Consider the following settings enabled via Setup > System Preferences > Scheduling tab:

Course Catalog Course Num Length: This setting dictates the number of characters that Focus considers when matching grade records to compute semester and full-year schools.

Max Course Num Length: This setting allows administrators to define the maximum number of characters that course numbers can have within the Course Catalog or Courses & Sections module. This setting plays a crucial role in various functionalities within the Focus system.

Firstly, it influences how Focus combines grades for report cards. When determining how to aggregate grades for report cards, Focus considers the length of course numbers. By specifying the maximum course number length, administrators ensure that report cards accurately consolidate grades for courses with different lengths of course numbers.

Secondly, the course number length is also considered for other purposes, such as generating the Graduation Requirements Report. When courses have course numbers exceeding the specified maximum length, this setting helps Focus appropriately handle such cases when determining graduation requirements for students.

Allow extra characters on the course number: The setting provides administrators with the option to enable the addition of extra characters to course numbers beyond the standard length. When this setting is enabled, Focus permits the inclusion of extra characters in course numbers, up to the maximum course number length defined previously.

Course History Grades Default Term: This setting provides administrators with the ability to designate a default marking period for the "Course History Term" field on sections within the Courses & Sections module. This setting serves as a fallback option when either the Course Catalog feature is not enabled or when the "Course History Term" field is left empty in the Course Catalog.

Set the Course History Term Equal to the Section Marking Period: When this preference is enabled, the Course History Term field is removed from Courses & Sections, Master Schedule Report, and Course Catalog. The marking period set on the section in Courses & Sections or the Master Schedule Report determines the course history term.

Use Credit Hours: This setting adds the "Credit Hours" field to the Course Catalog, Master Schedule Report, and Courses & Sections. When Credit Hours is enabled for a course/section, the hourly attendance preference will be ignored, and teachers will be prompted to enter period attendance. When enabled, two new columns are added to the student's Grades Screen/Course History, called "Credit Hours Attempted" and "Credit Hours Earned." When a grade is posted, the Credit Hours assigned at the course/section will populate with the posted grade. A passing grade is defined in the grading scale setup screen by the Gives Credit flag.

Display converted certification codes in Course Catalog: This setting provides administrators with the option to include converted certification codes in the Course Catalog interface. When enabled, administrators can enable the display of converted certification codes within the Course Catalog.

When this setting is enabled, the Course Catalog interface will populate and showcase the converted certification codes alongside other relevant course information. These converted certification codes may represent qualifications, certifications, or credentials associated with specific courses.

Consider the following settings enabled via Setup > System Preferences > Grading tab:

Weight GPA by Credits: This setting provides administrators with the option to calculate Grade Point Average (GPA) using the credit value assigned to each course. When enabled, administrators enable the system to factor in the credit value of courses when calculating GPA.

When this preference is enabled, the system calculates GPA by considering the credit value of each course. This means that courses with higher credit values contribute more significantly to the GPA calculation compared to courses with lower credit values. This calculation method applies not only to individual student GPAs but also to GPAs calculated through the "Calculate Class Rank and GPA" scheduled job.

Additionally, enabling this preference results in the inclusion of the "Credits" column on the Student Schedule screen and on printed schedules from the Print Student Schedules screen. These columns display the attempted credits for each course, providing students and administrators with clear visibility into the credit values associated with scheduled courses.

Conversely, if this preference is disabled and a course is added to a student's schedule that already exists in the student's Course History but without any credits awarded, a warning message appears. The warning message alerts administrators to the potential for a course retake and prompts them to verify the reason before rescheduling the class. Administrators have the option to disable this warning for specific courses using the "Exclude from Schedule Warning" option in the Course Catalog.

Consider the following information as it pertains to Courses & Sections:

Course Addition with Course Catalog Enabled: If the Course Catalog feature is enabled within the school's system, new courses may only be added if they are found in the Course Catalog. This means that administrators or faculty members can select from the pre-existing list of courses available in the Course Catalog to add them to the school's offerings. This approach ensures adherence to district-approved courses and maintains consistency with established curriculum standards.

Course Addition without Course Catalog Enabled: In contrast, if the Course Catalog feature is not enabled, administrators have the flexibility to add any courses they deem appropriate, regardless of whether they are listed in a centralized Course Catalog. Without the constraints of the Course Catalog, administrators can introduce new courses based on various factors such as student needs, educational trends, or specific program requirements. This allows for greater autonomy in course selection and curriculum development.

Entering the Course Number: To input the Course Number, if the Course Catalog feature is activated, the Course Number field will appear in red and remain so until a valid course number is provided. Click on the desired course or input the complete course number.

Character Limit: The course number can be up to 50 characters long. If the "Max Course Num Length" system preference is configured, the Course Number field will restrict the number of characters allowed based on this preference.

Course Title: Once a valid Course Number is entered into the Course Number field, the corresponding Title field will automatically populate. This auto-population is based on the Course Title defined in the Course Catalog. The system retrieves the Course Title associated with the entered Course Number, providing users with accurate and consistent information.

Course Fields: Course fields specified in the Course Catalog will automatically fill in and remain unalterable. However, if a value is not assigned in the Course Catalog, the field will be editable.

Course Length: If the Course Length is not specified in the Course Catalog, it will default to "Automatic." This attribute is crucial for Requests Reports. If no sections are built when requests are entered, courses with a Course Length set to "Automatic" are regarded as 1 unit when tallying requests. For courses with a half-unit designation, such as Economics, the Course Length should be adjusted to 0.50 - Semester.

Section Fields: Section fields specified in the Course Catalog will automatically populate and remain uneditable. However, if a value is not assigned in the Course Catalog, the field will be editable.

Locking down fields in the Course Catalog refers to restricting access to editing or modifying course details once they have been finalized or set in the catalog. On the other hand, not setting specific fields in the Course Catalog allows ongoing changes and updates to course information at a school level. For example, if you set/select the Grading Scale for a course in the catalog, the field cannot be edited in Courses & Sections; the field is locked down.

See the image below to see how setting or making a selection for Grade Posting Scheme locks the field in all other areas of Focus, such as Courses & Sections. Whereas, the Course History Term has not been set/locked.

The Grading Posting Scheme is set to Default and is uneditable at the Section level for 2-D Studio Art 2. Whereas, the Course History Term is editable.

Pros of Locking Down the Course Catalog:

• Locking down fields ensures consistency and stability in course details, preventing unauthorized changes that could lead to confusion among students and faculty.
• It helps maintain compliance with regulatory requirements and ensures standardization across courses, particularly in areas such as grading scales, prerequisites, and credit hours.
• By limiting access to editing, there's a reduced risk of inadvertent errors or inaccuracies being introduced into Courses & Sections.

Cons of Locking Down the Course Catalog:

• Locking down fields restricts the ability to make immediate adjustments in response to changing educational needs or curriculum requirements.
• Unlocking and re-setting fields when updates are necessary can be time-consuming and will require administrative oversight.
• It may discourage innovation and experimentation in curriculum development as educators may feel constrained by static course details.

Pros of Not Locking Down the Course Catalog:

• Allowing ongoing changes and updates enables institutions to quickly adapt to changing educational needs and emerging trends in curriculum development.
• Errors or inaccuracies in course details can be promptly corrected, ensuring that students have access to the most accurate and up-to-date information.
• It promotes collaboration among faculty and administrators in continuously improving and refining the curriculum to better meet the needs of students.

Cons of Not Locking Down the Course Catalog:

• Frequent modifications increase the risk of errors or inconsistencies in course information, requiring vigilant oversight and review processes.
• Without proper governance and controls, unchecked modifications may result in chaos or confusion, impacting academic planning and student enrollment processes.

Ultimately, the decision to lock down or not lock down the Course Catalog depends on the balance between the need for stability and the desire for flexibility in curriculum management, as well as the institutional culture and governance mechanisms in place.

Adding courses as inactive allows them to be stored within the system without being actively included in processes such as student enrollment or scheduling. However, by being inactive, these courses can still be manually accessed and added to the student grades screen when necessary, such as Final Grades, GPA, & Class Rank and/or Course History.

To add an inactive course, leave the Active check box unchecked upon adding new courses.

Here are some key impacts of adding courses as inactive for manual addition to the student grades screen:

• Inactive courses are stored within the system, maintaining a comprehensive record of all available courses. This helps with organization and ensures that historical course data is retained for future reference.
• By having inactive courses available in the system, administrators or educators have the flexibility to manually add them to the student grades screen when needed. This is particularly useful for accommodating unique situations or exceptional circumstances where students may need to be graded for courses that are not currently active.
• Including inactive courses in the system ensures that student grade records remain accurate and complete. Even if a course is not currently active, its historical grades can still be entered and maintained within the system for accurate academic records.
• This approach allows educational institutions to adhere to policies or regulations that require comprehensive tracking of student grades and course history, even for courses that are not currently active.
• Keeping inactive courses accessible for manual addition to the student grades screen promotes transparency and accountability in grading practices. Educators can accurately record student performance for all courses, regardless of their active status.

To navigate through multiple pages of courses in the catalog, click the Prev and Next buttons. Alternatively, you can enter a page number into the Page text box to jump directly to a specific page.

Click the Excel icon in the Export section to export the table of data to an Excel spreadsheet, which can then be saved to your computer.

Click the Printer icon to print the table of data.

Click the Filters button to filter data and apply filter rules.

a. To add more than one filter to a column, click on the green plus sign.

b. To delete an added filter, click on the red minus sign.

c. Select the gray arrow for additional filtering rules.

You can also sort data by clicking on any of the headers. Click once for ascending results; click twice for descending results. In the image displayed, results have been sorted by clicking the Course Title twice.

Click Toggle Columns to customize the columns displayed.

a. Clear the selected check boxes to remove the columns from the catalog. Select the check box again to display the column.

b. Click the X to close the pop-up window and view your changes.

The Page Size displays the total number of records displayed per page; the default is 20 records. To change the number of records displayed per page, enter the Page Size in the provided text box.