- OPAL –OPen Enrollment Application Log

Wisconsin Department of Public InstructionPublic School Open Enrollment Workshops

November/December 2008

About OPAL

What it is.What it does.

What is OPAL?• On-line application system

– Parents may submit open enrollment applications directly on-line.

• On-line tracking system– Resident and nonresident school districts

enter tracking information directly into the on-line data base.

– Information is immediately available to the other district and DPI.

• Tuition waivers are currently not in OPAL.

Application Process

• Parent enters the application on-line or submits a paper application to the nonresident school district. – Nonresident school district enters

information from paper applications.

• Nonresident and resident districts may immediately view and print applications from data base and may download information into an Excel spreadsheet.

Information Exchange

• Nonresident school district may request records directly in OPAL.

• Resident district replies directly in OPAL:– No special education or expulsion

records. – Yes, special education records (send

records)– Yes, expulsion records (send records)

• Nonresident district must send estimate of special education cost.

Approval & Denial

• Each district will enter its approvals and denials into OPAL, indicating reason for denial.

• OPAL will generate a PDF approval or denial letter (for optional use).

• Nonresident districts will indicate whether the student intends to OE. – Will also indicate if student has been

accepted from a waiting list or if a denial is reversed.

Tracking Students

• Each district will enter tracking information directly into OPAL. – Each entry will generate an email to the

OPAL contact in the other district. – The other district must “approve” any

change in order for it to be effective.

Security & User Management

Authorizing Users

• DPI authorizes District Administrators:– Sent userid and password via USPS in Feb. 2008– Assigns userid and password to new district

administrator (via USPS, email or fax)

• District Administrator authorizes additional users. – Each user should have her/his own userid and

password. – Do not share passwords.

• Recommend that at least 2 people in each district are authorized to use OPAL.

https://www2.dpi.state.wi.us/CMM/

District Administrators Only

It is recommended that passwords be reset

periodically.

After 5 unsuccessful login attempts, the user will be locked out. The district

administrator can unlock an authorized user. DPI must

unlock the district administrator’s userid &

password.

Managing User Authorizations

• Delete authorizations for departing employees or those who no longer work with OE.

• Contact DPI to delete authorizations for departing district administrators.

• Contact DPI to create authorizations for new district administrators.

• Do not “edit” an authorization to change from one person to another.

• Do not share passwords.

Navigating in OPAL

Note: All pupil names used in this presentation are fictional

Tabs and Sidebar

Alpha

Sorting

Page

Returns all apps beginning with chosen letter

Sorting

Filter by Year

Filter by Grade

Filter by Status or Action

Search

Logging On

https://www2.dpi.state.wi.us/OpenEnroll/

The MAILBOX Tab

• OPAL opens into the MAILBOX Tab.• Shows the status of data change

requests:– New Data Change Requests– Pending Data Change Requests– Responses to Your Requests

• Approved• Rejected

– Your Responses to Others’ Requests• Approved• Rejected

The MAILBOX Tab

The CONTACTS Tab

The CONTACTS Tab

• Name & Contact Information for:– District Administrator/Superintendent– OPAL Contact

• OPAL Contact:– May or may not be the district’s open

enrollment coordinator– Is the person who receives emails for OE

status changes– District Administrator is the default OPAL

contact.

• One OPAL Contact per district:– OPAL Contact must be an authorized user.

• There may be additional authorized users, but only one may be the OPAL Contact.

– If the district wishes more than one person to receive change of status emails, suggest you use your email software to:• Create an “open enrollment” email address, or• Create a “rule” that forwards all emails with

certain subject lines.

The CONTACTS Tab

When you update the district administrator’s name, I will contact her/him by email to

provide a userid and password

Managing Applications

andTracking Students

The APPLICATIONS Tab

The APPLICATIONS Tab

• View applications submitted by parents. • Nonresident district enters paper

applications received. • Edit and request deletion of applications. • Show approval and denial of applications.• May download information into an Excel

spreadsheet.

The APPLICATIONS Tab

Edit: can only edit applications you enterDelete: generates request for DPI to deletePDF: view/print PDF copy of application

Show all applications in

PDF

Applications will only be deleted if they are

duplicates or submitted in error.

Transfers In: Approve/Deny

REMEMBER TO SAVE!

Reasons for Denial

REMEMBER TO SAVE!

Transfers Out

Transfers Out: Approve/Deny

REMEMBER TO SAVE!

REMEMBER TO SAVE!

Reasons for Denial

Upcoming Features of the APPLICATIONS Tab

• Records Request & Response• Approval/Denial Forms.

– Download into Excel to use in own merge docs, or– Use OPAL-created PDF approval/denial form.

• Will be able to indicate more than one reason for denial.

• Nonresident district will show parent’s intent.

• Nonresident district may indicate if student is accepted from waiting list.

The STUDENTS Tab

The STUDENTS Tab• All tracking of open enrolled students

is done via the STUDENTS tab.• Initially indicate:

– Whether or not the student is enrolled on the 3rd Friday in September.

– Student’s special education status. – Whether the student is enrolled in a virtual

charter school (operational by app. period)

• Edit student information and enter changes of status.

Initial Entries• List Format:

– Attending/Not Attending, FTE– Special Education Status (attending only)– Enrolled in Virtual School (attending only)

• Yes/No Format. – Corrections must be made from

individual student page.

• Nonresident District enters information. – Resident District Accepts or Rejects.

• Normally, these lists will only be active from the beginning of the school year until Oct. 1. – For this year, the lists will be active until

Dec. 15.– Emails are only sent from these pages if

the resident district rejects the nonresident district’s entry.

– Later entries will have to be done for individual students as a change of status.

Attending or Not - Transfers InThis page will normally be active only until October 1

Attending or Not - Transfers OutThis page will normally be active only until October 1

Special Ed or Not - Transfers In

Special Ed or Not - Transfers Out

Changes of Status

Edits & Changes of Status

• Start with the All Students page.• Click on individual student. • Choose:

– Status Tab• Grade, Special Education, FTE, Virtual School,

Withdraw/Terminate OE, Days of OE

– General Information Tab• Student’s name, birthdate, sex, race.

– Parent Tab • Parents name(s), address, email, phone numbers.

The STUDENTS TabAll Students

Contains students continuing from previous year plus new applicants

Click on a student’s name for the student’s

individual record

Student’s Summary Information

Student’s Status Page

To update, type in new information.

Sample Email to Other District

Richland (resident district)

Contrary, Mary Q

Grade: from 04 to 05

Jane Doe

Click on item to go to list of changes.

Other District’s MAILBOX

Click on student’s name to see requested change.

Shows Response from Other District

General Data

Parents/Address

The Bottom Line

Summary List with Aid Transfers

Actively Open Enrolled - In

At the end of the school year,

“estimate” will change to “final” and the page

will be locked.

Actively Open Enrolled - Out

At the end of the school year,

“estimate” will change to “final” and the page

will be locked.

Future changes to OPAL will use these formats.

First Things First

What To Do With OPAL When You Get Back To Your District

• Ensure that all persons who need to use OPAL are authorized users with their own userids and passwords.

• Recommend at least two persons in each district are authorized users.

• Ensure that OPAL Contact Information is Current:

• District Administrator is correct. • OPAL Contact is listed, unless the

District Administrator wishes to be the OPAL Contact.

Authorized Users & OPAL Contacts

Initially Indicate Students’ Open Enrollment Status

• STUDENTS Tab• Attending or Not (from sidebar)• Nonresident District

– Indicate whether student was attending your district under OE on the third Friday (or one day before and one day after).

– Indicate FTE for 4K and KG (5K).

• Resident District– Agree or disagree with nonresident district’s

entry. – OPAL sends an email to nonresident district if

you disagree.

Initially Indicate Student’s Special Education Status

• STUDENTS Tab• Special Education (from sidebar)

– Only shows students attending under OE. • Nonresident District

– Indicate whether student is special ed. • Resident District

– Agree or disagree with nonresident district’s entry.

– OPAL sends an email to nonresident district if you disagree.

Enter Changes of Status As They Occur

• STUDENTS Tab• All Students (from sidebar)• Both Districts:

– Click on student’s name. Enter any changes of status that have occurred since the beginning of the school year.

– Email will be sent to other district for each change of status entered.

– Other district agree or disagree. • If disagree, must contact each other until

disagreement is resolved.

Mary Jo CleaverPublic School Open Enrollment ConsultantWisconsin Department of Public Instruction

125 S. Webster StreetP.O. Box 7841

Madison, WI 53707-7841608-267-9101 or

toll-free 888-245-2732 ext 2 then 1maryjo.cleaver@dpi.wi.gov

website: http://dpi.wi.gov/sms/psctoc.html