Chapters & Activities

Learn about the impact of interoperable solutions, and understand how to get rolling with interoperability with this infographic.

Learn about how interoperability, privacy, and security enhance one another through this resource.

Learn about Digital Promise’s definition of data equity and explore a glossary of common data interoperability and equity terms.

Implement strategies from this guide to better understand your district’s existing data culture, and then identify the ways in which it needs to be improved. Go beyond the numbers using this resource and framework.

Implement a data equity walk at your district using this toolkit and facilitator guide.

Use this protocol to identify equity gaps in your district’s system, reflect on the conditions that create and perpetuate them, and move forward with concrete steps for understanding and interrupting inequities.

Learn about best practices, examples, and resources for agencies implementing or updating their data governance programs.

Use this committee model template to define and assign responsibilities to your district’s project governance team. Reach out to your district’s project governance team using this informational flyer.

Onboard the project governance team using this presentation.

When you sign the Project Unicorn Pledge, you’re signaling to other school networks and your school community that you’re committed to helping your students grow with interoperabilIty.

Use this sample email to recruit and organize stakeholders for internal meetings about district data usage and systems.

Use this sample discussion guide for internal meetings about district data usage and systems.

Use this guide, this data sources template, this data landscape template, and this data flow template to document district workflows.

Establish norms around the quality of feedback you need from key stakeholders by watching this video and reviewing this example.

Draft a focus group protocol to use with key stakeholders using this template and question library.

Prepare for focus group facilitation by watching this video.

Schedule and implement focus groups with the following: instructional staff, leadership, technology officers, and community stakeholders.

Use this email template to initiate ongoing cross-departmental feedback opportunities.

Use this template to capture feedback (e.g., via surveys or focus groups).

Organize and analyze district stakeholder feedback using this template. Read this article in preparation, then become familiar with Jamboard using instructions to facilitate this activity.

Summarize growth points by the classroom level, school level, and district level using this template.

Conduct a root cause analysis of perceived challenges using this template. Understand how to conduct a root cause analysis, using this activity first. Reference examples from other districts and reflect on which data interoperability pain points are the result of your district’s root causes.

Use this template after completing a stack-ranking activity to set priorities for your district.

Select your district’s use case and complete this success equation template with stakeholder data. Reference this resource before completing the template.

Use this guide to understand how to craft strong use case requirements and specifications.

Draft requirements and specifications for your district’s use case using this video and  model and template.

Review this 101 guide on interoperability solutions.

Review Project Unicorn’s Glossary of Interoperability Standards.

Use this activity to consider implementation team options (e.g., internal and external), and  assess your district’s skills.

Use this activity to map technology options for your district and narrow solution options.

Review this commentary on a set of budgets and project plans from implemented interoperable projects.

Use this sample agenda to discuss project parameters with your district’s leadership team.

Record project parameters for your district using this template and guidance.

Create a list of solutions that align with your project parameters.

Develop SMART goals for your district’s work using this template.

Design a solution concept that defines specifications and requirements for your district’s use case using this activity. Learn more about solution concepts by reading this article.

Complete this template with detailed information about your district’s final use case.

Use this email template re-engage stakeholders from your district’s original research to confirm the priority and validity of your use case.

Use this presentation template to validate the drafted challenge and solution concept with district stakeholders.

Use this set of instructions and this data catalog template to record and define the use of major use case data elements.

Use this sample discussion guide for a series of internal meetings to complete your district’s data catalog.

Use this email template to establish ongoing discussions with diverse stakeholders about use case data elements.

Learn more about data stewardship through using this resource. Then, use this guide to identify and train data stewards to support your district’s use case solution.

Understand the difference between data policies and data processes through using this resource. Then, use this template to draft data policies and processes relevant to your use case.

Use this email template to establish ongoing discussions with diverse stakeholders around your district’s use case solution.

Use these sample agendas for a series of internal meetings to review the feasibility and viability of possible solutions for your district’s use case.

Assess the range of budgeting categories and project sizes that will be feasible for your district using this resource.

Use this cost calculator to analyze the financial feasibility of possible solutions.

Use this checklist to confirm appropriate solution fit and alignment with your district’s technology architecture.

Use this protocol to define the final implementation team (internally staffed or third party) options for your district’s use case solution.

Use this activity to help your district gauge your implementation team’s success and alignment to recommended needs at various points of the project.

Use this sample guide to gather cross-departmental feedback and approval for your district’s proposed use case data policies and processes.

Use this template to define a protocol for emerging data needs to make your district’s use case sustainable over time.

Confirm that your district’s use case can be implemented reasonably through this guidance.

Draft a project plan based on your district’s selected solution using this template.

Select your district’s implementation team. If your district will be using external support (e.g., a third-party vendor), watch this resource to prepare for engaging vendors. Then, use this checklist to ensure the team meets relevant requirements and specifications.

Finalize your district’s Data Ready project plan.

Use this pitch deck template to present the business case of your district’s use case solution to leadership.