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Getting started in SpEd Forms 

SpEd Forms allows access to up-to-date due process forms from any computer with internet access. The completed forms can also be printed from any computer. No special software needs to be installed on the computer.

Student information is stored on the SpEd Forms server. The SpEd Forms administrator controls access to the server and case managers control access to student records. There is no need for you to backup information on a disk because all backups are performed by SpEd Forms.

1.1 Configuring your computer

Internet Explorer is recommended for Windows operating systems.  For Mac OS X users, we recommend Opera 10 for Jaguar, Panther and Tiger users.  Safari 4 for all Leopard users.  For more information, please refer to our Browser Compatibility Information page.

Step 1: Editing setup

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Select "Internet Options" from the "Tools" menu.
3. In the "Browsing History" section (IE 6: "Temporary Internet Files"), click "Settings".
4. Under "Check for newer versions of stored pages" click "Every time I visit the webpage". Click "OK".
5. Select the "Security" tab and click on the "Custom Level..." button.
6. In the "Miscellaneous" section - enable "Display Mixed Content" (When you click "OK" you will be asked if you want to change the security settings. This is to prevent a warning box from being displayed in "Design Mode", it has nothing to do with the security of your computer. See NOTE below.)

NOTE: If you do not enable "Display Mixed Content" a warning box will be displayed every time you use "Design Mode" in ER Forms.

Step 2: Printing setup

1. Select "Page Setup" from the "File" menu.
2. Delete any characters in the box labeled "Header".
3. Delete any characters in the box labeled "Footer".

4. In the "Margins" section, change all margins to ".5". Click "OK".

Step 3: Printing background images

1. Select "Internet Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. Click on the "Advanced" tab.
3. In the "Settings" section, scroll down to "Printing".
4. Make sure there is a check in the "Print background colors and images" check box.
5. Click the "Apply" button and then click "OK".

NOTE: If you do not enable the option for printing background images, the "DRAFT" image will not appear in the background of your printed IEP when the "DRAFT" option has been chosen.

Step 1: Editing setup

1. Open Firefox 3.
2. Select "Preferences" from the "Firefox" menu.
3. In "Privacy" settings, make sure that "Accept cookies from sites" is checked.
4. In "Advanced" settings, select the "Network" tab and in the Cache section change the value to 0 (zero) for
   "Use up to 0 MB of space for the cache".
5. In "Advanced" settings, select the "Update" tab and uncheck all boxes (when Firefox is set to automatically update, crucial settings can be lost).
6. Close the Preferences window.

Step 2: Printing setup

1. When you are ready to print a form, select "Print" from the "File" menu.
2. Select "Firefox" from the drop down menu currently labeled "Copies & Pages".
3. In the "Page Headers" & "Page Footers" sections change all drop down list to "(Blank)".
4. Select "Save As..." from the "Presets" drop down list (select "Save" [as shown in inset] if you already have a "Default" preset).
5. After you have made these choices, click on "Print" (these last steps may not be saved if you do not follow through with the print process).

Setting Margins in Firefox 3

1. Select "Page Setup" from the "File" menu.

2. Next to "Paper Size", select "Manage Custom Sizes...".
3. Click the "+" sign toward the bottom left of the "Custom Page Sizes" window (this will add a page called "Untitled", double click "Untitled" and you can type in a new name, e.g. "SpEd Forms").
4. Select this new "Page Size" by clicking once on it's name (it should be highlighted, blue).
5. Set the width: 8.50, Height: 11.00 and make sure Printer Margins is "User Defined". Set all margins to the recommended 0.00 inches.
6. Click "OK".
7. Make sure the new custom size you just created is selected next to "Paper Size" and Click "OK" on the "Page Setup" window.

1.2 Accessing SpEd Forms

You will receive a server address, username, and password from your SpEd Forms administrator. Keep this information safe, you will need to use it each time you log on to SpEd Forms.

1. Type the server address into the "Address" box of your internet browser.

NOTE: You may want to "Bookmark" the login page so that you do not have to enter it each time you access SpEd Forms.

2. You will be taken to a log in screen where you can enter your username and password.
3. Click "Enter" and the SpEd Forms main menu will appear.
4. Take note of any new messages you may have. If a teacher has requested access to a particular student (see section 2.2.5 for more information), you can take care of this task and then delete their request by clicking on the "Delete" link next to this entry (also see section 2.2.6).

1.3 Changing your user profile

Your user profile is initially set-up by the SpEd Forms administrator for your district. You can change some of this profile information or add information that the administrator did not enter.

1. Navigate to the "Main Menu".
2. Click on the "Your Setup" button.
3. On the "Your Setup" menu, click on "Profile".
4. On this page you will notice the information that your SpEd Forms administrator had entered.
5. Make the necessary changes and/or type in any new information.
6. Click the "Save" button when you are finished making changes.

1.4 Managing your custom goal bank

Each SpEd Forms user has their own custom goal bank. You can Add, Edit or View your custom goals through the "Goals" menu in "Your Setup". When you enter custom goals they will be available on any goal page when you click on "Choose Goal" and then specify "My Goal Bank" as the goal bank.

To navigate to your custom goal bank:

1. Navigate to the "Main Menu".
2. Click on the "Your Setup" button.
3. On the "Your Setup" menu, click on "Goals".

1. Click on "Add Goal" from the "My Goal Bank" menu.
2. Choose a "Category" and then a "Subcategory" (subcategories will change when the category is changed).
3. Fill in the "Goal" and add as many "Objectives" as necessary.

NOTE: Use the letter combination CHLD in place of the student's name. When you import one of these goals into your goal page the letter combination "CHLD" will be automatically replaced with the student's first name

4. Click the "Save" button when you are finished making changes.

1. Click on "My Goal List" from the "My Goal Bank" menu. The "Goal List" shows all of the custom goals you have entered.
2. Click on the "Edit" button next to the goal you want to update.

3. Update the goal where necessary by changing the category, subcategory, goal or objectives (you can also add/delete objectives).
4. Click on the "Save" button when you are finished making changes.

1. Click on "My Goal List" from the "My Goal Bank" menu. The "Goal List" shows all of the custom goals you have entered.
2. Click on the "Delete" button next to the goal you want to delete.
3. The goal will be deleted and the list will be refreshed.

1.5 Your custom measures bank

Enter commonly used measures into your custom measures bank. These measures can be used to keep track of and graph the progress of any goal objective.

To Navigate to your custom measures bank:

1. Navigate to the Main Menu.
2. Click on the "Your Setup" button.
3. On the "Your Setup" menu, click on "Measures".

1. Enter the measure's name and max score in the blank spaces provided next to the word "(Add)".
2. The new measure(s) will be added once the page is "Saved" (more blank spaces will also be added).

1. Make changes to any of the existing values as needed.
2. Changes to the measure(s) will be saved once the page is "Saved".

1. Put a check in the (Remove) checkbox next to the measure you wish to remove.
2. The measure(s) will be removed when the page is "Saved".

1.6 Your custom team member list

Enter commonly used team members into your custom team member list. Once entered into the list you will be able to quickly and easily add them to the team members sections of forms such as the IEP and the "Notice of a Team Meeting" without re-entering the team member name and title.

To Navigate to your custom team member list:

1. Navigate to the Main Menu.
2. Click on the "Your Setup" button.
3. On the "Your Setup" menu, click on "Team Member List".

1. Enter the team member's first name, last name and title in the blank spaces provided next to the word "(Add)".
2. The new team member(s) will be added once the page is "Saved" (more blank spaces will also be added).

1. Make changes to any of the existing values as needed.
2. Changes to the team member(s) will be saved once the page is "Saved".

1. Put a check in the (Remove) checkbox next to the team member you wish to remove.
2. The team member(s) will be removed when the page is "Saved".

1.7 Your custom credentials

Keep track of your education license information, it's numerical code and expiration date.

To Navigate to your custom credentials:

1. Navigate to the Main Menu.
2. Click on the "Your Setup" button.
3. On the "Your Setup" menu, click on "Credentials".

1. Enter the evaluation area, materials/procedures, and evaluators in the blank spaces provided next to the word "(Add)".


2. The new credential(s) will be added once the page is "Saved" (more blank spaces will also be added).

1. Make changes to any of the existing values as needed.
2. Changes to the credential(s) will be saved once the page is "Saved".

1. Put a check in the (Remove) checkbox next to the credential you wish to remove.
2. The credential(s) will be removed when the page is "Saved".

1.8 Your custom materials and procedures

Once your commonly used materials, procedures and evaluators are entered into SpEd Forms you can attach them to any "Notice of an Educational Evaluation/Reevaluation Plan" without retyping.

To Navigate to your custom materials and procedures:

1. Navigate to the Main Menu.
2. Click on the "Your Setup" button.
3. On the "Your Setup" menu, click on "Commonly used Materials and Procedures".

1. Enter the evaluation area, materials/procedures and evaluators in the blank spaces provided next to the word "(Add)".



NOTE: If the area you need is not listed in the Area list, type it under "Other Area".

2. The new custom area(s) will be added once the page is "Saved" (more blank spaces will also be added).

1. Make changes to any of the existing values as needed.
2. Changes to the custom area(s) will be saved once the page is "Saved".

1. Put a check in the (Remove) checkbox next to the custom area you wish to remove.
2. The custom area(s) will be removed when the page is "Saved".

1.9 Your drop down lists

Most of the drop down lists in SpEd Forms can be managed by the super administrator. The super administrator can also choose to allow users access to edit any of these lists. When you are allowed to add to a specific drop down list, a link will be provided on this page. When you add entries to a specific category, those additional entries will be available throughout SpEd Forms but will only be available to you. No other teacher will be able to see your additional entries nor will they be able to manage them.

NOTE: In the inset (at the bottom right) notice the additional choices added to this user's drop down list for "Course to be taken".

To Navigate to your drop down lists:

1. Navigate to the Main Menu.
2. Click on the "Your Setup" button.
3. On the "Your Setup" menu, click on "Edit drop down lists".

1. Enter the order, value and display in the blank spaces provided next to the word "(Add)".



NOTE: The "Value" is what is saved into the SpEd Forms database. Sometimes the value needs to conform to a specific format (a number, no more than two characters, must match what is in Display, etc.). Please contact your SpEd Forms administrator if you need additional assistance determining the value setting.

2. The new drop down list entries will be added once the page is "Saved" (more blank spaces will also be added).

1. Make changes to any of the existing values as needed.
2. Changes to the drop down lists will be saved once the page is "Saved".

1. Put a check in the (Remove) checkbox next to the drop down list entry(s) you wish to remove.
2. The drop down list entry(s) will be removed when the page is "Saved".

1.10 Your custom calendar

On your calendar page you will automatically be notified of important dates for any student that is shared to your account and special events that are scheduled by administrators. If the proper dates are entered for each student, their IEP date, IEP meeting date, IEP due date and evaluation due date will be shown on your calendar. You can also add events to your calendar to remind you and other team members of important dates.

To Navigate to your calendar:

1. Navigate to the "Main Menu".
2. Click on the "Calendar" button.
3. You can click on the arrows next to the month/year to go forward or back to a particular month.

1. Navigate to your "Calendar".
2. Find the correct month (click on the arrows next to the month/year to go forward or back to a particular month).
3. Click on the "Add" link next to the date for which you want to add an event.
4. Choose the student's name and fill in any other pertinent information. Uncheck the "Share event with team members" if this is a personal event.

NOTE: The "Time" and "Title" will be displayed on your calendar. The "Title" will appear as a link and you can click on this link to delete or make changes to this event.

5. Click on the "Save" button to save your changes.

1. Click on the link to a specific event that you or a team member has created.
2. Make any necessary changes.
3. Click on the "Save" button to save your changes.

1. Click on the link to a specific event that you or a team member has created.
2. Click on the "Delete Event" button.