Infrastructure, Hardware & Software

Vision Statement:

In order to actively participate in a growing global environment, West Virginia will embrace, value and utilize technology to stimulate a robust educational economic and community climate that enhances the lives of all its citizens.

Committee Members:
Kyle Schafer, Chair
Jorea Marple
Kathy Boone
Brenda Williams
Nancy Walker

Goals:

1. Establish a Technology refresh program to eliminate obsolete hardware and software from the schools, and replace with current technology.
2. Ensure adequate bandwidth is available to meet programmatic needs and equity issues.
3. Establish a technology support structure that will deliver daily and timely support to educators in the use of technology.
4. Introduce innovative technologies that will leverage technology in the schools while managing costs
5. Ensure a support structure is in place to maintain and support the WVEIS information management system

Objectives/Tasks:

1. Identify and prioritize infrastructure, hardware and software needs of students, teachers, building administrators, support staff and central office staff.
2. Set statewide standards for hardware and software (where appropriate) and negotiate statewide contracts to leverage the state’s buying power.
3. Set policy to remove all hardware and software from the network that does not meet minimum standards
4. Determine the current structure/process for securing instructional and management software for all users.
5. Develop a technical support structure that will leverage the state’s centralized helpdesk and employees geographically dispersed throughout the state along with existing support within the RESAs and local schools systems.
6. Leverage the current A+, Cisco and other certification programs to maintain and support existing equipment deployed in the schools.
7. Create a task force to study best practices and determine capacity for effectively implementing video, voice and data conferencing.

Current Available Software to Support Instruction & Management:

• Compass Learning (K-6) - http://www.compasslearning.com/
• River Deep (K-6) - http://www.riverdeep.net/
• Marco Polo (K-12) - http://www.mped.org/home.aspx
• SAS in School (8-12) - http://wvde.state.wv.us/sas/
• EETT (TIS component) - http://access.k12.wv.us/eett/index.htm
• EdVenture Group - http://www.theedventuregroup.org/index_flash.html
• SUCCESS (7-12) - http://www.wvpomeroy.us/SUCCESS/Pricing/PriceSheets/Training.htm
• Bridges – (7-12) http://www.bridges.com/us/training/index.html
• SchoolKiT edClass - http://www.edclass.com
• School Kit PD Point http://www.schoolkit.com/PG/mnServices.asp
• WVEIS –
• WVLearns E-Learning Platform
• I Know Web Site
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Inspiration/Kidspiration
• Reinventing Education
• EBSCO Library Databases
• Grolier
• Gates Foundation/ E-Val Software for Palms
• Teacher Universe

Current Hardware Available on the State Contract to Support Instruction & Management:
(See State Contract List)

Risks/Barriers:

1. The current 10-year replacement cycle for securing hardware.  Counties may not be willing to surplus older equipment.
2. Funding may not be available to support these initiatives.
3. Providing flexibility in purchasing at the local level while maintaining standards, equity and economies of scale that meet the diverse funding capacity in different school districts.
4. There has not been adequate sharing of information between Higher education and other state agencies concerning information regarding infrastructure, hardware and technical support nor the associated budgets. 
5. Ensuring that standards are followed to promote efficient and effective technical assistance and limit personnel costs for support. 
6. E-rate funds can not be in jeopardized.
7. As the use of technology increases (with online assessment, online professional development, etc.), so does the need for additional hardware and bandwidth.
8. The WVDE and Legislature provided assurances for the Judge Recht case that the Basic Skills and SUCCESS programs assure equity.   However, with insufficient funding, inequity increases as the ability to update current hardware and software decreases.
9. Dispelling the myths of the statewide network configurations (example:  WVEIS takes up all the bandwidth that hinders instructional use).
10. Availability of bandwidth capacity for installations in the state network and school configurations from state telecommunications providers. 
11. Telecommunications contract installations must be implemented in a timely manner.
12. State funding for technology is based on student enrollment.  Therefore, in counties with declining enrollment and limited consolidation, lesser capacity to meet technology needs exists.

Measuring Success:

1. Conduct annual survey of students, teachers and administrators to measure each group’s perception of success.
2. Set Base line performance metrics around reliability, availability, initial call resolution, mean time to repair, number of virus infections, etc… along with annual improvement goals.
3. Determine average age of equipment and establish measure around reducing the average age.
4. Determine expected ratio of machine to student ratio and set annual performance goals around ratio improvement.
5. The administration of an 8^th Technology Assessment Program to measure level of mastery of technology standards.
6. The incorporation and use of 21^st Century Assessments to support higher level application and analysis skills.
7. The equitable purchasing of the latest technology and software for all students on a 4-year replacement cycle.
8. The incorporation of technology in supporting content acquisition in all curriculum areas.
9. The design of a survey to measure the use of Basis Skills & Success Software in K-12.
10. Implementing best practices, lessons learned and recommendations that impact student achievement from major research and evaluation projects conducted by approved, independent educational researchers:

• West Virginia technology implementations have been studied and researched via outside evaluators and researchers more than technology programs in any other state.
  
• The Basic Skills program was studied by Columbia and Hofstra University researchers, paid by the Milken Family Foundation to determine if there was student achievement.  The results showed student achievement which were attributed to a number of factors including the turnkey implementation approach.
  
• K-12 distance learning was studied by the Hezel Group to determine status and coordination with Public Broadcasting.  Quality courses were provided with minimal funding.
  
• The SUCCESS program was evaluated at the request of the Legislature.  MGT of America won the bid and deployed national evaluators into WV classrooms to observe the SUCCESS program.   They also tabulated surveys from all principals of SUCCESS schools, along with responses from principals, teachers and students.  Commendations and recommendations were provided and changes to the implementation were made accordingly.  The program was found to be needed and successful, but teachers wanted more software to address specific content areas rather than only productivity skills and career education as the legislation dictated.
  
• EDC evaluated the Reinventing Education partnership with IBM.  Researchers documented the learning achievement gained in one year with the use of the online juried lesson plans. 
  
• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided a grant to the WVDE for technology leadership to train principals and superintendents.  The success was documented by an evaluation of the professional development.
  
• The US Department of Education awarded a three-year grant to the WVDE Office of Technology and a national research company, Rockman, et.al., to study the West Virginia Virtual School middle school Spanish courses.  The initial results have shown the language achievement via online learning to be as effective as face-to-face instruction, and the classroom observations are ongoing this year.
  
• West Virginia was the only state in the nation to be awarded a second evaluation grant.  This one is to study the Technology Integration Specialist (TIS) program by measuring the use of technology with technology.  Software meters and pagers have been provided to teachers in classrooms.  The nationally known researchers are from Interactive, Inc.  The evaluation is ongoing, but the initial results have been presented at national educational and research conferences.
  
• The US Department of Education hired SRI to study educational technology in 6 states.  West Virginia is one of the six, and SRI researchers have been in the state studying the integration of technology in the classrooms.  They have visited a number of schools in a variety of counties.  The report should be available within the year.
  
• Several counties that have been awarded competitive federal technology grants will also be having a local evaluation of the grant implementation.  Those will be due at the end of the grants.

What is Working:

1. Statewide contracts to obtain a total solution of hardware, software, maintenance and professional development, etc.  This has been researched by Columbia and Hofstra University researchers and shown that the total solution was a major factor in improvement of student achievement.
2. Hardware and infrastructure from the Basic Skills, SUCCESS and Telecommunications statewide programs provide the hardware needed to access the West Virginia Virtual School courses (and all other online programs). 
3. The three statewide programs leverage partnerships like IBM Reinventing Education, SAS in-School Curriculum Pathways, Intel Partnership, MarcoPolo, etc.
4. K-12 partnership in the state network for Internet access.  WVNET is able to pool resource needs of K-12, higher education and state agencies for economies of scale.
5. State standards for hardware and infrastructure necessary for a K-12 statewide network.
6. The joining of K-12 administrative and instructional network to run over the same infrastructure.
7. Statewide e-mail server that provides e-mail accounts to all educators and K-12 students.
8. Filtering for all schools provided at the state infrastructure level to protect students and meet E-rate requirements.   This allows consistent filtering, manageable updates, and easier to assist local, state and federal authorities with inquiries.
9. Statewide e-learning platform that houses K-12 online courses, professional development for educators and support staff in schools, end-of-course assessments, educator forums, and digital content.
10. The statewide WVEIS system provides data from the classroom to the mandated federal level.  It is the system that provides all of the data for the No Child Left Behind federal act, for all federal reporting requirements and for all state and legislative mandates.
11. The bandwidth we have is working to full capacity. 
12. Software on statewide contracts has been correlated to the state content standards and objectives.
13. The contracts provide online support for software correlations, technical bulletins, updates on the state contracts, forum for discussion, etc.

What is Not:

1. Even though professional development is provided, all educators are not integrating the technology.
2. There are no constant public relations about the programs and what is provided.
3. Budget cuts have severely hindered the refresh cycle for hardware.
4. State telecommunications contracts need to be reviewed carefully and rebid in a timely manner so E-rate will not be lost.
5. Sufficient time to address professional development that is needed for the technical support.
6. Correctly classify a prevailing wage category for low voltage cabling instead of having to pay for a low voltage cabler at an electrician’s wage.
7. Need additional bandwidth to serve increasing needs.

Quick Hits/Solution:

1. Establish a statewide contract for PCs at a reduced rate.
2. Leverage the A+, Cisco and other certification programs to assist in maintaining class room PCs.
3. Conduct a statewide assessment of bandwidth requirements based on the needs of the local school systems
4. Correctly classify a prevailing wage category for low voltage cabling instead of having to pay for a low voltage cabler at an electrician’s wage.
5. Provide sufficient time to provide professional development for technical support in the classroom.

Next Steps:

1. Gain agreement and acceptance of the concepts presented.
2. Develop 3 year budget requirements to reach these goals.