EduTech Steering Committee, RIT Inn and Conference Center, February 5, 2013
Members Present:
Members Absent:
Guest:
Who has the keys and do you know where they are? Jeff Ginsberg & George Schwalb

EduTech Steering Committee, RIT Inn and Conference Center, February 5, 2013

Members Present:
Bruce Amey, Avon Dawn Mirand, Mt. Morris
Mike Glover, GV Educational Partnership Camille Sorenson, EduTech
Jim McNeil, WFL BOCES

Members Absent:
Maria Ehresman, Williamson Greg Macaluso, GV Educational Partnership
Tim Hayes, Geneseo Terry MacNabb, Waterloo

Guest:
Jeff Ginsberg, George Schwalb, Lisa Roberts

Educational Data Portal, Online Testing, Technology Readiness Tool: Lisa Roberts
Lisa shared with the committee how information is shared with the school districts. A variety of ways are used to communicate with the districts. As we go forward, it will be important understanding what staff we need to support.

How do we get all the information out?

· Newsletter – Lisa participates in a weekly call with SED. Communicates the information with districts through the newsletter.
· Data Coordinator meetings always references our website. Lisa shared what the website looks like and the resources there. Host Data Coordinator meetings three times a year.

Camille suggested School Superintendents touch base with Data Coordinators after each meeting to be updated.

Educational Data Portal
Involving every district in the state and optional for BOCES if they receive Race to the Top funds. Districts need to be prepared to role this information out.

Vision:

· Make student data available – state is trying to level playing field and give every parent access to the portal.
Bruce asked if districts are responsible for opening the portal to the parents. Parents will need to provide data that is uploaded to warehouse, and then receive a link with a PIN. Every parent will need to come into district to prove that they are the parent of that student. Jim McNeil; what about custody issues? Security will be an issue. Parental rights can change overnight. There will be an immediate stop access for parents. Mike Glover suggested that as we get closer Lisa and Camille present at CSO meetings. Ongoing communication with superintendents as often as possible; suggested starting in March. Implications for budget

· Make curriculum and instructional resources available to New York’s educators and families to support instructional improvement and professional development.

· Create sustainable and open technology that promotes innovation, flexibility, and choice and enables local education agencies (LEAs), schools, and regional organizations to develop or procure additional applications or new functionality more rapidly and at reduced cost.

· Leverage emerging technology interoperatibility standards for education applications to remove barriers to innovation and scaling of successful tools for personalizing learning.

Dashboard: Required, Educator Data Views and Early Warning Indicators
Parent and Guardian Data Views, Student Data Views and Higher Education Record Exchange

Dashboard created by 3 different vendors and districts will be able to select which one they want.

High level timeline: 2012-2017
Still some contracts that need to be signed
Every district will need to pick a vendor
Suppose to be up and running October 2013

The state has selected PCG to provide support for parents to contact. The state is also overseeing the coordination of five vendors.

Once the free period ends they have started discussion on what the fee would be. Figures of $1-3 have been mentioned.

Ken Wagner will be producing a memo that will be going out to districts explaining data portal. Regional demo will be set up for districts to see presentation on which vendor they want. Demos were originally targeted for April, but because contracts were not signed on time now looking at summer.

The data will continue to go through EduTech. The districts will have to support the parents.

At the end of year one the state will allow districts to change vendors. Multiple vendors should create competition and hopefully better product. Dr. Glover stated that considering the timeline it is important to share this information with superintendents.

Camille responded that once contracts are signed there will be a short window from contract to delivery. The more information we can share with all parties, the better. Districts will be responsible for inputting the data and updating the data from parents.Supporting the teachers and their use of the data portal will be part of network team training.

Technology Readiness Survey
NYS is going to computer based testing starting in 2014-15. Will begin field based testing in 2013-14. Haven’t been told how they are going to select test sites.

One of things to get ready is for districts to complete readiness survey. Schools will need to be prepared with enough devices to administer a test to their largest grade level. If they follow PARCC, standard is 3-11 and if they use NYS its 3-8.

The districts in our region have done a great job in completing the readiness survey and showing the state what they can operationalize and what they cannot. Type of device needed: Dual use device used during regular school year for instruction and then used for testing. Tablets need to have 9 ½ inch screen and need to have headphones and microphones. iPad could be appropriate if have an external keyboard. Security on device so that they can be locked down and cannot go out to the internet.

How do the microphones work with 30 kids in a room? Avon shared how they are starting to prepare the kids for these assessments and have changed the layout of their labs. Camille and Lisa have talked about how we can get groups together to discuss/brainstorm thoughts they have to get through this without spending more than necessary.

Purchasing:

· Machines should be less than five years old
· Minimum specs only good through two testing cycles. What are you purchasing now?
· Multi Year Purchasing Agreement at the rate of 1.55% for up to 5 years (generally do up to 3 years). Usually takes 3-4 months to get through state and bank. Talking a number of budget years. You can string multiple MYPAs together. Then add state aid on to this, you are leveraging your money if you do need machines. We can help you leverage your dollars.

Camille: There is money from Microsoft Antitrust Settlement money. Schools can get through vouchers from $1000 to $100000. Right now the money is tied to free and reduced lunch at a high rate. To date, only eight districts have not started the survey, 17 partially complete and 24 completely done. Need to get as many districts to complete by February 15 when the state will do a snapshot of where we stand.

Internet connections:
Been able to increase bandwidth every year for less money and feel good about internet path out to the network. Feel comfortable that the district line is doing well. Need to make sure we are okay when every district is participating. From Wide Area Network side feel comfortable that we can adjust.

Individual districts:
If they haven’t upgraded in last 7 years, will be a problem. We have been working with our district to upgrade. We need to systematically get all these districts upgraded. Have to go through all these levels before you even ask do I have enough devices.

If we can move districts much closer to the goal; the less we will have to do in the future. Mike Glover again stressed the importance of getting this information and updates to the school superintendents regularly.

Staff Preparedness and Proctors:
Majority of districts had a med to high level of concern on whether they had enough staff who are computer literate. Help with the computer problem. Train on to what level they can go to help students and then certify that they have been trained. Before you purchase 200 work stations and put in elementary school be aware of what the student is comfortable using. Dawn Mirand raised the question if there had been any discussion of brining your own devices. Camille mentioned that you would have to have the ability to lock them down.

Who has the keys and do you know where they are? Jeff Ginsberg & George Schwalb

Had issues within a couple month span with two districts; one district we were knowledgeable about and one we were not.

District Environment:
Do you know where all the keys are? How do you implement physical security? Who has logical access?
Safeguards: Have you tested your backups?

Technology: Bleeding edge or outdated. Do you have a plan or are you just putting it in because it is new and exciting. Recommend that your technical coordinator should at least have binder that has daily, weekly, yearly big pieces of your network.

Things to Consider -Every area of your network – who has the access
Is there a backup to this person; Is there an “administrative” backdoor? If you have a way to get the keys to the kingdom, stick it in your desk drawer. If all fails; is it all documented
Do you have your key vendors? Do you have key contacts? Phones are key one. Phones are down in your district who do you call.

Incident Response, Technical staff leaving (willing or unwilling); Log Analysis; Email/Web Data recovery
Digital Forensics; Emergency Network Support
All must be authorized by district superintendent.

Jeff shared technical Staff exit checklist, Also shared Investigative Technology Checklist if not a friendly departure.

How can EduTech help? We can be the backup. As a partner, we have no goal but to help you.
We can work with your backup person to ensure continued operation.

Jim shared experiences with districts that the “team” went into and how it is very much a team approach.
Maria shared her experience and how she learned the hard way. Shared how the team supported her district.