OneRoster CSV Import

Import Class Rosters from CSV Files

Overview

LanSchool Air supports importing class rosters from CSV files using the OneRoster standard. Site Administrators (Site Admins) can use CSV imports to create and update class rosters for instructors without requiring teachers to add students manually.

CSV rostering is useful for schools and districts that want to manage class rosters using exported Student Information System (SIS) data or manually prepared CSV files.

LanSchool Air supports four classroom rostering methods:

  1. Google Classroom
  2. Clever
  3. ClassLink
  4. CSV Import
AlertImportant: Only one roster integration can be enabled for a LanSchool Air organization at a time. Enabling CSV Import will remove classes imported through the previously enabled roster integration. Instructors can still create classes manually.

CSV File Requirements

Before importing class rosters, prepare these three required CSV files:

  • users.csv – Contains teacher and student information.
  • classes.csv – Contains class information.
  • enrollments.csv – Links teachers and students to their classes.

Download the CSV templates from the CSV Import page in LanSchool Air. You can edit the templates in Excel or use files exported from your SIS.


General CSV Requirements

All three CSV files must meet the following requirements:

  1. Include a header row.
  2. Use the column names defined by the OneRoster standard.
  3. Keep the columns in the order specified by the OneRoster standard.
  4. Use the exact capitalization required for each column name. Column names are case-sensitive. For example, use schoolSourcedId, not schoolSourcedID.
  5. Populate all fields marked as required for LanSchool Air.
  6. Ensure that IDs linking users, classes, enrollments, schools, courses, and terms match across the files.

All OneRoster columns must be present in the appropriate file, even when a field is optional for LanSchool Air. Optional fields may be left blank.

Required Fields in users.csv

The users.csv file contains the teachers and students included in the imported rosters.

AlertImportant: Teachers must have active LanSchool Air accounts for their class rosters to be imported successfully. Teachers who have not activated their accounts can cause sync errors.

The following fields must not be empty:

Column Name
Required for LSA
Description
sourcedId
Yes
Unique ID value for each user
status
No

dateLastModified
No

enabledUser
Yes
Defines the status of the user (true or false)
orgSourcedIds
Yes
The school this user belongs to
role
Yes
User role (teacher or student)
username
Yes
Value to identify the user (e.g. jsmith)
userIds
No
Not required, but if filled in it needs to be a value like {FED:123456} 
givenName
Yes
The first name of the user
familyName
Yes
The last name of the user
middleName
No

identifier
No

email
Yes
Value to identify the user (e.g. jsmith@school.edu )
sms
No

phone
No

agentSourcedIds
No

grades
No

password
No


Required Fields in enrollments.csv

The enrollments.csv file connects teachers and students to classes. Each record represents one user's enrollment in one class.

The following fields must not be empty:

Column Name
Required for LSA
Description
sourcedId
Yes
Unique ID value for each enrollment record
status
No
Not required, but if filled in needs to be all lowercase letters i.e. "active"
dateLastModified
No

classSourcedId
Yes
The sourcedId for the class (from classes.csv)
schoolSourcedId
No
The sourcedId for the school (from classes.csv)
userSourcedId
Yes
The sourcedId for the user (from users.csv)
role
Yes
User role (teacher or student)
primary
No

beginDate
No

endDate
No


Required Fields in classes.csv

The classes.csv file defines the classes that will be imported.

Ensure that the referenced course, school, and term IDs are consistent with the data in the CSV files.

The following fields must not be empty:

Column Name
Required for LSA
Description
sourcedId
Yes
Unique ID value for each class
status
No
Not required, but if filled in needs to be all lowercase letters i.e. "active"
dateLastModified
No

title
Yes
The name of the class
grades
No

courseSourcedId
Yes
The sourcedId for the course this class is an instance of (from courses.csv)
classCode
No

classType
Yes
Class type (scheduled or homeroom)
location
No

schoolSourcedId
Yes
The school this class belongs to
termSourcedIds
Yes
The sourcedId for the term this class is taught in (from academicSessions.csv)
subjects
No

subjectCodes
No

periods
No


Enable CSV Imports

After preparing the CSV files, enable the CSV Import integration can be enabled from the Classroom Management panel in Admin Settings. 

Only a Site Admin can enable CSV Import.

  1. Sign in to LanSchool Air as a Site Admin.
  2. Open the menu in the upper-left corner and select LanSchool Air Settings.
  3. Select Setup.
  4. Scroll to Classroom Management.
  5. Select Enable under CSV Import.
  6. Review the confirmation message and select Confirm.

AlertImportant: Enabling CSV Import removes classes imported through another roster integration. Confirm that CSV Import is the intended roster source before proceeding.

Upload and Sync CSV Files

Before uploading, confirm that every teacher listed in users.csv has accepted their LanSchool Air invitation and activated their account.

  1. Sign in to LanSchool Air as a Site Admin.
  2. Open LanSchool Air Settings > Setup and navigate to Classroom Management.
  3. Under CSV Import, select Import.
  4. Select Download CSV templates if you need the templates.
  5. Prepare and save the three CSV files: users.csv, classes.csv, and enrollments.csv.
  6. Select the appropriate file for each upload field.
  7. Choose how duplicate records should be handled:
    • Update duplicate users, classes, and enrollment: Overwrites existing data for matching records from a previous CSV import.
    • Ignore duplicate users, classes, and enrollment: Leaves existing matching records unchanged and adds new records.
  8. Select Upload.
  9. Review any file validation errors. Correct the reported issues and upload the files again if necessary.
  10. If the files contain multiple school IDs, select the school rosters to import.

    To combine data from multiple schools into one districtwide LanSchool Air organization, the CSV data must use consistent organization and school identifiers. The current import instructions specify setting orgSourcedIds in users.csv and schoolSourcedId in classes.csv to 1 for all applicable records.

  11. Review the roster information and select Sync.
  12. Wait for processing to finish. LanSchool Air will send a notification when the process is complete. Select Done.
If the import or sync reports errors, use the Error Reporting section below to identify the cause.

Updating CSV Files and Class Rosters

LanSchool Air does not automatically upload or sync changes made to your CSV files. Site Admins must update the files and upload them again whenever roster information changes.

Uploading new CSV files does not automatically remove students, teachers, or classes that are no longer included in the files. Depending on the duplicate-handling option selected, existing records may be updated or left unchanged, and new records may be added.

For example, if a student leaves a class and the student is removed from the next CSV file, the existing enrollment may remain in LanSchool Air.

Remove Existing CSV Rosters

If you need to clear existing CSV-imported rosters before importing new data, the current procedure is to switch roster integrations and then re-enable CSV Import.

  1. Sign in to LanSchool Air as a Site Admin.
  2. Open LanSchool Air Settings > Setup.
  3. Under Classroom Management, select Enable under Google Classroom.
  4. Confirm the change if prompted. This clears the CSV rosters.
  5. Select Enable under CSV Import.
  6. Confirm the change if prompted.
  7. Select Import and upload the updated CSV files.
  8. Review the data and select Sync.

WarningWarning: Switching roster integrations can remove imported classes. Verify the intended roster source and review the confirmation messages before proceeding.

Error Reporting and Troubleshooting

CSV import errors can occur during file validation or during roster synchronization. The error details help identify what needs to be corrected.

Import Errors

Import errors occur when one or more CSV files contain invalid formatting or data.

  1. Review the error message displayed during import.
  2. Select Details to identify the affected file, row, or column.
  3. Correct the reported issue in the CSV file.
  4. Save the file in CSV UTF-8 format.
  5. Upload the corrected files again.

Common issues to check include:

  • Missing required values.
  • Incorrect or misspelled column names.
  • Incorrect capitalization of column names.
  • Columns in the wrong order.
  • Invalid email addresses.
  • Incorrect CSV formatting or encoding.
  • IDs that do not match between the CSV files.
  • Invalid values in fields such as role, enabledUser, or classType.

Sync Errors

Sync errors occur when LanSchool Air cannot successfully apply the uploaded roster data.

  1. Open the Notifications icon in the upper-right corner of LanSchool Air.
  2. Locate the imported roster sync error notification.
  3. Select See errors to review the reported issues.
  4. Correct the source data or account configuration identified by the error.
  5. Upload the corrected CSV files and sync again if necessary.

A common cause of sync errors is a teacher listed in users.csv who has not activated their LanSchool Air account.

Verify that all teachers have accepted their invitations and activated their accounts before retrying the import.

If the error persists, contact LanSchool Air Support and provide the error details and the affected CSV filename, row, and column, when available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use CSV files to import class rosters into LanSchool Air?

Yes. Site Admins can import class rosters using the OneRoster CSV format. The required files are users.csv, classes.csv, and enrollments.csv.

Who can import CSV class rosters?

Only Site Admins can enable CSV Import and upload roster files. Instructors must have active LanSchool Air accounts for their imported classes to be associated with them successfully.

No. Only one external roster integration can be enabled for an organization at a time. Enabling CSV Import disables the previously enabled integration and removes classes imported through that integration.

Why are my classes or students missing after importing CSV files?

Check that all three CSV files were uploaded and synced successfully. Verify that the IDs in users.csv, classes.csv, and enrollments.csv match, that the required fields are populated, and that the correct school rosters were selected during import.

If the sync reports errors, open Notifications and select See errors to review the details.

Why is my teacher missing from an imported class?

Teachers must have active LanSchool Air accounts. Confirm that the teacher has accepted their invitation, activated their account, and is listed correctly in users.csv and enrollments.csv.

Why do I receive an error when uploading my CSV files?

CSV import errors can result from missing required fields, incorrect column names, incorrect column order, invalid email addresses, or improperly formatted data.

Review the import error details to identify the affected file, row, and column. Correct the data, save the file as CSV UTF-8, and upload it again.

Why are old students or classes still appearing after I upload updated CSV files?

LanSchool Air does not automatically remove existing roster data when new CSV files are uploaded. Removing a student or class from the source file does not necessarily remove the existing record from LanSchool Air.

If you need to clear existing CSV rosters, follow the Remove Existing CSV Rosters instructions in this article before uploading the new files.

Does LanSchool Air automatically update classes when my CSV files change?

No. CSV Import does not automatically upload changes to your CSV files. A Site Admin must update the files and upload and sync them again.

What is the difference between updating duplicates and ignoring duplicates?

  • Update duplicates: Overwrites existing matching users, classes, and enrollments with the data in the new import.
  • Ignore duplicates: Keeps existing matching records unchanged and adds new records.

Choose the option that matches how you want existing roster information to be handled.

Can I import rosters for multiple schools into one LanSchool Air organization?

Yes. During import, LanSchool Air can identify multiple school IDs and allow you to select which school rosters to import.

If you want to combine data from multiple schools into one districtwide organization, ensure that the organization and school identifiers are configured consistently across the CSV files.

Where can I find the CSV templates?

Sign in to LanSchool Air as a Site Admin, open the CSV Import page, and select Download CSV templates. Use these templates to ensure the required OneRoster fields and column order are correct.

Will uploading new CSV files each term overwrite manually created classes or changes made by teachers?

No. Uploading CSV files at the start of each term will not remove or overwrite manually created classes. Classes created manually by teachers, including ad-hoc classes, are retained when CSV files are uploaded.

CSV imports update roster data according to the selected duplicate-handling option. Manually created classes are not removed simply because they are not included in the CSV files.