PowerSchool Integration Overview

Instructure supports a SIS integration with PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS). The integration uses SIF 2.0 or APIs made available from OneRoster 1.1 where the SIS is the OneRoster data provider, and Instructure is the OneRoster data consumer. Learn more about OneRoster and the Instructure OneRoster implementation.

The Instructure PowerSchool integration allows PowerSchool to sync rostering data to Canvas and for Canvas to post assignments and assignment grades back to the PowerSchool gradebook.

As an admin, you can review the integration functionality and limitations and request the integration for your institution.

Integration Overview

The SIF integration works bi-directionally:

  • PowerSchool to Canvas Provisioning: When you make changes in PowerSchool (to users, courses, enrollments, etc.), those changes are reflected in Canvas after a nightly, one-way transfer from your SIS's SIF 2.0 API to Canvas.
  • Canvas to PowerSchool Grade Passback (GPB): When instructors make changes or updates to course assignments and student grades in Canvas, those changes are sent to your SIS using SIF 2.0 API. Learn about syncing grades from Canvas to PowerSchool.

Note: SIF agent provisioning is required for GPB functionality.

Supported Objects

The following data is included in any provisioning or GPB transfer.

Provisioning:

  • Courses
  • Enrollments
  • Sections
  • Staff
  • Students
  • Sub-accounts
  • Terms

GPB:

  • Course Grades/Gradebook Scores
  • Graded Assignments
  • Graded Discussions
  • Graded Quizzes

PowerSchool Integration Prerequisites

Before implementing the Instructure PowerSchool integration, your institution must meet the following requirements:

  1. Request your institution's SIF 2.0 credentials from PowerSchool. These credentials (API URL, client key, and client secret) should be sent to the Instructure SIS team using a secure Canvas-provided link.
  2. Once you have shared your SIF credentials, the Instructure SIS team will verify the integration connectivity.
  3. If your institution is converting from one SIS to another or transitioning from a different integration, the SIS team must perform an evaluation of the integration against your data. The SIS team will contact you with any concerns about converting to the PowerSchool integration.

Known PowerSchool Integration Limitation

Parent accounts cannot be crated using PowerSchool provisioning.

Next Steps

If you are interested in enabling the PowerSchool Integration for provisioning, please contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM) for consideration.