Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Field Change Requests in NJSLEDS
Use a field change request to correct demographic information on an existing statewide student or staff record. The person and the SID or SMID must already be correct. Start by creating a Help Desk case in NJSLEDS, then download the field change template provided in the case form, complete it, and upload the request file to that case.
Get your template inside NJSLEDS
Select Contact Help Desk on the NJSLEDS system homepage. Field Change templates are provided through the case form after you submit the case details. Use the template provided for your request, and submit the completed file through the same case. Field change requests sent by email will not be processed.
Before you begin
Confirm that the statewide record belongs to the correct person and uses the correct SID or SMID. A Field Change Request is used when the identifier is correct and one or more supported demographic fields need to be corrected. Review the guidance below before preparing the request.
1. Check that a field change is the right request
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The record belongs to the correct person, the SID or SMID is correct, and a supported demographic field is incorrect. | Submit a Field Change Request using the student or staff template provided through the case form. |
| The same person has more than one SID or SMID. | Review Merge Requests in NJSLEDS so the person’s records and history can be consolidated. |
| A record or file was submitted in error and should not exist in NJSLEDS. | Review Record Deletion Requests in NJSLEDS to determine whether deletion is appropriate. |
| A submission record contains an error that can be corrected through the regular submission process. | Correct the value in your local source system and upload the updated submission file. Use a Field Change Request only for supported fields on the statewide SID or SMID record. |
2. Create your field change case in NJSLEDS
Create the case before preparing the request file so you can download the template that matches your request. Submit the completed template and student or staff information through this secure case process.
- Log into NJSLEDS and select Contact Help Desk on the system homepage. For screenshots, see How to Submit an NJSLEDS Help Desk Case (PDF).
- If the Known Issues screen appears, review the options and select the issue that matches your situation. Select None of the above if none apply, then select Next.
- Confirm your name, email address, and district ID, then enter your phone number and extension, if applicable.
- Route the request using the selections below, enter a short description in Details, and submit the case form.
- Keep your case number. On the next screen, use the template download and file upload options provided for that case.
| Case form field | Selection |
|---|---|
| Type | ID Change Management |
| Sub Type | Change Request (First Name, Last Name, etc.) |
| Sub Category | Student Management or Staff Management |
Field changes, merges, and deletions each require their own case and request file. Include multiple records of the same request type in one correctly completed template when the template allows it.
3. Download the correct template from the case form
- After submitting the case details, download the Template File for Upload that matches the Sub Category you selected.
- If a Sample Template File for Reference is provided, use it to review a completed example. Complete the Template File for Upload with your own request records.
- Use the template provided through the case instead of a previously saved copy. Follow its instructions and dropdown options, and keep the headers in their existing order.
If the template is missing or does not match your selected Sub Category, contact the Help Desk before proceeding. Each template supports specific fields, which are listed below.
Student Field Change (SID)
Use the SID Field Change template when a student’s SID is correct and supported demographic information on the statewide record needs to be corrected. Select Student Management as the Sub Category in the case form.
Fields you can change
| Field | When to change it |
|---|---|
| First Name Middle Name Last Name |
The student’s name has changed, or the name was originally entered incorrectly, such as a misspelling, incorrect order, or transposed first and last name. |
| Date of Birth | The date of birth in NJSLEDS is incorrect because of a data entry error. |
| Gender | The gender on the statewide student record is incorrect or the student has had a gender marker change. |
| Confirmation of Change | Complete this required field for every submitted request row to confirm that the requested changes are accurate. |
City of Birth and Country of Birth are no longer used in identity matching and cannot be changed through a Field Change Request as of June 12, 2026.
Staff Field Change (SMID)
Use the SMID Field Change template when a staff member’s SMID is correct and supported demographic information on the statewide record needs to be corrected. Select Staff Management as the Sub Category in the case form.
Fields you can change
| Field | When to change it |
|---|---|
| First Name Middle Name Last Name |
The name is misspelled, in the wrong order, or has changed because of marriage, divorce, a court order, or another name change. |
| Former Name | The former name on the staff record needs to be corrected or updated. |
| Date of Birth | The date of birth on the statewide staff record is incorrect because of a data entry error and needs to match the district’s verified records. |
| Gender | The gender on the statewide staff record is incorrect or the staff member has had a gender marker change. |
| Social Security Number | The Social Security Number on the statewide staff record was entered incorrectly, or the staff member has received a new Social Security Number. |
| Confirmation of Change | Complete this required field for every submitted request row to confirm that the requested changes are accurate. |
4. Complete and upload your request file
Current values must match NJSLEDS
Enter the current values exactly as they appear on the existing statewide record, including leading zeros and blank fields. Enter the corrected information in the New columns. Complete every required Current and New field, including supported fields that are not changing.
Complete the template
- Export or review the current statewide record in NJSLEDS so you can copy the existing values into the Current columns.
- Enter each Current value exactly as it appears in NJSLEDS. Preserve spelling, dates, leading zeros, and blank fields.
- Enter the correct values from your local source system in the New columns. Complete the required New fields even when some values are staying the same.
- Complete the Confirmation of Change field for every request row.
- Keep the template headers and column order unchanged.
Keep leading zeros when working in Excel
Follow General FAQs, Q24: Preserving leading zeros when opening or importing a CSV file. Check identifiers and other fixed-length values before uploading. If zeros have already been removed, compare the file with the existing NJSLEDS record or your verified local source data.
Save as CSV UTF-8
Save the completed template sheet as CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv). Excel workbooks (.xlsx or .xls) are not accepted as request uploads. Save the sheet containing your completed request rows. For saving instructions, including the alternative when CSV UTF-8 is unavailable, see General FAQs, Q23: Saving as CSV UTF-8.
Check the saved file before uploading
- You used the Template File for Upload provided in your case for the correct Sub Category.
- The SID or SMID identifies the correct person.
- Current values match the existing NJSLEDS record, including leading zeros and blanks.
- Required New fields are complete and reflect the verified correction.
- Confirmation of Change is complete on every request row.
- The headers and column order remain unchanged.
- The saved file contains the intended request rows and is in CSV UTF-8 format.
Upload the file to the case you created
- In the case’s file upload area, select Upload File or drag and drop the completed CSV UTF-8 file. If you left the case while preparing the file, select View All Cases on the NJSLEDS system homepage and open the case number you saved.
- Confirm that the correct file name appears in the case. Creating the case alone does not provide the completed request file for processing.
- Track the result in that case. Do not email the completed template or open another case just to upload the file.
5. Review the result
From the NJSLEDS system homepage, select View All Cases and open your case number. In the Requested and Processed Files table, review the file status and open the Outcome File when it is available. The Outcome File gives the result for each submitted record.
| File status | What it means | Your next step |
|---|---|---|
| In review | The file was received and is being reviewed. | No action is needed unless the Help Desk contacts you. |
| Processed Successfully | All submitted records were successful. | Review and save the Outcome File, then confirm the corrected information in NJSLEDS. |
| Processed with Errors | Some records succeeded and some failed. | Review the Outcome File, correct the failed records, and upload an updated request file to the same case. |
| Failed | All submitted records failed. | Review the Outcome File and use the troubleshooting guidance below before uploading a corrected request file to the same case. |
Review the Outcome File even when processing succeeds. If a request has errors, correct the failed records and use the same case. After the field change is confirmed, update your local source system before the next NJSLEDS upload so the statewide and local values remain aligned.
For screenshots and the full workflow, see the Case Requests Guide (PDF).
6. Troubleshoot an unsuccessful request
Review the result for each record in the Outcome File. Use the guidance below for the issue described in your result. These summaries explain what to check before uploading a corrected request file to the same case.
A Current value does not match the statewide record
Compare every Current value in the request with the existing NJSLEDS record. Check names, dates, identifiers, leading zeros, and blank fields. A difference in any required Current field can prevent the request from matching the statewide record.
Correct the Current value in the request file and upload the updated CSV UTF-8 file to the same case. Keep the corrected information in the corresponding New field.
The SID, SMID, or another value has an invalid format
Review the field identified in the Outcome File and compare it with the applicable template requirements. Student SIDs must contain 10 numeric digits, and staff SMIDs must contain 8 numeric digits. Check for missing digits, extra spaces, nonnumeric characters, and leading zeros removed while preparing the file.
Correct the value and upload the updated CSV UTF-8 file to the same case. Use General FAQs, Q24 for leading-zero guidance.
A required Current value, New value, or confirmation is missing
Review the template instructions and the field identified in the Outcome File. Complete every required Current and New field, including supported fields that are staying the same, and complete Confirmation of Change for every request row.
Save the corrected request sheet as CSV UTF-8 and upload it to the same case.
The request uses the wrong template or request type
Confirm that the SID or SMID belongs to the correct person and that the requested field appears in the applicable Fields you can change table above. If the person has multiple identifiers, review the Merge Request instructions. If a record or file should not exist, review the Record Deletion Request instructions.
If a Field Change Request remains appropriate, use the current Template File for Upload provided through the correct case selection.
The file type or header row was rejected
Use the Template File for Upload provided in your case and preserve its headers and column order. Save the completed request sheet in CSV UTF-8 format. Excel workbooks and reference or instruction sheets are not accepted as request files.
See General FAQs, Q23 for saving instructions. Correct the file issue and upload the updated request to the same case.
If the result does not identify the problem or the guidance cannot be completed for your record, contact the Help Desk with your case number and explain what you reviewed. To follow up, open the existing case and add a comment when that option is available. If you cannot add a comment or access the case, call 609-376-3970 and provide the case number. Keep student and staff data within the secure case and file upload process.
