PowerSchool Sync vs SFTP (Autocomm)

Many times we can get confused between the PowerSchool Sync and the SFTP Autocomm setting. They are both very different things and their functionalities vary depending on how each school wants to handle its data. In this article, we'll cover their functionalities, differences, and how the activation processes go. 

PowerSchool Sync 

In this method, schools send data from PowerSchool to SchoolRunner through daily syncs (times can vary depending on the school). 

Which data can be sent from PowerSchool to SchoolRunner? 

• Student Accounts/Data (except emails),
• Staff accounts/Data.
• Sections with their enrollment dates.
• Attendance types
• Attendance data 
• Bell schedules, calendars, homerooms/advisories, terms, and term bins. 

How is this set?

1. Schools set up their PowerSchool accounts. 
2. PowerSchool provides ODBC credentials which schools need to share with SchoolRunner's Technical Support. 
3. SchoolRunner sets the credentials and we are good to go. 

SFTP Autocomm

This allows schools to send Attendance Data from SchoolRunner to PowerSchool.

How is this set? 

1. Schools send the times at which they would like daily attendance and class attendance data to sync throughout the day. These times must be provided to SchoolRunner's Technical Support.
2. SchoolRunner sets the Autocomm paths based on the attendance times and we provide those to the schools. 

How do the paths look?

• Daily Attendance: Attendance_Export_SchoolName_24-25.txt
• Class Attendance: Class_Attendance_Export_SchoolName.txt 

For more details about these setups: 

•  Set Up a PowerSchool AutoComm to Import Schoolrunner Attendance
•  How Does SchoolRunner interact with PowerSchool? 
•  My PowerSchool Autocomm isn't working