Steering Committee

Camille began by explaining the New York State Technology Cooperative Aid Guidelines - the State, Regional and District components:

Steering Committee, R.I.T. Inn and Conference Center, March 14, 2003

Members Present:
Bob Leiby, Manchester-Shortsville CSD
Rich Boyes, Marion CSD
Tom Manko, York CSD
Camille Sorenson, EduTech
Bob Smith, Elba CSD
Joe Marinelli, WFL BOCES
Mike Glover, GV BOCES
Gary Hammond, GV BOCES
Jack McCabe, WFL BOCES

Members Absent:
Joe Backer, Letchworth CSD
Tim McElheran, Victor CSD

Guest:
Jeff Decker, Manager of Finance Systems / HelpDesk, EduTech
Bob Phillips, Marketing Consultant

1. EduTech Customer Service Survey Results ….Jeff Decker, Bob Phillips

Camille opened the agenda item by summarizing the process in past surveys, focus groups – that is, survey, analyze results for common issue(s), develop action plan to address issues, re-survey after a period.

Examples:
1998 EduTech Customer Survey -
Recommendation - Improve System Assurance Analysis (SAA)
Action – Reengineer SAA workflow process, automate, Access to
database, management statistics
Result – Reduction in delivery time
2002 Survey notes SAA process as positive

2000 EduTech Customer Focus Groups (HelpDesk) -
Recommendation - Improve HelpDesk Process
Action – Redesign HelpDesk process, Implement First Level
Process; Access to problem ticket database,
Management statistics
Result – 2002 Survey notes HelpDesk process as positive

2001 EduTech Financial Systems Survey
Recommendation – Support, Training Poor
Action – Software, Accounting Training, Reengineer Support
Result - 2002 Survey notes 75% favorable rating from Bus Mgr.

Jeff Decker and Bob Phillips presented the findings of the 2002 Customer Survey -

The Objective / goal –
-to identify level of satisfaction with current performance, services, pricing, relationship
-listen to the concerns of the customers
-identify areas for improvement
-implement changes

The Process –
-Online survey to Business Officials, Technical Coordinators
-Onsite surveys for Superintendents
-gather, analyze, present results
-develop and implement action plan

Participation –
-Superintendents 89%, Business Officials 36%, Technical Coordinators 32% (if included districts where Technical Coordinators sat in with Superintendents, the Tech Coord participation number would be 46%).

Results, highest positive and negative responses were discussed. The next steps will be the creation of an action plan and its implementation.

The question was raised, if 38 % of responses are unhappy with price structure, what are you going to do ? Answer, the issue would be factored into the action plan.

It was agreed to present a draft action plan to the Committee at the May 9 meeting.

In addition, C. Sorenson will bring to the Committee at the May 9 meeting, an analysis of a recommendation by GV BOCES to provide EduTech Budgeting information in the same format as the GV districts receive from their BOCES in an effort to clarify the budgeting process.

2. EduTech Current State - Cooperative / Vendor, Dropping EduTech Services / CoSers,
Pending EduTech Changes ………C. Sorenson

Camille began by explaining the New York State Technology Cooperative Aid Guidelines - the State, Regional and District components:

State - CoSer, EduTech provides Instructional Technology Services, and what amounts to the lease

State - CoSer, EduTech provides Instructional Technology Services, and what amounts to the lease

of Hardware / Software, Networks connecting Hardware /Software, Maintenance and

of Hardware / Software, Networks connecting Hardware /Software, Maintenance and

Support, Training, Data collection as it pertains to Student progress,

Support, Training, Data collection as it pertains to Student progress,
For example the following EduTech fees are State Coser required to support the items noted above:
Network Support Technology Core /Base
Workstation Support
CSLO
LAKENet Internet Base Fee
Training
State Data Collection, Test Scoring

Regional - All Guidelines as defined by the State, Plus items defined Regionally, Steering Committee
For example the following EduTech fees are set Regionally, through the Steering Committee:

LAKENet Network Personnel Support
LAKENet Telecommunicatons
Maintenance
Standards (i.e. HP, Apple, IBM, Dell, Novell, Microsoft)

District – Individual need, as best as we can within the State/ Regional framework

The ability for a district to drop services / Cosers is determined by the State, Regional, guidelines as a set within the Cooperative. There was a discussion on - pricing more in line with pay for direct services used, required Base Fees, the confusing EduTech pricing structure, the future of BOCES Aid, spending and the State Budget.

3. NYSED Portal / Virtual Learning Space / SED Framework
Accelerate Tools, Statewide Escholar initiatives, NYSED Unique Student ID
….. C. Sorenson, J. McCabe

Camille began by handing out the NYSED Framework for School Improvement and Professional Development and began the discussion on the section of the Framework addressing the “Virtual Learning Space” and “Data/ Technology”.

Jack then explained the inter-connection of the NYSED Portal, Virtual Learning Space (VLS), Statewide Escholar Data Warehouse Initiatives, Accelerate Tools – Data Mentor and the NYSED RFP for a Unique Student Identifier.

Camille explained that the "virtual" statewide warehouse is a practical reality and not too far off, through a pilot with the Western New York RIC at Erie, we have initiated a data request in Newark, retrieved live data from an escholar warehouse located at the Western New York RIC and returned a data mentor formatted screen, in a matter of seconds. There will probably be approximately 4 – 5 hosting warehouses acrCamille explained that the "virtual" statewide warehouse is a practical reality and not too far off, through a pilot with the Western New York RIC at Erie, we have initiated a data request in Newark, retrieved live data from an escholar warehouse located at the Western New York RIC and returned a data mentor formatted screen, in a matter of seconds. There will probably be approximately 4 – 5 hosting warehouses across the State holding the student data of the 700 upstate districts, accessible by districts, BOCES, and NYSED through a virtual networked connection using Accelerate Tools, Data Mentor and Cognos to retrieve data.

In addition to data analysis, the warehouse can be used for LEAP, STEP, NCLB reporting.

M. Glover requested statistics on Data Mentor / Accelerate usage within the region.

Next Regular Meeting:

May 9, 2003

May 9, 2003
8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

State - CoSer, EduTech provides Instructional Technology Services, and what amounts to the lease

of Hardware / Software, Networks connecting Hardware /Software, Maintenance and

Support, Training, Data collection as it pertains to Student progress,

May 9, 2003

RIT Inn and Conference Center