School Data Sync with SIS

Question

I'm interested in School Data Sync through One Roster API to transfer classes and enrollments over from my SIS to Teams, but I have not seen what it looks like when a class is brought over through One Roster. My best guess would be that the course name might be the name of the team, and the class section/period name would be the name of the general channel. Has anyone used this integration method that might be able to share feedback on the experience?

Answer 1

Dear @Brandon Hong,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum!

Based on your concern, I have tried my best to research and found this information that you can take insights from them.

What actually happens with School Data Sync (SDS) + OneRoster API in Microsoft Teams:

1.OneRoster does not create Teams directly:

• The OneRoster API may only supply SIS data (users, classes, enrollments).
• School Data Sync (SDS) is the Microsoft service that interprets that data and provisions Microsoft 365 Groups and Class Teams.
• The flow is SIS > OneRoster API > School Data Sync > Microsoft Teams

Reference: Creating Class Teams with School Data Sync

2.What a “class” looks like in Teams:

• Each SIS class / section = ONE Class Team in Microsoft Teams
• Team name = SIS class or section name
• Teachers = Team Owners
• Students = Team Members

There is no concept of “course + multiple sections inside one Team” in SDS.

Reference: Step 4: Sync your SIS using School Data Sync (SDS)

3.Channels: the most common misunderstanding:

• SDS does NOT create channels per period, section, or semester
• SDS creates only the default “General” channel
• Even if your SIS has:
  • Periods
  • Sections
  • Terms
  • Semesters

They may not appear as channels automatically

4.Your assumption is half‑right:

• Course / class / section name > Team name This is exactly how SDS provisions Class Teams
• Section / period may not become a channel.
  • SDS does not map SIS fields (period, section, semester) to Teams channels
  • Channels must be created manually or via post‑provisioning automation

You can take a look in these articles:

• School Data Sync - FAQ
• Best practices for school leaders creating teams and channels in Microsoft Teams for Education

5.SDS plus OneRoster excels at:

• Automatic Class Team creation
• Continuous roster updates
• Automatic owner/member assignment
• Large‑scale district automation

When using OneRoster with School Data Sync, each SIS class may become one Microsoft Teams Class Team named after the class, with only a default “General” channel - periods or sections are not created as channels by design.

Here is an article that may be related to your needs: https://github.com/adheel-barlas/O365-EDU-SDS-AspNetMVC-Samples

I hope this information can give you some insights.

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Answer 2

When using the OneRoster API with School Data Sync (SDS) to transfer classes and enrollments from your Student Information System (SIS) to Microsoft Teams, the integration typically allows for the automatic creation of classes in Teams based on the data provided by the SIS.

In this context, it is common for the course name from the SIS to be used as the name of the team in Microsoft Teams. Additionally, the class section or period name can indeed be reflected as the name of the general channel within that team. This setup facilitates a structured environment where educators and students can easily navigate their classes and resources.

While specific user experiences may vary, the integration is designed to streamline the process of setting up Teams for Education by leveraging existing SIS data, which can enhance the overall efficiency of class management and communication within the educational setting.