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Securely Provide Access to Your Student Information System - Skyward SMS

  • Updated

Schoolzilla has a file-based connector with Skyward SMS where the files drop nightly to a secure SFTP site. Schoolzilla sets up the SFTP site and will share information with you (contact support or your implementation specialist if you need assistance with that).

In order for Schoolzilla to connect to your Skyward instance, you'll need to import and configure the Schoolzilla packages in SkyBuild. After you follow these instructions, files will drop nightly and be ingested by Schoolzilla.

Setting up Exports for Current Year Data

  1. Log into Skyward as an administrator.
  2. Click the Administration tab at the top of the screen.
    the Administration tab
  3. Under the Skybuild box in the upper right, click Exports.
  4. Then click Export File Builder - EF.
    select Export File Builder - EF
  5. On the right side menu, click the Import Interface button.
    select Import Interface on the right
  6. Click the arrow buttons at the bottom of the page until you find the following interfaces:
    • SchZilla_Attend
    • Schzilla_Att_H
    • Schzilla_Behave
    • Schzilla_Beha_H
    • Schzilla_Common
    • Schzilla_Comm_H
    • Schzilla_Grades
    • Schzilla_Grad_H

    Click on one of the Schoolzilla interface files listed above. (In the example below, we selected SchZilla_Attend_CY.txt first, but you can select the interfaces in any order you wish.)
    an interface file selected and the navigation arrows at the bottom of the page

  7. With the interface highlighted, click the Select button.
    click Select
  8. You should land on the Export File Builder page and see the interface you just imported listed.
    an imported interface in the list
  9. Repeat this process until all of the Schoolzilla interfaces have been added to the Export File Builder.

Editing Exports for Current Year Data

Next, you will need to edit each interface for SFTP upload – the credentials needed for this will be provided to you by a Schoolzilla contact.

  1. Start this by highlighting a package and click the Edit button in the upper right.
    select Edit
  2. This will open an edit window to enter the credentials. Please enter the access credentials provided by Schoolzilla. For the path, please enter /import/Current for the current year (CY) interface exports and /import/Historical for the historical (_H) package exports. Repeat for all packages.

    Note: All the packages that end in _H are for historical extracts that will only need to be adjusted and run/uploaded once.
    enter the credentials in the fields
  3. Once you have added this information to all 8 interfaces, you will then need to edit the files within the current year interfaces (SchZilla_Attend, Schzilla_Behave, Schzilla_Common, Schzilla_Grades).

    Select an interface and click to expand to view the files.
    an example of the files

  4. For each file, on the right there is an option to Edit File. Click Edit File to make adjustments to output on the file.

    IMPORTANT – Do not edit the file name or output of the file. Most are set with defaults, but you have options for grades and schools if you need to filter.
    editing the information for a file

    • For the option of Grade/Grad Yr - enter the lowest grade and highest grade. The default is set for K-12.
      • If you do not want students lower than Kindergarten, there is no need to change this option, but if there are students in the district and you want reporting capabilities on them you will need to edit this in each of the files.
      • If you use a grade level value higher than 12, you must also update this range.
      • You also have the option to remove filtering to include any possible grade level value.
    • There is NO NEED to filter entities as Schoolzilla can do the filtering on our end when the site is reviewed.

  5. Please make the following updates to the files, as appropriate for your district.

    SchZilla_Attend

    1. AttendancePr
      • Grade/Grad Yr – Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
      • Button for Absence Types – Use this button to open the edit window and for each section click Add All for each type.
    2. StuSchedule
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
      • Student Ranges - Enter the lowest and highest grade you'd like to populate - default is set for 00 to 00 and will cause the file to be too small.

    SchZilla_BeHave

    1. ActionOffense
      • Grade/Grad Yr - enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.

    SchZilla_Common

    1. Entity - No changes needed
    2. Term - No changes needed
    3. Student
      • Grade/Grad Yr - enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
    4. Staff - No changes needed
    5. Course - No changes needed
    6. Section - No changes needed
    7. StudentEnr
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
    8. ProgramEnr
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
    9. EntryWithdraw
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
      • Note: Enrollment records for every school year for every student are a prerequisite to populate the Grade Level at the Time demographic option in Schoolzilla dashboards.

    SchZilla_Grades

    1. Grade Buckets - No changes needed.
    2. Grade Periods - No changes needed.
    3. StudentGrades
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
    4. GPA
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
    5. Subj and Skill
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.

    Editing Exports for Historical Data

    To ensure accurate and comprehensive historical data, it is critical that the following settings are in place for all files that include student-level data:

    • CY Status, NY Status and CY Member should all be set to both.
    • Graduation Years
    • Grade level ranges should be unfiltered OR represent the lowest and highest possible grades anytime in the last 5 years. Please keep in mind, you want to include data for graduated students, so if a different grade level (e.g. 99) is used when graduated, that value should be the highest range.

    Historical files are required once during setup and again adhoc if data changes are made. Before exporting, make the required package updates below. Once updated, export the files, and import them to the file directory provided by Schoolzilla (/import/Historical).

    SchZilla_Att_H

    1. AttendancePrd
      • CY Status, NY Status and CY Member - Ensure all are set to both.
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
      • Button for Absence Types – Click this button to open the edit window and for each section click Add All for each type.
      • Attendance Ranges – Leave the date as a range and enter in up to the last 5 years (ex: 08/01/2016 – 7/31/2022)
    2. StuSchedule
      • CY Status, NY Status and CY Member - Ensure all are set to both.
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
      • Class Ranges - Enter the date up to the last 5 years (ex: 08/01/2016 – 7/31/2022)
      • Student Ranges - Enter the lowest and highest grade you'd like to populate. Warning! default is set for 00 to 00 which will exclude most data.

    SchZilla_BeHave

    1. ActionOffense
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
      • Discipline Offense Ranges – Offense Date – Enter dates up to the last 5 years (ex: 08/01/2014 – 7/31/2020)
      • Discipline action Ranges – Action Date - Enter dates up to the last 5 years (ex: 08/01/2014 – 7/31/2020)

    SchZilla_Common

    1. Entity - No changes needed
    2. Term
      • Class Ranges – Control Set Date - Enter dates up to the last 5 years (ex: 08/01/2016 – 7/31/2022)
    3. Student
      • CY Status, NY Status and CY Member - Ensure all are set to both.
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
    4. Staff - No changes needed
    5. Course - No changes needed
    6. Section
      • Class Ranges – Control Set Date - Enter dates up to the last 5 years (ex: 08/01/2016 – 7/31/2022)
    7. StudentEnr
      • CY Status, NY Status and CY Member - Ensure all are set to both.
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
      • Class Ranges – Control Set Date - Enter dates up to the last 5 years (ex: 08/01/2016 – 7/31/2022)
    8. ProgramEnr
      • CY Status, NY Status and CY Member - Ensure all are set to both.
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated).
      • Services Ranges – DO NOT add a check in the AS OF DATE - Enter dates up to the last 5 years (ex: 08/01/2016 – 7/31/2022)
    9. EntryWithdraw
      • CY Status, NY Status and CY Member - Ensure all are set to both.
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
      • Entry/Withdrawal Ranges - Because Skyward SMS does not require a new entry record every school year, it is important that the range set here includes the earliest possible entry date for students who would have been enrolled anytime in the last 5 years. To reduce risk of unintentionally excluding student records, we recommend a broad range (ex: 01/01/1990 – 7/31/2050)
      • Note: Enrollment records for every school year for every student are a pre-requisite to populate the Grade Level at the Time demographic option in Schoolzilla dashboards.

    SchZilla_Grades

    1. Grade Periods: No changes needed
    2. StudentGradeBuckets
      • Confirm CY Status, NY Status, CY Member all set to both.
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.
      • Class Ranges – Control Set Date - Enter dates up to the last 5 years (ex: 08/01/2016 – 7/31/2022)
    3. GPA
      • Confirm CY Status, NY Status, CY Member all set to both.
      • Grade/Grad Yr - Enter the lowest grade and highest possible grade (inc. graduated) or modify to not filter.

    Exporting the Schoolzilla Interfaces

    Now that all 8 interfaces have been edited with the correct parameters, you are ready to schedule the interfaces for export. Back on the Export File Builder page, click Export in the upper right corner.
    select Export on the right

    This will create the initial export and allow you to review a report which should show a successful transaction. If the report doesn't show a successful submission, confirm your username and password.

    Now, repeat this step for each export.

    Setting Up Scheduling

    1. Next, schedule these exports to run nightly. To do so, click on the printer icon in the very top right corner of the Export File Builder page.
      the printer icon

    2. This will bring up a new modal called My Print Queue, seen below.
      the print queue modal with the Tasks button

      With the first export script already highlighted here, click the Tasks button on the right, and then click Schedule This.
      the Tasks window and the Schedule This button

    3. On the modal that appears, change the start time to 02:00 AM. Next, scroll to the bottom of the window and click the FTP Connection link.
      the FTP Connection link

    4. A new window called FTP Connections will open. Click Add on the right side menu.
      the FTP Connections window and the Add button on the right

    5. Enter the Schoolzilla SFTP information that was provided by your Schoolzilla contact, along with the path of /import/Current.
    6. Click Save.
      the FTP Connection window and the Save button

    7. Click the Save button. Select the Schoolzilla Export connection on the FTP Connections window. It should populate in your export window.
      the Select button in the FTP Connections window
      FTP Connection and export options

    8. Click the Save button. The interface will now export on the daily schedule you defined.

    Repeat this step for each export listed that has "CY" in the file name (CY stands for current year).

    Your files should now be scheduled to export to Schoolzilla nightly!

    Additional Information

    Please also see these articles for additional metadata we need uploaded to My Data in order to configure enrollment and attendance data correctly:

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