Setting up Basic Exports - Parents from Contacts - Alternate Filter

Minimum version: BrightArrow Base 2 v23.07.13

The alternate parents export is used for creating lists that can message the parents/guardians of a student in an alternate scenario. Some schools wish to message one group of contacts for normal situations but have alternate scenarios where they need different contacts. This could be that you need more contacts for emergency messages compared to normal, you have a different set of contacts for attendance messages compared to normal messages, or anything else that makes sense to your district. If you'd like to send a message directly to the student use the student export.

Parent information can either come from legacy fields or from contacts. While there are pros and cons to both methods we are ready and willing to use whatever fields you are using for your phone/email information. Here we will create the parents export using contacts.

Previous Version

Before the basic versions of the PowerQueries were introduced you would use the BrightArrow Student Contacts - unlimited from filter - Alternate powerQuery to export out staff data. In that version you would need to hunt for fields to put them in the correct order. This version has everything numbered so that they appear in the correct order and includes filter versions of fields so that you can change values by adjusting the filters instead of needing to come into the export and change things. It's meant to be much easier than before.

Assumptions the Export Makes

There are certain things that are hard coded into the query. You will not need to specify these in the export.

  • The student is either active or pre-enrolled
  • The current date is between the start and end date for the relationship between the contact and the student.
    • If no start date is entered then 1/1/1990 is used
    • If no end date is entered then 12/31/2100 is used
    • This ensures the contact has an active relationship with the student and assures contacts that have ended will no longer be used for calls, texts or emails
  • Contact is active. If the contact is inactive it will be ignored
  • Contact's relationship to the student is active. If this field is marked inactive the contact is ignored.
  • Contact's relationship value does not match the one set in the student's filter indicating the contact is in fact the student themselves.
  • Contact's filter values, as selected in BrightArrow Settings - Filters, match the contact

Setting up the Parents export using Contacts - Alternate

The export should be set up in DEM from District Office. For information on getting to DEM read Getting to Data Export Manager (DEM)

  1. Category = Additional Data Sets
  2. Export From = BrightArrow - Basic - Parents from Contacts - Alternate
    1. Custom PQ will be called BrightArrow - Basic - Parents from Contacts - Alternate - Custom if needed
  3. Fields -> Select the checkbox next to "STUDENTS" to select all fields. Fields are already listed in proper order.
  4. Click Next
  5. No filters here, controlled by the settings page filters
  6. Click Next
    Note: Before the next section becomes editable the entire template must run. This is not a quick process and the larger your district the longer this will take
  7. Export File Name = parents_alt.txt
  8. Line Delimiter = CR/LF
  9. Character Set = UTF-8
  10. Click Save Template
  11. Name = BrightArrow - Parents - Alternate
  12. Click Save as New
  13. Switch to the My Templates tab
  14. Find the row for the new template and click the calendar button to schedule this template. If you do not see the calendar button or the Scheduled System Templates tab you don't have permission to schedule exports. For more information on that read Enabling DEM Scheduling
  15. Days to Execute = All Days
  16. When to Execute = pick a time between 5 and 9 pm
  17. Send Output To = BrightArrow
  18. Email Completion Report To (optional) = your email or an email to keep a record of if the export and file transfer was successful or if it failed. 
  19. Click Save
  20. Your export will go at the scheduled time and day(s). To send a copy now so that we can get started setting up the import of the file you can click the Send Now button which looks like the Play button from DVD player
  21. Let us know that the file is ready so that we can set up your import
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