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Data Integration for Pathways

Data Integration for Pathways

Welcome to Pathways Data Integration!

Follow this guide to send your SIS data to Pathways

Table of Contents

Introduction

Pathways is a premier school administration software for managing the graduation requirements, grades, and statuses for your high school students.

Data Sets

Each Student Information System (SIS) provides unique data sets for Pathways. Generally speaking, Pathways will collect the following student data:

  • Students - Contains general student information including: names, ids, etc.

  • Grades - historical and current-semester grades for your students. Some SISs will send data in two files.

  • GPA - the weighted and/or unweighted grade point averages for your students. Some SISs include this data within the students file.

  • IBC (TX Only) - additional details on student graduation paths and programs for Texas districts.

  • Course Crosswalk - an additional data set, required by some SISs, to align local course codes with sate-assigned course codes.

Method

Data exported from most SISs will be sent to Pathways via SFTP. If your district uses Aeries SIS, data will be transferred using API.

Data Send Schedules

All data sets should be sent nightly (including weekends) before 1am CST.

Data Transfer & Responsibilities

Pathways views your SIS as the Single Source of Truth for all data. Please review the steps below for how data is sent from your SIS to Pathways.

1 - Manage Data in SIS – Sending data to Pathways begins with adding, updating, and maintaining the accuracy of course request, student, and teacher data within your SIS.

2 - Export Data from SIS – Your district IT, with help from your Pathways Data Integrations Engineer, will configure SIS data exports that create the Pathways data files.

3 - Send Files to EAI – Your SIS/District IT will send data files to Pathways on a regular basis (via SFTP or API, depending on your SIS).

4 - Maintain Servers – Pathways will create and maintain servers for the purpose of securely retrieving data from your SIS.

5 - ETL & Data Security – EAI will retrieve the data files from SFTP, encrypt, and store data using AWS. See EAI’s Data Privacy page for more information on how EAI secures your data.

6 - EAI Product - EAI will display your district data in Pathways.

Timeline & Checklist

A meeting with your Pathways DI Engineer to review the data requirements and/or configure exports in your SIS. This meeting can be up to 45 minutes.

Weeks 1: Send First Files:

By the end of the first week, SFTP will be configured and the first files (data sets) sent to Pathways.

Please configure all files to be sent nightly (including weekends) before 1am CST.

Week 2: Data Validation:

Your Pathways DI Engineer will review and validate the sent data, then follow up with you for any needed adjustments to the exports.

After: Data Management:

Once the data in Pathways is validated, you will continue to maintain data within your SIS you may be contacted by your staff if data abnormalities are discovered in Pathways.

Please reach out to your DI Engineer if you need assistance troubleshooting any of these data abnormalities.

Instructions for Exporting SIS Data:

Locate the templates and instructions for your SIS below.

Ascender SIS

Contact your Education Regional Center (ERC) support team to submit a request to send data to Pathways. Please include the information below and cc your DI Engineer as part of this request.

 

Data Requirements:

 

Instructions:

Step 1: Your ERC will build the following export files:

All data files must be in CSV format and pipe-separated.

  • students.txt - First Name|Last Name|State Student Id|Ascender Student Id|Gender|Graduation Year|Birthdate|School Id|GPA|IBC PEIMS|Sum|Total Credits District|Sumt|Total Credits Transferred|Stem Endeavors|Public Service Endeavors|BUS Industry Endeavors|Multi Discipline Endeavors|Arts Humanities Endeavors|Distinguished Coursework|Foundation Coursework|College Career Instruction|DT CPR|DT Police Interact|DT Speech|FAFSA Status

  • current_grades.txt - Student ID|Course Name|Course ID|State Course ID|Potential Credits|Credits Earned|Grade/Score|Year Taken|Grading Period|Counts Toward GPA|Is AP Class|Earned Dual Credit|ONRAMPS|Final Grade

  • historic_grades.txt - Student ID|Course Name|Course ID|State Course ID|Potential Credits|Credits Earned|Grade/Score|Year Taken|Grading Period|Counts Toward GPA|Is AP Class|Earned Dual Credit|ONRAMPS

Step 2: Send test data exports to Pathways:

  • Notify your DI Engineer that your ERC has completed the data exports.

  • Send these files via SFTP using the SFTP creds provided by your DI Engineer.

  • Your DI Engineer will then validate the data and load it to Pathways.

Step 3: Request Nightly Sends from ERC:

Once the data has been validated by your DI Engineer, forward the SFTP details to your ERC so they can schedule the export.

eSchoolPLUS

Download the Cognos templates (below) and configure them using the instructions below. Please note, these templates may need to be modified to account for district-specific data.

 

Cognos Report Templates:

 

Instructions:

Step 1: Download Cognos files:

Download the Cognos Report Template files, above.

Step 2: Load the files to Cognos:

  • Load each report template file to Cognos.

  • Then run each report to confirm that the expected data was exported.

Note: The template files may need to be customized for your specific table structure. Your Pathways DI Engineer can assist you with this process.

Step 3: Schedule and send CSV files via SFTP:

Schedule all reports to run and send data to Pathways nightly, before 1am CST using the SFTP credentials provided by your Pathways DI Engineer.

For eSchool districts who do not use Cognos, the following are the file specifications to assist in creating SQL statements or using other reporting tools:

Student Data

eSchool Student Roster Data Specifications

  • File Name: students.csv

  • File Format: .csv

  • Delimiter: Comma ","

  • Row 1 Headers: Listed below. Spelling is STRICTLY enforced. Capitalization, spaces, and special characters are not enforced. For example, "Student ID", "student_id", and "StudentId" are all acceptable forms for the "Student Id" field.

  • Column Order: Order of columns is not enforced

Campus ID, State Student ID, Student Id, First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Student Grade, Student Gender, DOB, Email, Federal Race Code, Federal Race Name, Meal Status Code, Grad Year, Graduation type code, Diploma Type Name, Grad Requirement Group, Grad Requirement Group Name, Endorsement Type, Endorsement Name

 Course Cross Walk

eSchool Course Crosswalk Data Specifications

  • File Name: students.csv

  • File Format: .csv

  • Delimiter: Comma ","

  • Row 1 Headers: Listed below. Spelling is STRICTLY enforced. Capitalization, spaces, and special characters are not enforced. For example, "Student ID", "student_id", and "StudentId" are all acceptable forms for the "Student Id" field.

  • Column Order: Order of columns is not enforced

Building - Course, Active Status - Course, Receive Mark, Course Code - Course, Course Name - Course, Department - Course, Department Name - Course, Credit - Course, State Course School Year - Course, State Course Code - Course, Dual Credit Indicator - PEIMS CourseCat, Course Level - Course, Course Level Name - Course, Course Type - PEIMS CourseCat, Course Type Desc - PEIMS CourseCat, Non Campus Based Instruction Code - PEIMS CourseCat, Non Campus Based Instruction Desc - PEIMS CourseCat, ACT Indicator - PEIMS CourseCat, College Credit Hours - PEIMS CourseCat, Population Served - PEIMS CourseCat, Population Served Desc - PEIMS CourseCat, Sequence - PEIMS CourseCat, Sequence Desc - PEIMS CourseCat

Grades

This set of specifications is the same for both current_grades and historical_grades files.  You will be sending two files. 

The current grades file (current_grades.csv) will include data for only the current school year. 

Historical grades file (historical_grades.csv) needs to include all data for previous school years in which students took courses that earn high school credit. (Remember to exclude the current school year.)

eSchool Grade Data Specifications

  • File Name: current_grades.csv or historical_grades.csv

  • File Format: .csv

  • Delimiter: Comma ","

  • Row 1 Headers: Listed below. Spelling is STRICTLY enforced. Capitalization, spaces, and special characters are not enforced. For example, "Student ID", "student_id", and "StudentId" are all acceptable forms for the "Student Id" field.

  • Column Order: Order of columns is not enforced

State Student ID, Student Id, Student Grade, School Year, Building - Schedules, Course Code, Course Name - Schedules, Credit Attempted - RC, Earned Credit, RC Status - RC, Receive Mark - MS-RC, Student Course Marking Period - RC, Student Course Mark Type - RC, Grade Value

GPA

eSchool GPA Data Specifications

  • File Name: gpa.csv

  • File Format: .csv

  • Delimiter: Comma ","

  • Row 1 Headers: Listed below. Spelling is STRICTLY enforced. Capitalization, spaces, and special characters are not enforced. For example, "Student ID", "student_id", and "StudentId" are all acceptable forms for the "Student Id" field.

  • Column Order: Order of columns is not enforced

Student Id, Student Name Last-First-Middle, Cum Gpa, School Year, Grade, Gpa Type, Description

Harmony

Follow the instructions below to manually update data from Harmony SIS to Pathways. We recommend completing this update at the end of each grading period (quarter, semester, trimester, etc.).

 

Instructions:

  1. First, you will need to export 2 reports from Harmony.

    1. Exporting Student Roster Data from Harmony: Download the NWEA® Report from Harmony®.

    2. Exporting Student Grade Data from Harmony: Download the .pdf version of the students' transcripts.

  2. Log into Pathways:

    To login to Pathways, please use the following information:
    Pathways Login: 
    URL:  https://pw1.graduationpathways.com/access/login
    Login: your (district) email address 
    Need help? Log In Assistance

  3. Click on Import Data under Utilities:

    image-20250307-000520.png

  4. Click on the link to select the Harmony SIS file you wish to import:

    image-20250307-000543.png

  5. Select Choose File and then Upload File to complete the update.

  6. Please let your DI or CSM know if you run into any issues.

 

PowerSchool

Download the PowerSchool API directly within Pathways and configure it by following the instructions below.

 

Instructions:

Step 1: Download Plugin File from Pathways

  1. Log into your Pathways account.

  2. Go to Utilities in the green ribbon and select District Settings.

  3. Click the link Student Information System (SIS) Settings and Import Policies under Student Information System (SIS) Settings.

  4. Download the Pathways PowerSchool Plugin API ZIP file by clicking the link:

*Note - your plugin name may differ from the one shown in the screenshot.

Step 2: Install the Plugin File in PowerSchool

  1. Open a new tab and log into PowerSchool. Go to System Management → Server → Plugin Configuration.

  2. Click the Install button and search for the zipped Pathways plugin file. Click the Enable checkbox. (Do not unzip this file before installation.)

  3. Configure SFTP:

Next, add a new Pathways SFTP config. This config will be used/selected for each of the data exports.

  1. Go to System Management → Server → Plugin Configuration.

  2. Select Remote Connection Manager, then under Function, click Remote Connection Manager.

  3. Click Create Connection.

  4. Name the connection Pathways SFTP and select the Protocol SFTP, as shown below:

  5. Next, enter the following and click Test Connection.

    1. Hostname = sftp.graduationpathways.com

    2. Port = 22

    3. Authentication Type = Password

    4. username/password provided by your DI Engineer

  6. image-20251008-232440.png

    Click Allow Upload and then Submit. Leave the Remote Path blank.

When completed, Pathways SFTP will appear on the Manage Remote Connections Table:

image-20251008-232744.png

Step 3: Configure Exports in Powerschool

Configuring Exports

  1. Go to Data and Reporting → Exports → Data Export Manager.

  2. Select the Show All in category

  3. Select the following queries one at a time and follow the instructions below (Step 4). Do this for all of the queries in the list until you have csv exports for these 10 files:

Export From:

Export File Name:

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.students.classrank

gpa.csv

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.students.contacts

students.csv

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.students.curgrades

current_grades.csv

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.students.demographics

demographics.csv

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.students.enrolledcourses

courses.csv

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.students.gradreqsets

gradreqset.csv

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.students.storedgrades

historical_grades.csv

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.terms.items

terms.csv

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.test.items

test_items.csv

NQ - com.sfs.dataXtractor.test.scores

test_scores.csv

  1. Select all the PowerSchool attributes in the list from the left. Then remove the Table Names and period prefix in the Labels Used on Export:

    image-20251008-233528.png

  2. Click Next twice, then enter the following details:

    1. Export File Name = gpa.csv

      1. Be sure to change the extension to .csv

    2. Line Delimitator = CR

    3. Field Delimitator = Comma

    4. Character Set = Windows ANSI

    5. Under Export Options, select Include Column Headers

  3. and click Save Template (choose a name that will help you find this easily. Ex. Pathways-GPA)

    image-20251008-233947.png

Assigning/Scheduling SFTP

  1. Go to the My Templates Tab and find the templates you just created. Click on the calendar icon to begin scheduling the export.

  2. Select the following settings and Save the export schedule. (Please schedule your exports around midnight daily)

    image-20251008-234334.png

  3. Finally, after you have created the 10 templates/schedules, go back to the Scheduled System Templates Tab and click the Play Buttons to send the scheduled files to Pathways.

    image-20251008-234534.png

  4. Alert your Data Integration Engineer so they can check Pathways for your files!

Step 1: Download API file from Pathways

  1. Log into your Pathways account.

  2. Go to Utilities in the green ribbon and select District Settings.

  3. Click the link Student Information System (SIS) Settings and Import Policies under Student Information System (SIS) Settings.

  4. Download the Pathways PowerSchool Plugin API ZIP file by clicking the link:

Step 2: Install the API file in PowerSchool

  1. Open a new tab and log into PowerSchool. Go to System Management → Server → Plugin Configuration.

  2. Click the Install button and search for the zipped Pathways plugin file. Click the Enable checkbox. (Do not unzip this file before installation.)

  3. Find and open Education Advanced Pathways Plugin on the plugin list.

  4. Click Data Provider Configuration to view the your Client ID and Client Secret.

Step 3: Configure API in Pathways

  1. Go back to your Pathways account to Student Information System (SIS) Settings and Import Policies

  2. Enter the following information under the PowerSchool API Access section:

  1. Then click Save at the bottom of the page.

  2. Click Test Connection to confirm the API is retrieving data.

Step 4: Notify your DI Engineer

Email your DI Engineer that the plugin has been configured. They will then validate data within Pathways and follow up with you on next steps, if needed.

In PowerSchool:

  1. Navigate to Data and Reporting>Exports>Data Export Manager

  2. Make the following selections:

    1. Category - PowerSchool Data Sets

    2. Export From - Contacts

    3. CONTACTS.PERSON

      1. DCID

      2. Contact ID

      3. First Name

      4. Last Name

      5. Is Active

    4. CONTACTS.PCAS_ACCOUNT

      1. Is Access Account Enabled

      2. Access Account User Name

    5. CONTACTS.PCAS_EMAILCONTACT

      1. Access Account Email Address

    6. CONTACTS.STUDENTCONTACTASSOC

      1. Student Contact ID

      2. Student Number

      3. Student Last Name

      4. Student First Name

      5. Allow Data Access

    7. Select/Edit Records from Contacts

    8. Contact Status - Active

    9. Access Account - All

  3. Export Summary and Output Options

    1. Delimiter - Comma

    2. Include Column Headers

    3. CSV

    4. Surround “field values” in quotes

    5. File Name - Pathways_Contacts_Export

You will be sent a set of SFTP credentials from an EAI representative. Please SFTP the resulting report to us. We will verify receipt of the file, update the rostering of parents and students, and we will reach back out with a schedule to send us the file regularly.

Skyward Q

Download the Import files for your state (below) and then load/configure them in Skyward Q using the instructions below.

 

Indiana Import Files:

 

Texas Import Files:

Instructions:

Step 1: Download Import Files

Download your State-specific Pathways import files, below. The data files are:

Step 2: Load Import Files to Skyward Q:

  1. Log into Skyward Q. Then select the green menu. Go to Reporting, then Report Manager.

  2. Select Upload Reports and chose all downloaded Pathways import files.

  3. Finally, click Run Process to create the reports.

Step 3: Schedule and Configure SFTP:

Complete the following for each Pathways Import file.

  1. In Skyward Q, go back to Report Manager.

  2. Search for “Education Advanced” and click the Details button.

  3. Click Scheduled Reports then Add Scheduled Report.

  4. Enter a Report Name of your choice. Then enter of Start Time before 1am CST.

  5. Click on Save & Add Export Location.

  6. Enter the Skyward Q Report Name from the chart in Step 1, above. (ex. students.csv)

  7. Click Add FTP/SFTP Connection or search for your existing Pathways SFTP connection.

    1. Use the hostname and credentials provided by your Pathways DI Engineer to add a new SFTP connection in Skyward Q. Please click Test Connection before saving.

  8. Save and manually send the file. Then email your Pathways DI Engineer to notify them that the files have been sent.

See Skyward Q’s Technical Knowledge Base for more information on configuring data exports.

Skyward SMS

Download the Import files for your state (below) and then load/configure them in Skyward SMS using the instructions below.

 

Indiana Import Files:

 

Texas Import Files:

 

Instructions:

Step 1: Download the Pathways Import Files

Download the Import Files (above) for your State.

When completed, each Import File will generate the following Reports in Skyward SMS:

Step 2: Load Import Files to SkyBuild:

Follow these steps to load the Students and Course Crosswalk import files to SkyBuild.

  1. Log into Skyward SMS. Then go to the Administration tab and click Exports under SkyBuild.

  2. Select Export File Builder. Then click the Load Interfaces from File button.

  3. Select the Load Interface from File option. Then click Choose File.

  4. Locate the import file on your computer. Then click Import.

Include Headers?: Please Include headers for the Students export only. Do not include headers for the Course Crosswalk export.

Step 3: Load Import Files to Data Mining:

Follow these steps to load the Grades, GPA, and IBC (TX only) import files to Data Mining.