Achieving Data Interoperability to Benefit Teachers and Students

Join the League of Innovative Schools in the movement to advance data interoperability in public education.

Data Interoperability is the seamless, secure, and controlled exchange of data between applications. To learn the basics, explore these resources:

• Learn about the state of data interoperability in public education
• Get Rolling with Data Interoperability infographic
• Investigate The State of Data Interoperability in Public Education
• Learn about Project Unicorn, a data interoperability initiative, and its Pledge and Community Platform

Data Interoperability in Schools

Teachers need access to data in order to guide students on their individual learning journeys. The seamless, secure, and controlled exchange of data between applications can give teachers what they need to improve learning opportunities for all students.

In 2018-2019, four League districts joined a Challenge Collaborative to make interoperability a reality: San Diego County Office of Education, Stephenville Independent School District, Uinta County School District #1, and Vancouver Public Schools. Stay tuned for a deeper look at each district’s journey to achieving better data interoperability—coming soon!

Take Action.

To advance data interoperability in your district:

• • Join the Community: Connect with like-minded people and commit to move data interoperability forward in education at large.
    • Sign the Project Unicorn Pledge: Project Unicorn is an effort to improve data interoperability within K-12 education. The initiative is building a community of innovators who make the broader case for secure interoperability.
    • Join the Ed-Fi Alliance: Fully funded by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Ed-Fi Alliance is the group of educators, technologists, and thought leaders shaping the future of education technology through the Ed-Fi Data Standard and the ecosystem of Ed-Fi Technologies.
  • Adopt Standards. Learn more about:
    • Ed-Fi: The Ed-Fi Data Standard is a set of rules that allow (previously disconnected) educational data systems to connect.
    • IMS Global: IMS Global is a non-profit member collaborative inventing the future of educational and learning technology through a plug & play architecture and ecosystem.
  • Use the Data Ready Playbook to prepare your district to implement new data interoperability initiatives.

• Become an Advocate.
  • Express urgency to your school board and edtech purchasing department, or anyone tasked with procurement in your district
  • Build momentum on social media:
    • Buried in student data is the secret to unlocking every learner’s potential. Join the growing movement to achieve safe and secure data exchange in public education. Learn more: digitalpromise.org/di #LetsFigureItOut #DPLIS @edfialliance @dellfdn @projunicorn Tweet this!
    • Establishing custom edtech data integrations and support can be costly—but if districts demand shared data standards, everyone can benefit. Learn more and take action: digitalpromise.org/di #LetsFigureItOut #DPLIS Tweet this!