E10 - Generating Lines in NSW

Modified on Thu, 14 Aug at 12:43 AM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preamble
1. Check this year's file for cohesiveness between Year 9 and Year 11
2. Create a combined year level (Yr10+12)
3. Edit the Year 11 line parameters
4. Generate Year 11 lines

Preamble

Schools across New South Wales generate lines in a very similar way, and quite differently to other regions. This document is intended to assist NSW users if they generate lines in the following scenario:

Scenario:

Year 9 and 11 lined classes in the current year's file are promoted to become the Year 10 and 12 classes for the following year. The line structures stay exactly the same. Often teachers are retained for the Year 12 classes, but may or may not be retained for the Year 10 classes.

The new Year 11 lines must be generated to work around the existing Year 10 and Year 12 lines, so that we can be confident that all lined classes in Years 10, 11 and 12 can be timetabled without staffing or rooming clashes.

If you did not promote Year 10 classes, you do not need to read this document, and can follow the steps outlined in E10 - Elective data > Courses Action: Generate lines around existing lines in other year levels using 'Timetable around'

This document assumes that the following steps have occurred:

File rollover
Refer to the following documents:
- E10 - Rollover
Datasets have been set up and student preferences collected
Refer to the following documents:
- Datasets
- Elective data > Courses and Line Generation
- Elective data > Students

Subject teachers have been updated
Refer to the following document:
- E10 - Teacher: Subject Teachers
Subject rooms have been updated
Refer to the following document:
- E10 - Rooms - Subject rooms
Part-time staff requirements have been updated
Refer to the following document:
- E10 - Teacher Data (F2)

Each of the above points are crucial to the success of the line generation outcome.

1. Check this year's file for cohesiveness between Year 9 and Year 11

Because we want the new Year 11 classes to be generated around the promoted Year 10 & 12 classes, we must first check that the line numbers between Years 10 and 12 match.

The image below shows how last year's Year 9 and and Year 11 classes successfully fit together in the Master grid without any teacher and room clashes.

Note that:

- Year 9 'Line C' sits under Year 11 Line 3

- Year 9 'Line B' sits under Year 11 Line 4

- Year 9 'Line 1' sits under Year 11 Line 5

- Year 9 'Line D' sits under Year 11 Line 6

The example above shows a clear and obvious matching; but in many cases lines in Year 9 may sit under multiple Year 11 lines. In these cases, select a line that works to move forward with (example below).

We must fix the Class data screen Line entries so that we are using the same line numbers. In the above example, we would:

- Re-label Year 9 'Line C' to Line 3

- Re-label Year 9 'Line B' to Line 4

- Re-label Year 9 'Line 1' to Line 5

- Re-label Year 9 'Line D' to Line 6

Follow these steps:

Open you current year's .etz file (perhaps take a copy of the file first to perform the following if unsure)
Go to Master Grid (F11)
Double click on Yr11 to sort by line
Locate the Year 9 lines and see whether the line numbers match the Year 11 line numbers.
If they do match, proceed to the next step.
If they do not match, take note of how they do line up (eg take a screenshot or note on paper). If a Year 9 line works under several Year 11 lines, take note of the line the classes mostly sit under and use that one.
Go to Class data > Yr9
Sort by Line column
Enter the newly decided Line numbers into the Line fields.
Return to the Master grid to check the line numbers now match

Transfer this information into the Year 10 class data in next year's file:

Open the next year's .etz file
Go to Class data > Yr10
Sort by Line column
Enter the correct Line numbers into the Line fields (Year 10 class line numbers should now should match the line entries you put into Year 9 above).

In scenarios where the lines do not neatly line up as in our example above, we can make a decision about how to re-label the lines.

The image below shows that Year 9 Line 1 sits on the timetable (clash free) under both Year 11 Line 2 (for 4 periods) and Line 6 (for 1 period). Therefore, we can choose whether we re-label Year 9 Line 1 to either Line 2 or Line 6. It makes sense to choose Line 2, as it is the greater number of periods.

Year 9 Line 2 sits under Year 11 Line 1 (for 2 periods), Line 6 (for 2 periods) and Line 7 (for 1 period). We would likely choose either Line 1 or Line 6 to re-label the Year 9 Line 2.

Line entries in Class data must be numbered lines (Line 1, Line 2 etc), not letter lines (Line A, Line B etc) to be referenced correctly to use the 'Timetable around' feature.

2. Create a combined year level (Yr10+12)

Once the Year 10 and 12 lines have been checked for cohesiveness, we can now check the Year 11 line generation set up to make sure that the new Year 11 lines will be created to work around the existing cohesive Year 10 and 12 lines.

We first need to set up a combined Year level so that we can reference both Year 10 and Year 12 data together.

Go to Setup > Year levels
Enter 10+12 into the bottom empty cell
Tip: No need to enter the text 'Yr', it will be added that for you.

3. Edit the Year 11 line parameters

Go to Lines > Elective data > Courses
Select the Year 11 dataset from the Filter dropdown
From the Action bar, select Parameters
In the 'Timetable around yr' field, select the combined Yr10+12

4. Generate Year 11 lines

Proceed with line generation. Cohesive lines will be created across years 10, 11 and 12, ensuring later success at the time of timetable construction.

Years 10 and 12 classes will show in black when lines are generated, as they cannot move, and Year 11 classes will be placed where they can meet staffing and rooming requirements, as well as granting as many student preferences as possible.

The 'Timetable around' feature reads the Class data screen, specifically the Line column. It also will check the Assigned staff and Assigned room columns for any hard coded staffing and rooming.

Refer to all Line generation documentation