LACES Washington Customizations

Special Program Tracking

WA Special Programs have been added to the student intake page as checkboxes. If any of these are checked on the intake page when manually entering a student record in a CBO agency, a record is created at the Education tab/Special Program Tracking panel. College agency users may manually enter Special Program Tracking records in existing students records added through the ctcLink integration/import process.

Special Program Tracking is not required. You can select any, all, or none of the checkboxes on the student intake page. Records can be added or edited later in the student record, if applicable.

Special Program Tracking checkboxes selected on the student intake date are added as separate records at the student record Education tab / Special Program Tracking panel.

Each Special Program Tracking record has a start and end date. Students are included in the special program during the FY when the start or end dates cross or are in the FY.

The start date places the student in the special program for the FY, and the student is considered to be in that special program until an end date is entered.
When an end date is entered, the student is still in that special program for the entire FY if the date is in or crosses the FY dates.
Students may be in a Special Program for only one day. In those cases, the start and end date may be the same date.

For example, in the screenshot below:

The student is in the I-DEA and Master Grant Career Services special programs in the 23/24 FY. Since there is no end date for I-DEA, the student will be in that special program indefinitely unless an end date is entered.
The student is in the Master Grant Career Services program for the entire 23/24 FY even with an end date entered. However, to be in that program in the 24/25 FY, a new record would have to be entered.

State and Local Performance (SPR)

The State and Local Performance (SPR)->Services search has been updated in the LACES WA client to omit students if one of the IELCE Grant or Master Grant special programs are not entered in the student record.

The results of the State and Local Performance (SPR) searches match specific NRS tables. Since students omitted from the Services search based on a special program may still count on NRS tables, the NRS tables and the Services search may not match.

User documentation for the Statewide and Local Performance (SPR) searches is available on the User News page at the WIOA: LACES Updates link under Common Processes.

HS+ Graduation Plan

Students in the HS+ Special Program who have a graduation plan selected in their record may enter at ABE L5 or ABE L6 and advance to ABE L6 from ABE L5 based on credits without having to be assessed. For levels to populate, the following must be entered in the student record:

HS+ Special Program
A graduation plan
Credits
12+ instruction hours

Graduation Plans

The "Graduation Plan" field is in the student record at the Education tab / Education panel. Each WA graduation plan has been added to the choice list, with the number of required credits for each plan.

Select a graduation plan in the student record.

After selecting a graduation plan, enter the number of credits the student has already earned towards fulfilling the graduation plan requirements.

Go to the Education tab / Credits panel. Click the panel to open.
Add a record. Note that there are two credit types - "Previously Earned Credits" and "Credits Earned in Program."
The credit type "Previously Earned Credits" is used to set the entry level once the student earns 12 instruction hours. Only ONE record with this type is allowed.

The entry EFL populates by subtracting 3 from the number of graduation plan credits.

(Note that < includes 0.)

1. 2008 & Before (19 credits)

a. <17.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L5

b. >=17.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L6

2. 2009 - 2011 (20 credits)

a. <18.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L5

b. >=18.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L6

3. 2012 - 2014 (20 credits)

a. <18.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L5

b. >=18.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L6

4. 2015 & 2016 Waiver (20 credits)

a. <18.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L5

b. >=18.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L6

5. 2015 & After (24 credits)

a. <22.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L5

b. >=22.00 previously earned credits populates ABE L6

Students who enter with less than the total graduation plan credits may earn credits in classes. As a student earns credit, additional credit records may be entered at the Education tab/Credits panel with the type “Earned Credits in Program.”

Once the number of earned credits is >= the number of credits for ABE L6 based on the graduation plan, a level gain will automatically populate from ABE L5 to ABE L6.

A student may have already earned the total number of graduation plan credits prior to entering the program. In that case, only one credits record is necessary.

For example, if a student with the 2015 & 2016 Waiver (20 credits) graduation plan had 20 “Previously Earned Credits,” there would be no need to enter a record for “Credits Earned in the Program.” 20 credits would populate the entry level ABE L6.

The total of "Previously Earned Credits" and "Earned Credits in Program" for a particular graduation plan cannot exceed the number of required credits for the graduation plan.

Changing Graduation Plans

If a student changes graduation plans, the user may change the selection in the Graduation Plan field. A different graduation plan may change the student’s entry level. For example:

1. A student has the graduation plan “2015 and 2016 Waiver (20 credits)” with 18 previously earned credits. This populates the entry level ABE L6.

2. Now the user selects “2015 and after (24 credits).”

3. Since there are 18 previously earned credits, the entry level would recalculate to ABE L5 based on the new graduation plan.

Earning a High School Diploma

High School+ Diploma records will be imported by the state office and should not be entered manually by LACES users.

Students with the entry level ABE L6 will update to the current level of Completed ABE L6 when the diploma information is imported by the state.

Once a student earns the required number of credits and earns the High School+ Diploma, the graduation plan workflow is complete. If the student is gone for more than 90 days in the current FY but returns for additional service, the student must be assessed to be placed in a new PoP.

Crossing FY Years

Students may enter in one FY with a graduation plan and “Previously Earned Credits.” If these students continue to the next FY without earning enough credits for a level gain or completion, they will enter the next FY with the ending EFL. For example:

1. Student enters the program on 3/1/2024.

2. The graduation plan 2015 & After (24 credits) is entered in the student record.

3. Student has 11 previously earned credits and is placed at entry level ABE L5 after earning 12 instruction hours.

4. Student continues into the 2024/2025 FY.

6. As long as the student’s special program is still HS+, the entry level of ABE L5 will automatically populate once the student earns 12 hours in the 2024/2025 FY.

Credits Needed Search

The Credits Needed Search is available at the student grid to find students with a graduation plan who need additional credits towards fulfilling the graduation plan requirements.

Click the >Searches link at the student grid.
Expand the General category.
Select Credits Needed.
Enter the number of credits and apply.

Students with any graduation plan needing the number of "at least" credits are returned.

All Graduation Plan Credit Summary

The All Graduation Plan Credit Summary area may be selected from the Additional area drop-down menu. Student graduation plan information displays on the grid. A custom view may be applied and exported for ad-hoc reporting, if desired.

Graduation Plan Report

The report may be run on all students or selected students. Only students with a graduation plan selected in the student record will be returned on the report.