Frequently Asked Questions for Contract Managers
To view the "Frequently Asked Questions for Participants," click here.
  1. Account Information
  2. Registration Information
  3. Course Information
  4. Pricing Information
  5. Tracking Information
Account Information

How does a contract manager create a new account for a participant?

A Contract Manager is able to create an account for employees using two tools: Quick Enrollment Tool and Create New Accounts for Employees.

Create New Accounts for Employees
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose the desired contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page.
  • Choose Create New Accounts for Employees under the heading Account Management.
  • Enter the employee's e-mail address; then click Submit.

    • If an account already exists for the e-mail address, an error will be displayed.
    • If an account does not exist, you will need to enter the employee's name, e-mail address, school, and job title; then click Submit.
  • The participant will receive an automatically-generated e-mail notification of the new account.
  • Once you submit, you will be given the option of creating another account.
Individuals can create accounts for themselves by choosing Login on the homepage; then choosing New Account? . New Account? is located at the lower left-hand corner of the LOGIN pop-up menu. Step-by-step directions for creating a new account as a participant are provided in Frequently Asked Questions for Participants.

Are participants allowed more than one account?

Individuals should have one, and only one, account. One important reason for this is so that an individual maintains a single Beacon transcript. Since the participant's e-mail address functions as the participant's username, Beacon does not allow individuals to register with shared e-mail accounts. If a duplicate account is created, please contact Beacon for assistance.

How does a contract manager view a participant's account information?

The most comprehensive search for account information is the Registration Information: Multiple Search Criteria tool. With this tool, a contract manager may search for a participant's account information using multiple search criteria. Note: This tool will not provide information about inactive accounts.

Registration Information: Multiple Search Criteria
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • From the category Data Tools, choose Registration Information: Multiple Search Criteria.
  • Use the tables at the top of page to choose the information to be provided by the search. Click the box next to the desired information; a check mark should appear. Click as many boxes as is necessary to obtain all desired information.
  • To begin the search, enter the employee's last name in the box titled People-Account Filters.
  • To activate the search and obtain the requested information in tabular form, click Return Data.
  • To activate the search and obtain the requested information in spreadsheet form, click Spreadsheet.
A contract manager may also search for a participant's account information using only the participant's name, e-mail address, employee I.D. (if applicable), or state school I.D. (if applicable) using the Account Information tools.

Account Information
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • From the category Search and Statistical Tools, choose the desired Account Information Tool.
  • Enter the requested information: employee name, e-mail address, employee I.D. (if applicable), or state school I.D. (if applicable); then click Submit.
When is an account activated?

Accounts are automatically activated when they are created by Contract Managers. If an individual creates an account; then it must be activated. For an individual to activate his or her account, he or she must respond to the e-mail sent by Beacon. Also, if an individual changes the e-mail address of the account, it must be reactivated in the same manner, by responding to an e-mail sent by Beacon.

How does a contract manager activate an inactive account?
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose a contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page.
  • Choose Activate Inactive Accounts for Employees under the heading Account Management.
  • Locate the name of the participant; then choose the corresponding Activate Account.
Do contract managers assign passwords?

No. A generic password, "educator," is assigned to all new accounts. Participants are required to change this password to one of their own choosing when they first login.

How does a contract manager change a participant's password, e-mail, school, or job title?
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose a contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page.
  • Choose Edit Active Accounts under the heading Account Management.
  • Locate the name of the participant; then choose the corresponding Edit Account.
  • Make the desired changes to the account information; then choose Submit.
How does a contract manager change a participant's school district?

A contract manager can not change a participant's district. To change a participant's school district, the participant needs to e-mail a request to beam@beaconeducator.com including the participant's name, the last school district of employment, and the new school district.

Registration Information

How does a contract manager register a participant in a Beacon course?

There are two types of Beacon courses: contract-specific courses and open enrollment courses. Contract-specific courses consist of courses that are locally-requested and are only available through a specific district contract. Open enrollment courses are Beacon facilitated courses that are open to all districts and individual participants. Beacon's registration tools are divided between these types.

Contract-specific Registration

A Contract Manager is able to register a participant for a contract-specific section using two tools: Quick Enrollment Tool and Add or Withdraw Participants from Current Courses. The Quick Enrollment Tool allows a contract manager to complete an account check and register a participant in a single process. Add or Withdraw Participants from Current Courses is a two step process, requiring the contract manager to use multiple tools.

Quick Enrollment Tool (Recommeded Option)
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose the desired contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page. (Note: The contract must contain the course section in which you wish to register the participant.)
  • Choose Quick Enrollment Tool under the heading Enrollment Management: Contract Specific Sections.
  • Enter the employee's e-mail address; then click Submit.
If an account already exists for the e-mail address, you will be directed to the contract-specific enrollment page.
  • A list of available course sections and the associated dates will appear.
  • Choose the highlighted date that corresponds to the desired course.
  • The participant will receive an automatically-generated e-mail notification of the enrollment.
If an account does not exist, you will need to enter the employee's name, e-mail address, school, and job title; then click Submit.
  • The participant will receive an automatically-generated e-mail notification of the new account.
  • Once you submit, you will be given the option of creating another account or registering the participant in a course.
  • Choose Quick Enrollment of the Participant.
  • A list of available course sections and the associated dates will appear.
  • Choose the highlighted date that corresponds to the desired course.
  • The participant will receive an automatically-generated e-mail notification of the enrollment.

    Note: Contract managers can add participants through the midpoint of a course using this tool. Be aware that the participant will have less time to complete the course.
Add or Withdraw Participants from Current Courses

Note: Before enrolling with this tool, use the steps provided in "How does a contract manager create a new account for a participant?"(located in Account Information) to ensure the participant has an existing account.
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose the desired contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page. (Note: The contract must contain the course section in which you wish to register the participant.)
  • Choose Add or Withdraw Participants from Current Courses under the heading Enrollment Management: Contract Specific Sections.
  • A list of available course sections and the associated dates will appear.
  • Choose the highlighted date that corresponds to the desired course.
  • Course information and a list of currently enrolled participants will appear, as well as a drop-down list entitled Enroll new participants.
  • Scroll to find the desired participant; choose the participant; then click Enroll.
  • The participant will receive an automatically-generated e-mail notification of the enrollment.

    Note: Contract managers can add participants through the midpoint of a course using this tool. Be aware that the participant will have less time to complete the course.
Open Enrollment Registration

A Contract Manager is able to register a participant for a contract-specific section using Add or Withdraw Participants from Open Enrollment Courses.

Add or Withdraw Participants from Open Enrollment Courses

Note: Before enrolling with this tool, use the steps provided in "How does a contract manager view a participant's account information?"(located in Account Information) to ensure the participant has an existing account.
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose the desired contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page.
  • Choose Add or Withdraw Participants from Open Enrollment Course under the heading Enrollment Management: Open Enrollment Sections.
  • A list of available course sections and the associated dates will appear.
  • Choose the highlighted date that corresponds to the desired course.
  • Course information and a list of currently enrolled participants will appear, as well as a drop-down list entitled Enroll new participants.
  • Scroll to find the desired participant; choose the participant; then click Enroll.
  • The participant will receive an automatically-generated e-mail notification of the enrollment.

    Note: Contract managers can only add participants until midnight of the first day of a course using this tool.
Participant Enrollment

Individuals can enroll themselves by choosing Registration on the homepage; then choosing either Individual Enrollment or District Enrollment. Step-by-step directions for registering for a course as a participant are provided in Frequently Asked Questions for Participants.

Note: Participants who enroll using the Individual Enrollment section will receive an invoice for the course. Using Individual Enrollment makes the participant responsible for all charges. The District Enrollment section should be used if the district will be paying for the course.

What happens when a participant is enrolled in a course?
  • The participant will receive an automatically-generated e-mail notifying him or her of the registration.
  • Once the participant logs into the course, he or she has full access to ALL course content, resources, and Course Log exercises. The only limitation is that he or she cannot submit a Course Log exercise until the first day of the course.
How does a contract manager withdraw a participant from a Beacon course?

A contract manager may withdraw a participant from a course if no Course Log assessment has been submitted.

To withdraw a participant from a contract-specific course, you will use the Add or Withdraw Participants from Current Courses. To withdraw a participant from an open enrollment course, you will use the Add or Withdraw Participants from Open Enrollment Courses.

Add or Withdraw Participants from Current Courses
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose the desired contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page. (Note: The contract must contain the course section in which the participant is registered.)
  • Choose Add or Withdraw Participants from Current Courses under the heading Enrollment Management: Contract Specific Sections.
  • A list of available course sections and the associated dates will appear.
  • Choose the highlighted date that corresponds to the course section in which the participant is registered.
  • Course information and a list of currently enrolled participants will appear; click on the highlighted Withdraw that corresponds to the participant name.
Add or Withdraw Participants from Open Enrollment Courses
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose a contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page.
  • Choose Add or Withdraw Participants from Current Courses under the heading Enrollment Management: Open Enrollment Sections.
  • A list of available course sections and the associated dates will appear.
  • Choose the highlighted date that corresponds to the course section in which the participant is registered.
  • Course information and a list of currently enrolled participants will appear; click on the highlighted Withdraw that corresponds to the participant name.
Participants are also able to withdraw themselves from courses. The directions for participants are as follows:
  • From www.BeaconEducator.com click LOGIN.
  • Login using your e-mail and your password.
  • The My Courses page will display the courses in which you are currently enrolled.
  • Click the Remove Registration link that appears next to the desired course title.
Course Information

What elements are included in a Beacon course?

Beacon courses contain:
  • Standards-based content built on specific indicators
  • Formative assessments in the form of interactive activities that provide immediate computer-generated feedback
  • External links to additional resources
  • Video clips where appropriate
  • Bibliography
  • Summative Course Log exercises reviewed by an expert facilitator; responses must meet stated criteria, aligned to course objectives, prior to approval
Are Beacon courses facilitated?

Beacon courses are facilitated by trained content-area specialists. All facilitators are encouraged to provide quality feedback and guidance to online course participants within 48 hours of a post. For practicum courses, the feedback process typically takes longer.

Beacon provides training for local facilitators upon request. For more information about facilitators and related training, view Contract Options: Facilitation.

Do Beacon courses require participants to purchase textbooks?

All Beacon courses are self-contained. All required content is found within the courses. No textbooks are required. External links are provided to additional resources.

What if a contract manager needs technical assistance?
  • First, choose Support from the menu bar at the top of the page. Most questions can be answered within this section.
  • If you cannot find an answer within the Tech Support section and need additional assistance, e-mail beam@beaconeducator.com or call 1-866-936-7352.
Pricing Information

Why do you charge?

Beacon Educator is a self-supporting enterprise of Bay District Schools, a Florida Public School System. Income generated is used to pay for development, facilitation, administration, and technical support of the online professional development programs.

What is the price for a school, district, or group?

The Beacon pricing structure offers volume discounts. The price depends on the type of facilitation model that you select. There are two types of facilitation, Beacon-facilitated and Locally-facilitated.

Option A: Beacon-facilitated

In the Beacon-facilitated model, we provide full access to the content, consistent quality facilitation, evaluation with guidance, and follow-up for the course.

The price for Beacon-facilitated courses ranges from $5 to $10 per hour depending on the number of hours purchased. The pricing takes into account hours purchased within one year. Example: A district purchases 3000 hours in February at $6.50 per hour for a total of $19,500. The following May, the district purchases an additional 3000 hours. The second purchase of 3000 hours places that district at the $5.00 per hour price. The second contract would be for $15,000.

Option B: Locally-facilitated

Another model is the train-the-facilitator model called Locally-facilitated. For this model, a local district selects educators with content area knowledge and Beacon provides professional development in online facilitation. Potential facilitators take the course(s) they will facilitate and a facilitation course before beginning as a local-facilitator. Access to the content and tools to assist the facilitators are provided by Beacon.

The price for Locally-facilitated courses is $2.00 per hour per person. Once a district reaches 12,000 hours on Locally-facilitated coursework, the price drops to $1.75 per hour per person. The local district is responsible for paying facilitators in this model. Some districts use National Board Certified Teachers, who use the facilitation time as mentoring hours.

For more information about district pricing, view Contract Options: Pricing.

What is the price for an individual taking a course?

Pricing for participants is determined by the district in which they are located. Participants may receive a discount if their school district has purchased hours from Beacon. During the registration process the participant will be provided information concerning any discount that may be available. The cost for an individual not affiliated with a contracting district is $10 per course hour.

Can a contract manager request a special schedule?

For a group of 10 or more people, we can schedule courses to meet your needs. We ask that requests or customizations are made seven days before a course is to start.

For more information about scheduling, view Contract Options: Scheduling.

Who should a district contact when questions arise concerning current contracts, or if a district wishes to add additional contract hours?

Cathy Starling, Director of Beacon, is available by e-mail, cstarling@beaconeducator.com, and by phone, 1-800-311-6437, to answer any questions that you may have.

Tracking Information

How does a contract manager verify course completion by participants?

Districts have access to reports that document participant completion. These reports are provided in two formats; one contains contract-specific information and one contains district-wide information.

View Completion List of Course Participants (Contract-Specific)
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose the desired contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page. (Note: The contract must contain the course section in which you wish to obtain completion data.)
  • Choose View Completion List of Course Participants (Contract-Specific) under the heading Contract Status.
  • Complete the requested information to reflect the desired completion date range; click the desired information boxes; and choose Display.
  • The requested information will be displayed in tabular form in the lower section of the page.
  • To convert the information into spreadsheet form, click Save as Excel File (in red at the top of the completion list).
View Completion List of Course Participants (District-Wide)
  • From the District Access Zone, login using the Administrative Login.
  • Choose a contract from the list of Current Contracts, located at the bottom of the page.
  • Choose View Completion List of Course Participants (District-Wide) under the heading Contract Status.
  • Complete the requested information to reflect the desired completion date range; click the desired information boxes; and choose Display.
  • The requested information will be displayed in tabular form in the lower section of the page.
  • To convert the information into spreadsheet form, click Save as Excel File (in red at the top of the completion list).
Transcripts

Individuals are also able to print a copy of their Beacon transcript. Step-by-step directions for printing a transcript as a participant are provided in Frequently Asked Questions for Participants.

If additional information is needed, contact beam@beaconeducator.com or call 1-800-311-6437.

What is the difference between the role of a contract manager and a district manager?

A contract manager is the person who usually performs the actual registration of participants. The district manager is the person who needs access to view completion of all Beacon courses for the district. This chart shows a comparison of the contract manager and district manager roles and their access to information.




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