8/11/08 Recent improvements

Please find a summary of improvements to SpEd Forms following. The improvements have been posted to all SpEd Forms servers.

Administrators:

1. Events that are added by administrators (through the calendar interface in administrative preferences) now show up on all users' calendars.

2. A preference has been added to "SpEd Forms Customizations" to include a disclaimer on the top of the services page entitled "Support & services are based on peer reviewed research".

3. A feature has been added to include a "DRAFT" watermark on the print pages of the IEP, IFSP and IIIP. In "SpEd Forms Customizations", a preference has been added to turn this feature on or off (it is on by default).

4. In "Forms in PDF format", a new PDF has been created for the "Authorization for Release of Information".

5. A textbox is now available on the "SpEd Forms Customizations" page to allow districts to include a Custom Goal Bank. This custom goal bank (if available) would then show up in the Goal Bank drop down after users click on the "Choose goal" button of any goal page.

MA Forms:

1. In MA Forms Reports, the Reconciliation and Total Amount Paid reports have been updated to include a summary of the adjusted amount / amount received by district (48%). The Reconciliation Report also shows an asterisk next to any individual paid amount that has already been calculated to 48%.

2. The Reconciliation Report now uses the billing rates that are saved in the Services setup rather than the rate that was saved to the activity log at the time it was created.

3. A feature has been added to the Create/Edit Batch files page to order the results by a variety of options. In the results table you can click on one of the available headings to order the table by that heading. Available headings are MHCP Number, Student, Date of Service, Date of Log and MA Setting.

4. Changes were made to the Create/Edit Batch files process to accommodate the use of the new NPI number as the Provider ID.

5. The 835 import has been updated to accommodate the NPI number for the Provider.

6. A feature has been added to the Annual Rates report that allows users to choose "All claims" or just "Paid claims" (paid claims are those that have an amount in the paid field that is greater than 0).

7. Users can now print a confirmation from the final stage of the Create/Edit Batch file process (at the download stage).

8. On the Create/Edit Batch files page, a warning will appear for claims that have no minutes. You will no longer be able to select these claims unless a value (greater than 0) is saved in the minutes field.

9. The current user will be shown as the "Provider" at the bottom of new Activity Logs when a provider has not yet been chosen.

10. A feature has been added to the Activity Log Menu so that a user can choose that the Activity Log list "Show All" providers or be listed by an individual provider.

11. When a provider name is chosen at the bottom of the Activity Log, the supervisor name will no longer be automatically populated with the same name.

IEP:

1. The default multiplier is populated into the "Frequency x Minutes/session" box of new services of the 2007-08 IEP.

2. When validating the 2007-08 IEP, services start dates can now be ON or after the IEP Meeting Date.

3. A "DRAFT" watermark will appear on the individual print pages of the IEP, IFSP and IIIP unless the form has been recently validated.

4. The measures chart no longer prints a black background for Mac users.

5. A "Clear/Refresh" button has been added to the Measure Goal page for the Student Performance (goals) and Progress Report pages. Access to this button is limited to administrators and/or IEP managers.

ER Forms:

1. "Local Templates" now take advantage of the default settings for DesignMode just as "SpEd Forms Templates" do.

Authorization for Release of Information:

1. This form can now be finalized.

2. The instructions that had printed on page 2 and 3 of this form have been moved to a separate PDF. These instructions can now be accessed by clicking the "?" button next to the form's name on the Forms Menu page.

Prior Written Notice and associated forms:

1. Added print capabilities and "Jump to…" navigation for the "Prior Written Notice (ECSE)".

Special Education Data Sheet:

1. A race/ethnicity box has been added to the Student Information section.

General:

1. A checkbox entitled "Only those managed by me." has been added to the "Work with students" page.

2. When accessing the "User Guide" from within SpEd Forms a link has been provided so that users can navigate back into SpEd Forms.

3. The grade level no longer changes on archived forms when the grade level is changed in the student's "Edit Setup" page.

4. Firefox users will no longer notice a prolonged spinning progress wheel when working in DesignMode.