Procedures
Data Entry
Data Analysis
Curriculum
Student Work
Materials
Water Quality Home

 

 

                          
                 Data Entry & Analysis Directions




1.      Go to            on any page on the website.  (Data entry button is found usually in the upper left corner of each page.)

2.   Pull down menu until your School District name appears.    Click "ok".

3.   Choose the correct school (elementary, middle, or high).  Type in the correct password (see the Spring, 2005  newsletter).   Click "ok". 

3.   Depending on whether you entered as an elementary, middle or a high school you will get a slightly different page.

·        Middle Schools have a choice – you can enter basic data by clicking on Water Quality; or, if you are using more quantitative tests, you may click on “Water Quality – Advanced Data”.   

·        High school and elementary schools have one choice for data entry.  For High School, you will need the Q-Values from the Mitchell and Stapp book.

4.      Notice you can enter macroinvertebrate data, and also put in a new stream name and the sites you are studying along it.   At least one test site is required at the time you put in a new stream.

5.      When entering data, do not leave cells blank.  Put in a zero or “NA”, or choose “NA” when appropriate.  Read the directions carefully, they will tell you what to enter on the chart if you did NOT test a certain parameter.  This is where most of the mistakes are made.   (If you make a mess of entering data, there is a reset button underneath the entry form to start over.)  If you do put in data that is written incorrectly, once you hit “enter” the data is in the database contact Sherry Schaaf at sschaaf@esd114.wednet.edu. 

·        Do not use symbols like %, ˚, < or >, and do not use ranges of values like “71-90”

·        High School teachers:  remember, the WQI (water quality index) you get is for one site along a body of water for one date.  It is not an overall WQI for the entire body of water

6.      What now?  Go to Data Analysis to see what your data is telling you.  Click on Water Quality Index Calculator.  Note that only data collected quantitatively, using the Q-values by Mitchell and Stapp, will give you an overall water quality index number and a “score” of your stream’s site for that date and time.  For elementary and middle schools not using the advanced, quantitative kits and Q-values, you will still see data collected on whatever dates you entered them, just no WQI.   The data is still there for comparison.

7.      You may also analyze macroinvertebrate data that has been entered, and get an Overall Biotic Index.

CURRICULUM  PAGE
For questions about this website please contact Sherry Schaaf, WVC Water Quality Coordinator at sschaaf@esd114.wednet.edu

Update Sept., 2004