Setup

Introduction

Before you can begin using Georgia LDS, you must perform the following setup items:

• Configure PowerSchool Application Node or Load Balancer
• Configure PowerSchool's External Web Address
• Configure the District Security Certificate
• Configure Georgia Single Sign-On
• Configure Georgia LDS Roles (optional)
• Delete Custom Staff Fields (optional)
• Assign Georgia LDS Roles

Note: It is recommended that you do not use the browser Back button to navigate through PowerSchool, as it may not produce the desired results. Use the appropriate button shown on each page.

Configure PowerSchool Application Node or Load Balancer

• The Georgia LDS requires that the PowerSchool Identity Provider component be installed to support the SAML connection between the two systems.
• The Georgia DOE requires a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection to access LDS data. 
  
  If you have not enabled PowerSchool Identity Provider or configured SSL on your PowerSchool application node or load balancer, do so now. For step-by step instructions, see the SSL Configuration section in the PowerSchool Installation and Upgrade Guide available on PowerSource. 
  
  If you have already enabled PowerSchool Identity Provider component and configured SSL on your PowerSchool application node or load balancer, proceed to the next section.

Configure PowerSchool’s External Web Address

Once you have configured SSL, you can then configure the PowerSchool’s external web address settings needed in order to establish a successful SSO connection with Georgia LDS.

How to Configure PowerSchool’s External Web Address

1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click System Settings. The System Settings page appears.
3. Click Global Server Settings. The Global Server Settings page appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the PowerSchool Configuration - External Access fields:

5. Click Submit.

Configure the District Security Certificate

Once you have configured the PowerSchool’s external web address settings, you can then configure the district security certificate and private key. The security certificate and private key are used to authenticate the PowerSchool server with the Georgia LDS system. The certificate and private key must be stored in PowerSchool, and sent to and accepted by the Georgia LDS system.

How to Configure the District Security Certificate

1. On the start page, click Special Functions. The Special Functions page appears.
2. Click Interfaces to other systems. The Interfaces to Other Systems page appears.
3. Click Georgia Longitudinal Data System. The Georgia Longitudinal Data System page appears.
4. Click Manage District Security Certificate. The Manage District Security Certificate page appears.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

6. Click Import or Generate. The page refreshes with one of the following messages:

• • Changes Saved – indicates that the Georgia Longitudinal Data System settings are saved in the PowerSchool database.
  • A warning message regarding the information entered on the page, such as:
    • A valid Private Key File is required to import a Certificate.
    • A valid Certificate File is required to import a Certificate.

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Configure Georgia Single Sign-On

After you have configured the district security certificate, you can configure the settings needed for establishing a successful SSO connection between PowerSchool and Georgia LDS making the transition between PowerSchool and Georgia LDS seamless.

How to Configure Georgia Single Sign-On

Use this procedure to enable and configure Georgia Single Sign-On.

1. On the start page, click Special Functions. The Special Functions page appears.
2. Click Interfaces to other systems. The Interfaces to Other Systems page appears.
3. Click Georgia Longitudinal Data System. The Georgia Longitudinal Data System page appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

5. Click Submit. The page refreshes with one of the following messages:

• • Changes Saved – indicates that the Georgia Longitudinal Data System settings are saved in the PowerSchool database.
  • A warning message regarding the information entered on the page, such as:
    • The given District SAML Provider ID value is not valid.
    • The given Metadata URL value is not valid.

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Complete Secure Connection

Lastly, the following items need to be sent to the Georgia Department of Education (DOE). It is recommended to send this information via a secure channel, such as Cisco certified email.

• District Security Certificate – This item is used to sign messages sent between PowerSchool and the Georgia LDS in order to ensure that the communication is secure. The Georgia LDS maintains this certificate and the related private key on file.
• District Identifier – This item allows the Georgia DOE to uniquely identify the district and ensures that only staff members from the district see the district’s data in the Georgia LDS.
• SAML IdP Endpoint URL – The URL of the SAML Identify Provider Endpoint installed in the PowerSchool Node server folder with PowerSchool versions 6.2.1.1 and later. This URL, which must use HTTPS, allows single sign-on to occur securely and without the need to synchronize staff member accounts between PowerSchool and the Georgia LDS.

Configure Georgia LDS Roles

Using Georgia LDS roles, you can control the level of access within the Georgia LDS system given to PowerSchool users who access Georgia LDS from within PowerSchool and PowerTeacher. By default, there are four predefined Georgia LDS staff level roles that you can assign to PowerSchool users: District Administrator, School Administrator, Teacher and Counselor. In addition, you can create as many other roles as needed based on your district’s needs.

How to Create a Role

1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Roles Administration. The Roles Administration page appears.
3. Click User Access. The User Access Roles page appears.
4. Click New. The Edit User Access Role page appears.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

6. Click Submit. A confirmation message appears.

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How to View User Access Roles

1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Roles Administration. The Roles Administration page appears.
3. Click User Access. The User Access Roles page displays the following information:
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

How to Sort User Access Roles

Use the following procedure to arrange the user access roles into the order in which you want the roles to appear on the User Access Roles page, the Mass Assign User Access Roles page, and the Manage Roles pop-up on the Security Settings page.

1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Roles Administration. The Roles Administration page appears.
3. Click User Access. The User Access Roles page appears.
4. Drag and drop the user access role you want to move. A message appears indicating the user access role is being updated.
5. Repeat Step 4 for each user access role you want to move. When you are done, the changes are automatically saved.

Note: If a role is added, it appears as the last item in the sort order. If a role is deleted, the sort order is automatically updated and re-sequenced as needed.

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How to Edit a Role

1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Roles Administration. The Roles Administration page appears.
3. Click User Access. The User Access Roles page appears.
4. Click the name of the user access role you want to edit. The Edit User Access Role page appears.
5. Edit information as needed. For field descriptions, see How to Create a Role.
6. Click Submit. A confirmation message appears.

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How to Delete a Role

Note: A role may not be deleted if it is assigned to user(s). To search for staff members that are assigned to a particular role, see How to Search for Staff by Roles. To unassign an individual teacher or a group of teachers from a role you want to delete, see How to Unassign a Georgia LDS Role and How to Mass Unassign Georgia LDS Roles, respectively.

1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Roles Administration. The Roles Administration page appears.
3. Click User Access. The User Access Roles page appears.
4. Click the name of the user access role you want to delete. The Edit User Access Role page appears.
5. Click Delete.
6. Click Confirm Delete. The User Access Roles page appears.

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How to Configure the Roles Table

1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Roles Administration. The Roles Administration page appears.
3. Click User Access. The User Access Roles page appears.
4. Click Configure Table. The User Access Configure Matrix View page appears.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

6. Click Submit. A confirmation message appears.

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Delete Custom Staff Fields

After configuring Georgia LDS Roles, you may want to perform data cleanup of any legacy roles that are no longer used, such as:

• GA_LDS_counselor
• GA_LDS_districtadmin
• GA_LDS_schooladmin
• GA_LDS_teacher

How to Delete Custom Staff Fields

Note: Deleting a custom field also deletes that field and its values from any custom pages.

1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Custom Fields/Screens. The Custom Fields/Screens page appears.
3. Click Staff Fields. The Staff Fields page appears.
4. Click the name of the field you want to delete. The Edit Staff Field page appears.
5. Select the checkbox to confirm that you want to delete the field.
   Note: If you do not select the checkbox and click Delete, the system displays a message indicating that the field was not deleted. Click Back to return to the previous page. Select the checkbox, and then click Delete.
6. Click Delete.
7. Click Confirm Delete. Do not leave the page until a message indicates that the process is complete. The Custom Field Deleted page appears.

Note: The system lists any PowerSchool pages that include the custom field. If any pages appear, you must manually remove the fields from those pages.

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Assign Georgia LDS Roles

Staff members must be assigned the appropriate role(s) in PowerSchool to access the Georgia LDS system.

Note: By default, there are four predefined Georgia LDS staff level roles that you can assign to PowerSchool users: District Administrator, School Administrator, Teacher and Counselor.

How to Assign a Georgia LDS Role

Use this procedure to assign Georgia LDS roles to an individual staff member.

1. On the start page, click Staff. The Search Staff page appears.
2. Search for and select a staff member.
3. Click Security Settings. The Security Settings page appears.
4. Click the Role Assignment tab. The Role Assignment page appears.

Note: The Submit button appears shaded until you click the Add button.

5. Click Add. The Role pop-up menu appears.

Note: If the Add button does not appear, all roles have been assigned.

6. Choose the role you want to assign to the staff member.
7. Repeat Step 5 and Step 6 for each role you want to add.

Note: Once all roles have been assigned, the Add button appears shaded.

8. Click Submit. A confirmation message appears.

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How to Unassign a Georgia LDS Role

Use this procedure to remove Georgia LDS roles from an individual staff member.

1. On the start page, click Staff. The Search Staff page appears.
2. Search for and select a staff member.
3. Click Security Settings. The Security Settings page appears.
4. Click the Role Assignment tab. The Role Assignment page appears.
5. Click Remove next to the role you want to unassign. A confirmation message appears.
6. Repeat Step 4 and Step 5 for each role you want to remove.

How to Mass Assign Georgia LDS Roles

Use this procedure to assign Georgia LDS roles to multiple staff members.

Note: This page is also accessible via System > Security > Mass Assign User Access Roles.

1. On the start page, click Staff. The Search Staff page appears.
2. Search for multiple staff members. The Select A Staff Member page appears.
3. Click Functions. The Group Staff Functions page appears.
4. Click Mass Assign User Access Roles. The Mass Assign User Access Roles page appears.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

6. Click Assign. The Mass Assignment Results page displays a summary of the processed records and any failures. Possible error messages include:

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How to Mass Unassign Georgia LDS Roles

Use this procedure to remove Georgia LDS roles from multiple staff members.

Note: This page is also accessible via System > Security > Mass Assign User Access Roles.

1. On the start page, click Staff. The Search Staff page appears.
2. Search for multiple staff members. The Select A Staff Member page appears.
3. Click Functions. The Group Staff Functions page appears.
4. Click Mass Assign User Access Roles. The Mass Assign User Access Roles page appears.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

6. Click Remove.

7. Click Confirm Delete. The Mass Assignment Results page displays a summary of the processed records and any failures. Possible error messages include:

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Search for Staff by Roles

Using the Search Staff function, you can search for staff members that are assigned to a particular role.

How to Search for Staff by Roles

1. On the start page, choose Staff Search from the main menu. The Search Staff page appears.
2. In the Search Staff field, enter the role of a staff member whose record you want to review. For example:

• Role.useraccess= District Administrator
• Role.useraccess= School Administrator
• Role.useraccess= Teacher
• Role.useraccess= Counselor

Note: Leading and trailing spaces are removed from the value for which you are searching, embedded spaces are not, and considered part of the term to match.

1. Click the Search icon. Staff members associated to the role appears.
2. Click the name of the individual whose record you want to review. To work with the entire group of staff members, click Functions at the bottom of the list to display the Group Staff Functions page. For more information about the group staff functions, see Work With Staff Groups.

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Troubleshooting

The following section provides information about troubleshooting errors you may encounter when using Georgia LDS.

Georgia LDS Link Does Not Appear

If the Georgia LDS link does not appear in the PowerSchool admin or PowerTeacher portal, then verify the following:

• SSL on PowerSchool application node or load balancer is configured.
• PowerSchool’s external web address is configured.
• District security certificate is configured
• Georgia single sign-on is configured.
• Georgia LDS roles are configured.
• Georgia LDS roles are assigned.
• The staff member is signed in to PowerSchool or PowerTeacher using the correct URL, such as https://[PowerSchool IP address]/admin or https://[PowerSchool IP address]/teachers.

If the Georgia LDS link does not appear in the PowerSchool Student and Parent portal, then verify the following:

• The state_studentnumber fields are populated for the students being viewed.

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