{"id":8465,"date":"2026-10-27T11:51:04","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T11:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classe365.com\/blog\/?p=8465"},"modified":"2026-10-27T11:51:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T11:51:04","slug":"what-should-a-school-management-system-integrate-with","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.classe365.com\/blog\/what-should-a-school-management-system-integrate-with\/","title":{"rendered":"What Should a School Management System Integrate With?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A school management system should integrate with five groups of tools: payment gateways, accounting software, learning and video tools, messaging channels, and identity or data exchange platforms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Classe365<\/span><\/a> lists 22 integrations, split across two collections: 4 payment gateways and 18 app settings integrations. For example, Stripe sends payment status back to Classe365 through a webhook, and Classe365 pushes user and section data to Clever through an SFTP upload.<\/span><\/p>\n

This guide groups all 22 by function. For each one, it lists where the integration is configured, which credentials it needs, and what the help center documents about how it works. It also covers student information system<\/a> integration, because the<\/span> student information system (SIS)<\/span><\/a> is where Classe365 holds student records.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"integrated<\/p>\n

What should a school management system integrate with?<\/b><\/h2>\n

It should integrate with payments, accounting, learning tools, communication channels, and identity platforms. Four more categories surround that core: document signing, accessibility, analytics, and automation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Group<\/b><\/td>\nWhat it covers<\/b><\/td>\nClasse365 integrations<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Payments<\/span><\/td>\nOnline fee payment, with payment status returned to Classe365<\/span><\/td>\nStripe, Stripe Connect, PayPal, Authorize.net<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accounting<\/span><\/td>\nInvoices synced or imported into the accounting ledger<\/span><\/td>\nQuickBooks Online, Xero<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Learning and video<\/span><\/td>\nLive lectures, assignment scores, quiz proctoring and calendars<\/span><\/td>\nZoom, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Google Classroom, Moodle, SMOWL, Skype<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Communication<\/span><\/td>\nSMS, WhatsApp, email marketing contacts and chat<\/span><\/td>\nWhatsApp, Twilio, Mailchimp, Intercom<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Identity and rosters<\/span><\/td>\nUser and section data, academic structure and single sign-on<\/span><\/td>\nClever, Google Workspace single sign-on, Moodle<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Documents, access, analytics, automation<\/span><\/td>\nElectronic signatures, accessibility widget, traffic tracking and workflow automation<\/span><\/td>\nPandaDoc, EqualWeb, Google Analytics, Zapier<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The U.S. Department of Education’s<\/span> guidance on online educational services<\/span><\/a> sets out requirements and best practices for schools that use third-party online tools.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the difference between a module and an integration?<\/b><\/h3>\n

A module is built into the platform and shares its database. An integration connects to a separate product through credentials, webhooks, or file exchange.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Classe365, the SIS, the<\/span> Learning Management System (LMS)<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> Fee & Invoicing<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> Finance and accounting<\/span><\/a>, and<\/span> CRM<\/span><\/a> are modules. <\/span>Stripe<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>QuickBooks<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Zoom<\/span><\/a> are integrations.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does an integrated workflow look like for one student?<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"integrated<\/p>\n

The path below follows one student through documented Classe365 integrations.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A family submits an enrollment form built in the CRM module.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Staff generate an enrollment agreement in PandaDoc from the submission and send it for electronic signature.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Staff add the approved student to the SIS.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Roster data reaches other apps. Clever receives users and sections through an SFTP upload. Google Workspace handles single sign-on.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. A teacher schedules a live lecture in the LMS using Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Scores from a linked Google Assignment flow into the gradebook.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Fee & Invoicing creates the invoice. The family pays through Stripe, PayPal, or Authorize.net, and the gateway reports the payment status back.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. QuickBooks receives the invoice and marks it paid. A WhatsApp or Twilio message notifies the family.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How do payment gateway integrations work in a school management system?<\/b><\/h2>\n

    \"integrated<\/p>\n

    Stripe webhooks send payment status back, so invoices are marked as paid, unpaid, and so on. PayPal sends status updates through IPN (Instant Payment Notification).<\/span><\/p>\n

    Classe365 documents four gateways.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Gateway<\/b><\/td>\nWhere you configure it<\/b><\/td>\nWhat you need<\/b><\/td>\nWorth knowing<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Stripe<\/span><\/td>\nSettings > Payment Gateways > Stripe<\/span><\/td>\nStripe API keys for test or live mode, plus a webhook endpoint on your Classe365 domain<\/span><\/td>\nExtra events apply if you use SCA on CRM payment forms or the online store module<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Stripe Connect<\/span><\/td>\nOrganization Settings > Payment Gateways > Stripe<\/span><\/td>\nAccount country, currency and a Stripe onboarding login<\/span><\/td>\nWorks with the Fee and Invoicing module and ends with a redirect back to Classe365<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    PayPal<\/span><\/td>\nSettings > Payment Gateways > PayPal<\/span><\/td>\nClient ID and Client Secret for a sandbox app and a live app<\/span><\/td>\nAuto Return, Payment Data Transfer and IPN settings are set in PayPal<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Authorize.net<\/span><\/td>\nSettings > Payment Gateway > Authorize.net<\/span><\/td>\nAPI Login ID, Transaction Key and Public Client Key<\/span><\/td>\nDocumented for merchants in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, and Australia<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Stripe and Stripe Connect are two different setups. Stripe uses API keys and a webhook you configure yourself. Stripe Connect uses a guided onboarding flow and redirects you back to Classe365 when it finishes.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Card handling falls under the<\/span> PCI Data Security Standard<\/span><\/a>, which applies to entities that store, process, or transmit payment account data.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How do accounting integrations work in a school management system?<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Classe365 documents two accounting integrations. QuickBooks Online syncs invoices automatically, including unpaid ones, and marks the QuickBooks invoice as paid when Classe365 records a payment. Xero uses a manual file import.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"integrated<\/p>\n

    The QuickBooks setup runs in five steps:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Create an app in the Intuit Developer account and select QuickBooks Online and Payments.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Copy the Redirect URL from Organization Settings > Apps > QuickBooks into the Intuit app.<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret from the production keys into Classe365 and save.<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Click Generate Access Token, then Connect.<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Turn on Link With QuickBooks for each fee category and pick the matching QuickBooks account.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      For Xero, you download a preconfigured CSV template from Fee Reports, then import it in Xero through the Accounts menu and Sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Which LMS and school management software integrations matter most?<\/b><\/h2>\n

      Classe365’s LMS and school management software integrations cover live lectures and meetings (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet), assignment scores (Google Classroom, Moodle), and quiz proctoring (SMOWL). An admin configures them, and users access them from the<\/span> LMS module<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Integration<\/b><\/td>\nWhat it does<\/b><\/td>\nWhat you need<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Zoom<\/span><\/td>\nRuns Live Lectures from the LMS and shows recordings to students and teachers<\/span><\/td>\nA Zoom Marketplace app built as a Server-to-Server OAuth app, with the LMS and Core modules active<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Microsoft 365<\/span><\/td>\nAdds Teams live lectures and syncs Outlook calendar events<\/span><\/td>\nAn Azure app registration, the client ID, the client secret value and admin consent<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Google Workspace<\/span><\/td>\nAdds single sign-on, Google Drive, Google Meet and Google Calendar<\/span><\/td>\nA Google Cloud project, an API key, an OAuth client, and Google verification<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Google Classroom<\/span><\/td>\nPulls scores from a linked Google Assignment into the Classe365 gradebook<\/span><\/td>\nThe Google Workspace integration set up first<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Moodle<\/span><\/td>\nSyncs academic structure, students, teachers, and assessment scores<\/span><\/td>\nA Moodle web service token and your Moodle site URL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      SMOWL<\/span><\/td>\nProctors online quizzes with monitoring and audio and video evidence<\/span><\/td>\nA SMOWL license with an Institution Identifier, license key and API key<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      Zoom, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace each need an app created in the vendor’s own admin console before Classe365 can connect. The Google Workspace article has ten setup steps and requires access to the Google developer console and Google Search Console. For how the LMS and SIS differ, see Classe365’s article on<\/span> learning management systems and student information systems<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      How does the Moodle sync work?<\/b><\/h3>\n

      \"integrated<\/p>\n

      The Moodle integration automates user and course creation and brings Moodle gradebook scores into Classe365 assessments. Setup follows this order:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. In Moodle, go to Site Administration > Server > External Services and add a service with Enabled and Authorized Users Only checked. Add the 12 web service functions the article lists.<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Go to Manage Tokens, create a token for a user, and copy it with your Moodle site URL.<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. In Classe365, open Modules > Administration > App Settings, click the Moodle logo, paste both values, and save.<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. Run Sync Now for Academics Data first, then Students, then Teachers.<\/span><\/li>\n
      5. To bring in scores, open a Subject, go to the Assessments tab, choose Moodle Sync, and link the Moodle activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        How should student information system integration handle identity and rosters?<\/b><\/h2>\n

        Classe365 documents three student information system connections. Clever receives user and section data, Google Workspace provides single sign-on, and Moodle receives students, teachers, and academic structure.<\/span><\/p>\n

        For Clever, Classe365 pushes user and section data through an SFTP upload:<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. In Clever, with the District Admin role, go to Sync > Settings > SFTP Settings and copy the SFTP username and password.<\/span><\/li>\n
        2. In Classe365, go to Accounts > Org Settings > Integrations > Clever, paste both values, and save.<\/span><\/li>\n
        3. Reopen the Clever app settings and click Upload Files in Clever.<\/span><\/li>\n
        4. Confirm the sync in the Clever Sync tab. Changes can take time to appear.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Classe365 announced this connection on its blog:<\/span> Classe365 now integrates with Clever<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Google Workspace single sign-on lets users sign in to Classe365 with their Google accounts.<\/span><\/p>\n

          What changes for higher education software integration?<\/b><\/h3>\n

          For higher education software integration, the relevant integrations are Moodle (academic structure, students, teachers, and scores), Microsoft 365 (Teams and Outlook calendar), Google Workspace, QuickBooks or Xero for accounting, SMOWL for quiz proctoring, and Zapier for custom workflows. Classe365 also lists a Degree Audit add-on at $75 per month. Classe365 has a dedicated<\/span> page for chief technology officers<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Which communication integrations should a school management system support?<\/b><\/h2>\n

          Classe365 documents four communication integrations: WhatsApp and Twilio for messages, Mailchimp for email marketing contacts, and Intercom.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
          Integration<\/b><\/td>\nWhat it does<\/b><\/td>\nWhat you need<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          WhatsApp<\/span><\/td>\nSends template messages for login invitations, absences, invoices, and health records<\/span><\/td>\nA Meta developer account, a business phone number and a Meta payment method<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Twilio<\/span><\/td>\nSends SMS notifications to students, parents and staff<\/span><\/td>\nA Twilio API key, Account SID, Auth Token and a From number<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Mailchimp<\/span><\/td>\nSyncs school contacts for email campaigns<\/span><\/td>\nA Mailchimp account and an API key<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Intercom<\/span><\/td>\nConnects an Intercom app to your Classe365 account<\/span><\/td>\nYour Intercom app ID<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

          WhatsApp works through templates. You create each one in Meta, submit it for approval, then map its variables to Classe365 data under Edit Template.<\/span><\/p>\n

          For Twilio, you enter an Account SID, Auth Token, and From Number, using live or test credentials. The Intercom article covers entering the app ID only. It does not describe which data is shared, so confirm that with Classe365 support.<\/span><\/p>\n

          What about documents, accessibility, analytics and automation?<\/b><\/h2>\n

          PandaDoc handles electronic signatures.<\/b> It connects to the CRM forms module and the Students module. You build templates in PandaDoc with tokens that match Classe365 field labels. Staff then create documents from a form submission or a student record, review the draft in PandaDoc, and send it. You generate the API key in PandaDoc and paste it into Settings > Apps > PandaDoc.<\/span><\/p>\n

          EqualWeb adds an accessibility widget.<\/b> It offers screen reader adjustment, keyboard navigation, voice commands, and color adjustment. Create the site in EqualWeb, copy the code it provides, and enable the integration in Classe365. The help article does not state where the code goes, so confirm that with support.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Google Analytics tracks site traffic.<\/b> You create a property in Google Analytics, copy the tracking script, and paste it under the Google Analytics app in Organization Settings. A green check next to Receiving Data confirms it works.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Zapier builds automated workflows with other apps.<\/b> The help article says Zapier links to more than 5,000 apps.<\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Enable the integration under Org Settings > Apps > Zapier.<\/span><\/li>\n
          2. Find your subdomain and API key under Org Settings> API.<\/span><\/li>\n
          3. In Zapier, create a Zap and pick a trigger.<\/span><\/li>\n
          4. Connect your Classe365 account with the subdomain and API key.<\/span><\/li>\n
          5. Choose the action app, set up its data, and test it.<\/span><\/li>\n
          6. Publish the Zap.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            How do you check data privacy before connecting third-party tools?<\/b><\/h2>\n

            Under FERPA, a school can treat an outside contractor as a school official if it performs a service the school would otherwise do with employees. The contractor must also be under the school’s direct control in using and maintaining education records. The rule is in<\/span> 34 CFR 99.31<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Ask each vendor:<\/span><\/p>\n