Louisiana

The following is the file layout for your district. See the State Direct Certification document for details on performing the DC process. 

Refer to pages 31 and 32 of the following PDF.

Import the Latest Louisiana DC Plugin

1. From the Admin & Maintenance tab, locate Advanced Setup. Then, select External Plugins.

2. Click Check for Upgrades.
   

   

3. You should be prompted that a new Version (2.0.5.25754 or higher) is available. Click Yes to download the file.
    

   

4. The system will inform you once the download has successfully been installed. Click OK to continue.
   

5. Close the External Plugins tab. You must restart Franklin in order for the new plugin to complete the installation process.
    

Establish DC File Sources and Import Configuration Settings

1. From the Administration and Maintenance tab, locate Miscellaneous Setup. Then, select DC File Sources.

2. In the last row with the asterisk, enter a DC File description (e.g. dm_index). Then, click Save Changes.
   Note: The system will not allow you to remove the existing DC File Sources if you have run a DC import/match prior to importing/matching the new dm_index file. After you have completed End of Year processes for the 2017-2018 School Year, you may remove the old files.

   

3. From the Admin & Maintenance tab, locate Miscellaneous Setup. Then, select DC Import Configurations.

4. Click Add.

5. Establish DC Import Configs.

   1. Enter a configuration Description.

   2. Use the drop-down menu to select the Plugin.

   3. Use the drop-down menu to select a DC File Source.

   4. Then, click Configure Plugin.

   5. Click the ellipsis icon and locate the file on your local drive or server. Click Open once you have located the file. Then, click Ok.

   6. Click Ok in the Edit DC Import Config window to complete the process.
      

6. Delete the old match file(s) by clicking on each file description and clicking Remove.

Download the File from the State

Download the dm_index file from eScholar. 

Create a Student Export (ONLY Districts that do not have a SIS)

Districts that do not have a Student Information System will need to create an export file prior to proceeding to the next step. If your District does not have multiple sponsor codes, proceed to Louisiana DM Index Format#Step 5 of this instructional section.

1. From the Administration and Maintenance tab, locate Miscellaneous Setup. From Schools, select Custom School Fields.

2. Create a custom school field. You may enter your own Description. The Field name must be entered as X_LA_Sponsor_Code. When you are done, click Save Changes.
   

   

3. From the Admin & Maintenance tab, locate Miscellaneous Setup. From Schools, select Schools.

4. Enter the Sponsor Code associated with each school in the new custom school field you created. Then, click Save Changes.
   

   

5. From the Administration and Maintenance tab, locate Advanced Setup. Then, select Exports.

6. Click Add New.

7. Select DC Export for Louisiana from the list. Then, click Ok.
   

   

8. Establish export configurations.

   1. Enter a configuration Description.

   2. If you would like to overwrite the existing file with each export, place a checkmark in Automatically overwrite exiting files; otherwise, a new file will be created each time the export is run.

   3. Click Setup.
      

      

   4. Establish Setup configurations for the export. The, click Ok.

      1. Filename - Click the ellipsis icon and locate or enter a filename on your local or network drive.

      2. Filename Prefix (files will be named 'prefix_'sponsor code'.txt) - Enter the pre-fix of the file(s) to be created. This mainly applies to Districts with multiple State Sponsor Codes to allow multiple files to be generated for your District upon export.

      3. LEA/Sponsor Code - Enter your 3-digit state-issued LEA/Sponsor code.

      4. Residing District Code - Enter your 2-digit state-issued parish/city code.

      5. Default Gender (Example: M or F - leave blank to not use a default - Establish a default gender or remove the value to leave blank.

      6. Default Ethnicity (Example: NYNNNN - leave blank to not use a default) - Establish a default ethnicity or remove the value to leave blank.
         

         

   5. Once you have established export configurations, click Ok.
      Note: You may wish to test your export. Click Apply to establish setup changes are applied. Then, click Test. If your District utilizes multiple State Sponsor Codes, a fille will be generated for each Sponsor Code for you to upload to the State website.

      

Import the Direct Certification File

1. From the Utilities tab, locate Direct Certification. Then, select Import File.

2. Select the correct DC Import Config. Then, click Ok.
   Note: If you removed the old State Match File and District Match File from the DC Import Configurations, only the current configuration will appear.
    

3. Verify the DC Filename is correct. Then, click Ok.
   

   

   
   You will see a series of processes running while the file uploads.
   

   

   
   You may be warned if you have a large file. Click OK to continue.
   

   

4. The confirmation window will appear. Click Ok. 
   

   

    

5. You will notice a large amount of Adds. An MCS customer service representative may need to assist you to release the import as system security if alerted to the large amount of changes. Click Yes to continue.
   

   

6. Click Submit Request, if applicable.
   Note: It is recommended that you are connected with an MCS Support Representative before attempting to perform this operation.

   

7. Enter a comment as to why you are requesting an MCS Technical Support override. Then, click Ok, if applicable.
   

   

    
   The status bar will display while awaiting MCS authorized release of the action.
   

   

    

Apply a State Match or Perform A District Match

The District should perform a State Match.

The District has the option of performing a District Match choosing a Strict 3-point, 2-point "Name +", or 2-point match (Name, SSN, DOB) to designate a student for Direct Certification. Check with your District or State contact if you are unsure which match point option you should run.