Overview

Historical Marking Periods help schools preserve academic information from previous academic years. By creating Historical Marking Periods, institutions can maintain access to grades, transcripts, GPA records, course completions, and other important academic data long after a marking period has ended.

Schools often use Historical Marking Periods when migrating data from another Student Information System, importing legacy records, or maintaining academic history for transcript and graduation verification purposes.

Creating Historical Marking Periods ensures that past academic records remain organized and accessible within openSIS.

Before You Begin

Before creating a Historical Marking Period, gather the following information:

• Academic Year
• Marking Period Name
• Start Date
• End Date
• Historical academic records associated with the period

It is also helpful to review institutional record retention policies to ensure consistency when importing or maintaining historical data.

When Should You Create Historical Marking Periods?

Historical Marking Periods are commonly created when:

• Migrating data from a previous SIS.
• Importing historical transcripts.
• Preserving student academic history.
• Recording completed academic years.
• Maintaining graduation records.
• Supporting long-term academic reporting.

They provide a structured framework for organizing past academic information.

How to Add a Historical Marking Period

Step 1: Navigate to Historical Marking Periods

Go to:

Settings → Grades → Historical Marking Periods

The Historical Marking Periods page displays all existing historical records.

Step 2: Click Add

Select the Add button.

A new Historical Marking Period form will open.

Step 3: Enter the Marking Period Title

In the Title field, enter a descriptive name.

Examples:

• Semester 1 2023-2024
• Semester 2 2023-2024
• Quarter 1 2022-2023
• Final Term 2021-2022

Use naming conventions that clearly identify the academic period.

Step 4: Select the Academic Year

Choose the academic year associated with the historical marking period.

Examples:

• 2023-2024
• 2022-2023
• 2021-2022

This helps organize historical records correctly.

Step 5: Enter Start and End Dates

Specify the dates during which the marking period occurred.

Example:

Accurate dates help maintain the integrity of academic records.

Step 6: Save

Click Save.

The Historical Marking Period is created and becomes available for associating historical academic records.

Example Historical Structure

A school may maintain the following records:

This structure allows schools to preserve multiple years of academic history.

Common Use Cases

SIS Data Migration

Schools moving from another SIS often create Historical Marking Periods to organize imported records.

Transcript Imports

Historical transcript data can be associated with the appropriate marking periods.

Graduation Verification

Past coursework and GPA records can be maintained for graduation audits.

Alumni Records

Former student records remain available for future requests and reporting.

Best Practices

Use Consistent Naming Conventions

Maintain a standard naming structure across all historical periods.

Verify Academic Years

Ensure marking periods are associated with the correct school year.

Confirm Dates

Review start and end dates before saving.

Preserve Historical Accuracy

Historical records should reflect actual academic timelines.

Organize Data Before Migration

When importing records from another system, prepare historical structures before importing academic data.

Common Questions

Can I create multiple Historical Marking Periods?

Yes. Schools typically create multiple historical periods to represent previous academic years.

Are Historical Marking Periods used for current grading?

No. They are primarily used for maintaining and referencing past academic records.

Can historical transcript data be associated with these periods?

Yes. Historical Marking Periods help organize transcript and academic record information.

Do I need Historical Marking Periods for every previous year?

That depends on your institution's record retention policies and reporting requirements.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using inconsistent naming conventions.
• Assigning incorrect academic years.
• Entering inaccurate dates.
• Importing historical data without creating historical periods first.
• Creating duplicate historical marking periods.

Maintaining accurate Historical Marking Periods helps ensure reliable academic records and transcript reporting.