MSP SIG - Meeting 18 - 2023-12-12

Participants

Support: Ann Su, Ed-Fi Alliance

Continued discussion on Tech Roadmap with a focus on ODS/API roadmap and Tanager project
Discussion of assessment integration strategies (see materials linked on MSP SIG - Meeting 17 - 2023-11-28)

Future API roadmap

With ODS/API 5.x - update is a little more challenge due to process, not build environment in API 5
Question: why do agencies want to run 5.3 when there is 7.x
- Answer: because of breaking changes to DS 3.3
Observation: the breaks for SIS vendors are very tiny; assessment has moderate breaks. One option is to get with those who want the 5.x and get into the details. For a SIS system, little changed from DS 3.3 to 4 - see https://edfi.atlassian.net/wiki/display/EFDS4X/What%27s+New+-+v4.0
There is also the case of SEAs needing to support past school years
We might do a branch of 5.4 without a formal release?
How much work to get DS 3.3 on to ODS/API 7.x?
- conceptually, for features we added, there are some additions to the model, version min max year value data elements
- Can look into putting DS 3.3 into 7.x
Have states that have this problem, make a list of states that are affected, do analysis with them, see if they are affected
- Example of SC cited: When we analyzed ds4.0, SC was going to not be affected by any of the breaking changes

Programming language
Some MSPs use C-Sharp, others typescript

C-sharp is OK as long as solution can be containerized

Assessment integration solutions

See deck. MSPs were asked to validate the expense of manual assessment integration and limits of ELT/ETL. They did this and cited these issues:

manual, so more expensive
also semantics of reports can change, and even mild shifts take time to investigate
sometimes there can be multiple shifts in a year (4 was cited in one case)

Comment: Even when data is provided in Ed-Fi by a vendor, there is still benefit to

Lessons in using RFP language

get specific on how (look into SC examples)
ask for unlocks for the entire state - both LEA and SEA (some comments that SEAs may be limited in their power to request this)
watch out for differences in products portfolios and in different products - clarity there is important

Next meeting

Go down the list of vendors who are highest demand (could possibly do this via a web form)
Go over ideas of how to sell the concept to the assessment vendors better

Talk about how Ed-Fi makes the case