electronic transcript collaborative sea portals & longitudinal grants esp solutions...

Electronic Transcript CollaborativeSEA Portals & Longitudinal GrantsESP Solutions Group/National Transcript Center

June 6, 2005

Introduction & Overview

Longitudinal Transcript Collaborative

NTC Participants• Glynn Ligon, Ph.D.

– President, ESP Solutions Group– Charter Committee Member, SPEEDE/ExPRESS

• Barbara Clements, Ph.D.– Vice President of Education Services, ESP Solutions Group– Charter Committee Member, SPEEDE/ExPRESS

• Mark Johnson– Chief Operating Officer, ESP Solutions Group– General Manager, National Transcript Center

• Greg Nadeau– Vice President of Expert Advisory Services, ESP Solutions Group– SIF Board Member, on E-Transcript Working Group

• Barbara Andrepont– Senior Data Management Architect, ESP Solutions Group– SIF Board Member, Chairperson of E-Transcript Working Group


Quick Introduction to NTC• NEW, soon-to-be launched central server• Created and hosted by ESP Solutions Group

– ESP is the leading designer and integrator of student record exchange systems for K-12 state education agencies

– ESP has a deep history with electronic transcripts (SPEEDE/ExPRESS)• Backed by over $2 Million in funding

– Commitment to “best in class” technology, security, and service levels– What this means to you: Trust, peace-of-mind, scalability, attention

• Business model: Postsecondary and K-12 institutions join as individual members– Also, K-12 Agencies can create state portals. This is what we are

discussing today. You would apply for a grant to create a state portal. – Massive state adoptions infuse millions of electronic transcripts into the

NTC network. – Makes participation more compelling for both K-12 and higher education

customers


ESP/NTC Solution Overview• NTC understands the underlying business requirements driving the

need for such a solution for both K-12 school districts and SEA member institutions.

• NTC offers a solution that meets these requirements and offers the capability to grow as local, State, and Federal demands increase.

• ESP has an excellent track record in developing and deploying complex systems for state education agencies and for public education providers.

• NTC has smart ways to solve the local SIS challenge and get data in/out of the district/school

• NTC is prepared to continuously update your system – and it has already shown a commitment to open standard bodies like SIF and PESC.


Transcripts & Longitudinal RecordsStudent transcripts are the quintessential longitudinal

student record, and they can:• Link Individual Student Records Across Years• Improve Data Quality• Track Mobile Students• Reduce Cycle Time• Bridge Elementary and Middle School Longitudinal

Records• Identify State Scholarship Recipients


We Have the Historical PerspectiveWhy E-Transcripts Did Not Work in the Past EDI did not work for several reasons, and NTC keeps these issues in mind as it

builds out its offering:• There will never be a single standard

– Too many competing constituencies– H.S. and colleges asked to deal with multiple standards– Therefore, registrars just stuck with paper

• Getting data in and out of the SIS electronically is very difficult• A culture change is required

– You can’t just say, “This is better” to registrars– Need to provide training and support

• Did not involve the Non-Academic Organizations– If they are not brought it, then registrars are still dealing with a lot of paper

• Even a standard is not always good enough– XML ≠ XML (There are too many options within standards)– EDI ≠ EDI (Need to have an agreed-upon profile or template)

A Quick Look


NTC Screenshots

Please note that these screenshots are EXAMPLES ONLY. These screenshots are not intended to indicate that your state’s user interface design is complete or set in stone. Rather, NTC will work with your SEA to create, tailor, and test a new state-specific interface.


NTC Screenshots


NTC Screenshots

These are just a few screenshots.

Ask for a WebEx demo of the full

interface.

Value Proposition & Vision


The NTC Value PropositionNTC solves major problems for your state’s Postsecondary and K-12

education institutions: • Helps paper-based institutions convert to an electronic process –

easily, inexpensively, and quickly. The economic benefits are quantifiable and compelling.

• Allows any institution – regardless of the protocol that it uses (e.g., XML, EDI) – to send and receive with any other partner in the network. This is a breakthrough technology.

• Brings major improvements in transmission security and transcript fraud prevention. Institutions can attain peace of mind.

• Saves valuable time and money. Better, faster, AND cheaper.• Improves the tracking and reporting of K-12 mobile students,

dropouts, and migrant students. This helps improve data quality.


The NTC Vision

PESC XML, SIF, EDI, and any

open standard

SEA-branded experience onESP’s National

Transcript Server

District C

District B

District A

District n

Your State’sE-Transcript Portal

SIS Interfaces

NTC Data Translation

Engine

Univ. C

College B

Jr. Coll. A

Inst. nScholarship Organizations

Major Employers

Other Education Organizations

Individuals (PDF)

New Migrant Student System

Any District, USA

Any District, USA

…and other SEA’s

District 4A

District 4B

SEA #4

District 3A

District 3B

SEA #3

District 2A

District 2B

SEA #2

Colleges on UT Server (EDI)

Over 550Colleges not on UT Server (XML) outside of your state

Northwestern Univ.

Penn State Univ.

State K-12 Districts Your State’sColleges/Universities

Our Qualifications


ESP Solutions Group• National leader in education data systems – have

assisted all 52 state education agencies in last 2 years• Pioneered concept of education “Data Driven Decision

Making” in the 1970’s• Major force in NCES and SIF; We chair the SIF e-

Transcript working group• Working on PESC High School XML Transcript standard

and attending AACRAO Technology conferences• Major focus on student record exchange systems• Trusted developer of large-scale systems for state

education agencies– Known for “delighting” the client

Our Solution


What Your State Receives• A State-specific E-Transcript portal

– Branded as your own portal (your name)– Easy-to-use web interface

• Robust functionality and simple user interface– Including analysis of longitudinal records (limited access)

• Continuously updated and enhanced– You have outsourced all your transcript headaches and

responsibilities to NTC

• Hosted on a solid infrastructure technology stack


Solution Architecture• Three-tier, services-oriented architecture brings leading

edge technology to the E-Transcript System solution – from the beginning

• Zero-footprint client – accessed entirely through a simple web browser with no plug-ins required

• Standards-based platforms instill flexibility from the ground up

• National standards are supported, inc. PESC (XML), SIF (XML), SPEEDE (EDI), and ASCII

• Easy-to-use interface designed by SEA in conjunction with NTC

• Scalability, reliability, security, modularity, extensibility


Data Format Standards• Our system supports the most recent two releases of the EDI

and XML standards, including:– Postsecondary Education Standards Council (PESC) College

Transcript XML standard– ANSI X.12 EDI College Transcript (SPEEDE Committee of

AACRAO) standard • In addition, the National Transcript Center will also support the:

– SEA E-Transcript Initiative Extract File structure for your state’s K-12 districts

– Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) E-Transcript Profile• ESP chairs the SIF E-Transcript Working Group

– PESC XML High School transcript standard• ESP personnel are on the PESC XML High School Transcript workgroup

• NTC is committed to supporting OPEN standards, not proprietary vendor standards

– As more become prevalent, NTC will be leading the charge to crosswalk those and integrate them into our Data Translation Engine

Member institutions determine which they standard they would like to use, on their own.

Institutions communicate with NTC using their preferred standard, receiving translated data. This enables any user of one standard to exchange records with virtually users of every other standard.


FERPA and Privacy• ESP Solutions Group is one of the premier consulting firms in the

nation for interpreting Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements for state education agencies– NTC/ESP IS ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO PROTECTING AND

MASKING THE IDENTITIES OF RECORD HOLDERS in situations that are outside the parameters of FERPA

• Through its work with the U.S. Department of Education, ESP helps state education agencies comply with FERPA's privacy and security requirements – http://www.ed.gov/offices/OII/fpco/ferpa/– This means SEA is not hiring a vendor who is learning on the job

• ESP Solutions Group is in a position to provide SEA with more and better FERPA insight than local programming shops – Wrote the Confidentiality and Use Policies for several states– Previously worked with USED and other state education agencies

around the country on similar student record exchange projects

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OII/fpco/ferpa/


Application Security• Member institutions will transact with the E-Transcript Initiative only through

highly secure HTTPS Internet connections.– 128-bit SSL digital certificates

• NTC employs policies, procedures, and technical protocols that prevent the unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information.

– Crucial given the confidential nature of student records

• NTC uses Extreme Networks' multi-layered security to safeguard our network.

– Airtight authentication blocks users at the switch, until they've been approved.– Extensive Access Control Lists (ACLs) make it easy to apply policies that keep

users from reaching restricted resources.– This approach helps defend against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks without

degrading application performance and allow us to integrate intrusion prevention systems within the network.

• NTC supports Internet-based secure file transfers between the various system servers including secure FTP and secure email.


Physical/Hosted Security• Hosted at co-location facilities around the country

– First facility: in New York. Same facility used by large multinational banks to process billions of dollars in transactions a day.

– “Scalability Roadmap” brings on other facilities across the U.S. for redundancy• NTC includes a number of features to strengthen physical security of the

server and of data. – Onsite security at our facility is provided by a combination of biometric hand

scanners, electronic card control systems, hi-resolution motion sensitive digital video surveillance systems and onsite personnel.

– Access into the facility is granted only after positive identification (both manual and bio-metric) has been established.

– Movement throughout the facility is further tracked by usage of electronic card keys.

• All critical areas of the facility are zoned off and access is allowed only to those individuals that need access to those areas.

– Access to the Meet-Me and POP facilities are provided on an escort-only basis.• NTC’s hardware configuration provides hot-site, fail-safe redundancy

– We know the importance and sensitivity of your state’s data!


System Backup and Failsafe Protection • Power: Redundant 4000 AMP, 480-volt electrical feeds, power the data center. • Besides a total of One Megawatt of redundant UPS power, the facility’s Dual 4,000

AMP Power Feeds houses a fully redundant 2,400 AMP, -48V, positive ground DC Telco power plant and distribution system.

– This system currently powers all fiber providers as well as carriers in the facility. • A fully redundant One Megawatt paralyzing UPS system, redundant Master and

Emergency System Busses (MSB/ESB) and a 2 Megawatt Diesel Generator system with 3500 gallons of fuel, provides backup power for the facility.

• HVAC: Air conditioning and air handling services for our facility 3-180 Ton Chillers are provided by a series of three fully redundant 180-ton data center specific closed loop chiller systems.

– These systems provide over 500 tons of humidity and temperature controlled air conditioning to the data center.

• Fire Detection & Suppression: Fire detection is provided by a facility-wide Very Early Warning Aspirating Smoke Detection System (VESDA).

• Fiber Facilities: SEA Communications Data Center is a Telco and Optically Neutral facility fed by two separate fiber vaults.

– All fiber enters the facility via two divergent routes and into a secure fiber pop. – Seven fiber providers in an optically neutral facility the redundancy and bandwidth needed

for any application


Operations Management• Manage activities required for ongoing operation of E-Transcript Initiative.

These activities include the following:– Business Continuity

• Activities to handle interruptions in service and the efficient recovery of the application operation, including backup/restore procedures

– Performance Management• Monitoring of user response times, removal of bottlenecks and the proactive

management of potential performance issues– Capacity Planning

• Measurement of system growth and the planning, installation, and mobilization of the resources to accommodate it

– Security Monitoring• Continuous process of safeguarding against unauthorized access, including response

procedures in the event of an incident– Configuration Management

• Procedures for managing changes to the application and documentation, including versioning and rollback processes

– Archiving• The removal of aged data from the application and tools and processes for its long-

term storage and access


NTC Training Overview• We recommend that all users take a Web-Based Training (WBT)

course as an overview to the E-Transcript Initiative to help them understand the big picture.

• Each user will have access to a User Manual customized for their user level– Versions: End users, operations staff, and systems/technical staff.

• Trainers will lead Instructor Led Training (ILT) courses – For key state and school district end users, and for those appointed as

“Train the Trainers.”

• Online help will also be designed into the system, so that users can find answers to their questions as they arise. – This is a crucial tool that can help personnel take learning into their own

hands.

• In addition, we will manage a Knowledge Transfer process with your SEA personnel.


Support• NTC provides a Customer Support Help Desk for the E-Transcript

Initiative users, including SEA and school district personnel.– This Help Desk will be supported by the E-Transcript Initiative technical

specialists operating with pager support after business hours. – Business hours are between 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM CST Monday - Friday. – Pager support hours will be 10:00 PM - 5:00 am CST and on the

weekend. – ESP will coordinate with SEA to establish a dedicated e-mail account to

receive customer support requests from district users.– The support team will resolve software application functional issues that

involve functional knowledge which will include researching and recommending code changes and configuration changes.

– Priority levels and escalation procedures for Help Desk Support are documented.

– THIS SUPPORT LEVEL IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICING MODEL.

Conclusion


Why NTC Over Competing AlternativesNTC acknowledges that its central server has not gone live yet and offers up the following

perspective for SEA's consideration:• Electronic transcript solutions are in their infancy

– No leader has yet emerged. Consider selecting whom you think has the best long term solution.

– There will be countless changes over the next few years – can Software Vendors keep up? Will they really want to?

– NTC understands there will constant innovation. That’s the heart of our proposition.• Building your own transcript system creates an island, not a network

– More expensive for you in the long run, and with lower degree of innovation/maintenance• Software Vendor solutions may lack the institutional perspective

– We’re from education institutions and we see it from the your perspective– And, we also bring sound operational experience

• Your SEA can take comfort in ESP’s proven reputation for understanding the complexities of student record exchange

– 9 of student record exchange systems in last five years– Implementer of the most innovative solutions

• Be a part of something much bigger than a state specific solution which limits interstate exchange.


Why NTC? (cont.)• ESP has deep experience in large-scale projects for education agencies.

– This is not a problem for us.– We have many delighted customers and encourage back-channel reference checking.

• More flexible in working with SEA and your state school districts– Typically, Software Vendors try to force their proprietary protocols and processes on the

client.– And, Software Vendors have a more rigid view of their obligations.– ESP typically goes beyond the scope of the contract to delight the client.

• NTC focuses on the biggest problem: Receiving transcripts.– Especially from K-12 (the sheer numbers)– Costs 50% more to process paper transcripts that it does to send

• The highest degree of Interstate participation– Intrastate remains the priority for this engagement, but…– At some point, higher ed institutions will want neighboring states on the same protocol. No

provider together can bring more states as trading partners than previously.• The Intangibles

– 30+ years combined experience working with NCES on course codes, data handbook, etc.– Longitudinal analysis


Our Value Proposition - RecapNTC solves major problems for your state’s Postsecondary and K-12

education institutions: • Helps paper-based institutions convert to an electronic process – easily,

inexpensively, and quickly. – The economic benefits of NTC are quantifiable and compelling.

• Allows any institution – regardless of the protocol that it uses (e.g., XML, EDI) – to send and receive with any other partner in the network.

– NTC is a breakthrough technology.

• Brings major improvements in transmission security and transcript fraud prevention.

– Institutions can attain peace of mind.

• Saves valuable time and money. – Better, faster, AND cheaper.

• Improves the tracking and reporting of K-12 mobile students, dropouts, and migrant students.

– NTC helps improve data quality.


Want to Move Forward?• If you are interested in a state transcript portal on NTC,

then we will provide your state with all the content you need for your application.

• Applications due by June 30– Need to come from the SEA

• Still investigating?1. Schedule a WebEx to see the full interface (the next few days)

2. Conference call with NTC and your state to discuss pricing

3. Conference call with your team to discuss technical matters

For More Information on NTCMark [email protected](512) 458-8364 x107

electronic transcript collaborative sea portals & longitudinal grants esp solutions...

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