General Overview

RollCall has developed a Sentral API to maintain student and parent contact details stored in RollCall directly via connection to your Sentral system.

The RollCall - Sentral API manages the following data:

Student Records

• Set to ACTIVE status (students not found in the TASS data will be made inactive in RollCall)

• Student Number

• First Name

• Last Name

• Date of Birth

• Grade

• Address (from a verified Parent contact)

• Campus (must match RollCall campus setting value)

Parent Records

• Set to UNENGAGED / ENGAGED status:

  • Parents are added as Unengaged initially.

  • Unengaged and Engaged parent records are verified. Parent records (by email address) not verified by TASS will have students removed and their record marked as Past Parent.

• First Name and Last Name (converted from Addressee if necessary)

• Email 1

• Mobile 1

About Student to Parent Attachments

Each student will have at least one parent linked to their record, depending on how your parent contacts are set up in Sentral.

The unique identifier for each parent record in RollCall is email address.

Some manual maintenance of records (e.g., deletion of duplicate parent records) is required. We continuously work to improve our standard API to meet the needs of all clients.

Why Some Clients Choose Not to Use an API

1. Restrict RollCall student data to bus users only.

2. Retain flexibility to add Primary parent contacts that would not be verified by the Sentral API.

Without an API, data can be maintained using the bulk import and update features of RollCall.

Setting up the API

Step 1 - Feasibility Check

Before proceeding, we require credentials to access your student and parent contact data The credentials will first be tested in a pre-production system to:

• Check verification of existing RollCall records (for existing clients)

• Ensure correct retrieval of student and parent data (for new clients)

Step 2 - Setup the API Authorisation in Sentral

You will need to add the API authority to Sentral and submit the API credentials to RollCall. For assistance with granting API authority, contact Sentral Support.

DO NOT SEND API CREDENTIALS VIA EMAIL. Instead, use our secure e-Form (see Step 4).

Step 3 - Verify the API Application Details

Before submitting your Sentral API credentials, you must test and verify that the credentials establish a successful connection to Sentral and access the required data.

This can be done using API test software (e.g., Postman). For assistance, contact Sentral support.

Step 4 - Securely Submit API Application Details to RollCall

DO NOT SEND API CREDENTIALS VIA EMAIL.

Use the link below to complete our secure e-Form and submit your Sentral API details to RollCall.

Submit your Student API Details

We require your contact details and the following information to set up your API. 

You will need to submit details for each additional tenant to be connected to your RollCall system.

Support and Troubleshooting

Support

We assist with API feasibility and activation only if the API details provided work for other services or independent testing. Consult with Sentral support for assistance with any other issues.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I choose which records are added to RollCall? 

No. The API transfers all active students in Sentral based on enrolment status and start/end dates. Parent records are created based on API rules and the attachment of parent records in Sentral.

Why is a parent record not showing in RollCall or marked as 'Past Parent'? 

The parent record was not verified by the API. Check the setup of the parent and student record in Sentral and the attachment settings. Parent records must have a single, valid email address on their Sentral record for a RollCall record to be created.

Why aren’t student card codes included in the data transfer? 

The API is the same for all Sentral schools, regardless of their data setup. Not all schools store card codes in the same field or use them at all. We accept card codes direct from card production systems using our Card code API.

I made a change in Sentral, but it’s not showing in RollCall. Why? 

The API updates overnight. Parent updates may fail due to duplicate errors (e.g., a past or secondary parent with the same email exists).

How do I add extra parents to RollCall? 

You can’t manually add unverified primary parent records. However, Primary Parents can add extra carers using the Add Secondary Carer feature in the RollCall Parent App.