Grade Sync
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      Grade Sync with PowerSchool

      Learn to sync and update grades in PowerSchool.

      In this article

      What is PowerSchool Gradebook

      Requirements

      Grade Sync setup

      Gradebook IDs in School Passport

      FAQ

      Supporting Grade Sync Service (GSS) to PowerSchool offers flexible grading options that cater to diverse grading methodologies used by educators. It supports various grading scales, including traditional percentage-based, points-based, and standards-based grading. This flexibility allows teachers to align their grading practices with their instructional goals and reporting requirements.

      What is PowerSchool Gradebook?

      PowerSchool Gradebook is a digital tool designed for educators to manage and track student grades, assignments, and academic progress. There are the following main PowerSchool Gradebook entities:

      Line item  

      Note:

      The Line item name cannot exceed 50 characters. 
      POINTS value must be in uppercase.

      The Line item is an individual graded item, such as an assignment, or assessment associated with a unique identifier. It captures information about the item's title, description, maximum points, and other relevant details.

      For sync score with points, the Line item contains metadata where the POINTS value is set up for the scoreType attribute. By default, the scoreType attribute is applied as GRADESCALE (that is, A, B, C..).

      Category 

      Note: Each Category name must be unique for each user (teacher) and it cannot exceed 30 characters.

      The Category is a way to group related Line Items together. For example, a category can be created for "Quizzes" or "Homework." Categories help in organizing and presenting grade data. Each PowerSchool Category links to teachers in the PowerSchool SIS and contains metadata with the following attributes: 

      • userDcid is a teacher identifier, assigned to a specific category.
      • TermID is a local identifier, assigned to the annual calendar. The default value is set to 3200.

      If you use the Blackboard Learn or D2L applications, you may detect duplicates that will be created in the School Passport for each teacher's categories across their classes. This occurs because categories are associated with teachers in the PowerSchool SIS and with classes in Blackboard. Therefore, for each teacher, the School Passport will have separate records for the categories they teach in each of their classes. To retrieve all duplicates for category, apply a filter using the "Metadata Extension" attribute based on the "categoryId".

      Requirements

      Grade Sync requires a PowerSchool plugin, specific to grade passback, to be installed. Please contact the GG4L Support Team to obtain it. For detailed instructions on how to install the plugin, see this article.

      Grade Sync setup

      If using PowerSchool SIS in Import mode, you also need to contact GG4L Support to activate Grade Sync.

      Once you update the plugin with the specific one, School Passport activates Grade Sync and you can run the first gradebook sync. 

      1. Activate a new PowerSchool application from the Application Gallery or via the link.
      2. In the Sync Mode, select the desired mode and click Next >.
        Blackboard_Configure app_Sync Mode
      3. (If Import) Contact GG4L Support Team to request GSS activation and proceed with configuration upon approval.
      4. In the Delivery Config, provide all necessary information and upload the PowerSchool plugin for grade passback that was previously requested.
      5. (Optional) Customize other steps. It is not required for the successful operation of GSS.
      6. In the Master Fields, create merging rules to a correct grade exchange between Vendor`s app and PowerSchool. For more about grade exchange, see Manage Master Fields for Grade Exchange.
      7. Click Finish Configuration.
      8. Run sync. Once finished, the gradebook data will be visible in your School Passport.
      9. Go to the Data Browsing > Gradebook to review gradebook import results. 
        Data Browsing_Gradebook

      Gradebook IDs in School Passport

      Powerschool Id is a special identifier assigned to each gradebook entity within the School Passport. It helps to accurately identify and track categories, line items, and results within the gradebook. Powerschool Id can be found on the gradebook entity detail page in the Identifiers panel. Powerschool Id format:

      • Categories: UUU_WWW, where UUU -  teachercategoryid and WWW - sectionsdcid.
      • Line Items: XXX#YYY, where XXX - assignmentid and YYY - assignmentsectionid.
      • Results: XXX#ZZZ, where XXX - assignmentid and ZZZ - studentsdcid.

      PS_Identifiers

      Duplicates of PowerSchool categories in School Passport

      If you use the Blackboard Learn or D2L applications, you may detect duplicates that will be created in the School Passport for each teacher's categories across their classes. 

      image 2

      This occurs because categories are associated with teachers in the PowerSchool SIS and with classes in Blackboard/D2L. As a result, the School Passport creates distinct records for each teacher's categories across all of their classes. To retrieve all duplicates for a category, apply a filter using the "Metadata Extension" attribute based on the Category Id.

      What next

      After completing the synchronization process, you have the option to configure gradebook attribute mappings for the Skyward app in the Settings > Attribute Mappings.

      Attribute Mapping_Gradebook entities

      See also

      PowerSchool

      Manage Master Fields for Grade Exchange