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Students Educators

Utilities (eLearning)

** Click on the HELP TOPICS to jump to a new section. Click here to return to Resources page.

Using Utilities

About Utilities

Utilities is a system management tool that allows you to: 

  • Manage your password and TSDS information
  • Identify the teachers, students and classes at the campus/district 
  • Create and maintain teacher accounts 
  • Restrict user access to confidential data 
  • Link students to their teachers/classes for reporting
  • Identify students participating in special programs and services 

FERPA

  • DMAC contains confidential data protected by the federal mandates set forth by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (aka FERPA).
  • It’s very important that you and your school understand how the different USER ROLES in DMAC grant access to information. 
  • More importantly, it’s not DMAC, but your school who has complete control over who has access to your data.
  • According to FERPA, individuals should only have access to information where there is an educational or administrative need. 
  • By signing in to DMAC, all users must adhere to the regulations set forth by FERPA.
  • If needed, you can also refer to the training videos on this site created by the U.S. Department of Education: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/content/online-training-modules

My Account

  • Anyone with a DMAC login can view or update their account information from the My Account section of Utilities.
  • Click Edit to make changes to the Account Information or the View button to updated TSDS information. Make sure the correct email address is listed for both the Account and TSDS Information. 
  • Teachers who also have district or campus level accounts will need to make sure they register their TSDS numbers for all accounts, connecting their information. This step would be needed in order to complete any GSPD plans or other documentation when using the T-TESS application.

Passwords

Passwords for all DMAC accounts must meet the security standards listed below. If it doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, follow the outlined steps for a password reset.

Requirements:

  • minimum 8 characters
  • no spaces
  • at least one uppercase letter
  • at least one lowercase letter
  • at least one number
  • at least one special character

Please note: District Administrator accounts cannot be reset using this option. Contact the DMAC Help Desk at 1.866.988.6777 or support@dmac-solutions.net for assistance updating an administrator login.

Troubleshooting Tips

Below are a few troubleshooting tips for error messages you may get when signing in to DMAC. Remember, we are here to help. If you have any questions, please contact us!

Password Reset Links

  • Reset your password using your email address > Click here
  • Reset your password using your TSDS number > Click here

Password Errors:

  • Account not Found – Logins are case sensitive. Try manually typing in passwords in the event a password manager saved the wrong credentials.
  • Account Disabled – Account temporarily disabled by DMAC or DMAC administrator at your school for security reasons. Any account not accessed within 12 months from either the last sign in date or the account creation date is automatically disabled in the system.
  • Account Closed – The account belongs to a school that has been closed or consolidated. Closed schools are identified through TEA’s AskTED database.
  • Account Expired – The account has been permanently deleted due to 18 months of inactivity. This policy exists as a security measure to restrict unauthorized access.

Uploading Files

Data Upload

  • District Administrators and Managers can upload data files by selecting Upload > Data Upload from the top navigation bar in Utilities. 
  • From the top right, click the Upload icon and identify the type as Class Roster, State data, or Other. Then, use the Select button to locate the file.
  • Use the Edit icon to rename a file or the red X to delete.
  • You cannot download previously uploaded files from this screen. To download a file, use your secure FTP connection. Click the Account button on the top right to view the information for your school. 
  • Each time a new file is uploaded to DMAC, an email is generated and sent to the DMAC Help Desk. Call  1.866.988.6777 or email support@dmac-solutions.net with any questions.

Examples of data files you can upload to DMAC include:

  • STAAR
  • TELPAS
  • SAT
  • ACT
  • MAP (NWEA)
  • mCLASS or IDEL
  • Renaissance
  • CLI CIRCLE
  • CLI TXKEA
  • TSIA2.0

Once data is loaded into DMAC, schools can utilize the Data Export application (FREE for all schools!) to aggregate or disaggregate data at the state, local or national level.

Snapshot

  • DMAC supports a special indicator used to identify students enrolled at a district and campus at the time of snapshot.  This snapshot data, generated and provided by the district, can be applied to DMAC Exports as an additional means for measuring performance.  – Click here to download the data file format.
  • Select Upload >Snapshot  from the top navigation bar in Utilities and use the Upload button to locate the file.
  • After clicking Select, the file uploads automatically and a  file summary appears on the Snapshot Data screen.

Import Log

  • Select the Import Log from the top navigation bar under Upload in order to view a history of which files were imported for your school.
  • Select the day from the calendar on the right of the page or use the Statistics button on the top right to view a breakdown of student demographic information by the entire district or individual campuses.

Services

From Utilities > Services:

  • View current and past contracts by selecting the school year. 
  • View active trials (temporary access to applications that were not selected for the current contract year).

Managing Users

Types of User Roles in DMAC

The following user accounts manage access to confidential data in DMAC. All users also have the ability to edit their own profile including changing account passwords.

District

  • District Administrator – A District Administrator is responsible for creating and managing district and campus user accounts. This includes setting up Campus Administrators for each campus.  This user role has the highest level of access in DMAC–which includes the ability to login to any account to provide technical support, edit or delete any record, establish district-wide settings in applications, and generate reports for any Teacher or Student. More than one District Administrator can be set up for each district; however, because of the level of access provided, it’s important to adhere to the guidelines set forth by FERPA.
  • District Manager – A District Manager has all of the same access a District Administrator has aside from the ability to create or manage other district and campus level accounts. 
  • District User – A District User account has read-only access to class roster data for the district. They can also generate reports for any Teacher or Student.

Campus

  • Campus Administrator (one account per campus) – A Campus Administrator is responsible for creating and managing campus accounts. This user role  also has access to modify class roster data for the campus only. They can login as any teacher or campus level user role to provide technical support.
  • Campus Manager – A Campus Manager has all of the same access a Campus Administrator has aside from the ability to create or manage other campus level accounts. 
  • Campus User – A Campus User has read-only access to class roster data for their respective campus. They can also generate reports for any Teacher or Student at the selected campus.

Teacher

  • Teacher accounts and passwords are automatically generated with the Class Roster data file pulled from a school’s Student Management System (i.e.,Skyward or Ascender).  
  • It’s important to note that a teacher will only see the students who are tied to them via that class roster file. If a teacher needs access to additional students, it will be up to those who manage your DMAC account to either set them up with a different type of login (Admin/Mgr/User) or create a locked class in Utilities.
  • From the top navigation bar in Utilities, Campus or District Administrators and Managers can click the Teacher section and then the Print icon to see a listing of all the teacher accounts with their passwords. It also includes their TSDS number, name, and how many times they have logged in to DMAC. Click the Email icon on the top right to send out an email prompting all Teachers at the District or Campus level to reset their passwords. 

Restrict District Accounts

  • Restrict District accounts (District Managers and Users) to specific campuses by clicking on the Edit icon to the right of the educator’s name on the District tab of Utilities.
  • On the right of the screen, click the Add button in the ‘Add User to Campus’ section. Check next to the campuses you wish to give the user access to and click the Add Selected button on the top. Close the window when finished.
  • From the Manager and User tabs in the District section, the Assigned column lists the total number of campuses, if assigned.

Managing Teachers

Teacher Search

  • District and Campus Administrators – or – Managers can use the Teacher section in Utilities to: search for, view, add, edit and delete teacher accounts or send out password reset emails.
  • To locate Teachers, use the search filters on the left of the page.  Make sure to select a Campus first. You can also put in partial first or last names to narrow down the list.
  • Teachers are listed by name, email and the total number of classes and students they have.
  • For each Teacher, use the icons to:  View (see classes and students); Edit (update name, username, email, passwords, etc.); Email (sends a password reset link);, Login (this will help you provide technical support); or, Delete (this can only be done if the teacher doesn’t have any class schedules).
  • Use the Email icon on the top right of the page to send out a password reset link to all Teachers appearing on the Search.
  • Click the Print icon on the top right to create a document that includes the Teacher’s TSDS number, Name, Username, Password and how many times they have logged in.

Adding Teachers & Locked Classes

  • NOTE: Teacher accounts are automatically created when your school uploads a Class Roster data file. You can manually add teachers by clicking on the Add icon on the top right of the Teacher Search page. When doing so, you will have to lock the Teacher’s information if you do not want it to be replaced when the next Class Roster is submitted.
  • After clicking Add, complete the teacher’s information and click Save. It’s important that you use the correct Local and State ID numbers so that you do not get duplicate records in DMAC.
  • On the next screen, click the Add button to create classes for the newly added Teacher. Select the Campus from the drop-down and then complete the rest of the fields on the page.
  • LOCKED CLASSES: When creating a new class for a Teacher, the Lock Class option must be checked if you do not want it to be removed with the next Class Roster upload. This is also a good option if you are trying to give a Teacher access to students who are not linked to them via your Student Management System (ex: an Intervention teacher or counselor).
  • ADD STUDENTS: Click the Add button to add Students to the Class. (If this class was created for Observation purposes only, you do not have to add students). Search by Last Name and Grade and click Search. Check next to student names and click Add Students. Click the Close icon (red x) when all students for a class have been entered.

Replace a Teacher

  • To replace a Teacher’s classes and students with another Teacher, use the Teacher section from the top navigation bar in Utilities. (Example: You may need to do this if a teacher leaves in the middle of the year)
  • First locate the Teacher on the Search page (using the filters on the left)  and click on the View icon to the right of their name.
  • Click on the Replace button on the top of the page. Select a Campus from the top drop-down and Identify the Replacement Teacher from the list on the left.
  • Check on the class(es) you wish to transfer to the new Teacher and then click on the Save button at the bottom of the page.
  • To open the replacement teacher’s information after saving, check the option at the bottom. You will see the new classes and attached students appear on the Teacher’s page in Utilities.

Managing Students

Search for Students

  • Student records are automatically generated in Utilities when your school submits a Class Roster data file from your Student Management System (ex: Skyward or Ascender).
  • To search for or manually add students, use the Students section from the top navigation bar in Utilities. If you hover over Students from the menu, you can see we have Search, Enroll, Groups and Statistics.
  • To search for students, you must enter at least a campus, grade, State ID or Local ID to start.  
  • Student names appear on the right listed by State ID or their TSDS number. This is a 10 digit unique ID for students in Texas. Next, we have the Local ID set by your school and then their name, grade, date of birth and a set of icons for each student.
  • Use the View icon to open the Student’s schedule; the Edit icon to make changes to their profile or schedule; the Chart icon to open Student Portfolio; and, the red X to delete the student’s record.

Enroll Students

  • Select the Enroll icon on the top right of Student Search or from the Student menu at the top of Utilities.
  • Enter the student’s social security number and birthdate.
  • If a student is found but the student information displayed does not match your records, please contact the DMAC Helpdesk at 1.866.988.6777. 
  • Click yes, add student to continue.
  • Complete the Student Profile fields and click save. (*First Name, Last Name, and Gender are required)
  • Complete the Student Enrollment fields and click save.  (*Campus, and Grade are required)
  • On the next screen, you can edit the profile or enrollment information or select the Add Class button to create the student’s schedule.

Student Statistics

  • From the Students section on the top navigation bar in Utilities, select Statistics. This page displays a summary of all students uploaded via the Class Roster data file. 
  • View by All Campuses or individual campuses by using the menu on the left.

Student Groups

  • Create custom Student Groups in DMAC that can be used to search in Student Portfolio or create reports in State Assessment and TEKScore.
  • From the top navigation bar, hover over Students and select Groups.
  • A listing of all groups for your school appears on this page with the name of the group, how many students are in each one, the date it was created and then an Edit and Delete icon.
  • You can create a new group by clicking on the New Group icon on the top right of the page.  First name your group, click save and then search for students by name. 
  • Use the Filter icon to narrow your list by Campus or Grade. Check next to the names you wish to add and click the Add Selected button. Students saved to the group appear on the left side. Select the Back icon to return to the Groups screen.

Groups can also be created in the Student Portfolio application.