Locales

Introduction

PowerSchool provides a toolkit that makes it easy to translate the system into any language. This includes the PowerSchool SIS Teacher portal, ReportWorks, labels on various pages, fields used for Student/Teacher/Staff searches, and configuration items like Attendance codes, course names and grade scale items. Online help for the Administrator/Student/Parent/Substitute/Teacher web pages can also be translated using the toolkit.

To support this, PowerSchool now uses Unicode, allowing you to enter student names with "ñ" or other non-English characters. The translation toolkit also makes it possible to repurpose existing fields in PowerSchool by renaming the labels to suit your school or district's unique needs.

Access to localization tools is based on group security permissions, and can be accomplished in a batch process or on a page-by-page basis, allowing you flexibility for your localization workflow. You can localize PowerSchool into different permutations based on the system locales you configure. Custom pages can also be localized, using the PowerSchool Administrator web application in conjunction with the localization batch process in PowerSchool.

Student and Parent Access Translations

PowerSchool includes translation of student and parent web access into many different languages. This does not translate data coming from PowerSchool, but it does provide base translations for many static labels that exist within the PowerSchool Student and Parent portal. If you create a locale in PowerSchool using one of the languages listed, students and parents can select that language on the PowerSchool sign in page. The pages display in the selected language. For more information, refer to the Manage System Locales section.

Localization Administration

Set up locales, numeric and currency formats, and units of measure from the Localization Administration page accessed via District Office page permissions. Once the system locales are configured, you can set group permissions to allow individual users to localize PowerSchool.

Manage System Locales

A locale is a combination of a language plus geographic information that allows you to identify specific variations on a language. In PowerSchool, the locale is defined by the selected language and country code. When locales are created, they appear on the Manage System Locales page and are available on the user sign in pages of the PowerSchool SIS Admin portal, the PowerSchool SIS Teacher portal, and the PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent portal (depending on security settings). Selecting a locale displays all translated items in PowerSchool in the specified language for that locale.

PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent portal pages that are already translated into one of the many languages provided by PowerSchool display on the PowerSchool Student and Parent portal sign in page on the Select Language menu.

The language selected on the PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent portal Account Preferences page determines the language in which alerts and emails will be received. If the language is not selected then emails shall be sent in default language selected by the district.

Although the English locale is the initial default for PowerSchool, once a new locale is created, it overwrites the English locale. Therefore, if you require an English locale in addition to any other locales you create, you must add an English locale. You must be signed in at the District level to add or edit a locale.

1. Navigate to the System Locales page. 

2. To add a locale:

   1. Click Add Locale.

   2. Use the following table to enter or select information in the fields:

      Field	Description
      Locale Display Name	Enter a description for the locale. This is the description that displays in the list of locales on the PowerSchool Sign In page. Enter the locale name in the language that pertains to the locale. For example, for a French locale, enter Français, for Spanish enter Español.
      Language	Select a supported language.
      Language Direction and Site Layout	Select the direction that the language is read by. This will also change the layout of the site. For example, the navigation is on the left for Left to Right, but on the right for Right to Left.
      Country	Select a supported country. The combination of language and country must be unique. Although you may have multiple versions of the same language, you cannot add two of the same language/country combination. For example, you may select English/US and also add English/Canada, but you could not have two versions of English/US in the system.
      Calendar System	Select a calendar system. If the locale uses the Gregorian with Hijri overlay calendar system, each calendar in the SIS includes a setting to enable or disable the Hijri overlay. The default is set by user-level preferences.
      Date Format	Select a supported date format.
      Time Format	Select a supported time format.
      Numeric Format	Select a numeric format. To create or modify the available formats, refer to the Set Numeric/Currency Format section.
      Currency Format	Select a currency format. To create or modify the available formats, refer to the Set Numeric/Currency Format section.
      System Default Locale	Select the checkbox to identify this locale as the system default. Processes that are not associated with a user logon use the locale marked as the System Default Locale. All nightly jobs also use the System Default Locale. Only one locale can be designated as the System Default Locale.

   3. Click Submit. 
   4. To switch to the locale you added, sign out of PowerSchool and then select the locale from the Select Language menu on the sign in page and click Sign In.
3. To edit a locale:
   1. Select a locale. 
   2. Edit the information as needed. 
   3. Click Submit. 
4. To delete a locale:
   If you delete a locale, the associated translations will no longer display in PowerSchool. However, the translations still exist in the PowerSchool database and can be retrieved if the locale is re-created.
   1. Click the minus ( - ) icon next the locale you want to delete. 
   2. Click Delete. 

Configure Locale Independent Settings

Localization settings that are global (not tied to a locale) are set on this page. This includes setting units of measure to be used for health screenings, and assigning the alphabetic characters to be used on the Browse Students/Browse Staff search pages.

On the Locale Independent Settings page, you also create and modify numeric and currency format settings that can be selected on the Manage System Locales page. You must be signed in at the District level to set numeric/currency format.

Set Numeric/Currency Format

1. Navigate to the Currency Format page. 
2. To add a numeric/currency format:
   1. Click Add Format. 

   2. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

      Field	Description
      Display Label	Enter a label or example for this numeric/currency format.
      Group Separator	Select the group separator.
      Decimal Separator	Select the decimal separator.

   3. Click Submit. 
3. To edit a numeric/currency format:
   1. Select a numeric/currency format. 
   2. Edit the information as needed. 
   3. Click Submit. 
4. To delete a numeric/currency format:
   1. Click the minus (-) icon next the format you want to delete. 
   2. Click Delete. 

Set Units of Measure

1. Navigate to the Units and Alphabet Filter page.
2. Choose the applicable units of measure.
3. Click Submit.

Localize Alphabetic Characters for Browse Students/Browse Staff Search

1. Navigate to the Units and Alphabet Filter page.
2. Enter the applicable alphabetic characters in the Display Alphabet Filter for Start Page Search field.
3. Click Submit. 

Enable Language Translator Security Permissions

Enable the Language Translator security setting to allow the users assigned to that group access to the Localize PowerSchool page and individual page localization. To enable individual page localization, refer to the Localize Individual Pages section.

1. Navigate to the Security Groups page. 
2. Click a name in the Group Name column. 
3. Select the Language Translator checkbox.
4. Click Submit. 

Import and Export Custom Pages

Custom Pages are files created in PowerSchool Administrator that have message keys extracted for translation. These files include custom pages as well as any localized custom page messages. Imported and exported as a .zip file format, these files should not be edited, modified, or unzipped. 

Export Custom Pages

1. Navigate to the Import and Export Custom Pages page. 
2. Enter the export file name in the File Name to Export field. PS_CustomPagesExport appears by default.
3. Click Export. A zip file with all of the custom pages is downloaded.

Import Custom Pages

1. Navigate to the Import and Export Custom Pages page. 
2. Click Choose File (or Browse) to select the import file.
3. Click Import. 

Import Localization Content

Import your translated, localized content into PowerSchool using the Import Localization page.

You can import locale translations (message keys) and translation packages from the Import Localization page, then monitor the import files from the Import Localization Status page.

Translation packages are properties files that the system uses to determine localizations and translations that have been created in PowerSchool. These files include plain text localizations, and in export mode there is an option to include localized customer-defined data. This mode is used to transport files from one PowerSchool installation to another. These files should not be edited, modified, or unzipped.

The import process uploads a zipped file onto a specified server. The uploaded file is installed on the server and made available in PowerSchool. If the server the language pack is uploaded to is part of a server array, the file is distributed to all servers in the array.

1. Navigate to the Import Localization page. 

2. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

   Field	Description
   Source	Click Browse to locate the import file on your computer.
   Locale	Select the locale of the translation being imported.
   Type	Select the file type.
   Character Set	Use the menu to choose the character set for the import file: UTF-8 (Unicode) Windows ANSI (Windows) Mac Roman (Mac) ISO 8859-1 (Unix)
   Field Delimiter	Choose the field delimiter. This refers to the item that will separate the fields in the exported data. Tab: Separates fields with a tab Comma: Separated fields with a comma Other: Enter a field delimiter in the blank field, such as a comma This field appears if you select Message Key File as the Type to be imported.
   Include column headers:	Deselect the checkbox to exclude the header row from the import. This field appears if you select Message Key File as the Type to be imported.

3. Click Import. 

Monitor Import Localization Status

When you import localization content, you can check the status of the import on the Import Localization Status page.

1. Navigate to the Import Localization Status page.
2. Do one of the following:
   • Click Refresh to update the page.
   • Click the link in the Status column to view the import results. 
   • Click the minus icon to delete the completed import.
     If the Status column displays Completed with some failures, click the link and review the results on the Import Localization Results page. Edit the import file, and then re-import the data.

Export Localization Content

Export your translated, localized content into PowerSchool using the Export Localization page.

1. Navigate to the Export Localization page. 

2. In the Select Export Type section, use the following table to enter or select information in the fields:

   Field	Description
   Type	Select the file type.
   Locale	Select the locale of the translation being exported.
   Filename	Enter the desired name for the export file.

3. Click Next. 

4. In the Select Records section, use the following table to select information:

   Field	Description
   Application and Area	Click an application to view the areas that you can export for that application. Select the checkbox next to the area you want to export. Select the All checkbox to export all areas for the selected application.
   Include	Select the option you want to include in the export: Translated Not Translated Both

5. Click Next. The Select Options section appears. The total number of records to be exported displays in the Count of Matching Records field.

6. Use the following table to select information:

   Field	Description
   Character Set	Use the menu to choose the character set for the import file: UTF-8 (Unicode) Windows ANSI (Windows) Mac Roman (Mac) ISO 8859-1 (Unix)
   Field Delimiter	Choose the field delimiter. This refers to the item that will separate the fields in the exported data. Tab: Separates fields with a tab Comma: Separated fields with a comma Other: Enter a field delimiter in the blank field, such as a comma This field appears if you select Message Key File as the Type to be imported.
   First row contains headers:	Select the checkbox to exclude the header row from the import. This field appears if you select Message Key File as the Type to be imported.

7. Click Export. The file is exported and downloaded to the specified folder on your computer.

PowerSchool Localization

PowerSchool supports localization of text that appears on the application pages, and information that displays from the database.

On the Localize PowerSchool page, the Text for Translation area displays the default text to be translated, based on the filtering selected. The translation is entered in the Translated Text field.

The functional areas available for translation are based on the District or School sign in. Attendance codes and other specific user defined data are available for translation at the School level. Field names and other text translations are available at the District level.

The Localize PowerSchool page contains three tabs which allows for translation in the following areas of the application:

• Text – Translation of all static text messages and field names.
• Data – Translation of all specific data such as Attendance codes, grade scales, and search expressions.

Individual page translation, which displays the localize page icon on the navigation bar, is enabled on the Locale Independent Settings page. Access to the Localize PowerSchool page and individual page translation is controlled by security group permissions.

Localization Rules

When entering translated text, there are certain rules to follow to ensure a more fluent-sounding translation. Review the following rules before you begin the translation process.

HTML

If there are HTML snippets, entities, etc., in the default translation, those must be maintained in the translated text.

For example:

> Change Daily Attendance

would be translated into pig Latin as:

> Angechay Ailyday Attendanceway

Parameter Substitutions

If the default text has constructions of the form {xxx}, you must exactly reproduce them in your translated text. The majority of the time, these will take the form where 'xxx' is a small number (0 or 1).

For example, if you are translating a text like this:

Report {0} of {1} reports(s)

and you are translating to French, the translation should be:

Rapporte {0} de {1} rapporte(s)

If you omit the {xxx} constructions, the page may not display correctly.

Another example:

{0}Family

would be translated to:

{0}Famille

The purpose of these constructions is to instruct the software where to substitute information into the middle of a message; each {xxx} represents where one variable or database field is inserted. The software specifies where the substituted data comes from; the message text specifies where the data is substituted in the message body.

Parentheses

Whenever parentheses are used, there must be an open and close set in order to translate correctly.

Space and Empty String Handling

If the translated text string is empty, the translation user interface deletes the translated record from the database. This allows the string to revert to its default value in the user interface. There may be some cases where an actual blank string should be stored, but the system does not currently allow this.

The translation user interface saves translated text with the same beginning/end spacing as the original (default) text.

For example, if the default text is:

key2 = \ records

should be translated to Spanish as:

key2 = \ registros

Localize Text or Data Batch Mode

Localize static text and messages on the Text tabbed page view on the Localize PowerSchool page. Using the Chose functional area menu, you can localize text for custom pages, PowerSchool SIS Teacher web access, PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent web access, and ReportWorks. Localize customer-specific data, such as codes and expressions, on the Data tab.

1. Navigate to the Localize PowerSchool page. 
   This link does not appear if the Language Translator group security permission is not enabled for the user.
2. Depending on the type of batch translation you want to perform, select the Text or Data tab.

3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

   Field	Description
   Choose locale	Choose a locale on which to perform the language translation. By default, the current system locale appears.
   Choose the functional area, or item you want to translate	Choose the area of the application to translate. This filters the selection of information that you can translate in the Text for Translation area. Depending on the tab selected, the menu displays a list of various types of messages or data grouped by the following areas or applications: PowerSchool lists all static text or data from the PowerSchool web application. PowerSchool Customer Defined Data lists all static text that appears on the Data Export Manager page. ReportWorks lists all static text that appears in the ReportWorks application. The numbers to the right of each section signify how many messages have been translated for the selected locale out of the total number of messages.
   Category	Choose the PowerSchool customer-defined data category to translate. This field only appears if PowerSchool Customer Defined Data is selected from the Choose the functional area, or item you want to translate menu.
   Search for specific text	Enter text in the field. Use the menu to select a search modifier.
   Filtered Retrieved Messages	Choose a filter option: Choose Display all matching messages to filter by the information entered in Search for specific text field. Choose Display only translated messages to display only data that has been previously translated. Choose Display only non-translated messages to filter by those messages that have not yet been translated. Choose Display only messages needing merge to filter by only those messages that require a merge between the new and existing text. Choose Display only new messages to filter by new messages only. Choose Display only new messages with related localizations to filter by new messages that have a message key prefix that matches existing localizations.
   Retrieve Text	Click to display text for translation based on the selections provided.
   Text Key	Displays the internal system identifier, such as the system web page name. Custom page text keys are created in PowerSchool Administrator and are identified with the type .htmlc.
   Default Text	Displays the system-defined text. This text displays either in English or the language entered in the default database tables.
   Translated Text	Displays the translated text. Click in the field to edit or enter information. To copy and add translated text to matching rows, refer to the Copy and Add Translated Text field.
   Translation Hints	Google Translation API is no longer available for translation hints, so clicking on the magnifying glass icon will only return suggestions based on translations already done for the selected language within PowerSchool. Nothing will be displayed if there are no translations currently available.
   Copy and Add Translated Text	When localized text or data is added to the Translated Text column, a Copy/Add icon appears to the right of the column. Click the icon to copy the translated text of that row to the Translated Text field of all the rows in the grid that match that Default Text.
   Navigation links	Click the arrows to scroll through the list of text to translate, or enter a page number in the field provided to navigate to a specific page of the list. Use the menu to change the number of lines that display in the list.

4. Click Submit to save the Translated Text field entries. A verification message appears.

Enable Individual Page Localization

Set the individual page localization to enable translation of a page in PowerSchool.

1. Navigate to the Localize PowerSchool page. 
2. Select the Settings tab.
3. Select the Enable individual page translation in PowerSchool checkbox.
4. Click Submit. Depending on the group security permissions, the localize page icon will appear on the navigation bar in the PowerSchool SIS Admin portal, PowerSchool SIS Teacher portal, and the PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent portal.

Localize Individual Pages

Depending on the assigned user role and page permissions, a localize page button appears in the navigation bar of the PowerSchool SIS Admin portal, the PowerSchool SIS Teacher portal, and the PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent portal. This button allows you to localize field names and text that appears on that page.

In order to localize individual pages on the PowerSchool SIS Teacher portal and the PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent portal, the following settings must be in place:

• Individual page translation must be enabled.
• You must have group security permissions with language translator setting enabled.
• You must have security permissions to access the PowerSchool SIS Teacher portal and/or the PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent portal.

Localize an Individual Page in PowerSchool

1. Navigate to any page.

2. In the page header, click the [Localize Page] icon. 

3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

   Field	Description
   Choose the language to translate or modify	Choose a locale on which to perform the language translation. By default, the current system locale appears.
   Retrieve Text	Click to display the text for the current page.
   Search	Text for translation can be filtered by Text Key, Default Text and Translated Text. Enter the text or a portion of text you want to find.
   Text Key	Displays the internal system identifier, such as the system web page name. Custom page text keys are created in PowerSchool Administrator and are identified with the type .htmlc.
   Default Text	Displays the system-defined text. This text displays either in English or the language entered in the default database tables.
   Translated Text	Displays the translated text. Click in the field to edit or enter information. To copy and add translated text to matching rows, refer to the Copy and Add Translated Text field.
   Translation Hints	Click the magnifying glass icon to view the Translation Hints dialog. Translated text suggestions appear if an exact match is found between the default text of the current row and the default text of one or more previously translated messages is found. Select the word and it is automatically placed in the Translated Text column for the selected row. Click the X to close the dialog.
   Copy and Add Translated Text	When localized text or data is added to the Translated Text column, a Copy/Add icon appears to the right of the column. Click the icon to copy the translated text of that row to the Translated Text field of all the rows in the grid that match that Default Text.
   Navigation links	Click the arrows to scroll through the list of text to translate, or enter a page number in the field provided to navigate to a specific page of the list. Use the menu to change the number of lines that display in the list.

4. Click Submit to save the Translated Text field entries. 

Localize an Individual Page in the PowerSchool SIS Teacher Portal

In order to translate individual pages in the PowerSchool SIS Teacher portal, you must have group security permissions set, and individual page translation must be enabled for the locale.

For more information, refer to the Enable Language Translator Security Permissions and Enable Individual Page Localization sections.

1. On the Address bar, enter the URL for the PowerSchool SIS Teacher portal
2. On the sign in page, enter a valid Username and Password.
3. Click Sign In. The applicable web access page displays, with the translate page icon available on each page.
4. Follow the last two steps in the Localize an Individual Page in PowerSchool section.

Localize an Individual Page in the PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent Portal

In order to translate individual pages in the PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent portal, you must have group security permissions set, and individual page translation must be enabled for the locale.

For more information, refer to the Enable Language Translator Security Permissions and Enable Individual Page Localization sections.

1. On the Address bar, enter the URL for the PowerSchool SIS Student and Parent portal, followed by /?translator=true. For example, http://[server ID].powerschool.com/public/home.html?translator=true.
2. On the sign in page, enter a valid Username and Password.
3. Click Sign In. The applicable web access page displays, with the translate page icon available on each page.
4. Follow the last two steps in the Localize an Individual Page in PowerSchool section.

Localize Custom Pages

Customized PowerSchool pages can be converted to display on the Localize PowerSchool page for batch translation. Use the PowerSchool Administration application to covert the data for translation. For more information, refer to Custom Web Page Management.

Localize Daily Bulletin Items

You can create different language versions of the bulletin for each locale you have configured in PowerSchool.

1. Navigate to the Daily Bulletin Setup page.
2. Do one of the following:
   • Click the date of the existing bulletin item you want to edit. 
   • Click New to create a new bulletin. Enter information in the default local fields
3. To copy the original bulletin content and automatically translate it, click the translate icon for the applicable locale.

4. To copy the original bulletin content without translating, click Copy [default locale] for the applicable locale. The original bulletin content is copied into the Item Body and the text can be translated manually.

5. Click Submit. 

6. View the daily bulletin in order to verify the localized daily bulletin item.

Updates to Localization

When new versions of PowerSchool are released, they may contain changes or updates to messages, field names, and static text within the application. You can view these changes on the Localize PowerSchool page and change the translation if necessary.

View and Edit Message Updates

1. Navigate to the Localize PowerSchool page. 
2. Select the Text tab.

3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

   Field	Description
   Choose the language to translate or modify	Choose a locale. By default, the current system locale appears.
   Choose the functional area, or item you want to translate	Choose the functional area of the application to view the updated messages for that area.
   Search for specific text	Leave blank.
   Filtered Retrieved Messages	Choose a filter option: Choose Display only messages needing merge to filter by only those messages that require a merge between the new and existing text. For more information, refer to the  Merge Localized Text page. Choose Display only new messages to filter by new messages only. Choose Display only new messages with related localizations to filter by new messages that have a message key prefix that matches existing localizations.

4. Use the tabbed page view to translate the new messages. For more information, refer to the Localize Text or Data in Batch Mode section.

Merge Localized Text

1. Navigate to the Localize PowerSchool page. 
2. Select the Text tab.
3. On the Filter Retrieved Messages menu, choose Display only messages needing merge. A merge icon appears in the far right column.
4. Click the merge icon next to the message you want to edit.

5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

   Field	Description
   Text Key	The system-generated message key assigned to the text.
   Original Default	The previous version default text before localization.
   Current Default	The current version default text.
   Update Current Text	Enter the new localization for the current message text.
   Default Differences	Displays the changes for the selected message key.

6. Click Use next to the text you want to use for the selected message key. 
7. Repeat these steps for each merge.
8. Click Submit to save the changes.

Localize PowerTeacher Administrator

PowerTeacher Administrator does not currently have batch and page-level localization enabled. Therefore, translations must be handled outside of PowerSchool. However, it is necessary to update a specific file on the PowerSchool server in order for customized translations to appear correctly in PowerTeacher Administrator.

Once the customized translation of the PowerTeacher Administrator content is complete, you will edit a properties file available on the PowerSchool server, change the name as specified in the following procedure, and place it in the specified folder.

Update the PowerTeacher Administrator Properties File

1. On the PowerSchool server, navigate to [drive]:\Program Files\PowerSchool\application\components\powerschool-psweb-[build number]\WEB-INF\classes\com.
2. Locate the file package.properties within the folder.
3. Copy the file and rename it to the following:
   package.[language code].[COUNTRY CODE].properties
   Note: Language and country codes are listed in the LOCALE table in the PowerSchool database. The codes are case-sensitive and must be entered in the file name as they appear in the LOCALE table. Be sure the renamed file resides in the correct folder, [drive]:\Program Files\PowerSchool\application\components\powerschool-psweb-[build number]\WEB-INF\classes\com.
4. Edit the renamed file using a text-editing tool as needed and translate only the values associated to the message keys (the text to the right of “=”).

Post-Install Translation Deployment

If your district uses a system locale other than English, translated content must be available to the SIS. That content contains static labels and data values. The static labels are automatically available to the system with each installation and upgrade. However, translated data values must be imported using the Import Localization page in the PowerSchool SIS Administrator portal.

The automatic deployment of static labels and data values requires a PS SIS version of 24.5.0.0 or higher. Earlier versions also require importing translations for these values.

Automatic Deployment Prerequisites

Updating to the latest complete set of translations requires a system locale with the intended language. When the system locale is created for the intended language, the system automatically updates with the latest set of translations for that language.

If there is an update to the static label translations for the current version, the system updates when the system locale is saved again or on restarting PowerSchool SIS.

Refer to the Manage System Locales section for more information on setting up a system locale.

Importing Translated Data Values

Updating translated data values is a manual process these values are processed differently than static labels and are updated less frequently.

1. Ensure that there is a system locale for the intended language.
2. Download the language pack archive for the intended language.
   Arabic: https://assets.powerschool.com/sis-lang/ar/data_values.zip
   Thai: https://assets.powerschool.com/sis-lang/th/data_values.zip
3. Follow the steps in the Import Localization Content section.

You must repeat the import process for each system locale that uses the language.

Repeat this process following upgrades, if needed, to ensure the system has the latest translated data values.