The Exchange First Release
The Exchange is a groundbreaking new platform that will revolutionize the way districts across Texas access and utilize education technology. The first version of The Exchange, set to launch in September 2023, will establish the data infrastructure and core features for the base product offering, including an online community, technical administrator console, and school and educator dashboards. Version two of The Exchange, launching in January 2024, will expand the marketplace of applications, adding more premium applications built by Regional Education Service Centers (ESCs). This version will also provide more options for districts and charter schools to leverage the data infrastructure for customer reporting of local data needs. Version three, set to launch in the summer of 2024, will include an even larger application marketplace featuring both ESC and third-party applications, as well as onboarding, training, and support processes that are scalable and able to be managed by ESCs.
Tech Console and Onboarding Wizard
Point, click, and follow a short list of steps to connect to The Texas Education Exchange. The Technical Administrative Console (Tech Console) is a crucial tool that lowers the barrier to entry. In combination with the Onboarding wizard, the process becomes simple. This API integration platform allows regions, districts, and charter schools to link their SIS and other chosen applications to The Exchange in seven easy-to-follow steps.
“It was designed with ease of use in mind, so it’s literally seven steps. Step one fill this out, step two click a couple of things, putting the training context right there in that wizard so that after seven easy steps, you can click ‘go’ and the data is moving, the account is provisioned, and the district is online,” says Matt Adler the Director of Customer Experience at EdWire.
The primary users of the Tech Console are Regional Education Service Centers (ESCs), district and charter school technology leaders, and TSDS/PEIMS teams. In addition, ESCs will use the Tech Console to manage and support their member districts and charter schools.
The Onboarding Wizard is an essential training tool for Exchange members. It provides step-by-step instructions and support for connecting their data to The Exchange.
“Ultimately, it removes the technological barrier to entry, the resourcing barrier to entry, and particularly for the smaller and mid-sized districts that don’t have the resources like some of the larger districts, they can still take advantage of technologies such as this,” Adler says
