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Set student loader options

[Applies to secondary [>>] school scheduling.]

Student loader options are used by both the Student Loader [>>] and the Walk-in Scheduler [>>]. As a School Administrator, you can set the Student Loader options in either the planning or active calendar. Note: Once you enter grades or attendance for any students, you cannot run the Student Loader, you must use the Walk-in Scheduler.

To set student loader options:

In the Admin menu, click Scheduling. The Scheduling page appears.

If you are in the planning calendar, from the Planning Schedule dropdown, choose the planning schedule you want to work with.

Click Student Loader Options. The Student Loader Options page appears.

Select the applicable options, which are:

Class overfull %: A percentage between 0 and 100. Allows the class capacity to be exceeded by this percentage. Note: You can use this option temporarily in a test run of the Student Loader to see where the “spikes” are, which shows you which courses need extra classes. You can also use this setting to allow extra room in classes.

If a student has more than _ unscheduled requests, do not schedule at all: A number between 1 and 99. If the Student Loader is unable to find a schedule for a student that falls within this limit, it leaves the student completely unscheduled. Adjusting this number allows you to minimize the number of students left with partial schedules after a run of the Student Loader.

Attempt to reschedule students to avoid conflicts caused by full classes: When you select this option, the Student Loader attempts to make room in full classes by shuffling students. For an example of using this option, refer to Example: Attempting to re-schedule students to avoid conflicts from full classes [>>]

Attempt to schedule an equal number of students to each class choice for each course: If you select this option, when classes reach 50% of their average class size, the Student Loader progressively opens the unused 50% to keep classes as level as possible.

Use alternates: With this option set, the Student Loader uses a student's alternate course requests to find a schedule. Note: You might want to make early runs of the Student Loader without using alternates, and then select this option in later runs to help you schedule the students who are more difficult to schedule.

Weighted OptionsUse weighted options to specify which factor has priority when loading students. The Student Loader schedules according to the order of the selected weighted options, so ensure the weighted options are in order of priority. By default, the Student Loader selects the weighted options in the following order: 1) load balancing rules, 2) class sequencing rules, 3) class attribute rules, 4) term preferences. The weighted options are:

Use capacity balancing constraints: With this option selected, the Student Loader considers the capacity balancing constraints that have been assigned to classes when creating student schedules.

Use class load balancing rules: With this option selected, the Student Loader tries to find a schedule that balances the student's classes covered by class load balancing rules between terms.

Use class sequencing rules:With this option selected, the Student Loader tries to find a schedule that sequences classes between terms or periods for the student's classes covered by class sequencing rules.

Use class attribute rules: With this option selected, the Student Loader tries to find a schedule that has classes with the same or different attributes in any of the student's classes covered by class attribute rules.

Use restriction constraints:This option instructs the Student Loader to consider the restriction constraints that have been assigned to classes when creating student schedules.

Use term preferences:This option instructs the Student Loader to consider the term preferences that might have been entered for a student's course requests when finding a schedule for a student.

Click OK.

Example: Attempting to re-schedule students to avoid conflicts from full classes

Scenario: The Algebra class in period 1 is full, while the Algebra class in period 2 is not. English AP is a singleton course that meets only in period 2. Joe is requesting both Algebra and English AP, but he cannot get both courses because the only Algebra class that has room is in period 2.

If you selected the Attempt to re-schedule students to avoid conflicts caused by full classes option, the Student Loader unschedules one of the students – let's say Mary – in the period 1 Algebra class because she is easier to schedule. The Student Loader then puts Joe into the period 1 Algebra class and the period 2 English AP class, and then rebuilds Mary's schedule, unscheduling and re-scheduling her classes until she gets all her course requests.

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