Implementing state-wide electronic transcript exchange using xml and PESC Frankie Baker Manager, Administrative Technology Support frankie.baker@cincinnatistate.edu http://webapps.cincinnatistate.edu/SharedSource/SharedDocuments

Agenda Business challenges with transcripts The Tower of Babel Higher ed.’s “Tower of Babel’ Bridging the “language” barrier The Universal Translator A “Universal Translator” for transcripts? Technologies Ohio’s “Universal Translator” ATC business challenges ATC walk-through Future

Business challenges with transcripts Avoiding paper transcripts Avoiding lag time US Mail Transcript evaluation Manual input to SIS Avoiding manual input errors Improving service to students Removing barriers to transfer

The Tower of Babel Biblical story City of Babel – One language Tower built to “redeem the successes of mankind” God punished all by giving everyone different languages and spreading them across the world No longer communicate Tower was never finished

Higher ed.’s “Tower of Babel” Different platforms Linux, Mac, IBM, UNIX, Windows, others Different databases Oracle, SQL Server, UniData, DB2, Informix, others Few standards across SIS’s Data formats Different tables (files) and columns (fields) Varying technical expertise others…

Bridging the “language” barrier One state-wide higher education SIS? All institutions use the same SIS? 1 standard transcript across the state (country)

The Universal Translator Sci-fi device to translate one language into another Home-land security developing a real universal translator A real-life universal translator for transcripts?

A “Universal Translator” for transcripts? PESC: Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council Established in 1997 PESC's mission is to lead the establishment and adoption of data exchange standards in education. PESC’s first xml standard approved in July, 2004 www.pesc.org

Technologies: Why xml? Traditional data file Traditional data files have no “intelligence” built in Must have a user document to manually validate the file xml data files have built in “intelligence” Self documenting, to some extent Standard for data exchange on web xml equivalent

Technologies: What is PESC? National standard A schema (definition/validation file) that is used to validate an xml document in an automated fashion Schema defines required and optional fields Defines possible data values Example: SessionType

Technologies: What is PESC? (samples) View PESC xml transcript View PESC xml schema

Ohio’s “Universal Translator” Ohio Board of Regents Articulation and Transfer Clearinghouse project (ATC) Central clearinghouse Public first; private down-the-road Strong support from state and Chancellor Implement PESC

ATC Business Challenges Central Clearinghouse All institutions send and receive thru clearinghouse; not to each other Stores demographic/contact info. for institutions

ATC Business Challenges (cont.) OBR funds development of 4 SIS Interfaces Banner, Datatel, Jenzabar, PeopleSoft 4 institutions received grant $ to develop SIS interfaces SIS interfaces installed and configured on participating institutions servers

ATC Business Challenges (cont.) Respect institution specific business rules PESC Schema is open; general agreement of standard data GPA “Pure” GPA “Forgiveness” Repeat courses

ATC walk-through: Transcript flow Step 1 Step 2 Step 4 Step 3

ATC walk-through: Demonstration

Future High schools State-wide; nation-wide

Implementing state-wide electronic transcript exchange using xml and PESC Frankie Baker Manager, Administrative Technology Support frankie.baker@cincinnatistate.edu http://webapps.cincinnatistate.edu/SharedSource/SharedDocuments