Upload Student Information into TIDE

Owned by Bruce Malone
Last updated: Mar 13, 2024 by Jessica Sokol
11 min read

District testing personnel need to upload student information into TIDE only once, at the beginning of the school year. Before students can take any assessments, all student records must be added to TIDE either individually or in bulk as a file upload. Data from the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) will be added to TIDE in March 2024. This file will be used to supplement, but not overwrite, existing data in TIDE. New students will be added to TIDE during the PEIMS import if the PEIMS file includes Texas Student Data System (TSDS) IDs that do not already exist in TIDE. If it is not possible to match a student’s data to the appropriate TSDS record, data from any blank field will be aggregated and reported as “No information provided” for that data element.

TIDE is used to manage the following tasks for student records:

  • adding new students with permanent TSDS IDs

  • adding new students with temporary IDs (for students whose TSDS IDs are not available at the time); a student can be added to TIDE with a temporary ID if the student:

    • does not have a TSDS ID assigned, or

    • needs to test out-of-school (OOS) and the student’s TSDS ID was never created

  • merging temporary IDs with TSDS IDs

  • viewing and editing:

    • demographic data

    • EOC test eligibility indicators

    • test mode and test format indicators for students eligible for special administrations

    • online testing attributes and accommodations 

  • updating records of students who move schools or districts

  • printing students’ test settings and test tickets

Before testing begins, district coordinators and campus testing coordinators must ensure that student data stored in TIDE are accurate.

 

Upload Student Information

District and campus coordinators must:

Student information can be added to TIDE in two ways: by bulk upload or by adding each student individually. It is recommended that district personnel use the bulk upload templates to add their students’ information at the beginning of the school year. If new students need to be added to TIDE later in the year, it is recommended that district personnel add them individually.

❏ Upload Student Information via Bulk Upload

Templates available through the following three tasks in TIDE should be used to add student information at the beginning of the school year. Data file formats providing information on valid values to use in these three uploads are available on the TIDE Upload File Formats webpage as PDF documents.

  • Upload Student Information: The template available through this task can be used to upload student information in TIDE. Valid values to enter in this template can be found in the Student Registration Upload File Format document.

NOTE: TIDE has been updated to retain previously uploaded values when specific fields in this template are left blank if the information was first submitted on or after August 28, 2023. Refer to the TIDE Upload File Formats page of the Texas Assessment website for detailed information on whether this applies for a specific field. If applicable, “<blank> = database value retained” is included as an acceptable value. If not applicable, a blank value will replace the previously submitted information. 

  • Upload Additional Student Fields: The template available through this task can be used to set or update values for defined fields. Each row within the template modifies a single value for a student. Multiple rows can be used to modify multiple values for the same student.

  • Upload Test Attributes: The template available through this task allows district testing personnel to apply test settings for students in TIDE. The settings included in this template are on a per-subject basis and must be applied before a student starts an assessment.

A screenshot of TIDE showing the Upload Student Information task.
Figure 1. This screenshot highlights the location of the downloadable template available through the Upload Student Information task in TIDE.

If student information changes as the school year progresses, district personnel should use the templates available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task or the Upload Test Attributes task to update student information, as applicable. These templates cannot be used to add new students, only to modify existing student records. Refer to the data file formats on the TIDE Upload File Formats webpage to ensure that the values entered in the templates are valid. Existing student records can also be individually updated.

NOTE: TIDE has been updated to retain previously uploaded values when specific fields are left blank in the template available through the Upload Student Information task.

To add students in a bulk file upload, download the template from the Upload Student Information task in the Student Information module in TIDE. It is recommended that all student information, including demographics, eligibility, and test mode, be included in the initial upload. Refer to the data file formats on the TIDE Upload File Formats webpage to ensure that the values entered in the template are valid.

❏ Upload Student Information via Individual Entry

To individually add students, use the Add Student task in the Student Information module in TIDE. Existing student records can also be individually updated by using the View/Edit/Export Student task.

A screenshot of TIDE showing the Add Student task.
Figure 2. Student information can be individually added using the Add Student task in TIDE.

Add Multiple Types of Student Information

District and campus coordinators must:

❏ Add Required Student Information Fields

The following fields are required to add a new student in TIDE:

  • TSDS ID

  • Student’s Last Name

  • Student’s First Name

  • Date of Birth (MMDDYYYY)

  • Grade

❏ Add Other Student Information Fields

It is recommended that all student information be populated at the beginning of the school year. Use the template available through the Upload Student Information task to enter the following information in TIDE for each student:

  • Enrolled District

  • Enrolled Campus

  • Testing District

  • Testing Campus

  • Middle Name

  • Gender

  • PEIMS ID

  • Local Student ID

  • Race and Ethnicity

  • Emergent Bilingual Indicator Code

  • Bilingual Program Type

  • ESL Program Type

  • Migrant

  • Years in U.S. Schools

  • Parental Denial

  • Unschooled Asylee / Refugee Code

  • Student with Interrupted Formal Education Code

  • High School Equivalency Program (HSEP)

  • Texas Migrant Interstate Program (TMIP)

  • New to Texas

  • Special Ed Indicator Code

  • Section 504 Indicator Code

  • Paper By Request

  • Gifted / Talented

  • Economic Disadvantage

  • Title 1 Part A

  • At-Risk Indicator

  • Alternate Student Flag

  • STAAR Alternate 2 EOC Eligibility

  • STAAR 3–8 Above Grade

  • December EOC Eligibility

  • Spring EOC Eligibility

  • June EOC Eligibility

  • Local and Agency Use Codes

The following program information must be entered in TIDE to ensure student test eligibility is properly set.

STAAR Alternate 2

  • For a student to take STAAR Alternate 2, the Special Ed Indicator Code field must be set to “Yes.”

TELPAS

  • For a student to take TELPAS, “1” must be selected for the Emergent Bilingual Indicator Code field. For example, if a student is enrolled in grade 4 and the Emergent Bilingual Indicator Code selected is 1, the system will enable the student to take TELPAS grades 4–5 listening and speaking and TELPAS grades 4–5 reading and writing assessments.

TELPAS Alternate

  • For a student to take TELPAS Alternate, the Special Ed Indicator Code field must be set to “Yes” and “1” must be selected for the Emergent Bilingual Indicator Code field. TELPAS Alternate assessments are administered holistically, and holistic ratings are submitted through the Data Entry Interface (DEI).

The following eligibility information must be entered in TIDE.

STAAR

  • For a student to take an assessment above his or her grade level, the grade level of the assessment should be entered in the applicable subject-area field under STAAR 3–8 Above Grade. For example, for a grade 4 student to take a grade 5 mathematics assessment, the Mathematics field under STAAR 3–8 Above Grade should be set to “05.” This student will be removed from the grade 4 mathematics assessment. The student will see only the above grade-level test, not their enrolled grade-level test, when they log in to TDS.

  • For a student to take a STAAR EOC assessment, the field for the appropriate course title must be set to “Yes.” There are separate fields for December EOC Eligibility, Spring EOC Eligibility, and June EOC Eligibility.

STAAR Alternate 2

  • For a student to take a STAAR Alternate 2 assessment, the STAAR Alternate 2 field under Alternate Student Flag must be set to “Yes.” For example, if the STAAR Alternate 2 field is marked “Yes” for a grade 4 student, the student will be able to take STAAR Alternate 2 grade 4 mathematics and reading language arts (RLA) assessments.

  • For a student to take STAAR Alternate 2 EOC assessments, both the STAAR Alternate 2 field and the STAAR Alternate 2 EOC Eligibility fields for specific courses must be set to “Yes.”

TELPAS Alternate

  • For a student to take TELPAS Alternate, the TELPAS Alternate Eligibility field under Alternate Student Flag must be set to “Yes.”

 

❏ Add Test Mode and Format

The template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task should be used to enter the following information regarding test mode and test format.

STAAR

  • By default, the Test Mode field is set to “Online” for all students taking STAAR assessments.

  • Students eligible for a special paper administration or who will take a paper by request administration of STAAR should have the Test Mode field set to “Paper” and the applicable paper type selected in the STAAR & TELPAS Paper Test Format field from the options “Regular Print,” “Large Print,” “Braille Contracted,” “Braille Uncontracted,” “Braille Contracted w/Regular Print Embedded Supports,” and “Braille Uncontracted w/Regular Print Embedded Supports.” There are also regular-print and large-print options for STAAR Spanish, STAAR with Embedded Supports, and STAAR Spanish with Embedded Supports.

  • Student responses for paper administrations are submitted through DEI.

STAAR Alternate 2

  • STAAR Alternate 2 assessments are administered on paper, and student responses are submitted through DEI.

  • There are no test mode options for STAAR Alternate 2.

  • For large print, select “Large Print” in the STAAR Alternate 2 Paper Format field.

 

 

TELPAS

  • TELPAS assessments for kindergarten and grade 1 are administered holistically, and holistic ratings are uploaded into TIDE using the template available through the Holistic Rating Upload task in the Appeals/Score Codes module.

  • There are no test mode options for these assessments.

  • By default, the Test Mode field is set to “Online” for all students taking TELPAS grades 2–12 assessments.

  • Students eligible for a holistic administration of TELPAS listening or speaking should have the Test Mode for TELPAS Listening & Speaking set to “Holistic.” Student ratings for holistic administrations are uploaded into TIDE using the template available through the Holistic Rating Upload task in the Appeals/Score Codes module.

  • Students eligible for a paper administration of TELPAS reading or a holistic administration of TELPAS writing should have the Test Mode for TELPAS Reading & Writing set to “Paper & Holistic” and the applicable paper type selected in the STAAR & TELPAS Paper Test Format field for TELPAS Reading from the options “Regular Print,” “Large Print,” “Braille Contracted,” and “Braille Uncontracted.”

  • Student responses for paper administrations are submitted through DEI, and student ratings for holistic administrations are uploaded into TIDE using the template available through the Holistic Rating Upload task in the Appeals/Score Codes module.

 

TELPAS Alternate

  • TELPAS Alternate assessments are administered holistically, and those holistic ratings are submitted through DEI.

  • There are no test mode options for TELPAS Alternate.

A student who is eligible for a special paper or holistic administration of an online assessment must have the Section 504 Indicator Code field or Special Ed Indicator Code field set to “Yes” in TIDE. If “Yes” is not selected for one of these fields, the student will not be considered eligible for a special administration. Additionally, district testing personnel will not be able to adjust the Test Mode field or the paper test format, and no paper test materials will be shipped for the student. Refer to the Special Administration of an Assessment page for more information.

If a student is participating in a paper by request administration of STAAR, the Paper By Request field must be set to “Yes.” If “Yes” is not selected for this field, district testing personnel will not be able to adjust the Test Mode field or the paper test format, and no test materials will be shipped for this student. Refer to the Paper by Request Administration page for more information.

❏ Add Non-Embedded Supports

The template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task should be used to enter the following information regarding non-embedded supports.

 

STAAR

  • To enter accommodations for an individual student, select the appropriate STAAR assessments from the Extra Day and STAAR Non-Embedded Supports dropdown menus using the View/Edit/Export Student task in TIDE.

  • To update accommodations for multiple students in a bulk upload, use the Upload Additional Student Fields task in TIDE to enter the course title or subject area eligible for the Extra Day and STAAR Non-Embedded Supports attributes. Refer to the Additional Fields Upload File Format document on the TIDE Upload File Formats webpage for details on how to enter valid values.

STAAR Alternate 2

  • STAAR Alternate 2 accommodations must be entered in the applicable STAAR Alternate 2 Non-Embedded Supports field after the assessment has been administered and before the last day of the administration window. Refer to the Complete Administrations section for more information.

TELPAS

  • To enter accommodations for an individual student, select the applicable accommodations under the TELPAS Non-Embedded Supports field from the dropdown menu for Listening & Speaking or Reading & Writing using the View/Edit/Export Student task in TIDE.

  • To update accommodations for multiple students in a bulk upload, use the template available through the Upload Additional Student Fields task in TIDE to enter the following accommodations for the appropriate language domains using the TELPAS Non-Embedded Supports attribute:

    • Basic Transcribing

    • Complex Transcribing (for Reading & Writing)

    • Individualized Structured Reminders

    • Manipulating Test Materials

    • Blank Graphic Organizer

❏ Add Test Attributes

The template available through the Upload Test Attributes task in the Test Attributes module should be used to enter the following accommodation information for STAAR and TELPAS online administrations prior to the administration of the assessment.

STAAR 

  • ASL Videos

  • Presentation

  • Auto Text-To-Speech

  • Content and Language Supports

  • Permissive Mode

  • Speech-to-Text

  • Basic TI Calculator

  • Spell Check

  • Text-To-Speech

  • Proctored Administration

  • Word Prediction (Co:Writer)

TELPAS

  • Presentation

  • Permissive Mode

  • Speech-to-Text

Refer to the Accommodations section for information on eligibility for these accommodations.