Understanding Data Interoperability
Overview
Learn about the impact of interoperable solutions, and understand how to get rolling with interoperability with this infographic.
Achieving Data Interoperability to Benefit Teachers and Students
Join the League of Innovative Schools in the movement to advance data interoperability in public education.
Benefits of Data Interoperability
Data Interoperability in Schools
Unifying K-12 data and data interoperability does not happen overnight. It takes time to implement the six factors, and some schools may need to focus on only one or two factors at a time. 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.
Ignite Questions:
Jot down some answers to the following questions individually or with a group of stakeholders.
- What story are you trying to tell with your data?
- Where does your data live?
- Who is the steward of your school or district’s data?
- Who has access to your data?
- Walk us through how you use data in your daily life at work?
- In a perfect world, where would all of your K-12 data live?
Review this helpful resource from the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) on making data work for students. The DQC highlights four tenets on how to achieve a culture of data transparency and access.
If student data is new to you, review this helpful infographic from the Data Quality Campaign that highlights the many different types of student data collected and how, when unified, it can paint a better picture of each whole learner.
https://dataqualitycampaign.org/resource/what-is-student-data/
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 Community Platform.
- The Project Unicorn Community Platform: If you’ve signed the Project Unicorn Pledge, you’ve become part of the Unicorn Network and have signatory benefits. Project Unicorn is launching new initiatives, resources, and more to grow the community, support Project Unicorn Signatories, and dig deeper into data 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.
- Use the Data Ready Playbook Learning Modules 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
How do districts support data interoperabilty initiatives?
Funding
How do districts support data interoperability initiatives?
Local Education Agencies (LEA) can implement systems to collect, manage, and analyze data states and districts may use Title II, Part A funds to support programs that implement systems and supports for educators to learn and to effectively use data to improve instruction and decision-making for school improvement efforts that also protect student privacy. Elementary and Secondary Education Act secs. 2101(c)(4)(B)(xx); 2103(b)(3)(E)(ii) and (b)(3)(H). Similarly, districts may use Title I, Part A funds to help educators in Title I schools or Title VI, Part B to manage and analyze student data to improve instruction and decision-making for school improvement efforts. ESEA secs. 1114(b)(7)(A)(iii)(IV); 1115(b)(2)(d). Your district should also see if any state of federal grants are available for data systems. Finally, your local education foundation may want to partner with your district on such an endeavor.