TAG Meeting 2021-10-21 - Data Model Issues Raised by TAG

Descriptors and Indicators

Improvements to descriptor design: combining indicators and descriptors into a new core pattern.

Generally these failed to resonate and were seen as inviting some risks. There was no significant motivator for change.
Recommend abandon these ideas: too much change, too little known benefit.
TAG members reaffirmed that the Period pattern is awkward and not working.
Generally, TAG input was that simpler is better: just use a date to allow for simpler version. Forcing the invention of a date in some cases is not ideal but workable.

Likely outcome: abandon these ideas

On current descriptors:

Ed-Fi descriptors missing definition, short descriptions and long descriptions are all the same.
Would like system for how descriptors can be aligned to other standards. Makes it easier to adopt.
Operational context data could be integrated

Likely outcome: continue current Alliance practice of adding definition when editing specific sets if the semantics can be improved

Flexible Referentiality

Notes

A better approach from a “optionally-present” reference is to slim down the key and add an optional reference that – if supplied – is not “optionally present”
A “maybe it is there” approach could be particularly bad for LEAs – standards should be more principled to bring reliability to data exchanges

Likely outcome: abandon this approach

CourseTranscript, specifically

this means removal of Course from the key, and instead rely on CourseCode
Further, the Course Code should be local

Likely outcome: change CourseTranscript key to be a code and define it as local; possibly come up with a simpler system for state code transmission

Section Identity and Semantics

DATASTD-1596

Section should be more of a scheduling and not a course concept
In general, the approach recommended was to slim the key and add optional references to the problematic key components
Combine with the discussion on Flexible Referentiality the general advice can be seen as “lower referentiality requirements and ‘let the data flow’ easier”

Likely outcome: change section key to make required reference to CourseOffering optional, making it more of a scheduling concept