Q: Who counts toward the Student Base and Application Benchmark?
A: Any student who has submitted an OVRS application on or after the beginning of this biennium (7/1/2009).
Active students: Students who have submitted an OVRS application after 6/30/2007 AND have not been exited.
Q: Who counts toward Exit, 6 month and 12 month follow-up/engagement Benchmarks?
A: If Exit Date is in this biennium, it counts for this biennium
If 6 Month Follow up Date is this biennium, it counts for this biennium
If 12 Month Follow up Date is this biennium, it counts for this biennium
Q: What has changed for the 09-11 biennium as far as data and performance?
A: Many things, but read your agreement carefully in addition to noting these points below:
Summer Activities are no longer a data entry requirement.
IPEs are no longer a performance benchmark but will continue to be counted.
50% of a sites' Student Base (of those in application) must be students who are in their 1st or 2nd year of high school. As a result a NEW data field called GRADE must be entered in a student record.
60% of the Student Base (of those in application) will be provided individualized information and referral services by January 31, 2011 AND 100% of the Student Base (of those in application) will be provided individualized information and referral services by March 31, 2011.
Different data check points for performance which will be June 30, 2010; January 31, 2011; and March 31, 2011.
Whether or not you have provided Information and Referral must be entered in a student record. This is a check box.
The DATE a student enters DELAYED STATUS must be entered (typically the OVRS eligibility date).
Additionally the DATE a student LEAVES DELAYED STATUS must be entered in a student record. As a result of the two date entries above, the average number of days in delayed status will be calculated in Site and State Summary Reports.
Ethnicity and Race reporting requirements have changed and sites must enter whether a student perceives themselves to be Hispanic or Latino (a "Yes/No" response) and newly added race categories are: African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White. A site may mark all that apply as multiple answers are possible.
The seven (7) Functional Limitations used by OVRS to determine "Priority Levels" in Order of Selection must be responded to in the student record entry process.
Finally, the percentage of OVRS file closures that are REHABILITATIONS will be displayed on Site and State Summary Reports. Rehabilitation Closures say a lot about a teams' ability to provide services that result in employment outcomes.
Q: Why do some of my students STILL show on my High School Detail Report when 12 months of follow-up was already completed LAST biennium?
A: Students who still have
OPEN OVRS files will display on your High School Detail Report. Since there is great interest in seeing the relationship between
OVRS File Closure and File Closure Status (i.e. is it a Rehabilitation Closure or is it an "Other" Closure?), the system wants you to "finish" the story and update the record by entering the
OVRS file status. This is assuming that by the time
MOST students are done with 12 months of follow-up, their
OVRS file is also closed.
Please update those records and the student will drop off your High School Detail Report AND your student list.
Q: How do I decide which grade to enter in the new GRADE data field?
A: Your choices are NOT DEFINED, FRESHMAN, SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR, SENIOR and OTHER. The
key point to remember is to enter the grade the student was in when they
APPLIED FOR OVRS SERVICES (YTP SERVICES).
NOT DEFINED: If you see "Not Defined" on a report it means that either the grade is unknown or there is no data in that field. Make sure you enter a grade when the student makes application to
OVRS if you know the grade.
FRESHMAN, SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR, OR SENIOR: Freshmen and Sophomores are usually in their FIRST or SECOND year of high school. This is the important data point being tracked: Whether or not 50% of your student base is comprised of first and second year high school students. Juniors and Seniors are self explanatory.
OTHER: It is up to you to decide who you classify as "Other" in assigning a grade. You may have a life skills program that serves "Super Seniors" and you may want to classify them as "Other". You may have students in an alternative education program getting a GED who you may want to classify as "Other" or you may actually know their grade even though they are getting an alternative certificate.
Q: When I try to use the menus or navigate the SECURE side of the website to enter or read performance data, nothing seems to work. What is happening?
A:
IMPORTANT NOTE: The secure
YTP Database Website will
not "render" (i.e. work properly) if you are using
Internet Explorer as your
default browser (a browser is what you use to search the Internet). Switching your browser to FireFox (free at
www.mozilla.org) will eliminate the problem.
If you want to or must use Internet Explorer as your browser you need to do the following:
- Just to the right of the Address (URL) Box at the top of your browser you will see a small box to the RIGHT of the address. There are actually 4 small boxes, one looks like a lock, the next like a "torn" or "broken" page and if you hover your mouse over it a message pops up that says "Compatibility View", the next looks like two green arrows with one pointing up and one down, and the final one is a red "X". (note: If you don't see these, you have an older version of Internet Explorer and should upgrade.)
- Click on the "Compatibility View" and you will get a message that says "ytporegon is now running in compatibility view" and all of your menus and navigation features will work.
- You will need to do this EACH time you use the website if you continue to use Internet Explorer as your default browser.
Q: What does 1/1/01 mean for a birthday?
A: This means that the birthday was blank in the old system, so we had to put something in so that the new system would take it. Just go in and edit this to the correct birth date.
Q: What does Unknown mean for sex?
A: This means that ‘sex’ was blank if the old system, so we had to put something in so that the new system would take it. Just go in and edit this to the correct choice.
Q: How do I enter a new student?
A: Click on ‘Forms’, then select ‘Students’. Select your site and high school from the dropdowns. Then click on ‘New Student’. Click on ‘Save’ when you have finished entering information.
Q: How do I update a student’s information?
A: Click on ‘Forms’, then select ‘Students’. Select your site and high school from the dropdowns. Find the student in the student list and click on the small yellow icon at the right of the row. You can sort any column to help you find a student by clicking on the column header (i.e. First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, App Date, etc.) Enter information and click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the student’s record to go back to your student list.
Q: How should I enter dates?
A: Dates should be entered numerically, with a four digit year and no left zeroes. So 5/15/2007, 12/13/2007, etc. NOT 01/02/2008, or January 2, 2008.
Q: How do I enter exit or follow up information for a student?
A: Click on ‘Forms’, then select ‘Students’. Select your site and high school from the drop-down menus. Find the student in the student list and click on the small yellow icon at the right of the row. This will take you to the student’s record. Below the student’s IPE Goal Area is a header called ‘Exit and Follow Up Info’. Click on the yellow icon with the plus sign next to the words ‘Add Information’. Enter information and click ‘Save’. This will take you back to the student’s record. Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the student’s record to go back to your student list.
Q: When I enter wage or hours worked per week, I get an error message! Why?
A: When entering wage information you must only enter numbers and a decimal point. Do not add any "text" such as "$", or "per hour", or "/hour", or "/hr" as examples. The same rule applies for hours worked. NO TEXT, only a number. So if someone works 20 hours a week, simply put the number 20 in the box. Do not add any text such as "per week", or "/week" as examples. If someone works 20 hours a week and a fraction over (e.g. 20 3/4 hours per week), use decimal points and list it as 20.75 or 20.5.
Q: I look at my reports and my engagement statistics seem higher than I think they are! Why?
A: Sometimes, Transition Specialists will not be able to find a student during follow-up or they want to "tell the story" about why someone isn't engaged like they would in a case note. ANY TEXT under "job title" or "training" in the follow up data entry screens will COUNT. Therefore putting in some explanatory text like "Can't locate student" or "Student Quit Job" will make your engagement statistics INCORRECT. Only put job titles or training programs (e.g. postsecondary education, vocational training programs, etc.) in those text boxes to assure that your engagement statistics are correct.
Q: When I look at my High School Detail Reports, in the follow-up columns, I see E, or T, and sometimes T E. What does that mean?
A: E means "employed". T means "training". T E means a "combination of employment and training". Previously, the database used to tell you "yes" if a student was engaged. Now (as of October 2008) the database tells you if the student is engaged on any particular follow-up date whether that engagement is employment (T), training (T), or some combination of training and employment (T E).
Q: When I put in an exit date for a student, should my 6 month and 12 month follow-up checks be exactly 6 and 12 months from the exit date?
A: Yes, as close as possible. Exit, 6 month, and 12 month check points are "slices" in time or a "snapshot" of what is happening at those times following exit. If a site found out on the 6th month or the 12th month that a student wasn't engaged, but "heard" they were going to be in several weeks and then waited until the 7th or 8th month or the 13th or 14th month to secure "credit" for the engagement benchmark, data consistency would be lost. In an effort to get a consistent practice that is reliable and reportable across ALL YTP sites, not only to State leaders of YTP, but also nationally. Although a few days one way or the other will not make a significant difference, a few weeks or a month will. So whenever possible please align your dates so that the 6 month follow-up date is actually 6 months from the exit date, and the 12 month follow-up date is actually 12 months from the exit date as well.
Q: How do I view reports?
A: Click on ‘Forms’, then move your cursor to ‘Reports’, then select the report category you would like (School Reports, Site Reports, State Reports, User Report). Select your site and high school from the dropdowns, then click ‘Generate’ next to the report you would like to see. To exit this screen, click on the ‘Back’ arrow at the top left of your screen.
Q: Is YTP Data Current and up-to-date the moment it is entered and will I see it on a Report? In other words, is the data on a report "REAL TIME"?
A: No. Because the calculations for data are so complex in order for that data to appear on a report, the calculation system is updated in the late hours of the night every 24 hours. So the data entered TODAY will be displayed on any particular report TOMORROW. There is a 24 hour delay in the currency of data entered. You should plan accordingly.
Q: How do I save reports?
A: Follow steps in ‘How do I view reports?’ above. With the report on the screen, click on ‘Save a Copy’ in the upper left hand corner of the menu area. You will be prompted to choose a save location and name the file, then click ‘Save’. It’s a good idea to include the date when you name the file and save it.
Q: How do I print or email reports?
A: Once a report has been saved to your computer, it can be printed like any other document, or attached in an email message.
Q: What do I do if I forget my password?
A: If you forget your password, go to the website and click on ‘Login’. This will take you to the Login screen. In the upper right hand corner, click on ‘Forgot?’. You will be prompted to enter your username, then click ‘Submit’. You will be asked to answer a security question. This question is “Who loves data?”. The answer is “I do”. Type this in and click on ‘Submit’. A new password will be emailed to you. Please change it when you login the first time and save it in a safe place. IMPORTANT: If a person tries more than 3 times in 10 minutes to enter a password, they are LOCKED OUT of the website. It is strongly recommended that you use the process above after 2 unsuccessful log-in attempts and request a new password. You can find the answer to the security question by reading "About YTP" or "YTP History" on the home page of the website.
Q: What do I do if I’m having trouble?
A: If you are experiencing any error messages, problems, or just have general questions about the data system or website, please email or call your Technical Assistance Provider. They will communicate with Jeanette and Mateus as necessary.
