Community Standards Development The Rules of the Game

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Community Standards DevelopmentThe Rules of the
Game

• Michael D. Sessa
• Executive Director
• PESC

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AGENDA

• Overview and Mission of PESC
• The Evolution of Data Exchange
• The Standards Forum for Education
• Step by Step Process of Standards Development
• XML Registry and Repository for the Education
  Community

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Mission Established in 1997 and located in
Washington, D.C., the Postsecondary Electronic
Standards Council (PESC) is a non-profit,
community-based, umbrella association of colleges
and universities professional and commercial
organizations data, software and service
providers and state and federal government
agencies. PESCs mission is to lead the
establishment and adoption of data exchange
standards in education. The goals of the mission
are to enable the improvement of institutional
performance and foster collaboration across
educational communities in order to lower costs,
improve service, and attain system
interoperability.
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• PESC supports
• Key factors in higher education
• Access
• Affordability
• Lifecycle of a student
• Secondary to Postsecondary
• Postsecondary to Postsecondary
• Elimination of redundancy
• Reusability
• Recycling

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• Board of Directors
• Pete Nalli, Chair, Director of Architecture and
  Software Development, Datatel
• Craig Cornell, Vice Chair, Director of
  Enrollment Services, Nelnet
• Steve Biklen, Treasurer, President (retired),
  Citibank Student Loan Corp, Represents NASLA
• David Moldoff, Secretary, President, AcademyOne
• Barbara Clements, Chief Standards Officer,
  National Transcript Center
• Judith Flink, Executive Director of Student
  Financial Services, University of Illinois
• Leonard Gude, Director of Financial Aid,
  University of South Florida, Represents NASFAA
• Brian Lecher, Executive Vice President of
  Information Technology, AES/PHEAA
• Michael Sessa, Executive Director, PESC
• Rick Skeel, Director of Academic Records,
  University of Oklahoma, Represents AACRAO
• Andy Wood, Director of Development, Oracle
  Corporation

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• Steering Committee
• Holly Hyland, Chair, Management Analyst, Office
  of Federal Student Aid, US Department of
  Education
• Adele Marsh, Vice Chair, Vice President of
  Industry Initiatives, AES
• Paula Brower, Banner Student Product Manager,
  SunGard Higher Education
• Adriana Farella, Director of Product Strategy,
  Xap Corporation
• Robert King, Director of Strategic Development,
  Citibank
• Bruce Marton, Associate Director, Student
  Information Systems, University of Texas at
  Austin
• John Van Weeren, Product Manager, Reporting and
  Technology, Datatel

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• Members AcademyOne, AACRAO, AES, Bowling
  Green State University, California Community
  College System, CBA, Citibank, COHEAO, College
  Board, Columbia University, Community College of
  the Air Force, Datatel, EdFinancial Services,
  EFC, ELM Resources, Florida State University,
  Georgetown University/Sun Center, George
  Washington University, Georgia Board of Regents,
  infiNET, Iowa State University, Law School
  Admission Council, Miami University-DARS, NASFAA,
  NASLA, NCASI, National Student Clearinghouse,
  NCHELP, National Transcript Center, Nelnet, New
  Jersey Statewide Transfer Initiative, Northern
  Illinois University, Ohio Board of Regents, OCAS,
  Oracle, Pearson, Purdue University, Sallie Mae,
  Smart Catalog, SLSA, SunGard Higher Education,
  Texas A M University, TG, University of Alaska
  System, University of Denver, University of
  Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois
  Student Financial Services, University of
  Illinois at Urbana Champaign, University of
  Minnesota, University of Mississippi, University
  of Northern Iowa, University of Oklahoma,
  University of Phoenix, University of Texas at
  Austin,University of Virginia, USA Funds, US
  Department of Education, Virginia Polytechnic
  Institute, Wachovia Education Finance, Xap
• Affiliates Access Group, ACT, ACE, California
  School Information Services, College
  Source, ConnectEdu, Docufide, Educause, First
  Marblehead Education Resources, IBM,
  IDAPP, IMS Global Learning Consortium, Jenzabar,
  JPMorgan Chase Bank, Key Bank, SIF, SunGard
  Bi-Tech, Triand

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• Operational Schedule
• Board Meetings Every other month
• Steering Committee Meetings Every month
• Membership Meetings Twice per year
• Workgroup Summits Twice per year
• Winter (Jan) Summit Fall (October)
  Summit
• Annual Conference on May (held in partnership
  with CBA, EFC, NCHELP)
• Technology and Standards 4th Annual Washington
  DC 4/23/07 4/25/07
• Standards Forum Boards and Weekly
• Workgroups

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Modernizing Data Exchange

• HTML, email and the WWW revolutionized how the
  world interacts
• Credit cards, ATMs, debit/check cards and bar
  codes revolutionized how we buy and how we pay
• Cell phones, PDAs, iPods and laptops
  revolutionized how we communicate and learn
• All required communities to work together.
• All are commoditieswe now expect them.

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Modernizing Data Exchange

• The Evolution
• Paper Forms
• Wet Signature
• Common Forms and Common Applications
• Online Applications and E-Sign
• Proprietary Formats
• EDI
• eXtensible Markup Language - XML

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New Paradigms

• Coopetition Cooperation among competitors for
  the greater common good
• Agreement to not compete on data exchange, that
  the education network/super highway is a
  necessary commodity
• Ability to rely on consistent, accurate data
  exchange frees you up to focus on the needs of
  students

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New Paradigms

• Agreement to compete on price and service
• Collaboration through PESC, a neutral objective
  third party, levels the playing field and allows
  a trusting environment
• PESC does not benefit from the national standards
  agreed upon by the community

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Standards Forum for Education

• Founded August 4, 2000
• Serves as the operational arm of PESC
• Candidates for standards are proposed,
  developed, and processed by the Standards Forum
• Governed by a Steering Committee
• Includes multiple Boards and Workgroups

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Mega Standards and Transactions

• Focus is on grouping of simple and complex
  elements into business message or transactions
• National, education community, PESC approved
  standards
• High School Transcript
• Postsecondary Transcript
• Common Record CommonLine (CRC)
• Data Transport

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Core Components

• Standardizing simple data elements
• Populating Core Main data dictionary with all
  simple core components/elements
• Sector libraries allow migration from where an
  organization or sector is today to national
  standards
• A simple core component in a sector library,
  which still must be in Core Main, may have a
  slightly different definition
• Complex core components/elements, the grouping
  of several simple core components/elements,
  follow the same methodology

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• XML High School Transcript
• Developed by the Standards Forum for Education
• Based on PESC XML Technical Specifications and
  Education Data Dictionary
• July 2006 version 1.0 approved by PESC Members
  and released as PESC approved standard

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• XML Postsecondary Transcript
• Jointly developed by the Standards Forum for
  Education, SPEEDE, and ESC
• Based on PESC XML Technical Specifications and
  Education Data Dictionary
• July 2004 version 1.0 approved by PESC Members
  and released as PESC approved standard

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• Common Record CommonLine
• Developed by ESC with support from SPEEDE and
  Standards Forum for Education
• Based on PESC XML Technical Specifications and
  Education Data Dictionary
• November 2005 version 1.1 approved by PESC
  Members and released as PESC approved standard

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?
CommonLine 4
Phases out CL95, CL96, CL3
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CommonLine 5

Common Record
Phased out
PELL
Required
Optional
Early Adopters
Phased out
1.0 Required ??
Direct Lending
Phased out
Campus-Based
FAFSA/ISIR
Begin Migration ??
Servicing/CAM
2001
2003
2002
2005
2004
2006
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FAFSA - ISIR
Graduation
Sales
Certification
Repayment
Delinquency
MPN
Payoff
Cure - Claim
Consolidation
Guarantee
Subrogation
Disbursement
Deferment
NSLDS
799 - LARS
Changes
Forbearance
Life of the Loan
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• Data Transport
• Jointly developed by the Standards Forum for
  Education and ESC
• Based on Best Practices and Latest Technologies
• May 2006 version 1.0 approved by PESC Members
  and released as PESC approved standard

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Hierarchy
Board of Directors
Steering Committee
Technical Advisory Board
Submission Advisory Board
Change Control Board
Workgroups
Graham Tracey, Datatel
Randy Mertens, Nelnet
Steve Margenau, Great Lakes
Transcript R R/Ackn/Batch
Admission Application
Online Loan Counseling
Student Aid Inquiry
Data Transport
National Test Score Report
Course Catalog
Taxonomy
Degree Audit R R
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• Policies and Procedures
• Released to PESC Membership in October 2004 for
  comment period
• Released to Education Community March 2005
• Focus is on collaboration, submission, approval,
  and maintenance
• Includes Process, PESC Guidelines for XML
  Architecture and Data Modeling, Users Guide for
  XML Registry and Repository for the Education
  Community

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• XML Registry and Repository for the Education
  Community
• Developed and owned by FSA
• Administered by PESC
• Stores PESC approved standards

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The Process

• Review the PESC Policies and Procedures Manual
• This manual is the roadmap to achieving the goal
  of developing an industry-accepted, PESC-approved
  standard
• http//www.PESC.org/Info/Policies-Procedures.asp

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Initial Project Steps

• The manual contains
• Information on the Standards Forum
• Standards Submission Approval Process
• The Change Control Process
• PESC Guidelines for XML Architecture and Data
  Modeling
• XML Registry and Repository for the Education
  Community User Guide

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Initial Project Steps

• Document the standard to be developed including
• Business drivers
• History
• Expected Outcomes
• Benefits
• Need for collaboration

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Initial Project Steps

• Submit Letter of Intent to PESC (Sample Letter
  available in manual)
• Letter of Intent includes business justification,
  business problem to be solved, history, etc.
• PESC Accepts the Letter of Intent
• Letter of Intent published in The Standard and
  posted on the PESC website

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Initial Project Steps

• Submission Advisory Board assigns a Mentor
• The Mentor will assist the workgroup by guiding
  them through the standard development process
• Workgroup Co-Chairs are appointed
• Mentor and Co-Chairs plan industry kick-off
  meeting (either in person or conference call)
• Community is notified of the kick-off meeting

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Development Steps

• Goals of Initial Kick-Off Meeting
• Review intent of project
• PESC Policies and Procedures Manual
  (www.pesc.org/info/policies-procedures.asp)
• Determine if it is necessary to break projects
  into phases
• Plan for completing project
• Set meeting and conference call schedule
• Notes should be taken, appropriately distributed,
  and posted in the Workgroup Section of the PESC
  website for each meeting/conference call

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Development Steps

• Identify business processes that may be impacted
  by the development of this standard
• For XML standards, identify data elements
  currently in use for this process
• Gather current standard and/or proprietary
  formats that organizations are currently using to
  exchange this data
• Resolve redundant, overlapping data
• Reach consensus on tag names, business
  definitions, lengths, contents, etc.

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Development Steps

• Review each data element for clarity of purpose
  and usage
• Match data elements with the PESC Core Components
  in the XML Registry and Repository for the
  Education Community
• The Registry and Repository has an excellent
  search feature that can be used to find
  components that have already been defined by the
  Education Community

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Development Steps

• Workgroups should verify the status of the
  components in the Registry and Repository
• The Status should be Approved
• The Status could also contain the values of
  Submitted, Withdrawn, or Deprecated

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Development Steps

• Review to ensure compatibility of elements and
  identify new elements
• Each element should be entered into the Core
  Component Submission Template (www.pesc.org/info/p
  olicies-procedures.asp)
• Submission Template Data Categories
• Use Already Existing Core Component As Is
• Modify Already Existing Core Component
• Add New Core Component

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Development Steps

• Submit Core Component Submission to PESC for
  review by the Submission Advisory Board
• Following review by the Submission Advisory
  Board, the Core Components are submitted for
  final review by the Change Control Board
• The new and modified Core Components are updated
  into the XML Registry and Repository

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Development Steps

• The workgroup then develops the schema according
  to business rules and PESC Guidelines for XML
  Architecture and Data Modeling
• The schema is submitted to PESC Submission
  Advisory Board for review
• Following review by the Submission Advisory
  Board, the schema is submitted to the Change
  Control Board

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Approval Steps

• Workgroup must also develop an Implementation
  Guide to help in implementation
• Following review and approval by the Change
  Control Board, the proposed standard is released
  for a 30-day public comment period
• Schema and Implementation Guide are posted on the
  PESC website
• Public comments are reviewed and addressed by the
  workgroup in cooperation with the CCB (comments
  and responses posted on the PESC website)

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Approval Steps

• Once all public comments have been addressed,
  then the proposed standard is submitted to the
  PESC Members for a vote
• All PESC Members in good standing are eligible to
  vote
• 80 of votes cast must be affirmative in order
  for candidate to become a standard

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Approval Steps

• If the proposed standard receives at least an 80
  affirmative vote, then it is presented to the
  PESC Board of Directors for ratification
• Following Board ratification, then public
  announcements are made and the schema(s) and
  appropriate documentation are posted to the PESC
  website

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Using the XML Registry and Repository
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Documentation

• Complete documentation for the XML Registry and
  Repository can be found under the Standards
  Info section of the PESC website by clicking on
  XML Registry Repository User Guide v 1.0.0 or
  at
• http//www.pesc.org/info/policies/XML-R-R-User-Gui
  de.doc

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Evolution of Standardization

• Focus has been on external data exchange in
  higher education
• Methodology has followed the lifecycle of a
  student
• Strategic direction looks to move beyond student
  administrative standards to standardizing
  internal data exchange from one system/module to
  another
• Long term goal is to standardize student
  authentication
• Ability to re-use data provides costs savings

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One Standard for pK20

• Higher education (PESC), pK12 (SIFA), and US
  Department of Education (FSA, NCES, CFO, CIO,
  EDEN) are working together to establish one set
  of standards per sector
• Purpose is to explore the possibility of setting
  one set of core components across the entire
  student/education lifecycle
• Migration away from silos and/or stovepipes
• Realization and implementation will take years

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The Cost of Non-Standardization
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THANK YOU!Please be sure to complete your
conference evaluation forms after the conference!

• Michael D. Sessa
• Executive Director
• PESC
• Sessa_at_PESC.org
• 202-293-7383