Electronic Records & Data Exchange

What is EDX?

Electronic Data Exchange (EDX) is an acronym used to describe various formats of electronic education record exchange. The most common formats used today in North America and Canada are EDI and XML structured data formats. The transactions are transmitted electronically between institutions and or their service providers through various secure networks then run through any variety of software translators in order to communicate information between computer systems. Institutions exchanging electronic education data agree to use the standard EDI and XML data formats which can be referenced at no charge on the Post Secondary Electronic Standards Council (PESC). There are schemas, implementation guides and recommended implementation practices available for a variety of education record types such as the College Transcript, High School Transcript, Request and Response, Financial Aid  and the Application for Admissions. The use of standard EDI or XML formats enables institutions to exchange education records electronically between each other in a secure and efficient manner. The main benefits of EDX are secure data exchange, efficiency gains, automation opportunities and improved student experience due to decreased errors and processing time. Portable Document Format (PDF) is another popular method of electronic transcript exchange and does not natively contain machine readable data without the use of extraction tools. 

What is SPEEDE? 

SPEEDE is the AACRAO Committee for Standardization of Postsecondary Education Electronic Data Exchange.  The AACRAO SPEEDE Committee is a standing committee of AACRAO that represents the interests of the AACRAO community in developing and promoting the implementation of standards for electronic exchange of student education data.  To accomplish these goals the committee members facilitate webinars, sessions, workshops and roundtables at the AACRAO Annual Meeting, Technology and Transfer Conference and Regional AACRAO Conferences. Committee members are actively engaged in various PESC workgroups focused on creating new standards, updating existing standards and identifying opportunities to increasing interoperability and adoption. If you have a question for the committee, need help with EDX, or are interested in serving on the committee send an email to speede@aacrao.org or submit your application to join AACRAO SPEEDE Committee. 

Technical Resources

• PESC Approved Standards & implementation Guides (IG’s)
• Recommended Implementation Practices (RIPS)
• Free Open SPEEDE Server 
• Free Quick ‘n’ Easy Utility translation software
• Free Common Digital Layout (CDL) for PESC XML Transcripts
• Completed Crosswalks
• Paper vs. Electronic Transcript Cost Calculator (Excel file)

XML tools to for software development 

• XMLSpy: Special thanks to Altova/Alexander Falk for their generous donation of the Enterprise Software Suite which has made development easier for the SPEEDE Committee.
• Liquid XML Studio Special: Thanks to Liquid Technologies for their generous donation of the Developer Software Suite which has made development easier for the SPEEDE Committee.

Additional licensing and fees may be required to utilize these tools