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Boston Public Schools Technology Standards
View the list of approved software/applications
Software vendors: Click here to submit your product for review
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1. User Account Provisioning
Systems must be able to automatically create and disable user accounts using one of the methods below. This functionality ensures that instructional time is not lost due to managing account management and ensures that our student & staff information is protected by an automated account provisioning & de-provisioning process. The requirements below are required for CIS Controls C05 (Account Management), C06 (Access Control Management), and the NIST SP 800-53 Access Control family.
Method Description Preferred Google Account Provisioning Click here for a list of compatible applications Preferred Clever Rostering Click here to browse the Clever App gallery Accepted OneRoster CSV or API Applications must roster using the standard OneRoster file format Accepted EdFi CSV or API Applications must roster using the standard EdFi data standard Prohibited Custom ETL BPS does NOT support the use of customized ETL processes Prohibited Manual account provisioning BPS does NOT allow applications that require manual account creation and provisioning processes. -
2. Authentication
Systems must be able to enforce user accounts to authenticate (aka login) using one of the methods below. This functionality ensures that instructional time is not lost due to manual password resets and ensures that our student & staff information is protected using centralized identity management. The requirements below are required for CIS Controls C05 (Account Management), C06 (Access Control Management), and the NIST SP 800-53 Access Control and Identity & Authentication families.
Method Description Preferred Google The application supports login via Google. Please note that applications using Google Login must be pre-approved for students. Preferred Clever Click here to browse the Clever App gallery Preferred SAML BPS supports the use of SAML for authentication, preferrably via Google. Accepted Active Directory Applications can authenticate using active directory Prohibited Standalone Accounts BPS does NOT allow the use of applications with standalone usernames & passwords that must be manually reset by the user. -
3. Data Interoperability
The Boston Public Schools has taken the Project Unicorn pledge and strictly enforces the use of interoperability standards for all new adoptions. We recognize that some applications may require customized data solutions. However, the use of industry-recognized standards must be used when available.
Method Description Preferred Clever Rostering Click here to browse the Clever App gallery Preferred EdFi 3.2 Applications must roster using the standard EdFi data standard Preferred OneRoster API Applications must roster using the standard OneRoster data standard. Accepted OneRoster CSV Applications must roster using the standard OneRoster data standard. Prohibited Custom CSVs BPS does NOT support the use of customized ETL processes. -
4. Data Security & Privacy
Data privacy and security is critical and BPS will not share any data with an application prior to signing a mutual data privacy agreement.
Method Description Preferred Massachusetts Student Data Privacy Agreement BPS' standard data privacy agreement is based on the MSPA standard agreement, which can be found here. Accepted Organizational data sharing agreement Accepted Parental Approval Prohibited Users agree to vendor's terms of service Individual users are not permitted to accept a vendor's terms of service; all contracts must be approved by the Superintendent and data sharing agreements are administered by the Office of Data & Accountability Required (if applicable) Email security Applications that send emails must use DMARC and be added to our allow-list before they will be able to reach student accounts. -
5. Hardware & Network
Hardware Requirements
Applications must be accessible on a web-browser and compatible with the latest browser. If your application/system has additional hardware requirements, we ask that you schedule a consultation with the BPS Technology Department.
Requirement Description Required Chromebooks All applications used in BPS (by staff and students) must be compatible with ChromeOS. Accepted w/ approval Mac OS, Windows 10/11, iOS Network Requirements
Please note that BPS uses a content filter and additional email security that may impact application availability. We ask that you submit any required URL or IPs that need to be allowed prior to adoption. BPS can not guarantee availability if your application requires non-standard ports or relies on other services that may be blocked on the BPS network.
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6. User Roles
At a minimum, software must provide the user roles listed below. The ability to create custom user roles is ideal.
Super Administrator
Full administrative control over all settings to include data integration settings, manage user roles/permissions,etc.
District Administrator
Able to view all users and all data, system-wide reporting, but CANNOT access/change any technical settings.
School Administrator
Able to view all users and user data within a specific school.
School Staff
Able to view all students and associated data for students in their class.
Student
Able to view their content only.
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7. Accessibility
Must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) section 508 compliance found at: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability/ada.htm
Please note that BPS strongly believes in the practices of Universal Design for Learning by providing accessible tools for all students and staff. This includes vision supports (screenreader, enlarged text, contrast, table of contents), hearing supports (
captioned videos, transcript, adjustable volume), m obility supports (mice, keyboard nav, table of contents to exit/move around), Literacy Supports (language options, picture/video, TTS, STT, dictionary, word prediction), and c ognitive supports (simplify text, picture/video, vocabulary, ease of navigation). A comparison of accessibility features by device can also be found here.
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8. Training & Support
Method Description Required Online Online training, including webinars, self-paced learning and documentation Accepted Email support Accepted Phone support Accepted On-site support
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Our Commitment
The Boston Public Schools has pledged to use interoperable standards as much as possible when designing our technical specifications. These standards are designed for safety & security with a goal of maximizing learning time for our students & teachers. Each standard is designed to minimize the onboarding and adoption time for new applications so that our teachers and students can utilize every minute of the day for safe & secure learning.
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