Version 1.0 (Initial Publication)\ Status: Normative Standard
0. Interpretive Basis ————————-
GEOS-DP-002 defines the certification criteria that a Dat Pipeline artifact MUST satisfy in order to be eligible for certification under GEOS standards.
This document:
defines requirements that apply only to Data Pipeline artifacts;
imposes no obligations on School Systems, Data Source Operators, or institutions;
is technology-neutral with respect to digital, hybrid, or non-digital implementations; and
is designed to remain stable even if GEOS later defines standards for certifying Data Sources.
Certification under this standard is voluntary and applies solely to the Data Pipeline artifact submitted for assessment.
1. Scope of Certification —————————--
Certification under GEOS-DP-002 applies to a Data Pipeline, define as:
A bounded, rule-governed process that transforms inputs received at defined Entry points into outputs produced at defined Exit points, according to declared transformation, validation, and audit rules.
The certified artifact is the Pipeline specification and its demonstrable behavior, not:
the institutions operating it;
the tools used to implement it; or
the educational or funding outcomes associated with its outputs.
A Data Pipeline certified under GEOS-DP-002 may serve as
a prerequisite input layer for Outcome Signal Portfolios (e.g., GeOSPs™);
a reusable infrastructure component across multiple outcome domains; or
an independently certified artifact referenced by other GEOS standards.
GEOS-DP-002 does not define outcome constructs, signal families, o funding logic.
2. Entry Criteria ———————
A certifiable Data Pipeline MUST define one or more Entry points.
Each Entry point MUST declare:
the form(s) of input accepted;
the boundary at which the Pipeline assumes responsibility for data integrity; and
the conditions under which input is accepted or rejected.
Entry definitions MUST be sufficient to support independent audit of what data entered the Pipeline and when.
For each Entry point, the Pipeline MUST specify:
whether inputs are expected to be complete, sampled, episodic, or continuous;
how missing, late, or partial inputs are handled; and
whether Entry behavior is deterministic given identical inputs.
Certification under GEOS-DP-002:
does not require that upstream Data Sources be certified; and
does not assume that upstream sources are digital, automated, or standardized.
The Pipeline MUST declare all assumptions it makes about inputs explicitly.
3. Internal Transformation Requirements ——————————————-
A certifiable Data Pipeline MUST declare:
all transformation stages between Entry and Exit;
the purpose of each stage; and
the rules applied at each stage.
Transformations MUST be described in a manner that allows an independent assessor to reconstruct expected outputs from known inputs.
Given the same inputs, configuration, and declared rules, the Pipeline MUST be capable of producing the same outputs.
Where stochastic or probabilistic methods are used, the Pipeline MUST declare:
sources of non-determinism; and
controls used to ensure auditability.
A certifiable Data Pipeline MUST support:
versioned definitions of transformation logic;
traceability from outputs to the version in force at the time of processing; and
stable reproduction of historical outputs under the original version.
4. Validation and Error Handling ————————————
The Pipeline MUST declare:
validation checks applied to inputs;
validation checks applied to intermediate states; and
validation checks applied prior to Exit.
Validation failures MUST be logged in a manner suitable for audit.
The Pipeline MUST distinguish between:
input errors;
transformation errors; and
configuration or process errors.
The handling of each class of error MUST be declared.
5. Exit Criteria ——————--
A certifiable Data Pipeline MUST define one or more Exit points.
Each Exit point MUST declare:
the form of outputs produced;
the conditions under which outputs are emitted; and
the guarantees associated with those outputs.
Outputs at Exit MUST be:
traceable to declared inputs;
traceable to declared transformation logic; and
accompanied by sufficient metadata to support downstream certification.
6. Auditability ——————-
A certifiable Data Pipeline MUST maintain audit artifacts sufficient to demonstrate:
what data entered the Pipeline;
how it was transformed;
when outputs were produced; and
under which version of the Pipeline rules.
Audit artifacts MAY be digital or non-digital, provided they are inspectable, preserved, and reproducible.
The Pipeline MUST be structured such that an independent assessor can:
inspect Entry and Exit behavior;
test reproducibility claims; and
evaluate declared assumptions without reliance on operator assertions.
7. Coverage and Declaration ——————————-
The Pipeline MUST declare:
the population or scope it purports to represent;
any known exclusions; and
any coverage limitations inherent in the Entry process.
Coverage declaration is required for interpretability, not as a minimum threshold.
8. Contestability ———————
A certifiable Data Pipeline MUST support:
re-execution under audit;
challenge to declared assumptions; and
re-assessment following material changes.
Certification affirms conformity to declared rules, not correctness of conclusions drawn from outputs.
9. Technology Neutrality —————————-
GEOS-DP-002 does not
require digital data capture;
mandate automated processing; or
privilege any specific technical stack.
Certification evaluates behavior and guarantees, not implementation form.
10. Stability and Evolution ——————————-
Revisions to this standard MUST be:
versioned;
backward-mapped where feasible; and
publicly documented.
This standard is intentionally written so that future GEOS standards for Data Source certification may be introduced without requiring changes to GEOS-DP-002.