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Exporting Data

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Exporting Data

PowerSchool offers the following functions for exporting data:

Users can select any student field and any related table data where there is a one-to-one relationship between the Students table.


Export Functions

Working With List Student

  • Provides a two column list with specified data
  • Allows user to:
    • Create Report Title
    • Select individual student fields to display
    • Enter Column Headers for selected fields
    • Utilize DATS to obtain specific data
    • Format cell padding
    • Add additional rows between student records
    • Include gridlines
    • Sort by selected fields (up to 3)
  • Is limited to 15 fields
  • Note- Omit the caret (^) and parenthesis within a List Student Report/Export


Building a Report or Export File

  1. Select data
  2. Click on Group Functions drop down arrow in bottom right hand corner of current student selection window
  3. Locate and click on List Students
  4. Enter Report Title
  5. Enter or select Field Name(s) to retrieve
  6. Enter Column Title Name for selected field name
  7. Enter desired Cell Padding
  8. Enter # of rows between breaks
  9. Select if report should have gridelines and/or be exported
  10. Select sort by field names and comparator
  11. Click Submit

Using DAT's in List Student

Name Code Description
Age *age Displays student current age
Days in Attendance *DA

*DABS;Q1
Displays number of days student has been in attendance for the current school year

Displays number of days student has been absent for Q1
Student Photo studentphoto Displays the students photo

Note:Photo size cannot be adjusted
Specific Period Information *period_info;2(A);teacher_name

*period_info;2(A);room

*period_info;2(A);course_name
Displays teachers name for specified period

Displays room number for specified period

Displays course name for specified period

Formatting in List Student

Name Code Description
Combining Fields *evaluate "city,state,zip" Displays city, state, and zip within one report column, on the same line
Field Concatenation First_name) ~(Last_Name Displays the First Name and Last Name field within one report column
Count *count Renders a numbered list

Note: can only be used in List Students Function

Exporting Using a Pre-Built Template

An export template can be used for frequently exporting the same data sets.

Export Using Templates can:

  • Export out a simple text tab-delimited file of the most commonly used columns
  • Export fixed width columns used for importing into other systems where data is required to be in a specific format
  • Export Templates for Students, Courses, Student Schedules, Staff, and Historical Grades data sets
  • Note - Brackets [ ] are required when using Decode DATs


Creating an Export Template:

  • Select Special Functions > Importing & Exporting > Templates for Exporting
  • Click New
  • Name the Template
  • Select the type of data set to export
  • Select delimited or fixed-field length (default is Delimited)
  • Select the field delimiter and whether to surround field values with quotes (default is Tab)
  • Select the End-of-line (record) delimiter (default is CR)
  • Select whether or not to put column titles on first row
  • Click Submit


Selecting the Template Fields:

Fields (columns) must be added to a Template once created

  • Click on the 0 beneath the "# of Columns" for the desired template
  • Click on New
  • Enter the Column Header Name
  • Enter the field name or DAT used to retrieve the desired data
  • If no data is retrieved enter a default value for field if desired
  • Enter Column Sort Order
  • Enter Width of Column, if a fixed width is required, otherwise leave blank
  • Select Alignment
  • Click on Submit

Using Quick Export

Provides the same functionality as List Students plus:

  • Exporting of fields from related student tables
    • Format: [table name or number]Field Name
  • Parameters can be used to create a more detailed list
  • Data Access Tags (DATs) can be used to retrieve data from related tables
  • Selection of field and record delimiters
  • Include or not include column titles on the 1st row
  • Surrounding of fields in double quotations

3 Things to Remember When in DDE and DDA

  1. DDE/DDA is not limited to only active students. Considering such, enroll_status may also need to be included within a query.

    The following Enroll_Status assigned values can be used:
    • -1 Pre-Registered
    • 0 Active
    • 1 Inactive
    • 2 Transferred Out
    • 3 Graduated
    • 4 Imported as Historical
  2. DDE/DDA is not limited by school. All records within a table are searched and returned if they meet the specifications applied. Values contained within the Schoolid field can be used to identify and or limit records by individual schools.
    • School Ids can be found by navigating to District Setup > Schools/School Info from the Start Page
    • The "Search only in records belonging to "specific school name" check box can be activated to include only records belonging to the school chosen in the school filter
  3. DDE/DDA is not limited to current year records. Yearid or termid may need to be included within queries.
    • Yearid and termid can be obtained from the Start Page > School > Year & Terms > Edit Terms > Click on Desired Term


Working with DDE

DDE can be used to:

  • Filter and view specific records in a single or multiple tables
  • Create an export file
  • Mine data in a safe place

It also:

  • Can be accessed from the Start Page > System Menu
  • Provides access to the entire database, active and inactive students
  • Provides only read and export options
  • Uses Role Administration security like Data Export Manager to access common tables

Note - Custom fields cannot be searched or filtered within DDE or DDA

Working with DDA

DDA is used to:

  • Filter and view specific records in a table
  • Create an export file using all records link
  • Change and/or delete records

It also:

  • Provides access to the entire database, active and inactive students
  • Uses Role Administration security like Data Export Manger to access common tables
  • Can be a dangerous place as users with access can modify and delete data

Building a Search

Note - Custom fields cannot be searched or filtered within DDE and DDA

  1. Select a table to search
  2. Choose a field to filter on in the first menu
  3. Select a comparator from the second menu
    • Equals (=)
    • Does Not Equal (#)
    • Contains (contains)
    • Does Not Contain (!contain)
    • Less Than (<)
    • Greater Than (>)
    • Less Than or Equal To (<=)
    • Greater Than or Equal To (>=)
  4. Enter the search criteria in the third box
  5. Search all records or within

Exporting Data:

  1. Click on the Export Data link to create the export
  2. Select the fields to export by using the dropdown menu, if choosing fields from the current table, or manually enter the field names.
  3. When pulling fields from a related table, use the table name or table number, surrounded by square brackets [], in front of the field name
  4. Select field and record delimiters
  5. Select to surround fields and/or include column titles on the 1st row
  6. Select whether to export the DCID number (could be helpful if using export to later export data into a database extended table)
  7. Enter any sorting filed name options
  8. Submit

Matched Selection

Matched Selection allows for the filtering of records between two tables.

A selection of records is created from one table then matched with records with another selection in a related table.

Things to Remember:

  • Match Selection cannot be used between all tables
  • A distinct primary/foreign key relationship must exist between both tables

Four Steps in a Matched Selection

  1. Search and select the Who records
  2. Change to the table containing the What records and select ALL Records
  3. Click on Match Selection to select the Who records table
  4. Filter the records by the pertinent criteria to get the selection of records to export

Note - If PowerSchool cannot find a relationship, the following message will appear: No relation exists between these tables.

Exporting Using Data Export Manager


PowerSchool's Data Export Manager can be used to export data from PowerSchool tables, database extensions, and PowerSchool data sets into a test file. This function may be performed at the school or district level and may be performed for a student or staff selection.

Things to Remember:

  • Information displays based on a user's security permissions
    • Only data sources for which a user has "export access" to all required tables and fields will be available for selection. Shaded and non-selectable data indicates that field level access to specified data has been denied.

Export Categories:

  • Tables - Top 22 PowerSchool tables followed by most other PowerSchool tables
  • Database Extensions (Customized information in PowerSchool) - Replaces custom fields with a table, row, and fields model
  • PowerSchool Data Sets - Approved, preexisting, or new export modules
  • Additional Data Sets - All other data sets and third-party PowerQueries
  • [Functional Categories] - Categories within PowerSchool which have display names, such as Attendance, Grading, or Scheduling
  • [Uncategorized] - Functional Categories within PowerSchool without display names

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