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We are very pleased to announce that TREx Electronic High School
Transcripts are almost ready to take off in
Texas. However, <b>action is needed on your part, followed by an
explicit
sign-off.</b><br>
<br>
In the next week or two, we expect TEA to send letters to all public
school districts in Texas, instructing them to (1) test TREx transcript
transmission and sufficiency with a college and (2) be sending their
transcripts electronically to Texas public colleges by August 1. We
also expect THECB to send a letter to the presidents of Texas public
colleges and universities, making it clear, among other things, that
these institutions are
expected to be ready to receive electronic transcripts.<br>
<br>
Several events during the last several weeks should have removed most
obstacles to moving forward on this project. These include (a) a new
release of the TREx mapping software, effective 5/19/08, (b) a new Java
release, version 2.0.1, of the free, downloadable (from the UT Austin
SPEEDE site, <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://registrar.utexas.edu/speede/">http://registrar.utexas.edu/speede/</a>)
Quick and Easy
software used to print transcripts and generate acknowledgment files,
(c) a lively discussion among the 100 TACRAO members who attended the
May 8 Texas SPEEDE User Group meeting (presentation notes available at
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="http://www.southwestern.edu/%7Estonesd">www.southwestern.edu/~stonesd</a>),
(d) a new link below, called TREx Checklist.<br>
<br>
TACRAO schools are to assist by doing the following: (1) verify
their own institution's readiness to receive TREx from tested/certified
districts and
(2) TACRAO volunteer colleges will help
test and certify readiness of Texas high schools, using the checklist
in the link, below. Most Texas colleges
are already registered with the UT Austin Server for Apply Texas
applications for admission and/or SPEEDE college transcripts. TREx is
delivered the same way. Public colleges and universities are expected
to participate,
while private colleges are allowed to do so.<br>
<br>
Links and other SPEEDE/TREx information,
including readiness status for colleges/universities, can be found at <a
href="http://registrar.utexas.edu/speede/trex/">http://registrar.utexas.edu/speede/trex/</a>.
That page has links for:<br>
- TREx Checklist **NEW** Shows what colleges should evaluate before
certifying a school or district as ready. This also includes a list of
differences between SPEEDE college transcripts and TREx transcripts,
plus a chart showing issues or problems, and their solutions or status.<br>
- the testing process for colleges and universities<br>
- TREx readiness status of colleges and universities - the list to
which we would like
to add your institution (just 5 schools today, but needs to be 100+)<br>
- Texas colleges and universities willing to test with high schools
and report their readiness (about 20 schools have volunteered).<br>
- TREx readiness status of Texas high schools - those schools or
districts which have been tested and certified as okay<br>
- TEA TREx site.<br>
<br>
TEA has placed sample transcripts on their TREx web
site, under
IHE Tools, or you may reach it from a "TREX EDI Examples from TEA" link
in the first bullet on the testing process link (above). This lists
ten sample student TREx transcripts, Student File 1.txt thru Student
File 10.txt. (It also lists the XML files used to pull the data from
the high schools, but you won't use that in testing.) You may copy and
paste these into text data files, or possibly right click and Save-As.
Run these transcripts through the Q & E or your school's
software to make sure it works to your satisfaction.<br>
<p class="MsoNormal">We think it likely that most schools will need to
use the modified Quick and Easy software to produce acceptable print
output for TREx transcripts.<br>
</p>
Once you determine that you are ready to handle electronic TREx
transcripts and treat them as official credentials, <b>please contact</b>
<a href="mailto:regist@ediserver.utexas.edu">regist@ediserver.reg.utexas.edu</a>
and <b>report that you are ready</b> - your school will then be added
to the list (link #3, above). As soon as this information is posted,
Texas high schools which have tested will know that they may send their
TREx transcripts to you. You may also send e-mail to that same
address to request changes to your listing on the
above speede/trex site. We hope to see the list of "colleges ready to
receive" expand greatly within the next couple weeks.<br>
<br>
This message is being posted to both TACRAO and TX-SPEED listservs.
Please share it with the appropriate parties.<br>
<br>
Thanks.<br>
Dave Stones & Dale Ganus, TACRAO Technology Committee<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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