(NASIS) Requirements Definition Document - Bureau of Indian ...

NASIS Requirements Definition Document (RDD)
Version 1.0
17 February 2006
Section 1: Introduction
This Requirements Definition Document (RDD) describes the Native American Student Information
System (NASIS) business and functionality requirements. It is prepared in accordance with the Office of
the Chief Information Officer System Life Cycle requirements. NASIS is yet to be deployed as of the
date of this document.
This document was jointly prepared by the Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP) and the Office of
the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). OIEP participants included school and Central Office staff.
Changes to the RDD are approved through the Education Change Control Board.
The RDD supports the following activities:
• Procurement of the system
• Designing and developing the system
• Evaluating the product in all subsequent phases of the life cycle
• Determining the success criteria of the project
1.1 Project Description
The purpose of the Native American Student Information System (NASIS) investment is to improve student
achievement through a student data management system for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indian
Education Programs (OIEP). NASIS will deliver services tailored to the OIEP Central Office and deliver
separate, but related services to the schools.
The requirement for an information system for OIEP originated in the Educational Amendments of 1978
to P.L. 95-561 (the basic P.L. 95-561 was enacted in 1965). The recent "No Child Left Behind Act" is
P.L, 107-110, Part D is entitled the "Native American Education Improvement Act". Part D consists
primarily of a compete restatement of the Educational Amendments of 1978 to P.L, 95-561 and adds
suspense dates tied to specific items. The Native American Student Information System will support the
fulfillment of these statutes, the maintenance of the Indian School Equalization Program (ISEP), Average
Daily Attendance/Average Daily Membership (ADA/ADM) reports, student counts and placements required
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), enrollment information required under No Child
Left Behind (NCLB), lunch program needs and other reports such as those required under Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA). NASIS will assume the functions currently performed by the OIEP
ISEP system, after which the ISEP system will be decommissioned. NASIS will replace existing information
systems such as WinSchool, Osiris, PowerSchool Original, SASIxp, SchoolMaster, SchoolSpace, Zangle
Desktop, as well as some custom developed applications. Some schools have no automated student
management system in place.
1.2 Background
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP) school system is
comprised of 187 schools that are located in 23 states and a central office with operations in Washington,
DC; Albuquerque, NM; and Education Line Offices (ELO) around the country. For school year 2003-
2004, there were approximately 47,700 students enrolled in BIA schools and dormitories nationwide. The
schools are K-12 with approximately 60% of the schools being K-8. The largest concentration of BIA
schools is in the northern adjoining corners of New Mexico and Arizona with the next largest
concentration being in South and North Dakota.
1