SIF (Virginia)
Last Modified on 04/08/2025 11:17 am CDT
This article explains how the Virginia SIF model has been set up, which objects and elements are being messaged, and the Campus configuration required to successfully use SIF version 3.6 only.
Business Requirements
Report state-mandated student data in a timely and automated manner. The Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) is the chosen medium by which to accomplish these goals.
Virginia uses the SIF-based Student Locator object to assign a stateID to newly enrolled students. The state Student Locator Frameworks (SLF) uses the StudentPersonal and StudentSchoolEnrollment objects.
Version
The SchoolInfo, Student Personal, and StudentSchoolEnrollment objects use SIF version 3.6.
Architecture
Virginia uses the SIF North American data model 4.3 (aka “Unity”) and the SIF Infrastructure model 3.6 to automatically retrieve state student unique identifiers (SSIDs).
State SIF v3.6 Model
Continuous Publishing and Subscribing
In each SIF Unity zone, the Campus is the one provider for that zone and context. Campus publishes Add and Change Events on the StudentPersonal and StudentSchoolEnrollment objects whenever the data in the database is changed. After the student is enrolled, the process consists of the following steps:
1. User enrolls student.
2. Campus sends Add Events for StudentPersonal and StudentSchoolEnrollment.
Note: Each Event is sent as a collection with a single object in it.
3. Student Locator Frameworks (SLF) retrieves SSIDs from the ID system and issues Update Requests.
4. Campus processes the update requests and updates the database.
Synchronization Process
The synchronization or “Sync” process is usually conducted once per year, in the summer after the New Year Rollover. It may, however, be conducted at any time to correct errors. The Sync process consists of the following steps:
1. User initiates process in Student Locator Frameworks (SLF) console.
2. SLF requests SchoolInfo objects.
3. Campus responds with SchoolInfo objects.
4. User selects schools to be synchronized.
5. SLF requests the StudentSchoolEnrollment and StudentPersonal objects for selected schools.
6. SLF retrieves SSIDs from the ID system and issues Update Requests.
SIF Message History
The SIF Message History tool can be used to generate a report which includes detailed information about messages sent for a specific SIF object within a specific time frame, agent, and zone. This report allows you to review recent SIF agent activity and is especially useful for troubleshooting errors to and from a SIF reporting entity. For more information, please see the SIF Message History article.
Objects and Elements
See the sections below for details on Virginia-specific elements for the SchoolInfo, Student Personal, and StudentSchoolEnrollment objects using SIF version 3.6.
SchoolInfo
This object contains information about the school. In addition to the mandatory elements from the SIF specification, the SchoolInfo/StateProvinceId element is mandatory and has a specific format.
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Element
| Usage Notes
| Description
|
|---|
SchoolName
| Mandatory
| Name of the school. For CEDS compatibility, must be unique within the LEA after no more than 60 characters. Optional: The name is more user-friendly if it’s unique within the LEA after 20 characters.
|
StateProvinceId
| Mandatory
| Must be the seven (7) digit state-issued identifier for the school, composed of three digits for the division and four for the school. Must include any leading zeros necessary to reach 7 digits. This is more restrictive than the CEDS specification but compatible with it. |
StudentPersonal
This object contains all the personal information related to the student. In addition to the mandatory elements from the SIF specification, Virginia makes other elements mandatory and/or mandates specific code sets.
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Element
|
Usage Notes |
Description |
|---|
Name |
Mandatory
XML Sample
<Name Type="04">
<LastName>Cicero</LastName>
<FirstName>Marcus</FirstName>
<MiddleName>Tullius</MiddleName>
</Name>
JSON Sample
"Name": {
"Type": "04",
"LastName": "Cicero",
"FirstName": "Marcus",
"MiddleName": "Tullius"
}, |
The <Name Type=”04”> element must be present and contain at least the <LastName> and <FirstName> elements, at least one of which must be populated. The <MiddleName> element is optional but will be used by the SLF if present.
Other elements within <Name Type=”04”> as well as any data in additionally typed <Name> elements or in <OtherName> will be ignored by the SLF. |
StateProvinceId
| Mandatory; may be blank (null)
| The VA State Testing ID Number (STI) assigned by the VA EIMS program.
|
Demographics/RaceList/Code |
Mandatory
XML Sample
<RaceList>
<Race>
<Code>0998</Code>
</Race>
</RaceList>
JSON Sample
"RaceList": {
"Race": [
{
"Code": {
"value": "0998"
}
}
]
},
|
The Demographics/RaceList/Code element must be present and contain an NCES 0849 race code. These are often referred to as the federal race codes and are the only acceptable values.
Other elements within <RaceList> such as <OtherCodeList> are optional and will be ignored by the SLF.
|
Demographics/HispanicLatino |
Mandatory
XML Sample
<HispanicLatino>Yes</HispanicLatino>
JSON Sample
"HispanicLatino": {
"value": "Yes"
}, |
The Demographics/HispanicLatino element must be present and contain the value Yes or No. |
Demographics/BirthDate |
Mandatory
XML Sample
<BirthDate>2016-08-11</BirthDate>
JSON Sample
"BirthDate": "1990-09-26",
|
The Demographics/BirthDate element must be present and populated with a date that is before the current date. The format is yyyy-mm-dd. |
Gender |
Mandatory
Virginia-specific values
XML Sample
<Gender>F</Gender>
JSON Sample
"Gender": {
"value": "F"
}, |
The Demographics/Gender element must be present and contain one of the values M (for males), F (for females), or A (for all persons who don’t identify as male or female).
Other values previously used in Virginia’s SIF profile are no longer accepted. |
MostRecent/SchoolLocalId |
Optional
XML Sample
<MostRecent>
<SchoolLocalId>702</SchoolLocalId>
</MostRecent>
JSON Sample
"MostRecent": {
{
"SchoolLocalId": {
"value": "702"
}
}
}, |
The MostRecent/SchoolLocalId should be present. While optional, this element is very useful for troubleshooting.
Use the school’s local number (typically 2 to 4 digits). This is the same as the last few digits of the school’s StateProvinceId. |
StudentSchoolEnrollment
This object defines information related to a student's enrollment. StudentSchoolEnrollment instances must not span multiple school years. The Pearson SLF software will only use student records with at least one current, active StudentSchoolEnrollment. In addition to the mandatory elements from the SIF specification, Virginia mandates specific code sets and adds SIF Extended Elements.
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Element
|
Usage Notes |
Description |
|---|
EntryType |
Mandatory
Virginia-specific codes
XML Sample
<EntryType>
<Code>E119</Code>
</EntryType>
JSON Sample
"EntryType": {
{
"Code": {
"value": "E119"
}
}
}, |
The Virginia-specific code must be used in the EntryType/Code element as shown.
Entry codes in OtherCode elements will be ignored by the Pearson SLF software. |
GradeLevel |
Mandatory
Virginia-specific codes
XML Sample
<GradeLevel>
<Code>05</Code>
</GradeLevel>
JSON Sample
"GradeLevel": {
{
"Code": {
"value": "05"
}
}
}, |
The Virginia-specific code must be used in the GradeLevel/Code element as shown.
Grade codes in OtherCode and OtherCodeList elements will be ignored by the Pearson SLF software. |
ResponsibleSchool
(SIF Extended) |
Mandatory
Every StudentSchoolEnrollment object MUST contain this value in a SIF_ExtendedElement named ResponsibleSchool.
Virginia-specific StateProvinceId value
XML Sample (line wraps around)
<SIF_ExtendedElement Name="ResponsibleSchool">
0010702
</SIF_ExtendedElement>
JSON Sample
"SIF_ExtendedElement": [
{
"Name": "ResponsibleSchool",
"value": "0010702"
}
] |
StateProvinceId for the responsible school. See the SchoolInfo section for more on this number.
Must be 7 digits (including leading zeros if any). Other values will not be processed. |
ServingSchool
(SIF Extended) |
Optional
A StudentSchoolEnrollment object may have the “ServingSchool” SIF_ExtendedElement.
Virginia-specific StateProvinceId value
XML Sample (line wraps around)
<SIF_ExtendedElement Name="ServingSchool">
0010702
</SIF_ExtendedElement>
JSON Sample
"SIF_ExtendedElement": [
{
"Name": "ServingSchool",
"value": "0010702"
}
] |
StateProvinceId for the serving school. See the SchoolInfo section for more on this number.
Must be 7 digits (including leading zeros if any). Other values will not be processed. |
