OneRoster is a data standard developed by 1EdTech Consortium (formerly IMS Global) designed to simplify the exchange of class rosters, course materials, and grades between a school’s Student Information System (SIS) and education technology tools.

Why Was OneRoster Created?

Historically, schools and vendors had to manually share data between systems. This approach was:

  • Time-consuming
  • Prone to errors
  • Difficult to maintain

OneRoster addresses these challenges by offering a way to share:

  • Student and teacher profiles
  • Class rosters and course enrollments
  • Grading data and outcomes
  • Learning resources

Who Uses OneRoster?

Some SIS providers have built their products to be OneRoster compliant. By doing so, edtech vendors can build their products with this in mind - making end-user experiences rich with relevant data. For schools, some make OneRoster their preferred method of integration for several reasons (familiarity, district restrictions, etc..). There are also popular Identity and Access Management (IAM) platforms like Clever and ClassLink that support OneRoster integrations.

How Does OneRoster Work?

In a short summary, OneRoster supports two primary data exchange methods:

CSV File Exchange

  • Schools export roster data into CSV files
  • Vendors regularly ingest these files via secure transfer
  • Useful for batch updates (e.g. nightly syncs)

RESTful API

  • Allows set times for data syncs
  • Built using standard web technologies (like JSON and HTTPS)
  • Uses OAuth to control access with tokens instead of passwords

While the CSV transfer is often easier to set up initially, the API is preferred for scalable, regular integrations.

*Updated 7-28-25

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