Skyward SMS – Schoolzilla Pro

How We Connect

Skyward SMS data is pulled nightly via files shared to an SFTP site. For more information about secure file transfer, please review our Uploading and managing your data on Schoolzilla's file servers via FTPS overview.

For more information about getting connected. Please review our setup article here.

Mappings Overview

Students

Student demographic data is sourced from the Student file.

Key Field(s)	Mapping(s)
System Student ID	Values are populated using the NameID column in the Student file.
Full Name	Values are populated using the LastName and FirstName columns in the Student file.
Current Grade Level	Values are populated using the StudentGrade column in the Student file.
EL Status*	Values are populated using the the LEPStatus field in the Student file. Values of "Yes" are translated to 1 and "No" translated to 0.
FRL Status*	Values are populated using the LunchCodeType column in the Student file.
Foster Care Status*	Values are not populated by default. Skyward SMS - Adding Additional Student Demographics
Gender*	Values are populated using the GenderMaleFemale column in the Student file.
Grade Level at the Time	Values are populated using the GradeLevel column in the EntryWithdraw file. It is strongly recommended that this field is not used (hidden to users in Data Configuration Settings) unless an enrollment record is created in Skyward SMS for every grade level change. Schoolzilla only loads a grade level value for the last year of a multi-year enrollment because this is all that is stored in Skyward for enrollments of this type.
Homeless Status*	Values are equal to "Homeless" if the HomelessStatus column in the Student file is "Yes". All other students are considered "Not Homeless".
Is SPED*	Values are equal to "In Special Education" if there is a value in the SPEDDisStateCode column in Student file. All other students are considered "Not In Special Education".
Migrant Status*	Values are equal to "Migrant" if the NCLBMigrantStatus column in the Student file is "Yes". All other students are considered "Not a Migrant".
Military Family Status*	Values are not populated by default. Skyward SMS - Adding Additional Student Demographics
Primary Ethnicity*	Values are populated using the EthRaceDesc column in the Student file.
SPED Status*	Values are populated using the PriDisabilityDesc column in the Student file.

* The documentation above represents the default mappings in place. Some of these mappings can be customized and are typically updated during initial setup. Customizable fields have an asterisk(*).

Staff

A comprehensive teacher users is sourced from the Staff file.

Key Field(s)	Mapping(s)
Full Name	Values are populated using the LastName and FirstName columns in the Staff file.
Email	Values are populated using the WorkEmail (or HomeEmail, if WorkEmail is blank) columns in the Staff file.

Calendars

School calendar data is sourced from calendar data files uploaded by your district. Read more about uploading your calendar data here.

Key Field(s)	Mapping(s)
School Year	Calendars are linked to school years using the StartDate and StopDate columns in the Terms file where the date in the uploaded calendar falls between the Start and Stop dates for the year.
In Session	Days are considered "In Session" if the Days column in the uploaded calendar file(s) is great than 0. This means that partial in session values (e.g. .5) is considered "In Session".

School Enrollment & Retention

Student school enrollment history is populated using the EntryWithdraw file. The file contains enrollments in the following categories:

Single-year enrollments with exit dates in same year as entry dates or enrollment records for current year.
Multi-year enrollments with entry and exit dates that span more than one school year.

Single-Year Enrollments

Schoolzilla considers an enrollment a single-year enrollment if the Entry and Withdrawal dates fall within the same year or the withdrawal date is blank and entry date falls within the current school year.

Key Field(s)	Mapping(s)
School Year	Because entry dates do not reliably fall within a school year, Schoolzilla will assign enrollments to a school year if the entry falls within the start and end date of that year OR if the entry falls after the end date of the prior year but before the school year begins.
Entry Date	Values are populated using the EntryDate in the EntryWithdraw file.
Exit Date	Values are populated using the WithdrawalDate column in the EntryWithdraw file. If enrollment is "active" (in the current year and without a withdraw date), the last date of the current school year is assigned.
Exit Code	Values are populated using the WithdrawalCode column in the EntryWithdraw file.
No Show	Enrollments are considered "No Show" records if the WithdrawCode column in the EntryWithdraw file is "NS".
School	Enrollments are linked to schools using the EntryWithdEntityID column in the EntryWithdraw file.

Multi-Year Enrollments

Schoolzilla considers an enrollment a multi-year enrollment if the Entry and Withdrawal dates are more than a year apart or the withdrawal date is blank and the entry date is not within the current school year.

Key Field(s)	Mapping(s)
School Year	Because entry dates do not reliably fall within a school year, Schoolzilla will assign enrollments to a school year if the entry falls within the start and end date of that year OR if the entry falls after the end date of the prior year but before the school year begins (summer enrollments). This requires the school to have provided calendar data for all years in the enrollment window for enrollments for those years to load.
Entry Date	Values are populated using the EntryDate column in the EntryWithdraw file for the first year of the multi-year enrollment record. Otherwise, the entry dates will default to the start date for the relevant school year.
Exit Date	Values are populated using the WithdrawalDate column in the EntryWithdraw file for the last year of the multi-year enrollment record. Otherwise, the exit dates will default to the end date for the relevant school year.
Exit Code	Values are populated using the WithdrawalCode column in the EntryWithdraw file. The code only applies to the last school year of the multi-year enrollment.
No Show	Enrollments are considered "No Show" records if the WithdrawCode column in the EntryWithdraw file is "NS". This will only apply to the last school year of the multi-year enrollment.
School	Enrollments are linked to schools using the EntryWithdEntityID column in the EntryWithdraw file.

Student Rosters (Class & Teacher Associations)

Students are rostered to classes and teachers using the student_section_enrollment file.

Key Field(s)	Mapping(s)
School Year	Class enrollments are linked to school years using the SchoolYear column in the student_section_enrollment file.
Class Entry Date	Values are populated using the StudentStartDate column in the student_section_enrollment file.
Class Exit Date	Values are populated using the StudentEndDate column in the student_section_enrollment file.
Staff	Class enrollments are linked to staff using the PrimaryStaffID column in the course_section

Attendance

Attendance data is sourced from the AttendancePeriod and files you upload manually during initial setup, annually (if using funding periods) and any time your attendance codes change.

Key Field(s)

Mapping(s)

Attendance Value

Daily attendance can be calculated in 2 different ways: using funding periods or all periods.

For both calculation methods, a student is considered present on all in session days they are enrolled and not otherwise marked absent.

For both calculation methods, we determine which classes a student was rostered to using the mappings outlined above. We determine which days those classes met using the DaysMeet column in the course_section file for all days between the ClassStartDate and ClassStopDate.

For both calculation methods, the present or absent value of the period is determined using the AbsTypeCode. Schoolzilla leverages the attendance type file you upload to determine if a given code for a given school is considered present or absent using the logic below:

IncludeInTotalAttendance	Considered
Y	Absent
N	Present

Funding Period - If funding periods are used, a funding period file should be uploaded. Schoolzilla will then use the AbsTypeCode value for the period specified for that day and school for each student and calculate a daily attendance value of Present (1) or Absent (0) using the IncludeInTotalAttendance column from the Absent Types file as indicated above.
All Periods - If funding periods are not used, Schoolzilla will calculate a daily attendance value using the following logic, for each day:

Total Periods Enrolled - (Absent Periods*/Total Periods Enrolled)

*Student are considered absent for a period based on the AbsTypeCode associated with the period and the IncludeInTotalAttendance value specified.

Absence Code

Values are loading using the Entity ID and AbsTypeCode. See cell above for more information.

School

Attendance is linked to schools based on the student's school enrollment for the day in the EntryWithdraw file.

Behavior

Behavior data is loaded from the the ActionOffense file.

Key Field(s)	Mapping(s)
School Year	Behavior incidents are linked to school years using the calendar for the EntityID and OffenseDate.
School	Behavior incidents are linked to schools using the EntityID column in the ActionOffense file.
Incident Date	Values are populated using the OffenseDate column in the ActionOffense file.
Incident Time of Day	Values are populated using the OffenseTime column in the ActionOffense file.
Behavior Category	Values are populated using the OffenseDesc column in the ActionOffense file.
Behavior Location	Values are populated using the Location column in the ActionOffense file.
Behavior Response	Values are populated using the ActionDesc column in the ActionOffense file.

GPA

GPAs are sourced from the GPA file.

Key Field(s)	Mapping(s)
GPA Calculation	Values are populated using the MethodDesc column in the GPA file.
GPA Value	Values are populated using the CumulativeGPA column in the GPA file.

By default,

Cumulative GPA will use the CumulativeGPA column in the GPA file for MethodDesc = "1 - Normal".
Term GPA is not currently supported for Skyward SMS.

Please contact support to configure which GPA calculations are used on your dashboards!

Grades

Grades data is sourced from the StudentGradeBucket file.

Key Field(s)	Mapping(s)
School Year	Grades are linked to school years using the SchoolYear column in the StudentGradeBucket file.
School	Grades are linked to schools using the EntityID column in the StudentGradeBucket file.
Course Subject*	Values are populated using the SubjectLongDescription column in the Course file.
Class Period	Values are populated using the DisplayPeriod column in the Course_Section file.
Grade Name	Values are populated using the GradeMark field in the StudentGradeBucket file. If the value in the Score column in the GradingScore table does not match any name int he ScoreListItem table, the Score value is used.
Grading Period	Grades are linked to grading periods using the EntityID, SchoolYear, ControlSetID, GradingPeriod and Literal columns in the StudentGradeBucket file. Values are populated using the Literal column in the GradePeriods file.
Term	Grades are linked to terms using the EntityID, SchoolYear and ControlSetID columns in the StudentGradeBucket file. Values are populated using the DisplayLiteral column in the term file.
Grade Status	Grades are considered "Final" if the Type column in the StudentGradeBucket file is "Final". All other grades are considered "In Progress".

* The documentation above represents the default mappings in place. Some of these mappings can be customized and are typically updated during initial setup. Customizable fields have an asterisk (*).

Known Limitations

Unreliable/Limited Grade Level Enrollment History & Grade Level At the Time Inaccuracies

Skyward SMS does not require users to store a single enrollment record for each school year or grade level change. Schoolzilla, therefore, only loads a grade level value for the last year of a multi-year enrollment.

It is strongly recommended that this field is not used (hidden to users in Data Configuration Settings) unless an enrollment record is created in Skyward SMS for every grade level change.

Districts can increase the accuracy/completeness of enrollment history data by implementing data entry practices where student enrollments are stored for each year and grade level. (SkyCoder may enable districts to set up validation rules for enrollments but, please note, this tool is not supported by Renaissance and you should work with Skyward directly to implement).

Note: This will also impact grades metrics unless otherwise modified. Course failure and GPA metrics are filtered by grade level at the time by default. If you have unreliable or limited grade level history, please contact support to replace grade level filters with school filtering.

Frequent Data Quality Issues

None at this time.

Frequently Asked Questions

None at this time.