alamo colleges trex implementation: a collaborative case …

SPEEEDE CONFERENCEJUNE 10, 2009

DAVE STONES, SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITYELAINE LANG, NORTHWEST VISTA COLLEGE

Alamo CollegesTREx Implementation: A Collaborative Case Study

OVERVIEW1. Alamo CollegesTREx Results 2. Understanding the Alamo Colleges TREx context3. Developing user requirements and applications4. TREx Technical Issues5. Supporting staff6. Questions and answers

Understanding the Alamo Colleges TREx context

State LawCollege

Connections

ApplyTexas

Dual Credit

To FTIC

Developing User Requirements

Systems Analyst identifies system

and user requirements

User requirmentsrefined

Develop EDI process

Image to Webextender

TREx Daily Report by College

Notify ISD partners

Supporting staff

Review daily TREx reportsSet up employees with Webextender TREx transcript accessWork with ISDs to test TREx download

Special Guests

Glenn Shelton, TEA

Lois Hollis, THECB

TREx Mandate

Electronically moves student records between Texas public schooldistricts

Electronically moves student transcripts from public schools to institutions of higher education using the UT SPEEDE Server

Shall be implemented not later than the 2007-08 school year

Legislation requires Texas public high schools to send electronically to Texas public colleges and universities

Current Status of TREx

in full production. TEA reports that 90% of high schools are “capable”. 5/2009.

delivery possible now to any college registered with the UT Server **

students and colleges stand to benefit if we do it right.

Steps for college readiness.

register with Server, delivery with encryption.obtain and test TREx transcript file (TS130 format)

have software to print hard copy of the transcript (download Java-based Q&E 2.0.4 from UT site)have software to generate a TS131 acknowledgement (Q&E)

if desired, have software to upload data into your SIS. trading partner records for the sending high school or schools?

test file via print, acknowledgement and upload processes. Ensure printed transcript accurately portrays all important elements on the AAR.Notify UT Austin with e-mail to regist@ediserver.reg.utexas.edu (see TREX web pages on UT site)**

High School Readiness

See checklist on UT Austin SPEEDE TREx page.

should be paired with one or two colleges prepared to test with it.

Send a few TREx transcripts, paper transcripts for same students.the college prints or uploads, uses checklist on TREx UT web page, responds to the HS.

Report high school testing to UT Austin with e-mail to regist@ediserver.reg.utexas.edu.

Once they are tested, we (TACRAO schools) agreed to accept from them without each HS having to contact each target college individually.

TREx Stats June 2009

48 colleges listed as ready to receive– was 40 on 10/30/08. More were ready than were listed.

185 HS listed as tested – was 108 on10/30/08. More are sending than are listed.*

During May, 2008, 79 Texas colleges received TRExtranscripts. Not all appear to have been ready.

TREx Volume

Sept 636 Oct 2698

Nov 4189 Dec 4786

Jan 5739 Feb 3859

Mar 2496 Apr 2375

May 1508

Total Sept2008-May2009 =28,286

Acknowledgments

TS131 acknowledgments should be sent for each TS130 transcript received. -true for 86% of all transcripts delivered by the UT Server in March 2009.

TREx protocol depends on this, and marks transcripts as CANCELED if not acknowledged within 15 days.

In March, of 2,496 TREx transcripts delivered, over 800 were un-acknowledged.

Discussions with TEA. 4/25/09 broadcast to TACRAO listserv and TX-SPEED.

May 2009: 79 Texas colleges received TREx transcripts, but only 38 of these sent any acknowledgments for them.

TREx Acknowledgments

Of 99 Texas schools receiving transcripts, 75 sent at least someacknowledgments. Just 2 schools of the 61 sending transcripts did not also send any ACKs (DCCCD and EPCC).

About 16 schools received 7 or more TREx but sent no TREx ACKs: ACC, EPCC (37), Lamar Univ Beaumont (19), NE Lakeview (23), NW Vista (41), PVA&M (39), SAC (240), STC, SWTJC, St. Phillip’s (23), Tarleton, TAMUCC (23), TX Southern (45), UTPA (20), UTEP (55), WTAMU (13).

Quite a few private schools received a few TREx – and no other transcripts. Unless those privates were listed on the web, they should have been contacted first. I fear that those fell into the void. The CANCEL method works in those cases.

Publics are SUPPOSED/REQUIRED to receive, though.

To ACKNOWLEDGE

Use UT Austin’s free, downloadable Q&E Software.Select FILE option from menu.

Select Open File – browse your SPEEDE folder and select the incoming file. See a list of student names with transcripts in that file.

Highlight/select one record – single click.

From ACTION menu, click Generate Acknowledgment. It generates TS131 acksfor all transcripts in the incoming file.

Provide a name for the file (xxxxxxx.ack).

Secure FTP to UT Server using Filezilla or your software of choice.

TEA/THECB June 2 Mtg

TEA Message to high schools:- Supposed to be sending all via TREx to TX public colleges- if destination is private, check readiness website or contact them- report back to TREx helpdesk if tested and not listed on website.

(include name of college with which they tested)- HS needs to have tested. (see list of colleges willing to test)

THECB.- to reiterate Summer 2008 message that all publics are expected to receive TREx.- to receive and follow up with public colleges not sending ACK.

TAKS Score Inclusion Issue- resolved, we think: TREx to continue to deliver scores as long as they

do not identify students with disabilities.

In New TREx Release (6/12/09)

Schools can still send in the earlier format until they upgrade. V3.4 is the new release, but TREx is “upwards compatible”.

New Note Fields for Advanced MeasuresSuch as “Original research project”, “AP score of 3 or above”,“IB score of 4 or above”, “Qualifying PSAT score”,“College course – 3.0 of higher”, “Articulated course – 3.0 or higher”

New Note Field containing Texas Grant Indicator. TX GRANT IND=_________, where value is “MINIMUM/NO”,RECOMMENDED/YES”, or “DISTINGUISHED/YES”

New Note Field for new race/ethnicity fields. Supplements current DMG05 data. Ethnicity=[R,W], Race =[T,U,Q,V,S](most colleges will get this from the application anyway)

New Release Implementation

(How) will new Notes Fields be coded? As formatted notes?

(formatted required for automated processing)

Q&E: Are there certain types of Notes Segments which colleges would like to be able to suppress printing, as not needed by colleges, and adding to the length of the printed TREx transcripts? Similarly, since the course note codes (for AP, Honors, Dual Credit, etc..) are the same for all Texas HS, do we need to print the extra half page on each transcript, as opposed to being posted one time on the TREx (in IHE Tools, perhaps) website?

Will TEA provide sample AAR’s and EDI files for transcripts in the new release?

June 10 TX SPEEDE Conference Follow-up –Added After the Meeting

Great Discussion on TRExMuch Concern about TAKS Writing (subtest) Scores

Glenn Shelton of TEA Reports Back:- Writing IS a subtest of Language Arts- Therefore, it will not PRINT on AAR Transcript- However, IF it is provided by the high school,

it WILL BE CARRIED in the TREx FILE- The key is that the high schools must actually

provide the data.

ACTION ITEMS for TACRAO

Verify your readiness to receive

send receive readiness status to regist@ediserver.reg.utexas.edu

test with high schools – and report test results

check the send-receive reports to see if your school is sending TS131 acknowledgements back to Texas Education Agency.

Be patient and positive!

TREx TOOLS

UT Austin TREX site

http://registrar.utexas.edu/speede/trex/

TEA TREx Site – Data Standards, Sample Files (see IHE Tools), Corresponding Sample AARs.

http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/trex/

TREx Helpdesk – forward data problems there, along with TREx transcript transmission ID. (512) 463-7246 or email TREx@tea.state.tx.us

Contact information

Dave Stones, Southwestern University,dstones@southwestern.eduElaine Lang, Northwest Vista College,

one of the Alamo Collegeselang@mail.accd.edu