Special Programs - System Administrator
Special Programs - System Administrator
Breadcrumbs

Configure messaging settings

You must sign in as a security administrator to configure message settings.

  1. From the Administration menu, click Configuration.

  2. On the Configuration page, click Settings.

  3. Click the Messaging Settings tab.

  4. Update the staff messaging settings as needed.

  5. Update the forwarding options for students and parents as needed. You must enable student and parent logins to view these options.

  6. Specify the number of months you want Special Programs to store messages, announcements, and calendar events. 

  7. Click Save Settings.

Staff messaging settings fields

Feature UI Test

Description / Feature Explanation

Source of Staff Email Addresses

  • Allow Self-Specification of Email Forwarding Address - Select to allow users to enter email addresses.

    • If you select this option, enter the approved suffixes for user-entered emails. Use commas to separate multiple suffixes.

    • PowerSchool recommends that you constrain users to official school email addresses.

  • Use Staff Profile Field - Select to use the email from the staff profile. Staff can still set their forwarding option.

    • If you select this option, you must choose the data field that contains the staff email address. 

Enable the MFA Checkbox

District Admins can now enable email-based multi-factor authentication (MFA) for staff who log into Special Programs with non-SSO accounts.

When this option is turned on, and a staff email is configured in their profile, users must enter a one-time code sent to their email after entering their username and password, adding an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access.

Key details

  • A new security option, Enable MFA, is available for District Admins to configure.

  • When Enable MFA is turned on:

    • Staff are required to enter a verification code sent via email after they provide their username and password.

    • Access to Special Programs is granted only after the emailed code is successfully entered.

  • The Enable MFA option is available only if a Staff Profile field has been configured for email.

  • By default, Enable MFA is disabled, so districts can opt in when they are ready.

How this works

  • Staff log in using their username and password.

  • A one-time verification code is sent to their configured email.

  • Users must enter this code to complete login.

  • Access is granted only after successful verification.

Workflow to Enable the MFA Feature

  1. Navigate to Messaging Settings.

  2. Under Source of Staff Email Addresses, select: Use Staff Profile Field

  3. Choose the appropriate field (e.g., WorkEmail) from the Staff Profile Field dropdown.

  4. Select Save Settings.

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  1. Check the box Enable Multifactor Authentication.

  2. Confirm that the Staff Email Field is correctly displayed (e.g., Work Email).

  3. Select Accept.

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Allow Email Notification of Application Messages

Select to allow users to turn on a personal message option to receive email notifications.

The email message will contain a password-protected link to the message in Special Programs to protect privacy.

When this setting is enabled, you can also override the default wording of the notification message.

Select Default Email Notification To On for Staff Users to automatically send email notifications to staff members.

Staff may turn off email message notifications through their messaging settings.

Allow Email Forwarding of Application Messages

Select to allow users to turn on a personal message option to receive a forwarded email of Special Programs messages.

When this setting is enabled, you can also override the default wording of the notification message.

Allow Email Notification from Standard Reports

Select to allow users to receive emails when data items appear in reports. Users must subscribe to the report, and the report must be designed for notifications.

Notification reports typically do not have data items as a baseline. Instead, data items are items that the user should respond to or manage somehow.

Users will receive an email containing a password-protected link back to the report.

When this setting is enabled, you can override the default wording of the notification message. The message format must include the following macros:

  • {RowCount} for the number of data items.

  • {DateTime} for the date and time that the report was checked.

  • {Hyperlink} to position the link back to PowerSchool Special Programs in the message.

Allow Email "Forwarding" of Standard Reports (full message content)

Select to allow users to turn on a personal message option to receive a forwarded email of standard report messages.

Restrict Staff Messaging Lookup To Staff Profile Security

Select to restrict the staff's look-up to correspond with staff profile security settings.