XML Schema - Extended Reference Types

Extended reference types provide the mechanism for denoting associations in Ed-Fi XML interchange data. The reference may be to an entity in the same interchange file, an entity in a separate interchange file, or an entity presumed to exist in the system receiving the bulk data. For example, assessment results generally need to reference student records (which are often already in the data store) and assessment metadata (which may be in a separate interchange file traveling with the results, or in the case of statewide tests, may already be in the data store).

Extended reference types define associations in one of three ways:

Using an XML IDREF to refer to an ID defined for an entity within the same interchange file.
Specifying attributes that represent the natural key for the entity (which may be either in the same interchange file or previously loaded).
Optionally, specifying attributes that provide enough information to look up the entity from those previously loaded, when appropriate.

Extended reference types are used when an entity or association must reference another, as follows:

When an entity has an association with another and that association has no attributes, then the entity uses an extended reference type to reference the other entity.
When an association has attributes, the association uses an extended reference type to reference the associated entity.

Each extended reference type extends the base ReferenceType complex type, as defined below:

<xs:complexType name="ReferenceType">
     . . .
	<xs:attribute name="id" type="xs:ID">
     . . .
	<xs:attribute name="ref" type="xs:IDREF">
     . . .
</xs:complexType>

For example, the extended reference type for a SessionReferenceType is:

<xs:complexType name="SessionReferenceType">
     . . .
	<xs:complexContent>
		<xs:extension base="ReferenceType">
			<xs:sequence>
				<xs:element name="SessionIdentity" type="SessionIdentityType" minOccurs="0">
                . . .
				<xs:element name="SessionLookup" type="SessionLookupType" minOccurs="0">
                . . .
			</xs:sequence>
		</xs:extension>
	</xs:complexContent>
</xs:complexType>

The SessionReferenceType allows the reference to be made in one of three ways:

Using an XML IDREF (if interchanged in the file)
Specifying the natural key information contained in the types SessionIdentityType, as follows:

<xs:complexType name="SessionIdentityType">
     . . .
     <xs:sequence>
         <xs:element name="SchoolReference" type="SchoolReferenceType">
         . . .
         <xs:element name="SchoolYear" type="SchoolYearType">
         . . .
         <xs:element name="Term" type="TermDescriptorReferenceType">
         . . .
     </xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

Specifying attributes in the types SessionLookupType to provide enough information to look up the entity from those previously loaded, as follows:

<xs:complexType name="SessionLookupType">
    . . .
	<xs:sequence>
		<xs:element name="SessionName" type="IdentificationCode" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="SchoolYear" type="SchoolYearType" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="Term" type="TermDescriptorReferenceType" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="SchoolReference" type="SchoolReferenceType" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
	</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

Thus, when CourseOffering refers to its association with a Session, it defines a SessionReference of the type SessionReferenceType, as follows:

<xs:complexType name="CourseOffering">
    . . .
	<xs:complexContent>
		<xs:extension base="ComplexObjectType">
			<xs:sequence>
				. . .
				<xs:element name="SessionReference" type="SessionReferenceType"/>
				. . .
			</xs:sequence>
		</xs:extension>
	</xs:complexContent>
</xs:complexType>

In associations with attributes, extended reference types are similarly used to relate the associated entities. For example, the StudentParentAssociation has a StudentReference and a ParentReference, as shown below. The StudentReference is of type StudentReferenceType and the ParentReference is of type ParentReferenceType.

<xs:complexType name="StudentParentAssociation">
    . . .
	<xs:complexContent>
		<xs:extension base="ComplexObjectType">
			<xs:sequence>
				<xs:element name="StudentReference" type="StudentReferenceType">
                . . .
				<xs:element name="ParentReference" type="ParentReferenceType"/>
				. . .
			</xs:sequence>
		</xs:extension>
	</xs:complexContent>
</xs:complexType>

The StudentIdentityType and the StudentLookupType (used within the StudentReferenceType) provide several options for specifying the identity of a student, as is shown below.

<xs:complexType name="StudentIdentityType">
    . . .
	<xs:sequence>
		<xs:element name="StudentUniqueId" type="UniqueId">
        . . .
	</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

<xs:complexType name="StudentLookupType">
    . . .
	<xs:sequence>
		<xs:element name="StudentUniqueId" type="UniqueId" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="StudentIdentificationCode" type="StudentIdentificationCode" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="Name" type="Name" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="OtherName" type="OtherName" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="Sex" type="SexType" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="BirthData" type="BirthData" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="HispanicLatinoEthnicity" type="xs:boolean" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="Race" type="RaceType" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
		<xs:element name="EducationOrganizationReference" type="EducationOrganizationReferenceType" minOccurs="0">
        . . .
	</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

First, a student may be specified by a StudentUniqueId provided by the StudentIdentityType. Alternatively, additional attributes provided by the StudentLookup may be specified for lookup providing a combination of StudentUniqueId, StudentIdentificationCode, Name, OtherName, Sex, BirthData, HispanicLatinoEthnicity, Race, and EducationOrganizationReference.

Reference Types in v3.0

The following is a complete list of reference types in Ed-Fi Data Standard v3.0:

Academic Week Reference Type
Account Reference Type
Accountability Rating Reference Type
Actual Reference Type
Assessment Item Reference Type
Assessment Reference Type
Bell Schedule Reference Type
Budget Reference Type
Calendar Reference Type
Calendar Date Reference Type
Class Period Reference Type
Cohort Reference Type
Community Organization Reference Type
Community Provider Reference Type
Community Provider License Reference Type
Competency Objective Reference Type
Contracted Staff Reference Type
Course Reference Type
Course Offering Reference Type
Course Transcript Reference Type
Credential Reference Type
Discipline Action Reference Type
Discipline Incident Reference Type
Education Content Reference Type
Education Organization Intervention Prescription Association Reference Type
Education Organization Network Reference Type
Education Organization Network Association Reference Type
Education Organization Peer Association Reference Type
Education Organization Reference Type
Education Service Center Reference Type
Feeder School Association Reference Type
Gradebook Entry Reference Type
Grade Reference Type
Grading Period Reference Type
Graduation Plan Reference Type
Intervention Prescription Reference Type
Intervention Reference Type
Intervention Study Reference Type
Learning Objective Reference Type
Learning Standard Reference Type
Local Education Agency Reference Type
Location Reference Type
Objective Assessment Reference Type
Open Staff Position Reference Type

Parent Reference Type
Payroll Reference Type
Post Secondary Event Reference Type
Program Reference Type
Report Card Reference Type
Restraint Event Reference Type
School Reference Type
Section Reference Type
Section Attendance Taken Event Reference Type
Session Reference Type
Staff Absence Event Reference Type
Staff Cohort Association Reference Type
Staff Education Organization Assignment Association Reference Type
Staff Education Organization Contact Association Reference Type
Staff Education Organization Employment Association Reference Type
Staff Reference Type
Staff Leave Reference Type
Staff Program Association Reference Type
Staff School Association Reference Type
Staff Section Association Reference Type
State Education Agency Reference Type
Student Academic Record Reference Type
Student Assessment Reference Type
Student Cohort Association Reference Type
Student Competency Objective Reference Type
Student CTE Program Association Reference Type
Student Discipline Incident Association Reference Type
Student Education Organization Association Reference Type
Student Gradebook Entry Reference Type
Student Intervention Association Reference Type
Student Intervention Attendance Event Reference Type
Student Learning Objective Reference Type
Student Migrant Education Program Association Reference Type
Student Parent Association Reference Type
Student Program Association Reference Type
Student Program Attendance Event Reference Type
Student Reference Type
Student School Association Reference Type
Student School Attendance Event Reference Type
Student Section Association Reference Type
Student Section Attendance Event Reference Type
Student Special Education Program Association Reference Type
Student Title I Part A Program Association Reference Type