PCSchool has customized the absence roll marking to be compliant with the 2012 changes in Attendance Marking in NSW schools. For more information on the requirements please visit
http://www.cecnsw.catholic.edu.au/dbpage.php?pg=view&dbase=programs&id=47
To implement the changes in PCSchool follow the steps below:
- Download www.pcschool.net/download/attendcodesNSW.zip Open the file and extract the contents to \PCSchool\Documents on the server (replacing the current AttendanceCodes.xml)
- Check your version of the Scholastic Module.If it is less than 2011.2.0.433 you will need to download the latest followup at www.pcschool.net/download/followup2011-2.zip
- If you are using PCSchool Spider to mark your rolls you will need to contact PCSchool to ensure that you have a suitable version of the Spider. If you have not updated your Spider since January 2012 then you will need to update.
- Run PCSchool Scholastic. Absence Roll Collection and Go to Attendance Settings. Insert “?”, “P”, “T” and “F” as indicated.
Setup Default Code Set for NSW schools
A requirement of the NSW system is that the student is marked with an “X” to indicate the first and last days of attendance each term. This can be set within PCSchool to present in Roll Marking, on the first and last days, as the default as below:
Setting Roll Default
NOTE: the ‘X’ will only appear if NSW is the state selected in your System File address, and provided you have changed the defaults to “?”, “P”, “T” & “F”. If you have done this and the “X” is not in the combo list then exit Scholastic and re-open to refresh the Combo list.
PCSchool has created a specific NSW Attendance Roll Report launched from the Absence Reports. To install this new report
- If SQL download www.pcschool.net/download/attendNSWSQL.zip open and extract the AttendNSW.rpt to \PCSchool\Reports\SQL
- If Non SQL download www.pcschool.net/download/attendNSW.zip open and extract the AttendNSW.rpt to \PCSchool\Reports
Next setup the Report in the Report Alias File as indicated
Adding the Report to PCSchool
To run the report go to Absence Reports. Select Analysis/Graphical and run the AttendNSW report.
Printing the Attendance Report
Sample Attendance Report for NSW Schools
PCSchool Student Management Tech Support 
Thanks for this. It looks like your procedure above will result in an ‘X’ on the first and last days of a student’s attendance each term provided that:
a) The default is set properly on the first and last day,
b) The student’s first and last days of attendance for the term are actually the first and last days of term, and
c) The roll is marked through absence roll marking.
In the case where b) is not true, e.g. the last day of Term is Friday 10th but Sally is away that day, so her last day was actually Thursday 9th, does this require the teacher to manually bring up the roll for Thursday 9th and change her P status to X?
In the case where c) is not true, i.e. absences only are recorded through Absences Lates and Behaviour using a barcode sheet, how should the X status be set?
“Check your version of the Scholastic Module.”
This is located at Help > Version – correct?
Yes, to check what version of PCSchool you are currently running open the Scholastic Module, go to Help – About and it will show you your current version.
Good points!
In the case where b) is not true then yes the teacher will need to go back and set this or it will need to be a practice of the attendance officer to review this after the first day of school or last day of school. If you know that the student is starting or leaving on a different date then you can pre set this for the individual student in the Absence, Lates and Behaviour view.
In the case where c) is not true and the school is not using the Roll Marking within PCSchool then I expect that the teachers are using manual rolls so it would be up to the school to ensure that these were marked correctly. The NSW procedures require the keeping of some form of roll, either manual or with the SMS (such as PCSchool), I believe that only recording the absences and not having a compliant manual roll might be contrary to the policy.
If you are not using the Roll Marking within PCSchool but would like to please let me know and we can organise a demonstration or training session.