Overview of the Pennsylvania Information Management System Knowledge Base (PIMS KB) — purpose, philosophy, and how to use this site.

PIMS Knowledge Base

Always Verify Policy Updates

Policy, code sets, or reporting timelines may change mid-year. When in doubt, consult official PDE communications or PIMS Support Services for confirmation before large-scale data corrections.

PIMS KB is a modern, searchable, and accessible web presentation of the Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS) guidance. It converts historically PDF‑bound documentation into a structured knowledge base designed for faster navigation, better context linking, and continuous evolution.

PIMS (Pennsylvania Information Management System) is the statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS) that supports collection, validation, and integration of student, staff, and institutional data for reporting, accountability, funding, and program evaluation across the Commonwealth.

The goal of this site is to make core operational knowledge—templates, submission rules, dependencies, and processes—easy to discover and reliable to reference.

Living Documentation

This site is iterative. Sections will expand as more PDF volumes and field-level specifications are converted. Content parity with original source documents is an ongoing effort.

Philosophy

Accuracy First, Then Enhancements

The first conversion pass preserves the meaning and intent of the original PDE / PIMS documentation. Visual refinements, richer cross-linking, glossary overlays, and interactive helpers are layered only after baseline accuracy is validated.

Structured for Automation

By standardizing template descriptions, dependencies, field badges, and submission matrices, the site enables future export, validation tooling, or API exposure (e.g., generating CSV headers or checking extract completeness automatically).

Transparent Over Opaque

Rather than hiding logic in proprietary viewers or static PDFs, field definitions, required vs. optional semantics, and dependency ordering are all displayed with consistent visual language (badges, tables, callouts).

Who This Site Serves

Data coordinators & PIMS administrators in LEAs
SIS / vendor integration engineers
PDE analysts validating submissions
Program office stakeholders referencing definitions
Support teams triaging data load issues

Key Features You Will See

Feature	Purpose
Template Pages	Standardized per-template specification with field metadata, business rules, and dependencies.
Dependency Matrix	Visual graph/table to determine correct load order across templates.
Submission Matrix	Shows which LEA types submit which templates.
Field Badges	Communicate key/optional/conditional/updateable status at a glance.
Callouts	Highlight critical rules, warnings, or procedural notes.
Search	Quickly locate templates, terms, or rules once indexing expands.

How to Use This Documentation

Start with the high‑level overview in the Templates section to understand structure and conventions.
Use the Template Dependencies table to plan load order for a new integration or remediation cycle.
Open an individual template to confirm field cardinality (required vs. optional), data types, and business rules prior to extract engineering.
Reference the Submission Matrix to confirm whether a template applies to your LEA type (e.g., Charter, CTC, IU, District).
During troubleshooting, compare an extract file's headers against the template table to identify omissions or misordered fields.

Example Workflow: New SIS Integration

Identify mandatory templates for baseline enrollment/funding (Student, School Calendar, Staff, etc.).
Use dependency matrix to stage load order (e.g., Student before Enrollment-based templates).
Generate extract headers from template table — preserve ordering.
Map local codes to PDE codes (ethnicity, gender, program flags) using referenced lookup tables.
Produce delimited files following naming conventions (documented inside each domain).
Submit in sequence; monitor load feedback; adjust transformation where business rules reject records.

Source Integrity & Review

Original authoritative content originates from PDE PIMS manuals and distributed PDF appendices. Conversion steps:

Extract text and structural elements from PDF
Normalize headings, lists, and tables into MDX
Map admonitions → <Callout> components
Add semantic wrappers for template tables & dependency components
Internal peer review for fidelity before marking a section stable

Feedback & Contributions

While this is not an open public contribution model, internal improvements, error reports, and enhancement suggestions are welcome.

Identify a discrepancy? Flag the original PDF section and the web path so it can be reconciled.
Missing priority template? Request conversion sequencing.
Usability idea? Propose UI pattern or component.

Templates – Core specifications you will reference most frequently.
Changelog – Summaries of structural or content updates as they are introduced.

If you are new to PIMS submissions, proceed to the Templates overview next.

What is PIMS KB?