IBM no longer offers support for FTP Version 2.2. They will keep the 2.2.1 version of FTP running past this spring. However, those users still using that version must migrate to the current version of FTP by November 2000. Users are also encouraged to consider using the internet for file transfer. See Chapter 10 of the FASTER User Guide for more information. [PID 295]

The current on-line FASTER system is using an application which is being taken out of service in December 1999. As a result, FASTER on-line facilities such as Mailbox Status, Participant Status and Contact Update are being migrated to the FASTER Home Page (www.firn.edu/faster). Existing logons will be used to access these facilities. Capabilities which cannot be performed in batch mode will be migrated first. The Mailbox application will remain available until the migration is complete. [PID 416]

The 1999-2000 FASTER manual will be accessible from the Home Page in HTML format only. The PDF formatting is being discontinued. Users will also be able to access memos and other documentation at the site. [PID 418]

FIRNMAIL is going away as of December 1999. It will be replaced by a newsgroup found on the FASTER homepage. [PID 324]

In preparation for the expanded use of the web FASTER participants are encouraged to upgrade their web browsers to one having at least the capabilities of Netscape Communicator 4.01a or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01sp. Go to http://www.firn.edu/software.html for download instructions.

Dual enrollment information can be requested from the postsecondaries and sent to the districts using the P00 format. This is covered in the FASTER User Manual in Chapter II, Section J. [PID 332]

Security is always a concern: FIRN strongly encourages modification of passwords on a regular basis. [PID 333]

FASTER will be deleting records from the database after two weeks instead of 30 days. [PID 403]

Elsa is setting up the infrastructure for all FASTER sending institutions to transmit to the Y2K test system in order to validate the FASTER software. Please contact Elsa Leslie (850/922-8206, S/272-8206, or eleslie@popmail.firn.edu) if you would like to test your Y2K process. [PID 412]

Functional System Changes

For Bright Futures, FASTER will post a header record back to the sending institution with message types B00-B04 when the student's record is rejected by the Bright Futures evaluation and load process. These records can be kept separate from other FASTER requests by implementing the existing parameter which limits records based on Sending Institution ID in SRTS02. SRTS11 will print these records with the Bright Futures error message (Appendix B). [PID 334-3]

FASTER users will now be able to know when a sending institution has attempted to send a student and failed. When a transcript fails to post, a header record (I00, S00, or P00, depending on the type of transmission) will be written to the addressed institution with a message type of 'X01' informing them of that fact. These records will be accessible when executing SRTS04 by implementing a new parameter in column 37 with values X=X01 Message Types only, R=non-X01 Message Types only, blank=All Message Types. [PID 402]

The Outgoing Aging Report program (SRTS21) will have a new parameter with the values F=FASTER Only, B=Bright Futures Only, blank=Both in column 3 of the parameter card. In addition, a 7-character institution ID can be specified in columns 4-10 to limit the records to a specific addressed institution. [PID 408]

The Incoming Aging Report program (SRTS22) will have a new parameter with the values F=FASTER Only, B=Bright Futures Only, blank=Both in column 18 of the parameter card. In addition, a 7-character institution ID can be specified in columns 19-25 to limit the records to a specific sending institution. [PID 408]

For negative responses to requests (i.e., no transcript is sent), the postsecondary print programs, SRTS12P and SRTS12CC, will be modified to print the date that the original request was posted to the system. [PID 316]

Two new institution codes (Appendix A) are being added for the Bright Futures Seventh Semester system. Institution Code 0000093 School 0000 identifies transcripts addressed to production while Institution Code 0000094 School 0000 identifies transcripts addressed to practice. [PID 417]

A new Campus code, 8888, has been added for the Indian River Community College (FICE 1493) adult high school (Appendix C). [PID 331]

Institutions can now send either I- or S-type record formats to Bright Futures, as long as they include all fields required for Bright Futures. [PID 334-2]

Format Changes

I/S/P00

I- and S-type records have both been marked for use in transmitting Bright Futures records (item 1). [PID 334-2]

Institution ID's 92-94 have been added to the list of valid Institutions (Appendix A and items 3 and 4). [PID 417]

Message Type codes A01 and A03 are no longer valid. Also, the Message Type code A02 has been changed to read "This transcript is being sent to the Florida Board of Regents as a part of the Outstanding High School Juniors program, and this student has a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or above." And finally, B00-B04 and X01 are now valid Message Type codes (item 5). [PID 334-1, 334-3, 402, 415]

P03

Code G has been added to the valid codes for Repeat Indicator, item 11. [PID 320]

I/S01

I- and S-type records have both been marked for use in transmitting Bright Futures records (item 1). [PID 334-2]

Code N999 was removed from the list of valid codes for School of Current Enrollment (item 5).

The definition of HSCT has changed from a four-byte field with a definition of MMYY to a six-byte field with a definition of MMYYYY. In order to accommodate the size increase, the fields have been moved from items 17 and 18. They are now items 19f and 19g, respectively, in bytes 149-154 and 155-160. Code 999999 in the field will indicate that the student has scored high enough on the FCAT to exempt taking the HSCT. [PID 309]

National Merit and National Achievement have been added as items 19d and 19e, in bytes 147 and 148. [PID 406]

Early Admit Student has been added as item 67 in byte 974. [PID 321]

Additional School Year Student has been added as item 68 in byte 975. [PID 318]

Code LC (Macedonia) has been added to the Country Code Table.

I/S02

I- and S-type records have both been marked for use in transmitting Bright Futures records (item 1). [PID 334-2]

I/S03

I- and S-type records have both been marked for use in transmitting Bright Futures records (item 1). [PID 334-2]

Code N999 was removed from the list of valid codes for School of Current Enrollment (item 5).

I/S04

A note was added indicating that Course in Progress information should be sent when transmitting data to the Bright Futures Seventh Semester system.

I- and S-type records have both been marked for use in transmitting Bright Futures records (item 1). [PID 334-2]

Code N999 was removed from the list of valid codes for School of Current Enrollment (item 5).

Code U979 was added to the list of valid codes for School Number Where Credit Earned (item 8).

Codes R and Y have been added to the valid codes list for Term, item 12. [PID 404-1]

I/S05

I- and S-type records have both been marked for use in transmitting Bright Futures records (item 1). [PID 334-2]

Code N was added to the list of valid codes for Dropout Prevention/Juvenile Justice Placement Reasons (items 43, 46, and 49).

I/S06

I- and S-type records have both been marked for use in transmitting Bright Futures records (item 1). [PID 334-2]

I/S07

I- and S-type records have both been marked for use in transmitting Bright Futures records (item 1). [PID 334-2]

I/S08

I- and S-type records have both been marked for use in transmitting Bright Futures records (item 1). [PID 334-2]

BVA and CAS have been added to the valid codes for Tests Used to Determine Aural/Oral Language Proficiency of LEP in the Test Name Attachment for item 9. [PID 404-3]

Codes 13 (for the ITB test) and EP (for the SA2 test) have been added to Test Subject Content Attachment for item 12. [PID 404-4]

For Test Score Type, item 13, code "ZZ" has been removed from the valid codes list [PID 323], and codes PI and AL have been added. Errors in this field will now cause the student record to be rejected. [PID 404-2]

Edit Changes

I/S/P00

Edit 1 has been modified to allow institutions to send either I- or S-type record formats to Bright Futures. [PID 334-2]

The edit of Message Type, edit 8, has been changed. Message Type A01 has been deleted . Message Types B00-B04 are new request codes valid only when Bright Futures is the sender. Message Type X01 is a new response code valid only when written by the FASTER system as a result of a reject. [PID 334-1 334-3, 402]

Message Type A03 is no longer valid for any transcript and has been removed from edits 8, 20, and 21.5. [PID 415]

New edit (21.9) has been added to reject records having a Message Type code of B00-B04 unless the sender is one of the Bright Futures Institution Ids. [PID 334-3]

When Bright Futures is the addressee, the only valid message code is Q01 (edit 22.5). [PID 334-1]

G99HC

Edit 2 has been modified to include Message Type codes B00-B04. [PID 334-3]

G99HS

Edit 2 has been modified to include Message Type codes B00-B04. [PID 334-3]

G99IMM

Edit 2 has been modified to include Message Type codes B00-B04. [PID 334-3]

G99

Edit 2 has been modified to include Message Type codes B00-B04. [PID 334-3]

P03

Edit 12 for Repeat Indicator has been modified to include new code G. -REJECT- [PID 320]

I/S01

Edits 18.1 and 18.2 for HSCT Communications and HSCT Mathematics have been modified to handle the new definition of MMYYYY. Code 999999 has been added to the list of valid values. -INFORMATIVE- [PID 309]

Edit 18.5 has been added for National Merit Scholar allowing values of S (=Scholar), F (=Finalist), or Z (=Not Applicable) or blank. - REJECT- [PID 406]

Edit 18.6 has been added for National Achievement Scholar allowing values of S (=Scholar), F (=Finalist), or Z (=Not Applicable) or blank. - REJECT- [PID 406]

Message Type A03 is no longer valid for any transcript and has been removed from edits 18.7 and 58. [PID 415]

Edit 48a has been added to require a Diploma Date no older than one year when sending to Bright Futures. -BF REJECT-

Edit 49a has been deleted. [PID 321]

Edit 49b has been added to require a Diploma Type of W06, W10, W43 or W45 when sending to Bright Futures. -BF REJECT-

Edit 69 has been added for Early Admission Student. -BF REJECT- [PID 321]

Edit 70 has been added for Additional School Year. -REJECT- [PID 318, PID 404-6]

I/S03

Message Type A03 is no longer valid for any transcript and has been removed from edit 2.c. [PID 415]

I/S04

Edit 12 for Term has been modified to include codes R and Y -REJECT- [PID 404-1]

Edit 15 for Subject Area has been modified to REJECT blanks when Grade Level is 9-12 or there is a course flag of 9. - REJECT- [PID 326-1]

Edit 19.6 has been modified to include institutions 92-94. [PID 417]

Edit 19.7 has been added for Course Number. If Course Number is numeric, Grade Level is 9-12 or Grade Level is less than 9 and there is a Course Flag of 9, Credit Attempted is greater than 0, and School Year is greater than 19921993, then the Course Number must be found on the DOE Course Code Directory. If the Course Number is alphanumeric, then the Course Number must be on the Postsecondary Course Code Directory. -REJECT- [PID 326-2]

I/S05

Message Type A03 is no longer valid for any transcript and has been removed from edit 2.c. [PID 415]

Edit 9 has been modified to correctly handle Codes F, H, and L.

Edit 18.8 has been added as follows: If Limited English Proficient: Exit Date is greater than zero and Limited English Proficient: Reclassification Date is not greater than zero or blank, then the Limited English Proficient code must be LF. -INFORMATIVE- [PID 404-5]

Edit 24 has been modified to include code N.

I/S06

Message Type A03 is no longer valid for any transcript and has been removed from edit 2.c. [PID 415]

I/S07

Message Type A03 is no longer valid for any transcript and has been removed from edit 2.c. [PID 415]

I/S08

Message Type A03 is no longer valid for any transcript and has been removed from edit 2. [PID 415]

Edit 3 has been deleted. was modified to include addressed institution 92-94. [PID 417]

Edit 11 for Test Name has been modified to include a new test codes BVA and CAS. -REJECT- [PID 404-3]

Edit 15 for Test Subject Content has been modified to include new codes, 13 for the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITB) and EP for the CEEB ACH/SATII (SA2). Tests BVA and CAS have been added to the list of LEP Test Names. -REJECT- [PID 404-4]

Edit 16 for Test Score Type has been modified to remove "ZZ" and add new codes PI and AL. The edit has been upgraded to a reject edit. -REJECT- [PID 323, 404-2]