February 27, 2020
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REQUEST: March Single Sign On Push
One of the huge benefits of MiDataHub is the Single Sign-On (SSO).  The MiDataHub SSO is becoming a very easy way for district staff and students to access a large number of the data systems they use. Right now the data hub cockpit, data hub dashboards, Algebra Nation, Career Cruising, Xello, MiRead and MiStrategyBank systems all leverage the data hub SSO. Additionally, the Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Plan (MICIP) tool, which is being developed for use by all districts statewide, will utilize this method of access.  

The true value of the MiDataHub SSO is found when districts connect their Google or Microsoft Active Directory logins to the SSO in a process called “federation”. The federation process does not require a district to have data in MiDataHub in order to work. It simply requires walking through a set of setup steps in Google or Microsoft, and emailing MiDataHub support with the information needed to complete the connection. Often this requires less than 15 minutes of work for the district.

We would like to ask all districts state-wide to complete the SSO federation process by the end of March

Please see the documentation links below for instructions on how to configure the federation type needed for your district. We will also be over viewing these documents in our March 10th webinar (listed below).

Documentation Links :   



If your district uses something other than the three login methods listed above, please email support@midatahub.org to let us know what your district uses.  
March Webinar
We have scheduled our next district webinar for Tuesday, March 10th from 1:00 - 2:00 pm.  
Topics include:
  • Walking through the various methods for federating to the MiDataHub SSO,
  • Overview the progress on MSDS processes,
  • Talk about recent updates to MiDataHub,
  • Discuss plans for consolidation and migration this summer,
  • and much more! 
Recent Updates
A number of updates have been applied to MiDataHub in the last few weeks. One of the first is to put in a button to test API functionality. Occasionally we would run into a scenario where the API was not responding as expected. When that occurred, it usually led to a ticket and a lot of back end work to manually test things out. Now, a district can visit the Manage API Integration page in the cockpit, click on the “Test API Connection” button, and the system will indicate if the test passed or failed. That will allow districts to know if the issue is on the data hub side or the data system side.
One of the screens in the MiDataHub Cockpit that is gathering more and more use is the Activity Log. That page shows all of the automated jobs that are being run against district data, and is especially helpful for monitoring jobs in process (especially MSDS jobs). One of the challenges experienced was a difficulty in refreshing the display, while maintaining the selected dates and search criteria. Now, a “Refresh” button has been added to make that easier to monitor jobs in process. To check it out, simply click on Utilities>Activity Log.
The final piece that has been updated in production is the deployment of MSDS processing. Currently, we have 5 districts piloting the MSDS Spring Collection, 1 for each SIS (Infinite Campus, MISTAR-Q, PowerSchool, Skyward, Synergy). By default, the MSDS menu will no longer show for districts automatically. It is now a feature that can be turned on when needed. The screenshot below shows the 5 tools that make up the MSDS processing.
  • The Collection Comparison tool will provide a comparison between the data in the data hub and a comparison file exported from your district SIS. This has already proven to be a great way to ensure that data in MiDataHub matches what comes from your district SIS, and we are using this to work with SIS vendors to improve data flow.
  • The Collection Extractor generates an MSDS XML file that can be submitted to CEPI via the usual process. In testing, the files created have been free of schema errors and have uploaded successfully to CEPI. This process will be completed for each of the pilot districts and we will be able to compare CEPI MSDS error lists and reports to those generated at MiDataHub.
  • The Error Check process checks district data against a set of MSDS rules from CEPI to identify any errors or warnings. A corresponding report in Reports>View District Reports>Data Quality>MSDS Collection Error Summary Report will indicate which rulesets had errors and/or warnings, and allow a user to drill to the student record that had the issue. As with the collection comparison above, this process has also allowed us to identify which issues exist with the flow of data from the SIS, which items are MiDataHub issues, and which are true district data quality issues that need to be corrected.
  • The Descriptor Mapping piece is newly added, and is a one-time setup process that maps the descriptors used by the district to those that are needed for state reporting. A number of improvements are slated for this piece to make it easier for districts to complete.
  • The “As-Of” Date Management tool is also a newly added piece. It was identified that some pieces of data, which are required to be accurate as of count day, could be overwritten after count date through normal processes. As such, a count day database was added that freezes the date upon which these date sensitive items were updated. This will allow districts to review which items were changed around count date and to select the appropriate value that applies for the current collection.

We will be reviewing many of these pieces during the March 10th webinar (highlighted above).
MACUL 2020
The Michigan Data Hub team will be at the 2020 MACUL Conference presenting in the Michigan Collaboration Hub (MiCH) session room, Devos Hall, Gallery Overlook H, March 11-13, 2020 in Grand Rapids.

MiDataHub staff will be presenting the following sessions,

You can also find the MiDataHub at booth 201 .

We look forward to seeing you all there!
Participant Count
New Live Districts
  • Mecosta-Osceola ISD

New District Sign Ups
  • Gladwin Community Schools
  • Dr. Joseph F. Pollack Academic Center of Excellence

To register your district please email support@midatahub.org.