The A4L Community Open API for K12 Enables Community-Driven Solutions to Further Ed Tech Potential

WASHINGTON - July 6, 2016 - PRLog -- The xPress API suite embodies simplicity in its design by using contemporary technologies like REST, JSON and OAuth, enabling direct communication among systems and representing commonly used data in a straightforward manner. Most developers will immediately grasp the concepts and implementation because xPress APIs look and act just like other contemporary APIs. Since xPress is built on the modern SIF 3 stack of technologies, it "opens the door" to building integrations that scale up to state level and large district enterprises. xPress APIs currently include open standards for rostering (xPress Roster) and student record exchange (xPress SRE), with more APIs to follow based on priorities established by the A4L Community.

In New York, the twelve Regional Information Centers (RICs) have successfully implemented xPress Roster with their RIC One initiative. RIC One is a family of services that enables districts to more efficiently and effectively utilize student data systems and to improve school operations and classroom instruction, while ensuring the privacy of sensitive student data. The development of RIC One stems from districts' increasing needs to better integrate data between systems, implement new solutions with ease, access all solutions via a single sign-on, and continue to add new applications for their users. RIC One provides interoperability for products that wish to use a standards-based approach to achieving interoperability. Districts remain in control of their data while it is in the custody of their RICs.

"RIC One API is a statewide, comprehensive interoperability service that uses A4L's xPress Roster to provide vendors with the convenience of an open, standard API for rostering while ensuring districts remain in complete control of their data. The implementation of this important work will help teachers and their students by providing secure, community-driven solutions to educators."
         Joseph Fitzgerald, Assistant Director, Lower Hudson Regional Information Center

For more information about xPress Roster and xPress SRE, please visit xpressapi.org.  The website provides:
• A rationale and comparison that shows why xPress Roster should be considered as the best rostering solution for districts, states and vendors
• A solution template outlining how you can replicate RIC One's success with xPress Roster
• User examples highlighting specific use cases for xPress Roster
• A sandbox for software developers that provides an opportunity to interact dynamically with the roster API using sample data
• Information about the xPress Roster Consumer Certification Program, which helps to ensure high quality, easy integrations for client applications

"We do not intend to take a step back technically and use a CSV file transport system in our statewide rostering solution to over 100 applications.  We want to provide real time data access to those applications requiring roster information and the A4L xPress Roster is the only marketplace solution that can address our statewide needs."
         Sterling Beane, CIO, West Virginia Department of Education

To find out more about xPress APIs, why not join us at our next webinar at 2pm EST on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 - https://www.a4l.org/Events/Pages/WEBINAR-xPress-APIs.aspx


About the Access 4 Learning Community
The Access 4 Learning (A4L) Community, previously the SIF Association, is a unique, non-profit collaboration composed of schools, districts, local authorities, states, US and International Ministries of Education, software vendors and consultants who collectively address all aspects of learning information management and access to support learning.  The A4L Community is "Powered by SIF" Specifications as its major technical tool to allow for this management and access simply, securely and in a scalable, standard way regardless of the platform hosting those applications. The Access 4 Learning Community has united these education technology end users and providers in an unprecedented effort to give teachers more time to do what they do best: teach. For further information, visit https://www.A4L.org