Uploading DIBELS reading and math assessments to Blackbaud student pages for parents?

Sara White

Does anyone have any experience with this? Wondering what is the easiest way to share student reading reports (and math reports) with parents via our Blackbaud system. (K-8th grade)

Scott Chrysler

Sara -


I am unfamiliar with the DIBELS reports, but if they are PDFs like the ERBs and PreACTs are, you can bulk upload them through Core > System tools > Bulk upload > Bulk upload user files.


Before you do this, you will need to "set up" the system to "receive" the uploaded files.


To do this go to Core > System tools > Bulk upload > Manage user files


I would recommend setting up a new folder named Testing or Testing Results to create a category where the DIBELS reports and other reports will reside. This will also help organize the view for parents and students.


You all then need to decide the naming protocols you want to use for the reports. For example, we administer the ERBs in grades 3 through 8 so we have the names "ERB - 3rd grade," ERB- 4th grade," "ERB - 5th grade" so each is clearly distinguishable to families. It is my understanding, and I may be incorrect about this, that if we simply called the file "ERB," each time we uploaded a new score report for a student, it would overwrite the previous upload.


Once you have determined your naming convention, create the new "landing place" for the soon-to-be uploaded reports by clicking on the "Add File Name" option to the right of the folder that will contain the files.


When you are adding the file name, you will be able to set the sort order, provide a brief description of what the file is, AND SET ACCESS. This is how you make the reports accessible to parents, students, teachers, etc. Be sure you understand what and who is in each role before granting access. Some of this is a little confusing as well. If you want students to see the score reports, give access to the Association "User." If you want the parents of the student to be able to see the score report, give access to Association "Parent of User." DO NOT GIVE ACCESS TO THE ROLE PARENT. It is my understanding that giving the Role access gives any individual with that Role - ie every single parent in your school - to each uploaded file with that access.


Once you have all of your files set up, go to Core > System tools > Bulk upload > Bulk upload user files.


Select Upload User Files


Create a sample file so you know the format you need for the CSV.


Follow the steps from there.


Once you have uploaded the files, send a Pushpage to the parents notifying them that they may now see the DIBELS score reports via their student's progress tab in the File box to the right of the page.


Hope that helps.


Scott

Sara White

thank you. The issue is that DIBELS gave us all of the students in one grade in one PDF. So I think this could be a nightmare splitting up the PDFs, naming them appropriately, then uploading. Do the ERB reports have the Blackbaud student IDs as the name of the report to match their student pages?

Scott Chrysler

Sara -


Unfortunately, I cannot remember about the ERB reports (this portion of the K-12 responsibilities has shifted to another person at our school), but I do know the PreACT score reports do not. As we are a smallish school - 50 to 60 in a grade - it does not take that long to rename the files. I found renaming them and bulk uploading was quicker than manually uploading student by student.


I know nothing about DIBELS. Do they have different forms the score reports available? I know with the ERB there are 5 or 6 different versions of reports that you may download, so you have to be sure you are downloading the individual student reports instead of the roster reports.


All the best,

Scott