Navigate to Form Builder

To get started login and navigate to Form Builder.

1. Log in to Teacher Vitae

2. Hover over “More”

3. Click “Admin”

4. Click on “Manage Forms”

Premade Templates 

Within the “Manage Forms Page” choose from our selection of premade Templates or create your own Custom Form.

Using a premade Template may be exactly what you need. Templates are editable, so if the Template is not exactly what you need but it’s real close this is a good way to get started and some of the work is already done for you.

To use a Premade Template:

1. Click the box next to “Display Template”.

The templates are listed out in the table under the green Form Templates Header.

2. Choose a Premade Template from the list.

3. There are three options to choose from the Actions Column:

1. View

Use this button to preview the template to see if is the right form for your district. It will open a new preview window for you to examine the template.

2. Copy

Use this button to copy the template to your districts list of forms for editing and ultimately publishing for use. When you click this button you will be asked to name the form and if you want to copy all the tags associated with this form. 

Note: It is recommended to always copy the tags associated with the form unless you plan on creating all new tags for every question. Tags can be changed or added from within the form later in the form building process. 

3. Name the form 

4. Check the Copy Tags Box 

5. Click copy when done.

Clicking Copy will copy the form to your list of forms

6. Print

Use this button to create a PDF copy of the template on you computer for printing.

4. Uncheck the box next to Display Templates to return to you list of forms.

Creating and Editing Custom Forms

Opening a Custom Form 

If a Premade Template won't work create a Custom Form from scratch.

1. Click +ADD Form

2. Clicking “+Add Form” will open a new blank form for you to start editing.

Form Basics and Tools

Form Builder has several tools that are located in the three tabs on the left of the Form builder screen, Properties, Questions and Widgets (outlined in red below). The right side of the screen is your form Builder workspace (outlined in green below).

Properties Tab

The Properties Tab is where you can set the properties for the form and the Properties for individual sections of the form. 

Click Properties to access the properties section of Form Builder.

1. Name

   • When creating a form from scratch the 1st step is to name the form. In the Form Building Pane click the light gray bar titled New Form.

   • In the Properties tab Click in the Name field and change the name from New Form to a name of your choice.

2. Description

   • Add a detailed description of the form. 

   • Note: This is optional

3. Published

   • Check this box after you complete the form and are ready to use it.

   • Note: Once a form has been published editing the form is disabled. In some cases a form can be edited after being published but only by a Teacher Vitae employee. If you need a form edited after it has been published please submit a support ticket.

4. Active

   • This box is checked by default and means that the form is available. However, if Published is not checked it is only available for creation/editing and not for use.

5. Allow Copy

   • Allows the ability to copy the form. Forms can be copied to create similar  new forms only if this box is checked.

6. Self-Authorized

   • This is used when an evaluatee initiates the form.

7. Display Score Summary

   • This adds a field to the form that takes rubric grading from the form and summarizes it for easy evaluation.

8. Display Question Groups

   • This adds a description to each question groups header.

9. Display Question Numbers

   • This numbers the question group and labels it.

10. Signature Required By

    • Is blank by default. 

• However, if you require signatures on the form follow these steps:

• Click the drop down arrow next to “Finalize Document”. This field will be empty but opening it allows you to drag and drop tools into this field.

• Open Widgets and drag and drop the desired signature boxes into the Finalize Document Group.

• As you drag and drop the Signature Widgets to the Finalize Document field it will populate the “Signatures Required By” field in the forms overall Properties window.

11. Can Be Assigned By

Next in the Properties Pane is Can Be Assigned By. The three options are:

• Self: 

Check this box if you want the evaluatee to assign the form to themselves. 

• Ad Hoc: 

Check this box to be able to assign the form at will.

• Admin: 

Check this box so that administrators can assign the form via scheduling.

12. Score Summary Can Be Viewed by

You can set the permissions of who will see the Score Summary tab. Some districts have asked that this field be hidden in some circumstances.

13. Layout

The final form properties is Layout. There are two different layout options Tabbed and Flat.

• Tabbed: 

Notice that the General Information tab on the left is highlighted and the field itself is shown on the right in the From Pane. This allows the person who is filling out the form to click the tab of the field that they want to address.

• Flat: 

Notice that the entire form is laid out on a single pane similar to forms that were originally completed on paper. This requires the user to scroll up and down the form looking for the field that they need to address.

Questions Tab 

All question types are added to your forms by opening a question group, dragging and dropping the question type into an open question group.

Click the Questions Tab to access the available question Types.

The following are all the types of questions that you can create in Form Builder. 

1. Question Group 

(Light Blue): Create Question Groups to organize similarly based questions. Question Groups can be added as needed.

2. Text 

(Light Green): Used for small entries (ie. Staff Names, School Name etc.)

3. Long Text 

(Light Green): Used for longer entries (Paragraphs)

4. Rich Text 

(Light Green): Used for entries requiring specialized fonts hyperlinks etc. 

5. Date 

(Light Green): Produces a calendar that the user can click the date desired.

6. Time 

(Light Green): Produces a dropdown that the user can scroll through to find the desired time.

7. Whole Number 

(Light Green):  Used to enter whole numbers.

8. Decimal Number 

(Light Green): Used to enter number including decimal places.

9. Scoring Rubric: (Video)

(Light Green) Create a rubric. 

• Rubric: 

(Light Yellow) How the evaluatee has scored on the rubric.

• JUSTIFICATION: 

(Pink) The reason that the evaluatee was scored on the evaluation.

Note: The rubric must be set up in the following way (see the GIF and images below): 

• Question Group

  • Green Rubric question type in side the blue Question Group

    • Yellow Rubric Scoring inside Green Rubric question type

      • Pink justification in yellow rubric scoring 

Image noting the Rubric Question correct layout

Using Rubrics

After you have created your rubric question and set it up correctly you can choose to use Teacher Vitae’s scoring tool and if Justifications are shown as bullet points or checkable objects. The following steps describe how to use Teachers Vitae’s Rubrics scoring tool. 

1. High Score

Low Score sets the high end of that individual rubric.

2. Low Score

Low Score sets the low end of that individual rubric.

3. Steps

Steps give the evaluator the ability to score the evaluatee incrementally (ie. 1 Step the evaluatee scores an A, B, C… 3 Step the evaluatee can score a A-, A , A+, B-, B, B+...) Multiple steps provides a more detailed and clear score. 

NOTE: If you are not using steps then the Low and High Score must be the same or you will receive an error.

Scoring Information

• Setting the Low Score and the High Score automatically calculates the midpoint between the two. 

• Setting scoring between rubrics

  • The high score of a lesser rubric will be lower than the next higher rubric (see example below)

    • Distinguished

      • Hiigh = 4

      • Low = 3.1

    • Proficient

      • High = 3

      • Low = 2.1

    • Basic

      • Hiigh = 2

      • Low = 1.1

    • Unsatisfactory

      • High = 1

      • Low = .1

4. Default Value

Leave unchecked

5. Active

Indicates that the question is active and will show up on the form

6. Don't Score (N/A)

Used for questions that are not included in the Scoring Summary

7. Display Justifications as

There are two ways to indicate the justification for the specific rubric, Checkbox and Bulleted List

1. Checkbox 

Allows the evaluator to indicate exactly the justifications observed 

2. Bulleted List

Is a list of possible justifications observed      

Image showing a usable finalized Rubric Question that was created correctly

10. Multiple Choice (Single Response): 

(Light Green) Create a question that can be answered with a single response checkbox.

• Responses: 

(Light Yellow) You may add as many responses as you need but the user may only select one answer. Yellow responses must be placed inside Green Multiple Choice Question Group.

11. Multiple Choice (Multiple Responses): 

(Light Green) Create a question that can have multiple answers.

• Responses: 

(Light Yellow) Add as many responses as needed and the user may select as many as are correct. Yellow responses must be placed inside Green Multiple Choice Question Group.

12. Note Taker: 

(Light Green) Used to add notes to a form.

13. Basic Attachment:

(Light Green)

• Basic Attachment is used to add attachments from either your computer or your Teacher Vitae Portfolio

Widgets Tab

Widget is defined as an application, or a component of an interface that enables a user to perform a function or access a service. The following is a list of widgets that perform functions in Teacher Vitae.

1. Smart Text

Smart Text is a way to insert text into a form. A good example of when to use Smart Text is when you need to add instructions or pertinent information to a form

2. Document Tags

Document Tags are used to add Tags and Tag Families to an entire form 

3. Evaluator Signature

Evaluator Signature is used to add a required Evaluator Signature to a form

4. Evaluatee Signature

Evaluatee Signature is used to add a required Evaluatee Signature to a form

5. Reviewer Signature

Reviewer Signature is used to add a required Reviewer Signature to a form

Form Creation Window

Having all the Form Builder tools you need a place to build your forms. All the question types and widgets are added to your forms by opening a question group, dragging and dropping the question type or widget into an open question group. If a question needs to be moved to a different location of your form just drag and drop it to the correct position. 

1. Open the Questions or Widgets Tab

2. Open the Question Group

3. Choose the Question or Widget 

4. Drag and drop the Question or Widget to the correct Question Group

5. Reorder if necessary by dragging and dropping to the correct position

Editing Forms

Editing Forms is intuitive and user friendly. The following steps will walk you through the Properties Window of a Question or Question Group.

1. Start by Choosing the area you wish to edit 

2. Click the question in the Form Creation Window

This will open the Properties window for that specific Question or Question Group

3. Prompt
   

   1. Add your custom text or question where it says “New Text Question”

4. Public Key
   

   1. NOTE DO NOT EDIT THIS FIELD

5. Prompt Narrative
   

   1. Use Prompt Narrative for a narrative, description or instruction.

6. Tags
   

   1. Tags are used to group questions and their answers or evidence together.

2. When Tags are added to questions or evidence it makes searching, recalling and adding them to an evaluation easier and faster and more accurate.

3. Tags belong to Tag Families (for example below the two Demonstrating Knowledge tags belong to the District Teaching Tags)
   

   1. District Teaching Tags
      

      1. 1a. Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy

      2. 1b. Demonstrating Knowledge of Students

4. Tag Families must be created before Tags can be created and Tags must be created or Active before they can be used.

5. Teacher vitae offers premade Tags but districts can also create their own custom Tags 

6. Can Add Comments
   

   1. Checking this box will add a comment box on the form so that the user can add comments to an individual Question or Question Group

7. Can Add Attachments
   

   1. Checking this box will add the functionality of adding attachments from your computer to the individual Question or Question Group

8. Response Required
   

   1. Response Required enforces that the user must answer the question before submission

9. Display Evidence
   

   1. Display Evidence is used to gather all evidence that is tagged together during a summative evaluation.

11. Click Save

12. When editing is finished click Save and Close