Miscellaneous Setup
- Robin Rodrigue
- Nora Kinal
Overview |
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The Miscellaneous Setup section demonstrates how to configure the various features provided in the MSA Client. |
Opening Miscellaneous Setup
This procedure is used to access all processes in the Miscellaneous Setup section.
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on Miscellaneous Setup.
Scan Forms
Scan Forms allows you to create multiple form configurations with custom settings for each form. This will typically be setup by Support for each school year.
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on Miscellaneous Setup. Then, select Scan Forms.
Select Add to create a new Scan Form or Edit to alter an existing form.
Select if you would like to add a copy of the currently selected scan form or create a new, blank form. Then, click Ok.
Establish Scan Form settings. You can choose to modify the scan form settings.
Scan Form - Scan Form sets the description of the form, configures your scanner, and lets you choose how the form is printed. You can also choose to designate the form for the upcoming school year.
Description - Enter a description for the scan form.
Scanner Configuration - Use the drop-down menu to select a scanner from the list. If you need to add a scanner or edit settings of an existing scanner, click the gear icon.
Application Form Type - Use the drop-down menu to select an application form type.
Meal Benefits Application - Select this option for Meal Benefits Applications scan forms.
Household Economic Survey - Select this option for Household Economic Survey scan forms.
(Auto) Meal Benefits App - Automatically considers all applications as Meal Benefits; however, will revert to Economic Survey if all students are enrolled in CEP schools.
(Auto) Economic Survey - Automatically considers all applications as Economic Surveys; however, will revert to Meal Benefits if at least one student is enrolled in a non-CEP school.
Print Landscape - Prints applications in landscape format.
Rotate 90° after scan - Rotates the scan 90 degrees.
This scan form is for next school year - Select if the scan form being created if for the next school year.
OMR Thresholds - Optical Mark Reader (OMR) sets the percentage in each field so a mark can be interpreted by the program. You may choose to increase or decrease the percentage for Anchor, Checkbox, Row Present, and Signature.
Q/A Human Verify Mode - The Q/A Human Verify Mode allows you to designate areas of verification for Critical Zones, High Importance Zones, Normal Importance Zones, and Low Importance Zones within the application.
Default Case Types - Use the drop-down menu to establish default case types for Household Case #, Alt. Household Case #, Student Case #, and Alt. Student Case #.
Options - Options allows you to specify a date format, set the Suspicion and Zone Tolerance levels and the area of tolerance, choose how you want to look up students, if you want to keep a scan in color, set the dots per inch (DPI) and set unzoned income frequencies.
Date Format - Establish a date format. e.g MM/DD/YY
Suspicion Tolerance - Use the slide bar to increase or decrease the level of text recognition suspicion. The higher the bar is set, the more tolerant/relaxed the text recognition and the less likely an application is to be flagged as suspicious.
Zone Tolerance (inches) - The padding distance around the perimeter of each zone to include when performing handwriting recognition allowing the size around each zoned area to be adjusted without having to rezone the entire application. It is recommended to precisely define zones to match the boxes on the application and adjust/increase the Zone Tolerance as needed in order to accommodate applicants who write outside boxes and lines.
Student Lookup Trigger - Use the drop-down menu to specify an application field in order to determine an application scan is complete and student lookup should begin.
Drop-Out Color - Establish which color should be dropped during the scanning process. (Meal Benefit Apps = 255,0,0. Economic Surveys may vary depending on color.)
Keep Color Scan - Keeps a copy of the colored application scan. Then, establish the Dots Per Inch (DPI) for the scanned image.
Unzoned Inc. Freq - Use the drop-down menu to select if frequency of unzoned income is (missing), Annually, Monthly, Twice per Month, Every two-weeks, or Weekly.
Row Counts - Row Counts designate the number of rows in the student and parent sections of the application. Once you have established the number of Student and Household rows, use the drop-down menu to select the Count Method. These could vary by district. By default, all information in the student row is set to count members for the household.
Frequency Codes - Frequency Codes are designated by a letter and can be changed from default settings.
Income Source Mapping (Family Members) - Income Source Mapping allows you to choose the order and types of income a household receives.
Establish Zone Definitions settings. Zone Definitions allow you to change the area size of a zone.
Use the Zoom In/Zoom Out button to change the size of the scan form.
To modify or add a zone, double-click on the area you wish to modify in the Zone window. Use your mouse to create a zone on the scan form.
Once you have made all modifications to a Scan Form, click Save Changes.
Additional Zone Definition Tools
Import a File - Allows you to a saved scan form configuration file (.xml) from your local or network drive.
Layout Image - Layout image is the application form.
View - Opens the form image in a separate window for viewing.
Scan - Allows you to scan the new form into the system.
Import - Allows you to import the form from an image file from your local or network drive.
Export - Allows you to export the existing form as an image file to your local or network drive. This is useful if you plan on scanning in black and white and dropping out the red. (Remove all black utilizing an imaging program such as MS Paint or Adobe Photoshop.)
Deskew - Allows you to define what is considered a straight line on the form and adjust the angle of the form image.
Rotate 90° - Allows you to rotate the form image.
Zoning Utilities
Clone Student Rows -Allows you to clone the information on the first student row to all subsequent student rows.
Clone Family Member Rows - Allows you to clone the information on the first family member row to all subsequent family member rows.
Repair Sequences - The Repair Sequence will repair the gaps or duplicate sequences within the form.
Automatic Sequences - Replaces existing zone sequences with automatically assigned values based on zone layout.
Overlay Image - The image overlay is the form image with black removed that overlays the original form.
View - Opens the red form image in a separate window for viewing.
Scan - Allows you to scan the form with no dark ink (if applicable).
Import - Allows you to import the overlay form from an image file from your local or network drive. (Once you have removed all black utilizing an imaging program such as MS Paint or Adobe Photoshop.)
Export - Allows you to export the existing overlay form as an image file to your local or network drive.
Clear - Removes the overlay image completely.
Schools
Displays a list of all schools within the District. Basic information can be entered regarding individual schools.
Schools
Schools displays a list of all schools (active and inactive), the School Type, Export Code, primary Email Address, and user-defined School Categories in your District.
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on Miscellaneous Setup. Under the Schools options, select Schools.
A list of the schools in the District is shown in the School Maintenance tab. Enter/edit information for each School. Then, click Save Changes. To remove a school from the list, select the school and right-click. Then, click Delete School.
School Number - The District-assigned school number.
Site Code - The Site Code associated with the school.
School Name - The name of the school.
Inactive - Displays if the school is currently inactive. Place a checkmark in the box to make a school inactive.
School Type - Use the drop-down menu to select a school type.
Export Code - User-created code to be read by an external program.
Email Address - Contact email address of the school.
School Categories - Use the drop-down menu to select user-defined school categories (if applicable).
School Categories
School categories allow you to place schools into specific groups to aid in filtering and searching.
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on Miscellaneous Setup. Under the Schools options, select School Categories.
Enter a School Category in the space provided.
To enter Category Items, select the plus + sign next to Category Description and enter a Category Item in the space provided. Then, click Save Changes.
Grades
Allows you to establish all Grades for your District in order to match students.
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on MiscellaneousSetup. Then, select Grades.
In the row with the asterisk, enter the grades at your school. Grades may vary by District. Then, click Save Changes. If a grade is no longer active, place a checkmark in the Inactive column.
Student Importers
Student Importers allow you to import your Student Information System (SIS) file into the system. Student data may be imported as simple text files or through SQL Server databases.
For Student Importer Instructions, please see Free and Reduced Student Data Import File Configuration.
Application Review Queues
Applications can be organized into user-defined queues which is useful when sorting large amounts of received applications. Specific queues can be created for different situations related to the applications (e.g. missing data, etc.)
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on MiscellaneousSetup. Then, select Application Review Queues.
Enter a new Application Review Queue in the blank space next to the asterisk. Then, click Save Changes.
Special Circumstances
The system comes with 12 predefined Special Circumstances and the ability to create user-defined Circumstances. By selecting Categorical Eligibility for a special circumstance, the remainder of the application will be ignored once the system recognizes a positive response in the selected box on an application if Apply Special Circumstances from Application has been selected.
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on Miscellaneous Setup. Then, select Special Circumstances.
Enter new Special Circumstances in the blank row next to the asterisk and place a checkmark in the box if to apply Categorical Eligibility. Then, click Save Changes. The predefined Special Circumstances are listed (not editable).
Work-Log Types
The Work-Log section allows for the tracking of specific actions that occur when working with applications, creating a record of the application's history.
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on Miscellaneous Setup. Then, select Work-Log Types.
Enter new Work-Log actions in the blank space next to the asterisk. Then, click Save Changes.
Description - Enter a work-log description.
Section - Enter "General" for new work-logs.
Allow for Application - Select to log when editing an application.
Allow for Students - Select to log when editing a student.
Flash Comments Button - Use the drop-down menu to select if the comments button should flash Always, When Comments Exist, or Never. When a comment is present, the Comments icon will flash.
Comment Prompt - Use the drop-down menu to select if a comment for an action should Prompt, is Required, or Do Not Prompt for a comment.
Languages
Sets the languages being utilized within the system.
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on Miscellaneous Setup. Then, select Languages.
Establish Language settings. Then, click Save Changes.
Choose which Languages are Active by clicking the corresponding check box (leave unchecked if Active).
Enter the Scanning Code for active languages. The scanning code is the box or code printed on applications that denotes the application language.
If a language is not listed, add it in the blank space next to the asterisk.
Rejected Application Reasons
The system has four pre-defined Rejected Application Reasons (not editable) and the ability to create new reasons. These will be available when processing the applications.
From the Admin and Maintenance tab, click on Miscellaneous Setup. Then, select Rejected Application Reasons.
Enter a new Rejected Application Rreason in the blank row next to the asterisk. Then, click Save Changes.