SAM Data Management Manual

Transcription

1 SAM Data Management Manual For use with Student Achievement Manager version 2.6 and later

2 Table of Contents Data Management Overview... 3 Roster Import... 4 Overview... 4 Automatic Account Creation During Roster Import... 4 Student Roster File Format... 6 Teacher and Administrator Roster File Format... 8 Importing the File Data Export Student Transfers Student Lexile Transfer Student Promotions Viewing Output Files Data Aggregation Overview District User IDs Version Compatibility Requirements The Aggregation Scheduler Aggregation Scheduler Home Screen Source Servers Screen Add Source Server Window Importing Source Servers From a CSV File The CSV File The Edit Source Server Screen The Schedule Aggregation Event Screen The Select Source Servers Screen The Select Programs Screen The Select Data Purge Options Screen The Confirm Aggregation Event Screen Backing Up and Restoring the Database Overview Backing Up Restoring a Database Data Migration Technical Support Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Table of Contents 2

3 Data Management Overview This manual covers data management in the Student Achievement Manager (SAM), formerly the Scholastic Achievement Manager, importing and exporting roster and performance data, moving data into SAM from other programs, and backing up the database. There are seven types of data management in SAM: Roster Import: Imports roster information for students, teachers, and administrators Data Export: Exports student roster and performance data from SAM into a CSV file, which may then be analyzed in other software, such as in Excel or a student information system (SIS) Student Transfers: Moves a student s roster and performance data from one SAM installation to another (if a student moves from one school to another, for example) Student Lexile Transfers: Copies a student s Lexile measure from one SAM installation to another, which may be helpful if the classroom has one SAM installation dedicated to Reading Inventory and another SAM installation dedicated to a product, such as READ 180, that uses Lexile measures Student Promotions: Promotes students at the end of the year and/or transfers them into another SAM installation, if applicable (for example, if they graduate elementary school and move to a middle school) Data Aggregation: Copies the database from several SAM installations onto one district-wide SAM installation, which may be used to facilitate district-wide reporting when several schools have their own SAM installations Backup: Makes a backup copy of the entire SAM database Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Management Overview 3

4 Roster Import Overview Student, teacher, and administrator rosters may be imported into SAM from a CSV file. This is especially helpful when student and teacher data is stored in an SIS system or in a spreadsheet program such as Excel. Rosters may be imported to create student, teacher, or administrator profiles or to overwrite existing roster data in the database. Backing up the database before proceeding with any file import is strongly recommended, since importing rosters modifies the database file. Only SAM users with administrative permissions may perform a roster import. NOTE: The instructions in this section may also be used to import other types of files: for example, a ZIP file as part of the Student Transfer, Student Lexile Transfer, Student Promotion, or Data Aggregation processes. For any of these import processes, simply begin with Step 2 of the import process. Automatic Account Creation During Roster Import District administrators, school administrators, and teachers with administrative permissions may use the Roster Import process to create classes and student accounts that will automatically appear in the SmartBar. This is the easiest way to avoid manual entry of accounts when setting up the SmartBar at the beginning of the school year. Students may be assigned to multiple classes or have their classes synchronized (their records added or removed from classes) during the import. Schools must exist in SAM prior to importing students for the import process to work. The import process creates classes within that school so that each imported student may be associated with the proper class on the SmartBar. If the necessary school name (SCHOOL_NAME) and class name (CLASS_NAME) are not included in the roster import CSV file, use the Manage Inactive Accounts function to place students in classes. The student data import process updates all student roster data, other than the SIS_ID, including the username and password. District User IDs may be generated automatically to non-student users during the import process. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Roster Import 4

5 To import a student, teacher, or administrator roster, first create a CSV file with the roster information. One CSV file may import student, teacher, or administrator roster information, but SAM cannot import students, teachers, or administrators from the same file. If there are any errors in a CSV roster import file (for either a student, teacher, or administrator), the record for the student, teacher, or administrator with that error will fail, but the rest of the import process will proceed as usual. In cases where one or more records cannot be imported, the Roster Import process generates two files in the original roster location: an error log ([filename]-errors- [timestamp].csv) and a CSV file that contains the records that could not be imported ([filename]-exceptions-[timestamp].csv). Open the error log and review the reasons why each problematic record failed to import, then open the CSV file, correct the records, and follow the steps to import a formatted CSV file. Only those files that contained problems are in the log and CSV file; non-problematic records have been imported. Single Sign-On (SSO) Both the student and teacher/administrator import files should include an External ID field if the district or school is using an external Single Sign-On (SSO) program, such as ADFS or Google Aps. Enter the third-party program s ID number in this field. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Roster Import 5

6 Student Roster File Format Shaded fields are required; other fields are optional. Field names in the roster import file must match the Column Heads as specified in this chart. Import fields that contain special characters (other than username and password) may prevent that record from displaying in SAM. Data Point Name/ Column Head Type Min length Max length Blanks mean Valid Characters USER_NAME Alphanumeric 1 20 Error "aa-zz", "0-9", "@", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore], [period] PASSWORD Alphanumeric 1 16 Blanks will default to "P@5sword" "aa-zz", "0-9", "@", "^", "~", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore], [period]. Must meet current minimum password requirements for installation. SIS_ID Alphanumeric 1 32 Error "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore] FIRST_NAME Alphanumeric 1 40 Error "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore] MIDDLE_NAME Alphanumeric 0 2 optional field "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore] LAST_NAME Alphanumeric 1 40 Error "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore] GRADE Alphanumeric Error PK, K, 1-12 SCHOOL_NAME Alphanumeric 1 50 optional field "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore] CLASS_NAME Alphanumeric 1 40 optional field "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore] Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Roster Import 6

7 Data Point Name/ Column Head Type Min length Max length Blanks mean Valid Characters LEXILE_SCORE Numeric 0 6 optional field to 2000 LEXILE_MOD_DATE Date [mm/dd/yyyy or yyyy-dd-mm] optional field 01/01/ Present ETHNIC_CAUCASIAN Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn ETHNIC_TWO_OR_ MORE_RACES Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn ETHNIC_AFRICAN_AM Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn ETHNIC_HISPANIC Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn ETHNIC_PACIFIC_ISL Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn ETHNIC_AM_IND_ AK_NATIVE Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn ETHNIC_ASIAN Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn GENDER_MALE Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn GENDER_FEMALE Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn AYP_ECON_ DISADVANTAGED AYP_LTD_ENGLISH_ PROFICIENCY AYP_GIFTED_ TALENTED Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn AYP_MIGRANT Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn AYP_WITH_DISABILITIES Alphanumeric 0 1 optional field Yy/Nn EXTERNAL_ID Alphanumeric optional field "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore], [period] LAST_COL Alphanumeric 1 1 error for files created in Excel 2003 any SAM version 2.6 contains two types of student password requirements: Grades Pre-K to 2: Passwords must contain between 3 and 16 characters and cannot be only the user s first or last name or a combination of the two. Grades 3 to 12: Passwords must contain between 6 and 16 characters, cannot be only the user s first or last name or a combination of the two, and must contain at least one uppercase and lowercase letter and one numeral. District administrators may change these requirements through the SAM Server Utility. Districts using Hosting Services should contact Technical Support (page 52) for help changing password requirements. Previously set passwords and requirements are unaffected. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Roster Import 7

8 Every record in the CSV import file must include all five required fields or that record will fail. The required fields are: SIS_ID FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME USER_NAME GRADE Depending on how the roster import file is set up, students will either appear in Inactive Accounts or in the SmartBar. If SCHOOL_NAME and CLASS_NAME are not included, students will appear in Inactive Accounts. If SCHOOL_NAME and CLASS_NAME are included and if that exact school already exists in the SmartBar, students will appear in the SmartBar associated with those schools and classes. If the CLASS_NAME does not exist in SAM, the class will be created within the existing school. Note that new classes created through the CSV import do not have a grade association, even though Grade is a required field for a class when creating it through SAM. Column headings for optional fields do not need to be included. Optional fields for some records may be kept blank, however: If an optional field is blank and data exists in the database for that SIS_ID, the existing data will remain; blank fields will not overwrite existing data. If nothing is entered for PASSWORD and the account does not already exist, the default will be P@5sword. If a duplicate USER_NAME already exists in the database, SAM will append digits to the imported USER_NAME to render it unique. Changed usernames will be reported at the end of the process. If LEXILE_SCORE is included, LEXILE_MOD_DATE must also be included. This measurewill replace the existing Lexile value for a student only if the LEXILE_MOD_DATE is more recent than that for the existing Lexile measure. The following is an example of a properly formatted CSV student roster import file; it includes each of the five required fields as well as Lexile measures and dates. The first row represents the column headers for the required fields plus Lexile measure and date. Student information is represented in successive rows after the headers. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Roster Import 8

9 Teacher and Administrator Roster File Format The Roster Import process may now be used to update all information in a teacher or administrator profile provided all District User IDs match. Shaded fields are required; other fields are optional. Teachers and administrators with records on more than one server in a school district must have usernames and District User ID numbers that match exactly, or their access to Interactive Teaching Services and the Training Zone will be disabled (access is re-enabled when the username and ID number are corrected). It is vital that two different users do not have the same District User IDs on the same server when performing an import. If two users have the same District User ID, the newer user is added to the Roster Import and the older user s account is overwritten. The District User ID must also be the same in the import file as the database, or a new account will be inadvertently created. Field names in the roster import file must match the Column Heads as specified in this chart. Import fields that contain special characters (other than username and password) may prevent that record from displaying in SAM. Data Point Name/ Column Head Type Min length Max length Blanks mean Valid Characters DISTRICT_USER_ID Alphanumeric Error "aa-zz", "0-9" SPS_ID Alphanumeric 1 None optional field "aa-zz", "0-9" PREFIX Alphanumeric 1 5 optional field "aa-zz", "0-9" FIRST_NAME Alphanumeric 1 40 Error "aa-zz", "0-9" LAST_NAME Alphanumeric 1 40 Error "aa-zz", "0-9" TITLE Alphanumeric 1 40 optional field "aa-zz", "0-9" SUFFIX Alphanumeric 1 5 optional field "aa-zz", "0-9", "." Alphanumeric 1 50 Error "aa-zz", "0-9", "@", [hyphen], [underscore] USER_NAME Alphanumeric 1 20 Error "aa-zz", "0-9", "@", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore], [period]. PASSWORD Alphanumeric 1 16 Blanks will default to "P@5sword" for a new user "aa-zz", "0-9", "@", "^", "~", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore]. Must meet current minimum password requirements for installation. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Roster Import 9

10 Data Point Name/ Column Head Type Min length Max length Blanks mean Valid Characters SCHOOL_NAME Alphanumeric 1 50 optional field "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore] CLASS_NAME Alphanumeric 1 40 optional field "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore] EXTERNAL_ID Alphanumeric optional field "aa-zz", "0-9", [apostrophe], [hyphen], [space], [underscore] LAST_COL Alphanumeric 1 1 error for files created in Excel 2003 any School Name is not required for teachers or district administrators. It is required for school administrators. School name and class are not required fields for teacher and administrator imports; however, if these fields are blank, teacher or administrator profiles will move to Inactive Accounts. SAM teacher and administrator passwords must contain between 8 and 16 characters and cannot be only the user s first or last name or combination of the two. Passwords must contain at least one uppercase and one lowercase letter, and one numeral. District administrators may change these requirements through the SAM Server Utility. Districts using Hosting Services should contact Technical Support (page 52) for help changing password defaults. Column headings for optional fields do not need to be included. Optional fields for some records may be kept blank, however: If an optional field is left blank in the CSV file and data already exists in the database for that District User ID, the existing data will remain as is; blank fields will not overwrite existing data. If nothing is entered for PASSWORD in the CSV file and the account does not already exist, the default will be P@5sword. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Roster Import 10

11 Importing the File When the roster import file is created, import the roster: 1. Double-click My District at the top of the SmartBar or click the Roster tab at the district level to access the district s Profile screen. 2. In the Advanced Settings menu in the lower right corner, click the Import link if importing students (or importing a file other than a roster import file), the Import Teachers link if importing teachers, or the Import Admins link if importing administrators. These links open the Select a File to Import screen. 3. On the Select a File to Import screen, enter the roster import file name or click the Browse button (or the Choose File button on a Macintosh) to select the roster import file. After selecting the file, click the Next button to open the Import Student (or Teacher) Roster Data screen. To see a template of the CSV file, click CSV Template. To view and select a roster import file on the SAM Server, click View Server Files. Select the file to import and click Next. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Roster Import 11

12 4. At the Roster Import screen, select the import mode: Add Students to SAM and Classes: This will import records, update profile data based on the first instance of a record, and add students to classes listed in all instances. Synchronize Student Classes: This will import records, update profile data based on the information in the first instance of a record, add students to classes listed in all instances, and remove students from classes not listed in the file. 5. Click Back to review and verify the name of the file or select a new file. Click Import to import the file. When the import has started, the Processing Request screen appears. When the import is finished, a notification will appear in the SAM Home screen. Click Close to close this screen. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Roster Import 12

13 Data Export SAM users may export student roster and performance data (CSV files) for use in other software programs, such as Microsoft Excel or a student information system (SIS). Only a SAM user with administrative permissions may perform this function. To export data for use in a different application: 1. Double-click My District at the top of the SmartBar or click the Roster tab at the district level to access the district s Profile screen. 2. Click the Export link from the Advanced Settings menu in the lower right corner of the screen to open the Export Wizard in a new browser window. 3. Click the button to select Export CSV Roster Data, and click Next to open the Select Students screen. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Export 13

14 4. Use the pull-down menu to select the school, teacher, and classes for which the data will be exported. Click Next to continue. The Filter Selection screen will appear. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Export 14

15 5. Click the checkboxes to select the classes whose data will be exported. To select all classes, click the checkbox at the top of the column. To change choices, use the Back button to return to the Filter Selection screen. If satisfied with the choices, click Next. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Export 15

16 6. Click the checkboxes to select the students whose data will be exported. To select all students, click the checkbox at the top of the column. To change choices, use the Back button to return to the Filter Selection screen. If satisfied with the choices, click Next. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Export 16

17 7. Use the pull-down menu to select an existing time period or enter a start date and an end date. To change choices, use the Back button to return to the Filter Selection screen. If satisfied with the choices, click Next. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Export 17

18 8. Click the boxes to select which programs to export data from. The data points to be exported are displayed in parentheses next to the program. Click the + button next to the program name to drill down through the data points and select or deselect individual points. Note that some versions of Microsoft Excel are limited to 256 columns; if the number of data points exceeds this, some columns will not be displayed in that application, though all of the data will be contained in the CSV file. When all selections are made, click Export. 9. The Processing Request screen opens and the export request will begin to process. Close the browser window to return to SAM. A notification will appear in the Message Center on the Home screen when the export file is ready. Exporting a large file may take some time. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Export 18

19 Access the file by clicking the Show Me link in the Message Center. This opens a new browser window. From this window the file can be saved to a specific location or to portable media, such as a flash drive or CD-ROM. Selected datapoints are available for both local and hosted installations, and may be selected individually. SAM Server (profile) data may be excluded when exporting application data, which may be useful if exporting to a target where students should be anonymous. However, this may also render product data unidentifiable, depending on the datapoints selected. Check with Technical Support at with any questions or concerns. For repetitive datapoints, such as tests or topics, de-selecting one will exclude it for each of the repeating sets. As noted in Step 8, a running total of the selected datapoints is displayed at the bottom of the screen, with a warning if the total exceeds 256. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Export 19

20 Student Transfers If a student transfers from one school to another, the student s data may be transferred out of one SAM installation and into another SAM installation. The Student Transfer process removes all performance records (including READ 180 Success Zone and System 44 Success Strand fluency recordings) from the student s current school and prepares a file that may be used to import that student s data into another SAM database. Students who are transferred are deleted from their existing SAM database. The Student Transfer export helps teachers or administrators who aggregate data across several SAM installations maintain clean databases for aggregation. Otherwise, the same student might exist in more than one SAM installation in the district. To export data for transfer: 1. Perform a database backup before exporting any files. 2. Double-click My District at the top of the SmartBar or click the Roster tab at the district level to access the district s Profile screen. 3. Click the Export link from the Advanced Settings menu in the lower right corner of the screen to open the Export Wizard in a new browser window. 4. Click the Transfer Data button and click Next to open the Select Students screen. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Transfers 20

21 5. Use the pull-down menus to select the school, teacher, and class whose data is to be exported. Click Next to open the Filter Selection screen. 6. Click the checkboxes to select those students to transfer out of this SAM installation. Click Next to open the Confirm Selection screen. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Transfers 21

22 7. To change choices, use the Back button to return to the Filter Selection screen. If satisfied with the choices, click Export to continue. A notification will appear in the Message Center on the SAM Home screen when the export file is ready. Larger files will take more time. Access the file by clicking the Show Me link in the Message Center. This opens a new browser window. From this window the ZIP file may be saved to a specific location or to portable media, such as a flash drive. Use it to import student data into the new SAM installation. See the Roster Import section (page 4) for instructions on how to import the student transfer file into another SAM installation. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Transfers 22

23 Student Lexile Transfer Many schools have separate SAM installations for Reading Inventory and other applications, such as READ 180 or iread, that use Lexile measures to determine student placement. This may require transferring a student s Reading Inventory test measure from one SAM installation to another. The Student Lexile Transfer process only transfers the most recent Lexile measure, not all of the student s Lexile measures. The Lexile Export function may transfer a Lexile measure into a SAM installation that does not have Reading Inventory installed. NOTE: Unlike the Student Transfer process, the Student Lexile Transfer process does not remove student profile or performance data from the current SAM installation. It copies the student s Lexile measure to another SAM installation. To export Lexile measures: 1. Double-click My District at the top of the SmartBar or click the Roster tab at the district level to access the district s Profile screen. 2. Click the Export link from the Advanced Settings menu to open the Export Wizard in a separate browser window. 3. Click the Export RI Lexile Data button and click Next. The Select Students screen will display. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Lexile Transfers 23

24 4. Use the pull-down menus to select the school, teacher, and class that contain the student or group of students whose data is to be exported. Click Next to open the Filter Selection screen. 5. Click the checkboxes to select those students whose Lexile measures are to be exported. Click Next to open the Confirm Selection screen. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Lexile Transfers 24

25 6. To change the choices, use the Back button to return to the Filter Selection screen. Click Export to continue. The Processing Request screen appears and the export request begins. Close the browser window to return to SAM. A notification will appear in the Message Center when the export file is ready. This may take some time if exporting a large file. Save this exported ZIP file to retrieve it for later use. Click the link in the Message Center to open the Show Me screen. From here the file may be saved to a specific location on the hard drive or on portable media, such as a flash drive or CD-ROM. See the Roster Import section (page 4) for instructions on how to import the student Lexile transfer file into another SAM installation. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Lexile Transfers 25

26 Student Promotions The Manage Student Promotions Wizard is a convenient way to promote large groups of students from one grade to the next in preparation for a new school year. This function allows administrators to perform one or more of the following tasks: Promote students: This option promotes students a single grade while leaving them in their current classes in the SmartBar. Remove students from all of their current classes: This option removes students from the SmartBar but leaves them in the SAM installation, accessible with the Manage Inactive Accounts function. This choice automatically creates a CSV file that makes it easy to edit the grade and class names in Excel or a similar spreadsheet program. Using the Automatic Account Creation process (described in the Roster Import section), SAM places the promoted students into new classes. Remove students from the SAM installation: This option removes students from the current SAM database and prepares a transfer file to move students to a different SAM installation. The wizard creates either one file for each student or a single file with all students being removed at a given time. Use these files to transfer students to another SAM installation. As always, backing up the SAM database before using the Manage Student Promotions Wizard is strongly recommended. When using the wizard, click Next to save selections and display the next screen, click Back to review and change previous selections, and click Cancel to close the wizard browser window without saving any changes. NOTE: Do not perform any student promotions while the SAM database is in use. Only run student promotions when no other users are logged into SAM. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Promotions 26

27 To use the Manage Student Promotions Wizard: 1. Double-click My District at the top of the SmartBar or click the Roster tab at the district level to access the district s Profile screen. 2. Click the Manage Student Promotions link in the Advanced Settings menu in the lower right corner of the screen to open the Manage Student Promotions Wizard. 3. Click Next to begin promoting students. This opens the Select Students screen. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Promotions 27

28 4. Use the pull-down menu to choose a school, and then use the buttons to select By Class or By Grade. Use the checkboxes to select the grade(s) or class(es) with students for promotion. After making the selections, click Next to open the Select Promotions screen. This screen displays a list of all students available for promotion based on the previous selections. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Promotions 28

29 5. Click column heads in the Select Promotions screen to sort the data based on that category. Check the boxes to choose which students to promote, remove from classes, or remove from SAM. Then click Next. The available options are: Promoted: Students advance to the next grade but remain in their classes on the SmartBar. Combining this choice with the Remove From Classes option removes students from classes as well. Remove From Classes: Students no longer appear in the SmartBar associated with any classes and are unenrolled from programs, freeing up licenses associated with the students. Student accounts may still be accessed using the Manage Inactive Accounts function, and a CSV file is automatically created to facilitate placement of those students in new schools and classes. Use the View Output Files link to access the CSV file. Remove From SAM: Students accounts are removed from the SAM database and included in a SAM transfer file (ZIP) so they may be imported into different SAM installations. Students removed from SAM are also removed from the SmartBar and unenrolled from programs, freeing up licenses associated with those students. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Promotions 29

30 6. Selecting a student for promotion who was promoted within the last six months prompts a warning screen. Click the boxes to deselect any students who should not be promoted again, then click Next to proceed. 7. Promoting students into a grade not in the existing SAM installation prompts a warning screen. Click the checkboxes to deselect the students who are not being promoted out of the database; deselected students will be moved to Inactive Accounts, and students who remain selected will be removed from SAM. Click Next to proceed. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Promotions 30

31 8. Confirm whether to remove students completely from this SAM installation. Students removed from SAM are included in a transfer file that may be used at a later date to import their records into an appropriate SAM installation. Click checkboxes for any students not to be removed completely from the SAM installation. These deselected students are removed from the SmartBar and moved to Inactive Accounts. Click Next to advance to the next screen. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Promotions 31

32 9. The Choose Output File screen allows users to create either a collective transfer file for all students (for example, if students are going to the same school) or individual files for each student (if students may be going to different schools). Click the button to select which type of file to create. Click Next to open the Review and Confirm Selections screen. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Promotions 32

33 10. Verify the information on the Review and Confirm Selections screen. Click the Back button to return to any screen and make changes. When satisfied, click Finish to complete the Student Promotion process. If the records of promoted students need to be imported into another SAM installation, check the Message Center or the View Output Files to access the ZIP file containing these records. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Promotions 33

34 Viewing Output Files SAM saves all output files created during data activities such as exports, student promotions, or backups. To access these output files, use the View Output Files link in the Advanced Settings menu on the district s Profile screen. Click this link to open a browser window listing the output files created by activities such as exports, student promotions, and backups. For CSV types, select All Files in the Save As Type pull-down menu and change the file suffix to CSV; otherwise, the file will be saved as an HTML file. Then right-click the filename link of the desired file and select Save Link As from the menu to open a Save As dialog box to save the file to a specific location. For ZIP files, click the filename link to open a Save As dialog box. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Student Promotions 34

35 Data Aggregation Overview Data Aggregation is the process of transferring and aggregating data from more than one SAM installation onto a separate SAM Server for district-wide reporting purposes. Aggregation servers are usually set up at a district office and connected to each school-based SAM installation. Data is transferred at a set scheduled time. Setting up the data aggregation server is a one-time operation. District User IDs The District User ID is the key field for matching teacher and administrator accounts in an aggregation import. It is vital that two different users do not have the same District User ID on the same server when performing an aggregation. If there are two users with the same District User ID, the older account will be overwritten on the aggregation server. Version Compatibility Requirements To aggregate data, the same versions of SAM must be running on the application servers (which generate the aggregation file) and the aggregation server. To check version information, open the System Information screen by clicking the Connected to [server name] link at the bottom of the SAM Home screen. Each database to be aggregated appears on the aggregation server as part of a single district. Because of this, do not aggregate data from more than one district at a time. If the same school name exists on different SAM installations, SAM adds a number to the school name to distinguish the different sources. For example: Lincoln HS1, Lincoln HS2, etc. This change only takes place on the aggregation server; it has no effect on the source data. The same rule applies for students, classes, and groups. SAM aggregates data based on student IDs. If there is a student who has data from the same program on two separate databases, the data imported last onto the aggregation server is the data that will appear in the aggregation database. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 35

36 The Aggregation Scheduler The aggregation server may be set up to manage the entire aggregation process automatically. The aggregation server may be set to: Specify which source servers to include in an aggregation event Determine when the process should start Decide if the process should repeat at regular intervals To schedule an aggregation event: 1. Double-click My District at the top of the SmartBar or click the Roster tab at the district level to access the district s Profile screen. 2. Click the Aggregation Scheduler link in the Advanced Settings menu in the lower right corner of the screen to open the Aggregation Scheduler in a separate browser window. 3. Add source servers to the source servers list, if necessary. 4. Schedule the time and frequency of the aggregation event on the Scheduler screen. 5. Select the source servers to include in the aggregation event. 6. Select which programs to include in the aggregation event. 7. Select whether or not to purge data for the aggregation event. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 36

37 Aggregation Scheduler Home Screen If there are no aggregation events scheduled, this screen presents two options: Source Servers: Saves information for source servers to include in an aggregation event. Clicking this button opens the Source Servers screen. Source servers are the SAM installations from which the data aggregation server draws its data. Scheduler: Sets up when and how often the aggregation event will occur. Clicking this button opens the Schedule Aggregation Event screen. Tasks available on the Home screen vary according to past actions: Setting up an aggregation event for the first time requires setting up the source servers first. If the source servers are set up, access the source servers or the Scheduler from this screen. If an aggregation event is currently scheduled, clicking the Remove Event button cancels the scheduled aggregation event. NOTE: Clicking the Remove Event button opens the Confirm Aggregation Event screen, displaying instructions on how to confirm canceling the scheduled event. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 37

38 Source Servers Screen The Source Servers screen displays the servers that may be included in an aggregation event. Not all servers listed here will necessarily be included in an aggregation event. The screen also allows users to add, edit, or delete servers from this list: To add a new server, click the Add Source button. This opens the Add Source Server screen. To edit an existing server, click the Edit button for that server to open the Edit Source Server screen. To delete an existing server, click the Delete button for that server to open a confirmation window. The Home and Scheduler buttons at the bottom of the screen move directly to the Home screen or the Scheduler screen. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 38

39 The Source Servers screen displays the IP address of the aggregation server beneath the list of source servers. The aggregation server stores this address to enhance the security of the aggregation server and source servers connection. To prevent unauthorized access to a source server, use the Edit District Profile screen in SAM. Enter the IP address of the aggregation server that is allowed to access that source server. Subsequently, any attempt to access the source server must come from that aggregation server or the source server will reject the connection. To edit the aggregation server IP address, click the Edit button next to the existing aggregation server IP address. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 39

40 Add Source Server Window The Add Source Server screen allows users to add the required data for a source server. To add a source server, enter the Name, IP/Server Name, and Port, then click the Test button. All three fields are required: Name: This nickname is unique to the aggregation scheduler process and has no relationship to any name on the source server itself. Use this name as a reference rather than the more cumbersome IP address. IP/Server Name: This is the IP address or server name of the source server. It must match the IP address or server name on the source server or the aggregation server will not make a connection. Port: This is the port on the source server that allows the connection from the aggregation server. This will default to If the aggregation server makes a successful connection to the source server, the system displays Test Successful. If the aggregation server cannot make a successful connection to the source server, the system displays Test Failed. The source server information is saved regardless of whether or not the test is successful. Click Save to save the data and return to the Source Servers screen, or click Add Another to save the data and open a new Add Source Server screen to enter information for another server. To import all source server data in one batch, click the Import button. To cancel the entered information, click Cancel to return to the Source Servers screen and not save any data entered. The required information may also be imported from a CSV file. Click Import to open the Select a File screen to begin this process. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 40

41 Importing Source Servers From a CSV File To choose a file to import from the Select a File screen: 1. Click the Browse button (or the Choose File button on a Macintosh) to open a window from which to select the file to import. 2. After selecting the file, click Next to have the data from the selected file written to the database. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 41

42 The CSV File The source server import file must be in the proper format. Each field in the file is required: NAME (the nickname) IP_ADDRESS PORT The IP_ADDRESS may be either a numerical IP address or an alpha-numeric server name. If the IP_ADDRESS in the import file matches an existing IP address in the database, the data in the import file will overwrite the data in the database for that IP address. Below is an example of a valid CSV source server import file: NAME,IP_ADDRESS,PORT Bayerville High School, ,55880 Somerset High School, ,55880 Morrison Junior High School, ,55880 Eagleton Junior High School, ,55880 Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 42

43 The Edit Source Server Screen Clicking the Edit button on the Source Server screen opens the Edit Source Server screen. The existing server data is on the screen when it opens. To edit the data, change any of the entries for Name, IP/Server Name, or Port, then click the Test button. All three fields are required: Name: This nickname is unique to the aggregation scheduler process and has no relationship to any name on the source server itself. Use this name as a reference rather than the more cumbersome IP address. IP/Server Name: This is the IP address or server name of the source server. It must match the IP address or server name on the source server or the aggregation server will not make a connection. Port: This is the port on the source server that allows the connection from the aggregation server. This defaults to If the aggregation server makes a successful connection to the source server, the system displays the message Test Successful. If the aggregation server cannot make a successful connection to the source server, the system displays the message Test Failed. Source server information is saved regardless of whether the test is successful. Click the Save button to save the information entered and return to the Source Servers screen, or click Cancel to return to the Source Servers screen without saving the entered data. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 43

44 The Schedule Aggregation Event Screen Use the Schedule Aggregation Event screen to choose the time, date, and frequency of the scheduled aggregation event. Time: Set the hour and minute and choose AM or PM from the pull-down menu to set the time of the aggregation event. Date: Enter the date in the text field or select the date from the calendar. The date must be in MM/DD/YYYY format. Frequency: Choose how frequently the event occurs: Now (as soon as choices are confirmed), One-time Only, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 44

45 The Select Source Servers Screen Choose which source servers to include in the current aggregation event from the Select Source Servers screen. The list includes every server entered in the Source Servers screen. Click the box next to the server to include that server in the aggregation event, or click the box in the column heading to select all servers. Click a column heading to sort the data. NOTE: The aggregation process copies every student from the source servers, except for students deleted from Inactive Accounts. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 45

46 The Select Programs Screen Choose which programs to include in the aggregation event from the Select Programs screen. The list includes every program installed on the aggregation server. Click the box next to the program to include it in the aggregation event, or click the box in the column heading to include all programs. Click a column heading to sort the program list. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 46

47 The Select Data Purge Options Screen To purge data on the aggregation server prior to an aggregation event, use the Select Data Purge Options screen. The default setting is Purge data. Purging data does not delete the entire database; rather, it deletes only the data necessary to perform a new aggregation. Purging data is recommended, except in rare instances (such as if data from some source servers have been aggregated and now data from additional servers must be aggregated). It is important to purge data from the database before importing new data from source servers; otherwise the newly imported data will merge with existing data and render the aggregation server inaccurate. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 47

48 The Confirm Aggregation Event Screen The Confirm Aggregation Event screen displays all the choices for the aggregation event: Source servers to be included Programs to be included Schedule and frequency Data purge option Click Finish to schedule the aggregation event and return to the SAM Home screen, or click Back to review and change previous selections. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Data Aggregation 48

49 Backing Up and Restoring the Database Overview Any database that contains regularly updated information should be regularly backed up, either at the district or school level. A SAM backup saves a record of the entire database at a given moment. These system backups should ideally be saved onto portable media and stored off-site. NOTE: It is good practice to use third-party backup software to back up the entire SAM Server hard drive. Using third-party backup software requires stopping the ScholasticMySQL and ScholasticJBoss services for the duration of the backup. Backing Up Only a user with administrator permissions may back up the database. Use the backup utility in SAM to schedule when to perform the backup. As it is not possible to successfully back up the program while anyone is using SAM or any program, schedule the backup for after-school hours. When the district administrator logs in to SAM for the first time, SAM will remind the administrator to schedule a backup. The Schedule Backup screen (page 50) may be accessed directly from this reminder screen. To back up the database: 1. Double-click My District at the top of the SmartBar or click the Roster tab at the district level to access the district s Profile screen. 2. Click the Backup link in the Advanced Settings menu in the lower right corner of the screen to open the Backup Wizard in a separate browser window. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Backing Up and Restoring The Database 49

50 3. Use the Schedule Backup screen to choose the time, date, and frequency of the scheduled aggregation event. Use the Time pull-down menus to set the hour and minute of the backup event. Use the Date field or the calendar to select the date (NOTE: The date must be in MM/DD/YYYY format.) Select a Frequency button to choose how frequently the event occurs: Now (as soon as choices are confirmed), One-time Only, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. Click Next to open a Confirmation screen. 4. Click Back to change the schedule, or click Export to finish the scheduling. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Backing Up and Restoring The Database 50

51 A notification will appear in the Message Center on the SAM Home screen when the backup is finished. Close the window to return to SAM; then access the backup ZIP file by clicking the Show Me link in the Message Center. By default, backups are saved to the following location: HMHEE\SAM_Server\jboss\server\lycea\deploy\sam-download.war Use the SAM Server Utility to choose a location to save a second copy of the backup file. The SAM Server Utility may also be used to perform a one-time database backup. Contact Product Support for more information. Restoring a Database Restore the SAM database using the Enterprise Edition Database Restore Utility. Contact Product Support for more information. WARNING: Restoring a database overwrites the current database. This function should only be performed by the School or District Technical Coordinator and only if the current database is lost or corrupted. Also, the database backup file may only be restored to a server running the same version of SAM; i.e., a SAM version 1.1 database cannot be restored to a SAM version 1.2 installation. Data Migration Data Migration is no longer available though SAM. To migrate data from a Student Management System (SMS) or student information system (SIS) installation into SAM, contact Technical Support at Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Backing Up and Restoring The Database 51

52 Technical Support For questions or other support needs, visit the Student Achievement Manager Product Support website at: At the site, users will find program documentation, manuals, and guides, as well as Frequently Asked Questions and live chat support. For specific questions regarding the SAM, contact customer service to speak to a representative at: For specific questions about using SAM and SAM Suite programs, click Help in the Quick Links section along the top of any screen in SAM. Student Achievement Manager v2.6 Updated Technical Support 52