SIF Schools

Interoperability Framework

IASBO Conference – May, 14 2008

Dave Moravec Business Development Manager @

Integrity Technology Solutions Co-Lead of the SIF Association’s

Marketing and Membership Committee Committee Participation: Certification,

Implementation Task Force, Data Modeling Task Force

IASBO Technology Committee Member

What do you know about SIF?

Have heard of SIF? Do you have a basic

understanding of SIF? Do you know other districts that

have implemented SIF?

“Pains” Addressed by SIF

Situational Fast growth Legacy systems Large enrollment

Data Redundant data entry Data accuracy Data integrity Data latency Leverage entrenched legacy

systems

SIS

Network Accounts

Cafeteria

LibraryTransportation

• The situation in many schools and school systems is that there are a series of software applications which all may require the same data, but which have no way to talk to each other.

• It may be possible for one or two applications to share data through proprietary methods, but open, dynamic and synchronized data sharing does not occur.

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SIF Review

Official Specification Releases

August 31, 2001

Released

February 6, 2003R

eleased

Octo

ber 11, 2004

Released

June 27, 2000

Released

1.5r11.11.0r11.0

SIF Reporting Web Services SpecificationVersion 1.0 released October 18, 2006

2001 2003 2004 20062000 2007R

eleased

2.0

Released

2.0r1

Octo

ber 18, 2006

June 19, 2007

Copyright © SIF Association

Two (2) Major Components of SIF

1. Infrastructure How you move data in a standard

way

2. Data Model How you define the data in a

standard format

1. Infrastructure

How you move data HTTP/S Security

Authentication Encryption

Message based Asynchronous (like e-mail) Reliable

Adaptable to many scenarios

Fast networks Slow networks School-based

systems District-based

systems State and federal

systems

1. Infrastructure (continued) Zones and Zone Integration Servers

A Zone is group of "systems" that want to share data

Data flow among systems is controlled by the Zone

Various "topologies" exit for zones A Zone Integration Server is a software

server that can support one to many zones

Agents and Applications SIF Agents connect software applications

to zones/ZIS's Translate data between the application's

format and the SIF data model

2. Data Model

How you define the data Standard way to represent data

in K12 schools Defined using XML (a

standardizeddata language)

SIF Objects StudentPersonal StaffPersonal SchoolInfo

Administrative Software

Student Information System Food Service Transportation Library Science Directory Services Learning Management Parent Communications Special Education Healthcare Management Human Resources – Finance Maintenance & Inventory

Agents: The Universal Translator From an

implementation perspective, SIF Agents have 2 “faces”

Translate between your application and the SIF data model

Responsible for generating and processing SIF objects

ZIS

Application

Application “Native”

SIFData

Model

Agent

Applications of SIF

Horizontal / Intra-District Application Facilitates the flow of data from system to

system within the confines of a district

System 1

System 2

Entity 1

Entity 2

3 Basic Vertical Applications Facilitates the flow of data from a district to other

entities District to District

K-8 District 9-12 District District to State District to Federal

Novell E-Directory

H.R. &Finance

Grade Book

Renaissance Place

Follett Destiny

Skyward

VersaTrans

WinSNAP

Zone Integration Server (ZIS)

SIF Agents

Applications

SIF Data Objects

Required Software

The SIF Language

SIF Review

High School District

Agent

ZIS

K - 8District

#3Agent

K - 8 District

#1 Agent

K – 8 District

#2Agent

LegendEventRequestResponse

AssociationZone

eTranscript Choreography

K -8 District

#4Agent

SIF _Request:“Please send the transcripts”

SIF _Response:“Here are the transcripts”

SIF _Event:“Time for matriculation”

Business Processes

Data Entry for Students & Staff Network Account Management Associated Software Packages Student and Data

Synchronization District Reports State Reports

SIF in Illinois

Addison Elementary District 4Bloomington District 87

Harlem Consolidated District 122 Huntley/Algonquin District 158

Lake Zurich District 95McLean County Unit 5 Naperville District 203

Pekin Elementary District 108Ottawa Elementary 141St. Charles District 303Tinley Park District 146

Implementation Examples Naperville, IL District 203

Huntley, IL District 158

Tinley Park, IL District 146

SchoolInfoStudentPersonalStudentSchoolEnrollment

StudentPersonalStudentSchoolEnrollmentSchoolnfoStudentContact

Universal Agent

SchoolMax

VersaTrans Agent

Target System = VersaTrans v9.3

Universal Agent

Lawson Financial

Comalex

StaffPersonalStaffAssignment

SchoolInfoStudentPersonalStudentSchoolEnrollmentStudentContactSchoolCourseInfoSectionInfoStudentSectionEnrollmentTermInfoRoomInfoStudentDailyAttendanceAttendanceCodeInfo

Data Warehouse

SchoolInfoStudentPersonalStudentSchoolEnrollmentSchoolCourseInfoSectionInfoStudentSectionEnrollmentTermInfoRoomInfoStudentDailyAttendanceAttendanceCodeInfo

Zone Integration Server

District Zone

Universal Agent

SchoolMax

StaffPersonal

Zone Integration Server

Universal AgentCarter-Pertain

Central High School

Universal Agent

SchoolMax

Universal AgentCarter-Pertain

Kennedy Junior High

StaffPersonal

StudentPersonalStudentContact

StudentPersonalStudentContact

ParentLink ParentLinkStudentPersonalStudentContactStaffPersonal

StudentPersonalStudentContactStaffPersonal

Transactional Data Staging

OLAP

Assessment Data

Reports & Analytics

Integrity Data

Warehouse Agent

RoomInfoSchoolCourseInfo

SchoolInfoSectionInfo

StudentContactStudentPersonal

StudentSchoolEnrollmentStudentSectionEnrollment

TermInfoStudentDailyAttendance

District Zone

Consolidated 158 (Huntley/Algonquin)

Zone 1Zone Name = d158

SIF Version = 1.5r1Server = CPSI SIF Connect Server

Destiny Agent

Target System = Follett Destiny v5.5

Universal Agent

Target System = PowerSchool

Primary Publisher

SL Agent

Target System = SNAP, MyCard

VersaTrans Agent

Target System = VersaTrans v9.3

VC Agent for AD/Exchange

TargetSystem = Active Directory

AuthenticationSchoolInfoStaffPersonalStaffAssignmentStudentContactStudentPersonalStudentSchoolEnrollment

AuthenticationSchoolInfoStudentPersonalStudentSchoolEnrollment

SchoolInfoStudentContactStudentPersonalStudentSchoolEnrollment

SchoolInfoStaffPersonalStaffAssignmentStudentPersonalStudentSchoolEnrollment

SchoolInfoStaffPersonalStaffAssignmentStudentPersonalStudentSchoolEnrollment

Tinley Park District 146Systems Integration Plan

© 2007 Integrity Technology Solutions. All rights reserved. Page 1 Author: Jason Wrage Updated: 5/14/2008

Current Students

District Zone

FollettCirculation Plus

(per building)

PowerSchool

VersaTrans

Active Directory

Publish

Subscribe

Periodic Export/Import

One-Time Export/Import

Legend

School Zones

FileMakerHistorical SIS

Special Ed

Special Ed/IEP Flags

Historical Students

SIF Application

Non-SIF Application

SIF Zone

1. SIF will be implemented to automate data exchange among SIF enabled applications including PowerSchool, Follett Circulation Plus, Versatrans, and Active Directory. Setting up SIF involves implementing a Zone Integration Server and SIF Agents for each of the applications.

2. Ideally, the current special education system will be replaced with a SIF certified system at some point in time. PowerSchool’s SIF agent will need to support subscription to SIF Special Programs data in order to completely automate data exchange.

3. In the interim, special education data import and export can be automated using server-based techniques to minimize the burden on staff. A one-time export/import of historical student data will consolidate general student data within PowerSchool.

Narrative

Hard Costs: SIF Software

Zone Integration ServerSubscription vs. outright

purchasePricing models generally

by district size Agents

Varied pricing models Installation and

configuration pricing

Hard Costs: Infrastructure

Zone Integration ServerHardwareOperating systemSupporting software

Agents may or may not need dedicated hardware

Adequate bandwidth – T1 or better

Hard Costs: Consultants

Consultants and integrators Provide advice and/or implementation

services Prior SIF experience is required! Scope-based fees or hourly/daily rates

Consider joining the SIF Association Networking opportunities Learn from others Communicate your needs

Soft Costs

Mainly staff time for:ResearchPlanningTrainingImplementation

Support

Implementation vs. Operational Costs

Implementation costs Up front investments Phasing can spread

implementation costs over time Operational costs

Resources to support and maintain the implementation

Software subscriptions or maintenance fees

ZIS hardware lifecycle

Financial Benefits Saving Money

Reduce costs Creating and maintaining

customizations and processes

Purchasing data extraction software

Maximize efficiency Staff time to run manual

export/import processes Data entry time Quality and timeliness of data

Non-Financial Benefits

SIF is the conduit for high quality data Combining…

1. Data quality2. Teaching & learning and3. SIF

… results in improved student achievement

Expedited user provisioning Improved productivity to students,

teacher, administrator

Determining Your ROI

Financial Benefits Hard CostsMoney Saved $20,000 SIF Software $10,000Money Earned $50,000 Infrastructure $0

Applications $0Non-Financial Benefits SIF Agent Development $0

- Student achievement Consultants $5,000- Data quality- Productivity Soft Costs

Staff Time $3,000

Total Estimated Benefits $70,000 Total Estimated Costs $18,000

Total Estimated ROI (Financial) $52,000

SIF Balance Sheet

Costs Benefits

Cost-Benefit Example

Network Account Creation and Management SIF capability

Student directory accounts created at registration into SIS

Example SIF is used to create and manage user

accounts, eliminating the additional manual step as the student is enrolled

Benefit Huge time savings to I.T. department

Does your I.T. staff have more valuable ways to spend its time?

Cost-Benefit Example

Transportation SIF capability

Data accuracy & Saved data entry time Example

SIF is used to update the transportation system data from the student information system as the student is enrolled in school

Benefit Real time communication of bus stop

information is possible for every student Potential liability issues are avoidedHow many phone calls could be saved?How much bad publicity could be avoided?

Cost-Benefit Example

Library SIF capability

Near real time information dissemination Example

SIF is used to send the school media services specialist an e-mail when a student is leaving the district

Benefit The media specialist can coordinate the

return of all materials prior to the student’s departure

How many books leave the district per year?

Cost-Benefit Example

Food Services SIF capability

Data accuracy Example

SIF is used to update the student management system with meal status information that is stored in the food services system

Benefit Accurate free/reduced lunch count

possible.

How much additional funding could be generated?

Thank You!

SIF Website: www.sifinfo.org

Integrity Website: http://k12.integrityts.com

Dave Moravecdmoravec@integrityts.com

309-664-8115