Interoperable Data

Collecting, organizing, and reporting data are critical to operating a school or district--knowing how many students are in school on a given day, understanding how students are performing academically, or recognizing demographic trends that will affect transportation, food service, and facilities. Taken together, these data can be used to provide critical information about the day-to-day operations of the school and the year-over-year performance trends that influence the growth and changes schools and districts undergo.

In many school systems, data are maintained in separate software silos by different organizational units. As a result, problems such as double or triple entry, incompatible file formats, and contradictory data have become staples of the school information culture. School 2.0 envisions a systemic approach to the collection and use of data at all levels in the learning ecosystem. At the heart of this systemic approach is the concept of Interoperability--the ability to move data between data systems without the need for special programming. Interoperable data enhance data quality--the accuracy and reliability of data--and assure the availability of current and accurate data to those who need access to it.

Steps to Ensure Data Quality
Forum Guide to Building a Culture of Quality Data: A School and District Resource
Guide to Using Data in School Improvement Efforts
Forum Guide to the Privacy of Student Information: A Resource for Schools (2006)
Data Management
Technology Framework for NCLB Success
Schools Interoperability Framework Association

Interoperable Data: A Simple Example

Imagine a student named Juliet Smith. Her parent might enter "Juliet Louise Smith" on her paper enrollment form but enter "Julie Smith" on her emergency contact form. If each piece of paper is then entered into a different data system by a different person (in the district office and the school office) two different student records are created for Juliet Smith. Unless there is some way to connect these records, Julie may be counted once or twice.

An interoperable system uses a unique number to identify each student. If a unique number has been attached to Juliet Smith, we could determine whether she is the same as Julie Smith or even Juliette Smithe. Because all the critical data systems share data, once Juliet's name is entered into the Student Information System, for example, it is automatically entered into the Library, Transportation, and Cafeteria systems; even her email address and network login can be automatically created. Not only does this save significant staff time, but it also decreases the chance of errors in student records. Having a single place to enter and update information dramatically improves data quality.

Interoperability also supports data access and availability by making different sets of data available to different groups based on their needs and permissions. For example, a Parent Information Website linked to an enrollment database could provide a digital emergency contact form with Juliet's information entered automatically. The site could also provide Juliet's parents access to her teacher's online grade book to keep up with her progress.

Hardware Devices

A wide range of technology devices are available today, some of which have a clear role in schools and some of which have a yet-to-be-defined role in teaching or learning. Part of the challenge of any technology implementation is to determine which devices are best suited to support the community's particular educational goals and management needs.

• Assistive and Adaptive Technology devices enable students with special needs or physical challenges to access information and learning opportunities.


• Personal Computing devices are the primary delivery system for software applications.


• Handheld Computing devices are small computing devices designed to be portable.


• Whole Group Instruction devices enable large numbers of individuals to view or participate in an activity at the same time.


• Digital Media devices are designed to capture and digitize images, sound, or other ambient information and make it available for playback or later manipulation.


• Facilities Management devices provide a means to monitor, control, or provide access to the physical plant of an organization.

Software Applications and Electronic Resources

In a School 2.0 community, software applications and electronic resources support strategic goals in administration and planning, instruction, and communication within and beyond formal school boundaries. They offer the most benefit when different applications share data, for example, between classrooms and homes and from schools and districts to the public.

Several classes of software and digital content services can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the educational enterprise, including,

• Administrative
• Assessment
• Assistive Technology
• Authoring
• Communications
• Decision Support
• Instructional and School/Enterprise Management

Network Infrastructure

A network is the collection of access points and telecommunications elements that can provide physical or virtual connections to individuals, institutions, information, or resources locally or across the globe. A robust, reliable, and secure network is the foundation of a 21st Century learning ecosystem.

Servers are hardware devices and software applications that provide users with computing services. Servers are generally sophisticated computing devices and their installation, operation, and maintenance often require special training. Server can be operated locally by an education agency or hosted by third-party service providers located remotely from the organization. Some types of servers are application servers, media servers, print servers, backup servers, file servers, email servers, web servers, remote access/virtual private network (VPN) servers, file transfer (FTP) servers, and zone integration servers.

Network Infrastructure Devices are the hardware devices that provide the connectivity, management and monitoring of the network. Infrastructure devices include routers, switches, hubs, network interface cards, and wireless access points.

Network Security Components are hardware devices and software applications that work together with servers and network infrastructure devices to keep the network and end users safe from malicious intrusion or unwanted e-mail. A comprehensive network security infrastructure is critical to keeping the network functioning and end users safe. Network security components include hardware and software firewalls, content filters, and anti-virus and antispyware programs.

Additional information on electronic security in an educational environment can be found in the publication "Safeguarding your technology: Practical guidelines for electronic education information security."