Ed-Fi Release Roundup: Spring and Summer 2026
Four significant releases are targeting May, with more following through summer. If you're planning a deployment cycle or tracking what's coming in Ed-Fi infrastructure, here's a practical overview of what to expect and why it matters.
May Releases
Four significant releases are targeting May: Data Standard 6.1, ODS/API 7.3.2, MetaEd 4.7, and the Ed-Fi OneRoster API. Each one stands on its own, but they're designed to work together.
Data Standard v6.1
The headline feature is the Special Education Data Model (SEDM), released in early access. Special education data is notoriously complex, fragmented across systems, and inconsistently represented. SEDM gives implementers a structured starting point; early access means you can begin evaluating it and providing feedback before it stabilizes.
The other notable addition is explicit tracking of an education organization's responsibility for a student — accountability, residency, funding, and related designations. These relationships exist in every SIS, but the Data Standard hasn't had a clean, normalized way to represent them until now.
ODS/API v7.3.2
This release picks up Data Standard 6.1, adds OAuth authentication support for the OneRoster API application, and targets .NET 10. The .NET upgrade matters operationally — .NET 8 support ends in November 2026, so this positions ODS/API deployments on a supported runtime before that deadline hits.
MetaEd v4.7
MetaEd v4.7 adds support for Data Standard v6.1; since MetaEd is the tool that implementers use to explore and understand the Data Standard, it needs to reflect these changes before they can be widely adopted. Additionally, it contains bug fixes and a new API Catalog spreadsheet artifact that provides a comprehensive reference for all API endpoints.
Ed-Fi OneRoster API
The Ed-Fi OneRoster API provides a standards-based roster data interface — compatible with both Data Standard v4 and v5 — built on the same authorization model and underlying database as the ODS/API. It supports both SQL Server and PostgreSQL, which removes a constraint that would have blocked some organizations from adopting it.
This gives Ed-Fi adopters a path to satisfy OneRoster API 1.2 integration requirements without standing up a separate roster service that's disconnected from the rest of the Ed-Fi stack.
Later This Year
Ed-Fi API v8 — July
The Ed-Fi API v8 (formerly "Data Management Service 1.0") release is the milestone that the project has been building toward. Recently, we announced that the data store for this version has adopted a fully relational table design, whereas previously the table design was modeled after document storage systems. This release will have complete support for CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations, authorization, error handling, extensions, and profiles - compatible with the Ed-Fi ODS/API v7.3 - and will be considered "production ready" for supporting local education agency (LEA) use cases.
Admin App v4.1 and ODS Admin API v2.4 — August
These releases address a few operational pain points directly. Enhanced quickstart deployment reduces the friction of standing up a new environment. System synchronization — including import of education organizations — replaces a manual workflow that's been a consistent source of frustration. And database instance management replaces the sandbox model, which was functional but never felt like the right abstraction for production use.
Data Import v2.4 (End of Life)
The final release of Data Import (v2.4) shipped recently, with .NET 10 support added. No new features are planned — this closes out the product. If you're running Data Import today, this release keeps you on a supported runtime. If you're evaluating ETL tooling for new implementations, plan around alternatives; Data Import is not the path forward.
The pace of releases this spring and summer reflects real momentum — particularly around the Ed-Fi API v8 and the operational tooling improvements in Admin App v4.1 and ODS Admin API v2.4. If your team is planning upgrades or new deployments, now is a good time to align your timelines with these release windows. Especially watch for the Ed-Fi API v8 release in July; that's the one with the longest-term implications for how Ed-Fi infrastructure is built and operated.
For more detail on upcoming releases, check out the Product Roadmap in GitHub. It's a living document that tracks planned features, release timelines, and the status of ongoing work across the Ed-Fi ecosystem.