GENERAL OPERATIONS


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS


CURRICULUM


ADMINISTRATION


BROWSER


BILLING


SUPPORT


GENERAL OPERATIONS

How do I log in to CompassLearning Odyssey and start the lessons?

You can log in at our Web site www.compasslearningodyssey.com. Type in your name, password, and school, and click Log In.


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How do I obtain Homeschooling / accreditation?

CompassLearning Odyssey provides self-paced online curriculum for use by home or school users. CompassLearning Odyssey is not a school and therefore does not have the ability to offer accreditation. Your state Board of Education and/or local school district establish accreditation and graduation requirements. Contact your local school board for accreditation information for the state in which you live.


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What should I do if an activity appears to be malfunctioning?

You should email concerns and inquiries to CompassLearning Customer Support. When reporting an issue, please provide the lesson code, lesson name, or exact wording of the question and the path to the lesson. In addition, please include the grade, subject (blue screen), chapter (blue screen), lesson (green screen), and activity (orange screen).


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How can I prevent pages with errors and gray boxes when printing from a Macintosh to a non-postscript printer?

You may need to print PDF documents as an image if there are problems. To print a document as an image, follow these steps:

  1. With the document open, from the Acrobat Reader File menu, choose Print.
  2. In the Print dialog box, in the Page From and To fields enter 1 and 5, respectively.
    When printing as an image, you should print no more than five pages at a time.
  3. In the General drop-down menu, choose Acrobat Reader 5.
  4. In the Reader dialog box, in the Print Method drop-down menu, choose Print as Image.
  5. Click Print.
  6. After the pages have spooled, repeat steps 2-6 for the next five pages.
  7. Continue this process until all pages have been printed.


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How can I make a product suggestion?

Product enhancement suggestions can be emailed to CompassLearning Customer Support.


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SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

How do I install plugins needed to run Odyssey curriculum?

There are links on our Web site, www.compasslearningodyssey.com, to the various vendor Web sites. From our Web site, select the System Requirements link on the bottom of the page. Select "Click here to Check your System." This page contains links to the required plug-ins. Instructions for installing each are listed on the respective vendor sites.


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CURRICULUM

Which grade levels and curriculum are available?

At this time, our curriculum offers language arts, math, science, social studies throughout grades PreK–6, and middle school American history.


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How can I preview the tests or quizzes?

The following is a set of instructions to preview the Chapter Test and Quiz questions:

  1. Log in as a parent (for a home-based account) or a teacher (for a school-based account).
  2. Select Resources from the Content pulldown menu.
  3. Select the Curriculum Report.
  4. In the Curriculum Report, click Start.
  5. Select grade, subject, and chapter, and click Continue.
  6. Select one of the following Report Types, and then click Continue.
    - Lesson Questions for Quiz Questions
    - Chapter Questions for Chapter Test Questions
  7. Click Generate Report.

Note: This will provide a list of the questions; however, answer keys are not available at this time.


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What is Peedy the Parrot/MS Agent, and how does it work?

Peedy the Parrot is a Microsoft Application that "reads" activities written in text-based, html format. He does not work within more graphics-intensive activities because he is incompatible with Flash™. Peedy is limited to a Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer environment. A blue speaker icon will be displayed in the upper right corner of the navigation bar. Clicking on this link will activate Peedy. Clicking on this link again will inactivate Peedy. Peedy is limited to reading text that does NOT start with a space, a number, or a letter and a space. You simply click on the line of text you would like read, and if the line is compatible, he will read it aloud.


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Where can I find the answer key for quizzes or tests?

There are no answer keys available at this time.


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How will I know when the learning activity has been completed?

When a learning activity is completed, the star icon will turn and the title of the activity will change from white to blue.


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What is the "Worksheet" on the Activity (Orange) screen? How is it used?

These are printable materials used in conjunction with some activities within CompassLearning Odyssey. They can be used as a supplement to the activity or as a stand-alone resource.


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How do I find the activity number to enter on the student subject screen?

You can find learning activity numbers using a parent or teacher login. Access either the Curriculum Index or Assignment Builder, then browse by grade, subject, chapter, and lesson to find the learning activity numbers.


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ADMINISTRATION

What is my password?

You designate your user name and/or password when you fill out the online registration form. If you cannot remember your user name and/or password, you may contact CompassLearning Customer Support for account information.


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How can I reset my password?

A parent or an administrator of a school may reset his or her user name and/or password in the Setup section. If you cannot remember your password, you can send requests to CompassLearning Customer Support. Please make sure you send us the account name and new user name and/or password.


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How do I change the grade within a subject?

If the student is under a school-based account, the administrator or teacher can change the grade within a subject. If the student is under a home-based account, the parent will need to send a request to CompassLearning Customer Support. Please make sure you send us the account name, the subject, and the grade in which the student should be placed.


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How do I move a student from one grade to another?

If the student is under a school-based account, the administrator or teacher can change the student's grade. If the student is under a home-based account, the parent will need to send a request to CompassLearning Customer Support. Please make sure you send us the account name, student name, and the grade in which the student should be placed.


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BROWSER

Which browsers and versions are compatible with CompassLearning Odyssey?

The certified browsers are on our Web site at http://www.compasslearningodyssey.com/systemrequirements.html, or the list can be accessed by going to the home page at www.compasslearningodyssey.com and selecting the System Requirements link.


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What are the correct settings within Netscape that allow CompassLearning Odyssey to function properly?

Use the following procedure for setting up Netscape® for Windows® and Macintosh®.

  1. Open the browser, and from the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
  2. In the Category box, click Advanced, and make sure Enable Java and Enable JavaScript for Navigator are checked.
  3. In the Category box, double-click Privacy & Security to open it.
  4. Click Cookies, and make sure Enable Cookies for the Originating Web Site Only is selected.
  5. Click Images, and make sure Accept All Images is selected.
  6. Click OK.


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What are the correct settings within Internet Explorer that allow CompassLearning Odyssey to function properly?

Use the following procedure for setting up Internet Explorer® 6.0 for Windows.

  1. Open the browser, and from the Tools menu, choose Internet Options.
  2. Click the Privacy tab, and make sure the slider is set to Medium.
  3. Click the Security tab, and click Custom Level.
  4. Scroll down to Microsoft VM, and make sure High Safety is selected.
  5. Scroll down to Scripting, and make sure Enable is selected for Active Scripting and for Scripting of Java Applets, and then click OK to confirm the security settings.
  6. Click the Advanced tab.
  7. Scroll down to Microsoft VM, and make sure JIT Compiler for Virtual Machine is checked.
  8. Scroll down to Multimedia, and make sure the following are checked: Play Animations in Web Pages, Play Sounds in Web Pages, and Play Videos in Web Pages.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Restart your computer.

Use the following procedure for setting up Internet Explorer 5.5.x for Windows.

  1. Open the browser, and from the Tools menu, choose Internet Options.
  2. Click the Security tab, and make sure the slider is set to Medium.
  3. Click Custom Level, and scroll down to Cookies.
  4. Make sure Enable is selected for Allow Cookies That Are Stored on Your Computer and for Allow Per-Session Cookies (Not Stored).
  5. Click OK to confirm the security settings.
  6. Click the Advanced tab.
  7. Scroll down to Microsoft VM, and make sure JIT Compiler for Virtual Machine is checked.
  8. Scroll down to Multimedia, and make sure the following are checked: Play Animations, Play Sounds, and Play Videos.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Restart your computer.

Use the following procedure for setting up Internet Explorer 5.1 for Macintosh.

  1. Open the browser, and from the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
  2. In the left panel, open Web Browser and click Web Content.
  3. Make sure Show Style Sheets and Enable Scripting are checked.
  4. Click Java, and make sure Enable Java is checked.
  5. In the left panel, open Receiving Files, and click Cookies.
  6. In the When Receiving Cookies drop-down menu, select Never Ask.
  7. Click OK.


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What can I do to prevent error messages and browser freezes when playing heavily animated and sounded lower grade level activities in Internet Explorer on a Macintosh?

You need to allocate more memory to Internet Explorer. To allocate memory, follow these steps:

  1. Quit Internet Explorer.
  2. On the Desktop, click the Internet Explorer icon once to select it.
  3. Hold down the Apple key and press the "i" key.
  4. In the dialog box that appears, click General Information and select Memory.
  5. Change the Minimum Size to 10240.
  6. Change the Preferred Size to 20480.
  7. Close the dialog box.


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What might I need to know to configure my firewall for CompassLearning Odyssey access?

Firewalls should be set to allow CompassLearning Odyssey full access. You should refer to the firewall vendor's support site for details.

What can I do to prevent memory errors on a Macintosh running Netscape?

You need to increase your computer's virtual memory. To increase virtual memory, follow these steps:

  1. Log out of CompassLearning Odyssey and quit Netscape.
  2. At the desktop, click the apple in the menu bar, and in the drop-down menu, choose Control Panels and then Memory.
  3. In the Virtual Memory section of the Memory dialog box, do the following:
    a. Make sure Virtual Memory is On.
    b. Note the amount of Available built-in memory.
    c. Click the up arrow until the amount displayed in the virtual memory box is double the amount of available built-in memory.
  4. Close the Memory dialog box.
  5. Restart the computer.


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BILLING

How much does the program cost?

CompassLearning Odyssey costs $19.99 per month, per student (or $238.88 prepaid for one year) for unlimited use of the curriculum. There is no long-term commitment or contract required.


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How can I change my billing schedule?

You can send requests to CompassLearning Customer Support.


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How can I add another student to my account?

You can send requests to CompassLearning Customer Support.


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How can I cancel my account?

You can send requests to CompassLearning Customer Support.


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What types of payments do you accept?

We accept all major credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express).


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SUPPORT

What support is available to parents/homeschoolers?

Technical Support is available via email at support@compasslearning.com. Our support web site contains various online resources that may assist you in using the product. This web site is located at http://support.compasslearning.com.


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