The Download & Import OnSIS PAE Files feature allows Ontario school administrators to generate, download, import, and delete OnSIS SMS extract files directly from PowerSchool, without separately logging into the Ministry’s OnSIS portal.
This feature consolidates what was previously a multi-step, manual process into a few guided actions within PowerSchool. When you visit the page, the Year, Period, and School drop-down lists load automatically from OnSIS. District office admins can access all schools they have access to in OnSIS; school-level admins can access their current school's data.
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Caching: Once loaded, data is temporarily stored for 60 seconds. If you navigate away and return within that window, the page reloads instantly.
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Retry on Error: If data fails to load, an error message appears with a Retry button. The message clears automatically after 30 seconds, or you can click Retry at any time.
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Data Privacy: Your session data is private and cannot be accessed by others.
What You Can Do
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Select academic year, submission period, and school(s)
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Generate SMS extract files
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View extract status (In Progress, Generated, Failed)
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Download extracts (CSV or ZIP)
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Import extracts into PowerSchool’s Pending Area Extract (PAE) tables
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Delete extracts from OnSIS
Prequiste Setup
Complete the OnSIS API setup before attempting to download or import OnSIS PAE files. A New URL for this page needs to be registered with OnSIS.
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Setup incomplete: The Setup Error page displays. Complete the OnSIS API setup before continuing.
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Access not granted: A "No Access" message is displayed. Contact your system administrator.
Generate and Import Extracts
Navigation: District Office, Data and Reporting, Imports, and then Download & Import OnSIS PAE Files. The system will automatically verify configuration, permissions, and authentication.
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Fields |
Description |
|---|---|
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Academic Year |
Loads automatically when the page opens. The first available year is selected by default. |
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Submission Period Type |
Populates after you select a year. For example, October Elementary, March Elementary, etc. |
|
School |
District Office: Populates after you select a period. You can select multiple schools. School Level: Your current school is pre-selected and cannot be changed. |
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Extract Types |
Valid extracts for the selected submission are selected. Unsupported extracts by PS are not available for download or import. |
|
Generate SMS Extracts |
Enabled when at least one extract type is selected. The system submits one request per school and extract type, then displays a summary of succeeded and failed requests. If all requests succeed, the page automatically moves to the View Extract List page. |
Generate SMS Extracts
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Select Academic Year, Submission Period Type, and School(s).
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Select one or more available extract types.
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Click Generate SMS Extracts.
What happens next:
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One request is submitted per school and extract type.
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A summary shows which requests succeeded or failed.
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If all requests succeed, the system automatically opens the Extract List.
View and Manage Extracts
Click View Extract List to open the extract management page.
The Extract Management Page shows extracts in three sections:
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In Progress – queued or processing
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Generated – ready for download or import
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Failed / Cancelled
Tools
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Refresh: Updates statuses and clears messages immediately.
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Filters: Narrow results by school, submission type, extract name, or date.
Download Extracts
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Single extract: Click the download icon to download a CSV file.
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Multiple extracts: Select multiple records and click Download SMS Extract to download a ZIP file.
A loading indicator displays until the download completes.
Import Extracts into PowerSchool
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Available only for generated extracts.
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Select one or more extracts and click Import Selected Records.
During import:
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Duplicate files are resolved automatically (the most recent file is kept).
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A progress dialog shows real-time status.
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You can cancel the import at any time (the current batch completes).
After import:
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View results immediately or later on the standard PowerSchool import results page.
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Use View Import Results to review successful and failed records.
Delete Extracts
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Select Generated or Failed extracts.
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Click Delete and confirm.
Important:
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Deletion permanently removes extracts from OnSIS.
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This action cannot be undone.
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The extract list refreshes automatically after deletion.
Important: Do Not Use PowerSchool and OnSIS at the Same Time
When downloading, generating, or importing OnSIS PAE files, use only one system at a time.
Why this matters
PowerSchool and the OnSIS portal share submission data. Using both systems simultaneously for the same submission can cause conflicts.
What can happen if you do
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Data may become out of sync
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Extract files may be duplicated or overwritten
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Imports may fail or produce errors
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Submission data may be incomplete or inaccurate
Best practice
✅ Complete all download, generation, and import steps in PowerSchool
🚫 Do not modify the same submission in the OnSIS portal at the same time
Simple rule: One submission, one system at a time.
Review