FORUM UPDATE 2013 WHERE DO THE PIECES FIT – OR DO THEY?!?! A Q-and-A Snapshot…..

FORUM UPDATE 2013WHERE DO THE PIECES FIT – OR DO THEY?!?!

A Q-and-A Snapshot…..

Copyright © SIF Association

Update Overview

Topics Confused? Join the Group!

Connecting the “Dots”

New Data Model(s)

New Infrastructure(s)

New Focus


Q: Hey, how do all these standards and national

projects “fit”?

…. And explain it FAST!


Disclaimer

There have been numerous attempts over the past 10 years in: Defining what technical standards “are” Defining what technical standards “do” Defining how technical standards “fit”

These attempts have been too lengthy or technical, self serving, confrontational and for the most part dismissed.

This 101 is developed through the lens of the SIF Association and its members. Every attempt for neutrality has been taken – but disagreement will exist. These are generalizations for easy understanding.


A Brief Bit of Standards History

1997 – the year of the tech standards communities

IMS Global: Began as a higher education community focused on the movement of digital content within learning software applications

PESC: Began as a higher education community focused on supporting the admissions and financial aid processes and software applications

SIF Association: Began as a K12 community focused on data management and movement between the numerous school software applications


Nationally Supported Projects

Over the past 5 years numerous federally supported data/content initiatives have arisen:

Common Education Data Standards (CEDS): pK-workforce logical data model/definitions developed to cover the entire cycle of lifelong learning. Leverages SIF data model for the pK12 portion. Not a data storage initiative.

Assessment Interoperability Framework (AIF): a framework of the standards needed to build comprehensive assessment systems like those required to support the RTTA Program. Developed by IMS and SIF communities with components included within CEDS.

Learning Resource Metadata Initiative (LRMI): a meta-data framework to publish, discover, and deliver quality educational resources. Led by publishers and foundations.


Nationally Supported Projects

More federally supported data/content initiatives have arisen:

The Learning Registry (LR): a framework for the exchange of resources as well as information about how those resources are used. Led by Dept. of Ed, White House as well as numerous other government agencies and marketplace providers.

My Data: Dept. of Education led initiative providing technical specifications for SIS providers to allow for parents/learners to access their academic data in a machine-readable format.


Implementation Projects

Over the past 5 years numerous other data initiatives have arisen:

Ed Fi: A data model and transport developed to specifically support a dashboard offered by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. Sample source code is openly available and community is being established.

inBloom (SLI): Gates Foundation initiative now guided by a separate non-profit. The project includes the collection of student data from numerous applications and a set of services to support districts/states.


CEDS 3.0AIF / MyData

SIF 3.0

inBloomED-Fi

Do They Fit and If So How?

LRMI

LR

The Common Education Data

Standards defines a Logical Data Model which

standardizes the format of static

educational data stored in a

database - NOT the format when being

exchanged.

The SIF 3.0 US encompasses ALL CEDS defined data elements PLUS additional non-CEDS data elements

PLUS new infrastructure choices for constructing the reliable and secure “wire” over which this

data will move.

The Ed-Fi Data Model uses the

relevant portions of CEDS required by the associated

dashboard product and transport to move that data

inBloom utilizes the Ed-Fi data model for its

storage of information for

application linking.

At this time the LRMI and LR Projects are not linked to CEDS but will inform it in the future

as CEDS matures


In Summary… and in General

Project CEDS-Based Solutions Standards Based Data

StorageData

Infrastructure

AIF Yes Openly Developed No No

CEDS X Openly Developed No No

Ed-Fi Partial Specific Product Developed Yes Yes

inBloom Partial (Ed-Fi) Utilizes Ed-Fi Yes Yes

LR / LRMI No Marketplace Agreement No No

My Data No Collaborative Profiles No No

SIF Yes Openly Developed No Yes


Connecting the “Dots”


Why?: Changing Questions

Which preschool programs best prepare students for

kindergarten?What is the graduation

rate by school?

To what degrees are high school math

grades predictors of readiness for college?

What industries are most employing school and university graduates?

How successful are university graduates in the workforce by

major or credential?

Early Childhood Schools HE/FE Workforce

What are the HE/FE transfer and

completion rates?


2012-2013 Board Charge

Modernize 21st century infrastructure and “choice”

Allow local data models for international leveraging* In AU: Student Baseline Profile “On the Wire”* In UK: Information Standards Board “On the Wire”* In US: CEDS “On the Wire”

Creating and enabling gateway to other standards

Data model changes to support teaching/ learning

Focus on “solutions” addressing community needs


What is SIF v3.0?

Complete separation of Data Model from Reference Infrastructures (HTTPS, SOAP, REST)

Enables the development of locale-specific Data Model needs and requirements and leverages those needs across three communities: AU, UK and US.

Provide a set of XML schema which define the format of conformant data as it moves “over the wire”

Define a secure, robust and real-time “wire” over which Service Consumers and Providers can exchange this data to construct an educational solution


New Data Model(s)

SIF 2.x “Current”

One Infrastructure

one data model per Locale

Collaborative Projects

Schools and Local Authoritie

s

Online Services

Local Data

Model

Infrastructure

National Assessment

and Reporting

CEDS “Static”

Data Model (NCES/USED)

Marketplace InitiativesinBloom / My Data /

LRMI / Learning Registry

Local NeedsChildcare Providers Schools,

States, Universities, Workforce

Federal Initiatives

Race to the Top

AssessmentSLDS

Leveraging DataUS Model

Transport Architecture

SIF Data ModelLocal

Systems

“CEDS on the Wire”

Student Locator Records

Exchange

Assessment

Security Early

Childhood – pK12 – Higher

Ed – Workforce

Data

Reporting

Reliability

Scalable

Services

Solutions

The Common Education Data Standards is an

NCES-led initiative bringing together early childhood

through workforce stakeholders to identify the data

needed for learning transitions. It

defines a Logical Data Model which standardizes the format of static

educational data stored in a

database - NOT the format when being

exchanged.

The SIF Data Model started by

addressing local environments, but has expanded over the past 18 years to

reflect interoperability needs of large

districts and states. The SIF v3.0 US

encompasses ALL CEDS defined data elements PLUS new

infrastructure choices for

constructing the reliable and secure “wire” over which

this data will move.


New Infrastructure(s)

Local Needs Data Model

SIF Data Model

Early Childhood –

pK12 – FE/Higher Ed –

Workforce Data

Direct Classic

Brokered

Infrastructure

APIs & TransportA Direct Zone connects a single

client to a fixed set of one or more “immediately”

accessible Services. These include, at a minimum, the core

set of Infrastructure

Services and one Data Entity Service.

The 3-Party (brokered) SIF-specific secure

transport defined over HTTP/S that

was provided with the very first

release of the SIF Standard. It has dependencies on

the SIF Data Model which defines the payloads it

carries. It is used within the Zone

and is the “golden transport

standard” for SIF v2.x.

The Brokered Zone securely connects N clients to a dynamically changing list of M Data Entity and / or Functional Services through a central, separate and discrete Message Broker.

SIF 3.0 Leveraging Core Data “Choice of Infrastructure”


Environment Types Comparison

Direct Direct Environment Provider

API

Service Application

Client Application

Service Consume

r API

Client Application

Service Consume

r API

Brokered

Brokered Environment Provider API

ESB MiddlewareService Provider API

Service Application

Service Provid

er Logic

Client Application

Service Consume

r API

Service Provider API

Service Application


Two Environments Provided

Brokered Enterprise Service Bus +

other middleware All Direct Consumers run

in Brokered Environments Centralized Security Policy

& Workflow Preventative Maintenance

& Diagnostics Highly scalable

Direct Connects Consumers to its

Services (no middleware) Support multiple Consumers Support mobile Consumers All Direct Consumers run in

Brokered Environments

Completely Independent of Data Model Leverages existing infrastructure technologies- REST


Some Advantages of SIF 3.0

Before: Interoperability Use

Cases Messaging Synchronization ETL

Now, “Before” plus: Back-end data bases Reports (report-only

objects) Longitudinal systems

and data Data Warehouse data

The SIF Data Model is now intentionally technically designed for some of the uses to which it has recently been utilized:


CEDS On the Wire

If you are using SIF 3.0, you will be using CEDS and have all CEDS 3.0 elements available to you. Adoption of all CEDS elements. Alignment with all CEDS entities.

The will be a verifiable implementation of CEDS 3.0 via a certification test harness.

Tools to verify CEDS 3.0 being developed.


New Focus


Focus on Learning Solutions!

SIF is: Now more than ever “solutions focused”. It offers

its adopters a framework for standardizing educational processes while still retaining its position as the education data gold standard.

Tough enough to be the foundation for some of the largest education data exchanges in the world, yet simple enough to solve schools needs

A global community with huge implementation numbers and the only education open standard which spans the globe

Solution

Data Model

Services

Transport

(Infrastructure and APIs)

Services Business Rules Service

s

Solutions Development Components

Example Case: List of Students into a Mobile Application

Mobile App for Studen

ts

Students

Direct

School A only

LMS for all School

s

Students, Staff, Schools & Class

Brokered Enterpris

e

All Schools

Example Case: Learning Management System Integration


Implementation Support

REST “Sandbox” RFP Tools Leverage CEDS Alignment Tools Application Certification “Matching” New Community Site New Special Interest Groups

Instructional Improvement Systems Finance


Explore and Keep Pace with 3.0!

www.sifassociation.org

Larry Fruth, Ph.D. – CEO/Exec Director [email protected]

Vince Paredes, Ph.D. – Strategic Development Architect [email protected]

http://www.sifassociation.org/

mailto:[email protected]



FORUM UPDATE 2013 WHERE DO THE PIECES FIT – OR DO THEY?!?! A Q-and-A Snapshot…..

Documents

data initiatives

copyright sif association

data management

academic data

leverages sif data model

sif communities

technical standards

meta data framework