How do I Sync Echo with my Student Information System?

Note: This document references views and actions that are only available to Echo Administrators

To ease the administration of Echo, districts can chose to sync Echo with their SIS. This process uses data from an SIS to automatically manage user accounts, courses and enrollments. As will any automated process, that can remove some flexibility in how Echo is used by teachers. Consider the following before syncing with an SIS:

• Individual Assignment Scores: In most cases, individual assignment data from Echo will not be synced with your SIS. The nature of the Multi-Outcome Scoring gradebook in Echo does not have an equivalent in most SISs. Only the current/final grade will be transferred to the SIS.
• Integrated Courses: Many schools integrate courses (two ore more courses combined and treated like a single course). If these courses are separate in the SIS, you may have to create and manage the integrated courses manually.
• Master/Derivative Course: Many schools who want to take full advantage of Echo’s master and derivative course functionality may not wish to automatically generate courses based on the SIS course list. Users may want to have more flexibility than that approached would allow.

Options
For schools that want to automate the management of accounts, courses and enrollments or want course grades to be automatically posted to their Student Information System (SIS), Echo provides two options:  

1. Microsoft DataSense (a third party tool)
2. Custom API Development

Echo is built on a platform with a robust API library, this means many possibilities exist for extracting and posting data to and from Echo. Districts have the option to build a custom tool tailored to their specific needs and build their own integration tool. These can be simple grade extractions or full blown integrations.  If this is something your school/district is interested in, we can connect you with the right people to make sure your solution is successful.