VA 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, then 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:
Navigate to Administration, Configuration, and Config Tasks and select or create a configuration task.
Navigate to Administration, Configuration, and Integration.
From the More menu, select 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. 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 sign something is wrong. Often, integration fails when the SQL Server is overloaded or offline for maintenance and when the API server is offline. Intermittent failures that happen 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 review the error logs routinely 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. On the Special Programs Globals page (Administration, Configuration, Profile Types, Globals), update the dates on the Calendar Information section on the main page. Click the popup window to then select the Virginia Model Options. Enter the valid reporting Cutoff Date (e.g., 12/1/2020). These dates on the Globals page are used for the December 1st report and calculating the percentage values and data flow on the IEP form. Click Administration, Configuration, Settings. Update the Current School Year, Next Scheduled EOY Rollover Date, Marking Periods, Data Storage Range, and Allowable Years for New Documents.
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 is 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 reports monthly to ensure data accuracy.
State Reporting Important Timelines & Links
State reporting typically has four stages of submission: Collection Open, Collection Closes date, Correction Window, and Final submission.
The December 1 Child Count can be generated directly from PowerSchool Special Programs. Other state reports are generated out of the SIS.
VDOE Special Education Data Collection
Reporting Timelines | Generate in Live PowerSchool Special Programs | Create Snapshot Database | Run Reporting within Snapshot Database |
|---|---|---|---|
December 1 | October 15th | Approximately November 30th | From the creation of the snapshot database to the final submission. |
Snapshotting Database for State Reporting
The PowerSchool Special Programs application does not historically track some special education state-reportable data. 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 and run the December 1st Count from the snapshot database. Any corrections to the 12/1 data must be made in the snapshot database, and submissions should be generated for that reporting period out of the snapshot database. If appropriate, changes can also be updated to the live database.
Only one copy of the Special Programs 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.
Special Education Guidance Forms
The Special Education forms in PowerSchool Special Programs will match the VDOE guidance forms with some modifications to them based on the input from our Virginia Advisory group. PowerSchool typically releases state form changes within 6-8 weeks from receipt of changes. Additional forms such as Gifted, 504, English Learner, and Response to Instruction (RTI) are not state-mandated and are fully developed with the advisory meeting. Any changes to those forms are updated with input from the group.
Special Education IEP guidance (Sample IEP form)
Special Education Evaluation & Eligibility Guidance (Guidance on Evaluation and Eligibility for the Special Education process Appendix A)
Special Education Functional Behavioral Assessment guidance
Profiles
Software menu path: Search for a Student, click the Profile icon on the top right, and then use the dialog on the Profiles tab to view the fields in each section.
The following profiles and fields are important for state reporting:
Demographics
Field | Description |
|---|---|
STI | State Testing Identifier. |
Foster Care | State reportable field on the December 1 report. Imports from PowerSchool SIS and eSchoolPLUS via VA Compliance at a Glance#Import Layouts. |
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 populated. Otherwise, it reports the value from Serving Location. Users must manually indicate the override buildings. |
Receives Letters | If selected, it will display the names on the forms. The field will integrate from the SIS. |
Eligibility
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Eligible | Flows from the Eligibility Summary form where the "The child has or continues to have a disability" checkbox is selected. |
Disability (2, 3 and 4) | Flows from the Eligibility Summary form where the "The child has or continues to have a disability" checkbox is selected. Flows from the IEP where the meeting type is Transfer Placement. |
Referral Date | Flows from the Review of Existing Data and Referral Request forms and the Transfer Student IEP/Eligibility Review. |
Re-Evaluation Most Recent | Flows from the Evaluation report. |
Most Recent Annual Review Date | Flows from the IEP for non-amendment forms. |
Most Recent Consent to Evaluate | Flows from the Parental Consent to Evaluate. |
Placement
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Case Manager | Flows from the IEP > Cover page > Meeting Notice > Transfer Student IEP/Eligibility Review forms. |
Least Restrictive Environment | Flows from the IEP Placement page. |
Special Ed Start Date | Flows from the IEP cover page where the meeting type is Initial. |
Special Ed Exit Date/Reason | Flows from the Eligibility Summary form where the student is no longer eligible. Uses the Eligibility Summary date. |
Enrollment Exit Reason | Imports from eSchoolPLUS (Student Enrollment Import). |
December 1st Count
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Active Status Code | Imports from eSchoolPLUS Student Demographics Import. |
Parentally Placed | Flows from the IEP form to the Placement section. |
Placement Code | Flows from the IEP form to the Placement section. |
Special Ed Secondary (and Third Disability) Serving School Override | Manually entered on the profile (no data flow). When the override school is indicated, the applicable Serving Division will reflect based on the location from the override field. |
Special Ed Student Regular Class Percent | Flows from the IEP > Services > LRE > Placement section. The percentage will refresh if the service has an instructional setting of Special Education Classroom (InstructionalSettings keyword with a Keyword = SC). |
Special Ed Primary (secondary and third) Disability Service Percent of Day | NA |
All forms and reports that reference parent/guardian information displays data from the Demographic table when the Receives Letters checkbox is selected.
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.
December Count Date: Enter the applicable December 1st date for state reporting.