LACES may be integrated with Pearson GED and ETS HiSET or DiplomaSender to allow HSE scores and diplomas to be imported into LACES for matching students. This ONLY applies to clients who have opted to integrate with Pearson, ETS, or DiplomaSender.
One or both of these imports may be used in your LACES database. This documentation references both the GED and HiSET import. The process and matching is the same for both imports.
The GED and HiSET scores are imported based on a matching algorithm to locate the student records; scores are not imported by agency name. The import files display at the Imports area in the SEA agency only. GED and HiSET Import files do NOT display on the Imports grid in the local agencies.
Monitoring the Integrations
A user with access to the LACES SEA agency will be designated as the contact person for each integration. This person will receive an email after each integration notifying them that the integration has taken place.
The import files ONLY display at the Imports area at the SEA, therefore it is important that a designated user at the SEA level monitor the import files and report errors to the agencies. This may be a different person from the user who receives the emails.
The Import Process
1. Pearson and ETS export an .xml file to LPS. The files are exported 7 days a week. Specific times vary by state.
2. LPS converts the .xml file to a .csv file. During this conversion, LPS "pulls" the pertinent data used to match a student and the score information from the .xml file and moves it to the .csv file.
3. The .csv file is scheduled as an import 7 days a week at the designated time.
4. Student matching is done during the import process (see below for the matching 'buckets).
5. The designated SEA user receives an email that the import has completed. Each email contains a message for every row of the import file.
6. A designated SEA user reviews the imported files and reports student data errors to the agency where the student record resides.
GED Candidate ID and HiSET Customer ID
The import files sent to LACES contain the IDs assigned to the student at the respective testing centers. Because these IDs are available, they have been included on the import files. The GED import file has "Candidate ID" in column J, and the HiSET import file has "Customer ID" in column J. A corresponding field was added to the student record at the Education Tab/Education panel in clients who are integrated with either or both of the test vendors. Clients who are integrated with HiSET will see a field called "HiSET Customer ID" and clients who are integrated with GED will see a field called "GED Candidate ID." The fields may be added to a custom student view.
IDs are automatically added to the student record in LACES the first time the student appears on an import file as an exact match. Once the ID is added to the student record through the import, it should not be edited. If the ID is incorrect, the ID should be edited in the test vendor record. However, if the ID is available prior to an import, it may be added to the student record. IDs that have been added or edited in LACES will be overwritten with the ID on the import file the next time scores are sent for the student if an exact match occurs; the IDs sent from the test vendor take priority.
The GED Candidate ID and the HiSET Customer ID may be used for matching in place of the SSN. For example, an exact student match means that the SSN and birthdate on the import file matches what is in the student record. If the student appears on a subsequent import with only a matching birthdate and matching ID, the record will be considered an exact match.
‘Buckets’ for Matching Data
The following fields are part of the match process and are included on the import files:
1. First Name
2. Last Name
3. Birthdate
4. SSN
5. Customer ID (HiSET only)
6. Candidate ID (GED only)
7. Email
8. Address Lines (Address 1 and Address 2 in LACES).
9. Primary Phone Number (home phone, mobile phone, or work phone in LACES.)
10. Alternate Phone (home phone, mobile phone, or work phone in LACES.)
Students in LACES who match any of the conditions in this "bucket" are considered an exact match and the scores will import.
Initial import
SSN
Date of Birth
Subsequent import
At least one of SSN or ID (Customer ID or Candidate ID)
Date of Birth
Or
First Name
Last Name
Date of Birth
and at least one of Email, Address (Address 1 + Address 2), Phone Number
Or
First Name
Last Name
and at least one of Address (Address 1 + Address 2), Phone Number
Students in LACES that match any of the conditions in this "bucket" are considered a potential match and should be reviewed to make sure it is the same student. Scores are NOT imported for potential match students.
SSN
Or
First Name
Last Name
Date of Birth
Or
First Name = Last Name
Last Name = First Name
Date of Birth
Or
First Name
Last Name
Or
First Name = Last Name
Last Name = First Name
Or
Phone Number
No matches on any of the key matching fields. These students have a very low probability of being in LACES.
How to review the import file for matches
1. Sign into the LACES SEA and go to the Imports area.
2. Filter by the import "Type"
a. In the Type column header field, enter GED (all integrated GED file names begin with GED) or HiSET (all integrated HiSET file names begin with HiSET).
b. Click off of the field. (The filter on the grid filters default to "starts with" so you can apply the search by simply entering the beginning text, and clicking off the grid.)
c. A list of all the integrated files will display.
d. The grid column headings include Errors, No Matches, Potential Matches, Pre-existing, and Added.
3. Open the GED or HiSET integrated record.
4. Click the Import Messages tab. By default, all records display, regardless of status. The records at Import Messages are the same records on the import file.
5. You may filter by status, using the status filter on the right. Only the statuses returned on the import will display on the status filter. For example, if the file did not have any errors, 'Errors' will not display on the status filter list.
Potential Matches
To determine if a student on the import file is actually in LACES, you will need to analyze the records to understand why the student's assessment information did not get added during the integration.
1. First, open the integrated file and filter by Potential Match.
2. The row number is the row on the import file.
3. Look at the Message. For example:
Potential match found on First Name, Last Name, Birthdate for Student ID = 1111111.
This tells you that there is a potential match on a student record in LACES, but there isn't an exact match based on the criteria in Bucket 1; a student in LACES has the same first name, last name, and birthdate as shown on the import file, but this criteria alone is not used to make an exact match. To make an EXACT match, the student information on the import file AND the LACES data must match exactly according to the matching logic in Bucket 1.
Bucket 1 Exact matching:
SSN
Date of Birth
Or
First Name
Last Name
Date of Birth
and at least one of Email, Address (Address 1 + Address 2), Phone Number
Or
First Name
Last Name
and at least one of Address (Address 1 + Address 2), Phone Number
4. Locate the student record in LACES and compare the data in the record with the data on the import file.
a. Is SSN on the import file? If yes, does the student have the same SSN entered in the Demographics tab/Identification panel? When SSN is on the import file, but SSN is not in the student record, or is a different SSN, there is no match.
b. Is SSN blank on the import file? If yes, is SSN blank in the student record? When SSN is blank on the import file, but the student record has a SSN, there is no match.
c. Since a student with the same last name, first name, and birthdate is found, you must now look at the email, address, and phone numbers. If these do not match what is on the import file, there is no match.
5. If you are certain that the student on the import file is the same student in LACES, but certain fields need to be updated for a match, you must either update the LACES record, or download the file, fix the errors on the file, and manually import.
Correcting Errors
1. Student records in LACES that do not match the data coming from Pearson or ETS should be corrected in the LACES student record at the agency, and/or in the import file.
Records cannot be updated at the SEA. Any change to the student record must be made in the local agency.
a. The designated SEA users should export the file with the potential matches.
1. Open the import file at the Imports grid and go to the Import Messages tab.
2. Filter the import record by Potential Match.
3. Export the records by selecting the Export button. This will export a file with the row, status, and message. This file is not to be used to re-import.
4. Save the exported file.
5. Send to the appropriate agency for the LACES record to be updated to match the import file.
6. Download the import file by clicking the "Download Imported File" button.
7. Save the file to your computer, and re-import at the Imports area.
2. Make the corrections on the import file and re-import.
a. Open the import file at Imports grid and go to the Import Messages tab.
b. Download the import file by clicking the "Download Imported File" button.
c. Save the file to your computer.
d. At the SEA, find the students who are a potential match.
e. Update the import file so that First Name, Last Name, Birthdate, SSN, Email, Address, and phone numbers all match.
f. Save the file.
g. Re-import the corrected file at the Imports area.
Importing the File at the Imports Area
1. Sign into the ~SEA agency in LACES.
2. Under the Additional menu, select "Imports."
3. Click the "Import Data" button.
4. Select the import type from the Imports drop-down list.
5. Click "Select File" and navigate to the import file on your computer.
6. Click the "Import" button.
7. Once your import starts you will be redirected to the Imports page.
8. The most recent import displays at the top of the grid.
10. Click into your import run and on the Import Messages tab for the import messages.