BRIDGE Update
Opportunities for Support
BRIDGE Open Office Hours: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) and project partners will now be holding general Office Hours on a weekly basis. Our next session is scheduled for next Wednesday, May 20, 12–1 p.m. CDT.
Data Migration/Validation / Support Sessions: Project team members from NDDPI, Aurora Educational Technology (our data migration vendor), EduTech, and REAs will be available on a weekly basis to assist districts with specific data questions & support. Our next session is scheduled for next Wednesday, May 20, 9–10 a.m. CDT.
Infinite Campus Pre-Data Sync Functionality
As districts are beginning to receive their Infinite Campus Production Sites, it is important to understand that some Infinite Campus functionality depends on synchronization with the Infinite Campus State Edition site. The statewide sync will be completed for all districts by July 20, 2026. Until that time, the guidance located here should be observed to avoid data issues or duplicate records.
Choice Ready – EduCal
Districts who currently use the EduCal product (by Leidholm Technologies) for local tracking of student Choice Ready data, may continue to use that product if they choose. Leidholm Technologies and Infinite Campus have connected directly on options to keep this application operational post Infinite Campus go-live. Districts should work directly with Leidholm Technologies and their Infinite Campus implementation team on any district-specific interfaces or configurations that may be required.
NDDPI continues to explore options to make Choice Ready tracking at the local level as easy, and as standardized, as possible. For now, districts are still responsible for owning and maintaining any localized solutions they’ve developed or adopted to manage Choice Ready data.
Parents & General Public Communication
As part of the BRIDGE initiative, NDDPI will lead statewide communications focused on the overall “why,” “what,” and “when” of the transition to Infinite Campus, including clear assurances that student data will remain protected, secure, and accurate throughout the process. Local districts will play a critical role in sharing implementation-specific details, including timelines, access information, and step-by-step “how-to” guidance tailored to their staff, students, and families.
Districts should prepare to field questions when communication begins to be distributed to this audience. NDDPI will do its best to make sure districts know the timing and content of statewide communications so localized communication can be aligned appropriately. More details on NDDPI’s communication plan will be available next week.
Sign and Submit Data Sharing Agreement by June 30, 2026
As required by N.D.C.C. 15.1-07-33, approved during the 2025 legislative session, school districts must enter into a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) with NDDPI by June 30, 2026. Superintendent Bachmeier worked with North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders (NDCEL) Strategic Advisory Council to ensure the agreement language is acceptable to all parties. The language in this agreement mirrors the existing data sharing agreement currently used between school districts and North Dakota Information Technology's (NDIT) Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS), with added transparency and reporting protections for districts as requested by NDCEL. This agreement intentionally expires after 13 months. The goal is for districts and NDDPI to jointly request a bill during the 2027 legislative session to establish more shared governance of K‑12 data, similar to how the SLDS committee was originally envisioned to operate.
Districts will soon see a copy of the DSA in WebGrants, which is the most efficient way to distribute and collect nearly 170 DSAs. Districts should submit their executed DSA through the WebGrants portal no later than June 30, 2026. A copy of the agreement is included here for reference.
PowerSchool to STARS: Data Sync & Accuracy Guide & Office Hours
To ensure accurate reporting, districts are encouraged to make all student updates directly in PowerSchool (PS) and allow the data to sync into the State Automated Reporting System (STARS). There are situations that cause this not to occur that we are trying to highlight! STARS serves as NDDPI’s source of truth for enrollment, accountability, fiscal processes, and other reporting, so it’s essential that STARS data matches what is entered in PS.
If you have questions about syncing, mismatch errors, or enrollment reporting, join our upcoming online Office Hour sessions. These sessions will address common issues, best practices, and general troubleshooting to help ensure accurate student data across systems. For full details on required fields, common sync issues, and data accuracy expectations, please review the PowerSchool to STARS: Data Sync & Accuracy Guide.
Click below to join the Office Hour sessions.
• Wednesday, May 20 at 3:30 p.m. CDT—click here to join
• Wednesday, June 3 at 3:30 p.m. CDT—click here to join
For questions, please contact Stan Schauer.
|
