Managing student data is a major challenge for school districts across the country. Educational institutions are struggling with an overload of educational technology products, creating disconnected environments where these tools cannot communicate effectively. This not only hinders coordination but also jeopardizes the data privacy of both staff and students. The Ed-Fi standard is a solution that helps organize the messy world of data through interoperability, providing benefits ranging from status reporting to preventing overlooked students.
![](https://edsurge.imgix.net/uploads/photo/image/10587/ISTE_Ed-1704391249.png?w=216&h=648&auto=compress,format&fit=fill&bg=fff&pad=null&blur=10&px=4)
Tips for Stakeholders
Each organization plays an important role in this process. Here are some additional tips to consider when setting goal outcomes:
- Educational Services Agency (ESA): Defining a clear use case will help you select the right contractor to ensure a successful launch. Grant support makes it easy to make an initial investment, and the Ed-Fi community gives you the opportunity to connect with leaders who have been through a similar journey.
- Local Education Agency (LEA): The Ed-Fi standard simplifies data interoperability, making Student Information Systems (SIS) a “single source of truth” for all types of data. Using Ed-Fi reduces or eliminates the need to use spreadsheets and maintain multiple rosters, but you still need to maintain clean SIS records for every student.
- Product Provider: Get ready to roll up your sleeves. But know that it will pay off! The more ESAs and states value interoperability, the more attractive your product will be to local buyers. Communicate regularly with ESA to ensure compliance with the development roadmap.
Other considerations
Streamlining data flows through Ed-Fi offers tremendous benefits to many stakeholders. Here are some additional thoughts to help you know what to expect.
- Working with State Agencies: State agencies all generally have data reporting requirements, at least for state summative assessments. Working with states can help you tailor local Ed-Fi implementations to their needs, reducing the burden of providing this data while providing a new level of insight to LEA stakeholders!
- Start from the middle: ESAs are often able to clearly see potential areas of oversight across the region. ESA serves as a liaison between local, ODS, and state reporting systems. So you're in a good position to streamline your work.
- Use case definition: Clearly defined goals are key to a successful implementation. Be sure to understand local and school data requirements so that your use cases are based on your daily work.
- Find the right contractor. Contractors often play a critical role in helping you set up your Ed-Fi technology, and hiring the right contractor from the start can save you time in the long run. Leaders in the Ed-Fi community can help ESA and LEA stakeholders know what to look for in a development partner.