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 [email protected]
309-664-8115