Frequently Asked Questions about the Teacher Access Center.
- How can I access TAC quickly on my computer at school?
- How can I put a shortcut on my desktop for TAC?
- Is there a seating chart in TAC?
- Is there an attendance report I can run in TAC to see class attendance?
- How can I create a seating chart with names only?
- Can I print a list of student addresses and phone numbers from TAC?
- How can I get a list of student phone numbers and addresses by class?
- Can I see student info like phone numbers, addresses, and guardian contacts?
- Can I use any browser to access TAC?
- What should I do if I get a screen that says there was an error in TAC?
- Can a teacher email students and parents through TAC?
- Does TAC round grades or truncate them?
- Where can teachers find accumulated tardy totals for students?
- How can I get a list of students into Excel?
- Can I adjust the size of the boxes if I generate a report from the Class list?
How can I access TAC quickly on my computer at school?
Once you are logged into Novell, click the Novell-Delivered
Applications bar
at the bottom of your screen and you will see an icon that says
"Start
eschool", double click it and it will open your browser and
prompt you to
log into TAC.
How can I put a shortcut on my desktop for TAC?
Type in the URL for TAC, https://eschoolplus.lisd.us/TAC and log
in. Shrink
your browser window so you can see some of your desktop. Click
the blue e
icon within the address bar of your browser and drag it to your
desk top.
This creates a shortcut link to TAC. You can rename it by right
clicking the
shortcut icon and selecting "Rename" then type in TAC.
You also have a
shortcut on your Novell Delivered Applications bar called Start
eschool tac
when you are connected to the network at school.
Is there a seating chart in TAC?
To access the seating chart for a class....
1. Click on LIST link for a class from your TAC homepage
2. At the top of the screen you'll see a button that says
"seating chart,"
click it
3. At the top of the chart page, you are required (at this point)
to leave
the columns at 10 but you can change the rows between 3-99.
4. Student names (and pics*) appear in "seats" that can
be moved on the page
to the desired location within the grid framework
(You have to scroll a bit within the chart window to move
seats where you
want them.)
5. When the arrangment is set up to your liking, click the save
button at
the top or bottom of the chart page.
6. The chart will save and you can return to it later and make
changes if
necessary (remember to save it again if you edit it)
7. When you click the print button, the chart will create a clean
looking
PDF doc for you to print.
*(as soon as Doug receives the student picture CD for your
building and
loads on the server, you'll see the pictures)
Is there an attendance report I can run in TAC to see class attendance?
1. Go to an attendance window of a class
2. Click on the Audit Report button at the top of the screen
3. Enter the start and end dates for the attendance time period
4. Leave Bottomline attendance as the default setting in the
Include
attendance field
5. Click run button
It will take about a minute to generate the report but you can
still use
your computer while the report is running. When the report comes
up you can
view or print it. It will also put a copy in your report section
on the My
classes page.
How can I create a seating chart with names only?
In the Handouts section of this website is a Word document titled
Blank
Seating Chart Template. You can download and customize the blank
seating
chart by typing or copying and pasting the student names into the
"seats",
blank squares on the template. Then you can arrange the seats to
match or
classroom configuration. Finally, you can print the chart on one
page.
Can I print a list of student addresses and phone numbers from TAC?
No. The options available to include and print as a list or
report from TAC
are: Grade, Gender, Student ID, Birthdate, Homeroom (if
applicable). The
additional choices of Nickname, House/Team, Home building are not
used in
the system. Alias can also be used if set up by the teacher. We
are filing a
request with Pentamation to include address and phone number
information as
options to print as a list. If you need a list of student
addresses and
phone numbers you can request one from your building secretary or
attendance
office.
How can I get a list of student phone numbers and addresses by class?
Since those options are not currently available for teachers
through TAC,
you can request a list from your building secretary or attendance
office.
Can I see student info like phone numbers, addresses, and guardian contacts?
Yes, you can click on the name of the student in TAC on any page
which is a
link to their student summary page which lists the contact info,
guardians
names and numbers, student schedule, and attendance information.
Can I use any browser to access TAC?
Internet Explorer and Firefox are compatible with the Teacher
Access Center.
Mac users should use Firefox as Safari still has problems
displaying the TAC
screen correctly.
What should I do if I get a screen that says there was an error in TAC?
If the error only seems to be happening once in awhile, it is
probably just
a temporary glitch in the system and is nothing to worry about or
report. If
an error screen keeps displaying repeatedly and in the same
location, then
please call or email the person in your building responsible for
the problem
log and explain where the error is occuring and what you
were trying to do when it occured. That is the information we
have to
provide to the ISD for them to file it with Pentamation for
support to look
at it. Unfortunately, we can't "fix" or do anything
with these errors...we
just have to report them when they are persistent. Support won't
look at
things that result in errors randomly because if they can't
replicate it,
they can't fix it.
Can a teacher email students and parents through TAC?
Yes. If parents have entered email addresses into HAC teachers
can use the email Guardians/students menu item in TAC.
Does TAC round grades or truncate them?
All Bedford schools at this time truncate grades based on the
decision by
the building principal. This means that if a student has an 89.75
average in
a class/subject, everything after the decimal point is dropped so
the
program would take the 89.75 and drop the .75 so the student
would get the
letter grade associated with an 89%.
Where can teachers find accumulated tardy totals for students?
Go to the RC page of a class and in the 2 far right columns will
be
accumulated student absences and tardies. At the SHS, this info
is updated
each Tuesday.
How can I get a list of students into Excel?
Go to the Scores button for a class so you are in your gradebook.
Click on
the button at the top titled "Printable" then click on
the selections at the
top of the page titled, "Roster Only" and
"Grid." Click the drop down arrow
under columns and select the number of columns you would like. If
you would
like dates to be including in the column headers then click on
the "include
attendance dates" and then click the calendar to select the
start date. Once
you have made those selections then click on the button at the
top of the
page title, "export to excel." You will be prompted to
save the new excel
file...chose SAVE. (If you choose Open you will not be able to
edit it.) You
can adjust the rows and columns as well show the gridlines for
any portion
of the spreadsheet.
Can I adjust the size of the boxes if I generate a report from the Class list?
If you generate a class list report from the "list"
choice on the TAC
homepage then you will not be able to adjust anything on the page
as it
automatically generates a PDF file which is read only. If you
want the
ability to adjust height or width of rows and columns, follow the
steps in
the above question to generate a list in Excel.