Synergetic have created a new report for the purpose of collating the information necessary to provide to the Australian government for the 2019 Non-Government Schools Census.

The Australian government's website detailing the census, definitions, rules and requirements, entry screens etc is available here: https://ssphelp.education.gov.au/census

How to access and run the report

• In Group/User Security Maintenance > provide permission for the report STUCENS3 (Student Census – Australian Non-Government Schools)
• When running the report, you will be presented with the following selection screen:

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1. Census Date: 
   • Set for the official date of the census.  
   • This is utilised for many of the date fields for inclusion/exclusion, e.g. Entry/Leaving date of students
   • The Year part of this date is used for the Students File Year (as per Current Student Maintenance)
2. Age at Date
   • Specific date used to calculate age of students
   • Defaults to 1 July which is currently the date required for ages of students on the August census
3. Mode
   1. Summary (totals only; all sections)
      • Ignores selections from the 'If using per-section options'
      • Will show all sections of the report with totals only
   2. Detailed (totals and students; all sections)
      • Ignores selections from the 'If using per-section options'
      • All sections of the report will include totals as well as a list of the students that make up the figures
      • If a section contains no students it will not show at all.  For example, if there are no part-time students in year 10, the part-time year 10 section will not appear at all.
   3. Raw Data (student details; for export to Excel)
      • Includes a record for each student in the file year in question, and columns covering the data used to build the census report.  The final columns in the export are indicators of whether or not the student in question has been included in the census figures for each category.
      • Intended to be exported to Excel - see below for recommended steps to export.
   4. Use Per-Section Options Below...
      • Used in conjunction with 'If using per-section options'
      • Allows for different modes for each section, including the ability to hide sections
      • Provides ability to focus on a particular section to ensure data is correct
      • When used, select from the following options per section
      1. 1. Summary
            • Section in question will show only the total figures
         2. Detailed
            • Section in question will show totals as well as a list of the students that make up the figures
            • If the section contains no students it will not show at all.  For example, if there are no part-time students in year 10, the part-time year 10 section will not appear at all.
         3. None
            • Section in question will not be shown at all

Optional Selections

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• To filter students from that particular campus only

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• To filter students from that particular sub school only

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• If you have the same year level across multiple campuses (e.g. Campus: North, Year Level: 7 AND Campus: South, Year Level: 7) these campuses will be combined together.  Essentially assuming the students are in the same campus.

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Tips for using the report and resolving discrepancies

Please note: While the report is checking/including a number of areas of Synergetic, not all eligibility criteria as determined by the Australian Government may be accounted for.  It is therefore strongly recommended that users consider perform their own verification as desired, to look for students who may have been included (or excluded) due to rarer combinations and scenarios.

Global Census Criteria

All students in the file year in question are included in the census report, even if classified as 'Excluded'.

Any students not meeting all of the following criteria will be classified as 'Excluded'

• Year Level flagged as 'Include in Census'
• Entry Date on or before census date, or blank
• Leaving Date after census date or blank
• External Student flag un-ticked
• Status SynergyMeaning other than EXTERNAL or SHORTSTAY
• Gender of M or F; other values are not currently supported
• At least one of the following on a date in the Reference Period.  See below for details on the Reference Period.
  1. A class attendance (if enabled when running the report), or
  2. A day for which the Absence Events Daily Calc reports an Absence Factor of less than one (if enabled when running the report)

The following criteria and scenarios are not applied or accounted for

• Exchange students are not excluded on the basis of being at the school for less than six months.  If desired, exchange students at the school for less than six months can be excluded from the census by ticking the External Student flag.
• Indigenous Non-Stated is not included
• Genders other than M or F are not currently supported
• Distance Education Students are not identified in Synergetic and as such there is no Distance Education sections on the report
• Home Education students are not identified by Synergetic and as such are not excluded.  If desired, Home Education students can be excluded from the census by ticking the External Student flag.

In addition to the above-mentioned global criteria, the following criteria applies to the specific categories within the report

1. Full Time Students

FTE greater than or equal to 1

Notes

If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

2. Boarders

Boarder SynergyMeaning of BOARDER

Notes

If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

3. Overseas Students

Full Fee flag ticked

Notes

If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

4. Students on Visas

A Visa Subclasses record exists

Notes

• Only the top visa subclass record under the top passport record is used for each student
• If visa expiry date is on or prior to the census date, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'
• If Visa Class or Subclass are blank, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'
• If Visa Subclass 'Active' flag is un-ticked, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'
• If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

5. Indigenous Students

Either TSI or Indigenous flags ticked

Notes

If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

6. Indigenous Boarding Students

• Either TSI or Indigenous flags ticked
• Boarder SynergyMeaning of BOARDER

Notes

If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

7. English Second Language

'English 2nd Language' ticked

Notes

If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

8. Students with Disability (Full Time)

A disability record exists for the student with an expiry date within the calendar year in question or with a blank expiry date

Notes

• Only one disability record is used per-student, prioritised by 'Include in Export' being ticked, then by on-screen sort order
• If FTE is less than 1, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'
• If 'Include in Export' is un-ticked, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'
• If Category does not have a SynergyMeaning of Cognitive, Physical, Sensory or Social, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'
• If Adjustment Level does not have a SynergyMeaning of Differentiated, Extensive, Substantial or Supplementary, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'
• If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

9. Part Time Students

FTE less than 1

Notes

If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

10. All Students

Meet global census criteria

Notes

If global criteria is not met, the student will be classified as 'Excluded'

'Excluded' (formerly 'Not on Census')

Each section includes a column called 'Excluded'.  In detailed mode, students identified as 'Excluded' are listed at the end of the detailed list.

These students meet the core criteria to be included in the category in question, but do not meet some other criteria which is required to be included in the census figures.  Specific criteria for each category is detailed above.

For example, a student with the Full Fee flag ticked will always be included in the Overseas Students section, however if they do not meet all the global criteria they will be categorised as 'Excluded.

'Excluded' students are included on the report for sanity/reasonableness checking.  For example, including expired visas in the Students on Visas section under 'Excluded' may prompt chasing up updated expiry dates or new visas.

Reference Period

The Reference Period is the twenty school days leading up to the census date.  If Information Pages are displayed when running the report, a page will be included showing which dates have been included in the Reference Period for each year level.

Counting backward from the census date until twenty days are found, a date is included if it  :-

• Falls within the start and end dates of a 'Numbered' file semester, and
• Is assigned a timetable day number based on the timetable group and calendar events for the year level in question.

Attendance based inclusion

Students are included if they had at least one attendance on any of the Reference Period days.

Absence Events based inclusion

Students are included if they had at least one attendance on any of the Reference Period days where Absence Factor < 1.0.

A full day Absence (in normal circumstances) will have an Absence Factor = 1.0.  If the student was absent all day, for all the Reference Period days, they would not qualify.

In the image below, based on 'Attendance' and on 'Absence Events' criteria, the students is included (Yes) in the report.

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In the image below, based on 'Attendance' the students is included (Yes) in the report, and on 'Absence Events' criteria, the student is not included (No) in the report.  

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If both are ticked, a Yes (Include) will override a No (Not Include).

Export to Excel

On the Report selection screen, along with any other specific selections you make set the Mode to: Raw Data (student details; for export to Excel)

1. Select the View... button
2. On the report preview screen, select the Export button
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3. On the Export window, select

Format: Microsoft Excel 97-2000 - Data only (XLS)  Ensure the Data only option is selected for best outcome

Destination: Can select either

• • • Application
      • Will open excel directly with the data
    • Disk file
      • Will prompt you to save the file to open later

2. Press the OK button

3. On the Excel Format Options window

Excel Format: Custom

Options:

Column width: Column width based on objects in the: Details

Checkboxes

• • • Export page header and page footer
    • Simplify page headers

4. Press the OK button

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Depending on selected destination either Excel will open or a prompt to save the file to a location will appear.

SynWeb

The report is provided in SynWeb but has known issues.

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This report can be run using:

• Synergetic
• SynWeb.

Refer to the relevant section below for instructions.

Note: For additional information about the census, see 2019 Non-Government Schools Census.

Synergetic

You can click the following link for information about running the Student Census - Australian Non-Governmental Schools report using Synergetic.

SynWeb

You can click the following link for information about running the Student Census - Australian Non-Governmental Schools report using SynWeb.