Why can't I export out web_password
Fields that are often requested are put into the PowerQueries (PQs) so that they are available at any time. There are 2 fields, however, that we often have requested that we can not put into the PowerQueries and they are web_password and student_web_password. We can add them to the PQ but they will export out encrypted. PowerSchool will display them to you as clear text in DDE but it will not export them out that way in Data Export Manager (DEM).
But web_password isn't even a password
If you're thinking that web_password is used by parents/guardians to link their parent portal account to the student and isn't actually a password, you are correct. However that wasn't always the case. The web_password used to be the way to log into the parent portal for parent/guardians much like student_web_password is for students today.
In a fun twist, back when it was the password it also appeared on the screen as a regular text field, not as a password field.
I need to tell people how to log in, what can we do?
Just because DEM exports the fields encrypted doesn't mean that you can't send the information home.
Option 1: Use a report and email the report home.
The passwords will show up as clear, readable text in an object report and a form letter report. Most schools will make a report that contains all the information they need including the ID and Password and then use the report emailing feature to send that home. It only needs to be designed once and then run it for students who need it and send through BrightArrow. For more information on how to use report emailing out of PowerSchool you can read Emailing a PowerSchool Report
Option 2: Force populate the password fields
Instead of allowing PowerSchool to make the password fields, import the values from a spreadsheet. Since you are importing yourself you can import into the password field and also into a custom field at the same time. Some schools have a pattern to their passwords and import them so that they follow the pattern, for them they can simply take the same import file and import it as 2nd time where it 2nd import updates custom versions of those fields. Since parents can't update these fields there isn't a risk that they'll change them.
* Parents who already had linked their parent account to the student will not be affected by any change in the web_password field. Once they are connected they'll stay connected unless you disconnect them. Any change in that field would only affect people trying to link their parent account to the student in the future.
Option 3: Use AutoSend and AutoComm to move the data to a custom field.
Custom fields aren't subject to the password encryption on export unless you make the field a password field using field level security. What one school does is they use AutoSend to populate a file on their own server with the student number and password fields. Then they schedule an AutoComm to import the passwords back in but directing them to custom fields they made. We added the custom fields to the PQ and export that instead.
* This worked for them when they set it up since the security framework had not been added to AutoSend yet. We can not guarantee this will work in future updates to PowerSchool as any update could have the security added as it had been intended.