Purpose: The ASSA is the data collection process used to gather the resident and nonresident pupil counts
required to calculate a school district’s state aid entitlement. For a school district to receive state aid for a pupil,
the student must be enrolled on October 15 in a program that will meet for at least 180 days during the school
year. A district is required to report the number of pupils enrolled full-time or shared-time in each school by
grade or special education category. In addition, a district must also report the number of pupils that are sent
and received and the number of pupils enrolled as follows on October 15:
● LEP pupils (ELL)
● Low income pupils (pupils eligible for free meals/free milk or reduced meals)
● Shared-time county vocational school district pupils
● County special services schools
● Pupils in certain State-operated programs
● Accredited adult high school pupils
● Pupils in approved private schools for the disabled
This information is collected through the NJDOE Homeroom. Users must gain access through the District
Homeroom administrator.
Procedure:
MHRD’s Student Information System is Follett’s ASPEN. Key staff update student records throughout the year
and by October 15th, a student file is exported and uploaded into the NJSMART website. That information is
then preloaded into the ASSA in Homeroom. The data is analyzed and if modifications are to be made, they
are made in Homeroom and in ASPEN. Various personnel at MHRD are responsible for submitting the ASSA
prior to the due date.
● In February preceding the Oct 15th count, the Technology Director imports a file into ASPEN from the
local elementary districts which contains all incoming 9th graders.
● From February through July, the Guidance Directors verify addresses for these incoming ninth graders.
● In August, the Technology Director inactivates the 12th grade students and activates the 9th graders
using a process known as “rollover”.
● During the months of August and September, Guidance Directors and the Special Ed Director verify
student data in ASPEN.
● Beginning in the final week of August and through October 15th, the Technology Director uploads
revised ASPEN data into NJSMART.
● On October 15th, a complete ASPEN file which is now in NJSMART is downloaded to Excel and sent to
the BA for ASSA preparation.
Sequence of ASSA Activities:
1. Three days prior and one day after October 15th, discontinue processing lunch applications.
This will ensure that the nightly file transfers will allow Nutrikids and ASPEN to match.
2. Multiple reports should be generated from Nutrikids for active students only as of October 15th
that should include:
a. Application Summary
b. Direct Certified students
c. Eligibility by Application Report
d. Error Prone Applications
e. Free and Reduced Eligibility Summary
f. Hills Temporary Year end list
g. Knolls temporary year end list
3. At the end of the day on October 15th export an excel report from Nutrikids for active students
only that identifies the following:
a. Student name
b. Local id
c. Grade
d. School
e. Application ID
f. Eligibility
g. Date of eligibility
4. Download a CSV file from ASPEN for all students that are excluded from state reporting. Sort by
program since MCVTS and Foreign Exchange students will be listed.
5. Retrieve a CSV file from ASPEN on October 15th or date determined by NJDOE that year.
Name the file ALL RECORDS 10/15/20XX. This file will become the workpapers required by
NJDOE
6. Working with the ALL RECORDS file, create pivot tables to aggregate data in the categories
required on the ASSA. Once the pivot table is complete double click on totals to create a new
worksheet that displays the names that support the numbers.
a. Non Public Workpaper 14 – Values – Count of Local ID
- 1. Filters
- a. Local Identifier- NP ID
- b. Status – Active
- 2. Columns – County, District, and School Codes Attending and then Grade
- 3. Rows – County and District Codes Resident
b. Choice Workpaper 12 -Values – Count of Local ID
- i. Filters
- 1. Tuition code 06
- 2. Status Active
- ii. Columns – School Code Attending, Grade Level
- iii. Rows – County and District Codes Resident
- Compare count to Assistant Superintendent’s records
c. Received Workpaper 3- Values – Count of Local ID
- i. Filters
- 1. Tuition codes 01 and 03
- 2. Status Active
- ii. Columns – Grade Level
- iii. Rows – County, District, and School codes Resident
- iv. Add to the spreadsheet students excluded from state reporting with any of these
tuition codes
d. Copy this Pivot table and change the tuition code to 5, these are tuition free students.
They are not Workpaper 13 since they are not children employees or board members
e. Sent All ODP – Values – Count of Local ID
- i. Filters
- 1. Local Identifier ODP ID
- 2. Status Active
- ii. Columns – Free and Reduced
- iii. Rows – County, District Codes Attending
- iv. This pivot table generates Workpaper 2, 4 and 5 which should be the names
- selected from the totals and pasted to new worksheets
f. Sent Shared Time – Values – Count of Local ID
- i. Filters
- 1. Enrollment type is “S”
- 2. Status is Active
- ii. Columns – County, District and School Code Resident and Grade
- iii. Rows – County, District and School Code Attending and Grade
g. Regional Enrollment – Values Count of Local ID
i. * Filters
- 1. County 27, District 3370, and School 50 & 60 codes Resident
- 2. Status Active
- ii. Columns – none
- iii. Rows – Resident Municipal Code
- Compare these numbers to last years and investigate large swings. New residential developments should be noted.
h. On Roll Total Workpaper 1- Values Count of Local ID
- i. Filters
- 1. Local Identifier exclude ID for NP, ODP
- 2. Status Active
- 3. Tuition Code blank
- 4. Enrollment Type is all
- ii. Columns – Free & Reduced
- iii. Rows – School Code Receiving, Grade Level, Special Education Classification
i. On Roll AHS – Copy On Roll Total Sheet and move School Code Receiving to a Filter
and choose 040
j. On Roll Hills – Copy On Roll Total Sheet and move School Code Receiving to a Filter
and choose 050
k. On Roll Knolls – Copy On Roll Total Sheet and move School Code Receiving to a Filter
and choose 060
l. Free & Reduced Workpaper 7- Values Count of Local ID
- i. Filters
- 1. Status Active
- 2. County, 27 and District 3370 Code Receiving
- ii. Columns – Free and Reduced
- iii. Rows – School Code Receiving, Enrollment Type, Grade Level
- These totals do not include students excluded from state reporting and they are in the Nutrikids reports so in the reconciliation include them.
m. Free and Reduced without all tuition codes –Workpaper 7 – Values Count of Local ID
- i. Filters
- 1. Status Active
- 2. County, 27 and District 3370 Code Receiving
- 3. Tuition Code – blank
- ii. Columns – Free and Reduced
- iii. Rows – School Code Receiving, Enrollment Type, Grade Level
- These numbers should agree to the On Roll reports
The ASSA application is found in Homeroom. It is available in early November. Once data is entered,
run edits and work with other Districts to resolve sent/receive discrepancies. These procedures are meant to
supplement the directions issued annually by NJDOE