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Configure SchoolDay for your district

Complete the core setup tasks to connect your SIS and activate vendor apps

After creating your district admin account, complete these core setup tasks in order: secure your account, import data, activate apps, enable sync, and verify access. This process establishes your data infrastructure and connects your Student Information System (SIS) with vendor apps your district uses.

Before you begin

  • You have successfully created your district admin account
  • You have District Admin role permissions
  • You have access to your Student Information System (SIS) credentials or data
  • You know which vendor apps your district intends to use

Step 1 — Account security

Secure your account with a strong password and multi-factor authentication (MFA). As the district admin, your account is the entry point for all data management and app integrations, so securing it is critical.

Why this matters:

  • A weak password leaves your district's student data vulnerable to unauthorized access
  • MFA prevents account takeover even if your password is compromised
  • Your profile information helps other admins and support staff contact you when needed

What you'll set up:

  • Change your temporary password to a strong, permanent one (minimum 12 characters with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters)
  • Enable MFA using an authenticator app (recommended) or SMS text messages
  • Add your name, title, phone, and district information to your profile

See Configure personal MFA settings 

Step 2 — Import student and staff data

SchoolDay syncs your roster data from your SIS. This is the foundation for all app integrations—without imported data, vendor apps have nothing to share with students and teachers.

Why this matters:

  • Vendor apps depend on accurate, current student and staff records
  • Data must be imported before you can activate apps or set up syncs
  • SchoolDay supports multiple import methods to fit your technical setup

Your options:

  • API integration — Automated, real-time sync from your SIS (requires API credentials; best for districts with technical support)
  • SFTP upload — Manual CSV file uploads on a schedule (no API knowledge required; good for smaller districts or one-time imports). See Import data via SFTP

What happens:

  • SchoolDay connects to your SIS and retrieves student IDs, names, email, grade levels, class assignments, and staff information
  • Imports can take varying amounts of time to complete, depending on factors like data volume, system load, and network conditions
  • You'll verify imported records appear correctly in your Data Management > Roster view

Step 3 — Activate vendor apps

Vendor apps are the educational tools your district uses—learning management systems (LMSs), assessment platforms, communication tools, etc. Activation grants them permission to access your imported student and staff data.

Why this matters:

  • Apps can't function without access to your roster data
  • Activation includes explicit permission grants that show teachers and parents which data each app can access
  • Each app has its own privacy and data-sharing agreement

What you'll do:

  • Browse the SchoolDay AppStore to find and select apps your district wants to use
  • Review the data permissions each app requires (student names, emails, class lists, etc.)
  • Authorize the app to access those specific data elements

What happens:

  • The app becomes available in SchoolDay, and your staff can start using it
  • The app waits to receive data via the sync configuration step

See Activate Export app 

Step 4 — Set up data synchronization

Data sync creates the live connection between your SIS and activated vendor apps. Once enabled, your apps automatically receive updated student and staff information whenever changes occur in your SIS.

Why this matters:

  • Without sync, vendor apps would have stale data (outdated rosters, missing students, inactive staff)
  • Sync keeps all your systems in harmony—a student added to a class in your SIS automatically appears in all connected apps
  • You control the sync frequency: real-time (immediate), daily, or weekly

Step 5 — Enable data sharing

Some vendor apps (like grade books or attendance systems) need to send data back to SchoolDay so your SIS can import grades, attendance, or engagement data.

Why this matters:

  • Vendors need explicit permission to write data back to your systems
  • Data-sharing requests ensure you're aware of what data the vendor will send and when
  • The vendor must accept your request before bidirectional sync begins

See Create a data-sharing request 

Step 6 — Verify setup completion

Before declaring your SchoolDay setup complete, test all critical paths to ensure data is flowing, apps are working, and staff can sign in.

Why this matters:

  • A successful setup requires coordination across multiple systems (your SIS, SchoolDay, vendor apps)
  • Small misconfigurations can break the entire data pipeline
  • Verification catches problems before teachers and students try to use the apps on day one