SIF Update:

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SIF Update

• New Directions From End-User Needs
• Patrick Plant Anoka Hennepin School District
• Vince Paredes ESP Solutions
• Larry Fruth - SIF

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The NCES SIF Track
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SIF A Quick Definition

• Non-profit membership organization comprised of
• pK-12 Educational Technology Companies
• Regional Service Agencies
• Schools Districts
• U.S. and State Departments of Education
• Other educational organizations
• Jointly building the XML Specifications to
  enableK-12 software applications to share data
  quickly, dynamically and securely
• The SIF Implementation Specification is publicly
  available on the SIF website
• Platform Independent / Vendor Neutral

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School Traditional Setup

• 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.

Cafeteria
SIS
?
Network Accounts
?
?
?
?
Library
Transportation
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Horizontal Questions
Food Service
Grade Book
HR / Finance
Library
SIS
Transportation
Instructional Services
Voice Telephony
Accountability, Reporting, Planning, etc
Data Warehousing
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SIF Components Working Together
Student Information Services

• Zone Integration Server (ZIS)
• SIF Agents
• Applications
• SIF Data Objects

Network Account
Library Automation
H.R. Finance
Food Services
Data Analysis Reporting
Grade Book
Instructional Services
The SIF ZONE
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SIF Benefits

• Students Parents
• Personalized Student Content
• Improved timeliness of service
• Accurate School Data
• Increased Efficiency

• IT Departments
• Reduced support costs
• Reduced time needed to manage multiple data
  sources
• Save money using existing systems and
  infrastructure

Efficiency, Accuracy, Cost Savings

• Teachers
• Real-time access to critical information
• Better data analysis
• Teachers time better spent

• Administrators
• Increased Efficiency
• Reduced redundancy and errors
• Reduced compatibility issues

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Utilizing SIF Can

• Distribute Functionality
• (1) Empower local systems with respect to
  technology
• (2) Encourage innovation by vendors and local
  districts
• (3) Allow local systems to be heterogeneous based
  on need
• (4) Make salient the need for data standards
  (which SIF is developing)
• (5) Address the 'local control' issue
• (6) Provide local entities with a level of
  technical capability that can be applied in other
  applications of SIF (besides VR) and can save
  money when implementing other technology systems
• (7) Redistribute cost to the local districts and
  vendors. Redistribute does not mean that it will
  be more. It could even be less to achieve the
  same benefits.

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The Result

• New Student Registering for Enrollment into
• Student Information System Directory Service
  Application
• ID Card System Library Automation System
• Cafeteria Management System
• Typical School SIF School
• - 49 minute task - 4 minute task
• - 10 times data entered - 1 time data entry
• 45 minutes/student X 18,000 students
• 6 FTEs!
• 1/10th the Time 1/10th the Risk

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Vertical Interoperability

• Seamless reporting - district, state, federal
• Reduce burden on schools districts
• Use management data as core data set for
  reporting
• Responding to changes as they occur rather than
  reacting to on an annual basis
• Data driven decision making
• Collecting analyzing information as it is
  developed
• Data warehousing and data mining
• Using business tools to analyze administrative
  functions

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Getting the Report DefinitionsTwo Options
State DOE Agent

• SIF_Event
• Heres the description of a report that I need.

--------------------------OR----------------------
----
ZIS

• SIF_Request
• Please send me descriptions of all the reports
  you need.

SIF_Response Here are descriptions of all the
reports I need.
Local Agent
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State Return on Investment

• Reallocation from State Reporting
• Eliminate 23 Aggregate Reports
• Reduce 8 hours per school per report
• Reduce 16 hours per district per report
• 70,000 hours school staff
• 18,000 hours district staff
• 1,760,000 est. state report savings

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Data Collection Example
Mount Carmel ASD  District-Wide SIS Agent
State Agent
Palisades SD  File Conversion Agent
 Milton ASD District-Wide SIS Agent
File Conversion Agent at CSIU
Carlisle ASD  Files
HS Library Agent
MS Library Agent
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SIF Certification

• Officially launched on April 25, 2003
• Provides 3rd party validation of application
  conformance with the specification
• Provides confidence for purchasers
• Provides validation for vendors
• Tests application functionality
• Verifies data delivery
• There are currently 33 applications certified
  with many more in the testing stage

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SIF Implementation Support

• SIF Implementation Planning Kit
• LEA User Group
• SEA / Federal Community of Practice (CoP)
• SIF Implementation Task Force
• SIF Implementation Readiness and Technology
  Assessment Web Tool

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Implementation Planning Kit

• Toolkit designed to provide educators with a
  process for getting the best possible Enterprise
  Information Management System (EIMS) for their
  school and/or district
• What is addressed in this toolkit?
• Project planning
• Data management strategies
• Computer hardware, software, networking needs
• Budgetary and human resource concerns
• Political issues and work flow impact

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LEA User Group

• One place that connects both SIF vendors and PK12
  end-users
• One place to share experiences and gather
  information for SIF projects
• One place to find answers, support and advice for
  implementation SIF inquiries
• One place for Virtual collaboration with
  colleagues
• One place that is a knowledge warehouse fullof
  information
• http//bburgsif.brownsburg.k12.in.us

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SEA / Federal Community Of Practice (CoP)

• Built in response to SIF Education Advisory Panel
  (EAP)
• One place that connect to common needs across
  infrastructure, data usage, and educational
  technology utilization
• One place that is a knowledge warehouse full of
  information
• A place for Virtual collaboration with
  colleagues
• Eventual place for bridge to LEAs and Vendors
• http//sif.edreform.org

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SIF Implementation Task Force

• Develop and maintain SIF Implementation Readiness
  and Technology Assessment Web Tool
• Act as clearing house for RFPs
• Develop Business/Use Case web template
• Oversight of Official SIF Reference and Testing
  Sites
• Document Best Practices and create White Papers
• Infrastructure Design and Data Models of Live
  Implementations
• Work closely with the Features and Functionality
  Task Force and the SIF Tech Board in Advanced
  Concept collection
• Update existing Implementation Tool Kit and/or
  develop additional tools
• Determine strategies for training and potential
  certifications for commercial integrators, school
  districts, state and regional entities
• Maintain library of presentations for target
  audiences

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SIF Implementation Readinessand Technology
Assessment

• Based on web survey done statewide in Wyoming
• Provides LEA and SEA readiness reports and
  recommendations
• Working with SIF Educational Advisory Panel (EAP)
  and Members to complete site design
• Site testing will be completed in late August and
  early September (we are requesting additional LEA
  and SEA involvement)
• Nationwide launch of SIF Implementation
  Readiness and Technology Assessment Web Tool -
  mid September at the SIF Annual meeting

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New Specification Development Areas
Administrative Applications Infrastructure Stud
ent Information System (SIS) ZIS
Agents Gradebook Special Programs Food
Service Learning Community Library
Management Communication/Collaboration/Portal
Tools Transportation Data Warehouse / Decision
Support HR Finance Professional
Development Facilities Management Learning
Applications Academic Standards /
Curriculum Assessment Instructional / Course /
Learning Management Systems Student Work
Portfolio Digital Library Online Tutoring
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Post 1.5 What is Next?

• A Shift To End User Needs..
• Education Advisory Panel
• SIF Communities of Practice
• Organizational Re-alignment
• Alignment with Other Data Initiatives
• Increased Implementation Support
• Strategic Partnerships

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For More Information.
The SIF Web Site the ultimate
resource! www.sifinfo.org Larry
Fruth lfruth_at_sifinfo.org Vince
Paredes vparedes_at_espsg.com Patrick
Plant patrick.plant_at_anoka.k12.mn.us