Sections with change in lead teacher in PowerSchool integrated Canvas - best practice for Admins?

[LindaBrock]

Seeking advice on how to handle Canvas when the lead teacher on a class section in our PowerSchool SIS changes (for example when someone goes on medical leave and the class is taken by a long-term sub).

(We have the OneRoster plug-in in PowerSchool handling the sync of our SIS data to Canvas, and use PowerSchool as our authoritative grade source.)

How do we handle Canvas so the new teacher gains full access to the existing assignments and scores already entered for the class? 

I have reviewed the process for cross-listing, which Canvas seems to say is the only way this can be addressed; but it also seems to require that the new teacher have an existing target course to cross-list the first teacher's class to. We don't want to create a new class section in our SIS, and have to drop and re-enroll the students there. What's the best way to handle this?

[JeffW · Accepted solution]

Hi @LindaBrock 

When a new lead teacher is assigned to a section it does so happen that it creates a new course shell in Canvas due to the nature of OneRoster. You shouldn't need to create a new section in your SIS. What should be happening is that the existing section and enrollments get moved to a new course shell which is provisioned in response to the teacher change. All you would need to do is then cross-list the section back to the original course shell where students have been participating since grades and submissions are tied to the enrollment object in the course they were made.

You should have the original course created for the original teacher. When the new teacher is assigned to the section in PowerSchool that same section should just be moved within Canvas to a new course shell. Then you just cross-list it back to the original course shell.

I find it best to save a link to the existing course that contains the section whose teacher is changing. That way you know which course to cross-list the section back to once it gets moved.

Hope that makes sense!