Guidelines for Manually Importing Students and Staff
Overview
This article is for administrators who are in charge of setting up and/or managing student accounts, staff accounts, and classes in myLexia. Use the Import function on an as-needed basis to create accounts and/or modify existing accounts in myLexia by importing comma-separated (.csv) or tab-delimited (.txt) spreadsheet files. Additionally, if you include the optional class column in the student or staff import files, you can create or modify classes with your imports.
This article describes a few ways for you to create the necessary files for the uploads, and will direct you to instructions on how to prepare and upload the separate student and staff files.
Applies to: Educators and administrators who have School Admin or District Admin access to myLexia
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School admins can only use the Import feature in a single-school myLexia site, or in a district site where the "Allow School Admins to run imports & exports" option has been enabled by a district admin.
What manual imports can and can’t do
Before getting started using imports in myLexia, learn what the imports can and cannot do.
You can use imports to | You can't use imports to |
Create new staff or student accounts | Delete existing staff or student accounts |
Change some aspects of existing staff or student accounts (e.g., move students to a different school, promote students’ grade levels, change staff role, etc.) | Change existing staff usernames, first names, or last names Change existing student usernames, first names, last names, or middle initials |
Create classes and assign staff and/or students to new or existing classes | Delete existing classes |
Create schools (if you have District Admin access) | Delete schools |
How do I get started?
To start, you’ll need files that contain each of the required column headers. Your files may also include some or all of the optional column headers. Here are a few suggestions on how to start building your files:
Option 1: Download one of Lexia’s template files for the student and/or staff imports. These templates contain all of the required columns.
Option 2: Export staff and/or student information from myLexia and then modify or add to the exported information.
Option 3: Export staff and/or student information from your student information system and then modify or add to the exported information.
Option 1: Start with a template
Download an import template file by selecting one of the links in the following table (you may need to right-click the link and choose “open link in new tab”). The file should automatically download. If you have trouble downloading the file, try copying the entire URL into the address bar of your web browser.
For a list of all of the required and optional column headers and the necessary formats for each field, see Fields for Manually-Uploaded Student Accounts and Fields for Manually-Uploaded Staff Accounts.
Import Type | Link to Template File (you may need to right-click the link and choose “open link in new tab”) |
Student (US, Canada) | https://www.lexialearningresources.com/cs/downloads/StudentImport_US.csv |
Student (UK, NZ, AU) | https://www.lexialearningresources.com/cs/downloads/StudentImport_UK.csv |
Staff (all locales) | https://www.lexialearningresources.com/cs/downloads/StaffImport.csv |
The import template files contain only the required columns and the optional Class column. You can add additional column headings for the optional fields, but they must follow the accepted format.
Option 2: Start with an export from myLexia
Exporting existing students and staff from myLexia and modifying the file can be a good option if you want to modify multiple staff or student accounts that already exist in myLexia. For example, you could use this method to promote students and move them into new classes at the start of the school year. To learn how to export staff and student information from myLexia, see Export Student or Staff List From myLexia.
If you export student or staff information from your student information system, you may be able to modify the files so that you can import them into myLexia.
The exported student file will have some extra columns, such as “Lexia ID” and “Predictor.” Usually, extra columns in an import will cause an import error, but you do not have to delete the extra columns from an export from myLexia—leaving them in won't cause an error.
The “Access” column in the exported staff file contains words instead of abbreviations (e.g., “District Admin” instead of “DAA”). Make sure to change the access column into the appropriate abbreviation (see below).
DAA - District Admin | SAA - School Admin | C - Teacher |
DRO - District Read Only | SRO - School Read Only | CRO - Teacher Read Only |
Option 3: Start with a spreadsheet that you exported from your student information system
Review the headers in your spreadsheet and make any necessary changes so that the headers exactly match all of the required headers and any of the optional headers. Make sure to delete any extra columns from your SIS export—extra columns will cause an import error.
Download one of Lexia’s templates to use as a guide.
How do I prepare and import the student and staff files?
After you download your template or myLexia export, or create your own spreadsheet, you’ll need to enter the appropriate information in the file(s), and then import the files in myLexia.
Roster Students and Classes (Spreadsheet Upload)
Roster Staff and Classes (Spreadsheet upload)
What permissions do I need to import staff and student accounts?
You need the following permissions in order to run imports in myLexia:
District customers: If your myLexia site has more than one school, it is a district site. The default setting in some district sites is that only users with District Admin access can import files. District Admins may choose to allow School Admins to run imports within their assigned school. To allow School Admins to run imports:
Go to the Settings page in myLexia.
Under the Security section, enable the “Allow School Admins to run imports & exports” setting and select Save.
School customers: If your myLexia site is only one school, users with School Admin access can import files.