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On this Page

• 1 Upload Student Information
• 2 Add Multiple Types of Student Information

District or campus coordinators 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 by March 9, 2026. 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) 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 from one campus or district to another

• printing students’ test settings and test tickets

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

❏ Add Student Information via Bulk Upload

Templates available on the following three pages in TIDE should be used to add student information at the beginning of the school year. Documents providing information on valid values to use in these three uploads are available on the TIDE Upload File Formats web page as PDF documents.

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

NOTE: TIDE retains previously uploaded values when specific fields in this template are left blank. 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 a field supports value retention, the notation “<blank> = database value retained” will be listed as an acceptable value. If not supported, leaving the field blank will overwrite the existing data with a blank value. 

• Upload Additional Student Fields: The template available on this page 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 on this page allows district and campus coordinators 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.

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Figure 1. This screenshot highlights the location of the downloadable template available on the Upload Student Information page in TIDE.

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

As the school year progresses, district and campus coordinators should use the templates available on the Upload Additional Student Fields page or the Upload Test Attributes page to update student information as needed. Users can access the Upload Additional Student Fields page by navigating to the Student Information card, selecting the Other Uploads task, and choosing the “Upload Additional Student Fields” option. The Upload Test Attributes page can be accessed through the Upload task on the Test Attributes card. These templates can be used only to modify existing student records, not to add new students. Refer to the data file formats on the TIDE Upload File Formats web page to ensure that the values entered in the templates are valid. Existing student records can also be individually updated.

❏ Add Student Information Individually

To add students individually, use the Add Student page in TIDE. Users can open the Add Student page by selecting the Add task in the Student Information card. The Add Student page includes a Student Information tab for adding demographics, eligibility, test format and more, as well as a Test Attributes tab. Existing student records can also be individually updated by entering a student’s TSDS ID in any of the following locations:

• the Student ID/User Email search bar,

• the Search TSDS ID field on the Student Information card, or

• the TSDS ID field on the Manage Students page.

The Manage Students page is accessible through the Manage task on the Student Information card. When updating an individual record, fields are displayed in separate tabs for Student Information, Test Attributes, Participation, Rosters, and History.

 

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Figure 2. Student information can be individually added using the Add Student page in TIDE.

 

Add Multiple Types of Student Information

District and campus coordinators must:

❏ Add Required Student Information Fields

The following fields, marked with an asterisk in TIDE, are required to add a new student:

• Enrolled Campus

• TSDS ID

• Last Name

• First Name

• Date of Birth (mmddyyyy)

• Grade

 

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Figure 3. This screenshot highlights the required student demographics fields in the Student Information tab of the Add Student page.

❏ 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 on the Upload Student Information page to enter the following information in TIDE for each student:

• Enrolled District

• 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

 

 

 

 

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Figure 4. Applicable additional student information must be added to TIDE for all participating students.

The following program and eligibility information must be entered in TIDE to ensure students are registered for the appropriate assessments.

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 assessment, not their enrolled grade-level assessment, when they log in to the Test Delivery System (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. For a student in grades 3–8 who has an EOC assessment set to "Yes," the student will see that EOC assessment, not his or her enrolled grade-level assessment for that content area, when he or she logs in to TDS. For example, when a grade 8 student has Algebra I set to "Yes" in the applicable administration's STAAR EOC eligibility field, this student will be removed from the grade 8 mathematics assessment.

STAAR Alternate 2

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

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 grade 4 listening and speaking and TELPAS grade 4 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, and the TELPAS Alternate (Grades 2–12) field under Alternate Student Flag must be set to “Yes.”

https://youtu.be/YwOs_SeLmfM

 

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Figure 5. Eligibility must be indicated for each administration for any student participating in an alternate, summative, or above grade-level assessment.

❏ Add Test Mode and Format

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

 

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Figure 6. Test Mode and paper test format must be set in TIDE for students participating in STAAR Alternate 2, in a paper administration of STAAR, or in a paper or holistic administration of TELPAS.

A student who is eligible for a special paper or holistic administration of an 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 on the Upload Additional Student Fields page should be used to enter the following information regarding accommodations.

 

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Figure 7. Use of accommodations must be indicated in the applicable Non-Embedded Supports field in TIDE.

 

❏ Add Test Attributes

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

STAAR

Text-to-Speech Presentation ASL Videos Speech-to-Text Basic TI Calculator Content and Language Supports Spell Check Auto Text-to-Speech Permissive Mode Word Prediction (Co:Writer) Proctored Administration

TELPAS Reading & Writing

Speech-to-Text Permissive Mode

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Figure 8. This screenshot highlights the location of the downloadable template available on the Upload Test Attributes page in TIDE. 

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Figure 9. Allowable test attributes must be set for each student in TIDE.