Many CBEDS coordinators have asked if it is possible to use the CBEDS Professional Assignment Information Form (PAIF) data entry assistant (DEA) software at individual school sites where no network is available. Although the CBEDS software is designed for use at the district level, it is possible to use the software at individual schools. To do this, the software is installed locally at each school.
Typically, an installation of the CBEDS software is performed at each school site. To ensure that data only for that school is available at the site, the software is used to export data for the single school and then the exported data is imported back into the software — overwriting other schools' data. The school-site CBEDS coordinator updates the data, resolves all errors, reviews all warnings, prepares a data file for the school, and sends the data file to the district's CBEDS coordinator.
The CBEDS coordinator then uses the "central" installation of the software to prepare a comprehensive version of the data that includes all the school's data. The CBEDS coordinator imports the first school's data and overwrites the database. Subsequent school's data are imported and appended to the existing data into a comprehensive version of the district's data (which will contain data for all the district's schools). The specific steps necessary to use the CBEDS software at a school site are listed below:
School Site Steps
1. The CBEDS coordinator installs the software at the school site or assists site staff.
2. The school site coordinator runs the software and selects the district and supplies the district password.
3. The school site coordinator sets up the software so that it has data for only one school.
4. The school site coordinator exports the data for the one school by taking the following steps:
- Go to "File," select "Export PAIF data."
- Click on the "Select one or more school" option (do not change other options).
- Click on the "Export" button.
- Make up a name for the data file and enter it at the "Export" prompt.
- Click on the "Save" button.
- Click on the "OK" button.
3.2. The school site coordinator imports the single school data from the file that was just created.
3.2.1. To import the data, go to "File," select "Import PAIF data" and take the following steps:
- Leave options as they are.
- Click on "Import."
- Press the "Yes" button at the "Warning" dialogue.
- Select the name of the file that was created in step 3.1 (or type the file name in).
- Press the "Import" button.
- Press the "Load data" button.
- Click on the "OK" button at the "Success" dialogue.
4. The school site coordinator updates all the data for the school at the school site.
5. The school site coordinator runs the "Remaining errors/warnings" report and resolves all "Errors" and verifies all "Warnings."
6. The school site coordinator exports the updated data for the school (do not submit data by way of internet) by taking the following steps:
- Go to "File," select "Export PAIF data."
- Click on the "Select one or more schools" option (leave other options).
- Click on the "Export" button.
- Make up a meaningful name for the data file and enter it at the "Export" prompt.
- Click on the "Save" button.
- Click on the "OK" button.
7. The school site coordinator sends the data file for the school that was created in step 6 to the district's CBEDS coordinator.
7.1. The school site coordinator
will e-mail the file to the district's CBEDS coordinator.
or
7.1. The school site coordinator will save it to a networked drive
that the district's CBEDS coordinator can access.
or
7.1. The school site coordinator will save it to a diskette and
send it to the district's CBEDS coordinator.
The CBEDS coordinator takes the following steps:
- Assists school sites in site-level installation by using above steps. Makes sure that school site staff understand that they do not submit school-level data directly to the California Department of Education (CDE).
- Installs software at the district site.
- Runs software, selects the district, and supplies the password to load PAIF data.
- Imports the first school's data.
4.1. Go to "File," select "Import PAIF data."
4.2. Leave the options as they are.
4.3. Click on "Import."
4.4. Press the "Yes" button at the "Warning" dialogue.
4.5. Select the name of the file from the "First school" (or type the file name in).
4.6. Press the "Import" button.
4.7. Press the "Load data" button.
4.8. Click on the "OK" button at the "Success" dialogue.
- Imports the remaining school's data (Follow the steps below
for each of the remaining school's data files).
5.1. Go to "File," select "Import PAIF data."
5.2. Select "select school(s) to import."
5.3. Click on "Import."
5.4. Press the 'Yes" button at the "Warning" dialogue.
5.5. Select the name of the file from the "first school" (or type the file name in).
5.6. Press the "Import" button.
5.7. Press the "Load data" button.
5.8. Click on the "OK" button at the "Success" dialogue.
- Verifies that all errors have been resolved by running the
"Remaining Errors/Warnings" report and verifies all "Warnings."
- Verifies that all data from each school has been retrieved
by running one or more of the available reports.
- Submits data to the CDE by using the "File" and "Submit data via Internet" menu options. The submission will contain data for all schools, including charter schools, in the district. The district CBEDS coordinator should make sure that individual school sites do not separately submit their data to the CDE.
