Last school year, we recorded attendance data in a spreadsheet for several months due to COVID. What is the quickest and most efficient way to enter 3 months worth of data for 500 students?
PowerSchool has an import template that you can use to import attendance. See attached below. Or download it here:
Just be mindful of the dates you are entering. Because you are dealing with attendance I would try to import only a few records first and then make sure the results are as you expect before you import the rest.
Doug Skinner
District Instructional Data Officer
Gateway Regional School District
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Thanks Doug.
I'm at a novice level with this. Do you have a step by step on how to complete and then upload? I haven't uploaded a template before.
Your help is much appreciated!
You wouldn't be uploading it as a template...It would just be populating the spreadsheet with the required fields.
So if you open the file I sent you, and click the Daily Attendance tab at the bottom you get the following:
1. Make sure each record has a Student_Number, Att_Date, and ATT_Code
2. When you are ready to import, delete Rows 2-5 and Column A so it just shows the headers and the records.
3. Save it as a .txt file this will remind you that it can only save the active sheet so you don't have to worry about the other template tabs.
4. Go to PowerSchool
5. Go to: Start Page > Special Functions > Importing & Exporting > Quick Import
6. On the Quick import page select the Attendance table:
7. Attach the file you saved.
8. Check the box to Suggest Field Map
9. Click Import
10. The next page should list the fields that are mapped to the file you are importing.
11. Check to exclude the first row (this isn't necessary but avoids the inevitable error message that the 1st row will throw b/c it's the headers).
12. I would hesitate to check the box to Overwrite existing attendance unless you are positive the changes you are making are 100% accurate and you feel confident overwriting existing data.
13. Select your attendance mode, I would assume this would just be Daily attendance here.
14. Then Submit.
Again I would just attempt this with a few records at first to make sure you get the expected results.
Doug Skinner
District Instructional Data Officer
Gateway Regional School District
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Thanks for this. Our daily attendance is recorded during the first period of the day. Do I need an extra column to specify the period ID?
If you are doing daily attendance and not meeting attendance you do not need the expression. Meeting attendance uploads do require a period column...There is another tab on the Core Import template for meeting attendance.
Doug Skinner
District Instructional Data Officer
Gateway Regional School District
Did your issue get solved? Please remember to give Kudos and/or select Accept As Solution on the helpful posts to thank the author and to help others find the solution.