November 5th and 6th, 2007 Creating Custom Screens & Fields
A quick preview of what we ll cover. 2
What information do you need to keep track of? Immunization New Student Enrollments Storm Home Data A computer inventory Information for your Business Manager Transportation Medical Information Web Access Media Release Information Credit Inquiries &/or Graduation INFO. DPI data A quick registration form It is important to make sure the fields don t already exist!
Don t forget your staff License Numbers Type of License Licensure Renewal Summer Address Information Cell Phone Numbers Program Approval Other Supervisor Activities
Things to consider before you start Only one person should create custom fields. They need to make sense! Organize them and think it through. Cannot have spaces. Should NOT be similar to another field name.
Where to add custom fields/screens Start Page > System Administrator > Custom Fields/Screens
How to add a custom field Start Page > System Administrator > Custom Fields/Screens 1) Click on Student Fields. 2) The new student field page then appears. 3) Enter the Field Name and the Description. 7
How to edit a custom field Start Page > System Administrator > Custom Fields/Screens 1) Locate the student screens field by following the path listed above. 2) Click on the name of the field you want to edit (it s in blue). 3) Make the necessary changes to the field (name and/or description). 4) Click submit for the changes to take effect. 8
How to delete a custom field Start Page > System Administrator > Custom Fields/Screens 1) Navigate to the Custom Screens and Fields page (path is above.) 2) Click on the name of the field you want to delete (in blue). 3) Select the checkbox to confirm you want to delete the field, if you don t select it, the field will NOT be deleted. 4) Wait until the page confirming the field has been deleted to proceed. NOTE: If the custom field is on a page, you must also manually modify the custom screen. 9
Input Type or What kind of Fields? The user enters free text. (a single line) A field you cannot change. A box the user clicks on to select. A menu the user can select a specific value from. A circular button the user can click to select. A user can enter multiple lines of free text.
What do they look like on the screen? 11
How many fields can you create? PowerSchool supports 999 custom fields, the total number includes Custom Fields / Screens, State Specific, and Activity Fields. In addition to the total number of fields in the Students table. Where are these custom fields stored? Start Page > System Administrator > Direct Database Export (DDE) 12
The Dummy_Field... Why create one and what can it be used for? 13
Exporting your Custom Screens.. Start Page > System Administrator > Custom Fields / Screens > Custom Student Screens Two common reasons for exporting a custom screen are to share the custom screen with others, and to save to a folder as a backup ensuring your work will not be lost. How to export the custom screen of your choice. 1) Select System from the Main Menu on your start page. 2) Click on Custom Fields/Screens. 3) Click on Student or Staff Custom Screens. 4) Click EDIT FIELDS next to the screen that you want to export as a template. 5) Click Export this screen as a template located a the bottom of the page. 6) Save File as... OR Save this file to disk... 14
Importing Custom Screens.. Don t reinvent the wheel, work with another PowerSchool administrator or school district and share your custom screens. How to import the custom screen of your choice. 1) Select System from the Main Menu on your start page. 2) Click on Import a Report Template. 3) Click on CHOOSE FILE. 4) Browse your Hard Drive to find the template (A.pst file). 5) Select the file location, and click CHOOSE. 6) Then Click IMPORT. 15
2 ways to see the fields you ve created... In the DDE Go HERE> System>DDE(Direct Database Export)> Students Table The Field List 16
How do these customizations empower your PowerSchool database... Add to the collection of potential information you can generate Become more data driven Keep all of your data in one place for all users You can limit who sees them, or could be for your eyes only Better documentation of student and staff information 17