How do I sync my Canvas assignment groups to my Blackbaud grading categories for grade passback?

As an instructor, you may be able to sync grades from Canvas to your student information system (SIS). Syncing grades from Canvas to your SIS is called Grade Passback, or GPB.

Before using GPB, you must ensure that your Canvas assignment group names match the grading categories in your SIS gradebook. If enabled by your institution, you can sync your Canvas assignment groups with your SIS grading categories.

Notes:

  • If the option to sync SIS categories does not display, this option is not enabled for your institution. You must manually verify that your Canvas assignment group names match your SIS grading categories.
  • You must configure your SIS grading categories before you can sync with Canvas.

Open Assignments

Open Assignments

In Course Navigation, click the Assignments link.

Open Sync to SIS Categories

Open Sync to SIS Categories

Click the More Options button [1]. Then select the Sync SIS Categories option [2].

Note: The Sync SIS Categories link may display your SIS name.

Sync SIS Categories

Sync SIS Categories

Sync SIS Categories displays a list of all your Canvas assignment groups [1] as well as the number of unassociated course sections in each group [2].

To sync a Canvas assignment group with a SIS grading category, click the assignment group Expand icon [3].

Sync Section Categories

Sync Section Categories

Your SIS-synced course enrollments display in the SIS Section column [1], and the section SIS IDs display in the SIS ID column [2].

For each SIS-synced section, you can associate the assignment group from Canvas with a grading category in your SIS gradebook. To associate the section's Canvas assignment group with a SIS grading category, click the SIS Category drop-down menu [3]. The drop-down menu displays all grading categories created in your SIS gradebook. Click to select an option from the list.

Alternatively, to remove an association between the Canvas assignment group and the SIS gradebook grading category, select the Unassociated option [4].

Notes: 

  • If a section assignment group is not synced to a SIS grading category,  the SIS Category drop-down menu displays the Unassociated option [5]. Additionally, when you sync your Canvas gradebook to your SIS, the assignments in that assignment group are not synced to your SIS gradebook.
  • Sections with the same Canvas assignment group name can be synced to different SIS categories. For example, in Canvas, sections Math 9 Honors and Math 9 both have a Discussions assignment group. However, you can associate the Math 9 Honors discussions to your Labs SIS category and the Math 9 discussions to your Participation SIS category.

Sync Categories

Sync Categories

When you change a SIS Category for any section, the assignment group displays a Changed label [1].

To save your sync selections, click the Sync Categories button [2].

View Sync Notification

View Sync Notification

View the successful sync notification.

View Synced Assignment Groups

View Synced Assignment Groups

Synced assignment groups display a Synchronized icon [1].

When SIS Category is not selected for a section assignment group, the assignment group displays an Unassociated label [2]. To view unassociated sections, click the assignment view Expand icon [3].

To close Sync SIS Categories, click the Close icon [4].

View Synced Assignment Groups in Assignments Page

In the Assignments page, synced assignment groups display an Imported icon.