Login to Skyward Family Access to Check Your Student’s Grades in Fort Bend ISD
What happens when you want to check your child’s grades? Whether you’re worried they’re not doing well or you just want to know how they’re doing, it’s an important thing to do frequently as a parent. This article will guide you through the process of logging into the Skyward Family Access site in Fort Bend ISD to look at your student’s grades online.
What is an API?
An API is short for an application programming interface. This is a set of specifications that one company uses to program their app with software that another company has made. It lets you add features like chatbots, texting, or sending documents and spreadsheets directly into your app. The easiest way to think about an API is as a two-way connection between your app and the other company’s service or application. By making an API available for developers, businesses are encouraging new use cases for the users of their apps.
A good analogy for an API is the hole at the end of a bathtub faucet: we can put any kind of plug (or washer) we want inside that hole so long as it doesn’t disrupt the flow.
Signing up for an API key
The API keys are obtained through a third-party application, SecurityTrails. You can download the app and search for your organization and get a free API key. Once you have signed up for your free API keys, you will have access to data. There are different tiers depending on how much information you want to track. One of the features I find most helpful is when something wrong happens with my account, it informs me of what happened and how I can fix it. The tabs under settings allow you to change the type of notifications that come through and also when they should be sent out.
Why do I need an API Key?
In order to get the full benefit of using skyward family access and to be able to give others access, you will need an API key. API keys are the new default login for skyward family access. In addition, they are a secure way of ensuring that other family members can view their student’s grades and report cards but do not have access to your personal information.
An API key is a unique string of letters and numbers generated by the system. The API key does not identify or include any personal data about the person who has it. It also cannot be used to reset a password or change someone else’s user account. It can only be used to connect with other APIs on behalf of that person through requests made in JSON format (Javascript Object Notation).
Finding your API key
Getting your API key is just the first step. You can now go back to My Site and log in with your username and password that you created at registration time. After you’re logged in, if you’re following this tutorial correctly, then the Manage Entitlements section should show up on the right side of the screen. Scroll down until you see Create an App. Click on it. A list of all available apps will be shown and Skyward Family Access is one of them. The app ID will be displayed in parentheses (it should say SKYWARD FAMILY ACCESS – 0). Copy that number by highlighting it or by right-clicking on it and selecting copy before going any further. Next, click on Settings. On the left side of the page, there are a few options that we need to fill out: Application Name: Enter a title for your app in this box. For example, Skyward Family Access Monitor so we know what this application does when we use it later.
Putting your API key into Skyward Family Access
Skyward Family Access is a free service that lets parents and students manage their education records. With your API key, you can log into Skylight Family Access and get information on your student grades. To put your API key in you’ll need to go to My Profile on the left-hand side of the page, click Edit Profile under API Keys, select the appropriate school type from the dropdown menu for Current School, paste your API key, then hit save. Now whenever you log into skyward family access with this school type selected, your API will automatically be inserted into grade view tables when viewing a student’s grades. You can also set up alerts that notify you when new grades are entered.
How Do I Set Up a Parent Account on SFBISD?
The Skyward Family Access app is available for both iOS and Android. To use the app, download it from your app store, sign up using a valid email address and password, then log into your account using your username and password. Once you’ve created an account, you will be prompted to add an existing student or create a new one. For example, if you’d like to see a child’s grades at school but they aren’t your child (or are too young), click Add New Student.
Now that you have created an account with a username and password you will be asked to provide some personal information. You can fill this out or skip it by choosing not now.
Checking your student grades from home.
For many parents, one of the biggest sources of anxiety, when they send their child off to school, is getting a regular report on how they’re doing. The good news is that you can access and view your student grades from home through an online service called Skyward Family Access. In order to use this tool, you will need your child’s username and password. When logged into Skyward Family Access, select the tab Student Info which will display your student information including academic records, contact information for teachers and counselors, as well as updated enrollment status (enrolled or withdrawn). Selecting Grades from this page will show you up-to-date marks for all courses with exams pending (including major assignments) in both grade level blocks: Fall 2018 & Fall 2019 (or whatever current semester it is). You can also select Report Cards to see a printable PDF copy of their most recent report card along with all previous report cards dating back to Kindergarten.