How to Search for Students or Staff in the Ed-ID Portal

Before Searching:

An Ed-ID for students is to be assigned to a student once and remain with the student throughout their educational experience, as well as the same for Staff. A best practice is to always use the lookup/search function before requesting a new ID be created.

Newly enrolled students: Always perform a lookup for new students (includes pre-K and kindergarten students).
If an Ed-ID for the student already exists, use this existing STN. If an Ed-ID for the staff already exists, use this existing SPN.
Check all documentation provided for the student for name changes, adoptions, or an incorrect Date of Birth against potential matches presented after utilizing the lookup/search to ensure a new STN/SPN is not created.

There are three different ways to search:

The Student/Staff Search button via the Ed-ID portal.
Your student information system’s (SIS’) interface.
- Check with your SIS vendor. This functionality may be offered as soon as the 2023-2024 school year)
The Application Programming Interface (API) for identities.

How to Search Inside the Ed-ID Portal

Different Boxes for Search Parameters including, Student Test Number, First Name, Middle Name, Last Surname, Name Suffix, Birth Date Language Code, Race, Sex

What a search looks like inside the Ed-ID Portal

Do your first search using the First Name and Date of Birth as YYYY- MM-DD, as published on the Students'/Staff Birth Certificate.
If you cannot find a specific enough result, then add additional fields such as Last Surname, Middle Name, Suffix. Race and Sex should be only entered to narrow the results.

STN- A “Student Test Number” that is personally assigned to them.
SPN- A “Staff Personnel Number” that is personally assigned to them.
First Name - This is a legal birth name from a birth certificate or other legal documentation. Do not report a nickname or name the student or family prefers.
Middle Name
Last Surname - This is a legal birth name from a birth certificate or other legal documentation. Do not report a nickname or name the student or family prefers.
Name Suffix - Only enter data here, such as Jr, II, III, if this is part of their legal name. Otherwise, leave this field blank
Birth Date - Enter as provided by a students’ / staff birth certificate, written with the year first as “YYYY-MM-DD.” The birth date has the year listed first within Ed-ID because it assists with the sorting and search.
- Note: Be careful when entering data from non-US birth certificates, as the month and day are commonly written as day/month.
Language Code - Report the language of the student as determined from the student’s original HLS (in English). The HLS is available in Spanish here.
- A complete list of Language Codes can be found here: Student Code Values
Race - This data should be collected in accordance with the “Collecting Racial and Ethnic Data” form, Part 2.
- A more comprehensive guide for connecting geographic/national origin with a race can be found here.
- Note: **Students in K-12 and Staff are required to have a race.
Sex - Enter the student’s / Staff sex. This doesn’t impact the matching score much as you cannot determine an identity based on the sex alone.
- Female
- Male
- Unknown**
  ** Students in K-12 are required to have a sex

3. After you perform a search, you should be able to review the potential matches for the student. If, after reviewing all of the potential matches, you determine that no match is presented, you may click on the New Create Request button.