National Landscape of K-12 and Higher Education Data Interoperability Standards V1
In an increasingly connected world, the ability to securely and efficiently share data is fundamental to educational progress. The national landscape of data interoperability is defined by a set of established, in-production standards that enable communication across critical systems. These standards provide a shared framework that helps states avoid creating isolated, incompatible technologies, which often lead to duplicated efforts and data silos that hinder progress for learners.
This overview provides an overview of the national landscape of key data interoperability standards for K-12 and higher education that are currently in production across the country.
The Core Purpose: A Unified View of Live Standards
The primary purpose of this landscape view is to provide a consolidated understanding of the authoritative, in-production data standards that education agencies are currently using. This map is a live resource and will evolve and change over time. We have done our best to verify this information with state education CIOS and with the standards bodies. If you have a correction to the map, please submit it here.
Our goal is to aid the conversation for state use cases and standards adoption by providing transparent production data, and to support the state to:
Scale What Works: Rather than developing new data models from scratch, states can adopt nationally vetted, in-production standards, such as Ed-Fi for their operational data infrastructure and CEDS (Common Education Data Standards) for alignment to a standard schema. These provide robust, well-defined frameworks for State Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) and other platforms, significantly reducing development time and costs.
Improve Educational Outcomes with Integrated Data: By implementing these live standards, educators and policymakers can connect disparate data sources (e.g., student information systems, assessment platforms, and learning management systems). This creates a holistic view of learner journeys, which is essential for improving instruction, personalizing supports, and developing more effective and equitable programs.
Future-Proof Investments with Community-Driven Standards: Aligning state education data systems with community-supported, open standards ensures long-term sustainability and adaptability. This approach prevents vendor lock-in and allows states to leverage a national ecosystem of tools, expertise, and ongoing innovation.
By understanding and leveraging this national landscape of live standards, states can build smarter, more connected education data ecosystems that meet the collaborative challenges of the future and better serve every learner.
