Stacking Classes
Stacking classes allows more than one course to meet at the same time and in the same room. This function is not normal for Solstar and must be forced by the scheduling administrator. In addition to allowing multiple courses to meet at the same time in the same room, it can also allow multiple instructors to be in the same room at the same time.
Why:
If the number of students requesting a course is low, and can be taught at the same time as another class (typically debate 1 and debate 2), both can be taught by the same instructor at the same time. Another reason may be to allow students with a language or learning problem to be in the same room, possibly with an additional instructor.
How to accomplish this:
The first thing to do is to allow an additional day or period in the school option record. See the option record below for a 4 period two day (A&B) school that has allowed two additional days C and D.
The next thing to do is to allow only the A and B days to be valid days for the master schedule generator. In the screen shot on the next page you can see that the master schedule generator will only allow day A or day B to be valid for a one day pattern and only AB to be valid for a 2 day pattern.
When creating the resource class record for a class to be stacked, use days C or D to be assigned to that resource class record. When the master schedule generator creates the class record for the classes to be stacked, they will be either in day C or day D and can easily be located.
Since our school option record identifies both C and D as valid days, they can be used but must be specifically requested in the resource class record. Next run the master schedule generator and create the class file. Identify the classes in the class file to be stacked (they will either be in C or D day) and the classes that they will be stacked on. Change the day and meeting time for the class to be stacked to match the class that it will be stacked on. Remove the “G” on the class record (located in the lower right corner of the class record) so that if the master schedule generator is run again, you will not lose the stacked classes. You can stack as many sections as desired.
You can now run the special master schedule report that will show the teachers and the stacked classes.