Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Update — SMARTT to LACES Transition

September 6, 2018

Dear Program Directors,

The purpose of this letter is to update you on the project timeline for transitioning our system's data from SMARTT over to LACES. During the months of July and August, the steady migration and testing of data has been taking place all in preparation for an October launch of LACES. Be advised that after 10:00 pm on September 20, programs will no longer have access to SMARTT. Any data entered before or up to that time will be migrated into the new system.

LACES will go online September 28 for those trained before that date (Worcester, Holyoke). Those who registered for one of the Malden trainings in October will receive access to LACES upon completion of their training.

MAPT will be available until September 20 using a SMARTT ID. Beginning September 28, MAPT will be available using a LACES ID. Please note that there will be a seven-day period when there will be no access to OWL between the shutdown of SMARTT and the launch of LACES.

All LACES users must have their own unique login to access the system. This login will align with the specific roles that are assigned to each user by the program director . To get started, please complete the attached spreadsheet, filling in the user name and roles for the two participants from your program who will be attending the training. This should be sent by September 14 to Barbara Pope. After the training, you will be able to add, edit, or delete users from this list.

Finally, the change in data management systems necessitates a change in data collection and entry practices and policies. A full revision of those policies will be forthcoming, but during this time of transition, we offer the following guidance regarding data collection and attendance:

1. There will be no "data lock-out" for the immediate future while programs familiarize themselves with a new system and new protocols.
2. That said, ACLS will be requiring attendance for each student to be recorded on a daily (per class session) basis. Whether that daily-recorded attendance needs to also be entered into LACES on a daily basis, or whether it can be done on a weekly basis or some other schedule will be determined later in the year.
3. Programs should keep in mind that in many states teachers enter attendance in LACES and we encourage programs to be open-minded to the possibility of allowing teachers to do the same in our system.

Thank you for your patience during this transition.

Sincerely,

Jolanta Conway
MA AE State Director