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Get a comprehensive reference guide to key terms and concepts related to School Passport, a leading educational technology platform.
Whether you’re an educator, administrator, or student, this glossary will provide you with a clear understanding of the terminology used in the School Passport ecosystem.
A B C D E F I G L M N O P R S V
A
AD
Active Directory. A Microsoft directory service that provides managing user accounts and access to resources within a single domain.
AD FS
Active Directory Federation Services. The integration and authentication mechanism that provides authentication and access across multiple domains.
API
Application Programming Interface. A set of rules and protocols that enable integration and data exchange between the School Passport and other systems, applications, or services used by educational institutions. See also Native API.
application
A program that is integrated with School Passport. An application can be activated by a district to exchange and share data with School Passport. Apps can work in one of the following modes:
- Import Mode: Integrates data from the District’s data sources or Student Information System (SIS) into the School Passport ecosystem.
- Export Mode: Allows a district to sync school passport data to a third-party service. For districts, the Export mode also displays Vendor apps.
- 2-way Sync Mode: Establishes an ongoing process to ensure that application data in School Passport remains up-to-date and synchronized with the corresponding data in external service.
App Assignment
The process of assigning apps to schools and groups of students by the district. See also How can I change App assignments?.
Application Partner
A Vendor institution representative. See also Vendor.
attribute
A specific piece of information or data is associated with an entity, for example, a student or a teacher. Attribute defined by Data Schemes.
B
Basic Roster
A standardized format and integration mechanism for managing roster data in educational systems. See also Clever (Basic Roster) File Format.
BTS
Back to School. A period of activities related to the return of students and teachers to school after a break or vacation, typically at the beginning of a new academic year.
C
consent
Permission or prohibition of changing App Assignments.
CSV
Comma-Separated Values. A file format is used for storing and organizing roster data in tabular format for sharing. CSV file format usually uses for OneRoster and Basic Roster specifications.
D
data sharing
The process of granting access to specific data sets to a Vendor application and automatic data transfer/update. This can be done by the district or school admin. See also sync.
Data Scheme
The structured format defines how data should be organized and stored in a School Passport, for example, Basic Roster, OneRoster, InfercabularySchema, or IXL Learning.
data source
Any source from which data can be imported into the School Passport. This could be another system, database, SIS, or files that contain student information.
District
An educational institution or school district that has adopted School Passport as its platform for managing educational technology applications and data integration. See also Vendor.
E
entity
A distinct object within the School Passport, that can represent various components such as schools, districts, students, teachers, sections, courses, or any other relevant objects involved in the educational ecosystem.
F
FTP
File Transfer Protocol. A standard network protocol is used for transferring files between users and a School Passport server over a computer network. When using FTP, CSV files are transferred between systems without encryption, which may pose a risk to the confidentiality of the data.
I
IDM
Identity Management. The system or process responsible for managing and authenticating user identities within the platform. For example, with School Passport IDM, users are automatically synchronized from an SIS to Google Workspace daily for a continuous period of one year.
IdP
Identity Provider. The system or service utilized by districts to manage identity and provide access to School Passport or to another third-party service/application, allowing students and staff to authenticate and access applications using existing district-issued usernames and passwords.
G
GG4L ID
The unique identifier is assigned to any entity by the Global Grid for Learning (GG4L) organization.
Grade Sync
A feature, that enables the seamless transfer of student grades from external systems, for example, from LMS, into the School Passport.
L
LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. A communication protocol is used for exchanging user information between systems, although it does not function as an identity provider (IdP) itself.
LMS
Learning Management System. An integrated platform that provides teachers, students, and administrators with a centralized system for organizing courses, assignments, assessments, and collaboration. School Passport supports the following LMSs: Blackboard, Canvas, D2L, Google Classroom, Schoology, and Moodle.
LTI
Learning Tools Interoperability. A standard protocol that enables seamless integration of external learning tools into the educational platform, enhancing the learning experience for students and teachers.
M
metadata
Additional information which is associated with various data objects, for example, schools, line items, or students. It provides descriptive details about the data object, enabling better organization, categorization, and understanding of the information. Metadata does not support by BasicRoster.
MFA
Multi-factor authentication. An advanced security feature for providing an additional layer of protection during the login process. It requires users to give multiple pieces of evidence to verify their identities, such as a password and a mobile device. This extra step enhances security and prevents unauthorized access to sensitive data.
N
Native API
A unique API is developed and owned by a particular Vendor and differs from the standard specification.
O
OAuth
A secure authorization protocol that allows users to grant access to their School Passport account to third-party applications without sharing their login credentials. In School Passport, uses OAuth 2.0.
OneRoster
A standardized format and integration mechanism for managing roster data in educational systems. In School Passport, uses OneRoster 1.0, 1.1, 1.2. See also OneRoster File Format.
P
PII
Personal Identifiable Information. Any personal data that can be used to identify an individual user, such as student, staff member, contacts, or other authorized user within the School Passport. Examples of PII information are first/last name and email. See also sensitive data.
Proprietary API
See Native API.
R
Roster
A comprehensive list or database containing information about students, teachers, and staff within a particular educational institution or school district. It typically includes details such as names, contact information, grade levels, roles, and other relevant demographic data of individuals associated with the school or district.
S
SAML
Security Assertion Markup Language. A standardized protocol that enables secure authentication and SSO for users, allowing them to access multiple educational applications and resources with a single set of credentials.
SFTP
Secure File Transfer Protocol. A secure network protocol is used for transferring files between users and a School Passport server over a computer network. SFTP ensures the encryption, confidentiality, and integrity of data during transmission. See also FTP.
sensitive data
A broader range of information requires special protection due to its sensitivity. While PII is a subset of sensitive data, sensitive data includes other types of information that may not necessarily identify an individual but still require heightened protection due to their nature or potential impact if compromised. See also PII.
SPEE
School Passport Enterprise Edition. An advanced version of the School Passport that offers additional features and capabilities for larger educational institutions or districts. It includes enhanced scalability, customization options, and integration with other enterprise systems to meet specific needs.
SIS
Student Information System. A centralized database that stores and manages district-related data, including enrollment, attendance, grades, and other relevant information.
SIS ID
A unique identifier that assigns to students or other entities within the SIS for tracking and management of information.
State ID
A unique identifier is assigned to students, teachers, and staff by their respective state educational agencies.
SSO
Single sign-on. A feature that allows users to securely access multiple educational applications and systems with a single set of login credentials.
sync
The automatic transfer of data between School Passport and third-party services. This transfer occurs through APIs or SFTP and is configured by the district, school administrator, and Vendor (if Vendor SFTP apps).
Syndication
In AppStore, a data exchange process enables users, Roles, or Groups within a large organization to access the same resources. Syndication eliminates the need to re-enter the same configurations for each user, Role, or Group. See also Syndication.
V
Vendor app
An application created by the Vendor that allows access to a district’s data. The Vendor app enables the Vendor to securely access and utilize the data provided by the district. For districts, it is displayed as an app in Export mode. See also application.
Vendor
A third-party company, institution, or organization that provides products, services, or resources to educational institutions and signed a partnership agreement with GG4L. This partnership allows schools to access and utilize a wide range of educational tools and resources to enhance teaching and learning. See also Application Partner.