New Google Classroom Integration??

I'm sorry, folks, but I've spent hours reading older threads, articles, etc. and cannot find what I need. I am willing to keep reading if someone can direct me WHERE to read about it, but I need some help, please and thank you.

Here's my problem. My boss heard something in a webinar she viewed (I think it was Unlock the Power of the New Assignment Center) about an upcoming plans for new integrations with Google Classroom and she said it sounded potentially important for our teachers. She hasn't heard anything since and asked me to see what I could find out. But, alas, none of the things I found sound like what she was talking about. I even watched the videos and read the recap of that same webinar to no avail. I didn't hear or see any mention of Google Classroom.

HELP! Anyone have the scoop?

Comments

  • Michael Morrissette
    Michael Morrissette Blackbaud Employee
    Ninth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    Hi @Sarah Koziarski -

    This is something that our team is working on with Google. We don't yet have an official release date for this functionality, but we'll be leveraging OneRoster to sync information between Google Classroom and our LMS. Our goal is to have the integration ready for schools to utilize sometime this school year, but the specifics are still being ironed out.

    Once we have more information to share, we'll be sure to get a Blog posted with the details. We know a lot of you are looking for this functionality, and we're really excited to finally bring it to the product in the future!

    -Mike

  • @Michael Morrissette

    Happy dance, thank you so much! That explains why I couldn't find much. She thought it was much more imminent so she must have had her timeline wrong, apparently. Eagerly awaiting! Thanks again!

  • @Michael Morrissette

    Just wondering if this is still on track. This would be great to work on during the summer for the upcoming school year.

    -Brent

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    @Brent Wilhelm @Michael Morrissette
    Yes, this is still on track.
    There is an EAP/test phase Google and Blackbaud are beginning now, in preparation to be fully available for the 2025-2026 school year.

    And if you'd like to participate in this phase, feel free to email me (stephen.boyle@blackbaud.com) and I'll add you as an EAP candidate.

  • @Stephen Boyle This is exciting Stephen! As much as I would love to trash Google Classroom, our faculty use it so much, integration would be a big win for us all. Any doc you can share for what that integration would look like?

  • @Stephen Boyle
    I second, @Kristi Romanik question. Is there/will there be any sort of documentation released to customers prior to the integration's release that will map the functionality? Current integration with Google Assignments still has so many limitations with one-way data and most of those limitations customers had to figure out on their own.

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    @Megan Day
    @Kristi Romanik

    We are currently combining the materials from Google's team and our team to make sure it's just one set of steps for you. So, there will be more to come soon.

    166ca0f425cb22a4baf383401ea46111-huge-im
  • @Stephen Boyle How will this be disseminated to schools currently using Blackbaud?

  • @Stephen Boyle Following up here. How will this be disseminated to schools currently using Blackbaud?

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    @Elyssa Alters
    Yes. Look for it in our What's New posts once we finish our test phase with the Google Classroom team. You will find What's New posts here, and I think you can subscribe to that page.

  • @Stephen Boyle Amazing! Thank you so much!

  • @Stephen Boyle I've been looking for updates to this recently but haven't been able to find anything--any news on this? We're very hopeful about using this integration this coming year and wondering when we'll hear more about how to prepare to roll it out this fall.

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    @Katherine Bailey, @Elyssa Alters, @Sarah Koziarski

    A quick update on the Google Classroom Integration:
    It is currently in EAP with a few schools. Once we have real-world systems do the basics of the integration, it will pass the requirements for GA. I am hopeful that this is now on a time frame of just a few weeks.

  • Just following up to see if there was a timeline for the rollout for schools not in EAP? Possibly by second semester of the 25/26 school year?

  • Hi @Stephen Boyle, thanks for the update. I'm eagerly awaiting the release of this in the hopes that I can familiarize myself with it prior to teaching our faculty how to use it when they return next week. Any updates on the ETA?

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    @Katherine Bailey,

    The current target date is 8/18, according to the Google team. If they give us any updates, I will pass them along here.

  • @Stephen Boyle Is there any documentation the team can share? Even a rough feature set would help.

    Schools have been signing up for my (Userbus's) Google Classroom integration. I've been letting them know this one is forthcoming, but it would help to know what the features are to give better guidance as far as how the two compare and what to expect.

  • @Stephen Boyle It doesn't look like the integration made it in the 8/18 releases. Any updates you can share?

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    The Google team is keeping it in EAP, but have opened it up to any interested school.
    Schools just need to fill out this form to get whitelisted. Then everything should follow from there. Our help docs for OneRoster integrations are here. Google will provide docs for their part as well

  • Filled out the form. I haven't received anything after that. Did I miss a step?

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    Hi Grant,
    I'm not sure Google sends a response, though it does take a few days sometimes. The need for the form should end when they release the integration on 9/1. So, either way - provided GC is on schedule, you should be able to do this on Monday.

  • Is this officially live today? I am seeing the option to add an integration with Classroom in Core, but on the Google side, I'm not able to get anywhere where I can enter the key and secret.

    Just wondering if anyone else has tried this yet. Thanks!

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant
    edited September 1

    The Google team gave the 9/1 date a few weeks ago. It is not inconceivable they didn't account for the holiday. I'll ask and let you know what I hear.

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    And they were, indeed, out yesterday. The Google integration should list Blackbaud as a supported SIS for all schools by the EoD today.

  • I am not seeing the setting in Core for Google Classroom. Can someone point me to the location so I can rule out that I am just missing it?

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    Google Classroom uses Blackbaud's OneRoster integration to sync data.
    An Integration Manager can go to Core > System tools > Integrations > OneRoster and create a new OneRoster connection. Set Provider to Google Classroom.

    Attached is the early set of instructions Google set up for this.

  • Just wanted to confirm before putting in the order, this connection requires the teaching and learning upgrade for all staff accounts that want to use this functionality?

  • Stephen Boyle
    Stephen Boyle Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 5 Name Dropper Participant

    Yes

    Google Workspace for Education Plus or Teaching and Learning Upgrade license for teachers

  • Has anyone successfully completed the Integration with Google Classroom? I've been trying to keep my eyes open for this feature since the start of the school year but with all of Blackbaud's changes to how information is communicated and the myriad number of ways to have to subscribe to threads to keep up, I missed this one. I'd love to hear about any other school's experience! In particular, if a teacher is already utilizing Google Classroom, what do we need to let them know to expect before we set it up? Thank you!