switch.
Lastly, open up the calendar associated with the course and mark the rotation days. The school days will have a single select drop down option. In this example, the school uses A Day, B Day, and C Day that rotates each school day for the length of the term.
You can have unlimited such rotation days in openSIS.
Related Articles
View and Print Course Catalog
Course catalog can be viewed and printed under courses. Navigate to Menu >> Course >> Course Catalog You can filter the course catalog by Marking Period, Subject, Course or Grade Level. Keeping the default value of "All" will display the course ...Approving or Rejecting Student Course/Course Section Requests
In educational institutions, managing student course requests is an essential task for ensuring that students are placed in appropriate courses and sections according to their needs and preferences. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how ...Add a Course
You can create a Course from the quick create feature in the upper right-hand corner as well as navigate to the course manager menu on the sidebar. To create a new course click on '+ Add New Course' A data entry form will open where you need to fill: ...How to Enter a Course Enrollment Request for a Specific Course Section on Behalf of Students
Managing course section enrollment requests for students can be a straightforward process when you know the steps involved. This guide will walk you through the process of entering a course section enrollment request on behalf of students, ensuring a ...How to Enter a Course Enrollment Request on Behalf of Students
Course enrollment is a critical process in managing a student's academic journey. Whether you're a school administrator, counselor, or teacher, it's essential to know how to request course enrollments for students efficiently. This step-by-step guide ...