VASS Processing (Vic)
Overview
The VASS Processing (Vic) program provides 4 separate options relating to Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VASS) Processing:
Student Details Data Grid / Export.
Maintaining Assessing Schools / Focus Areas.
Student Programs Export.
VCAA Student Numbers Import.
For more information on creating the VASS data files, refer to How to Create VASS Upload Files.
Important!
In order to produce the 'Student Programs File' correctly, the TASS.web software will require some specific configurations against any subject which is VCE and VCAL registered.
Each subject record that is to be included in VASS export files will require the following:
Each subject record (to be included) in the file will require a Subject Category code of either VCE or VCAL.
Each VCE or VCAL subject record will require the VCAA Unit code/s to be entered into the respective Senior Semester Unit fields. (There are four Senior Semester Unit fields per subject.)
Student Details Data Grid/Export
This option provides the ability to:
Maintain student VCAA information.
Generate an export file which can be imported into the VCAA VASS software.
Generate a report of the VCAA information that is held in the TASS.web database.
Map Genders
Use the 'Map Genders' icon to view or edit the specific TASS genders and codes mapped for this report.
Important!
If your school has defined additional gender types that are not recognised by the report's governing body, you will see the following message:
'Unmapped Genders exist. To run this report you must use the 'Map Genders' icon, and enter a mapping for all genders.'
To run the report, any additional genders in your database must be mapped to those that are accepted for the report by the governing body.
For example, if the governing body were to accept 3 gender types:
Female might map to gender code 'F'.
Male might map to gender code 'M'.
Any additional gender types that your school recognises could map to 'Unknown' (gender code 'U')—if the governing body recognises this gender type and you have defined it (or it is already defined) in TASS.
For more information on 'Gender Setup', refer to TASS.web Community > Setup Information.
General and User Defined Tabs
Fields from the 'General' and 'UD' tabs can be used as selection criteria to filter the data that will be available in the grid.
These tabs are similar to those displayed in TASS.web Student Admin > Student Records > Student Information > Students.
The 'Calendar' icons in the 'General' tab display date range pickers, these windows allow the entry of a date range, e.g. All student records with a 'Date of Birth' date between 01/01/06 and 31/12/06.TIP: You may also notice that the dropdown menu arrows next to selected fields in the 'General' and 'User Defined' tabs look different, these different arrows indicate that more than one selection can be made from the dropdown menu for your search criteria.
Generally, schools would select the relevant senior year groups only; however, the TASS.web software will allow users to maintain VCAA data on student's within any year level if required.
Process Tab
The 'Process' tab controls the columns that will be displayed in your data grid. Select the fields to include in your data grid by highlighting them with your mouse. The 'Student Code' and 'Surname' fields are automatically included and are not available for selection.
Holding down the 'Shift' key while clicking on your options enables a range selection, holding down the 'Ctrl' key allows individual selection of additional fields.
Sorting options are available by selecting the radio buttons on the left of the screen. These options include: 'Student Code', 'Surname' and 'Year Group'.
When the grid is populated, data will be displayed within columns.
Each row contains data from a master record matching your search criteria, and each column is a field matching your additional fields from the 'Process' tab.
The VCAA data that can be maintained for each student (within this particular option) are as follows:
Course Code | Valid options are:
Important! The 'Student Personal Details' data file will include details on students containing any course code, however, the subsequent Student Programs data file will only contain details on student's who have a course code of 'VCE'. |
General Declaration | The initial value for all new students will be 'N'. It can be changed to 'Y' if relevant. |
Previous Given Name | If any student has a previous Given Name then insert it here. |
Previous Second Name | If any student has a previous Second Name, then insert it here. |
Previous Surname | If any student has a previous Surname, then insert it here. |
VCAA Number | Student VCAA Numbers can be maintained here, or uploaded in bulk using the VCAA Student Numbers Import function. The VASS software will automatically generate the VCAA Student Numbers once the data is uploaded and validated. The VASS software has the ability to create an export file containing the VCAA Student Numbers which can then be uploaded into TASS.web. |
The option to create the 'Student Personal Details' Data File for importing into VASS is available by selecting 'Export' at the top of the screen.
Important!
The export file will only include students that match the selection criteria used when rendering the Data Grid.
If the 'Export' button is disabled, then select 'Save' within the Data Grid.
Click an individual cell to make a change.
If you are editing a table-referenced field that requires a code to be entered, click into the cell and either use the drop-down list or key in the code.
Use the 'Fill Down' button to replicate the same data down the column.
If you make a mess, use the 'Restore' button to undo your changes. Unsaved data will be lost.
The data will be restored back to the last 'Save'.
If you have not yet saved, the data will be restored back to the way it was when you loaded the Grid.
To sort by a column, click on the column heading. To sort by multiple columns use shift-click in the second and subsequent columns that you want to sort by.
To add a new column to your grid without having to go back to the previous screen, right-click on a column heading.
Select 'Save' to commit your changes to the database or 'Cancel' to return to the selection screens.
Important!
Your Administrator would normally carry out this procedure and your school may have security restrictions on this module. Please refer to your Administrator for more information regarding those restrictions and any specific requirements your school may have regarding changing of data.
Maintain Assessing Schools/Focus Areas
This option provides the ability to nominate an assessing school for a student if they are completing the unit or being assessed at another institution. The data entered into this screen will be included in the generation of the Student Programs data file.
After selecting the option 'Maintain Assessing Schools / Focus Areas', click the 'GO' button to display any records for the study year that currently exists within the TASS.web software.
Records displayed can be edited or deleted if required.
To add a 'New' Assessing School and/or Focus Area for a student, select the 'New' button at the top of the screen.
The VCAA information that can be maintained within this screen is as follows:
VCAA Unit Code | Once a student is selected, the system will populate this drop-down field with all of the possible VCAA Unit Codes for the subjects that the student is studying for the nominated Study Year. Therefore, for a VCAA unit code to be included in the drop-down list you must ensure that:
|
Assessing VCAA Code | The VCAA code of the school that will be assessing the student (if known). |
Assessing DEECD Code | The DEECD code of the school that will be assessing the student (if known). |
Focus Area | The Focus Area if applicable. |
Student Programs Export
This option provides the ability to generate an export file which can be imported into VASS.
After selecting this option, a selection criteria screen will be displayed to allow you to nominate the students that will be included in the export file.
Use the 'General' tab for filtering students based on their general details.
On the 'Process' tab the following options are available.
Study Year | Enter the Study Year to be processed. (Generally, this will be the current year.) |
VCE Student's Only | If this checkbox is checked, the system will only include students who have a Course Code of VCE. The Course Code for each student is maintained within the 'Student Details Data Grid / Export' option. |
Include Non-Current Students | If this option is checked, the file will include students who are non-current and have VCE subjects against them for the selected Study Year. |
VCAA School Code | Enter your VCAA School Code (if known). |
DEECD School Code | Enter your DEECD School Code (if known). |
Important!
To successfully create this data file for importing into VASS the following is required.
Each subject record (to be included) in the file will require a Subject Category code of either VCE or VCAL.
Each subject record will require the VCAA Unit code/s to be entered into the respective Senior Semester Unit fields. (There are four Senior Semester Unit fields per subject).
Students will need to have the subjects registered.
VCAA Student Numbers Import
This option provides the ability to upload a VASS Student Export File that contains student VCAA student codes.
This file is created using VASS and contains the VCAA student codes for each student that is currently registered in VASS.
After selecting the option the system will prompt you to browse to the upload file.
Select the relevant file and select the 'GO' button.
Once imported, the Student VCAA Numbers should be visible within the VASS Student Details Data Grid.
Student VCAA Numbers will then be included in any subsequent VASS data files created within the TASS.web software.
Important!
For this file to be uploaded successfully, the file must conform to the following specifications:
The values within the import file must be separated by a pipe symbol. (i.e. '|').
The file must contain a header row.
The file must contain 16 fields.
Field 1 must contain the VCAA Student number.
Field 2 must contain the TASS.web Student number.
Fields 3 to 16 are loaded but are ignored within the import process.