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Data Exchange Standards

The Ed-Fi Alliance coordinates and publishes community-led standards for education data and the exchange of that data. This page is a map of those standards: what each one defines, which ones are normative, and where to find the conceptual overview and the version-specific technical reference for each.

Ed-Fi Data Standard​

The Ed-Fi Data Standard is the widely adopted, CEDS-aligned, open-source data standard developed by the educational community for the betterment of the community. The Ed-Fi Data Standard serves as the foundation for enabling interoperability among secure data systems and contains a Unifying Data Model designed to capture the meaning and inherent structure in the most important information in the K–12 education enterprise.

➡️ Documentation for version 6 (current)
➡️ Documentation for version 5 (active)
➡️ Documentation for version 4 (active)

These version pages list the domains, entities, and descriptors in each version; the other pages in this section apply across versions.

What standards does the Ed-Fi Alliance publish?​

  • Ed-Fi Data Standard. The community-developed standard for K–12 education data. It is expressed through the Unifying Data Model and the Ed-Fi REST API Specifications below; it is not a separate artifact. Major versions are released and supported on a published release cadence.
  • Ed-Fi Unifying Data Model (UDM). The logical model behind the Data Standard. Following Domain-Driven Design, its entities and relationships represent the data that source systems actually collect. The UDM doesn't by itself tell you how to build an API or an integration, and much of it is background. Its Best Practices pages, however, are normative guidance on how to conform to the standard.
  • Ed-Fi REST API Specifications. The REST API endpoints and JSON messages used to exchange data that conforms to the Data Standard. Normative.
  • Ed-Fi API Design and Implementation Guidelines. The requirements an Ed-Fi REST API specification and implementation must meet to be aligned with Ed-Fi standards. Normative: an implementation that doesn't follow them doesn't conform to the standard.
  • Extension Framework. Guidelines for adding data to the Data Standard for a specific implementation. Non-normative.
  • Requests for Comment (RFC). How a change to the Data Standard becomes official, and where to find and comment on open RFCs.

Normative and non-normative standards​

A normative standard states requirements that a conforming implementation must meet. Non-normative material explains, models, or guides, but does not by itself set requirements.

  • Normative: the Ed-Fi REST API Specifications, the API Design and Implementation Guidelines, and the Best Practices pages in the Unifying Data Model.
  • Non-normative: the rest of the Unifying Data Model, and the Extension Framework guidelines.

Ed-Fi API Specifications​

The Ed-Fi API Specifications define the API resources and JSON message formats used to exchange data that conforms to the Ed-Fi Data Standard. An Ed-Fi compatible API application creates a REST-based interface for data exchange, where the messages conform to the Ed-Fi Data Standard. The Ed-Fi ODS/API is the Ed-Fi Alliance's core API product, used by nearly all "Ed-Fi deployments." Any interested party can build an alternate, compatible, application, by adhering to the Open API specifications and guidance provided in Ed-Fi API Guidelines.

tip

For guidance on building an Ed-Fi compatible API application, please see Ed-Fi API Guidelines.

How standards are developed and governed​

The Ed-Fi Alliance coordinates standards development with the community: it sets schedules, arranges field testing, takes draft standards through an RFC process, and publishes the final, authoritative artifacts. See Data Standard Governance and Data Standard Development.

Looking to get involved in the discussion and definition of standards?

  1. Visit the Ed-Fi Community Hub to participate in forums or to create a support case with questions or suggested improvements.
  2. Learn about participation in the Ed-Fi Alliance's governance structure.

Other resources​