Creating Reports

The Reporting module of the software enables you to design and use a variety of reports. You can create a report template, which includes the area of the software the data in the report is pulled from, as well as the report page format. You can continue designing the report by adding fields within the header, footer, and report data lines. You can also determine if a date needs to be entered in the Save Until field. If you enter a date in this field, the report will automatically be deleted on that date. When you are done setting up the report, you can save and run the report to view the information.

The information pulled into a report is chosen through your selection of a Base Module and Base Object. These should reflect the main section on which you want to report. For example, you would choose Security as your Base Module and User as the Base Object to create a report to audit your security users. If you want to create a report for ACT scores and include information such as a student's native language, the feeder school of that student, and a section at the end for the calculated averages of Science, Math, and English, you would choose Assessment as the Base Module and Student Test as the Base Object.

Multiple types of data can be included in the same report by later adding sections in the Report Designer. You are not limited to running a report on one base module and base object. Once the initial report template is completed, you can add other modules and objects to pull data from multiple areas of the software.

Scroll past the video to access the step-by-step instructions.

Audio Transcript

Do you need to create a report for your organization? For example, you may need to create one for a list of student activities. You can customize the look of your report and even add your own fields to it with the Report Designer! Let’s begin by heading to the Report Manager in the Reporting module. We can then add a new report. A name for the report will need to be specified. If necessary, a description can be entered to include additional information about the report. The Base Module and the Base Object allow us to identify the data we would like included on our report. For this example, we’ll choose Student. Since we are creating a report consisting of a list of students and their activities, we’ll choose Student. The Report Type defaults to View/Print. For this example, we can leave it as is. The Report Orientation, Page Size, and Margin default values will be used for this report. We can also include where the report will be available. This defaults to Administrative Access. Since this is the location we want to use for our report, we’ll leave it. If we wanted the system to automatically delete the report after a certain date, we could specify that here. Let’s click Save to continue the process. Back on the Report Designer, we can add specific fields to our report if needed. First, let’s include a Full Name. We’ll also want to add the Current Grade we want to include on the report. We need to include the field that indicates whether or not a student is currently active. We can see at the top of the list the fields specific to the current object we are in. The folders below allow us to pull from another object. We’ll use these folders to locate and add the field for the initial of the first name and the full last name of the students’ Homeroom Teacher. If we needed to change the name of a specific field, it’s as simple as clicking on the Header, and then entering the correct name into the field. We can do the same for the First Initial Last Name field to indicate that this field is to specify the Homeroom Teacher. Once we’ve verified all our information is correct, we can click Save & Run Report. On the View Report screen, we can see the report we just created. In the next video, we’ll go over modifying the report to include the students’ activities. Now that you’ve successfully created a report, you can be sure all of your information is accurate, and you can print your report!

Do you need to create a report for your organization? For example, you may need to create one for a list of student activities. You can customize the look of your report and even add your own fields to it with the Report Designer! Let’s begin by heading to the Report Manager in the Reporting module. We can then add a new report. A name for the report will need to be specified. If necessary, a description can be entered to include additional information about the report. The Base Module and the Base Object allow us to identify the data we would like included on our report. For this example, we’ll choose Student. Since we are creating a report consisting of a list of students and their activities, we’ll choose Student. The Report Type defaults to View/Print. For this example, we can leave it as is. The Report Orientation, Page Size, and Margin default values will be used for this report. We can also include where the report will be available. This defaults to Administrative Access. Since this is the location we want to use for our report, we’ll leave it. If we wanted the system to automatically delete the report after a certain date, we could specify that here. Let’s click Save to continue the process. Back on the Report Designer, we can add specific fields to our report if needed. First, let’s include a Full Name. We’ll also want to add the Current Grade we want to include on the report. We need to include the field that indicates whether or not a student is currently active. We can see at the top of the list the fields specific to the current object we are in. The folders below allow us to pull from another object. We’ll use these folders to locate and add the field for the initial of the first name and the full last name of the students’ Homeroom Teacher. If we needed to change the name of a specific field, it’s as simple as clicking on the Header, and then entering the correct name into the field. We can do the same for the First Initial Last Name field to indicate that this field is to specify the Homeroom Teacher. Once we’ve verified all our information is correct, we can click Save & Run Report. On the View Report screen, we can see the report we just created. In the next video, we’ll go over modifying the report to include the students’ activities. Now that you’ve successfully created a report, you can be sure all of your information is accurate, and you can print your report!



  1. Select Menu > Administrative Access > Reporting.
  2. Select Report Manager under Features.
  3. Click Add Report near the top right of the screen.
  4. Complete the appropriate fields.

    Required fields are identified with an asterisk. You must complete required fields before you can save your work.

    1. Enter a Name for the report.

      Skyward recommends creating a report name that you want to display on the report. The system does not validate names of unpublished reports, but you cannot have two published reports with the same name.

    2. Enter a report Description if you wish to provide additional report details.
    3. Enter the Base Module or click the Down Arrow icon to choose from the drop-down list.

      When you enter a Base Module, the Base Object field displays.

    4. Enter the Base Object or click the Down Arrow icon to choose from the drop-down list.
      It is best practice to identify the base object's scope to determine whether your base object will pull data from the entire system or from just your District. This is important information to have so you can interpret the data on your report correctly once you run it.
    5. Choose the Report Type from the drop-down list.

      If you selected the Report Type of View/Print, skip to sub-step k.

      If you selected the Report Type of XML, CSV/Delimited, Fixed Width, or JSON, the Encoding Type, File Extension Override, Zip Main Sections, and Remove Special Characters fields display. Continue to the next sub-step.

      If you selected the Report Type of Excel, the Zip Main Sections and Remove Special Characters fields display. Skip to sub-step h.

    6. Choose the Encoding Type from the drop-down list.
    7. Enter the File Extension Override if appropriate.
    8. Check the box for Zip Main Sections if appropriate.
    9. Check the appropriate box or boxes for the Remove Special Characters field.

      If you only checked the box for Diacritics, skip to sub-step k.

      If you checked the box for Non-Alphanumeric Characters, the Characters to Not Remove field displays. Continue to the next sub-step.

      If you checked the boxes for Diacritics and Non-Alphanumeric Characters, the Characters to Not Remove field displays. Continue to the next sub-step.

    10. Enter the Characters to Not Remove if appropriate.
    11. Select the appropriate radio button for the Report Orientation.
    12. Select the appropriate Report Page Size from the drop-down list.

      Once you make a selection, the Page Width and Page Height fields adjust automatically. For example, in the image below, with the Landscape report orientation and Ledger report page size selected, the Page Width defaults to 17.00 and the Page Height defaults to 11.00.

      The measurement unit appears in inches.

    13. Verify the Page Width or enter the correct value if necessary.

      This defaults to a specific value if the Report Page Size is set to Letter, Ledger, or Legal.

      You can only modify this value if you selected Custom for the Report Page Size.

    14. Verify the Page Height or enter the correct value if necessary.

      This defaults to a specific value if the Report Page Size is set to Letter, Ledger, or Legal.

      You can only modify this value if you selected Custom for the Report Page Size.

    15. Verify the Top Margin value or enter the correct value if necessary.

      This defaults to 0.50. This value must be .25 or greater.

    16. Verify the Bottom Margin value or enter the correct value if necessary.

      This defaults to 0.50. This value must be .25 or greater.

    17. Verify the Left Margin value or enter the correct value if necessary.

      This defaults to 0.50. This value must be .25 or greater.

    18. Verify the Right Margin value or enter the correct value if necessary.

      This defaults to 0.50. This value must be .25 or greater.

    19. Choose the Portal the report will be available in from the drop-down list.

      A report can only be available within one portal. If a report must be used from more than one portal, multiple copies of the report must exist which can be accomplished by cloning the report.

    20. Enter a Save Until date or click the Calendar 31 icon to choose a date using the calendar, if appropriate.

      You should only enter a date if you want the system to automatically delete the report template after a particular date.

  5. Click Save near the top left of the screen to save your work.
  6. Click the Chevron down icon to the right of the Page Header to expand the page header line.
  7. Click within the expanded Page Header line.
  8. Click the Expand icon to the left of Special Fields or Environment Variables to expand either option.
  9. Select a field from the Special Fields or Environment Variables tabs to incorporate in your page header by either double-clicking the field or clicking and dragging the field onto the report.
  10. Click the Chevron down icon to the right of the Report Header to expand the report header line.
  11. Click within the expanded Report Header line.
  12. Select a field from the Special Fields or Environment Variables tabs to incorporate in your report header.
  13. Select the Data Line for the main section.

    If you add data within the header line of the base object, the field will only display as a header on the report and you will not see data for that field.

  14. Click the Expand icon to the left of the Fields tab to display the available fields to incorporate in the data line of your main section.
  15. Select the field that you would like to incorporate by either double-clicking the field or clicking and dragging the field onto the report.

    Fields marked with an asterisk indicate the field is calculated for you based upon other values within the system.

    The table below explains the field types available for selection onto the report.

    IconDefinition
    Calendar 31 The calendar icon represents a date field.
    Checkbox The check icon represents a checkbox.
    Folder The folder icon represents a folder, in which more fields and folders are available.
    Pound The pound icon represents a numeric field.
    Text The text icon represents a text-based field, typically a sequence of characters. This field type can consist purely of numbers, such as a social security number.
    Timespan The timespan icon represents a duration field, such as time.
    Three ColumnsThe column group icon represents a single field that pulls multiple columns of information based on the logic assigned to the field.

    You can repeat the process until all fields needed in the data line have been added.

    The image below displays the Report Designer at this point in the process. You see the District Name value has been added to the Report Header.

  16. Click the Chevron down icon to the right of the Report Footer to expand that line of the report.
  17. Click within the expanded Report Footer line.
  18. Select a field from the Special Fields or Environment Variables tabs to incorporate in your report footer.
  19. Click the Chevron down icon to the right of the Page Footer to expand that line of the report.
  20. Click within the expanded Page Footer line.
  21. Select a field from the Special Fields or Environment Variables tabs to incorporate in your page footer.
  22. Choose one of the options near the top left of the screen to save your work.
    OptionDescription
    Save & Back Saves the report and you return to the Report Manager. This option is located near the top left of the screen.
    Save Changes Saves the report and you remain on the Report Designer. This option is located near the top left of the screen.
    Save And Run Report Saves the report and runs the report. This option is located near the top right of the screen.
    Save And Run Report With Last Values Saves the report and runs the report with the values set on the last run. If there are required prompts with no values set from a previous run, you will see the Run Report screen. This option is located near the top right of the screen.

Result(s)

For more detailed information, please refer to the "Creating Reports" article in the Help Center.