A4L Community Newsletter - June 2016 June 2016 | Page 4

NEWSLETTER | Issue 32

4

Our Priorities for the year ahead…
The vision and mission have not

Strategic Tech: Priority Areas.

The

adopted and implemented. Building off

changed much since 1997 – we still

various outreach mechanisms

data

the “simple” S of the 4S’s, numerous

collectively as a Community have work

collection points indicated that highest

technical tools and detailed successful

to do.

on

adoption documents will be developed.

But just like education and

the

list

were

those

technical

learning, we have the opportunity to

activities:

T hese are designed to promote the

continue and expand on the great work

●

Bridging the gap between SIF

Community’s work as the “best fit for

2x and 3x

my use case” by both end users and

Raising the bar for Certification

marketplace providers.

of one of the world’s largest non-profit
technical

community

dedicated

to

●
●

allowing schools to do what they do
best – teach!

Support for national projects in
all three Communities

●

development of Open Source
Solutions and APIs
Tech:

priorities.

The

“next

offerings.

up”

Technology maturation
Data Model expansion
Implementation

tools

ways we are addressing the challenges
we

face

needs

Community

to

has

evolve.

made

The

numerous

Strategic Tech: Tertiary Priorities.
Numerous global Community needs are
identified in the next set of priorities.
These technical activities include:

●

efforts lately to expand from its original

●

and movement of educational data to
include

now

the

usage

of

Increased Open Source Tools
development

charge in addressing the management

Various Data Model and
Infrastructure enhancements

that

information and the various policies,

Strategic Tech: The Rest.

effective

The

practices

and

expanded

remaining

technical

membership to address the entire

activities, if time, resources

ecosystem of schools.

and

Steps Underway… During 2015 there
was extensive outreach to Community
and even non-Community members via
meetings, surveys, one on one’s and

commitment

members
large
challenges

allow,

from
includes

infrastructure
and

Underwriting the great

work being done in the North American
key

support documentation and

though the charge has not changed, the

expansion.

Student Data Privacy Consortium is also

are focused on:

A Change in Delivery Methods. Even

world use case, the solution developed

Secondary

priorities from the Community

●
●
●

are “Solution templates” outlining a real
and the suggestions for replication and

Encourage the

Strategic

Key to these

additional

Open Source development.

even developing proposals for funding

Usage / Adoption Priorities.

all done in the attempt gather the “will

The world’s grandest set of

of the group”.

technical initiatives done by
the smartest in the field all
are for naught if they are not

to

expand

the

Community’s

As stated earlier, there is a lot to be
done. But with a committed global
community and the huge need that
they address each day, it can be done.
The leadership of all three Communities
will constantly review this roadmap,
develop detours when needed and
ensure the resources exist “fix the
roads ahead”!
Technical Roadmap report is available
for review in three different formats:
 Technical Roadmap Report (pdf)
 Global Technical Roadmap (pps)
 Technical Roadmap (mov)