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SIF (Virginia)

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. 

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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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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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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