Using the Open Enrollment Application Log (OPAL) to Manage Applications and Track Students

1
Using the Open Enrollment Application Log (OPAL)
to Manage Applications and Track Students
Department of Public Instruction Open Enrollment
Technical Assistance Workshops

• November 2010

2
OPAL Is

• An on-line open enrollment application system
• An on-line open enrollment application management
  system
• An on-line open enrollment student tracking
  system
• An on-line system for districts to communicate
  information about open enrolled students
• An on-line open enrollment historical data
  storage system

3
On-Line Application

• https//www2.dpi.state.wi.us/Opal2010
• Can also link from open enrollment web site
• Up at midnight on February 7
• Down at exactly 400 pm on February 25

4
Features of On-Line Application

• Can apply for all children in a single session.
• Can apply to up to three school districts for
  each child in a single session
• Can request transportation reimbursement
• Can apply to a virtual charter school
• Can begin application and finish later (before
  the deadline)
• Can edit application (before the deadline)

5
Enter an On-Line Application

• Open on-line (test) application
• https//test.dpi.state.wi.us/opal2010
• Click on continue to this website
• If possible, use an email address that you can
  open from here.
• Enter an on-line application and submit.
• View PDF document.
• Check your email to see confirmation.

6

• Apply for at least two children.
• Apply to at least two school districts.
• Request a specific school.
• Select a resident and nonresident district that
  is represented in the workshop.
• Make a mistake (leave a field blank or enter an
  age/birthdate younger than 3 or older than 21)

7
Edit an On-Line Application

• Sign back into the application.
• Make an edit.
• Scroll through the entire application and submit.
  
• Check your email.

8
Hands-on OPAL
9

• Sign into OPAL
• Open OPAL (test)
• https//test.dpi.state.wi.us/OpenEnroll
• Click on Continue to this website
• Sign in

10
OPAL opens into the Mailbox Tab
11
Click on the Contacts Tab
12
The Contacts Tab

• The OPAL Contact is the person who receives
  OPAL-generated emails.
• All OPAL communications features require
  up-to-date OPAL Contact information.

13
Click on Add an Opal Contact
Note list of OE Contacts (CTRL-F) to search
14
Enter Contact Information and Save
15
Be sure to keep OPAL contact and District
Administrator up-to-date
16
Navigating in OPAL
17
Tabs and Side Bar
18
Transfers In and Out
19
Drop-Down Menus
20
Sort
21
Search
22
Filter
23
Managing Open Enrollment Applications

• The Applications Tab

24
Managing Applications

• Preparing for the Application Period
• February 7-25, 2011

25
Internal Procedures

• Review and amend policies.
• Be sure users are authorized.
• Be sure OPAL Contact is current.
• Designate one person/office to
• Provide information and respond to questions.
• Receive paper applications
• Link to OE website or to application form
• https//www2.dpi.state.wi.us/OpenEnroll

26
Paper forms

• Are discouraged
• Will be available only on web site
• Download and print any forms you need
• Must be physically received in nonresident
  district by 400 pm on February 25
• Nonresident district must enter application into
  OPAL

27
Review Apps

• Resident and nonresident districts its easy to
  make mistakes with drop-down menu. Examples
• DePere and West DePere
• Washington, Washington-Caldwell, Washington High
  School
• Weston School District is in Cazenovia, D.C.
  Everest School District is in Weston
• Wausau, Wausaukee, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, Wautoma,
  Waunakee .
• West Salem, West Allis, Westby, West DePere,
  Westfield

28
Review Apps

• If application indicates virtual charter
  school, be sure the nonresident district to
  which the student applied has a virtual charter
  school.
• Be sure age and grade match.
• If you do not offer 4K, be sure to review
  applications to identify 4K apps out.
• Reapplications submitted on-line
• If you require reapplication, print request
  deletion.
• If you do not require reapplication, request
  deletion

29
Review Apps

• Parents can edit their own applications up until
  the deadlinebe aware that they can change.
• In spreadsheet, see update date and update id.
• You can edit any applications you entered.
• After application period, must request DPI to
  edit apps.

30
All Applications Tab
31
From the All Applications Tab

• List of all applicants
• Select student
• Enter paper applications
• Can only edit applications you enter
• Contact DPI to request other edits
• View/print PDF applications single application
  or print all
• Download to Excel
• Request applications to be deleted

32
From the Transfers In page, you can enter a
paper application, view a PDF copy of an
application, edit any application you entered and
request deletion of an application
33
Enter a paper application or edit
34
(No Transcript)
35
PDF
Print All
36
Request deletion of duplicate or unnecessary
applications
37
Sends request to DPI
DO NOT DELETE SIMPLY BECAUSE STUDENT WILL NOT OE
38
Transfers-Out page. Note that one student
applied to three nonresident districts.
39
Select fields to export
40
(No Transcript)
41
Approval/Denial Tab
42
From the Approval/Denial Tab

• Enter approvals and denials
• In and out
• Enter reason for denial
• Reasons in OPAL are abbreviations
• Be sure you understand statutory reasons for
  denial
• View other districts actions

43
Nonresident Reasons for Denial
1 Reg ed space not available, on wait list 118.51(5)(a)1
2. Reg ed space not available, no wait list 118.51(5)(a)1
3. Sped space not available, on wait list 118.51(5)(a)4
4. Sped space not available, no wait list 118.51(5)(a)4
5. Spec ed program/services not available 118.51(5)(a)4
6. Referred for sped evaluation, not completed 118.51(5)(a)6
7. School district not required to accept student who is currently expelled (for any reason) 120.13(1)(f)
8. Student has been expelled in current or two preceding school years for certain conduct 118.51(5)(a)2
10. Application was filed late or is incomplete (not enough information to act on application) 118.51(3)(a)
11. More than 3 applications were submitted for student 118.51(3)(a)
12. Resident district does not offer same type of 4K 118.51(2)
13. Student is not age eligible for school (under 4 unless ECE 21 or over) 118.14
44
Be sure to understand reasons for denial these
are abbreviated explanations only.
45
Be sure to include all reasons for denial. You
cannot defend on appeal any reason you did not
include in the notice of denial.
46
(No Transcript)
47
Resident Reasons for Denial
14. Cost of special education is an undue financial burden 118.51(12)(b)
16. Application was filed late or is incomplete (not enough information to act on application) 118.51(3)(a)
17. More than 3 applications were submitted for student 118.51(3)(a)
18. Resident district does not offer same type of 4K 118.51(2)
19. Student is not age eligible for school (under 4 unless ECE 21 and over) 118.14
48
(No Transcript)
49
Use filters to create subsets
Note code for denial reason
50
The Letters Tab

• Generates approval and denial letters.
• Formatted as PDF documents.
• Spaced for window envelopes.

51
Select approved or denied can specify reason for
denial
52
Can change default information --- session change
only
53
(No Transcript)
54
(No Transcript)
55
(No Transcript)
56
Note that all three denial reasons are included.
57
School Assignment Tab

• Generates school assignment letters.
• Formatted as PDF documents.
• Spaced for window envelopes.

58
Includes only approved students
59
Can change default information session change
only
60
Can enter special comments for each studentthese
comments are saved.
61
When finished, click Generate Letters
Select a school from the drop-down menu. Be sure
to SAVE.
62
(No Transcript)
63
Send 2 copies so parent can keep one and return
one.
64
Intent to Attend Tab
65
(No Transcript)
66
3rd Friday Reporting in OPAL

• The Students Tab

67
The Students Tab opens into the Actively Open
Enrolled Tab---which is empty at the beginning of
the school year.
68
All Students Tab

• Contains all students who could potentially be
  open enrolled into or out of the district.

69
All Students Tab Includes

• All students who were open enrolled at the end of
  the previous school year
• Every student advanced one grade.
• Except seniors who are dropped.
• All new applicants from the previous February.
• Whether approved or denied.

70
(No Transcript)
71
(No Transcript)
72
3rd Friday in September Tab

• Students are open enrolled if they were
• OE on the 3rd Friday in September
• or
• Were OE on at least one day before and one day
  after the 3rd Friday in September.

73
3rd Friday list

• Is temporary. Can be used only from the
  beginning of the school year to a week before
  October 1.
• Quickly fills data base.
• Once the nonresident district makes entry, the
  data base is updated.
• No emails are sent when a student is reported as
  OE or not OE or if the record is changed.

74
Procedure for 3rd Friday list

• Nonresident district indicates OE status
• Y or N
• Enter FTE for 5K and 4K
• Resident district agrees or disagrees
• Cannot act until nonresident district enters
  info.
• If disagree, email is sent to the nonresident
  districts. Districts must resolve.
• N/A means the district has not yet made its
  entries.

75
(No Transcript)
76
(No Transcript)
77
Special Education tab includes only students who
are reported as OE. Is pre-populated with
information from last year or from the
application. Only need to change.
78
(No Transcript)
79
After the List is Frozen

• The third Friday list will be frozen about a week
  before October 1.
• You will no longer be able to make entries on the
  list.
• However, the data are not frozen.
• You must make changes for each student
  individually from the All Students or Actively
  Open Enrolled lists.

80
2nd Friday in January list

• The 2nd Friday list works very much like the 3rd
  Friday list, except
• No changes are made to the data base from entries
  on the 2nd Friday list.
• The 2nd Friday list is for inter-district
  communication only.

81
The Returns Tab

• Brings back seniors from prior school year who
  did not graduate.

82
(No Transcript)
83
Places student in All Students list. Need to
report as OE or not OE.
84
(No Transcript)
85
Actively Open Enrolled Tab

• Shows all students who are actually open enrolled
  into and out of your district.
• Shows grade, sped status, fte, withdrawals and
  amount of money transferred.
• Reflects all changes in real time.
• This is the list that matters.

86
Real Time. Updates immediately when change is
proposed and approved.
87
PDF
88
(No Transcript)
89
Entering Changes of Status in OPAL

• The Students Tab

90
Data that can be changed

• Students data name, birthdate/age, gender,
  race/ethnicity.
• Parent(s) data name(s), address, phone, email
• Enrollment data resident district current year,
  resident district next year, 3rd Friday 2nd
  Friday OE status, FTE, sped status, virtual
  charter school status
• Withdraw from OE date, days of OE, reason for
  withdrawal.

91
When a Change is Proposed

• One district enters change in data.
• An email is sent to the other district.
• Other district signs into OPAL.
• Agrees or Disagrees
• Agrees database is updated.
• Disagrees database is not updated.
• Email is sent to other district notifying of
  disagreement.
• Districts resolve issue, make needed changes.

92
(No Transcript)
93
(No Transcript)
94
(No Transcript)
95
Change Name, etc.

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Gender
• Race/Ethnicity

96
(No Transcript)
97
(No Transcript)
98
OPAL sends an email to the other district,
notifying of change.
99
(No Transcript)
100
(No Transcript)
101
(No Transcript)
102
(No Transcript)
103
(No Transcript)
104
(No Transcript)
105
(No Transcript)
106
If accepted, change is made.
Student summary will update when page is
refreshed.
107
(No Transcript)
108
If rejected, OPAL sends email. Nothing changes.

109
Change Parents/Addr

• Parent name(s)
• Phone home, work cell
• Email
• Mailing Address Address, City, WI, Zip
• Street Address Address, City, WI, Zip

110
(No Transcript)
111
Change Enrollment

• Grade
• Resident District Current Year
• Resident District Next Year
• In Virtual Charter School
• SPED
• 3rd Friday Y N FTE
• 2nd Friday Y N FTE
• Comments

112

• If you
• Change a grade, be sure to change FTE if
  necessary.
• Change from OE to not OE (or vice versa), be sure
  to delete (or enter) FTE.

113
Only DPI can change resident district for current
school year.
114
Effect of student moves on OE

• First year of OE
• Student must live in the resident district named
  on the application form through the 3rd Friday in
  September.
• Continuing OE
• Move prior to 3rd Friday contact DPI to change
  resident district for current school year.
• Move after 3rd Friday change resident district
  for next school year.

115
Do Not Change Resident District

• If the student moves into the nonresident school
  district.
• Either
• Report the student as not OE (if student moved
  into nonres district prior to 3rd Friday in
  September)
• or
• Withdraw the student (if student moved into
  nonres district after the 3rd Friday in September)

116
SPED status

• Student is either SPED or not SPED for the entire
  school year.
• If students SPED status changes, districts need
  to decide how to report student in transition
  year
• If there are no additional costs, it makes sense
  to report student as not SPED.
• If there are additional costs, it makes sense to
  report the student as SPED.

117
Change resident district for next year only if
student moved after the 3rd Friday in September.
118
Withdraw Student

• Date of withdrawal
• Days of OE
• Reason for withdrawal
• Comments

119
(No Transcript)
120
Withdraw Student

• Only use if the student was OE on the 3rd Friday
  in September and withdraws after the 3rd Friday
  in September.
• If student was not OE on the 3rd Friday in
  September, indicate not OE.
• If the student withdrew during the summer, enter
  not OE on the 3rd Friday list.

121
Truancy/Failure to Participate

• If a students OE was terminated due to habitual
  truancy (traditional schools) or failure to
  participate (virtual charter schools)
• The date of withdrawal is the last day the
  student was present for attendance.

122
Assistance
123
Open Enrollment Resources Web site
http//dpi.wi.gov/sms/psctoc.html Open
Enrollment List serve Receive information
and announcements Printed information rarely
used To sign up, send email to
openenrollment_at_dpi.wi.gov
124
DPI Open Enrollment Staff Mary Jo Cleaver, Open
Enrollment Consultant 608-267-9101 or toll-free
888-245-2732 maryjo.cleaver_at_dpi.wi.gov or
openenrollment_at_dpi.wi.gov Merry Larsen, Open
Enrollment Consultant 608-266-2146 or toll-free
888-245-2732 merry.larsen_at_dpi.wi.gov or
openenrollment_at_dpi.wi.gov Robert Soldner,
Director, School Management Services 608-266-7475
robert.soldner_at_dpi.wi.gov Joan Thompson, Office
Operations Associate 608-266-1723 joan.thompson_at_dp
i.wi.gov