Create student attendance codes

Create attendance codes for users to pick from when identifying the type of record they are entering. For example, you might create A for absent.

To create a student attendance code:

  1. Log on to the District view.
  2. Select Admin > Data DictionaryClosed > Reference.
  3. Select the Student Daily Attendance Codes table.
  4. On the Data Dictionary side-tab, click Codes. Any existing student attendance codes appear.
  5. Select Options> Add. The New Reference Code page appears.
  6. New Reference Code page

  1. Enter the following information:
  2. Field

    Description

    Code

    Type the code.

    Description

    Type a description for the code.

    Code type

    Click this drop-down to determine what is entered for an attendance record when a user clicks this code on the Office Attendance or Classroom Attendance Input pages:

    • ATD Toggle: To toggle the absent, tardy, and dismissed values. When you click a code you set to ATD Toggle, Aspen adds the code to the record; it does not replace any codes already defining the record.
      Example: If the following is defined:

      Code = T

      Description = tardy

      Code type = ATD Toggle

      When you enter attendance, the following occurs:

      If the Code column for a record does not already display the T code and you click T for tardy, the Code column adds the T code. When you click T again, Aspen deletes the T code from the Code column.

    • ATD Replace: To replace any code in the Code column with this code and its tardy, dismissed, and absent values if you click this code’s button in the Quick Change column.

      When the Code type is set to ATD Replace, the code is underlined in the Quick Change button to indicate that clicking the button will replace an existing attendance code.

      Example: If the following is defined:

      Code = T

      Description = tardy

      Code type = ATD Replace

      When the student’s Code column displays A and you click T, T replaces the A and any other codes that currently appear in the Code column.

    • Other Code: To enter detailed information for an attendance record. Other codes represent other attendance code values, such as FT for field trip.

    Excused type

    Click this drop-down to determine if Aspen considers a student’s attendance record excused when you click the button for this code in the Quick Change column on the Office Input and Classroom Input pages:

    • Set On: To select the Excused checkbox any time a user clicks the button for this code.
    • Set Off: To deselect the Excused checkbox any time a user clicks the button for this code.
    • Toggle: To select the checkbox if a user clicks the button for this code, and consequently deselect the checkbox if the user clicks the button for this code again.
    • No Change: To keep the checkbox either clear or selected, depending on the settings for the first button for a code clicked for the student.
      ExampleExcused type = Set On and you click AE for a student. When you then click T to mark the student tardy as well, you might set the Excused Type for T to No Change. This way, Aspen continues to select the Excused checkbox, as determined with the AE code.
      Note: For the code you define, select an Excused type based on what happens most frequently for these attendance records. For example, if most tardies at your high school are unexcused, select Set Off. This way, by default, Aspen assumes all tardies are unexcused unless you select the Excused checkbox.

    Sequence number

    Type a number to indicate the order in which codes appear.

    Is absent?

    Select this checkbox if a student is considered absent for the day when you select this code.

    Is tardy?

    Select this checkbox if a student is considered tardy for the day when you select this code.

    Is dismissed?

    Select this checkbox if a student is considered dismissed for the day when you select this code.

    Portion absent

    Type the decimal figure that indicates the portion of the day a student is absent if a user enters this code.

    For example, 1.0 would indicate a full day’s absence.

    Disabled

    Select this checkbox to disable the code. It no longer appears in the pick list.

    Receipt printing

    This field is enabled by default for all Student Daily Attendance codes. Aspen will generate an attendance receipt when this code is entered on the Daily Attendance Office Input page. If you do not want Aspen to generate a receipt when this code is entered, deselect this checkbox.

    Note: The Enable receipt printing School preference and the Print Daily attendance receipts user preference must be enabled to print attendance receipts.
  1. Click Save.
    Note: Follett suggests that most schools create an absent, tardy, dismissed, and excused code and select ATD Toggle at the Code type field. Then, when you define student daily attendance preferences, create buttons for these codes to appear on the input pages.