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Nesterenko Software - OSCA

Pete Self     -       peteself@nesterenkosoftware.com

Timetable (Master Schedule) Assistant application - OSCAnews May 15 2012
(Keep scrolling down and I will attempt to explain what the application is and how it will help you. There is much more information available by clicking the 'Timetable (Master Schedule) link above.)
Thanks for linking here from the OSCAnews page.

It is Timetabling season. This will help you. You have come this far. You, or the timetabler, will be thankful to you for taking a leap of faith and following up on this. Take a few minutes and see what this application can do for you. See why others love this app. Quite simply, you as a timetabler deserve to have this application!

If you are not involved with the Timetabling process, please pass on this info to the appropriate person. The Timetable (Master Schedule) Assistant application highlighted below is absolutely invaluable during the Timetabling process, as well as year round for Guidance. Timetabling is time-consuming and can be very stressful. Why not make use of a tool that can help you?

To the right is a scrolling image which contains portions of pages from a variety of reports within the Timetable(Master Schedule) Assistant application.
There are a multitude of Master Schedule reports, Teacher Linear reports, Room Linear reports and other specialty reports. Alos, many powerful special functions allow the user to display only specific courses eg. Only Science courses, only University and M level courses. 		Timetable (Master Schedule) Assistant - various reports and explanations - these are portions of reports which attempt to illustrate the app: Master Schedule

Why is the application so helpful?
Timetabling is such a 'visual' process. This application displays the entrire school Master Schedule on one single piece of paper (For schools up to approx 1000 students. Larger schools would take 2 pages.) Since the report can be refreshed in 1/2 minute, the timetabler is able to continually get an updated 'visual' of the current timetable as it is being built. CourseCode, Section, Size is displayed. Also, courses that are Full † or OverFull ‡ are highlighted. Even courses that are very small are highlighted •. The application will save you a great deal of time, keep you completely organized, allow you to do a much better job, and reduce the stress of the timetabling process.

So, the application doesn't actually do any timetabling or change any data? Correct. The application simply takes the existing Master Schedule data and manipulates the data in a variety of ways so that you are able to 'see' the Master Schedule in a multitude of two-dimensional reports showing each Period of the day. Also Teacher Linear and room Linear. As you change the Master Schedule, the new Master Schedule data is imported into the app for viewing.

Where does the data come from?
The application displays the data extracted from the Master Schedule by Course Section Report. The process of extracting this data and importing into the application takes less than 1/2 minute.

Do I have to enter any data?
No. There is no data entry required from the user.

Will the app work for any school setup?
The app has been able to handle any school setup encountered thus far: Typical 2 Semester, 2 Terms; Unsemestered 2-Day cycle; Semestered, but with some courses running all year; Common Lunch; Overlapping split lunch.

Suppose I want to try it. How soon will I get the app and be viewing my Master Schedule with it?
I can send you the app today and you can be viewing your Master Schedule today. Easy setup.

Will the app work for an Intermediate/Senior school 7-12?
Yes, if the Intermediate school and Senior school have the same School Setup (Blocks), the app will import both the Grade 7-8 data and the 9-12 data. It has worked beatifully for this situation. This type of school is able to see their entire school on one Master Schedule report. And the full-school Teacher Linear and Room Linear reports are great for this type of school.

I see Simulated Load Class Sizes on the sample Master Schedule reports. How do you accomplish this? After performing a Simulated Load, the 'Class Load' courses section sizes can also be easily extracted and imported into the application. This provides an incredibly powerful tool for the timetabler - to be able to 'see' the timetable with simulated class sizes.
The app displays Course Code, Section, Simulated Load Class Size, and Number of Requests for the Course eg. CDC1D1-03 24/126.

How do I get the app?
Contact me and I will send you a fully-functional, no-obligation version of the application for you to try. Try it free for a couple of weeks (or we can discuss time-frame).

I might need a little help getting started. Although you are welcome to work through the startup on your own, what typically works best is that I will phone you and lead you through getting the app launched and provide a brief orientation of the app. During that session, you will import your Master Schedule data and see the various available reports. You will also use the many selective functions that are so powerful when timetabling.

What type of program is it?
The application is an MS Access® application file which requires no installation. No other IT support is needed to run the app. For those unfamiliar with MS Access®, think of the application as a fancy spreadsheet file. MS Access® is a component of MS Office®.

Is the program difficult to use?
No. The various functions and reports are all easily selected from a menu. No knowledge of MS-Access is needed.

Will it work with any School Management System?
The application is currently for schools using Trillium®. But if you use another SMS and are interested, contact me and we can determine if it can be configured for your SMS.

When I timetable, I seem to always be creating little mini-grids of various courses etc. Can this display selected data?
Yes. For instance, suppose you only wanted to display Science courses. The app can select only 'S' courses and then display the Master Schedule, Teacher Linear and Room Linear for only 'S' courses. Or, if you have a specialty program within your school which has a unique sixth character of course codes (French Immersion, IB etc.), these courses can be selected and reports will display only those courses. To be able to quickly and easily get a 'visual' of selected groups of courses is incredibly powerful.
Or suppose you wanted to see placement of your University U and M courses. The app can select only 'UM' for instance, and display only those courses. These quick 'visuals' are essential when timetabling.

What is a user's typical reaction?
Most potential users who have taken the time to look at the application and try it out love it. And when they realize the cost for a year is only $250, the decision to order is an easy one. But you can try it out for free.

How does it help throughout the year in Guidance?
The Master Schedule Report is a tremendous tool for Guidance. Especially during peak counselling periods Sept, Feb etc. Guidance staff refresh the report, print it and use the report continually. The special flags highlighting Full courses are extremely helpful when counselling. And all on one piece of paper!

Show me some Sample Reports.
The following reports will help the Timetabling and Guidance Counselling process - these are just a few reports available - there are many others:
Master Schedule Report (Notice the highlighting on 'At Max' or 'Over Max' courses.)
Master Schedule - Courses At Maximum or Over Maximum
Master Schedule - Courses With Low Enrolment
and specifically for Timetabling:
Master Schedule - Showing Load Totals and Section Counts
and ability to display 'Simulated Load' values:
Master Schedule - Simulated Load Values and Number of Requests

Other Information, Sample Reports and Demonstration Video can be found at: Timetable (Master Schedule) Assistant.

What do others say about the app?
"..This has saved me countless hours and now I have much, much more information - all on one page!", "This program has made creating a Master Schedule for my school almost effortless and has saved me countless hours...", "The programs created by Pete to assist in the staffing and timetabling of schools are invaluable...", "The report showing the entire school Master Schedule on one page is invaluable, especially during busy counseling times. It can be reproduced with up to the minute numbers within seconds.", "This has allowed us to trouble-shoot before the large classes ever become a reality ", "Every school will benefit from this program!!", "I could not do my job nearly as effectively without this School Reporting Software and honestly can’t believe how easy it has made the timetabling process for our school." (Full reviews can be found by clicking the 'Reviews' link above.)

Have you actually timetabled?
I timetabled for many years in a high school. My background is in computer programming and I have used MS Access a great deal. I developed the app to help me 'see' the Master Schedule. The app has evolved and grown. I have added a great deal of functionality, often based on user suggestions. At the time, I simply needed something to help me timetable, but it became clear that it is also a great tool for Guidance and Admin as well.


Please click this link and watch a Timetable (Master Schedule) Assistant Application video which provides an overview of the application and how it can help you.

Click for Timetable(Master Schedule) Assistant Sample Reports
Click to go to the Timetable(Master Schedule) Assistant main page.

I realize it takes a leap of faith to try something new such as this. I am passionate about this application. I have developed it over the past seven years. OSCA endorses it. And users love it. Try it.

Email me and I will send you a full working version to try - no obligation. I will also phone you and lead you through the initial startup process and get you oriented with the app. I will provide any help that you may need to get started and afterward.

I believe that you will agree with the many other users that the purchase price of $250 is quite simply worth every penny. And you can try before you commit. No data entry required on your part.
There are other applications on the web-site, as well.

Pete Self