MS Compliance at a Glance
PowerSchool Special Programs Best Practices
Integration with Student Information Systems (SIS)
Import Layouts
Software menu path: Administration, Configuration, Integration, then Import Layouts
Import Layouts bring data down from the SIS and import it into PowerSchool Special Programs.
System administrators should routinely check the Last Imported date and ensure no red errors are found.
To check to see if a layout is enabled, select Continuous Integration Settings from the More menu.
Writeback Export Reports
Software menu path: Reporting, Standard Reports, PowerSchool Export or eSPExport
Writeback Export Reports via the Reporting menu send data to the SIS (eSchoolPlus or PowerSchool SIS) from PowerSchool Special Programs.
These reports collect the specific special education, gifted, and 504 student data which is then uploaded to the SIS.
Each report must be enabled in the application for the data to export.
To see which reports are enabled, go to Administration, Configuration, Integration, then Export.
System administrators should routinely check the Last Successful Export and Last Export Attempted Time Stamp dates are the same. If the dates differ, the export has failed, and the error log must be reviewed to correct the applicable data.
For more details regarding what student data exports to PowerSchool SIS, see PowerSchool SIS Integration.
PowerSchool recommends system administrators routinely review the enabled export reports and import layouts for any errors. Special Programs can send an email to administrators with a compilation of all integration errors. To set this up:
Go to Administration > Configuration > Config Tasks and choose or create a configuration task.
Go to Administration > Configuration > Integration.
From the More... menu, choose Continuous Integration Settings.
Click the pencil icon to edit the required integration instance.
Scroll down to the Notification Email Address and enter your email address there. To send notifications to multiple recipients, enter email addresses separated with a comma (,).
Click Accept.
Scroll to the bottom, enter your password, and click OK.
Integration failures are not always a problem. Often, integration fails when the SQL server is overloaded or offline for maintenance and when the API server is offline. Failures that happen intermittently at night are often due to network issues. Successful integration runs follow these failures. Contact the PowerSchool support team if integration failures persist throughout the day and are not followed by successful integration runs. It is important to routinely review the error logs and correct the student data as necessary. For more help, log a PowerSchool support ticket.
End of School Year
The system administrator performs the end-of-school-year rollover process and includes settings such as school-year document folders, calendar settings, and progress reporting marking periods.
See End of Year Rollover for more information.
New to PowerSchool Special Programs
When the special education data migration to PowerSchool Special Programs is completed, PowerSchool recommends generating all required state reports.
Run all reports regardless of when the reports are due to the State.
Compare the reports to those from your previous special education system to ensure data migrated properly.
Proper data migration will ensure reports from both systems match. PowerSchool is committed to ensuring your state reporting submissions are accurate, so it is best practice to run the reports as soon as possible during your implementation.
State Reporting
PowerSchool recommends districts run the upcoming state report(s) monthly to ensure data accuracy.
State Reporting Important Timelines and Links
State reporting typically has stages of submission, “Collection Open,” “Collection Closes date,” “Correction Window,” and “Final submission.”
(INCLUDE LINKS TO RELEVANT STATE WEBSITES HERE - See PA Compliance at a Glance for Examples)
Reporting Timelines | Generate in Live PowerSchool Special Programs | Create Snapshot Database | Run Reporting within Snapshot Database |
|---|---|---|---|
December 1 (12/1) | October 15 (10/15) | Approximately November 30 (11/30) | From the creation of the snapshot database to final submission |
End of Year (EOY) | May 15 (5/15) | Approximately June 29 (6/29) | From the creation of the snapshot database to final submission |
Quarterly | Table 8A | N/A | N/A |
Snapshotting Database for State Reporting
The PowerSchool Special Programs application does not historically track some special education state-reportable data, such as disabilities. The administrator of PowerSchool Special Programs must make a snapshot (a copy) of the live database on or just before the 12/1 and end-of-year reporting submissions.
Only one copy of your database can exist as a snapshot.
See Creating/Managing the Reporting Snapshot Database for more information.
After the snapshot is created and corrections for the reporting period need to be made, make all necessary changes in the snapshot database.
The system will prompt the user if the changes need to be pushed to the live database as well.
State Reports
(State Report Category Name - See PA Compliance at a Glance for Examples)
(All districts are required to run the ____ reports. Customers using eSchoolPlus will run the reports out of PowerSchool Special Programs as the reports are unavailable in eSchoolPlus.)
(PowerSchool SIS can run the ____ reports from PowerSchool SIS or PowerSchool Special Programs.)
Report | Due | Description |
|---|---|---|
NA | 12/1 | This report is a count of students with an active IEP as of 12/1 of the current school year. Includes then only active students in Special Education. |
NA | EOY | Includes any student that receives or received Special Education services within the school year. The same format as 12/1, but includes exit date/reason data. |
(State Report Category Name - See PA Compliance at a Glance for Examples)
(ENTER TEXT HERE THAT APPLIES TO THESE REPORTS - For example, All districts are required to run these reports.)
Report | Due | Description |
|---|---|---|
Student File | 12/1 and EOY | This report is a count of students with an active IEP as of 12/1 of the current school year or active in Special Education within the year for EOY reporting. Includes then only active students in Special Education. |
EOY | Active staff within the current school year (Global dates). Access the reports via the Reporting\Advanced Reports menu. | |
Table 4A | EOY | Lists students that exited the current school year (Global dates). |
Table 8A | Quarterly | Compliance report for initial evaluations indicating timeline it took to complete the Special Education evaluation process (date parent consented to test to the evaluation meeting). 60 days to be compliant. |
Table 9A | EOY | Reports Special Education students active within the current school year (globals) that had discipline/suspensions during the time they were in Special Education only. |
Table 14 | EOY | Private School Special Education students. |
(State Report Category Name - See PA Compliance at a Glance for Examples)
(ENTER TEXT HERE THAT APPLIES TO THESE REPORTS - For example, All districts are required to run these reports.)
Report | Due | Description |
|---|---|---|
Assignments | 12/1 and EOY | The report is a count of students with an active IEP as of 12/1 of the current school year or active in SE within the year for EOY. |
Compliance Dates | Quarterly | Initial and Re-evaluation students. |
Expulsions | EOY | Reports SE students active within the current school year (globals) that had discipline/suspensions during the time they were in Special Education only. |
Staff File | EOY | Active staff within the school year. |
Student Address | EOY | The report is a count of students with an active IEP as of 12/1 of the current school year. Includes then only active students in Special Education. |
Student File Leader Format | 12/1 and EOY | The report is a count of students with an active IEP as of 12/1 of the current school year or active in SE within the year for EOY. |
Suspensions | EOY | Reports Special Education students active within the current school year (globals) that had discipline/suspensions during the time they were in Special Education only. |
Transition Assignments | EOY | Alternate format of the Assignment file. Same as Assignment file except for 5 additional Transition/Work Experience questions. The report is a count of students with an active IEP as of 12/1 of the current school year or active in SE within the year for EOY. |
Unilateral Removal | EOY | Reports SE students active within the current school year (globals) that had discipline/suspensions that were “unilateral removals” during the time they were in Special Education only. |
State-Mandated Special Education and Gifted Forms
The Special Education and Gifted forms in PowerSchool Special Programs will match the mandated state forms. PowerSchool typically releases state form changes within 6-8 weeks from receipt of changes. Additional forms such as 504, English Learner, and Response to Instruction (RTI) are not state-mandated.
Special Education Forms: (STATE-SPECIFIC WEBSITE URL - See PA Compliance at a Glance for Examples)
Gifted Forms:
Profiles
Software menu path: Search for a Student, click their Profile icon, and then use the flyout menu on the Profiles tab to see the fields in each section.
The following profiles and fields are important for state reporting:
Demographics (See PA Compliance at a Glance for Examples & replace text in this table with your state's details)
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Secure ID | State-provided student ID number. |
Serving Location Override | Manually tracked field to report a different serving location than what integrates from SIS into the Serving Location. State reports will report the value in the Serving Location Override if it is populated, otherwise reports the value from Serving Location. |
Receives Letters | If selected, will display the names on forms as well as who can sign via DocuSign. The field will integrate from the SIS. |
Eligibility (See PA Compliance at a Glance for Examples & replace text in this table with your state's details)
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Special Ed Start Date | The latest IEP start date, not the initial start date in special education. |
Location at time of SE Exit | Used to report the location where services were provided at the time the student exited. State reporting uses this field if populated to report the location of services. |
Exclude Student from State Reporting | Manually select the checkbox to exclude the student on state reporting. This field does not have form data flow. |
Referral Date | Entry Withdrawal Change or Initial Evaluation PWN Consent form. |
Evaluation Report Date | Flows from the Evaluation report. |
IEP Implementation Date | Flows from the IEP Implement Date field. |
Latest Reevaluation Date | Flows from the Re-Evaluation form. |
Date Permission to Re-Evaluate Received | Flows from Reeval PWN Consent or the Permission to Reevaluate forms. |
NOREP Date | Flows from the NOREP form. |
Found Eligible | Evaluation Report and Reevaluation Report. |
Waived Re-Evaluation Date | IEP Meeting Waiver form. |
Team Information – Case Manager | Flows from the IEP form, team area (excludes IEP revisions). |
Current GS – Receiving Gifted Services Through IEP | Checked if the student is receiving services indicated on the IEP form where the text is indicated in section D. of section VI on the IEP. This value is used to create a GS program record in eSchoolPlus. |
Previously GS – Received Gifted Services through IEP | Checked if the student’s finalized IEP does not indicate gifted services (section D. of section IV) and the Current GS value was previously selected on the profile. |
(STATE-SPECIFIC PROFILE NAME - See PA Compliance at a Glance for Examples & replace text in this table with your state's details)
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Type of Support & Amount of Special ed Services |
|
Gifted: GX - Gifted but does not receive services: |
|
Discipline | eSchoolPlus Integration import layout is available to import the data into PowerSchool Special Programs for ____ reporting. |
SP Enrollment | This profile is populated by a daily script labeled “Maintain SPEnrollment Records”. The data in this profile table is used to send data to PowerSchool SIS via PowerSchool Export reports. |
Student Contacts (See PA Compliance at a Glance for Examples & replace text in this table with your state's details)
Field | Description |
|---|---|
eSchoolPlus | Integrates eSP contacts via eSchoolPLUS-StudentContacts Import (model). |
PowerSchool SIS | Integrates PowerSchool SIS unlimited contacts data via PowerSchool – StudentContact Import (model). |
Daily script labeled Copy_Student_Contacts_Into_Students | Takes the top four contacts from the Student Contacts profile and updates the four contacts in the Demographic table. |
All forms and reports that reference parent/guardian information fetches data from the Demographic table.
Global Settings
Software menu path: Administration, Configuration, Profile Types, then Globals
Settings to configure the IEP form and define the school year and submission dates for state reports.
Profile Types (GLOBALS), Main menu > Configurable Options section
Goal Wizard Enabled: Displays additional fields on the goal page of the IEP if Yes is selected.
IEP Goal Subject Area: Displays a drop-down value on the IEP form if Yes is selected.
Profile Types, (GLOBALS), School/Calendar menu
School Calendar: The dates specified in this area determine the data generated for state reporting.
Model Configuration Options: Various options of the model.