THE STEERING COMMITTEE
With a shared mission to leverage data to create better outcomes for students, save time for teachers, and increase efficiencies for schools, we've come together to create an uncommon alliance dedicated to furthering interoperability within the K-12 education space.
ACCESS 4 LEARNING COMMUNITY
The Access 4 Learning (A4L) Community, and its special interest group the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC), is a unique, non-profit collaboration composed of schools, districts, local authorities, states, US and International Ministries of Education, software vendors and consultants. The Community is “Powered by SIF” as its major technical tool to help manage learning data simply, securely and in a scalable, standard way regardless of platform. The SDPC is designed to address the day-to-day, real-world multi- faceted issues faced when protecting learner information by setting common expectations between market providers and end users. The A4L Community is united in “connecting and securing effective learning ecosystems”. With Project Unicorn, we want to elevate the conversations around the efficient and secure management, movement, access and utilization of learning information – for everyone! Contact Penny Murray for Community Information pmurray@a4l.org
COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, the Bureau of Indian Education and the five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO is committed to ensuring that all students participating in our public education system -- regardless of background -- graduate prepared for college, careers, and life. The commitment to support states leading the Restart and Recovery efforts is supported through a learning portal of resources, including a focus on the Home Digital Access Data Collection Blueprint and other resources impacting digital equity.
Interoperability is a priority of the CCSSO CIO Network and the Education Management Information Advisory Collaborative including a project where states use a Capabilities Maturity Model to identify and prioritize areas of growth for interoperability. For more information about the CIO Network or the interoperability efforts contact Dean Folkers at dean.folkers@ccsso.org.
COUNCIL OF THE GREAT CITY SCHOOLS
The Council of the Great City Schools brings together 78 of nation’s largest urban public school systems in a coalition dedicated to the improvement of education for children in the inner cities.
The Council keeps the nation’s lawmakers, the media, and the public informed about the progress and problems in big-city schools. The organization does this through legislation, communications, research, and technical assistance.
CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY & TECHNOLOGY
The Center for Democracy & Technology is a 25-year old 501(c)(3) working to promote democratic values by shaping technology policy and architecture, with a focus on the rights of the individual. Based in Washington, D.C., and with a presence in Brussels, CDT works inclusively across sectors to find tangible solutions to today's most pressing technology policy challenges. Our team of experts includes lawyers, technologists, academics, and analysts, bringing diverse perspectives to all of our efforts.
COMMON EDUCATION DATA STANDARDS
CEDS is a national P20W data standards initiative that supports data management and use efforts for all education stakeholders. Consisting of a strong, open and collaborative community, robust data standard, logical and physical data models, and a suite of supporting tools and resources all publicly available at ceds.ed.gov, CEDS engages with Project Unicorn to increase the awareness for the importance of standardization of the data itself as a critical first step for considering interoperability.
COMMON SENSE
Common Sense Education supports K–12 schools with everything educators need to empower the next generation of digital citizens. Our innovative, award-winning Digital Citizenship Curriculum prepares students with lifelong habits and skills, supports teachers with training and recognition, and engages families and communities with helpful tips and tools. Schools everywhere rely on our free curriculum, expert advice, and edtech ratings to help kids thrive. Our vision: Students thriving as learners, leaders, and citizens in the digital age.
CONSORTIUM FOR SCHOOL NETWORKS
CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. CoSN provides thought leadership resources, community, best practices and advocacy tools to help leaders succeed in the digital transformation. CoSN represents over 13 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education.
As a Project Unicorn Steering Committee member, CoSN works with Project Unicorn to help address the pressing need for K12 e-learning systems to work together. Teachers, admins, and students cannot realize the power of data if it is siloed and inaccessible. The CoSN Interoperability Toolkit is designed to help district technology leaders understand why interoperability standards matter and provide districts with resources to help them on their path to modernization. Contact Paula Maylahn to learn more about CoSN’s interoperability initiatives at pmaylahn@cosn.org.
DIGITAL PROMISE
Digital Promise is focused on accelerating innovation in education to improve opportunities to learn. Our vision is that all people at every stage of their lives have access to learning experiences that help them acquire the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and continuously learn in an ever-changing world.
We work to support school districts in advancing their data equity and interoperability efforts by connecting districts to address their shared challenges and collaborating to create solutions. We want to see Project Unicorn's efforts create momentum within the edtech ecosystem broadly to inspire tangible demonstrations of interoperability to benefit teachers and students that can serve as exemplars for our districts and vendors.
ED-FI ALLIANCE
The Ed-Fi Alliance is a group of education technology stakeholders that have developed a data standard and a suite of technology tools to drive implementation and adoption of interoperability. Our goal is to empower educators at every level with comprehensive, secure and real-time data that can be used to better understand and support student success. We do this by offering a single, secure standard that connects all educational data systems; the Ed-Fi Data Standard—and its accompanying technologies and community—allowing school districts to make smarter decisions, states to create more useful reporting, and educational technology vendors to better serve their customers.
We enthusiastically support the work of Project Unicorn to bring much-needed attention and awareness to the imperative of data interoperability and the benefits to schools, educators, states and vendors. We provide technologies, as well as an entire support Community that make interoperable solutions a reality for both education agencies and vendors. Everyone is welcome to join the Ed-Fi Community and take advantage of our step-by-step implementation guides to get started with interoperability. Join here, or email Maureen Wentworth at Maureen.Wentworth@ed-fi.org.
EDSURGE
EdSurge operates as an independent news and research initiative of ISTE. We report on the people, ideas and tools that shape the future of learning, aiming to bridge information gaps and support equitable opportunities for all learners.
Our reporting on interoperability reveals common educator pain points and unanswered questions for schools and districts, highlights ongoing student challenges and explores how edtech companies are working to improve communication across product lines.
FUTURE OF PRIVACY FORUM
FPF is a nonprofit organization focused on how emerging technologies affect consumer privacy. FPF’s youth and education privacy program works to protect child and student privacy while allowing for data and technology use that can help young people learn, grow, develop, and succeed. FPF works with stakeholders from practitioners to policymakers, providing technical assistance, resources, training, and best practices. Resources about FPF's youth and education privacy program can be found at www.studentprivacycompass.org.
Project Unicorn’s efforts to advance data interoperability at school districts across the country have important implications for the privacy and security of student data. FPF is excited about how interoperability can better support the use of student data by educators and school leaders. When schools and companies make their data systems interoperable, there are multiple opportunities to improve data security and privacy by design. FPF is happy to support Project Unicorn's work to embed privacy and security into interoperability policies and practices.
GETTING SMART
Getting Smart® is a learning design firm passionate about accelerating and amplifying innovations in learning for equity. We design solutions with a network of impact-oriented partners that help people and organizations learn, grow and innovate and our media channel, GettingSmart.com is a community of learners, leaders and contributors covering topics from early learning, K-12 and post- secondary through lifelong learning.
We promote and share voices in the K-12 interoperability space and design school and network solutions with our partners with interoperability in mind. See our Getting Smart on K-12 Data Interoperability Smart Bundle to learn about three districts journey’s to interoperability. For educators looking for better ways to leverage interoperable technology to support student learning, review our Educator Toolkit. Contact: Caroline Vander Ark, caroline@gettingsmart.com
INNOVATEEDU
InnovateEDU is a Brooklyn-based non-profit whose mission is to eliminate the achievement gap by accelerating innovation in Common Core-aligned, next-generation learning models and tools that serve, inform, and enhance teaching and learning. InnovateEDU brings together leaders in education and technology to design and develop breakthrough models and tools to help ensure that all students graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and their chosen careers.
Project Unicorn, an initiative spearheaded by InnovateEDU, aims to improve data interoperability within K-12 education. We lead the steering committee and activate this uncommon alliance to make the case for secure data interoperability through shared priorities and collaboration. We provide school systems and edtech vendors with technical assistance, referrals, and other resources to promote data interoperability across the sector. Our work is anchored by a pledge with over 800 districts and 300 vendors working to support data interoperability. We provide webinars and training and lead advocacy efforts to create a movement that saves teachers’ time, makes secure, interoperable data a reality, and ultimately supports the education ecosystem. Project Unicorn does not endorse a specific product or data standard. Contact: projectunicorn@innovateedunyc.org.
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
In early 2023, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) merged in a strategic pairing that brings together ASCD’s experience in research-based pedagogy with ISTE’s expertise in innovation and technology. Together, ASCD + ISTE seeks to (re)design the future of education by focusing on three key areas to accelerate the pace of innovation:
Reimagining professional learning and leadership development. We will continue to create the next-generation of professional learning tools and experiences that put educators in control of their professional learning journey.
Providing solutions to industry challenges. We leverage our network of practitioners and experts to address challenges in education. We develop scalable prototypes and provide guidance to drive innovation in education products and programs.
Improving the quality and impact of digital learning tools. By partnering with Edtech solution providers and educators, we aim to improve the quality of products on the market and accelerate efforts to revolutionize learning experiences.
JOBS FOR THE FUTURE
Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives the transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. We do this by designing solutions, scaling best practices, influencing policy and action, and investing in innovation. We forge deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.
JFFLabs drives innovation in education and workforce development by originating market insights, incubating solutions, and supporting new models and entrepreneurs.
NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION
The National Governors Association (NGA) is the voice of the leaders of 55 states, territories, and commonwealths. Through NGA, Governors identify priority issues and deal with matters of public policy and governance at the state, national and global levels. As the nation's only bipartisan membership organization for Governors, NGA is the premier resource for not only Governors but also for their cabinet members, state policy experts, the US Congress, and private enterprise. NGA offers an array of services to help collaboratively tell the states' story. Thank to decades of broad expertise, NGA teams are able to work side-by-side with state leaders to identify challenges, help Governors stay ahead of the curve and offer solutions before challenges become problems.
STATE EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
Founded in 2001, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal non-profit membership association representing U.S. state and territorial educational technology and digital learning leaders. SETDA provides well-established forums for advocacy for policy and practice, professional learning, inter-state collaboration, and public-private partnerships centered on digital learning and equity.
SETDA knows that educational ecosystems have potentially valuable data that can optimally inform instruction and drive student-centered learning experiences. However, often the current systems are disconnected, limiting the ability to leverage this information to advance student success. Data modernization, one of SETDA’s priorities, is a critical component to effective, innovative learning opportunities for all students. Data modernization and security practices allow educational leaders to provide accurate, secure, and timely data that can be securely exchanged, shared, and connected in order to provide instant understanding of school performance, student attendance, academic performance, or funding from multiple sources.
SETDA partners with Project Unicorn to remain connected with other leaders in the field, access resources from content area experts, and to ensure that the voice of state leaders continues to help drive the conversation. Through its participation in the Project Unicorn Steering Committee, SETDA is committed to promoting best practices within its membership and empowering its national network of state educational technology leaders and private sector partners to identify and implement specific ways to leverage their purchasing power and increase vendor adoption of data standards. Contact: Julia Fallon, Executive Director at jfallon@setda.org.
SOFTWARE AND INFORMATION INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
The Software & Information Industry Association is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education, and intellectual property protection to the leading companies that are setting the pace for the digital age.
Interoperability is a critical piece of work for edtech companies. Interoperability makes it easier for edtech companies to work with education stakeholders and provide usable data to educators in a secure, private, and seamless way. SIIA joined the Project Unicorn Steering Committee to bring the vendor voice to the call for interoperability in K-12 education.