U.S. State API

A Unified Infrastructure for Learning and Work

At its core, the U.S. State API is a comprehensive, state-level infrastructure for creating, managing, and exchanging Learning and Employment Records (LERs). It is designed to break down the data silos that currently exist between K-12 districts, higher education institutions, workforce development agencies, and employers.

Think of it as the digital plumbing for a state's entire learning and work ecosystem. Just as a physical state provides roads and bridges to connect its cities, the U.S. State API provides the secure, standardized pathways for data to flow between its educational and economic institutions.

The Problem It Solves

For decades, a learner's journey has been fragmented. Their K-12 records are in one system, their college transcript in another, their professional certifications in a third, and their work history is scattered across various employers. This creates significant challenges:

• For Learners: It's incredibly difficult to build a complete picture of their own skills and achievements. They cannot easily carry their records with them, limiting their ability to pursue new educational and career opportunities.

• For States and Institutions: The lack of a common language and infrastructure makes it nearly impossible to understand workforce needs, create effective educational pathways, or measure the true impact of their programs.

• For Employers: Verifying a candidate's skills and qualifications is a slow, manual, and often unreliable process.

The U.S. State API is designed to solve this fundamental problem of fragmentation by creating a single, cohesive ecosystem built on user ownership and interoperability.

The Architecture: A Stack of Composable Services

The U.S. State API is not a single, monolithic application. It is a suite of distinct, interoperable microservices that can be composed and deployed to meet the specific needs of a state. This "stack" approach provides both power and flexibility.

Here is a breakdown of the key services and their functions:

Core Identity & Data Services

• Identity API: The foundation of the stack. It manages the creation and resolution of Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) for individuals and organizations, ensuring everyone has a secure, self-sovereign digital identity.

• Storage API: Provides the secure, private data stores for each user—their LearnCard Passport (for user-managed data) and their Learning and Employment Record (LER) (for institutional data).

• Data API: A powerful service for ingesting, transforming, and harmonizing data from disparate sources (like a Student Information System) into a standardized format.

• Media API: Manages the storage and delivery of rich media files (images, videos, documents) that can be associated with credentials as evidence.

Credential Lifecycle Services

• Issuing API: The engine for creating credentials. This includes our Universal Inbox, which radically simplifies the process of sending a verifiable record to any user via an email or phone number.

• Verification API: Provides tools for employers and institutions to instantly and reliably verify the authenticity of a credential presented by a user.

• Registry API: Manages the "trusted list" of authorized issuers within the state's ecosystem, ensuring that only vetted organizations can issue official records.

• Consent API: A user-centric service that allows individuals to grant fine-grained, revocable consent for how their data is accessed and shared.

Value-Add & Intelligence Services

• Network API: Manages the relationships and data flows between all the participants in the network—learners, issuers, verifiers, etc.

• Skills Mapping API: Uses AI to analyze credentials, job descriptions, and course catalogs to identify and map skills, making it easier to see the connections between education and employment.

• Pathways API: Helps visualize and construct learning and career pathways by connecting credentials and skills across different providers.

• Insights API: Provides governed analytics and reporting tools for state agencies to understand workforce trends, skills gaps, and program effectiveness in aggregate, without compromising individual privacy.

• AI Tutors API: An advanced service that can power personalized learning experiences by leveraging the rich data within a user's LER to provide contextual guidance and support.

By breaking the platform down into these composable services, we provide states with a solution that is both incredibly powerful and adaptable to their unique needs and existing infrastructure.