In our previous posts we looked at what it means to standardize and how to determine you’re ready for standardization. In this final installment, we address how and when to engage with standards bodies.
Consider this scenario: You’re curious about the effect switching to virtual education has on student attendance in your district.
After looking at information in your district, you find that virtual education takes many forms in your various schools. You have read the other two blogs in this series (Part 1 and Part 2) and decide to do a landscape analysis. You notice that one form of virtual education your district implements is not in any of the standards you reviewed. You know this learning technique is being used by other schools around the country and you want to standardize the concept.
You heard engaging with standards bodies is the next logical step, but what is a standards body? How do you engage them? When do you engage them? Let’s take this one step at a time.
1. What is a standards body?
A standards body is an organization that supports and manages the development and use of a standard. Standards bodies define the use cases that require standardization, work with stakeholders to define the standard, and then make the standard accessible to others.
Technically, anyone can develop a “standard.” However, wide adoption and use is what is so powerful about standards. The more organizations use the standard, the greater the breadth of data can be shared and integrated. For education data standards, we recommend you begin with the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS).
CEDS is an early childhood through workforce (P20W) standard. Other education standards bodies that collaborate with the Common Education Data Standards include Access4Learning, Ed-Fi, IMS Global and the Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council. Each of these standards bodies have more defined focus.
Don’t worry about picking the “wrong” one, because these standards bodies often work together and can direct you to the correct path.
2. How do you engage a standards body?
Some of the standards bodies, such as CEDS, are open source and accept suggestions for new data elements and topics from the education data community at any time. Committees are formed ad hoc as community interest is expressed.
Other standards bodies work with stakeholders through a set timeline. They plan out the topics for the year based on stakeholder feedback and then arrange committees and meetings for discussion. Generally, you can join these committees at any time, but the work may have already begun.
The best process for getting started is by reaching out via their contact page on their website. This affords you the opportunity to explain your interest and allows the standards body to respond with the best approaches for you.
3. When do you engage a standards body?
When to engage a standards body depends on whether you want to (A) develop the standard yourself, (B) contribute to the standards body, or (C) become a partner with the standards body.
(A) Developing the standard yourself
When you develop the standard yourself, this means that you and your peers define the concept, conduct the landscape analysis, and prepare a concept for standardization on your own. With this approach you engage the standards body very late in the process. In fact, only once you have determined a common definition and set of options for the element, do you approach the standards body to have it incorporated into their standard.
The benefit to the “do it yourself” (DIY) approach is that you maintain control of the concept until the very end. There are several challenges, however. The power of a standard is that it is widely accepted and utilized by the field, which means you need to bring the standard to a standards body. But, bringing it to a standards body so late may require significant deconstruction or changes to your work in order to fit their standards. This could negatively impact stakeholders who were brought in early since they would be required to modify their efforts to align to required changes in the data standard or risk being out-of-sync with the community.
(B) Contributing to the standards body
Option B is to identify that a topic is emerging, contact the standards body about the emerging topic and contribute all of the information you have for them to develop the concept into a standard. In this approach, you engage a standards body early in the process.
The benefit is that it requires much less coordination on your part, and you and your peers can remain involved to the extent you are comfortable. The challenge is that standardization may not happen as quickly as you like or at all. The timeline will be determined by the standards body’s priorities, staff availability, and funding. There is no guarantee new elements will be incorporated.
(C) Becoming partners with the standards body
Option C is to partner with a standards body. In this scenario, as you and your peers are discussing the emerging concept, you bring the standards body to the table. They are part of the conversation and can provide information about what already exists, and how they might incorporate the new concept into their existing standard.
The benefit to this approach is that it is potentially faster and more efficient because you work alongside the standards body and develop using their naming conventions and data model. Of course, the challenge is that it involves a higher level of effort for you than Option B.
All three approaches have benefits and challenges. You must decide which best suits you.
Now that I understand standardization, what do I do?
Standards are only as good as the stakeholders who use them. Standards require active participation, both to define emerging concepts and to apply the standards unilaterally.
Look for opportunities to help the education community come to consensus on concepts and be vigilant about engaging with standards bodies. Become involved in standards communities by signing up for their email listservs, following them on social media, and/or joining their communities.
Standardizing education data leads to more accurate and robust data analysis, which in turn informs the education policies set forth to teach our children for the future.
Any questions about navigating standards bodies? You can reach out to us anytime.
