NC SIS Weekly Email Bulletin
Topics in this issue:
- Home Base Maintenance Window - February 2024*
- PowerSchool State Reporting Updates*
- PowerSchool Security Setup*
- New Transfer Out functionality when transferring students within the PSU
- NC SIS Resources on DPI Site Update
- NEW! SIS Data Manager Course
- Digital Leaders Exchange Recap
- New Technical Contact PowerSchool IPT Certification in February 2024
- OCR/CRDC - SY2021-2022 - NCDPI Updates and Reminders
- NCDPI 2024-25 Master Course Code List Release for December 1, 2023
- NCSIS Update
- Regional Chats - Update
- Save the Date! - SIS Conference 2024
- Has your PSU Opted into Home Base?
- PSU Home Base Contact Updates for the 2023-2024 SY
- 2023-24 Home Base Maintenance Periods
Always available:
1. Webinars, Recordings and Trainings
Home Base Admin Course
2. NCDPI Technology Support Center
3. Follow Us on Social Media
*indicates new article this week
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Home Base Maintenance Window - February 2024*
The next Home Base maintenance weekend is set to begin Friday, February 16th at 6 p.m.
It is anticipated that PowerSchool will be unavailable the whole weekend due to necessary server upgrades. PowerSchool will be taken offline starting on Friday, February 16th at 9 p.m. with an anticipated return to service no later than Sunday, February 18th at 10 a.m.
The application will be made accessible to all users once the maintenance is complete.
Note: Each year, a list of scheduled maintenance windows is published by NCDPI. This is published in advance to help teachers and administrators better prepare for temporary outages and loss of access. Please review the 2023-2024 maintenance schedule and put these dates on your calendar. In most cases, the entire window is not necessary and we can return systems to service earlier than listed. If emergency maintenance is required in addition to these scheduled dates, all users will be notified in advance.
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PowerSchool State Reporting Updates*
Navigate to Reports > State Reports (run and approve at school level and final approval at PSU level)
- Spring LCS - Due April 30
- February payroll file loaded into PS March 6
- Use Unofficial report to review data as of last month
- Spring AIG Headcount - Due April 30
PowerSchool Security Setup*
NCDPI would like to remind our PSUs that Security Groups 2-148 in PowerSchool are reserved for NCDPI staff. These groups are controlled by NCDPI and have limited access to PSU PowerSchool instances based on needs. PSU staff that are in these groups will have limited access to some screens and features within PowerSchool.
NCDPI controlled security groups are labeled accordingly. PSU Staff should not be assigned to a security group that has “NCDPI” in the name. It is recommended PSU staff are assigned a default security group of 149 or higher. This ensures the PSU has full control over security access within the PSU.
There is a common misconception that Group 9 is superuser access to PowerSchool. However, we have confirmed with PowerSchool and determined this is not the case. Group 9 is only needed by PSUs for edit access to the sqReports plugin. This is due to security group setup on the Plugin directly, not core PowerSchool functionality.
If sqlReport edit access is needed within the PSU, it is recommended that role based security is used. A role assigned to group 9 should be created and assigned to the staff who need this access. Staff do not need to be assigned default group 9. A role will also need to be created for the default security group and assigned to the staff member i.e. group 149 (see screenshot below). Directions on how to create a group 9 role can be found in the SIS conference Groups and Roles presentation slides 27 - 36. The basic directions on these slides can also be used to create a role for the default security group.
You can review PowerSchool core security documentation in the system help found under the question mark icon in the upper right corner after you login.
Please direct questions to PowerSchool Support or the Home Base Team.
New Transfer Out functionality when transferring students within the PSU
Navigation: Start Page > Student Selection > Functions > Transfer Student Out
New Feature: Transfer Out Of School Process
- New functionality will be added to the Transfer Out Of School page this weekend
- The following statement and checkbox will be added to the page:
- Use the checkbox if the student is transferring within the PSU, but it is not required
- Checking the checkbox will allow a student to be transferred out of the school without removing the following:
- Core Email Address
- Scheduling Setup Page
- Next Year Grade
- Priority
- Year of Graduation
- Summer School Indicator
- Checking the checkbox will remove the following on the Scheduling Setup Page:
- Schedule This Student
- Next School Indicator
For more in depth information and screenshots, please review the February DLE SIS Slide deck, slides 9 - 14, linked below.
SIS DLE Slide Deck: https://go.ncdpi.gov/pssis2024dlejf
NC SIS Resources on DPI Site Update
Please be aware that the previously labeled “NC SIS Resources” page on the NCDPI site has been renamed to “PowerSchool Resources”.
https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/home-base/powerschool-sis/powerschool-resources#StudentInformation-1848
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NEW! SIS Data Manager Course
You asked for it at NCBOLD! The PowerSchool Data Manager Training Course is now available.
This course is designed to assist new data managers with PowerSchool functions and school processes. It contains helpful searches and reports to review for missing or inaccurate data in PowerSchool as well as tried and true practices, processes, and procedures. This course can also be used as a guide to assist data managers in running searches and reports weekly, monthly, at mid-year and end-of-year to ensure data integrity.
While this course references PowerSchool SIS there are process and best practice modules that will benefit Data Managers in Phase 1 2024-2025 NCSIS powered by Infinite Campus.
The course is available in NCDPI’s Blue Canvas at go.ncdpi.gov/PSSISDMcourse
Never accessed Blue Canvas before? Follow these steps to create your account:
- Log into https://my.ncedcloud.org
- In the dashboard click to Launch Blue Canvas
- Accept the Canvas Use Policy
- Click this course link:go.ncdpi.gov/PSSISDMcourse
- Click Enroll in Course
- Click Go to Course
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Digital Leaders Exchange Recap
It was great to see so many of you over the last week as we gathered for our Digital Leaders Exchange focusing on Human Capacity.
We have posted the Opening slidedeck HERE. We hope to see you at our next Digital Leaders Exchange - April 2024 with a focus on Leadership & Vision along with End of Year Resources (see Digital Learning Plan).
Session links:
Please bookmark these links:
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New Technical Contact PowerSchool IPT Certification in February 2024
In collaboration with PowerSchool, the Home Base Team will be offering virtual IPT certification training for new technical contacts from February 26-March 1, 2024. Seats are limited and will fill up quickly, please register as soon as possible.
- This training will span five full days.
- Participants will have 90 days to take and pass the required certification test after training.
- Each PSU is allowed a certain number of technical contacts based on their ADM.
If you are unsure of your current technical contacts, please contact PowerSchool Support at 1-855-339-4790.
NCDPI has created an IPT FAQ document to help answer questions you may have. Please review this document for frequently asked questions about the training and certification.
Those who can attend the NCDPI offered IPT Training include:
- Anyone who is replacing a certified technical contact for their PSU.
- A local charter school employee, not employed by a third-party company and has not previously attended IPT training.
Those who cannot attend this training are:
- Third-party Charter school SIS management company employees
- PSUs wanting additional technical contacts above their desired allocation
- Anyone who has attended training previously.
Note: Anyone who is not eligible for this training will need to arrange training and certification through the vendor, PowerSchool, and cover the cost incurred. To do so, please reach out to the PowerSchool training team, training@powerschool.com.
Those who are eligible for this training session, please fill out the registration form, https://go.ncdpi.gov/iptrequests2024feb.
Registration will close Friday, February 16, 2024, or once the max number of attendees is reached.
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OCR/CRDC - SY2021-2022 - NCDPI Updates and Reminders
Please inform other staff as appropriate. The SY2021-2022 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is due on February 26, 2024.
Note: PSUs that were not open in the school year 2021-2022 are not required to participate in this collection.
Retention Data
It has been brought to our attention that some schools’ retention data may be incorrect in the Federal Submission Tool. NCDPI is conducting a root cause analysis to ensure that retention data is accurate for future collections. Please review and update the RETN section of the CRDC as needed.
CRDC Support
- For CRDC system-related issues, please email CRDC Partner Support Center at CRDC@aemcorp.com.
- For questions regarding the NCDPI data upload, please email nc.ocr.crdc@dpi.nc.gov.
- CRDC Coordinators can book an hour-long meeting to ask specific questions about their CRDC. Office hours will be held Tuesday through Thursday from 1pm to 5pm until February 26, 2024. Book time with Terra
NC CRDC Documentation and Webinars
NC-specific documentation is available in the CRDC Canvas course in NC EdCloud. All documents can be accessed from the Quick List of Resources page, including the NC CRDC Course List, CRDC 2021-2022 Collection by Entity, NCDPI Guidance - LEA Form 2021-2022, and NCDPI Guidance - School Form 2021-2022.
NCDPI completed the final SY2021-2022 CRDC webinar on January 17, 2024. To review the presentation and recorded webinar, visit the Quick List of Resources in the CRDC Canvas course.
NC Workgroup for CRDC
The NC Workgroup hosted at the federal level is not functioning as intended. Please refrain from using this optional workgroup. This feature will not be available for future collections.
Please email nc.ocr.crdc@dpi.nc.gov with any questions you may have.
Want information about the CRDC, but are not the CRDC Coordinator contact? Add your information here: 2122 CRDC – Info Only Contacts List
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NCDPI 2024-25 Master Course Code List Release for December 1, 2023
An updated master list of course codes has been posted with course offerings for the 2024-2025 school year.
A copy of the NCDPI Master Course Code List is posted at https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/home-base/powerschool-sis/nc-sis-resources#courses
In the spreadsheet, course codes with a “Course Code Release Year” of 2024-25 will reflect new course offerings. They are also listed in the tab “New Course Codes.” Note, there will also be a few course code names and credit value changes at the end of the year. These changes can be found in the Master List under the "Name Changes EOY", "Credit Value Changes EOY", and “Added Value Changes EOY” tabs. "CreditHour Changes EOY" is currently blank because there are no changes at this time.
The 2024-2025 course codes are now available in PowerSchool for PSU's to add to their local instances.
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NCSIS Update
The North Carolina State Board of Education voted to award a new contract to Infinite Campus to modernize the North Carolina Student Information System (NCSIS), in compliance with state law. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is now working to finalize a thorough implementation plan that we expect to share with you within the next few weeks. We are committed to frequent, clear communication throughout the implementation process, and we have set up a webpage to house the most up-to-date information about NCSIS. We hope you will take some time to visit the NCSIS webpage and learn more about the modernized system and the expanded offerings it will provide to better serve the students and educators of North Carolina.
Learn more about NCSIS NCSIS is powered by Infinite Campus
Regional Chats - Update!
Join Tessa and the Home Base SIS team for Tea with Tessa.
A series of regional open forum virtual sessions for SIS Coordinators to join and receive updates, as well as openly share feedback, concerns, and network with other SIS Coordinators in your regions.
Please bookmark the below link and join us during the time designated for your region. Information for the chats is listed under the “PowerSchool” tab. Registration is not necessary. Follow the link below to join the Teams meeting on the designated date and time.
https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/home-base/current-professional-learning#powerschool
Regions 2 & 7 - The meeting link has been updated starting March 5, 2024. Please be sure to update your records or calendar invite you may have created for yourself with the new access link.
If you are unsure of your region, you can view a map of the regions here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TIAChi3cO4dJSWNPRUViLCliID9gGn1C/view?usp=sharing
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Has your PSU Opted into Home Base?
The NC Department of Public Instruction is pleased to announce that the Home Base Opt-in Process is now open. Finance officers and charter school directors/principals may begin opting into Home Base for their PSU. Click on the following link to see the full announcement and share with the appropriate staff: hb_pricing_memo 2023-24.
Note: Only finance officers and charter directors/principals should opt-in for their PSU.
This year, PSUs have the option of opting into Navvy, a Pearson computer-adaptive interim assessment add-on for Schoolnet. Navvy both formatively assesses and tracks standard-by-standard learning to provide immediate, actionable results to correctly inform personalized instruction. Navvy is made available to grades 3 – 8 for Reading and Math at an additional cost of $8 per ADM. If you have any questions about Navvy, please contact Rebecca Stokes.
Please visit the NCDPI Home Base Opt-in Website for detailed information concerning the Home Base Opt-in Process. Questions may be directed to home_base@dpi.nc.gov or Jennifer Causey
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PSU Home Base Contact Updates for the 2023-2024 SY
We understand that with each new year, comes new personnel to fill those roles. To ensure the right people within your school are receiving the latest information, please visit our Support and Maintenance web page to see who is listed as your district or charter leads.
Contact us at home_base@dpi.nc.gov or jennifer.causey@dpi.nc.gov with needed changes.
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2023-24 Home Base Maintenance Periods
Each year, a list of scheduled maintenance windows are published by NCDPI. This is published in advance to help teachers and administrators better prepare for temporary outages and loss of access. Please review the 2023-2024 maintenance schedule and put these dates on your calendar. In most cases, the entire window is not necessary and we can return systems to service earlier than listed. If emergency maintenance is required in addition to these scheduled dates, all users will be notified in advance.
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Home Base Admin Course
Feedback from PSUs identified a need for resource hubs for the Home Base products. The product managers have created Admin Resource Courses for each area. These resource courses are located in the NCDPI Canvas instance.
Please visit these courses. Below are the steps to enroll:
How to access these resources:
- Sign in to the Blue Canvas icon within NCEdCloud
- Using the Global Navigation (on the left), click the Home Base Resources button
- On the menu that opens, select the course(s) you would like to enroll into
- After enrolling, the course will appear on your Canvas Dashboard
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Access for PSU PowerSchool SIS Admins
Any PSU PowerSchool SIS admin who does not have access to the NCDPI “Blue” Canvas located in the NCEdCloud portal and would like to have access follow these steps:
- Log into my.ncedcloud.org
- Find the Blue Canvas icon and click to launch it.
- Agree to the Canvas use policy question and Blue Canvas will open.
If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Stokes.
Other Information:
- Feel free to provide feedback on these courses. They all contain a feedback button on their homepage.
- We will continue to update these courses as more product information becomes available
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NCDPI Technology Support Center
NCDPI's Technology Support Center continues to meet your support needs for:
- Schoolnet
- NCEES/Unified Talent
- Staff & Student UID (eScholar)
Support availability:
Web (NEW URL): https://ncgov.servicenowservices.com/sp_dpi - 24/7
Phone: 919-716-1840, Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding state holidays)
Submitting a ServiceNow Ticket How to Document
Technical support for SIS needs is handled directly by PowerSchool Support using chat, phone, or by opening a case ticket.
Follow Us on Social Media!
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and begin receiving "Did You Know" tips featuring each Home Base product.
These messages will include upcoming changes, tips, and even hidden treasures within each product to make your job easier. If you are not following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, click on the links below and begin today! Make sure you share this information with other staff within your school.
Instagram: @ncdpidtl Facebook: @ndpidtl Twitter: @ncdpidtl
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NC Department of Public Instruction
Education Building, 3rd Floor North
301 North Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Email: home_base@dpi.nc.gov
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