Ed-Fi Certification
Certifications allow product developers to demonstrate a product's fidelity to the Ed-Fi Data Standard, and for purchasers or users to be confident that a product conforms to the same standard and guidelines.
The Ed-Fi Certification program was developed from the experience of many education agencies in certifying Ed-Fi-compliant data exchanges for their enterprise systems. The Ed-Fi Alliance has built on that foundation to provide a certification that can be used across different agencies and organizations, alleviating the need for vendors to undergo multiple, overlapping local certifications.
When describing your product’s integration with the Ed‑Fi Data Standard, it’s important to communicate clearly, accurately, and consistently with the Ed‑Fi Alliance’s brand, trademark, and language guidelines. For more information, see the Ed-Fi Alliance Brand Guidelines for Partners.
What Ed-Fi Certification Means
Ed-Fi certification is a technical verification that a product conforms to an Ed-Fi API specification for a specific Ed-Fi Data Standard version. A certified product has shown that it:
- Implements the API specification, or can communicate with an implementation of it as a client, across all resources and fields marked "required"
- Meets all of the "must" requirements in the API specification
- Meets all of the "must" requirements of the certification itself
Certification does not establish:
- Plug-and-play interoperability in every deployment. Local configuration, customizations, and business logic (for example, how a school counts attendance) still vary.
- That the certified functionality is included in every edition, region, or price of a product. The Registry of Ed-Fi Certified Products records the edition and version that was tested.
- Perfect semantic consistency in how a vendor maps its data to Ed-Fi definitions, since mapping always involves some interpretation.
Versions. Certifications are offered per Data Standard version. The Student Information Systems, Assessment Outcomes, and Domain API certifications are currently available for Data Standard v4 and v5; see Available Certifications. To see which Ed-Fi ODS/API and Ed-Fi API versions implement each Data Standard version, see Supported Versions.
Validity. Certifications are valid for one year and are renewed through re-certification.
Certification and badges. Ed-Fi badges recognize support for the Ed-Fi Data Standard and Technology Suite in areas that are not yet covered by a certification. They are not a lightweight certification. Badges are generally valid for two years; the Ed-Fi Managed ODS/API Platform badge is valid for one year.
Agencies should read How Agencies Should Use Certification for what is and isn't covered, procurement language, and how to raise gaps with a certified vendor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Ed-Fi certification mandatory?
No. A product can use the Ed-Fi Data Standard and work with an Ed-Fi API without being certified, and vendors choose whether to certify. Education agencies, however, can require certification in their contracts. The Ed-Fi Alliance encourages agencies to ask for the specific certifications that fit their needs, and strongly recommends that states require applicable certifications in state RFPs.
Q: What does certification guarantee?
That the product conforms to an Ed-Fi API specification for a specific Data Standard version: it handles every required resource and field and meets every "must" requirement in the specification and the certification. It does not guarantee how the vendor configures, prices, or maps data in a particular deployment. See What Ed-Fi Certification Means.
Q: Does certification guarantee plug-and-play interoperability?
No. Conformance is necessary for interoperability but not sufficient on its own. Infrastructure, local customizations, and local business logic (such as how a school counts attendance) still affect whether data flows correctly. See Does Certification Guarantee "Plug-and-play" Interoperability?
Q: Who can certify a product?
The publisher or owner of the product, and only while it is an Ed-Fi Partner. Partner status must be maintained for as long as the certification is held, and a product cannot be certified under another organization's partner status.
Q: What if a certified product does not work as expected?
A district in a supported region, using the certified data model on a recent supported version, can raise gaps with the Ed-Fi Alliance, which reviews them with the vendor. If gaps cannot be resolved, the vendor's certification no longer applies in that region. See Resolution Process.