District Configuration Options
- Lisa Tunnell
Embarc District Configuration Options
These are the customizable district options available to you in Embarc. After this process, your security, curriculum templates, and reports will be ready for use. If at any time you need to adjust these features, a user level of system administrator may log in to adjust them.
Log into the administrative website, select Administrative Functions - District Options and adjust the options as desired based on the definitions provided below.
Security Configuration
View\Copy curriculum from other districts and allow them to do the same – allows other districts to see your district’s curriculum also allows your district to see their curriculum.
Allow Attachments at the Course Level – allows educators to attach an additional document to the curriculum. For each attachment the user will have the ability to specify who has access based on the options selected at the Topic Level (explained below).
Allow Attachments at the Unit Level – allows educators to attach an additional document to the curriculum. For each attachment the user will have the ability to specify who has access based on the options selected at the Topic Level (explained below).
Allow Attachments at the Topic Level – allows educators to attach an additional document to the curriculum. For each attachment the user will have the ability to specify who has access based on the options selected at the Topic Level (explained below).
Allow additional External attachments – allows users uploading documents at the course, unit, or topic level as defined above, to specify that the documents will be visible to the general public.
Allow additional Educator attachments – allows users uploading documents at the course, unit, or topic level as defined above, to specify that the documents will be visible to any educator using Embarc.
Allow additional Internal attachments – allows users uploading documents at the course, unit, or topic level as defined above, to specify that the documents will be visible to educators from your district only.
Allow Dept/Grade Level attachments – allows users uploading documents at the course, unit, or topic level as defined above, to specify that the documents will be visible to educators from your district associated with the course’s department and grade level only. Please Note: Turning on this option requires you to specify departments and grade levels for users of type Educator on the User Maintenance portion of Embarc.
Allow Departmental Curriculum Coordinators to Change the Course Status – by default once a course status is published it can no longer be changed, and the only people that can change the status are users of type Curriculum Coordinator or System Administrator. This option allows Departmental Curriculum Coordinators to change the course status and effectively change the course.
Allow Courses, Units, and Topics to be copied – provides the capability for Curriculum Authors to copy courses, units, and topics between courses.
Allow Departmental Curriculum Coordinators to perform cross district copies –allows user level Departmental Curriculum Coordinators to copy courses from other districts. Otherwise, only users with Curriculum Director or System Administrator level have this ability.
Course Configuration Options
Track the Course Code – adds a small text field at the course level for recording your course code. This information is also included in the XML extract available in Embarc.
Show the Course Code on the Public Site – allows the Course Code to be seen by the general public.
Use Course Level (CTE, Fine Arts). Set at the Department – adds a field on the Department Details screen where a district can check the CTE course level. The CTE course level then shows up on the General Course Information screen.
Use Course Durations – adds a drop-down menu at the course level to record the course duration.
Track the Course Type (Elective/Required) – adds a required field at the course level to record whether the course is a required or elective course.
Track NCAA Course Approval - allows the district to mark whether the course is an approved course by the National Collegiate Athletic Association or if this is not applicable to this course.
Track the Primary Author of the Course – adds a text field at the course level where the district can record the primary author of the course. This field is not visible to the general public.
Track Course Approval Date - allows the district to enter a date for when the course was approved. Also allows the district to supply a title for this field.
Course Overview Title – allows the district to specify the title they would like for the Course Overview field. The Lock option will disallow the editing of the course overview field
Course Optional Fields – There are 9 optional fields available for a district to use at the course level. Each of these fields:
can contain 25,000 characters of information
has a corresponding “Display Order” dropdown menu so that the order the fields are displayed can be adjusted
has a corresponding “Public” switch which allows you to control whether the fields are visible to the general public or not
has a “Lock” switch - this will disallow the editing of the content in this field
If a field is not given a title, the field will not be available on the edit pages
If no content is in a field, it will not show on the public site or on reports
PLEASE NOTE: Once you have started putting content into Embarc be very careful changing the titles of these fields because you could create a situation where the content does not match the title.
District Defined Course Switches – allows the district to use checkboxes on the Course Details Edit page to represent items such as Dual Credit, Weighted, Summer School, CTE Course, etc. and will appear on the Course Summary report.
Course View Mode – this allows a district to choose the default view of what they see when they click on a course. There are two choices, the Scope & Sequence view and the Course Detail view.
Unit Configuration Options
Unit Overview Title – allows the district to specify the title they would like for the Unit Overview field. “Lock” option will disallow the editing of the unit overview field. Defaults to “Unit Description” for new districts.
Unit Optional Fields – There are 19 optional fields available for a district to use at the unit level. Each of these fields:
can contain 25,000 characters of information
has a corresponding “Display Order” dropdown menu so that the order the fields are displayed can be adjusted
has a corresponding “Public” switch which allows you to control whether the fields are visible to the general public or not
has a “Lock” switch - this will disallow the editing of the content in this field
If a field is not given a title, the field will not be available on the edit pages.
If no content is in a field, it will not show on the public site or on reports.
PLEASE NOTE: Once you have started putting content into Embarc be very careful changing the titles of these fields because you could create a situation where the content does not match the title.
District Defined Unit Switches – allows the district to use checkboxes on the Unit Details Edit page to represent district decided items and will appear on the Course Summary report.
Topic Configuration Options
Topic Optional Fields – There are 10 optional fields available for a district to use at the topic level. Each of these fields:
can contain 25,000 characters of information
has a corresponding “Display Order” dropdown menu so that the order the fields are displayed can be adjusted
has a corresponding “Public” switch which allows you to control whether the fields are visible to the general public or not
If a field is not given a title, the field will not be available on the edit pages.
If no content is in a field, it will not show on the public site or on reports.
PLEASE NOTE: Once you have started putting content into Embarc be very careful changing the titles of these fields because you could create a situation where the content does not match the title.
District Defined Topic Switches – allows the district to use checkboxes on the Topic Edit page to represent district decided items and will appear on the Course Summary Report.
Show the Duration of Topics on the Public Site – allows parents and students to see the duration of topics.
Learning Target Configuration Options
Refers to the lowest level as – allows you to configure the term “learning target” to a district-defined term.
Switches – Allows districts to use checkboxes at the learning target level to capture additional information. For example, knowledge vs. skill.
Learning Depth – Tracks the level of alignment between the learning target and a standard. Some examples include introduced, reinforced, mastered, or assessed. Some districts use these fields to identify Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels.
Allow Learning Targets to be prioritized for certain topics – this option allows you to specify which learning targets are priority targets in a topic of study.
Allow Curriculum Authors and Departmental Curriculum Coordinators to generate targets from standards – the exact language from a standard is copied into a learning target.
Hide the option to allow Curriculum Authors and Departmental Curriculum Coordinators to write targets and THEN choose standards - checking this option will hide the New Learning Target button on the Learning Target Edit page.
Track a short version of the lowest level (learning targets) – adds a field on the learning target page to store an abbreviated version of the concept.
Allow for the entry of assessment information at the lowest level – adds a field on the learning target level for the documentation of how the item will be assessed.
Assessment Selection List – in addition to allowing staff to enter assessment information, districts can provide a selection list of common formative assessments to save them from repetitively typing the same thing.
Reporting Configuration Options
Curriculum Map Fields – Embarc can create a Traditional Curriculum Map report with 5-7 columns.
The last two columns of the report are pre-set as standards organized by topic, and topics with their associated learning targets.
Use the Curriculum Map report dropdown menus to specify what values your district would like in the first 3 to 5 columns.
Use the save/refresh button after making changes to this page or to repopulate the field selection choices below.
Please note, these are just defaults, individual teachers may choose to override this information when printing a map.
Help Configuration Options
There are five locations where a district can enter text to provide help for those using Embarc. If text is entered in this area, a question mark will be displayed on the page. Hovering over this question mark will show the help text to the user. Help text can be found on the following pages:
Course Edit
Unit Edit
Topic Edit
Learning Target Edit
Activity Edit
General Options
Use the Course/Schedule Projector – this option projects an individual course’s scope and sequence based on the district calendar and a daily schedule (block, elementary, periods, etc.) defined for the course.
Use the Interventions Database – Embarc allows for a searchable catalog of interventions used throughout the district. Please note: this system is not designed to track what interventions have been applied to specific students.
Enable Google Drive for attachments - This option allows a district to add Google Drive documents as an attachment to a course, unit, topic, or activity. The document is only housed on Google Drive and if deleted from there it will no longer be accessible from the curriculum.
Mark some Standards as “Power Standards”/District name for Power Standards – this feature allows a district to highlight certain standards. These standards are bolded on pages and can be filtered.
Track a short version of the standard - adds a field on the Standard page to store an abbreviated version of the concept.
Show Preselect Standards on the Public Site - allows the district to publish preselected standards on the public site.
Show Standards Aligned to Learning Targets on the Public Site Course Detail page – allows the district to show a list of actual standards being covered in the course on the public site. This list is determined by summarizing the standards linked to the course’s learning targets.
Content to Show on Public Site - allows the district to choose which levels of the course they would like to be seen on the public site.
Default View for Learning Targets on Public Site – allows the district to choose from 3 options on how they’d like their learning targets to show up on the public website.
Public Site Disclaimer – Embarc has a standard disclaimer on the bottom of each public page. If you would like to override our standard disclaimer enter your disclaimer here. Default Language: The curriculum information displayed on these pages is an example of the sequence and timeframes for a class. The actual sequence and timeframes may vary based on the actual students in a class and resource constraints.
Public Site – Rows per List Page / Admin Site – Rows per List Page – allows the district to specify how many records are returned per list page.
Public Site – General Public Starting Page – allows you to choose between 3 basic page layouts for the default view parents will see when viewing curriculum. (By Grade Level, By Department, Course Search)
Primary Time Zone – identifies what time zone the district conforms to and adjusts the time displayed throughout the system accordingly. Also, indicate whether the time should be adjusted for Daylight Saving Time (DST).
Show Classroom and Assessment Configuration
Use Lesson Plan component – this option activates Embarc’s integrated lesson planner and gives you access to all the other classroom configuration options.
Use Basic Assignments – this option allows educators to define their classes and publish assignments.
Use Classroom features (with enhanced assignments) - allows the district to use all the features of Classroom, which include announcements, events, discussions, and enhanced assignments.
Allow assignments to be linked to learning targets – allows the district to have learning targets linked to assignments.
Allow student or guardian to email teacher – allows students or guardians to directly email a teacher from within the student or parent portal.
Allow parent access to the parent portal – allows parents to connect with their child’s classroom information and see assignments, announcements, events and discussions.
Allow teachers to invite parents to the student portal – this option gives the teacher an invite button to send a parent request to their student’s portal.
Use Assessments - allows the district to use the assessments portion of Embarc.
Link to the Course Assessment – Allows you to choose an assessment from a drop-down menu from the Course View page and tie it to the course. This assessment will be visible to your district’s educators only as a PDF document.
Link to the Unit Assessment – Allows you to choose an assessment from a drop-down menu in and tie it to the course at the unit level. This assessment will be visible to your district’s educators only as a PDF document.
Lesson Plan Setup Options
Show All Lesson Plans by Unit –Adds a link at the unit level in the administrative site to view all the lesson plans associated with that unit, arranged by topic. Lesson plans can also be added from this location.
Predefine Lesson Plan Schedules – Allows you to define time periods so that your teachers can select a period instead of inputting actual times for lesson planning.
A district can define multiple schedules
Duration based schedules can be created at the elementary level
Allow Curriculum Development on Some Templates While Lesson Planning – This option allows the district to create units and topics as they are lesson planning
Lesson Plan Name – the lesson planner can be renamed if your district would prefer a name other than “Lesson Plan”.
District Plural Name for Lesson Plans - enter in the plural for your district's lesson plan name.
District Abbreviated Name for Lesson Plans - enter in the abbreviation for your district's lesson plan name.
Lesson Plan Template Setup Options
These options are accessed by clicking the “Add Template” button located in the Lesson Plan Options section of the District Options page.
Template Name – Districts can have multiple lesson plan templates – this option allows districts to name specific templates.
Lesson Plans are viewable by the public – checking this option will allow the district to have the option to have their lesson plans on their public Embarc site.
Lesson Plans are non-curriculum – checking this option will allow the district to use the lesson planner as a tool for scheduling, without attaching the lesson plan to a course.
District name for Lesson Plan Text Areas – a lesson plan can have up to 10 district defined fields on it. Each field can be:
required
shown on the public website
shown in the lesson plan book
The show course, unit, and/or topic fields can be displayed to educators as they edit their lesson plans. You can select which of these fields, if any, are displayed.
Require Lesson Plans to be Approved – This feature enables a process where the author submits lesson plans for review and the approvers either accept or provide comments on the lesson plan. A comment history is displayed at the bottom of the lesson plan for both the author and approver to see.
Approver – the primary individual assigned to review lesson plans associated with this template.
Backup Approver – the backup individual assigned to review lesson plans associated with this template.
Allow Sharing of Lesson Plans – Districts can allow lesson plans to be shared. This adds an option on the Lesson Plan Edit page where the author can choose to share their lesson plan.
Allow Attachments on Lesson Plans – allows the user to attach electronic files directly to their lesson plans.
Default Learning Targets from Activities - Allows a user to select an activity for their lesson plan and bring in all the learning targets that have been assigned to that activity.
If using a period-based schedule, display times instead of period names – checking this option will allow the district to show the times on the lesson plan instead of the names of the periods.
Date/Time Configuration
No Dates/Times – no dates or times noted on lesson plans
Require Dates/Times –Requires each lesson plan to be for a particular date and time.
Allow teachers to specify times – typically used at the elementary level where time schedules are not predefined.
Use Predefined time schedules – typically used at the middle and high school levels.
Time Schedule – if “Use Predefined time schedules” is selected above, select one of the time schedules defined for your district.
Tie to School Calendar – this option allows you to choose from one of the school calendars your district has set up to reflect the non-teaching days in your lesson plan.
Lesson Plan Help – template specific help that will be available to users of this template.
Rarely Used Options
Lock Course Setup Fields such as Department, Credits, Grades – This option will lock the key course fields at the course level once a course is published the first time. These fields will not be editable by Curriculum Authors.
Only show 'Published' courses to educators on the public site – This option will limit the courses shown on the public site to only include those with a status of “Published”.
Show Unit and Topic numbers (on pages only) – This option shows the unit or topic number in numerical order to the left of the unit or topic name.
Don't show the 'Being Revised' message for courses in a status of Being Revised on the Public site - allows a district to remove the 'Being Revised' message behind a course name that is on the public site when the course is in a status of Being Revised.
Filter Courses by School – allows a district to specify the schools in their district and exclude courses from certain schools. Typically applies to multi-high school districts or districts where facility differences impact what courses are available at what schools.
Track the number of weeks into a course that a Learning Target should be addressed – This option adds a field at the learning target level to track the number of weeks into the year that the item should be covered by.
Restrict Educators from Editing Learning Targets – This option disallows Curriculum Authors from editing Learning Targets.
Show Learning Target Extended Description on the Public Site – This option gives districts the choice to show Learning Target details on the public site.
Show Learning Target Assessment on the Public Site – This option gives districts the choice to show Learning Target details on the public site.
Show Learning Target Switches on the Public Site – This option gives districts the choice to show Learning Target details on the public site.
Show Learning Target Summary on the Public Site – This option adds a button to the Course Details page on the public site that provides a summary of all the Learning Targets for a course.
Allow emails on the Public Site – Allows districts to choose to receive email regarding the Embarc public website related to their district, and to enter an email address for that correspondence.
Hide 'Copy' function when assigning Learning Targets – This option hides the “Copy Selected” functionality when assigning Learning Targets to a Topic, which prevents the creation of multiple versions of the same Learning Target. The “Share Selected” functionality will still be available.
Preselect Standards at the Course/Unit Levels – This option allows Curriculum Authors to review and select standards at the beginning of the course and unit development process. Those standards then become the default list to choose from as Learning Targets are aligned later in the process.
Document Suggested Assessments at the Standard Level – provides a field at the Standard level where a district can document how they will assess that standard.
Grades taught at the district - allows the district to select which grade levels they are teaching at their district, this impacts the grades available when creating users, courses, and the public website.
Allow HTML mode for text editors: Allows districts to change the text mode
Activity Setup Options (Separate Tab under Administrative Functions)
These options are accessible by clicking the “Activity Options” button located under the Administrative Functions menu item.
District Name, Plural Name, and Abbreviation for Activities – Allows a district to use an alternate naming convention for “activities”.
Require Learning Target Alignment - Will require the Curriculum Author to align at least one learning target when creating an activity.
Show Expectations and Measures - The previously completed topic-level “expectations and measures” fields can be displayed to the educator as they create their activity.
Require Expectations and Measures - The “expectations and measures” fields can be displayed to the educator as blank fields while they create their activity – and required for them fill in.
Activity Field Definitions - There are 10 optional fields available for a district to use at the activity level. Each of these fields:
can contain 25,000 characters of information
has a corresponding “Display Order” dropdown menu so that the order the fields are displayed can be adjusted
If a field is not given a title, the field will not be available on the edit pages.
If no content is in a field, it will not show on the public site or on reports.
PLEASE NOTE: Once you have started putting content into Embarc be very careful changing the titles of these fields because you could create a situation where the content does not match the title.
Teaching Concepts/Styles – Turning on one of these features will display a list of the concepts at the bottom of the Activity Edit page. Educators will be prompted to align their activity to the appropriate concept. Activities are searchable by concept.
Default all Activities to 'Shared Internally' - activity security settings will default to 'Shared Internally.'
Forward Activity Comments via email to the author - when a comment is entered on an activity, the comment will be emailed to the author of the activity.
Show Activities on the public site –Turning this option off will remove all references to activities from the public website.
Categorize Activities – Allows activities to be classified as “Required”, “Model”, or “Educator Submitted”.
Allow Activities to be Viewed by Other Districts - allows other districts to see activities your district creates.
Mark all Shared Internally Activities as Shared Externally (Viewed by other districts) – changes the setting on all your district’s activities from Shared Internally to Shared Externally (visible to other districts).