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Making Interoperability a Reality with Assessment Data
Assessment data plays a pivotal role in tracking student progress, and as Data Engineer Manager Julianna Alvord highlights in this blog, integrating this data remains a significant challenge. Variations in formats, standards, and structures across vendors, states, and educational levels often create barriers to effective data use. Julianna details how EA has addressed these challenges by developing tools like Earthmover and Lightbeam. These innovative solutions enable seamless integration of assessment data into the Ed-Fi data model, transforming diverse datasets into standardized formats for meaningful analysis. By converting and mapping data from multiple sources, these tools empower educators to make data-driven decisions; however, the complexity of assessment data—ranging from differing score types and definitions to varying assessment hierarchies—necessitates robust and ongoing governance. This ensures data consistency, clarity, and usability across systems, ultimately supporting more effective educational outcomes. Through our collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), EA has refined governance practices for assessment data integration, focusing on defining clear assessment structures, handling score variability, and addressing historical data challenges.