OPERATIONS
This chapter reviews the Christoval Independent School District's (CISD) operations duties and includes the following sections:
- A. Food Services
- B. Facilities Use and Management
- C. Transportation
- D. Computers and Technology
D. COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY
In 1987, the Texas Legislature recognized the importance of technology in education and directed the State Board of Education to develop a 1988-2000 Long-Range Plan for Technology. This plan called for the establishment of a statewide electronic transfer system (TENET), expansion of integrated telecommunications systems (T-STAR) and a center for research in educational technology (TCET).
Subsequent legislation created the Technology Allotment, which now provides approximately $30 per student per year in state funding for technology. House Bill 2128, passed by the 1993 Legislature created the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF). This fund derives revenues from the Telecommunications Utilities Account and the Commercial Mobile Service Providers Account to provide $150 million in grant funds each year for 10 years to public education, higher education and telemedicine centers for computer infrastructure, distance learning and training.
Another grant fund available to public school districts is the Technology Integration in Education (TIE) grant, which provides funding for teaching and learning, educator preparation, administration and support and technology infrastructure. This state-level focus on technology in education has allowed even the smallest of school districts to develop state-of-the-art computer networks and computer labs.
The development of improved technology in school districts has prompted the need to better manage a more complicated investment in technology. Well-managed administrative technology and information services must provide direction for districts to maximize their use of technology and provide adequate support for the maintenance, upkeep and replacement of equipment. Technology management now is a key factor in virtually every school district decision.
In 1999, CISD implemented its own network and has more recently upgraded its computer equipment. The primary responsibility for technology management at CISD rests with the superintendent, who contracts technical support to two contractors. The district spent approximately $50,939 on technology operating expenditures in 1999-2000, excluding capital equipment, and expenditures are up from $35,472 in 1996-97.
The district uses the RSCCC system, purchased through Region 15, for its student and business information systems. At the time of the on-site TSPR review, the district was working to install a distance-learning lab at the high school. The district plans to supplement its existing curriculum with computer-based instruction. However, until the lab is fully functional, its effectiveness cannot be reviewed.
FINDING
The district has improved its technology significantly over the past year. The superintendent told the review team that enhancing the technological capability of the district was one of his major priorities. He realized that it would take time and patience to bring the district up to the desired level of technology. The district received TIF and TIE grants that enabled it to increase the technological infrastructure within the classroom. With the TIF grant, the district purchased 60 brand new computers for the elementary school. At the elementary school, 100 computers have Internet connectivity. Every classroom and office has at least one computer that has Internet access.
COMMENDATION
CISD has made improving technology a top district priority and has taken significant steps toward achieving its goals.
FINDING
CISD uses two outside contractors to perform technology support. One contractor has a full-time job at the county special education cooperative and provides technical advice to CISD at an hourly rate of $15. The contractor averages fewer than 10 hours a month of service for CISD. The other contractor provides most of the on-site support. This individual does not have a technical background, but has received training from Region 15. The district pays $10 per hour for approximately 20 hours per week for this contractor's services. This arrangement began in December 1999 when the district was putting its computer network together and did not have the in-house technical expertise to do it.
The district also has a teacher who serves as an Instructional Technology specialist. This position is not involved in any of the day-to-day operations and support of the district's computer systems.
The cost of the current contracting arrangement is approximately $9,800 per year. Consequently, the district saves about $30,000 annually by using this arrangement instead of hiring an in-house technology coordinator.
COMMENDATION
CISD uses an innovative and cost-effective practice to provide technology support to district staff.
FINDING
The district's 2001-04 technology plan does not reflect the current plan for technology. This plan was developed in 1998 and should be updated each year. During 2000-01, the on-site technology contractor was asked to update this plan for the district. The plan essentially was left the same as the prior year, and neither the superintendent nor the schools gave input to the plan. The planning committee, whose names are included in the current and previous technology plans, did not meet to update the current plan.
School district technology plans are usually supplemented by grant funding, and many districts developed plans for this purpose. Once the funding was obtained, many districts did not continue to use and update the plan.
The district's technology plan contains most of the necessary components of an effective plan. For example, the technology plan describes current achievements as "very high" or "fairly high," but does not describe specific expectations. The plan does not project future technology equipment purchases and funding sources or measure performance.
A technology plan needs an accountability component that compares technology plans against actual progress against the plan. For example, the technology plan section on professional development states that each teacher will receive a minimum of eight hours of technology training based on How to integrate technology in today's classroom? CISD does not have information about how many teachers have met this goal, nor any feedback regarding the course's effectiveness.
Recommendation 39:
Update the district's technology plan annually.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The superintendent includes refinement of the technology plan as an annual task on the job description for the full-time technology coordinator. September 2001 2. The board forms a new technology committee to evaluate progress against previous plans and establish new plans and timetables. September 2001 3. The technology committee submits the revised technology plan to the superintendent, who integrates it with other district plans and the district budget. October 2001 4. The superintendent approves the technology plan and submits to the board for approval. December 2001 FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
FINDING
The district does not have a disaster recovery plan in place to protect the district's computing resources in the event of a catastrophe and is further exposed by fragmented back-up procedures.
The technology support contractors said that the district does not have any arrangements with a neighboring district to share computer equipment in the event of a tornado, fire or other catastrophic event. These arrangements provide temporary hardware for a school district until it can replace the equipment and install software.
The district's technology risk is amplified by inadequate back-up procedures. Back-ups are not performed daily, and the back-up duties are distributed among several individuals. The on-site technology contractor backs up the servers once per month. The PEIMS coordinator, central office staff and librarian perform back-ups of their respective data weekly, but this procedure is not verified. Back-up tapes are stored on-site, although some individuals take their back-up tapes home with them. The tapes stored on-site are not stored in a fireproof vault.
Adequate disaster recovery planning is an issue in many Texas school districts; however, a sound plan to protect the district's data is necessary. Furthermore, most districts with Wide Area Networks perform back-up procedures from a central point on a daily basis. Exhibit 4-25 lists some of the key elements of an effective disaster recovery plan.
Exhibit 4-25 Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Safeguarding Your Technology." (Modified by TSPR).
Key Elements of a Disaster Recovery Plan
Step Details Build the disaster recovery team.
- Identify a disaster recovery team that includes key policy makers, building management, end-users, key outside contractors and technical staff.
Obtain and/or approximate key information.
- Develop an exhaustive list of critical activities performed within the district.
- Develop an estimate of the minimum space and equipment necessary for restoring essential operations.
- Develop a timeframe for starting initial operations after a security incident.
- Develop a list of key personnel and their responsibilities.
Perform and/or delegate key duties.
- Develop an inventory of all Management Information System technology assets, including data, software, hardware, documentation and supplies.
- Set up a reciprocal agreement with comparable organizations to share each other's equipment or lease backup equipment to allow the district to perform critical duties in the event of a disaster.
- Make plans to procure hardware, software and other equipment as necessary to ensure that critical operations are resumed as soon as possible.
- Establish procedures for obtaining off-site backup records.
- Locate support resources that might be needed, such as equipment repair, trucking and cleaning companies.
- Arrange with vendors to provide priority delivery for emergency orders.
- Identify data recovery specialists and establish emergency agreements.
Specify details within the plan.
- Identify individual roles and responsibilities by name and job title so that everyone knows exactly what needs to be done.
- Define actions to be taken in advance of a disaster.
- Define actions at the onset of a disaster to limit damage, loss and compromised data integrity.
- Identify actions necessary to restore critical systems.
- Define actions to re-establish normal operations.
Test the plan.
- Test the plan frequently and completely.
- Analyze the results to improve the plan and identify further needs.
Deal with damage appropriately.
- If a disaster occurs, document all costs and videotape the damage.
- Be prepared to overcome downtime on your own; insurance settlements can take time to resolve.
Give consideration to other significant issues.
- Don't make a plan unnecessarily complicated.
- Make one individual responsible for maintaining the plan, but have it structured so that others are authorized and prepared to implement if it is needed.
- Update the plan regularly and whenever changes are made to your system.
A disaster recovery plan and centralized back-up procedures reduce the risk of data loss to acceptable levels.
Recommendation 40:
Develop a disaster recovery plan for technology.
CISD does not need to develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan, but should draw on these best practices to identify the essential elements of what is needed for a 350-student district. The most important items to be addressed are the reciprocal agreement with a neighboring school district and documentation of action plans in the event of an emergency.
Centralized back-up procedures should be performed daily from a central point to protect a district's data. The Region 15 technology consultant said that the district has the equipment and software to perform centralized back-up procedures.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINES
1. The superintendent requests the outside contractors to develop a daily back-up process for all the district's data. September 2001 2. The superintendent's designee assumes responsibilities for the daily back-up processes. December 2001 3. The technology contractors develops a disaster recovery plan with assistance from Region 15, and attempts to find a neighboring district to secure a reciprocal agreement. January 2002 4. The technology contractors test the disaster recovery plan, documents recovery procedures and implements the agreement. March 2002 FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
FINDING
CISD does not have enough switches to take advantage of its network capacity. A switch is a platform that delivers data from an independent source and connects it to the network so users can have access to it across the network. The two schools in CISD are connected by a fiber optic cable having virtually unlimited bandwidth. At each end of the fiber optic cable is a switch that allows data to flow from the fiber optic cable to the school's computers and vice versa.
The switches currently in place at both ends of the cable limit the capacity to 100 megabytes per second, or a fraction of the cable's capacity. These switches essentially reduce the performance of the fiber optic cable to the capacity of the switch.
Recommendation 41:
Purchase switches that take full advantage of the fiber optic connection between schools.
If the switches are upgraded, both schools will maximize the benefit from the fiber optic cable, and the district will maximize its investment in that cable.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The technology contractor identifies the desired switch specifications and places an order for the switches. December 2001 2. The technology contractor monitors the installation and testing of the switches to ensure satisfactory performance. December 2001 FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of two switches is approximately $3,500, based on an estimate provided by the district's technical support specialist.
Recommendation 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Purchase switches that take full advantage of the fiber optic connection between schools. ($3,500) $0 $0 $0 $0 FINDING
The district does not track the status or cost of technical support work requests, limiting its ability to manage technology. The district uses a work order form for technical support, but computer users do not use the form consistently. None of the forms are entered or logged into a system to track outstanding work orders or the timeliness of the response. This information is essential to monitoring the effectiveness of technical support. A work order system also can be used to monitor warranty work.
Work order tracking is common in larger school districts, but can be inexpensively applied in smaller districts through the development of a spreadsheet or simple database.
Recommendation 42:
Track technical support work orders to monitor the effectiveness of technical support.
Work order tracking could be achieved through stand-alone software, or the in-house development of a database or spreadsheet. The relatively low volume of work orders does not justify a significant investment. The quality and timeliness of technical support should improve with the availability of this management information. The superintendent's secretary should develop a spreadsheet for this task.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The Technology contractor develops specifications for a work order tracking system for technical support and reviews with the superintendent and computer users. January 2002 2. The technology contractor develops an on-line work order form for users to complete. March 2002 3. The technology contractor tracks technical support work orders and reports outstanding work orders, by number of days past the request date. Reports are also generated at the end of each school year to show the average response time. May 2002 4. The superintendent uses work order tracking information to evaluate the effectiveness of technical support. January 2003 FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
FINDING
The district does not maintain a list of software licenses, nor does it store the supporting license documentation in a central location. While performing service on computers, the technical support contractors noticed unauthorized software on district computers. District policy EFE (Local) - Copyrighted Material states that "district employees shall not accomplish multiple simultaneous use of a program without permission or unless the purchase agreement allows a specified multiple use of the single copy." However, the policy does not mention the requirement for software licenses or limitations of what types of software can be placed on district computers.
The lack of licenses for software creates the risk of fines for unauthorized use. Furthermore, software not approved by the technology contractor cannot be supported should problems arise.
Recommendation 43:
Adopt a policy that requires district approval for all software purchases and requires licenses for all software on district computers.
This will minimize the amount of unlicensed software in the district.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The superintendent drafts an amendment to district policy EFE (Local) stating that all software purchases must be approved by the superintendent. September 2001 2. The board adopts the software approval policy. October 2001 3. The superintendent sends a memo to all district employees informing them of the new policy. October 2001 4. The technology contractors maintain a list and supporting documentation of licenses for all authorized software used by the district. December 2001 5. The technology contractors periodically review the district's personal computers to ensure that only authorized software is used. Ongoing FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.