What's New at Grades and Plans ...

Many of our users have asked us to add a web page which they can check periodically to see what's new with our products, etc.  You asked for it... so here it is!

11/20/2004
Version 2.2.0 is released with several new features and bug fixes.

First, we've added the ability to assign "alias" characters to the standard (A-F)letter grade scale. This means that you can now define a substitute symbol (1 or 2 characters, with some caveates) for each of the A thru F letters used in the standard grade scale. These aliases will appear on all reports, the grade screen, and the grade entry pop-up for letter grades. Grade metrics and averaging algorythims remain the same -- just the letters are replaced by their alias.

Second, we have added three new grades which we call "Additional Assessment" grades. These are provided to support you need to assign grades to various evaluations such as Behavior, Effort, Working Level, etc. Since Behavior is so commonly used in elementary schools, it is one of the three; the other two you can name whatever you wish. Each may be enabled/disabled, each may be associated with one or more classes, and you can define a different set of alias symbols for each if you do not wish to use the A-F default. You enter grades for these on the Grades screen, just as you do for Academic items. You may also enter a comment for each student for each grade.

Lastly, we've fixed a number of bugs, including:
  • several problems when deleting large amounts of data (e.g., if you deleted a Year, the delete would cascade to include deletion of all Grading Periods, Classes, Students, Items, Categories, Grades, Plans, etc. associated with the Year).
  • several problems involving grid actions when the grid is empty, e.g., an empty class list.
  • several problems associated with the management of backup defaults and
The database in this version moves to B2 to accomodate the necessary tables to support grade aliasing and additional assessment grades. The program will automatically upgrade a B01 database to B02.

8/17/2004
Version 2.1.7 of Grades and Plans was released today.  It includes a number of bug fixes, a new philosophy for making/restoring database Backups, and a Help Menu item to load the User's Manual.

Bugs fixes and minor enhancements since the last formal release (2.05) include:
  1. resolved problem in setting grading preferences for the "D" and "P/F" scales.
  2. when the default backup path is changed via the Preferences screen it is now properly saved prior to allowing a backup operation.
  3. disable the ability to go to other screens while reports are building to avoid possible data corruption.
  4. prevent the running of multiple copies of Grades and Plans to avoid possible data corruption.
  5. add more "tics" to the margin sliders for better margin resolution on the Lesson Plan screen.
  6. add Lesson Plan default font size to preferences.
  7. add character count on progress report signature block preference screen.
  8. incorporate a number of minor changes on various screens and reports to adjust alignments of various items.
  9. add database engine version to the splash screen.
  10. improve logic on the grades screen to insure entry is properly captured.
Backups are now made by compressing the entire database folder into a single file using the industry standard "zip" format.  A typical backup is now less than 300KB, so 3-4 will easily fit on a floppy for movement between home/school and laptop/desktop computers.  The names of the backup files are encoded with the date/time of the backup to allow for easier management/selection when restoring, transporting to another computer, or moving to off-site archive locations.  Automatic deletion of aged backups is provided with configurable time intervals.  Users can enter a comment to be included in the backup to document the contents or special considerations.  Backups can be marked as archives to differentiate them from normal backups -- archives are not deleted by the aged backup logic for safety.

 An updated User's Manual is provided to cover the enhancements in the Backup/Restore strategy, changes to the Preferences screens, and miscellaneous other minor changes.
 Note:  The Help link to the User's Manual was added to resolve the problem that the "Start/Programs/Grades and Plans/User's Manual" link was not updated when upgrades were installed which contain a new manual.  The Full Install will no longer add the User's Manual item to the Start Menu.
12/15/2003
We are seeing an increasing number of emails from Support that are not being delivered to the customers to whom they are sent.  Worse, we usually do not receive "message undeliverable" reports notifying us that these messages have not been delivered, so we think you got them.

It appears that in most cases this is a result of the Customer's email, network, or ISP software deleting the email when it contains an attachment that is deemed to be a "security risk".   Unfortunately, the attached file is usually the upgrade or fix you are waiting for us to sent to you.  We have little control over this situation, and neither do you when your ISP or networking department is acting on your behalf.  The offending file is most often an executable program (e.g., "UpgradeGP_206.exe").

We have tried a number of solutions, but frankly they haven't worked as well as we had hoped since they involved renaming files or unzipping actions which many of you are reluctant/unable to perform.  We understand the need to have processes in place to avoid virus, spyware and hacker attacks -- we suffer from them too.  So, for now, the best we can do is try to email you the fix -- if you don't hear from us in a timely manner (say 24-hours), contact us and ask for a status update.  Increasingly, we are placing the file in a private area of our website and giving you a link in the email which allows you to download the file instead of receiving it as an email attachment.  Let us know how this is working for you.
5/12/2003
E-mail returned as Undeliverable -- One of our customers contacted us to let us know that their repeated emails to us were returned as undeliverable for at least the past 5-days.  Apparently, users sending us email from MSN and Hotmail accounts are being blocked by Microsoft for an as yet undetermined reason.  This affects all email destined for both the @PinnalcePeakSystems.com and @GradesandPlans.com addresses.  Email originating from many other ISPs arrive here daily, so we are somewhat baffled.  We have contacted our ISP, MSN, and Hotmail to ask for their assistance in resolving this ASAP.  We apologize for any inconveniences this is causing.  If you're experiencing difficulties, send your email to   gpsupport@velocitus.net   and it will be forwarded to us.  Also, please let us know if you've experienced the problem and you're a non-MSN email originator.

3/17/2003
Today we released Grades and Plans Version 2.0.5.   We think you'll like its new features, and most of the known bugs are resolved, too.   Thanks to all those who have taken the time to report problems and make suggestions for improvement.   Visit our Upgrade page today to download your update or full install!
Note: one or more of the changes requires modification of the database structure.   The first time you run the program after upgrading, the structures will be modified and the database version will be changed from B.00 to B.01.   If you wish to be able to go back to the previous version you should backup your database prior to upgrading.
Changes/additions:
  1. Added color/B&W reports option and accompanying preferences.   Added B&W version of all reports.   Added "over-ride" of color preference on Reports screen.
  2. Added Grades Progress Report signature block print/don't-print preference and ability to change signature block text.
  3. Replaced up/down class selector on the Items screen with tabs.   This will make it much more convenient when switching between classes when you have a variety of Items to enter, particularly if you have a lot of classes (subjects).
  4. Fixed bug in, and added operational improvements to, the edit-category functions of the Items screen.
  5. Added logic to automatically "lock-in" a grade change if user forgets to press the 'enter' key, move to another cell, etc.    NOTE: This required the disabling of the "X" (Close Program) button in the upper left of the main window.   The "Exit" button functionality on the Tool Bar, and its corresponding File/Exit menu item, are now the only methods of exiting Grades and Plans.
  6. Fixed several bugs in reports:
    1. Corrected the calculation of composite grade values when "X" (excused) grades were present.  Fix applied to both the Detailed and Progress Grade reports; the Summary grade report was already correct.
    2. Fixed several minor sorting issues, tweaked some field widths, alignments, etc.
    3. Resolved problem which caused new reports to sometimes erroneously message "no data found which matches your criteria" after running a Student Data report with the YTD option set.
  7. Changed the font used on the tabs on both the Grades and Items screen for improved readability.
  8. Adjusted the alignment and sizing of the Student Data screen fields to improve readability at some sizes/resolutions.
3/9/2003
We're resolving issues that arise in the latest version as quickly as possible... so keep checking the Support, What's New, and Upgrade pages on the website for the latest news and status.  So far, we've addressed several issues in the Reports and one involving the database converter when converting the StudentData file... all have been resolved and corrections were released within hours of receiving the reported problem.  PLEASE don't hesitate to contact us if you suspect ANY problem... our support staff is here to assist. :)

3/8/2003
Just a quick note. We know that no matter how hard we try to test everything, we'll likely miss something... so we'll almost always have some "bugs" to fix.  The 2.0.1 release is no exception... we received a report of a problem in the reports concerning calculations when "X" grades are present.  We'll be fixing these as quickly as possible and updating the "Full Install" file to reflect the latest and greatest for new users.  Well also post Upgrades which will allow exisitng users to just download/install the files you need... check the "Upgrades" and "Support" pages for the latest information.

3/5/2003
The last 9-months have been extremely busy at Grades and Plans. We're ashamed that we've been woefully behind in updating the website and resolving several major issues with Grades and Plans... most notable has been the incompatibility Microsoft dealt us when they released Access2000. While resolution has taken considerably longer than anticipated, we're happy to announce it is complete and Version 2.0.1 of Grades and Plans is now available for download! A fair number of bugs have been fixed, there's a number of new features and ease-of-use enhancements, and reports are generated considerable faster than previous versions. All in all, we think you'll like it!

After considerable soul searching, we decided to discontinue the use of Access as Grades and Plans database in this latest version. Frankly, Microsoft's lack of commitment to maintain "downward compatibility" with older products has caused us much consternation over the past few years. While we certainly understand Microsoft's desire to sell new versions of software to grow their business, we don't believe it should be forced upon us if the additional features are not going to be used. Rather, we see that as a waste of our money and resources. We strive to keep our prices low, which means we cannot afford to keep buying upgrades and reworking our applications for their benefit alone!

We chose to port Grades and Plans to utilize a fast and efficient xBase compatible database. To most of you this will be of little consequence. But for those who utilized the underlying Access database to interface with other systems and software, we encourage you to contact us for ideas and assistance if/when you elect to transition to the new xBase version. 

 
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