For Vendors

Software vendors generally interact with TSDS in two main ways:

  1. They provide data extractions for TSDS from their student information, finance, human resource, and assessment systems
  2. They become TSDS Certified Training and Support Vendors and provide services to LEAs for implementing and using TSDS. 

This page provides resources for both groups of vendors.

TSDS Utilities

The Validation Tool is available for download by TSDS Certified Vendors/Level 2 support staff via the Utilities tab in the TSDS Portal. If you are not a certified vendor, you can partner with your client LEAs to obtain access to this tool.

The Data Transfer Utility (DTU) allows LEAs to automatically schedule their TSDS data loads. This utility can be downloaded from the TSDS Portal and requires a TEAL Service Account to configure. 

The Delete Utility is a web-based tool available within the TSDS Portal. It allows an LEA to remove previously loaded TSDS data. This utility requires an end user to have the TEAL ODS Data Loader role in order to access.

User Guides and Documentation

Most of the major TSDS subsystems include built-in Help systems. To access these, click the Help link in the dark blue header bar at the top left of the applications.

TSDS also provides a range of user guides and documentation, available on this site:

Support staff who work in the TSDS Incident Management System (TIMS: levels 1 – 4) and users with access to the Texas Student Data System Portal through TEAL also have access to the KnowledgeBase articles that TEA maintains in TIMS.  These articles provide best practices and answers to common questions.

In addition, TEA provides a number of quickstart guides and overviews that may be helpful for onboarding new vendor staff or supporting LEAs:

PEIMS Comparison Infographic
PEIMS QuickStart THUMB
Infographics_ECDS_Cheat_Sheet_THUMB
TSDS PEIMS comparison TSDS PEIMS QuickStart

ECDS 2016-2017 Cheat Sheet

Infographic - TSDS PEIMS Process Flow THUMB
studentGPS® QuickStart
 
TSDS PEIMS Submission Process
studentGPS® QuickStart
 

Support from TEA

TSDS vendors should contact TSDSCustomerSupport@tea.texas.gov for any questions around their TSDS extractors or for clarification and guidance on TSDS reporting requirements.

TSDS Certified vendors, Level 2 support staff, and LEAs should submit any issues or questions via the TIMS ticketing system.  

Standards and Updates

The Texas Education Data Standards (TEDS) define the standards and reporting requirements for all data loaded to TSDS. This includes the data elements, code table values and validation rules specifications. The preliminary version of TEDS is published in December for the upcoming school year; the final version is published in March, followed by the Post-Addendum version in July.

The Operational Data Store (or ODS—the central data warehouse for TSDS) is updated annually to comply with the final version of the TEDS release.  These changes are deployed at the beginning of each school year.

A Look Ahead

The best way to plan ahead for upcoming changes to the data standards is to stay abreast of the preliminary TEDS releases.

You can also review any upcoming TSDS changes that have been approved by TSDS Data Governance. All changes to the TSDS data collection, including legislatively mandated changes, are vetted via the Data Governance Process.  The meeting schedule and minutes containing approved items can be found on the Data Governance Meeting Schedules and Minutes webpage.

What Does It Mean To Be a TSDS Certified Vendor?

TSDS Certified Training and Support Vendors are hired by LEAs to provide assistance with their TSDS data submissions. This can include providing training to LEA staff, clarifying data reporting requirements and deadlines, assisting with the annual onboarding of the studentGPS® Dashboards and providing Level 2 support for TSDS issues submitted via the TIMS ticketing system.

To ensure the quality and accuracy of the support provided to our LEAs, vendor staff who provide support must be trained and certified by TEA.  In addition, TEA provides a weekly newsletter, regularly scheduled webinars, and annual continuing education courses to help support staff stay up to date and keep their skills fresh. Learn more about becoming a certified vendor.

See the latest FCN Newsletter for certification and education opportunities.