---
title: Governance common scenarios
description: "Follow worked examples in Governance: reduce data exposure, keep syncs working, and run routine checks across the Discover, Enforce, and Validate dashboards."
---

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November 5, 2026

# Governance common scenarios

## Worked examples of reducing data exposure, keeping data flowing, and the checks worth running regularly

**In this article**

> [Reducing data exposure](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#reducing-data-exposure)
> 
> [Reduce exposure for one application](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#reduce-exposure-for-one-application)
> 
> [Decide which applications to mask first](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#decide-which-applications-to-mask-first)
> 
> [Review a pass-through connection that can’t be masked](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#review-a-pass-through-connection-that-cant-be-masked)
> 
> [Raise data protection as far as the vendor allows](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#raise-data-protection-as-far-as-the-vendor-allows)
> 
> [Investigate why an application’s data protection dropped](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#investigate-why-an-applications-data-protection-dropped)
> 
> [Keeping syncs working](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#keeping-syncs-working)
> 
> [Confirm a masking change didn’t break a sync](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#confirm-a-masking-change-didnt-break-a-sync)
> 
> [Check a connection that hasn’t synced](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#check-a-connection-that-hasnt-synced)
> 
> [Check a sync that’s slower than usual](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#check-a-sync-thats-slower-than-usual)
> 
> [Routine checks](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#routine-checks)
> 
> [Run a routine review](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#run-a-routine-review)
> 
> [Prepare for a vendor or audit review](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#prepare-for-a-vendor-or-audit-review)
> 
> [Fix a single issue](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#fix-a-single-issue)
> 
> [Related articles](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#related-articles)

This article shows how to complete common Governance tasks that span multiple dashboards, such as reducing the personal data an application receives or verifying that a sync still works. For what each screen shows, see [Governance dashboards](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-dashboards?hsLang=en). For a single issue with a known fix, see [Troubleshoot Governance issues](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/troubleshoot-governance-findings?hsLang=en).

### Reducing data exposure

#### Reduce exposure for one application

1. On the overview, the **Enforce** card shows "9 of 11 apps receive unmasked PII". Select it to open Enforce.
2. **Sensitive data by application** shows an application at 46% protection, receiving First name, Last name, Birth date and Username unmasked. **Shared data** shows 4,120 under **Students** and 280 under **Teachers**.
3. Rostering does not need birth dates. Confirm with the vendor that they accept a masked value for it.
4. Open the application's panel and select **Mask** beside Birth date. In the data-sharing request that opens, check the selection, select **Request changes**, and then select **Send request**. Only your district's primary administrator can send it.
5. After the vendor approves the request, select **Refresh**. The application's percentage rises on Enforce, and the district figure moves with it.

For the full masking steps, see [Monitor shared data](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-monitor-shared-data?hsLang=en) and [Send a data-sharing request](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/creating-a-data-sharing-request-for-ed-tech-vendor?hsLang=en).

#### Decide which applications to mask first

1. On the **Enforce** dashboard, check the **Sensitive data exposure** tile. For example, it shows “12 of 13 apps receive unmasked PII”.
2. In **Shared data**, select **Most persons shared** on top. The applications that receive the most people’s records come first.
3. Start masking with the applications at the top of the list. Masking there removes the most exposure.
4. To find the applications that receive the most unmasked attributes instead, select **Most exposed PII**.

#### Review a pass-through connection that can’t be masked

A pass-through connection (an SFTP relay) forwards files without SchoolDay reading them. SchoolDay can’t count or mask the attributes in those files, so the application has no data protection percentage, and Enforce doesn’t list it. The decision is whether to keep the connection.

1. On the **Discover** dashboard, locate the “SFTP Relay“ application. **Tip**: its **Data protection** column displays “Not applicable”.  
   ![governance-common-scenarios-01-pass-through-discover](https://help.schoolday.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base/SP%20ecosystem/Connect/Governance%20dashboards/governance-common-scenarios-01-pass-through-discover.png?width=670&height=219&name=governance-common-scenarios-01-pass-through-discover.png)
2. On the **Validate** dashboard, check that **Records shared last sync** shows “Pass-through, records not counted”.
3. Decide whether your district still needs the connection.

If **Records shared last sync** shows anything else, the connection isn’t a pass-through. See “An application shows no data protection percentage” in [Troubleshoot Governance issues](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/troubleshoot-governance-findings?hsLang=en).

#### Raise data protection as far as the vendor allows

On the **Enforce** dashboard, an application’s bar reads “Up to 70%”. That is the most protection the vendor’s settings allow, and the striped part of the bar after 70% is out of reach. Point to the bar to see “Your vendor’s settings allow up to 70% protection”. In the application’s panel, “Masking not available” appears beside the attributes the vendor can’t mask.

To raise the percentage as far as the vendor allows:

1. Mask every attribute the vendor can mask. See [Monitor shared data](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-monitor-shared-data?hsLang=en).
2. In the data-sharing request, switch off the attributes that cannot be masked and that the application does not need. Attributes marked with an asterisk (\*) are required and can’t be turned off. See [Data-sharing request settings](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/data-sharing-requests-parameters?hsLang=en).
3. For attributes the vendor requires and cannot mask, ask the vendor which attributes they need and whether more can be masked.

The percentage you can actually reach may be lower than the maximum shown. See "Percentages you cannot improve" in [Understand your data protection score](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-data-protection-score?hsLang=en).

#### Investigate why an application’s data protection dropped

A percentage can fall without anything failing. One cause is an approved data-sharing request, after which the application receives more unmasked attributes.

1. On the **Validate** dashboard, check the **Data protection** card. Note which application declined and the date of the change.
2. On the **Enforce** dashboard, check **Recent data sharing changes**. Find the request approved on that date, and see which attributes the application now receives unmasked.
3. Confirm with the vendor that they can accept a masked value for each of those attributes.
4. Go to **Enforce** \> **Sensitive data by application** and select an application.
5. Select **Mask** beside each attribute. Make sure each attribute is masked for every person type the application receives, such as students, teachers, and contacts.
6. After the vendor approves the request, select **Refresh**. The application's percentage rises again on Enforce.

For the full masking steps, see [Monitor shared data](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-monitor-shared-data?hsLang=en).

### Keeping syncs working

#### Confirm a masking change didn’t break a sync

A vendor that can’t process a masked value doesn’t fail when the change is approved. It can fail on the next run, so check after every masking change. For an API application, Governance might show no change even when the vendor can’t process the masked value.

1. After the vendor approves the request, go to **Governance** \> **Validate**.
2. In **Integration health**, check that the application still shows **Synced**, and that **Duration vs median** shows “≈ typical”.
3. In **Sync events**, check that the first run after the change succeeded.

If the run failed or slowed down, see “A connection failed shortly after a masking change” in [Troubleshoot Governance issues](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/troubleshoot-governance-findings?hsLang=en).

#### Check a connection that hasn’t synced

On the **Validate** dashboard, **No data synced in 7 days** lists an application with “no run in 14 days”. Its status may still show Synced, because its last run succeeded. No failure raises an alert, and the protection percentage won’t show it either.

To find out why:

1. Select **Troubleshoot** to open the connection.
2. Check the connection's sync schedule. See [Set up a sync schedule](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/sync-schedule?hsLang=en).
3. To test the connection, run a sync manually. See [Run sync manually for an application](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/run-sync-manually?hsLang=en).

If the sync succeeds, **Sync events** records the new run, and the application shows **No data synced in 7 days**.

#### Check a sync that’s slower than usual

An application shows **Synced**, but **Integration health** shows it as slower under **Duration vs median**, for example “2.1× slower”. Its latest sync took longer than usual. The slowdown isn’t a failure. It can be normal, for example when the application receives more records than before. It can also signal a problem, so check the cause.

![governance-validate-integration-health-duration-vs-median](https://help.schoolday.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base/SP%20ecosystem/Connect/Governance%20dashboards/governance-validate-integration-health-duration-vs-median.png?width=670&height=241&name=governance-validate-integration-health-duration-vs-median.png)

1. Go to **Governance** \> **Validate**.
2. Select the application’s name in **Integration health** to open its Operations panel. Check whether the latest run was a full or incremental sync.
3. Compare the records shared with the application’s usual count. If the count is higher, the slowdown is likely normal. If it’s the same, see [Troubleshooting errors and skipped records](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/troubleshooting-errors-and-skipped?hsLang=en).

### Routine checks

#### Run a routine review

Run these checks regularly:

1. Open **Governance** and confirm **What needs attention first** shows "Nothing needs attention right now".
2. On **Validate**, check the **Data protection** card for applications that declined. A percentage can fall without anything failing.
3. On **Validate**, check the **No data synced in 7 days** table. An application listed there hasn’t synced for 7 days, even if its status still reads **Synced**. See [Check a connection that hasn’t synced](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-common-scenarios#check-a-connection-that-hasnt-synced).
4. On **Discover**, check the **Expiring in under 30 days** tile.

These checks catch changes that raise no alerts.

#### Prepare for a vendor or audit review

Use these exports when a vendor or auditor asks what an application receives or how reliably it syncs. Each export covers one application at a time.

1. On the **Enforce** dashboard, select the application’s name to open its panel, then select **Export data**. A CSV file downloads with what the application receives and how it’s protected.
2. On the **Validate** dashboard, select the application’s name in **Integration health** to open its Operations panel, then select **Export data**. A PDF downloads with the sync details.
3. For a report that covers every application in your district, use the [District application report (CSV)](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/district-application-report-export-to-csv?hsLang=en) in the Privacy Governance Console.

For details, see [Export Governance data](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-export-data?hsLang=en).

#### Fix a single issue

For each of these issues, [Troubleshoot Governance issues](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/troubleshoot-governance-findings?hsLang=en) describes the most common cause and how to fix it:

- Broken connection or Last sync failed
- Changes Pending Approval
- Expiring in under 30 days, or Expired
- Not applicable, or an application missing from Enforce

A broken connection or a failed sync can have other causes. For errors and skipped records, see [Troubleshooting errors and skipped records](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/troubleshooting-errors-and-skipped?hsLang=en).

### Related articles

- [Governance dashboards](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-dashboards?hsLang=en): the reference for every screen
- [Monitor shared data](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-monitor-shared-data?hsLang=en): reducing what an application receives
- [Monitor sync reliability](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-monitor-sync-reliability?hsLang=en): checking that a fix worked
- [Understand masking statuses](https://help.schoolday.com/knowledge/governance-masking-statuses?hsLang=en): what each masking status means

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