NEE Data Tool How-Tos, Common Questions and Solutions
If you’re managing NEE for your district, you often perform routine maintenance in the NEE Data Tool to keep your building and district data up-to-date.
In this blog, we show you how to accomplish several of the tasks that NEE data managers are often in charge of. We’ll include common questions that arise, why issues can happen, and how to solve them.
Sometimes, the steps require more detail, which is available in the Help and Resources section of the NEE Data Tool after you log in. We’ll tell you what to search to find the document you need.
If at any point you need additional support, please contact the NEE Help Desk at nee@missouri.edu or (844) 793-4357.
NEE Data Tool How-Tos
Adding and updating accounts
There are two methods for adding and updating accounts for new employees and updating existing accounts.
Method 1: Batch import
The import process allows district-level users to download the current People list, add new teachers, remove teachers who have left the district, and update building assignments as needed on a spreadsheet. The updated file is then uploaded back in to the system to complete the changes. (Note: If you do not see the “Import People” button on your People list, contact the NEE Help Desk.)
For detailed instructions on the import process, search for Import People Process on the Help and Resources menu inside the NEE Data Tool.
Method 2: Individual updates
Smaller school districts or districts that do not have many additions and changes to make for the upcoming year might find it more efficient to simply add each new person individually, remove those who have left the district, and make changes to building assignments as necessary. For this method, you’ll click on the People section of the NEE Data Tool and make updates to individual profiles as needed. (More on the “updating a user profile” and “ending employment” processes next.)
Search for People on the Help and Resources menu inside the NEE Data Tool to learn more about this method of adding and updating accounts.
Updating a user profile
You can update a user’s profile by clicking the People list and selecting the employee. This is where you would update their position, grade levels and subject areas taught, and building assignments.
Not all of the information in an individual’s profile is required. Most school districts only enter the required information and ask individuals to complete the rest on their own.
Each user can complete the following by editing their profile:
- Change their password
- Set their years of teaching experience
- Enter their degrees earned
- Enter the grade levels and subject areas they teach (the grade level and subject areas entered should reflect the current teaching assignment, not everything the teacher is certified to teach)
For more instructions, search for Update and Validate Profile Information on the Help and Resources menu inside the NEE Data Tool.
Ending employment
When an employee leaves the school district, the account is not deleted but merely moved to storage. To do this, an individual with district-level access should edit the individual’s profile in the Data Tool.
Assign the individual to the “End Employment” building, then click the red “End Employment” button at the top of the page.
The employee’s records will be moved out of the active people list and into storage the next time that the district or NEE completes an import.
If you need additional instructions, search for End Employment and Rehire on the Help and Resources menu inside the NEE Data Tool.
Resetting passwords
Passwords can be updated by anyone with building, building lead, or district-level access for people who are on their list. To reset a password, locate the person on your People menu, click their profile, and update their password.
The NEE Help Desk can reset passwords; however, we are unable to verify a caller’s identity over the phone. For this reason, we must email a temporary password to the individual, who can then go into their profile to update the password.
For detailed instructions on this process, search for Reset and Change Password on the Help and Resources menu inside the NEE Data Tool.
NEE Data Tool Common Questions and Solutions
What follows is a list of questions we field most frequently and how to solve them.
Account questions
When adding an employee, what does it mean when I receive an error message saying “Email address is already in use”?
In many cases, this happens when the teacher previously worked for the district and has returned. Sometimes this also happens when an administrator creates an account during summer training.
Do NOT create a duplicate account for the teacher or administrator. Contact the NEE Help Desk to resolve this problem.
Note: If a teacher or administrator moves to a new district, their NEE data does not move with them. The new district will create a new profile. NEE data belongs to the district where the data was entered. NEE can provide the records to former employees when requested to do so by the owner district. Of course, teachers and administrators are welcome to copy their own records before leaving a district.
Why is the “Reset Password” button not working?
After a number of incorrect tries to login, NEE accounts might be locked. The building principal, assistant principal, or anyone with district-level access can reset the password to unlock the account by clicking on their People list, selecting the correct employee, and entering a new password on their profile page.
Why is a principal not seeing a specific teacher on their People list?
If new to the district, an account will need to be created for the teacher. Go to your People menu and select the “Add Person” button at the top to start the process.
Alternatively, the teacher might not be assigned to the correct building. Someone with district-level access should go to the People list and check the teacher’s profile to make sure they are assigned to the correct building or buildings.
If the teacher does not appear on the district People list either, the account might have accidentally been placed in “End Employment.” If that’s the case, contact the NEE Help Desk so we can move the account back into your district.
Classroom observation questions
What should a principal do if, during a classroom observation, they accidentally:
- Click the save button before an observation was complete?
- Make a mistake on the score that was entered on a classroom observation?
- Make a mistake on the comments that were entered on a classroom observation?
The principal should go to the My Teachers menu and click View Classroom Observation Reports. From there, the score and comments can be edited. (Note: You cannot add new indicators or remove indicators after an observation has been saved.)
What should a principal do if, during a classroom observation, they accidentally:
- Select the wrong teacher’s name and entered an observation on the wrong teacher?
- Select the wrong indicator?
Contact the NEE Help Desk to delete the original observation. A corrected observation must then be entered by the principal. If a summative report has been completed that includes the incorrect observation, the NEE Help Desk will have to correct the problem.
Organizer questions
What should a principal do if they already scored an organizer but made a mistake on scores or comments?
Go to My Teachers and click View (TPDP or UOI) Report. Each score and comment box can be edited, up until the summative is completed. If the organizer scores are part of a completed summative, contact the NEE Help Desk to correct the problem.
Why is the gold “Score” button not showing up when an administrator is trying to score a TPDP, UOI, or specialist organizer?
If the teacher is assigned to more than one building, there is a selection tool allowing the organizer to be assigned to the correct building. The teacher must make a selection at the top of the organizer indicating the school that will be responsible for scoring that organizer.
Student survey questions
Why is the token not working?
It could be that the date set for the survey to close has been reached. Another survey can be created for the same teacher, if needed. (Remember that at least 6 students must answer each question on the survey in order for the responses to be reported.) A student survey can be extended by the NEE Help Desk but only before the survey closes.
Why is a login screen displayed for some students?
The URL the students use to access the survey includes a capital “S” on the word Student. If the “S” is not capitalized, the URL does not work; a login screen is displayed rather than the screen where students enter the token.
Teacher survey issues
What should we do if a survey closed before all teachers had a chance to take it?
Contact the NEE Help Desk to extend the end date. Unlike student surveys, teacher surveys can be extended even if they have already closed.
Why can’t I select the principal for whom I want to set up a survey?
Check to make sure the principal has building lead or building-level access, not district-level access.
Why do some teachers not have access to complete the survey on the correct building administrator?
Check to make sure the administrator is assigned to the correct building and that the teachers are assigned to the same building. If a principal is assigned to more than one building, a teacher survey must be created for each building.
That’s a wrap on some of the most common questions we field through the NEE Help Desk. Of course, we’re always here to help if you ever encounter issues in the NEE Data Tool or need additional support. You can reach us at nee@missouri.edu or (844) 793-4357.
