Setup
The Event System Setup screen is used to configure the programs to be used within the SSS module and configure how each program functions.
The settings on this tab drive which programs appear on the Manage Student screen and how the program tabs look.
1. In the menu, click SSS. Then click Setup.
The Programs tab is displayed.
2. Enter the Full Name for the program.
3. Enter a Short Name.
Short names for each program must be unique. Districts have the option to rename a program, but not the short name. For example, the MTSS program can be renamed "Academic PMP," but the short name is disabled and cannot be edited.
4. Enter a Primary Color for the tab to display.
5. Enter a Secondary Color. (Optional)
The secondary color will display when the user hovers over the program tab.
6. Select the Display on Manage Student check box to display the new program on the Manage Student screen.
7. Enter a Sort Order for where the program will display on the Manage Student screen.
8. The Display Active Events, Display Locked Events, Display Inactive Events, and Display Archived Files check boxes control whether the Active Events, Locked Events, Inactive Events, and Archived Files tabs display for the program on the Manage Student screen. Select the appropriate options.
Archived Files requires an Archive folder in the config file for access to files from a legacy system, and for the "Archive Catalogue Options" option to be used in SSS > General.
9. Press Enter to save the program.
Each event is associated with one program, which is assigned in the Category column. Events in one program generally don’t interact with events in another program and each event should have a unique name. The IEP is an example of an event.
Once an event has been created, profile permissions to the event must be set in SSS > User Profile Permissions, including the profile that created the event.
1. Click the Events tab.
2. Enter the Name of the event.
3. Select the Category or program where the event will be housed.
4. Enter the Max Concurrent or number of instances of an event that can be active at one time ( -1 = unlimited instances).
5. Enter the Max Total or the total number of active and inactive (locked) instances of an event (-1 = unlimited instances).
The most common settings is -1, as this keeps a historical record of the event.
Concurrent and total events apply to the individual student record and not the program totals.
6. If your district is using the Document Management add-on module, select an Academic Record Category to include the event forms on the Uploaded Files screen for the student once the event is locked. If the event is later unlocked, the forms will be removed from the Uploaded Files screen.
The Academic Record Category options (Category A and Category B) are defined by the Florida Department of Education ruling 1b-24.003 Ref-10357 GS7 on records retention.
7. If desired, enter an Alternate Title.
When an Alternate Title is populated, the alternate title will be used as the event name throughout SSS wherever the original event name had been previously displayed.
8. Select Auto-Image if users should be able to send a PDF of the event's forms to a remote server.
Users with the "Auto-Image" system permission set to allow in SSS > User Profile Permissions will have access to the Image button on locked events. The SFTP information for the server must be set up in SSS > General in the Document Upload Integration setting. Clicking the Image button on the event in the Locked Events tab of Manage Student will generate a PDF with all of the event's forms and place it on the server. The event's file name will be: {student ID}_{focus SSS program}_{event name}.pdf.
- {student_id} - the Focus student ID
- {focus SSS program} - any SSS program, e.g. ESE, Section 504, Gifted Program
- {event name} - name of the SSS event
- File name example: auto-image IEP Event for student 123456789 = 123456789_ESE_ IEP Event.pdf
9. Select Allow No Forms to allow the user to select the "Don't Include Forms" option on the Manage Student screen when initiating the event for a student.
When "Allow No Forms" is not selected for an event, the form options are hidden on the Manage Student screen, and the forms are automatically included when the event is initiated for the student.
10. Select Publish to Parent Portal to allow documents from the event to be published to the Parent Portal.
When an event that has the “Publish to Parent Portal” option enabled is locked, the user is asked “Do you want to publish to parent's portal?“ If the user clicks Cancel, the event is locked, but the document is not published to the Parent Portal. If the user clicks Yes, the event is locked and the following occurs:
- The parent receives an alert in the Alerts box on the Parent Portal: “A Student Service document (event name) has been published for your review for your student (student name).”
- Clicking the alert opens the Reports tab in the student block on the Portal. The document is displayed in the Student Services section of the Reports tab. It includes the link to the document, the Date Published (when the event was locked), and the Date Viewed (when the parent last viewed the linked document).
- Clicking the document link opens a PDF of the event forms in a new tab. The alert is removed from the Alerts block once the parent opens the document.
- If a user unlocks the event, or deletes the event, the alert and document is removed from the Parent Portal.
11. Select Hide in Event Creation to hide the event from the Event pull-down in Manage Student until a trigger creates the event.
12. To use a custom name format for PDFs generated from this event, define the file naming structure in the Image Name Format field.
The following variables can be used in the name:
- {student_id} - adds the student ID
- {program_name} - adds the name of the program the event belongs to
- {event_name} - adds the name of the event
- {id} - adds the ID of the event instance
- {standard_file_name} - A shorthand for the default file name, minus the file extension. This is equivalent to {student_id}_{program_name}_{event_name}
- In addition, form fields can be added by including the fields name in curly braces, for example {iep_plandate}.
- If no file name is specified, the default name is used. If a custom name is specified, the file extension .pdf much be included at the end.
13. Press Enter to save the event.
To allow an event in a custom program to be available in Bulk PMP Triggers, enter [pmp] in the Tag column for the event.
The steps are the forms that are associated with each specific event. These steps are generally created via a form that is built with Form Builder and tagged for the SSS module. Steps do not require unique names, but it is recommended since steps with identical names are difficult to distinguish when it is time to create the sequences (order of steps) for an event. The same step (form) can be associated with different events within a program, e.g. a step (form) called “Meeting Purpose” can be associated with the IEP and Amendment Agreement events within the ESE program (category).
1. Click the Steps tab.
2. Enter the Step Name.
3. The Custom Route is a path to scripts which handle the display and saving of a custom screen, such as Supplements, Meeting Minutes, Goals & Objectives, etc. These are built with code and not with the Form Builder. The Custom Route allows the user to see the form and complete and save the form when it is opened on the Manage Student screen. This column is Maintained by Focus.
The custom screens for IEP Accommodations, Schedule of Services, IEP Goals & Objectives, IEP Goals Progress Report, Minutes, and the PMP use special routes: “sss/accommodations”, “sss/services”, “sss/goal-builder”, “sss/progress-monitoring/view”, “sss/minutes”, and "sss/pmp/view" respectively IN ADDITION TO Class.
4. The Class handles various operations that may require additional customization depending on the needs of the step's implementation. This is primarily only used with the custom screens used with custom route. This column is Maintained by Focus.
5. Select Hide on Step List if the associated form should not be filled out electronically but still be available when printing the forms for the event.
6. Select Hide on Print List if the step should not print.
7. Press Enter to save changes.
To set up the Academic PMP functionality, a step must be added with the Custom Route as sss/pmp/view/academic and the Class as Focus\Sped\Controller\Iep\PMPController.
To set up the Behavior PMP functionality, a step must be added with the Custom Route as sss/pmp/view/behavior and the Class as Focus\Sped\Controller\Iep\PMPController.
Sequences link a series of steps in an event and the forms associated with each step. Since many steps may appear multiple times across multiple events, use of an intermediate table reduces the need for duplicated data. This tab is also used to define the order in which the steps of an event will display on the Manage Student event screen when the event is opened. The sequence should be set up prior to creating event and/or form triggers.
1. Click the Sequences tab.
2. Select the Event.
3. Select the Step.
4. Select the Form for the step.
If the district has created its own form to use instead of the default Focus form for a specific step, select the district form.
If the step will use a custom screen such as Meeting Minutes, Supplements, PMP, Goals & Objectives, etc. be sure to leave the Form field set to N/A.
5. Enter an Alternate Step Title, if desired. This can be done on both custom forms and Focus forms.
When an Alternate Step Title is populated, it will display throughout SSS instead of the original step title in that sequence.
6. Select Cloneable for each sequence of the event that can be copied to another instance of the event (Optional).
7. Identify the Sort Order in which the step will appear within the event.
8. Select Required if this step/form must be completed in order to lock the event.
9. Leave Default selected in the Step Header and Step Footer pull-downs to display the header and footer associated with the form on that step (if any).
If needed, select a different option for the Step Header and Step Footer. The selected header and footer will display on the form instead of the header and footer associated with that form. Selecting None will display nothing as the header or footer.
10. Press Enter to save changes.
To set up the Academic PMP and Behavior PMP functionality, the steps that were created must be added to the appropriate event, such as the MTSS Progress Monitoring Plan.
The primary purpose of the Forms tab is to designate a form as a supplement for one or multiple programs or events. A step called "Supplement" must first be created for the program (ESE, ELL, 504, etc.) or the specific event before a form can be designated as a supplement. Creating a Supplements step requires a Custom Route and Custom Class to be entered on the Steps tab. Districts may need to work with Focus when creating Supplements steps.
1. Click the Forms tab.
2. Select the Form Name to be added as a supplement.
3. Select the Max Supplemental Instances or number of times the form can be used as a supplement. Enter either -1 for unlimited or enter a specific positive integer.
The instances refer to a single student and not the program total.
4. Click in the Tags field.
5. Add a tag of what program or event the supplement will be tied to and click Confirm. Tags must match what was created for the supplements step for that program or event.
A form can be used as a supplement for multiple programs or events but each must be on its own line.
6. Press Enter to save changes.
Event triggers are what should happen once a specific condition of an event has been met. Districts should work with Focus when creating event triggers.
1. Click the Event Triggers tab.
2. Select the Event that will have the trigger.
3. Select the Primary Condition for the event.
4. Identify the Order.
Set to 0 if there is only 1 trigger; if multiple triggers for the same event, use an integer to assign the order the triggers should run.
5. Select the Action of the event that will happen when the identified condition is met.
The "Execute SQL" action now supports multi-select fields, such as checkbox groups and multi-select pull-downs.
6. The selected Action will determine what to enter in the Parameters field. Hover over the green ellipsis for directions. Parameters must be entered one per line.
7. Press Enter to save changes.
Form triggers are what actions should be triggered when specific fields on a form are completed, selected or answered in a specific way, such as Yes or No. Fields on forms need to have a unique name before a form trigger can be set up. Districts should work with Focus when creating form triggers.
1. Click the Form Triggers tab.
2. Select the Form to add the trigger to.
3. Select the Field on the form that will generate the trigger.
4. Enter the Condition. This is the logic that will activate the trigger.
It is best to work with Focus when creating form triggers due to the varying dependencies between the condition, the order, the selected action, and the parameters.
5. Identify the Order of the trigger.
The order will depend upon how many conditions are being set on the individual field for the same action to occur.
6. Select the Action that will take place when the condition has been met.
The "Execute SQL" action now supports multi-select fields, such as checkbox groups and multi-select pull-downs.
7. Based on the selected action, enter the Parameters. Each parameter must be entered on a separate line.
Hover over the green ellipsis for a description of the requirements.
8. Press Enter to save changes.
The Progress Codes table is used for entering and setting the codes used on the IEP Goals Progress Report.
1. Click the Progress Codes tab.
2. Select the Enabled check box to make the code active in the Progress Monitoring Report.
3. Enter the Code.
4. Enter a Description of the code.
5. Press Enter to save changes.
6. Repeat for all codes that will be used when Progress Monitoring.
Remove the Enabled check box for any default Focus codes that are not being used.
The Accommodation Categories tab is used to create the categories for accommodations that display in the IEP. These categories can also be used with district-created Gifted Plans, 504 plans and/or Service Plans. Districts can delete, rename and/or re-sort the existing categories as well as create new categories.
Existing categories are those that are allowed on Florida Statewide Assessments.
1. Click the Accommodation Categories tab.
2. To add a new category, enter the Title and Sort Order in the blank row at the top of the table. The Active check box is automatically selected. Deselect the check box if the category should not be active.
3. Press Enter to add the row.
The Accommodation Options tab is used to set up the accommodation options users will see in the drop-downs for each category on the Accommodations screen. The Short Description is what the user sees and selects while the Long Description is what will print when the Accommodations are printed.
Existing accommodations are those that are allowed on Florida Statewide Assessments.
1. Click the Accommodation Options tab.
2. To add a new option, select the Category in the blank row at the top of the table. The categories available for selection are set up in the Accommodation Categories tab.
3. Select Receives State Funding if applicable.
4. Enter the Short Description and Long Description. The Short Description is what the user sees and selects while the Long Description is what will print when the Accommodations are printed.
5. Press Enter to add the row.
The Alert Triggers tab is used to set up notification emails and Portal alerts for specific users, profiles, and schools, triggered by particular steps or field values on forms.
1. Click the Alert Triggers tab.
2. In the blank row at the top of the table, select the Form.
3. If the trigger is based on a particular value for a field in the form, select the Field. If the trigger is based on form completion, leave the Field pull-down blank.
4. If a field was selected in the previous step, enter the Condition/Value that will trigger the alert.
Enter "is null" or "is not null" to create a trigger based on the field's null status.
If the field is a select multiple, and the end user selects more than one option in the pull-down, the alert will trigger based on the first option listed in the pull-down.
5. If the alert should display for particular users, select the Users in the pull-down. One or multiple can be selected.
6. If the alert should display for particular profiles, select the Profiles in the pull-down. One or multiple can be selected.
Alerts must be set up on separate lines if an individual user and a profile group are to receive the same alert.
7. If the alert should display only for users or profiles at particular schools, select the Schools in the pull-down. One or multiple can be selected.
8. To send a notification email to the users/profiles, select Send Notification Email.
In Users > Profiles, users must also have the profile permission "Receive Emails" enabled beneath Alerts in order to receive a notification email.
9. Enter the text that will display in the notification email or when the Portal alert is clicked in the Send Notification Message field.
10. To include the student's name in the alert email, along with the student ID, select Include Student Name in Email. When the check box is not selected, only the student ID is displayed in the alert email.
11. To display a Portal alert to the users/profiles, select Send Portal Alert.
12. Press Enter to add the row.
When a form triggers an alert, locking the associated event does not re-trigger the alert.
The Providers tab is used to define the list of school-based providers of services. The providers set up in this tab, along with the services set up in the Services tab, are used in the Caseload & Services module to allow teachers and service providers to individually document the services, accommodations, and modifications they provide to students.
1. Click the Providers tab.
2. In the blank row at the top of the table, enter the Title of the provider.
The Active check box is automatically selected. To make a provider inactive, deselect the check box.
3. Press Enter to add the row.
4. Continue adding providers as needed.
The Services tab is used to define the list of services, accommodations, and modifications provided to students. The services set up in this tab, along with the providers set up in the Providers tab, are used in the Caseload & Services module to allow teachers and service providers to individually document the services, accommodations, and modifications provided to students.
Currently, only non-Medicaid billable services, such as the provision of classroom/testing accommodations or modifications, are documented in this setup. Districts should continue to use their current program(s) for documenting and submitting Medicaid-billable services, such as Speech/Language Therapy.
When the setting "Caseload & Service Billing Columns - Remove Type & Product List columns in the services tab" is enabled in SSS > General, the Type and Product List Item columns are removed from the Services tab.
1. Click the Services tab.
2. In the blank row at the top of the table, enter the Code. Any alphanumeric value can be entered.
The Active check box is automatically selected. To make a service inactive and unavailable to users, deselect the check box.
3. For the current functionality, enter the same code in the ICD10 Code field.
4. Enter the Title of the service. This is the description of the service/accommodation/modification.
5. In the Provider pull-down, select one or multiple providers who can provide this service/accommodation/modification.
This pull-down is populated based on the providers set up in the Providers tab.
6. In the Type pull-down, select whether the service is a Group Service only, Individual Service only, or Both (Individual & Group Service).
When adding a service to an individual student in Caseload & Services, only services marked as "Individual Service only" or "Both (Individual & Group Service)" are available for selection. When adding a service to a group of students, only the services marked as "Group Service only" and "Both (Individual & Group Service) are available for selection.
7. To bill students for a service, select an item in the Product List pull-down.
Active items from the Internal Accounts Product List in ERP are available for selection. When an item is attached to the service, the student can be billed for the service from the Service Billing tab in Caseload & Services.
8. Press Enter to add the row.
9. Continue adding services as needed.
The Hypotheses tab is used to set up the drop-down options for the Hypothesis field on the Academic and Behavior PMP.
The fields used on the Academic and Behavior PMP are set up and customized on the SSS > PMP Setup screen.
1. Click the Hypotheses tab.
2. In the blank row at the top of the table, enter the hypothesis Title.
3. Select the PMP Types for which this hypothesis will be available.
4. Select the Tier for which this hypothesis will be available. One or multiple can be selected.
5. To restrict the use of the hypothesis to specific grade levels, select the Grade Levels.
6. To restrict the use of the hypothesis to specific school years, enter the Minimum Year and/or the Maximum Year.
7. Press Enter to add the row.
8. Continue adding hypotheses as needed.
The Strategies tab is used to set up the drop-down options for the Strategy field on the Academic and Behavior PMP.
The fields used on the Academic and Behavior PMP are set up and customized on the SSS > PMP Setup screen.
1. Click the Strategies tab.
2. In the blank row at the top of the table, enter the strategy Title.
3. Select the PMP Types this strategy will be available for: Academic, Behavior, or both.
4. Select the Tier. One or multiple can be selected.
5. Select the Grade Levels this strategy is available for.
6. To restrict the use of the strategy to specific school years, enter the Minimum Year and/or the Maximum Year.
7. Press Enter to add the row.
8. Continue adding strategies as needed.
The Monitoring Tools tab is used to set up the drop-down options for the Progress Monitoring Tool Type field on the Academic PMP and the Data Collection Tool field on the Behavior PMP.
The fields used on the Academic and Behavior PMP are set up and customized on the SSS > PMP Setup screen.
1. Click the Monitoring Tools tab.
2. In the blank row at the top of the table, enter the monitoring tool Title.
3. Select the PMP Types this tool will be available for: Academic, Behavior, or both.
4. Select the Tier. One or multiple can be selected.
5. Select the Grade Levels this monitoring tool is available for.
6. To restrict the use of the monitoring tool to specific school years, enter the Minimum Year and/or the Maximum Year.
7. Press Enter to add the row.
8. Continue adding monitoring tools as needed.