Pinnacle Integration Overview

Instructure supports a SIS integration with Pinnacle Gradebook by GlobalScholar. The integration uses APIs made available from OneRoster 1.1 where the SIS is the OneRoster data provider, and Instructure is the OneRoster data consumer. Learn more about OneRoster and the Instructure OneRoster implementation.

The Instructure Pinnacle integration allows Pinnacle to sync rostering data to Canvas and for Canvas to post assignments and assignment grades back to the Pinnacle gradebook.

As an admin, you can review the integration functionality and limitations and request the integration for your institution.

Integration Overview

The OneRoster integration works bi-directionally:

  • Pinnacle to Canvas Provisioning: When you make changes in Pinnacle (to users, courses, enrollments, etc.), those changes are reflected in Canvas after a nightly, one-way transfer from your SIS's OneRoster 1.1 API to Canvas.
  • Canvas to Pinnacle Grade Passback (GPB): When instructors make changes or updates to course assignments and student grades in Canvas, those changes are sent to your SIS using OneRoster 1.1 API. Learn about syncing grades from Canvas to the Pinnacle gradebook.

Note: OneRoster provisioning is required for GPB functionality.

Supported Objects

The following data is included in any provisioning or GPB transfer.

Provisioning:

  • Courses
  • Enrollments
  • Sections
  • Staff
  • Students
  • Sub-accounts
  • Terms

GPB:

  • Course Grades/Gradebook Scores
  • Graded Assignments
  • Graded Discussions
  • Graded Quizzes

Pinnacle Integration Prerequisites

Before implementing the Instructure Pinnacle integration, your institution must meet the following requirements:

  1. Request your institution's OneRoster 1.1 credentials from Pinnacle. These OneRoster credentials (API URL, client key, and client secret) should be sent to the Instructure SIS team using a secure Canvas-provided link.
  2. Once you have shared your OneRoster credentials, the Instructure SIS team will verify the integration connectivity.
  3. If your institution is converting from one SIS to another or transitioning from a different integration, the SIS team must perform an evaluation of the integration against your data. The SIS team will contact you with any concerns about converting to the Pinnacle integration.

Known Pinnacle Integration Limitations

Please review the following limitations associated with the Pinnacle integration.

  • Time-based gradebook linking in Pinnacle is supported for GPB.

For example: If a Fall and Spring semester gradebook for the same Biology course are linked in Pinnacle, GPB is allowed from Canvas to Pinnacle.

  • Linked course gradebooks in Pinnacle is not supported for GPB.

For example: If a Biology course gradebook is linked with an English course gradebook in Pinnacle, GPB is not supported from Canvas to Pinnacle.

Next Steps

If you are interested in enabling the Pinnacle Integration for provisioning, please contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM) for consideration.