Resolving Child Identification Issues by Excel Spreadsheet

When the STAC Unit receives a service file for processing, there are sometimes certain issues related to child identification that must be resolved before further processing of the file can proceed. In June 2013, the STAC Unit instituted a new more secure process for counties to resolve these issues:

1) When initial processing of a service file results in child identification issues, the STAC Unit will generate an Excel workbook containing between one and four worksheets. Each worksheet within the Excel file addresses a different type of child identification issue, and only the worksheets applicable to the submitted service file will be included.
2) The STAC Unit submits the Excel workbook to the county via the FTP server. The county contact who submitted the service file is sent an email containing the filename and location of the Excel file.
3) The county downloads the Excel workbook from the FTP server.
3) Going worksheet by worksheet within the Excel file, the county makes the necessary corrections for each child identification issue. More detail for what is required for each worksheet is included below:
  a) soundex name near dob
    Columns B, D, F, H and J contain the child information submitted by the county in the service file. Columns N and P through U contain the child information of the possible match found on the STAC Online System.
i. For each student listed, type "yes" or "no" in Column M on the appropriate row to indicate whether the possible match is the same child.
ii. If it not the same child but you have a STAC ID for the correct child record, type the correct STAC ID in Column O on the appropriate row.
iii. If it is the same child, compare the STAC data in Columns N and P through U to the submitted data in Columns B, D, F, H and J. Make corrections as necessary:
Submit last name corrections in Column C on the appropriate row. Submit first name corrections in Column E on the appropriate row. Submit date of birth corrections in Column G on the appropriate row. Submit gender corrections in Column I on the appropriate row. Submit SIS ID corrections in Column K on the appropriate row.
iv. If the child's name has changed as a result of adoption, type the effective date of the adoption in Column L on the appropriate row and type the child's new name in Columns C and E on the appropriate row.
IMPORTANT: Don't move, delete or highlight anything in the Excel worksheet. Only type in the designated columns and on the appropriate rows.
  b) partial name exact dob
    Columns B, D, F, H and J contain the child information submitted by the county in the service file. Columns N through Q contain the child information of the possible match found on the STAC Online System.
i. For each student listed, type "yes" or "no" in Column M on the appropriate row to indicate whether the possible match is the same child.
ii. If it is the same child, compare the STAC data in Columns N through Q to the submitted data in Columns B, D, F, H and J. Make corrections as necessary:
Submit last name corrections in Column C on the appropriate row. Submit first name corrections in Column E on the appropriate row. Submit date of birth corrections in Column G on the appropriate row. Submit gender corrections in Column I on the appropriate row. Submit SIS ID corrections in Column K on the appropriate row.
iii. If the child's name has changed as a result of adoption, type the effective date of the adoption in Column L on the appropriate row and type the child's new name in Columns C and E on the appropriate row.
IMPORTANT: Don't move, delete or highlight anything in the Excel worksheet. Only type in the designated columns and on the appropriate rows.
  c) stacid outsideid dob name
    For this worksheet, the data for each record is presented in paired rows. The top row for each pair contains the data submitted in the service file and the bottom row contains the child information of the possible match found on the STAC Online System.
i. For each student listed, type "yes" or "no" in Column Q on the top row of the appropriate pairing to indicate whether the possible match is the same child.
ii. If it not the same child but you have a STAC ID for the correct child record, type the correct STAC ID in Column C on the top row of the appropriate pairing.
iii. If it is the same child, compare the STAC data in the bottom row of each pairing to the submitted data in the top row. Make corrections as necessary:
Submit SIS ID corrections in Column E on the top row of the appropriate pairing. Submit last name corrections in Column G on the top row of the appropriate pairing. Submit first name corrections in Column I on the top row of the appropriate pairing. Submit date of birth corrections in Column K on the appropriate row. Submit gender corrections in Column M on the top row of the appropriate pairing. Submit race/ethnicity corrections in Column O on the top row of the appropriate pairing.
iv. If the child's name has changed as a result of adoption, type the effective date of the adoption in Column P on the top row of the appropriate pairing and type the child's new name in Columns G and I on the top row of the appropriate pairing.
IMPORTANT: Don't move, delete or highlight anything in the Excel worksheet. Only type in the designated columns and on the appropriate rows.
  d) soundex name exact dob
    Columns B, D, F, H and J contain the child information submitted by the county in the service file. Columns N through P and R contain the child information of the possible match found on the STAC Online System.
i. For each student listed, type "yes" or "no" in Column M on the appropriate row to indicate whether the possible match is the same child.
ii. If it not the same child but you have a STAC ID for the correct child record, type the correct STAC ID in Column Q on the appropriate row.
iii. If it is the same child, compare the STAC data in Columns N through P and R to the submitted data in Columns B, D, F, H and J. Make corrections as necessary:
Submit last name corrections in Column C on the appropriate row. Submit first name corrections in Column E on the appropriate row. Submit date of birth corrections in Column G on the appropriate row. Submit gender corrections in Column I on the appropriate row. Submit SIS ID corrections in Column K on the appropriate row.
iv. If the child's name has changed as a result of adoption, type the effective date of the adoption in Column L on the appropriate row and type the child's new name in Columns C and E on the appropriate row.
IMPORTANT: Don't move, delete or highlight anything in the Excel worksheet. Only type in the designated columns and on the appropriate rows.
4) The county saves the Excel workbook with the typed corrections. It's important to note that the STAC Unit cannot process the newer Open XML file format (*.xlsx, *.xlsm) used by default in Excel 2007 and later versions, so it's essential that the Excel file format remain the same (*.xls).
5) The county submits the updated Excel workbook to the STAC Unit via the FTP server. The county sends an email to OMSSTAC@MAIL.NYSED.GOV notifying the STAC Unit that the Excel workbook has been submitted with the necessary corrections and is available on the FTP server.
6) The STAC Unit makes the necessary corrections to the service file and processes it. If any subsequent child identification issues arise, the county is contacted again.

For any other problems, please call the STAC, Special Aids & Medicaid Unit at (518) 474-7116.

Quick Reference Chart

SPACE An empty column mandated by the report. Leave blank.
DIST LNAME Child's last name, as submitted on the service file
CORRECT LNAME To be used by the county to submit last name correction for record
DIST FNAME Child's first name, as submitted on the service file
CORRECT FNAME To be used by the county to submit first name correction for record
DIST DOB Child's date of birth, as submitted on the service file
CORRECT DOB To be used by the county to submit date of birth correction for record
DIST SEX Child's gender, as submitted on the service file
CORRECT SEX To be used by the county to submit gender correction for record
DIST OUTSIDEIDOSIS Child's outside/SIS ID #, as submitted on the service file
CORRECT OUTSIDEIDOSIS To be used by the county to submit outside/SIS ID # correction for record
ADOPTION NAME CHANGE DATE If name correction is a result of adoption, To be used by the county to submit effective date for adoption
SAME CHILD To be used by the county to indicate whether the child on the STAC Online System who is a possible match is actually the same child. (Enter "yes" or "no")
HKIDS STACID The STAC ID of the child on the STAC Online System who is a possible match
CORRECT STACID If Same Child is "no", to be used by the county to submit a different STAC ID for the record.
HKIDS LNAME The last name of the child on the STAC Online System who is a possible match
HKIDS FNAME The first name of the child on the STAC Online System who is a possible match
HKIDS DOB The date of birth of the child on the STAC Online System who is a possible match
HKIDS SEX The gender of the child on the STAC Online System who is a possible match
HKIDS OUTSIDEIDOSIS The outside/SIS ID # of the child on the STAC Online System who is a possible match
HKIDS WTDN ("soundex name near dob" only) A flag indicating whether the STAC ID for the child on the STAC Online System who is a possible match has been withdrawn.
DATASOURCE ("stacid outsideid name dob" only) A label indicating whether the row features county data or SED data.
Last Updated: April 21, 2022