Connecticut State Department of Education

FAQ

FAQ Topics (alphabetical order):
General
  1. How should I handle and report a transgender student who wants to change their name and gender, but has not completed a legal name change? Districts should treat requests to change student records based on transgender status no differently than they would treat any other request for a change to student records. The Public School Information System (PSIS) does allow districts to report a student without using the child’s legal name provided on their birth certificate. More information on this topic can be found at: Transgender Guidance FAQ
  2. How do we handle the reporting of a student that does not identify as male or female? Students who do not identify exclusively as male or female should be reported as Non-Binary in PSIS.
  3. Is the snapshot date the same as the collection due date? No, the snapshot date and the collection due date are two separate dates. The snapshot date is the “as of” date associated with the PSIS collection. The collection due date is the date the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) requires all data to be submitted, reviewed and certified by the district’s Superintendent.
  4. What if the snapshot date is on the weekend or holiday?
    In instances where the published snapshot dated falls on a weekend or holiday, the snapshot date to be used will be the business day prior. This will be a rare occurrence, as the CSDE will try to publish and or announce snapshot dates that are on regular business days.
  5. When should you obtain a SASID? For students not enrolled in PSIS, after you have evaluated, found eligible and determined you will be servicing a student. It is important to remember, if the parent requests delayed entry into school, you will obtain a SASID when the student is enrolled in your district and scheduled to start school. (e.g., a preschool student is found eligible on March 3rd, parent opts to delay entry until first day of school in September; a home schooled student is found eligible on Dec. 15th, parent opts to delay entry until first day of school in January; or a private school student is found eligible on June 5th, parent opts to delay entry until first day of school in September.)

    CT-SEDS does not require SASIDs. Under NO circumstances should a student – whom has not yet been found eligible – be registered and unregistered in PSIS in order to obtain a SASID.
    • However, there are Birth to Three Notifications located in CT-SEDS (also still located in SEDAC under Mandatory Off-cycle Reports).  The report is provided by the Office of Early Childhood (OEC), and notifies school districts about all children enrolled in Birth to Three who either reside in their district or who have OSEP District (previously referred to as Nexus District) with their district (as determined by the Department of Children and Families). All students referred by Birth to Three are required to have a SASID#.
      • If the Children with Signed B23 Approval (Form 3-8) to Include LEA report does NOT contain the SASID contact the B23 Service Provider. If not resolved within 2 weeks forward us the email (SDE.CTSEDS.PerfOffice) with Subject “B23 Missing SASID#”, include a log of attempts made with the B23 Service Provider to correct the issue.
      • If the district received the B23 referral via email or mail and the student does NOT appear on the Children with Signed B23 Approval (Form 3-8) to Include LEA report contact the B23 Service Provider. If not resolved within 2 weeks forward us the email (SDE.CTSEDS.PerfOffice) with Subject “B23 NOT on report” and we will loop in OEC. Also, FAX and state you faxed the B23 referral to us at 860-326-0547.
    • If a child is not referred from Birth to Three or already enrolled in a public school a student code will be assigned in CT-SEDS. 
Data Uploads & Processing
  1. I had an unsuccessful batch upload and received a strange error message. What should I do? No worries, batch errors are common.  PSIS is housed in our legacy portal system and the legacy system only accepts .csv and fixed width files. It is important to remember that uploaded files cannot contain a header row. Please see additional information on unsuccessful uploads available on the PSIS Public Help Site. If your problem persists, please contact Kendra.Shakir@ct.gov.   Note: Do not email your batch file to the CSDE! A copy is retained on our end even though your batch was unsuccessful.

  • My error report does not open. What should I do? Please contact our help desk at 860-713-6681.
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  • Can I use the merge batch feature to submit my district data by individual schools?

    Yes, you can. The merge batch is only available for PSIS collection batches.  The merge batch feature merges or changes previously submitted data via the batch upload process. Please note that the merge feature is not available until one clean batch has been submitted and transferred to the system’s database. For more information on the merge batch, please visit the PSIS Public Help Site.

  • Can I process a merge batch that contains only the SASID indicator and those fields which need to be updated?

    No. Your batch must follow the PSIS collection format and include all required fields, even if only one field is being updated. All fields in a merge batch will go through the same error checks as a Replace batch. When using the merge batch you should only change what those specific fields you need to update or change.

  • Whom should I contact if I have questions regarding the School Interoperability Framework (SIF)?

    The CSDE’s Bureau of Information Technology manages the SIF. Please contact the helpdesk at 860-713-6610 for any SIF related issues.

  • Is the School Interoperability Framework only available for collection reporting?

    • The SIF feature is currently available for PSIS collection reporting only.

    Data Exceptions
    1. What is a data exception?

      Data Exceptions are a feature associated with PSIS collections. They are built-in system validations that looks for significant data differences and questionable reporting between consecutive collections at the student, school and district level requiring the attention of the district. Districts are required to respond to all data exceptions and if necessary make changes to collection data that may have been misreported. For example, a student may be reported in an October collection as Special Education=Y and in the following June collection as Special Education=N. If the student did not return to General Education between the snapshot dates of the October and June collections, the district will need to correct their data.

    2. I made an update to my district’s collection data based on a school and/or district level exception. I still see the data exception on my screen, why is this?
      You may still see the data exception showing on your screen because 1) the correction has not been made in the appropriate collection or 2) you have selected ‘other’ as the reason for the observed difference or data change. 
    English Learners (EL)
    1. If a student arrives from Puerto Rico, can they be identified as a Recently Arrived EL? The Immigrant definition specifies that students from Puerto Rico should not be identified as immigrant.

      Yes, a student from Puerto Rico can be a Recently Arrived EL despite the fact that Puerto Rican students cannot be considered immigrants for the purposes of the Title III Immigrant subgrant.

    2. Is the ELL status reported in the PSIS collection based on the student’s date of identification, the district’s first day of service or strictly on the outcome of the language assessment regardless of when it was done?
      All PSIS collections have a snapshot or “as of” date.  If the student’s results on the English language proficiency assessment indicate the student is an English learner, the student is identified and reported accordingly in PSIS. Please note that if a student is identified as an EL at any time during the school year, the student must remain as an EL for the entire school year. For students to exit EL status, they must meet the state exit criteria on the annual English language proficiency assessment.
    Facilities Reporting
    1. A student in our district is attending two facilities. How should this be reported?
      Please see Appendix M of the PSIS user guide for guidance on students attending two educational facilities within a given school day.
    Gifted and Talented
    1. If a student is identified as gifted/talented (GTE) in grade 6 through 8, is that student considered gifted/talented through Grade 12 graduation? 
      There aren't any rules for exiting a student from GTE.  After the PPT for gifted identification, the district can choose to continue that designation across grades assuming that they continue to believe that the child has high-ability educational needs that are not met by the regular education program in the new grade.  The label does not, however, necessarily cross district lines.  A receiving district can choose to continue to use the label for the child, but may wish to re-evaluate the child based on the comparison of the student's educational needs with the general education program in the new district.  In a new district, the child would have to be referred again and then a PPT would have to meet.  The gifted designation from the sending district could be enough of a referral to stimulate the PPT.  
     
    Homeless Student Reporting
    1. Whom should I contact if I have immediate questions about homeless students in my district?

      When you have questions regarding homeless, students and services please contact the LEA Homeless Liaison in your district. A list of the Connecticut LEA Homeless Liaison Catalog can found at: Homeless Education

    2. If a student is homeless but the parent does not want the child to be identified and reported as such, what should we do? How do we then report this student?

      Under the McKinney Vento Act, districts are not required to obtain a parent/guardian or youth’s approval to report a child as homeless for identification purposes. The parent does however have the right to decline services offered because of the child’s identification as a homeless student.

    3. What is the district’s responsibility to report a student as homeless under the McKinney Vento Act?

      Reporting districts are required to report students experiencing instances of homelessness. Section 725(2) of the federal McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. For more information, please consult with the McKinney Vento homeless liaison in your local school district. A list of the Connecticut LEA Homeless Liaison Catalog can found at: Homeless Education

    4. If a student’s homeless status changes from Doubled Up to Shelter within the same year are we to update the field?
      Districts are required to maintain a student’s homeless status for as long as the student remains homeless and up until the end of the academic year in which a student retains permanent housing. If the homeless living arrangement should change in the current year (e.g. Doubled Up to Shelter), a district should maintain the original arrangement recorded throughout the remainder of the same year. If the student remains homeless in the following academic year, then the district may update the homeless status to the existing living arrangement.
    Nexus Reporting
    1. What is the Nexus District?

      The nexus district is the district that has the legal responsibility to identify, educate and pay for a special education student under Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA).
      Generally, nexus means the town where the student's parent(s) reside (pay taxes).

    2. Should every student we report in PSIS have Nexus information?

      Not every student reported in PSIS will have Nexus information. If the student is a student with disabilities who will be receiving special education in accordance with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), then yes, you must report the NEXUS DISTRICT in PSIS.

    3. What date should be used as the Nexus District Entry Date?

      Report the date in PSIS Registration:

      1. that the parent signed the IEP Consent for Initial Provision of Special Education (ED626), on or after Eligibility Determination.

      *In the case of a parent request for delayed entry into school for children ages 3, 4 or 5 report the District Entry Date (example: 4 year old found eligible for special education in May, parent requests to delay start of school until the fall).

      2. if a student with disabilities is transferring into your district, report the District Entry Date.

      3. if a DCF-603 is involved, report the “as of” date of the DCF-603.

    4. What date should be used the Nexus District Exit Date?

      The Nexus District Exit Date should be reported in PSIS Registration with the date that appears on page 3 of the IEP in the Exit Information section.

    5. What do we use for the Nexus District Entry Date for a K-12 student when the parent signs the ED626 prior to a PSIS collection snapshot but the start date on page 11 of the IEP is a date after the collection snapshot date?

      For students already in grade K-12, the date the parent signs the ED626 (Initial Consent for Special Education Placement), is the date the district is held fiscally responsible for that student under IDEA. Report the date on the signed ED626.

    6. What date do we use for the Nexus District Entry Date for a K-12 student who is not enrolled in our district when the parent signs the ED626, and the parent opts to delay the student’s entry into school? (E.g., a home school student is found eligible on December 14, parents opts to delay entry until first day of school in January; or a private school student is found eligible on June 5, parent opts to delay entry until first day of school in September.)

      For students already in grade K-12, the date the parent signs the ED626 (initial Consent for Special Education Placement), is the date the district is held fiscally responsible for that student under IDEA. Report the date on the signed ED626.

    7. A student moved into our district from out-of-state, we had no knowledge the student was eligible to receive Special Education services until 3 months later when we received the IEP from the other district. What do we use as the Nexus District entry date?

      The PSIS data manager would enter the Nexus District Entry Date as the 1st day the student transferred into your district. Additionally, subsequent PSIS collections would need to be updated to reflect special education=YES and Nexus. The district must provide the child with FAPE (including services comparable to those described in the child's IEP from the previous district). The district should also immediately convene a PPT to review the student's records, determine the student's needs, plan any needed evaluations, and develop an IEP. In planning the student's IEP, the PPT should consider whether there was a child find violation and/or if the district failed to take reasonable steps to promptly obtain the child's records from the previous district. See 34 C.F.R. Section 300.323(f) and (g).

    8. What do we use for the Nexus District Entry Date for a preschool student when the parent signs the ED626 prior to a PSIS collection date, but the start date on page 11 is after the Oct. 1 collection?
      First, it is important to note that legally you can implement an IEP for a preschool student up to 45 days prior to their 3rd birthday. The date the parent signs the ED626 (Initial Consent for Special Education Placement), is the date the district is held fiscally responsible for that student under IDEA. The CSDE recommends that you report the date the parent signs the ED626 as the Nexus District Entry Date in all cases, but you may report the page 11 start date for implementation of special education services for students whose parents request a delay in implementation of the IEP. Please recognize, a district decision/policy regarding enrolling a student prior to the start date on page 11, has potential to disallow the student in the PSIS Oct. 1 Collection, and therefore eliminate the student from the enrollment count under the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant.
    Miscellaneous Questions
    1. If a student is hospitalized and receives tutoring who should report the student?

      If a student is hospitalized and received tutoring, they should be reported by the district who is providing and fiscally responsible for the child’s educational services.

    2. How should we report students who have entered a detention center?

      Students who have entered a detention center in the State of Connecticut should be reported in the facility code that represents the detention center.   The Special Program Status Code 09 must be used to identify these students. 

    3. In instances where our district has students that are outplaced to hospitals, detention centers and inpatient school programs, how are we to report the students if we are not informed of their placement in a timely manner?
      We encourage districts and outplaced facilities to work collaboratively so that all students can be reported in the appropriate facility.
    Pre-Kindergarten
    1. A child has enrolled in our Pre-K program and the parent has since withdrawn the child and informed us that they will not re-enroll the child in school until Kindergarten. Is this acceptable?
      Yes, this acceptable if the child is under the age of seven. In the State of Connecticut, children are not required to enroll in compulsory education until the age of seven.
    Race & Ethnicity Reporting
    1. What is I have a student who is only identified as Hispanic?

      All records must have at least once race indicated.

    2. What should we do if a parent refuses to indicate the student’s race and/or ethnicity?
      If an individual (or the parent on behalf of the individual) does not complete the two-part question, then the educational institution should take steps to collect and document information allowing the reporting of the individual in one of the seven Federal reporting categories. The U.S. Department of Education will continue its existing policy of using observer identification in these cases. If only one part of the two-part question is unanswered, the educational institution should take steps to ensure that the respondent has intentionally refused to complete both parts of the question, before using observer identification if there is not enough information in the response to allow for proper reporting.
    System Support & Technical Issues
    1. I do not have a user name and password to access PSIS. Whom should I contact?

      If you do not possess authorized user credentials to access PSIS, please contact the

      help desk at 860-713-6681.

    2. My username and password are not allowing me access to PSIS. What should I do?

      Please verify that you are typing the username and password correctly. If you are using the appropriate credentials and still cannot access the system, please contact the help desk at 860-713-6681.

    3. Can my district’s LEA Security Manager reset my PSIS user credentials?

      No, the LEA Security Manager is not able to reset your password. The LEA Security Manager can reset user credentials for CSDE applications housed in the “portal” not legacy application. PSIS is considered a legacy application.

    4. I am using Internet Explorer and my report appears but it is blank. What should I do?
      It sounds like you may need the Crystal Reports Viewer installed on your computer. Please go to http://www.csde.state.ct.us/ and click the link to the instructions for the topic "Have a new computer that needs the Crystal Reports ActiveX control installed?" Note that this is a two-part installation (the executable and the IE ActiveX control) and needs to be done by someone with administrator privilege on the computer.
    Student Attendance Reporting
    1. When should I report a student as “in attendance”?

      A student should always be reported as “in attendance” when they are present in school or participating in a school sponsored activity for at least half of the regular school days.

    2. What is the definition of “in attendance”?

      In January 2008, the Connecticut State Board of Education adopted the following definition of student attendance:

      A student is considered to be “in attendance” if present at his/her assigned school, or an activity sponsored by the school (e.g., field trip), for at least half of the regular school day. A student who is serving an out of school suspension or expulsion should always be considered absent.

    3. What length of time is considered a full day of regular instruction?

      The length of the school day will vary among schools and districts. The district should consider the full school day to be the start time of school (e.g. what time are students to report to school) until the time of student dismissal.

    4. A parent has informed us that their child will be traveling out of the country for several weeks. How do I report attendance for this student?

      In instances where a parent informs the school district that the child will be away from school for an extended period of time out of the country and expresses the definite intent to return to the district, the child should be marked absent for each school day they are not “in attendance” according to the state definition. Moreover, only when the child is 17 years old can a parent consent for such child to withdraw from school. For all other school age children under 17, Connecticut General Statute Section 10-184 requires that parents cause their child to attend a public school regularly or show that the child is elsewhere receiving equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools. For these school age children under 17, all the allowable list of exit codes within PSIS ask the parent to affirm that the child is continuing to receive equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools.

    5. How are we to handle the attendance reporting of students who are not able to attend school due to a medical issue?
      Students who are absent from school for medical reasons (e.g., routine medical appointments, chronic illness, hospitalization) are reported as “absent” for each day that they are not present for at least half of the instructional school day and not receiving instruction by an appropriately certified teacher.
    Student Entry & Withdrawals
    1. How should we handle and report student who leave our district during the summer break?

      Students will commonly exit a district during the summer break. Districts should exit students with the date of withdrawal that is supported by official written documentation. Students who exit during the summer are permitted to be reported with the days of membership and day in attendance as zero.

    2. How should we handle and report a student who leaves our district over the summer but did not notify us until the beginning of the new school year?

      In such a case, the district is instructed to exit the child once they have been appropriately notified in writing or have received a formal request of records transfer.

    3. When can a district exit a student?

      A district can withdraw and exit a child from their district for the following reasons: 1) the child’s parent or guardian has signed a withdrawal document indicating the child will be educated elsewhere, 2) has received a formal transfer of records request or 3) the child’s whereabouts are unknown and the district has completed their necessary due process to ascertain the child’s whereabouts.

    4. A student has not be attending school regularly. We have tried to locate the child with no success, can we exit the child as ‘Moved Not Known to be Continuing’ as of the last date they were reported present our school?’

      Sometimes, despite the most exhaustive efforts by educators, they are unsuccessful in re-engaging some students who may have stopped coming to school. Such discontinuance may occur during the year. It may also occur during the summer; for example, there are students who are registered during the summer and NEVER show up in your district. If the district has been unable to locate the child, then the district must ensure that it has exhausted its due process procedures and practices. These steps include but are not limited to sending mail to the student’s last known address, home visitation by a school official, health/safety visit by law enforcement, and filing a referral of educational neglect with the Department of Children and Families (Form DCF-136).

      If after all these and any additional efforts, the district has still been unable to locate the child then the district may unregister the child from PSIS with an exit code of 25 (Moved, not known to be continuing). The exit date must be the date when the district completes its due process; the exit date should not be backdated. Conversely, if the due process procedures allow the district to verify that the student actually transferred to another school, then the information obtained must be used to report a transfer date.

    5. What is the policy districts should adhere to when exiting a student?

      The district must ensure that the withdrawal is valid and there is tangible evidence of the child’s withdrawal. In most instances this will be a signed and dated exit document endorsed by the parent or guardian; it may also a document requesting the child’s previous record sent by another district where the student will receive their education or written evidence documenting the steps under the district’s due process procedure to ascertain the child’s whereabouts and reengage the child back in school.

    6. Are there any required documents districts must have to justify a student exit, outplacement or “temporary” withdrawal from school?

      Yes, all exits must be supported by written documentation.

    7. A parent has informed us that their child will be traveling out of the country for an extended period and will return to our district in approximately 2 months. Should we unregister the child?
      The child should not be unregistered just because they are traveling to another country. If there is no intent to return to the school district and the parent confirms that the child will be attending school in another country, exit code 10 is appropriate.
    Special Education
    1. How are we to report a Special Education student in PSIS?

      To indicate that a student is receiving Special Education services in PSIS the appropriate fields need to be reported. In the PSIS Register Module the student must have the appropriate Nexus information (e.g. District Nexus Entry Date and Nexus District). In the corresponding PSIS collection the student should be reported with Special Education=Y and the appropriate Nexus Information (Nexus District).

    2. How do I report a PreK student receiving Special Education services and enrolled in two programs?

      To report such a student in PSIS, a child must be enrolled in free Special Education program under an IEP, and be enrolled a PreK program that is not part of the student’s IEP, for which parents pay a fee.

      The students’ FTE for the free Special Education program should be included in the resident student count for grant purposes, however the FTE for the parent-paid program should not be. The fields in PSIS are not designed for this specific situation, so we have to customize the reporting for these students to get the proper result for grant purposes.

      You should report all of the pertinent PreK information in PSIS (PreK Program Status Code, Length of PreK Program Day in Hours, Number of PreK Program Days per Year, and Enrolled at No Local Expense Code) for only the free Special Education program, and do not report anything related to the parent-paid program. Note that this applies only to students enrolled in both programs at the same time, all students who are enrolled in only one of the programs should be reported per the PSIS instructions.

    3. A Special Education student who resides in our district was placed by the parents at a RESC as a typical peer unrelated to the services he is receiving from us. Which district will be responsible for reporting the child?
      In this instance, the public school district will report the child in PSIS. Facility 1 is to be reported as the district where the child is receiving Special Education Services and facility 2 shall be reported as the RESC facility and the Special Education =Y.
    Testing & Assessment
    1. Can the Testing Demographic fields (EL, Special Education, Free-Reduced price lunch, Homeless, Military Family, Recently Arrived and 504) in Registration be updated via batch upload?
      Yes, these fields can be updated by batch. Please follow the Testing Demographics Record Layout when updating these fields by batch.