PowerSchool Data Exchange (DEX) for Texas

Introduction

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) supports Texas school districts in collecting and reporting data that aligns with the State Board of Education’s mission: preparing students for lifelong success through rigorous academics, career training, and character development tailored to individual abilities.

To improve educational outcomes and streamline reporting, TEA is enhancing the State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) through a statewide automated data collection solution.

What is DEX (Data Exchange)?

Data Exchange (DEX) is a framework that automates secure, real-time, or scheduled transfer of education data between a district’s local system and an external data store or agency.

In an Ed-Fi context, DEX acts as the bridge between PowerSchool ERP and the Ed-Fi Operational Data Store (ODS).

Core functions include:

• Publishing – Sending ERP data to an Ed-Fi ODS (e.g., TEA).

• Downloading/Synchronizing – Importing or updating local records from the ODS.

• Mapping – Aligning ERP fields with standardized Ed-Fi data elements.

• Monitoring – Tracking publishing status, errors, and validation results.

What is Ed-Fi?

Ed-Fi is an open-source data standard and technology suite for K-12 education. It provides:

• Common Data Model – Defines consistent ways to represent staff, assignments, etc.

• APIs – Secure interfaces for structured data exchange.

• Validation Rules – Ensures completeness and accuracy of data.

The goal is interoperability, allowing data from various systems (ERP, SIS, LMS, assessment tools) to be integrated and understood in a unified manner.

How DEX Works with Ed-Fi

Simplified workflow

1. Data Mapping – Administrators link local fields to Ed-Fi standard fields.

2. Data Validation – DEX checks for missing or invalid entries before submission.

3. Publishing via API – Securely pushes data to the Ed-Fi ODS.

4. Error Handling – ODS returns errors for review and correction in the ERP application.

5. Synchronization – The ERP application can optionally pull updates from the ODS.

Benefits

• Standardization – Data aligns to a standard, recognized structure.

• Automation – Reduces manual state reporting tasks.

• Data Quality – Validation reduces errors before submission.

• Interoperability – Enables integration with other Ed-Fi-enabled tools.

What is PowerSchool Data Exchange (DEX)?

PowerSchool DEX is an electronic data interchange (EDI) plug-in used by PowerSchool ERP. It enables secure, near real-time exchange of data with external sources, supporting multiple standards and frameworks such as:

• Ed-Fi Data Standard provided by the Ed-Fi Alliance

• Children and Hoosiers Immunization Registry Program (CHIRP)

• School Interoperability Framework (SIF) provided by Access 4 Learning Community

• Common Education Data Standards (CEDS)

Key features

• Secure transfer via HTTPS with agency-specified credentials.

• OAuth 2.0 Web Authorization Protocol for authentication.

• Supports downloading, publishing, and syncing data.

• External agencies cannot initiate data requests—publishing is scheduled within PowerSchool ERP.

DEX for Texas Education Agency (TEA)

PowerSchool’s DEX with Ed-Fi enables schools and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to exchange PowerSchool ERP data directly with the TEA Ed-Fi ODS.

Capabilities

• Automatically publish PowerSchool data to the state Ed-Fi portal.

• Download vendor-provided or state-supplied data into PowerSchool ERP from the ODS.