To log onto Synergy, open Internet Explorer. In the URL (web address) type:

https://synergy.mpsaz.org

This will also work if you are accessing Synergy from home.

The Synergy login screen should appear with a green bar across the bottom. Use your assigned login and password. Never give this information out to

other users (Subs, Teachers, Student Teachers or Student Aides).

A Visual Guide to Synergy

for MPS Teachers

Area of Support What Option

to Select

Help Desk (Active Directory,

Printers, Computers) #1

Synergy #2

Telephones #3

Gradebook (Ed-Tech)

Architeck (Ed-Tech) #4

Help Desk 472-0044

Web Address Location

https://synergy.mpsaz.org @ SCHOOL

@ HOME

Class Alerts: This will alert you if any student has been added or dropped from one of your classes. Click the icon for details.

Search: The Student Assignment Search field is used to find a specific assignment, view grades issued, comments and notes for that assignment.

Lock: This will lock the Synergy screen to protect data while you are away from the computer. This will return a user to the log in screen with the users log in name dis-played, only the password will be required.

Sign Out: This will completely sign you out of Synergy. This will return you to the log in screen and your log on and password are required.

Support: This option will open up the Synergy department web page for training in-formation, hours of operation, the newsfeed, quick help guides and more.

Help: Opens the district registration handbook.

Mesa Public Schools Synergy Training—Information Systems Revised June 2014

The Home Menu SEATING CHART: This option will open the seating chart for the select-

ed class from any other view (example: If the gradebook is open and

Seating Chart is selected, the gradebook will close and the seating

chart will open)

CHANGE CLASS: To view another class, use the Change Class option

from the Home menu. Select the Term & Meeting Day (if needed)

then click the GREEN SELECT button for the class desired.

GO TO CURRENT CLASS: This will open the seating chart for the cur-

rent period based on your bell schedule.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

This option will open the

announcement view dis-

playing active district or

school created announce-

ments.

CHANGE PASSWORD: Synergy requires a password change every 30 days for database security. Passwords can be changed at any time. Remember to keep this information private - DO NOT give your password out to ANYONE (subs, student teachers, other staff members or student aides)

COMMUNICATION: This area will allow you to mass post general

messages to student and/or parent portals. This area is designed to

also use e-mail however, the e-mail function is not active at this time.

E-mail communication with students and parents needs to be set up

within your district e-mail account. NOTE: The Student Account on

the Demographic screen IS NOT the student email account.

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE: Track your parent /teacher confer-

ences and communications. Conference documentation history can

be reviewed on the Student Contact Log.

STUDENT NICKNAMES:

Nicknames can now be

attached to enrolled

students AND be viewed

in the seating chart (if

selected in the edit

seating chart area).

TEST GROUP ANALYSIS: Allows you to view student

AIMS scores by class. The Test Preference menu

allows you to select the AIMS test scores needed and

you can filter the results by test group ( ie: Reading,

Writing, Math). The Raw Score can also be displayed

as shown in the example to the right.

VIEW GRADES: View the posted grades and Mark

Distribution for a class. To show the Mark Distribu-

tion graph, select one of the graph icon options at

the top of the view.

Graph options available:

When Synergy is opened, a seating chart will be displayed (as shown below). If students have been added to or dropped from your class you will receive an Acknowledge pop up (see image to the right). Click OK to acknowledge the changes.

If there are open seats during the class period the student has been assigned to, they will automatically be added to the seating chart. If there are no available seats within the seating chart, a message will appear at the top of the seating chart: There are some students who need to be seated in the chart.

This is the main TeacherVue screen (default view is the seating chart).

There are several ways to edit a seating chart. You can use the orange EDIT button at the top of

the seating chart OR you can create a new seating chart using the CHARTS menu.

The CHARTS Menu allows you to create a custom seating chart . The chart can be on a rigid grid

or freeform. When selecting one of these options, ALL students will be removed from the

screen and blank seating chart (add grid) or screen (freeform) will appear as well as the Seating

Chart Configuration menu (on the right of the screen).

Create a name for your seating chart and click save and add the unassigned students to the

chart.

If you are using FREEFORM the configuration menu will change. The seating chart dimensions

will not be available and a Snap Grid Size will appear.

The EDIT mode also allows you to change what and how information and photos appear on the

seating chart view. The student image to the RIGHT shows what a seating chart will look like

with all available items selected for the seating chart view such as: students name (select an

option from the student name format drop down), ID, current grade (from grade book), Gender

& Grade, Course enrolled in as well as any notifications are shown under the students photo.

The image to the RIGHT shows the options you can select from the EDIT mode.

Seating Charts

Configuration Options

The slider controls

the size of the pho-

tos displayed in the

seating chart.

This area controls

how the name and

other information

appears below the

photo on the

seating chart.

See student image in

the lower left corner

Front of classroom

and Seating Chart

Dimensions. Use

the sliders to add

rows/columns to

the seating chart.

Unassigned stu-

dents are listed

here. Before you

can add a student

to the chart, there

must be an open

seat.

All reports generated from the Reports menu produce results

for the entire class based on the open/active seating chart.

1) GRD403 - Mark Verification by Teacher is used to verify

grades issued to students at progress report/report card

periods through the Synergy Grade Book.

2) STU201 - Student profile when selected from this menu

will print student data sheets for EVERY student in the

active seating chart.

3) STU205 - Student Course Request Profile - Not Used

4) STU401 - Student List prints a list of students with their

ID#, Grade, Gender and DOB.

5) STU408 - Class List will print a traditional class roster for the selected class. This

report can be used for your emergency evacuation/lockdown information.

6) STU419 - Section Seating Chart will print a seating chart with student photos and

attendance boxes. This can be used by a Sub to record attendance and/or for your

emergency evacuation/lockdown infor-

mation.

7) U-488 Student Accounts will print a list of

student active directory usernames for se-

lected class.

8) U-588 LanSchool Extract is used to prepare

student list upload into LanSchool.

To access the Student Detail menu options, open the seating chart, LEFT click

the mouse on the student photo you wish to retrieve information.

Selecting STUDENT from this menu view allows you

to access detailed information for a specific stu-

dent (see image at bottom) including:

Student Information Emergency Information

Student Schedule Past Report Cards

Student Portal & Log Contact Log

IEP’s

Use the other menu options to retrieve more information on your students.

STUDENT NOTES & CONTACT LOG INFORMATION

To add a note for a student, use the icon on the student photo. Notes can

be private or can be viewed by all teachers for that student.

All NOTES entered can be viewed. To view past notes, open the notes win-

dow and click Show History.

Log Student Contact is accessed via the Student Detail Options menu.

Notes teachers enter can be viewed by the teacher, administrator and

counselor(s). Contact history can be found on the STUDENT view on the

CONTACT tab.

REPORTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR STUDENT NOTES AND CONTACT LOGS

This is an example of the STUDENT option from the Student Detail Menu.

In this view you can see:

General Student Information Parent/Guardian Data Emergency Contacts Students Schedule Documents (report cards) Student Portal Access Log Your Contact Log

Student Detail Options Report Menu Options

Taking Attendance Attendance must be taken EVERY DAY & EVERY PERIOD. Attendance can be taken two

different ways, by Chart or by List.

Once a class has been opened and the seating chart is displayed, select Chart or List from

the Attendance menu option.

Attendance by Chart

This view is similar to the seating chart. To record attendance in this view, simply click on

the student photo once to record them absent or twice to record them as tardy. If you

recorded attendance on the wrong student, you can remove the mark by clicking the stu-

dent photo until the red ABS or yellow TDY are gone. Once attendance has been recorded

for the period, click the green SAVE button.

Attendance by List

The List view allows you to take attendance and view attendance history for a specific

class. To record attendance in this view, simply click inside the appropriate box (the day

highlighted in yellow is the current day). Click once for ABS, twice for Tdy. If the recorded

attendance needs to be adjusted, simply open this view again and click the appropriate

box until the desired attendance is displayed.

Junior Highs & High Schools:

If you have a multi period class (1-2), you must take attendance for each period.

Chart View: Use the Period drop down, select the next class, record and save the

attendance by clicking the green SAVE button.

List View: There is no need to switch to another period, simply click in the appropriate

period column to update the attendance and click the green SAVE button.

CHART VIEW

To record attendance for a multi

period class in chart view, use

the Period drop down to select

the hour needed. Record

attendance and click save.

LIST VIEW

In List view you can see attendance

history. To view previous attend-

ance, click the <<10 Days button at

the top of the view. To return to

“today” click the Today button.

The current day should be high-

lighted in yellow.

Attendance Reason Types Key:

Each attendance view displays the attendance Reason Types

key . The key displays the total number of each attendance

reason and the corresponding student(s) listed underneath

each reason.

Teachers can only record Unverified (Abs) and Tardy (Tdy)

attendance reasons however, when the office updates

attendance to Excused or Unexcused it is updated within the

attendance views and Reason Type key.