Setup options for classes and students Follow
This article helps Hāpara administrators choose the best way to load classes and students into Hāpara.
Who this is for
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Summary
Hāpara offers several options for setting up classes and students, including manual spreadsheet/CSV loads, cURL loads, Clever, PowerSchool, ClassLink Roster Server, OneRoster, Google Classroom Sync and Hāpara Create Class. The best setup option depends on how your school manages roster data, whether you need automated syncing and how much control teachers should have over class creation.
What’s right for your school or district?
Thank you for choosing to use Hāpara to make learning visible. All of us at Hāpara look forward to working with you and others from your school.
This article is designed to help school technical administrators and instructional leaders understand the options available for loading class and student data into Hāpara. It also explains the technical and instructional considerations for each setup option.
Not all data loading options will be suitable for your school. The choices you make for your Hāpara setup have both technical and instructional implications. We recommend choosing the data loading method that best meets your school’s needs.
Technical considerations of Hāpara setup
Hāpara setup options
| Technical consideration | Manual load through Spreadsheet/CSV | cURL Load | OneRoster, PowerSchool, ClassLink Roster Server or Clever | Google Classroom Sync | Hāpara Create Class |
| Setup type | Choose one | Choose one | Choose one | Choose or use as supplemental to the options on the left | Supplemental; can be used in addition to any option on the left |
| Syncs with your SIS/SMS or rostering platform | X | X | ✓ | X | X |
| Syncs with Google Classroom | X | X | X | ✓ | X |
| Daily automated sync | X | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Technical knowledge required | Low | High | Medium to high | Low | Low |
| Custom student Google Drive folder creation available | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
Instructional considerations of Hāpara setup
Teacher Dashboard is affected instructionally by the option you choose to set up Hāpara in your school. Your data load choice will have a small effect on Student Dashboard. How you decide to set up Hāpara has no instructional effect on Highlights or Workspace.
If your school uses Google Classroom, make sure to review the instructional considerations closely and ensure you are choosing the correct setup method.
Student Dashboard
The class name students see in Student Dashboard will vary depending on the setup method chosen.
| Setup option | What students see in Student Dashboard |
|---|---|
| Manual load through Spreadsheet/CSV | The class title shown in Student Dashboard matches the class title in the data spreadsheet. |
| cURL Load | The class title shown in Student Dashboard matches the class title in the data spreadsheet. |
| Clever, PowerSchool, ClassLink Roster Server or OneRoster | The class title shown in Student Dashboard is taken from the class title from the SIS/SMS or rostering platform. Depending on configuration, class names may include ClassName-SISID, ClassName-Period-SIS/SMS ID or ClassName-Section-SIS/SMS ID. |
| Google Classroom Sync | The class title shown in Student Dashboard matches the class title in Google Classroom. |
| Hāpara Create Class | The class title is chosen by the person who creates the class. |
Teacher Dashboard
The Dashboard view of Teacher Dashboard shows specific folders from students’ Google Drives. The main instructional purpose behind visibility into these folders is to allow teachers quick and easy access to the documents students are currently working on so they can provide in-time feedback.
The table below explains which folder from students’ Google Drives is visible in the Dashboard view of Teacher Dashboard depending on the setup method chosen.
The functions of resetting student passwords and emailing the class in the Class Info section of Teacher Dashboard are also affected by the load method, as explained below.
| Instructional effect on Teacher Dashboard | Spreadsheet/CSV upload | cURL Load | Clever, PowerSchool, ClassLink Roster Server or OneRoster | Google Classroom Sync | Hāpara Create Class |
| Option of custom student Google Drive folder creation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Google Drive folders visible in Teacher Dashboard | Student Google Drive folders are created through manual load. There are two options: one folder matching the class name, or multiple subject folders such as numeracy, literacy or inquiry. Teachers see documents students add to the class folder and files shared through Share Files. There is also an option to have no folders. | Folder options are the same as the manual load options. | Folder options are similar to the manual load options. One student Google Drive folder is created through the sync load, matching the class name or course name. Teachers see documents students add to the class folder and files shared through Share Files. | The Google Drive folder created when a Google Classroom class is created is shown in Teacher Dashboard. This shows documents in the students’ Google Classroom folder. | Dashboard shows a Documents tab containing all of a student’s Google Drive files. |
| Reset student passwords | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Email class | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
Data loading methods
Spreadsheet/CSV Load
| Pros | Cons | Limitations |
| Settings are customizable. Custom student Google Drive folder creation is available. | Someone must maintain data spreadsheets that have specific formatting requirements. Cannot be automated, so there is no daily sync. | If using Google Classroom, the Google Classroom folder does not show in the Dashboard tab. However, Sharing > All Docs may be used to search for Google Classroom-related files. |
cURL loading
Note: This is a highly technical setup.
| Pros | Cons | Limitations |
| Settings are customizable. Automation is available and can be set to control how often data auto-syncs. Custom student Google Drive folder creation is available. | Technical setup is required. Manual processing is still required for updating spreadsheets prior to loads. | If using Google Classroom, the Google Classroom folder does not show in the Dashboard tab. However, Sharing > All Docs may be used to search for Google Classroom-related files. |
OneRoster, PowerSchool, ClassLink Roster Server and Clever Load Syncs
| Pros | Cons | Limitations |
| Syncs with your SIS/SMS or rostering platform, reducing manual processing. Daily sync is available. One-time setup configuration. Custom student Google Drive folder creation is available. OneRoster can sync classes, teachers and students daily or on demand. | Admin setup is required. Configuration options may vary depending on the rostering provider. PowerSchool configuration is partially configurable. OneRoster requires SIS connection details, such as Token URL, URL Prefix, Secret Key and SIS ID or Org ID. | If using Google Classroom, the Google Classroom folder does not show in the Dashboard tab. However, Sharing > All Docs may be used to search for Google Classroom-related files. |
Create Classes
| Pros | Cons | Limitations |
| Easy and quick to configure. Gives more ownership to teachers and is very hands-off for admins. Can be used with other loads to allow both school-created and teacher-created classes. | Limited Teacher Dashboard and Class Info functionality. No student Google Drive folders are provisioned. | Teachers cannot change student passwords from Class Info. Teachers cannot email the class from Class Info. |
Google Classroom Sync
| Pros | Cons | Limitations |
| Easy and quick to configure. Gives more ownership to teachers and is very hands-off for admins. Uses Google Classroom to create classes and populate students. The Google Drive folder created when a Google Classroom class is created is shown in Teacher Dashboard. Can be used with other loads to allow both school-created and teacher-created classes. | Limited Teacher Dashboard and Class Info functionality. | No student Google Drive folders are provisioned by Hāpara. Instead, this setup uses the existing Google Classroom folder associated with that class. Teachers cannot change student passwords from Class Info. Teachers cannot email the class from Class Info. |
You can load classes into Hāpara using any of the data loading options or specific combinations of the available options.
In order for students to be added to every class needed, all of the student’s classes will need to be specified in at least one of the loading methods chosen.
Do you still need help?
For additional help with data loading, reach out to Hāpara Support by emailing support@hapara.com. They can guide you through the setup options and offer recommendations on which option would be best for your school.