Schools Interoperability Framework

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Schools Interoperability Framework

• Share Data Between Programs Automagically
• or

Does your software play well with others?
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Representing SIF

• Jill Hanson, Chancery Software
• Kate Clark, Principal, Ocoee Middle School
• Laura Beusse, Ocoee Middle School
• Jim Wortham, Orange County Public Schools
• Pete Flyzik, Orange County Public Schools

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• What is the Schools Interoperability Framework?

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In the Beginning...

• Software applications are isolated islands -
  locked in data tombs.
• Redundant data entry is common.
• Disconnected applications increase support costs.
• Data reporting is a costly and inefficient
  process.

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The Integration Problem
Student Admin
Library
Food
Transport.
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A Simpler Solution
Student Admin
Library
Food
Transport.
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Why SIF?

• What it is
• An industry initiative
• A specification to ensure applications work
  together
• What it isnt
• Not a product, but a technical blueprint
• What it will do
• Reduce redundancy of data entry
• Make data available for decision making

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Framework Goals

• Market driven
• Focus groups
• Constant schools/districtsfeedback
• Industry-wide
• Not restricted to one vendor or technology
• Endorsed by educators
• Leverage existing standards
• SPEEDE/ExPRESS
• IMS

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More Goals

• Customizable
• Give districts the ability to manage state code
  and local specifics
• Multi-platform
• Open standards (XML, HTTP/S)
• Published open spec
• Promote interoperability
• Enable diverse applicationsto interact and share
  data

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SIF Milestones

• Jan. 99 Formal working group structure adopted
  
• Feb. 99 Publicly announced framework at
  AASA Working groups identified
• June, 99 Release V0.9 of Specification and
• start of work with proof of concept sites
• Nov. 99 SIF moves to SIIA-released
  preliminary Developers Specification v.1.0
  
• June, 00 Released SIF Implementation Specifica
  tion v.1.0
• Oct. 00 SIF Showcase Sites announced

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• Who should play?

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Who Should Play?

• School Districts
• Individual Schools
• Technology Departments
• State Education Personnel
• Software/Hardware Vendors

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HOW DOES SIF WORK?
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How does interoperability work?

• Application
• A software program implemented within a school
  or district.
• SIF Data Object
• Data elements exchanged in SIF messages,
  expressed in XML language
• SIF Agent
• The extension of the application (vendor
  provided) that publishes messages in response to
  events and receives messages in response to
  queries from the other applications (via the ZIS)

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How does interoperability work? Continued...

• ZIS (Zone Integration Server)
• A software program that provides integration
  services to all the agents registered with it so
  that they can provide data, subscribe to events,
  publish events, request data, and respond to
  requests. It is responsible for all access
  control and routing within the system.

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Microsoft/Chancery ZIS at Ballston Spa School
District, NY
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Microsoft/Chancery ZIS

• Manages District and/or Multiple District
  Implementations
• Includes S.A.L.T. (SIF Agent Link Technology)
  Developer Tool Kit
• Features fully Web-based Administrative Interface

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What is XML?(eXtensible Markup Language)

• A W3C endorsed standard
• XML is to structured data as HTML is to formatted
  text
• For SIF, used with HTTP/S to allow data exchange
  in a secure, platform-neutral manner
• SIF data model, both objects  and messages, are
  defined as an XML vocabulary

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XML Example
Name Example ltName Type"01"gt
ltPrefixgtMr.lt/Prefixgt ltLastNamegtWoodalllt/Last
Namegt ltFirstNamegtCharleslt/FirstNamegt
ltMiddleNamegtWilliamlt/MiddleNamegt
ltPreferredNamegtChucklt/PreferredNamegt lt/Namegt
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(No Transcript)
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Approved SIF Objects

• Student Info Services
• RoomInfo
• RoomType
• SchoolInfo
• StaffPersonal
• StudentContact
• StudentPersonal
• StudentPicture
• StudentSchoolEnrollment
• Food Services
• StudentMeal

• Infrastructure
• SIF_ZoneStatus
• Library Automation
• LibraryPatronStatus
• Transportation Geographic Information
• BusEqupment
• BusInfo
• BusRouteDetail
• BusRouteInfo
• BusStopInfo
• StudentTransportInfo

Objects used by multiple categories on this page
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9 SIF Working Groups

• Data Analysis Reporting
• Food Services
• Grade Book
• Human Resources Financial Management
• Instructional Services(including special needs)

• Infrastructure
• Library Automation
• Student Information Services
• Transportation Geographic Information
• Plus 3 support working groups (Compliance,
  Marketing, and Customer Involvement)

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Next Steps...

• Compliance testing for v.1.0 approved objects
• Creation of additional objects and use case
  scenarios for v.2.0
• Implementation showcases

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SIF Showcase Sites

• Anoka - Hennepin School District -- Ramsey
  Elementary (MN)
• Peoria Unified School District (AZ)
• Upper Dauphin Area School District (PA)
• Orange County School District -- Ocoee Middle
  School (FL)

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Ocoee MS SIF Showcase Partners

• Chancery Software
• Open District/WinSchool
• Zone Integration Server
• Follett Software Company
• Media Management (Library)
• School-Link Technologies
• WinSNAP Lunchroom Accounting
• MyCard _at_School (Student ID Cards)
• Microsoft

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WHAT ARE THE COST BENEFITS AND USES FOR K-12
EDUCATORS?
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Educator Benefits

• Initial Benefits
• Standard interfaces reduce support costs
• No redundant data entry saves staff time
• More accurate data available system-wide
• Better use of existing applications
• Assists comprehensive reporting
• Data gathering made more efficient
• Smarter use of peoples time
• Government funding and grants depend on data
  supplied
• Data delivered over internet to desktop

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Educator Benefits

• Functionally rich solutions
• Schools can mix applications using best of
  breed approach
• Will enable more cost effective data mining for
  predictive analysis and reports
• Uses Internet and LAN connectivity
• Leverages infrastructure investment
• Planned to facilitate better data transfer (e.g.
  inter- and intra-district, district-state)

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What are the potential costs to schools?

• Infrastructure upgrades
• Purchase applications or upgrade currently owned
  ones
• Staff to implement and support the initiative or
  contract for service
• Zone Integration Server (hardware/software)

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OCOEE MIDDLE SCHOOLFLORIDAS STATE DEMONSTRATION
SCHOOL
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Ocoee Middle School

• Orange County Public Schools - Orlando, FL
• 14th Largest District
• SMART School
• Vision-----research------design
• School of the future

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Technology Plan

• Integrated instruction
• Teacher/Student accessibility
• Home-School connection

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Why SIF?

• Limited resources
• Transfer of data
• Timely, informed decisions

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Implementation

• Installation
• Teamwork
• Shared vision

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Benefits

• Financial impact
• Student impact
• Academic achievement

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Future Ocoee Showcase Participants

• Computer Power Solutions of Illinois
• Visual Casel (Network Management)
• Curriculum Advantage
• Classworks (Integrated Learning Management)
• Sonitrol
• Facility Security Management

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• What about the vendors?

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How can I tell if a company is involved in SIF?

• A list is available at www.sifinfo.org.
• There are three possible levels of involvement
  SIF Endorser, SIF Participant, SIF-Compliant.
• No SIF-Compliant software exists today.

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MORE than 100 SIF Participants

• Achieve, Inc.
• Administrative Assistants
• AASA
• Anoka-Hennepin School Dist.
• Apple
• Apta Software, Inc
• ASD.com
• Blackboard, Inc.
• Branium.com
• Bromcom Computers
• CELT Corporation
• CSIU
• Centrinity

• Century Consultants
• Chancery Software, Ltd.
• Cincom Systems, Inc.
• Classroom Connect, Inc.
• Cognitive Systems Technologies, Inc.
• COMPanion Corp.
• Compass Learning
• Complete Business Solutions-ESD
• CCC
• Computer Power Solutions of Illinois

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SIF PARTICIPANTS continued...

• Curriculum Associates, Inc.
• dataTeam Systems, Inc.
• eChalk.com
• Eschoolmall.com
• EDVantage Software, Inc.
• Excelsior Software, Inc.
• Follet Software Company
• Hewlett-Packard
• High Touch, Inc.
• Homeroom.com
• Horizon Software International

• Horizon Software Systems
• IBM
• Ignite!, Inc.
• iMind
• InfoHandler.com
• J.D. Edwards
• JDL Technologies
• Jackson Software, Inc.
• Jay Klein Productions, Inc.
• JuneBox.com
• Knowledge Adventure, Inc.
• Laidlaw

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SIF PARTICIPANTS continued...

• The Learning Company
• The Learningstation.com
• Learning Tools International
• Learning Pays.com
• MajicSoft Corporation
• McFall Associates Inc.
• Microsoft Corporation
• MindSurf
• Misty City Software, Inc.
• N2H2, Inc.
• National Center for Education Statistics

• NCS Pearson
• NetSchools Corporation
• Norris Education Innovations
• Olympia Computing Company/Schoolmaster
• Oracle Corporation
• Parlant Technology
• PCS Revenue Control Systems, Inc.
• Pentamation Enterprises
• PhoneMaster
• Plano Independent School District

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SIF PARTICIPANTS continued...

• PowerSchool
• Project ACHIEVE, Inc.
• Prologic Technology Systems
• Rediker Software, Inc.
• Renaissance Learning, Inc.
• Riverdeep Interactive Learning
• Sagebrush Corporation
• SAP, Public Sector and Education, Inc.
• Scantron Corporation
• School-Link Network, Inc.

• SchoolNet, Inc.
• SchoolPalm.com
• Scientific Learning
• SICORP, Inc.
• Simplexis.com
• Skyward, Inc.
• SNAP Systems, Inc.
• Software Technology, Inc.
• South Washington County Schools
• Sun Microsystems, Inc.
• TechERA

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SIF PARTICIPANTS continued...

• Test University, Inc.
• TIES
• Tom Snyder Productions
• Total Office Solutions Inc.
• Tremont Software/ DPConsultants, Inc.
• VersaTrans/Creighton Manning, Inc.
• Vision Associates, Inc.
• Vivid Education Corporation

• Washington School Information Processing
  Cooperative
• wwwrrr, Inc.
• Zangle, Inc.

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• How do I get involved?

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How do I get Involved?

• Join SIF and sit on working groups, influence and
  vote on specifications
• Encourage SIF products to be considered in your
  RFPs and buying process (no SIF-compliant
  products are currently available SIIA is writing
  language for RFPs)
• Apply to be an SIF pilot site

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• The Software Information Industry Association
  (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the
  software and digital content industry.
• SIIA provides global services in government
  relations, business development, market research
  and intellectual property protection to more than
  1,000 companies in the education, corporate, home
  and online markets.

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• For additional information visit
• www.sifinfo.org
• www.siia.net/sif

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Contact Information

• Chancery Software Ltd. Jill Hanson
• Jillh_at_chancery.com 800-999-9931 ext 266
• Ocoee Middle School - Kate Clark, Principal
  clarkk_at_ocps.k12.fl.us 407-877-5035 ext 222
• Orange County Public Schools - Jim Wortham
  worthaj_at_ocps.k12.fl.us 407-317-3200 ext 2212

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Questions