ALE Application: Creating a Course

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A Course with all the attached content can be created and saved in the ALE Application. Once created, these courses will be available to add to Written Student Learning Plans and Schedule Class Meetings in the Create Class section. 

The Course template is flexible, allowing specific learning goals, performance objectives, and learning activities to be included to facilitate the monthly evaluation of student progress. Most of the fields are optional, allowing programs to determine which fields they determine constitute a complete course record.

Several roles can create a course, and this may vary by program.  The Create Course form can be found under the Courses/Classes menu in the left-hand navigation menu. 

Course Details Tab (Back to Quick Links)

When you click Create Course, you will find yourself on the Course Details tab, where you will outline all of the basic information about the course.  A brief description of each field follows.  

Name (Required) - This is your internal name for the Course that will be used to add the course to Student Learning Plans.  Some clever naming conventions have been used by programs to make courses easily identifiable or filterable: 

• An asterisk at the beginning of the name to pull a group of courses to the top of the alphabetical list.
• Including district course codes at the end of the name for easy filtering. 
• A unique name is given to remote courses. 

Subdomain (Optional) - If your district has more than one ALE program using our application, the Subdomain is what identifies your program. It will automatically capture when you create courses logged in at your unique URL. Otherwise, you can omit this.  

Default Certificated Teacher  (Optional) - Here, you will find a list of users in the system who have been given the Certificated Teacher role. If there is one teacher who is always or usually responsible for teaching the content of the course you are creating, you can select that teacher here. When the course is added to SLPs, the teacher will be identified as overseeing the course. 

Default Course Type (Optional) -This selector will list choices for course type as defined by WAC 392-550-020. 

Is Active - This toggle button will allow the course to display in the application or be “inactive” and, therefore, hidden from view by default. Courses with this button not checked will not display in the “All Courses” list nor selectors for Student Learning Plans. 

Is Parent Template - Checking this box will allow you to display this course as an option for parents to use as a template in the Course Proposal Interface. 

Course Category (Optional) -  This selector will list choices configured by each district (in the Data Admin Role) and used to add data to courses for easy sorting/filtering. (e.g., Remote, In Person, etc.)

Subject Area (Optional) - An implicit association with a state subject area is created when a state course code is selected and added to the course.  For programs using the generic ELEM or JRHS codes (which are grouped in the Miscellaneous State Subject Area), this selector can select from additional state subject areas to associate with the course. 

Description (Optional) - This is intended to be a short text description of the course.  

District Approved Curricula (Optional) - This is a selectable list of curriculum choices managed by the Data Admin Role in the system.  This information also surfaced on the subject/course record of an individual Student Learning Plan and is customizable there.

State Course Codes (Optional) - This selectable list comes from the CEDARS list of approved state course codes.  Some programs limit the available codes to a shorter number most often used.  

SIS Course Codes (Optional) - This selectable list comes from your Student Information System (SIS) and lists codes that can be associated with this course. 

Grading (Optional) - This field can be used to record how grading is done in this course.  If recorded here and this course record is attached to a class, this information will be surfaced to parents in the Course/Class Details modal when registering for Classes.

Grade Levels (Optional) - Choose one or more grade levels from a selectable list.  These selections will determine which students this course will automatically display as an option.  

Credit (Optional) - This can be used to record the standard amount of credit to be earned for completing this course.  If recorded here and this course record is attached to a class, this information will be surfaced to parents in the Course/Class Details modal when registering for Classes. In addition, this will be displayed as “available credits” when this course is added to a Student Learning Plan.  

Prerequisites (Optional) - Are there any prerequisites required for this course?  If recorded here and this course record is attached to a class, this information will be surfaced to parents in the Course/Class Details modal when registering for Classes.

Texts (Optional) - This field can be used to list any textbooks that are required/utilized in the course. If recorded here and this course record is attached to a class, this information will be surfaced to parents in the Course/Class Details modal when registering for Classes. 

Additional Resources (Optional) - Here, you can list other resources to be accessed during the class - websites, videos, and other learning materials.  If recorded here and this course record is attached to a class, this information will be surfaced to parents in the Course/Class Details modal when registering for Classes. 

Instructional Materials Needed (Optional) - You may list the supplies or materials the student needs to complete this course.   If recorded here and this course record is attached to a class, this information will be surfaced to parents in the Course/Class Details modal when registering for Classes. This information also surfaced on the subject/course record of an individual Student Learning Plan and is customizable there.

Essential Learnings (Optional) - This field can record any learning information you don’t want to be included on display for parents, does not copy down into the student learning plan, and won’t display on the Monthly Progress Interface.  

Average Hours Per Week (Optional) - If there is a standard default number of hours per week for this course that you would like to be copied into student learning plans when added, record it here. 

Syllabus Tab (Back to Quick Links)

After entering the Course Details and selecting Save, several additional tabs will become available, the first being the Syllabus Tab.  This is a big empty text box.  

This is a handy place to copy and paste a syllabus if you already have an electric one created somewhere.  Online programs have sometimes chosen to put a link to the online syllabus for their courses here. 

While this is a quick and easy option, please note that information in this box will be available when creating a printed version of your course description. Still, the information saved here does not flow down into the Student Learning Plan when this course is added, nor does it display in the Monthly Progress interface.  

For a more detailed and comprehensive Course, you can use the remaining three tabs, Objectives, Activities, and Evaluation, to create a deconstructed syllabus.  This will take more work up front, but the data input into these various locations will be copied into the student learning plan when this course is added, allowing for individualization.  In addition, several of the fields are surfaced in the Monthly Progress interface, allowing Certificated Teachers to make an informed decision based on the goals and objectives set for the course.

Objectives Tab (Back to Quick Links)

This tab allows for outlining the course's objectives, standards, and/or learning requirements.  

All the boxes can be pre-configured. Programs often settle on just one to meet their program needs. All six(6) fields are surfaced in the individual Subject/Course record in the Student Learning Plan and are customizable at the student level.  

Objectives (Optional) - This fillable text box can be used to type or copy and paste a list of objectives for the course - often called “Performance Objectives” in the WACs. These are surfaced in the Monthly Progress Review. 

Objective Selections (Optional) - This is a selectable list of Objectives that can be pre-configured and loaded into the system.  Filterable by grade level and state subject area, this allows for a quick and easy selection of appropriate and typo-free objectives.  

Standards (Optional) - This fillable text box can be used to type, copy, and paste a list of standards for this course. 

Standard Selections (Optional) - This is a selectable list of Standards that can be pre-configured and loaded into the system. These include Common Core State Standards, EALRs, GLEs, or State Defined Standards by subject. Filterable by grade level and state subject area, this allows for a quick and easy selection of appropriate and typo-free standards.  These are surfaced in the Monthly Progress Review. 

Learning Requirements (Optional) -   Fillable text box that can be used to list required learning for this course.  

Academic Goals (Optional) - Fillable text box that can be used to list academic goals for this course. These are surfaced in the Monthly Progress Review. 

Activities Tab (Back to Quick Links)

This tab allows for outlining the course's Learning Activities.  Both boxes can be pre-configured. Programs often settle on just one to meet their program needs. Both are surfaced in the Student Learning Plan's individual Subject/Course record.

Learning Activities (Optional) - Text box that can list planned learning activities in this course.  

Learning Activity Selections (Optional) - A selectable list of Learning Activities.

Evaluation Tab (Back to Quick Links)

This tab indicates how student progress in the course will be evaluated.  In addition, a broad timeline can be established, or more detailed monthly timelines can be defined.  These fields are surfaced in the individual Subject/Course records and are customizable at the student level.  

Evaluation (Optional) - Text box that can list evaluation methods used to determine progress in this course. These are surfaced in the Monthly Progress Review. 

Evaluation Selections (Optional) - A selectable list of Evaluation methods used to determine progress in this course that can be pre-configured for easy selection.  

Timelines (Optional) - Fillable text box that can be used to list an overall timeline or overview of the timeline for this course.  

Monthly Timelines (Optional) - Ten(10) fillable text boxes are available, one for each month from September through June.  These allow for creating a detailed timeline of activities for a course.  These by-month text boxes are then surfaced on the Subject/Course record of the Student Learning Plan, allowing for individualization for each student.  These boxes will surface on the monthly progress review for the corresponding course and month if utilized.  

Checklist for Course Fields  (Back to Quick Links)

This table includes every available field when creating a course, along with whether they are displayed in the following locations: 

Course/Class Details Modal - This info box pops up when a user clicks the “i” next to a single Class on the Class Scheduling Interface.  All users accessing the Class Schedule interface, including parents, can view this.  Any field from the “Course” record included in this view is indicated in this column. 

Subject/Course Record on the Student Learning Plan  - Any field from the “Course” record that is included when that course is added to the Student Learning Plan is indicated in this column. 

Monthly Progress Review - Any field from the “Course” record that surfaced on the Monthly Progress Review Interface is indicated in this column.  

*One important thing to note is that when a printed Course Description is generated from the system, any available fields can be included. This format can be individualized for each program to meet your unique needs.