Understanding the Resource Table

Contents

Overview

The contents of each resource are presented using a structure that mirrors the sequence of elements within the Ed-Fi JSON specification and your specific Ed-Fi implementation. While there is also an Ed-Fi XML specification, the Ed-Fi implementation uses the JSON data-category format to transmit data. JSON employs a transactional processing model to transmit only the data elements that have been added or changed since the last update to the state Ed-Fi Data Hub. Therefore, depending on the transaction, only a subset of elements within a resource may be transmitted, and the PowerSchool output file will not reflect the full content as depicted in the resource table.

Selection Criteria

Within the introduction to each resource, the Selection Criteria section summarizes the requirements and related business logic governing the publishing of resources. The specified conditions must be met in order for data within a resource to be extracted for transmission.

Resource Output

The Resource Output section first summarizes the contents and key elements within the published data. Depending on the resource, a single record or multiple records may be published for a single student. An example of the single record model is the student resource, in which a single record per district student is published. Multiple records apply to resources with a one-to-many relationship, such as the studentSchoolAssociation resource where, for each student, a separate record is published for each school the student attends. Any dependencies that may govern the successful publishing of a resource are also listed.

Following the resource output summary, each resource output table lists the corresponding data elements and their specified properties, including the description, data type, PowerSchool source field, and an indication if the element is required or not.

Some Ed-Fi resources contain multi-element complexes comprised of a set of related fields, also referred to as an array in the specifications. These can be recognized by the presence of a header shown above the child data elements contained within the complex, and by the use of indenting and forward slashes to depict the parent-child relationship of the included elements.

Output Table Content and Conventions

Resource output tables include the following information:

Data Element – The name of the data element or array (multi-element complex). In the case of arrays, each element that comprises the complex is listed.

Note: This document uses the JSON property name when listing the data element name.

- The first letter of the JSON element name will be in lower case.
- If the element is a type, the JSON element name will end with "Type".
- If the element is a descriptor, the JSON element name will be the descriptor name, and will end with "Descriptor".
Description – Additional information about the element, including state reporting rules.
Data Type – The JSON data type specified for the data element output, such as string, integer, date, descriptor, etc.

Note: The source PowerSchool field type may differ, and will be transformed as required in the output file.

Stored in Table.Field – The name of the source PowerSchool table and field where the data is stored, or from which the data output is derived.
Req'd – A value of "R" or "O" indicates whether the element is required or optional.

Descriptors and Types

Many data elements have output values that are governed by standardized Descriptors or Types, designated by the presence of "Descriptor" or "Type" at the end of the data element name. Descriptors and Types are bound by code sets that represent the valid state codes required by the Department of Education when Ed-Fi data is transmitted to the state Ed-Fi Data Hub. Types are generally standardized Ed-Fi value sets that are not state-specific. Descriptors are state-specific codes, often based on one of the types. Where a descriptor exists that corresponds to a type, the descriptor is used. There are also some cases where types are defined or extended by the state.

These codes, along with their descriptions, are included in the data views within the Descriptors category in the Download Data section on the PowerSchool Ed-Fi Reporting Page. The values stored in PowerSchool are mapped in the Ed-Fi output to Descriptor or Type state code values using these Ed-Fi output conventions:

Descriptors are output using the CodeValue.
Types are output using the Short Description.

In many cases, local values stored in PowerSchool are mapped internally to the required Ed-Fi output values within the PowerSchool Ed-Fi publishing routines, and no user intervention is required. In some cases, local values stored in PowerSchool must first be mapped by the district to the equivalent Descriptor or Type state values on the Ed-Fi Code Set Mappings page. Additional information about Ed-Fi Code Set Mappings can be found in the PowerSchool Data Exchange documentation.

Education Organization IDs

Every resource includes a reference to one or more Education Organization IDs. These identifiers are typically assigned by the state and entered into PowerSchool. When resources and elements are subsequently published to the state, the same identifiers are used. As needed, local values residing in PowerSchool are automatically converted to the required state format. As an example, depending on the state, the PowerSchool source value for SchoolID may require transformation to add zero padding or to combine the school number with an additional identifier. Any required conversions are automatically applied during the Ed-Fi publishing process. The following abbreviations are used when referring to Education Organization IDs:

State Education Agency - SEAID
Local Education Agency - LEAID
School – SchoolID