Tuesday, July 23 and Wednesday, July 24, 2013
DoubleTree Worthington, Columbus, Ohio
Event Program
Schedule at a glance Tuesday, July 23 Wednesday, July 24
9am-10am: Registration 7am-7:55am: Breakfast
10am-5pm: Sessions 8am-3pm: Sessions
5pm-7:30pm: Dinner on your own
7:30pm-9pm: Dessert in the DoubleTree Lounge
Summer Retreat 2013 In Conjunction with MC����OECN
Welcome to the first ProgressBook Suite User Group Retreat. The planning
committee intentionally planned no official theme, but several times during our
discussions the theme Taking Care of Business surfaced!
This event agenda is packed with sessions addressing support, Ohio industry
knowledge, new ProgressBook Suite product capabilities, and the direction of
ProgressBook Suite. Our hope is your time spent away from the office gives you
an opportunity to learn, interact with industry peers, share experiences, provide
feedback, and gain knowledge that you take back to your team to benefit
your business in the year ahead.
Please take the time to complete the post-conference survey. We welcome
your comments and suggestions about the ProgressBook Suite User Group
Retreat and will review every survey to ensure future conferences provide
value to attendees.
On behalf of the Planning Committee, enjoy the conference!
Paul Chaffee Greg Spencer
Software Answers StudentInformation
CEO Executive Director
Be sure to stay at this event until Wednesday at 2:55pm,
to be eligible to win raffle prizes!!
Some session presentations are available on the web.
Visit: www.ProgressBook.com/2013
For impromptu meetings, visit the room SHORT NORTH.
Lun
che
s a
nd
B
rea
kfa
st
De
sse
rt T
ue
sda
y,
7:3
0-9
pm
Imp
rom
ptu
M
ee
tin
gs
Are
a
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Time Session Title and Description Presenter(s)
9:00 – 10:00AM Registration (includes welcome beverages/snacks)
Room: Outside The Alder and The Alder
10:00 – 11:25AM
Room:
The Alder
Welcome, Introductions, ProgressBook Roadmap:
Software Answers update with many topics
including: ProgressBook Suite Roadmap including
DataMap, the new StudentInformation Discipline
module, going mobile, and more.
Greg Spencer, StudentInformation State
Support Team (SSST), StudentInformation
Executive Director
Paul Chaffee, Software Answers, CEO
Janet Hayes, Software Answers, Customer
Support Coordinator (ProgressBook Suite)
Steve Reeling, Software Answers
ProgressBook Product Manager
(StudentInformation, VendorLink)
11:25 – 11:30AM Break Between Sessions
11:30 – 12:00PM
Room:
The Alder
VirtualClassroom: The VirtualClassroom module has
been through a closed beta at three OMERESA
school districts and will be available to Software
Answers customers for the 2013-2014 school year
in an open beta format. Learn about how this
module’s features are accessible from the
GradeBook module, see several features, learn
about upcoming features, and hear the direction for
bringing this module to wide release integrated in
the ProgressBook Suite.
Paul Chaffee, Software Answers, CEO
Roger Reynard, Software Answers
Product Development Team Lead
VirtualClassroom
12:00 – 12:55PM Lunch - Room: The Upper Terrace
1:00 – 1:45PM
Room:
The Alder
Teacher Student Data Linkage (TSDL): While the
TSDL project is fresh in our minds, now's the time to
reflect on what we learned from Spring 2013, where
this project is going, what's expected of ITC staff to
support it, and discuss what we can do to help
improve the TSDL process for next year.
Al Porter, MC�OECN, Linkage Roster
Verification, Project Coordinator
1:00 – 1:45PM
Room:
German Village
Ohio's Value-Added System: ODE will provide
updates on Ohio’s Value-Added system. This
measure of academic progress plays an important
role in the state’s new Accountability system and
teacher and principal evaluation systems (OTES and
OPES). The session will include a description of the
new Report Card, overview of Value-Added as a
student growth measure, and the importance of
data quality including the Linkage/Roster
Verification system.
J. Christopher Woolard, Ph.D.
Ohio Department of Education
Interim Director of Accountability,
Agency Fellow, Harvard Strategic Data
Project (SDP)
Summer Retreat 2013 In Conjunction with MC����OECN
1:45 – 2:00PM Move to Next Session
2:00 – 2:45PM
Room:
The Alder
New ITSM (Information Technology Service
Management) Using Cherwell: The new Service
Desk is being rolled out for 2013-2014 and for some
locations as early as this summer. See and hear
about the new system, how it works, what to
expect, and the order of the roll-out.
Terry Noel, Tri-County Computer Services
Association (TCCSA), ITSM Project Manager
IT Service Management, Service Desk
2:00 – 2:45PM
Room:
German Village
Analytics: Determining customer usage patterns,
trends and technology being used when accessing
ProgressBook Suite modules can help guide future
development. Let's talk about the potential that
analytics can provide and how they could be
implemented.
Steve Reeling, Software Answers
ProgressBook Product Manager
(StudentInformation, VendorLink)
2:45 – 3:00PM Refreshment Break – Room: The Alder
3:00 – 3:45PM
Room:
The Alder
SpecialServices - Import and Exports to/from
StudentInformation/DASL EMIS: The EMIS
extract/import process may be simple but the
business rules are not! Learn EMIS best practices
when creating SpecialServices exports to import
into StudentInformation/DASL. The discussion will
include how to correct errors and where to look for
issues in StudentInformation/DASL to ensure
accuracy. Bring your most-asked questions on this
topic.
Craig Munyon, Software Answers
ProgressBook Product Manager
(SpecialServices, State Reporting)
Melanie Mathis, Software Answers
Senior Customer Technical Support Analyst
Michaelene Vincent, Licking Area Computer
Association (LACA), Student Services
Support Coordinator
3:00 – 3:45PM
Room:
German Village
MasterScheduler (aSc): Now that aSc/
MasterScheduler is being used by a wider customer
base, Melissa and Sherry will talk about school
district results and feedback, best practices for
unique scenarios, strengths and weaknesses, tips
and tricks, and where most of the questions/issues
arose.
Scott Miller, Software Answers, COO
Sherry Williams, Tri-County Computer
Services Association (TCCSA), Assistant
Manager Software Applications & Support
Melissa Drerup, StudentInformation State
Support Team (SSST)
3:45 – 4:00PM Move to Next Session
4:00 – 5:00PM
Room:
The Alder
VendorLink: Where it stands, what's needed,
bringing more vendors on board, what's on the
horizon.
Steve Reeling, Software Answers
ProgressBook Product Manager
(StudentInformation, VendorLink)
Devin Launder, StudentInformation State
Support Team, SSST
5:00 – 7:30PM Dinner on your own
7:30 – 9:00PM Dessert Room: DoubleTree Lounge
Note: Time slots in gray are concurrent sessions.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Time Session Title and Description Presenter(s)
7:00 – 7:55AM Breakfast – Room: The Upper Terrace
8:00 – 8:45AM
Room:
The Alder
ProgressBook Suite - Data Integration Between
Modules: If something changes in
StudentInformation, how does it affect GradeBook
- and vice versa? What changes in
StudentInformation affect SpecialServices and vice
versa? And what about data integrated between
GradeBook and SpecialServices and
StudentInformation and the new DataMap!? Learn
about data movement between each ProgressBook
module, tips and tricks, and where to look for help.
Craig Munyon, Software Answers
ProgressBook Product Manager
(SpecialServices, State Reporting)
Steve Jackson, Software Answers
Development Team Lead (GradeBook,
ParentAccess)
Kevin Freund, Software Answers, QA Analyst II
(SpecialServices, State Reporting)
8:45 – 9:00AM Move to Next Session
9:00 – 9:45AM
Room:
The Alder
Scripts for StudentInformation/DASL:
Scripts are truly helpful but can also be
dangerous. This session will review some
commonly used SSST scripts and available scripts
that can be shared. Learn why you might not want
to run your own scripts and how ad hoc scripts
have made change in the StudentInformation
product. Bring your ideas on other scripts that
would be helpful, or email Lora in advance on a
specific script you’d like covered. [email protected]
Lora Lawrence, StudentInformation State
Support Team (SSST), Database Administrator
9:00 – 9:45AM
Room:
German Village
Communication: Software Answers regularly
communicates with direct customers (ITCs in Ohio
and school district technology staff outside of Ohio)
as well as end users (administrators and educators)
that opt-in to our enewsletters. Let's talk about
current communications and processes, how
current materials meet your needs, and suggest
ideas as to how Software Answers can help ease
the process of you relaying ProgressBook
information to your customers.
Janet Hayes, Software Answers, Customer
Support Coordinator for ProgressBook Suite
Janice Schenk, Software Answers, Corporate
Marketing
9:45 – 10:00AM Move to Next Session – Refreshments Available - Room: The Alder
10:00 – 10:45AM
Room:
The Alder
EMIS and eTranscript Update: An update on the
FY14 changes, the eTranscript process in
StudentInformation and the new elements that will
be added this year to accommodate the new
eTranscript process. These updates are not just for
EMIS processes anymore. Come and find out all
the areas that will be affected by these processes!
Debbie Barbee, StudentInformation State
Support Team (SSST), Manager
10:00 – 10:45AM
Room:
German Village
Technology roundtable: A tech user group (TUG)
session is on the horizon, so let’s use this 45 minute
session to discuss topics to cover at the next TUG,
current needs, concerns, etc.
Self-Facilitated - Representatives from SSST
and Software Answers will attend.
Summer Retreat 2013 In Conjunction with MC����OECN
10:45 – 11:00AM Move to Next Session
11:00 – 11:45AM
Room:
The Alder
Report Builder for all ProgressBook Suite modules:
Learn from a Report Builder power user, how to
add reports, create reports to share, the security
rules, and more for all ProgressBook Suite modules.
Matt Wagner, Northern Ohio Educational
Computer Association (NOECA)
Student Services Support Specialist
11:00 - 11:45AM
Room:
German Village
Ohio's Race to the Top: The Instructional
Improvement System (IIS) is the largest IT spend in
Ohio’s Race to the Top grant. Ohio selected the
Thinkgate system through a lengthy joint
procurement process with Massachusetts. It is
designed as a classroom tool that provides teachers
a window into resources, assessments, and data
aligned to the education standards. The system will
be available to all schools in Ohio, both RttT and
non-RttT. At this session you will get background
information on the system and see a brief
demonstration of its capabilities.
Marsha Ward, Ohio Department of Education,
Manager of the Project Management Office
IIS Project Manager, Information Technology
Office
11:45AM – 1 2:45PM Lunch - Room: The Upper Terrace
12:45 – 1:45PM
Room:
The Alder
The NEW ParentAccess: Now that ParentAccess will
be used by all Software Answers customers, see the
new product, learn about creating and maintaining
registration keys, and how parents and students
create accounts. Hear from two ITCs about their
introduction to a handful of school districts during
the Beta process this past year and their
recommended best practices.
Paul Chaffee, Software Answers, CEO
Melanie Mathis, Software Answers
Senior Customer Technical Support Analyst
Janet Hayes, Software Answers
Customer Support Coordinator
Kathy Peters, Northeast Ohio Network for
Educational Technology (NEONET), Student
Services Support Specialist
Leslie Wiseman, North Central Ohio
Computer Cooperative (NCOCC), Student
Services Liaison
1:45 – 1:55PM Break Between Sessions
1:55 – 3:00PM
Room:
The Alder
Closing sessions: An open forum of Q&A with the
Software Answers and StudentInformation/DASL
leadership teams. Stick around for raffle prizes!
SSST:
Greg Spencer Debbie Barbee
Software Answers:
Paul Chaffee Scott Miller
Chris Aiello Rob Sweeney
Craig Munyon Steve Reeling
Robert Ling
Note: Time slots in gray are concurrent sessions.
ProgressBook Suite User Group Retreat 2013
Planning Committee
Glenda Baker, SWOCA
Debbie Barbee, SSST
Jeff Davis, LACA
Andy Kemmer, WOCO
Patience Moody, SPARCC
Laurie Pitts, NOECA
Amy Recker, SSST
Sherry Williams, TCCSA
Janice Schenk, Software Answers
Greg Spencer, SSST
Attendees will receive 10.25 hours towards CEU credit
for attending all sessions on both days.
Certificates will be distributed at the end of day two.
Contact Janice Schenk
for replacement certificates.
Please provide your feedback! Shortly after the event, you’ll receive a post-event survey. We look forward to receiving your
input to help plan future ProgressBook Suite User Group events. (The survey will be posted on the event home page at www.ProgressBook.com/2013).
Summer Retreat 2013 In Conjunction with MC����OECN