For assessment vendors, implementing the standard PUSH API model can
present challenges. Scalability across a large base of implementations and
users, fault detection and resolution, and sustaining business processes related
to managing security and user interfaces can seem insurmountable given the
variability of technical capabilities and staff turnover common at LEAs and SEAs.
The Ed-Fi Alliance, in collaboration with community members (such as ACT,
EdGraph, WI DPI, Texas Education Exchange, Nebraska NDE, ClassLink,
Curriculum Associates (iReady), and a growing number of LEAs) have designed
and successfully implemented an alternative approach that resolves many of
these issues. In the bidirectional PULL model, the assessment vendor stands up
an ODS/API instance that empowers the customer (agency implementation) to:
Push a limited set of data to the assessment vendor API (called “roster for
reporting”) to create initial “shell” recordsPull newly available (“fresh”) assessment results data on demand as soon
as they’re ready, incorporated into those previously created shell recordsThe combination of the roster for reporting “push” of data linked with the
scores/results “pull” of data makes for improved data quality, lowered
rates of error conditions, and reduced student matching challenges.
The flexibility and timeliness of the data (from the agency perspective) as well as
the reduced management load to the assessment vendor, make this an important
pattern that the Alliance recommends.
Reach out to the Ed-Fi Solution team for more information