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Get tools, guidance, and resources for meeting cybersecurity risk management standards from K12 SIX's Essentials Series.
CTO/CIOCybersecurity

The K12 SIX Essentials Series for School Cybersecurity

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Since the start of 2024, there have been 5,300 school districts that suffered a data breach. These schools are all in the United States. In 2021, 56% of schools reported data breaches. In 2022, 80% of schools reported ransomware attacks (source). Almost half resulted in ransom payments (source). Massive data leaks expose sensitive information. This information ends up on the dark web in the hands of nefarious individuals. It is a big money business. Let’s explore a free resource by K12 SIX that’s available to K-12 schools in the United States.

Assessing the Extent of the Problem

Lack of reporting requirements makes it difficult to determine the extent of data breaches. That aside, data leaks affect thousands of teachers, staff, parents, and guardians. In 2023, monetary losses to school districts from cyberattacks ranged from $50K to $1M. This monetary loss is per incident. In 2021, 771 institutions were affected, which is about 2.6 million records (source).

With so much going wrong, what actions can you take? Try this one on for size.

K12 SIX operates as an information sharing and analysis center (ISAC) exclusively for the K-12 education sector. The K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the U.S. K-12 community—including school districts, charter schools, private schools, and regional and state education agencies—from emerging cybersecurity threats.

Learn More About K12 SIX

Explore the K12 SIX Essential Series

The K12 SIX Essentials series offers tools and advice for U.S. schools. The goal is to help schools meet basic cybersecurity standards. The resource, devised by K-12 IT experts, includes:

  • Guides on cybersecurity frameworks for K-12 leaders
  • Essential protections and how to implement them for the 2023-2024 school year
  • A self-assessment tool for districts
  • A Cyber Incident Response Guide
  • Info on cybersecurity grants

These resources aim to help leaders manage cybersecurity efforts. With rising cybersecurity threats, protecting schools is vital. The K12 SIX Essentials help districts protect everyone and their data. Combine them with CISA and Google advice.

How to Get the Series

Getting the series of documents (PDF) is easy. Go to their website and fill out the online form. Once you do so, you will be able to access the page with all the PDFs. The intent of these documents is to make a resource more accessible than others available. Others include the MITRE Framework.

The Incident Response Runbook

Several insightful documents are available in the K12 SIX series, but let’s take a closer look at one near and dear to my heart: the Cyber Incident Response Runbook v1.1. It is the resource any CTO will reach for after a data breach or ransomware attack.

Aligned to the NIST Computer Security Incident Response Lifecycle, developed with the input of K-12 IT practitioners, the K12 SIX Essential Cyber Incident Response Runbook is tailored specifically to the needs and context of K-12 organizations. It offers guidance for coordination with internal and external partners, stakeholder communications, and managing student-initiated incidents.

Cybersecurity Guides for Schools

Here are some of the suggested actions in the runbook summarized:

  • Cyber Crisis: What Counts? Identify cyber incidents like technology misuse, phishing, and ransomware attacks.
  • Heroes of the Cyber Front: Roles Defined. Detail roles within the Incident Response Team, including leadership and communications duties.
  • Who You Gonna Call? Cyber Allies! Keep a list of essential contacts, encompassing IT, legal, executive leadership, and law enforcement.
  • Blueprints for Battle: Plan Review. Examine existing emergency, business continuity, and disaster recovery plans.
  • Ready, Set, Communicate: Prep Talk. Prepare communications with draft notifications, update protocols, and alternative communication methods if systems go down.
  • First Clues: Logging the Cyber Trail. Record actions, inform leadership, and secure evidence upon detecting an incident, maintaining the integrity of the investigation.
  • Containment Crew: Sealing the Breach. Isolate compromised systems, disable breached accounts, and apply security controls to limit damage.
  • Virus Vanquishers: Cleaning House. Patch vulnerabilities, remove malware, reset passwords, and potentially rebuild affected systems.
  • Phoenix Protocol: Rising from the Ashes. Restore systems from clean backups, implement new security measures to prevent recurrence, and monitor for signs of re-compromise.
  • Reflections and Lessons from the Cyber Storm. Conduct a post-incident review to identify deficiencies, determine root causes, document lessons learned, and update executive leadership on cybersecurity program improvements.

Each of these areas is elaborated on in more detail within K12 SIX’s Cyber Incident Response Runbook v1.1. Other documents complement this guide in the K12 SIX Essentials series. Definitely check out this approachable series of guides on a topic that is no joke!

Learn More About the K12 Six Essentials Series
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Colorful graphic with title "How to Create a Responsible Use Policy for AI" and subtitle "Explore a 9-step process and 10+ resources"
Artificial Intelligence

How to Create a Responsible Use Policy for AI

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

It’s become more and more apparent that artificial intelligence (AI) is now a part of our everyday lives. Whether used for personal or professional reasons, AI serves many purposes and can help with or complete a variety of tasks – for educators and students. But there are benefits and risks involved, especially when it comes to data privacy and ethical use. Many schools and districts are considering or developing AI policy. Some have blocked AI altogether for both teachers and students.

But just as it was important when we moved to 1:1 devices in school settings, like it or not, it’s more important than ever before for schools to guide students and staff in learning to use AI responsibly and ethically rather than just blocking it. Let’s take a look at how we can build a foundation for acceptable, responsible use in schools through responsible use policies and help our students build good digital habits and become even more responsible digital citizens. 

What Is a Responsible Use Policy (RUP)?

An RUP, also known as RUA (Responsible Use Agreement), is a formalized agreement that focuses on good digital citizenship habits and responsible use of technology. In contrast to an AUP (acceptable use policy), which outlines “dos” and “don’ts” and provides “sanctions” for misuse, an RUP intentionally focuses more on “dos.” Instead of the spotlight shining on what’s acceptable, it’s about students being responsible. Of course, it is still important for students to know who to contact about unsafe or inappropriate content or use. It is also important for them to know what will happen should they do something that doesn’t align with the RUP. 

TCEA’s Miguel Guhlin points out that any misuse of technology (not just misuse of AI) should be addressed as it arises in alignment with a school’s holistic discipline policy. The same goes with academic integrity. Guhlin suggests taking a Restorative Justice approach should misuse arise. “School districts need to have aspirational documents. Misuse of AI should not be handled as a separate instance of discipline or given its own punishments.” I have to say, I completely agree.

All this is great. But how should a school approach AI when it comes to technology policy?  

How to Integrate AI into an RUP  

As you begin, it is important to reference your state association of school board’s policies, which have already been reviewed by a legal team, and any policy-related resources.

1. Form a committee of multiple stakeholders.

Intentionally form a committee with teachers, students, parents, administrators, technology staff, and members of the larger community represented. Ensure that there is more than one member who has experience with and knowledge of AI.

2. Gather resources (articles, podcasts, etc.) about the responsible use of AI to review and process together. 

Review resources to expand the committee members’ understanding and views of how AI can be used by students to deepen learning. Explore responsible, safe, and ethical uses of AI in schools. 

3. Determine appropriate “best” uses for AI that align with your school/district values.

After the committee has reviewed resources, discuss, clarify, and determine ethical, safe, and responsible ways students can use AI for learning purposes and their academic growth in your school setting. 

4. Review current policy and discuss how and where language about AI should be incorporated. 

Where do the committee’s determinations about AI use fit into current policy? How should the current policy be adjusted to reflect expectations for AI use moving forward? Revise and update the policy to outline and reflect expectations for the responsible and safe use of AI. 

5. Solicit feedback on the drafted policy from the community. 

Once the policy has been revised and updated, present the policy to the community and any governing bodies for feedback. It is important to actively listen to and hear concerns, feedback, and additional perspectives. 

6. Edit, revise, and finalize the policy based on feedback. 

Construct a final draft to submit for approval. Be prepared to provide background information, resources, research, and reasoning. In other words, be prepared for success or for additional changes to be made to the policy.

7. Once approved, publish the policy for students and parents to sign. 

Once the policy has been approved and adopted, formalize it and provide it to staff, parents, and students, requiring students and parents to sign the policy. 

8. Provide ongoing training and professional learning for staff. 

In order for students to be taught to use AI safely, ethically, and responsibly, teachers must receive proper training and professional learning in this area. Educators should also receive content-specific training so they can employ safe AI tools and best practices when integrating AI into lessons, projects, and assignments.

9. As the AI (and technology) landscape continues to evolve, review the policy frequently. 

A policy is a living document that should be revisited regularly and updated when necessary to reflect up-to-date research, tools, uses, and best practices. Be prepared for the use of AI to be an ongoing and ever-changing conversation within the school community, meaning your policy will likely need adjusting.

A colorful infographic showing the 9 steps for Integrating AI into technology use policies from the article.
Download the PDF.

Resources for Creating an RUP

AI4K12.org: This is an initiative working to develop national guidelines for AI in K-12, a resource directory for AI instruction, and a community focused on AI in K-12 settings. There are many resources provided, such as posters, graphics, big ideas, activity guides, books, reports, and more. This site is worth spending some time on! 

Classroom Policies for AI Generative Tools: This is such an interesting resource! Lance Eaton has created a crowdsourced document where educators can submit their course guidelines and policies on AI to be added to a 37+ page list. Most of the submissions are from high education sources, but this insight can certainly help us prepare our secondary students for what’s to come and give us some ideas for K-12 settings. 

TeachAI.org: This brand new organization (steered by Code.org, ETS, ISTE, Khan Academy, and World Economic Forum) is working to bring together numerous associations, companies, organizations, government agencies, and more for the purpose of producing guidelines for teaching with AI, to create a framework for computer science that includes AI, and to provide reports, webinars, and meetings about AI.   

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations (May 2023): This report by The Office of Educational Technology offers insights and recommendations “ to engage teachers, educational leaders, policy makers, researchers, and educational technology innovators and providers as they work together on pressing policy issues that arise as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used in education.” I’d recommend taking a look at this report and reading some of the associated blog posts. 

AI Acceptable Use Policy for English Language Arts (May 2023): This article by Alice Keeler provides a great resource for teachers whose schools may not have a schoolwide policy on AI just yet. This example classroom policy clearly outlines guidelines, violations, acceptable uses, and example prompts (acceptable and unacceptable). In my opinion, this is a great reference! 

Writing School AI Policies? Use these 10+ Resources (June 2023): In this article by Matt Miller, you’ll find a ton of resources on the ethical, responsible, and safe use of AI for both teachers and students. Resources include publications from UNESCO and MIT, as well as several books and online courses.

AI Exploration for Educators: There is a wealth of information (like this Bringing AI to School: Tips for School Leaders guide) in this compilation of guides, blog posts, podcasts, studies, and more by ISTE. This is a great place to start looking into how AI can be used, to explore ethical questions and risks, and to get practical information. 

Artificial Intelligence in K12 (Spring 2023): In this comprehensive report by CoSN, review challenges with defining AI, AI in education today, questions and considerations for schools, the potential of AI, and various resources.  

AI + Ethics Curriculum for Middle School: With a growing career landscape in the field of artificial intelligence, MIT has created an open-source curriculum with lessons and activities on both the technical aspects of AI and its ethical considerations.  

Setting Conditions for Success: Creating Effective Responsible Use Policies for Schools (2022): In this document published by CoSN in collaboration with ISTE, Digital Citizenship Coalition, and the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools, you’ll be taken through the examples of what to do and what not to do, see tips on what to include and how to create an effective policy, and you’ll see examples of template for elementary and secondary students. This is more of a generic example that isn’t necessarily related to AI.

Additional Reading on AI:

TechNotes Articles:

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Announcements/Important DatesProfessional LearningTCEA Certifications

Congratulations to Our 2020-2022 Certification Graduates!

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

The pandemic certainly threw a wrench in many plans, and one of those plans was our recognition of members who have completed certification programs with TCEA over the past few years. That said, TCEA would like to proudly recognize and congratulate the dedicated and hardworking educators who have completed certifications with TCEA in 2020, 2021, and 2022. 

These individuals have put in many long hours honing their craft, reflecting on their progress, and preparing a portfolio showcasing their new skills and tools. They did an amazing job and should be congratulated on their success!

Campus Technology Specialist Certification

2022

Satyendra Arora – Yew Chung International School, Beijing, China

Jennifer Baker – Kaufman ISD

Blaire Beathard – Richardson, TX

Amanda Bird – Greenwood ISD

Max Burman – Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union, Vermont

Leighanne Butler – Edgewood ISD

Dr. Chrisanne Christensen – Premier High School, Houston

Belinda De Jesus – Edgewood ISD

Curtis Depree – Potter’s House High School, Wyoming, Michigan

Oscar T. Galdeano – Edgewood ISD

Takiela Gallagher – Edgewood ISD

Edith Guerra – St. Joseph Academy, Brownsville, Texas

Breana Hendry – Whitesboro ISD

Lesley Johnson – Gadsden ISD

Jennifier Krnavek – Flour Bluff ISD

Kim MacKinnon – Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

Gene Palyu – Gadsden ISD

Brittanie Payne – El Campo ISD

Deb Seger – Lee A. Tolbert Community Academy, Kansas City, MO

Theresa Upchurch – Howe ISD

Vanessa Wilson – Broward, Florida

2021

Amber Acosta – American International School of Egypt

Wanda Adams – The American School in Vietnam

Lynn Bolts – Taylor ISD

Jami Davis – Mansfield ISD

Katherine Garza – Hillsboro ISD

Kathryn Lamar – Southwest Region School District, Alaska

Kandice Lammert – Crawford ISD

Robert Mesazaros – Nam Wah Catholic Secondary School, Hong Kong

Kristy McAlister – Southwest Christian School, Fort Worth

Tammy Morales – Navarro ISD

Meghan Moran – Franklin ISD

Betty Nazarian – Merdinian School

Joseph Scale – St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, The Woodlands

Nell Warnes – St Thomas High School, Houston, Texas

Carrie Valadez – Southwest Christian School, Fort Worth, Texas

2020 

Rena Bowden – Grandview ISD

Amanda Hawthorne – Fort Sam Houston ISD

Eowyn Johnson – La Porte ISD

Rebekah Johnson – Prosper ISD

Brittney Nabors –  Liberty Eylau ISD

Dr. Ashly Spencer – Birdville ISD

Destiny Wagner – John Paul II High School

Brian D. Williams II – Klein ISD

IT/Tech Director Certification

2022

Jeremy Coker – Woodville ISD

Alexander Garey – Wooster City Schools, Wooster, Ohio

Sarah Gunn – Sweetwater ISD

Lilly Jensby – Plano ISD

Stephenie Jordan – Katy ISD

Jarod Lambert – Conroe ISD

Amanda Lanicek – Springtown ISD

David Martin – Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union,, Hardwick, Vermont

Megan Miller – Winnsboro ISD

Betty Nazarian – Merdinian School, Sherman Oaks, California

Andrew Price – St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Dallas, Texas

Antwone Robertson – Grand Prairie ISD

Melynn Smith – Gilmer ISD

2021

Christopher Bowen  – Georgia

Krissy Calhoun – Conroe ISD

Taryn Dungan – Harts Bluff ISD

Jeannine Freeman – Fort Sam Houston ISD

Brian Gray – Sanborn Regional High School, Kingston, New Hampshire

Jennifer Hazen – Aubrey ISD

Kiruba Janani – American International School Chennai, India

Alfonso Mendoza Jr.  – Sharyland ISD

Reaz Shaheed – Shattuck-St. Mary’s Forest City International School, Malaysia

2020

Leah Heerema – Plano ISD

Justin Lascsak – Mineral Wells ISD

Would You Like to Get Certified? 

TCEA offers two certifications to assist educators in becoming more proficient in specific areas. The CTS and IT/Director certifications consist of required coursework, a final project, and a portfolio. 

Advantages of Certifications:

  • Stand out among your peers.
  • Ensure your knowledge is up to date and that you are proficient in it.
  • Provide additional value to your school by holding a certification in a specific area, becoming the “go-to” in that area.
  • Show your willingness and initiative to continue your education.

Campus Technology Specialist (CTS) Certification

This certification is designed to provide educators who wish to become, or already are, campus-level technology specialists. The emphasis is on developing skills to help classroom teachers successfully integrate technology into the everyday curriculum and build capacity at the local campus level. The certification is designed for teachers, librarians, and technology specialists. Attending the TCEA  Conference for Educational Coaches (CEC) in the fall will earn you 6 hours toward the CTS certification. 

Technology/IT Director Certification

The Technology/IT Director certification provides a program for educators who wish to become, or already are, district-level technology or IT directors. The emphasis will be on developing strategic leadership skills, as well as the ability to provide effective and engaging educational technology experiences for both staff and students. 

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system administrator
Announcements/Important DatesCTO/CIOTechnical Support

Giving IT Professionals the Solutions They Need

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

Today, more than ever, it’s clear that system administrators and other IT professionals who make our networks hum are vital to education.

To help build their capacity and broaden those critical skill sets, TCEA hosts the annual System Administrator and Technical Support Conference. Here are some reasons to consider registering for this year’s all-virtual event, October 20–21.

Education Is Changing

Schools, districts, and teachers need effective ways to deliver high-quality education, whether in person or online. IT professionals work to make that learning possible. We know that this year, there’s even more on your plate: more 1:1 initiatives, more hot spots, more online learning resources being used, more bandwidth needs.

The 2020 System Administrator and Technical Support Conference is specifically designed for you: the professionals who provide hardware, software, network, and infrastructure support for PreK-16 educators — and who are seeking timely solutions to keep up with the changes in learning.

A Flexible Event for an Ever-Changing Field

Of course, when it comes to technology, things are always changing.

That’s why we’ve adapted to an all-online conference meant to keep you connected, even when you’re busy. Our powerful, easy-to-use online platform will deliver sessions in real time, allowing you to interact with your peers. You can also watch sessions for up to 30 days after the event, helping you take advantage of the latest trends and ideas in network support, remote learning, and more at your own pace and on demand.

With this year’s virtual conference, you can:

  • Connect synchronously or asynchronously
  • Get to know industry leaders
  • Engage in live sessions with chat, discussion boards, downloadable resources, and more
  • Spend time with your peers in virtual coffee breaks, social events, and competitive virtual games

Sessions Packed with Solutions

Beyond updates, tips, and tricks, some of the sharpest minds in the field will be sharing crucial ways to help educators create learning in even the toughest and most unprecedented of times. We’re sharing thoughtful ideas to amp up your work. Check out sessions like:

  • The Future of Modern Physical Security for Schools
  • Remote Learning: Is Your Admin Console Secure?
  • Cybersecurity, Safety, and Compliance in G Suite and Microsoft 365
  • WIFI Beyond the Parking Lot

Explore all our topics here, and the full listing of live and on-demand sessions here.

Ready to be a part of this cutting edge conference? Register today. We’re looking forward to seeing you online!

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system admins
Technical Support

System Admins Are Crucial to Education

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

This year marks the 21st annual commemoration of System Administrator Appreciation Day, or SysAdmin Day, on July 31st. It’s a time to celebrate the people who make our devices and networks run, and who make learning with ed tech possible.

Here’s what you should know about the occasion and about TCEA’s own celebration of systems administration excellence: the 2020 TCEA System Administrator and Technical Support Conference, October 20–21, in Galveston, or anywhere online.

A Day to Remember

Since it started in 1999, SysAdmin Day has been infused with heart and humor, as those who rely on tech support (read: everyone) gets the chance to show their appreciation for those who make our work possible.

The celebration began when a system administrator began gently ribbing his coworkers about how much they relied on his work, and quickly, the company’s annual July barbecue became SysAdmin Day, now formally known as System Administrator Appreciation Day

In the words of SysAdminDay.com:

Oh, it’s only the single greatest 24 hours on the planet… and pretty much the most important holiday of the year. It’s also the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to the heroic men and women who, come rain or shine, prevent disasters, keep IT secure and put out tech fires left and right.

sysadminday.com/

How should we celebrate these network ninjas, these wizards of the web? Again, the organizers have some suggestions:

This is the day that all fellow System Administrators across the globe, will be showered with expensive sports cars and large piles of cash in appreciation of their diligent work. But seriously, we are asking for a nice token gift and some public acknowledgement. It’s the least you could do. …

Please share your Sysadmin Day celebration photos.  Post your photos on Facebook, Flickr, Reddit, Twitter, and your preferred social media.  Always use the tag #SysAdminDay.

sysadminday.com/

Over the years, the day has been marked with songs, skits, and jokes, all meant to remind people of the importance of the professionals who fix downed servers on the weekends, answer tech support questions, and otherwise keep modern education running.

Check out previous posts about SysAdmin Day here and here for more ideas on how to celebrate.

A Conference for Tech Wizards

Like all professionals, system administrators and tech support pros benefit from sharing the latest insights in their field. With many schools teaching remotely, the importance of system administration is clearer than ever.

That’s why TCEA hosts the System Administration and Tech Support Conference, October 20–21, 2020. This hybrid online and in-person event is designed for tech-savvy education professionals with sessions from your most forward-thinking peers and the brightest minds in educational technology. A comprehensive array of topics covers the real-world problems you encounter and offers useful solutions. Plus, you can choose whether to take part on the island in Galveston or online from wherever you are.

Ready to level-up you work this school year? Check out TCEA’s SysAdmin conference and register here.

Photo by Thomas Jensen on Unsplash

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Speak Up
CTO/CIOEducational Trends

Insights Learned From Your Speak Up Data

by Jennifer Bergland
written by Jennifer Bergland

I am going to be very up front with my intention in writing this blog. My goal is to persuade school district technology directors or other administrators to seriously consider having their school or district participate in the annual Speak Up Survey.

Speak Up is a research tool districts use to learn what students, educators, parents, and the community have to say about educational issues. Yes, there are quite a few questions on the survey that deal with technology, but there are many other types of questions that will provide you with some much-needed insight into the attitudes of your stakeholders.

For example, in last year’s survey, they asked several questions about social and emotional learning. They also asked students how they prefer to learn subjects like math or science. Oh, and did I tell you that the survey is completely free and that they make it really easy for your district to participate? 

A Texas-Sized School District

In order to help you see how a school district administrator could use this data, I’m going to take the state of Texas’ data and pretend I am the technology director of the “Texas School District,” covering the entire state. Let’s see what the data tells me about my district or what questions come to mind when I review the data.

Community 

First, I’m very interested in the use of technology in my community. 78% of the members of my community use the internet to conduct research and 76% use mobile apps. 75% of my community use technology to watch an online video to learn how to do something. This tells me that a large portion of my community has internet access and is using it for research and to learn new things. However, it appears there is still some type of digital divide in my community. Is it an access or a skill problem, or both? I’m also surprised that only 26% of my community say they use Twitter. Since I spend a large amount of time on Twitter, I had assumed others did, too. This lets me know that I need to use a wider variety of social media to communicate with the members of my community. 

Students

There are a series of questions in the survey that are posed to middle and high school students to see how often they seek ways to learn something because of their interests. This helps me see how students are using technology when they are looking for specific information or want to learn a skill. Only 9% of both middle and high school students post a question on a discussion board or a forum. Do we need to be more intentional in using this type of application? Do they just not know how, or have they found better ways to seek answers to their questions?  

There are a greater number of students who are researching the internet for information: 32% of middle schoolers and 42% of high school students. Students are also using YouTube and other video services to learn how to do something. 42% of my middle school students and 57% of my high school students often use videos to teach them a skill. I need to talk to the instructional staff to see if we are taking advantage of this type of technology. Should we be posting short videos that teach one of the standards our students are struggling with? If so, what skills do my teachers need to know in order to do this and what technology do they need?

Teachers

Speaking of teachers, I really want to know what they are doing with technology. The data tells me that 45% of them are customizing digital content they find online to meet their students’ needs. This sounds an awful like Open Educational Resources (OER). Hmm, maybe we need to have more conversations about OER.

SpeakUp I also discovered that 43% of my teachers are facilitating student collaboration projects using online tools. This is such a great skill. How can I leverage these teachers to help other teachers do this as well? Also, I’m pleasantly surprised that 44% of my teachers are using an online curriculum. However, I want to know more. What is the frequency? Are they occasionally doing this or is this something they use every day? I also want to know what they are using. Are they using the district’s Learning Management System, or is it an online textbook? 

I am a little disappointed that only 9% of my teachers are creating their own online professional learning networks. I had pretty high hopes that platforms like Twitter could help connect educators, especially those who may be the only one that teach their subject at their school. Maybe I need to do my own survey to see if, in fact, that is the case. Maybe the 9% are the teachers who do not have a colleague at their school that teaches their subject. Sounds like I need to do some more digging. 

Finally, there is one question I am very interested in. It asks the teachers what they need to more efficiently and effectively speakupintegrate digital content, tools, and resources into their daily instruction. 51% said they wished they had a classroom set of digital devices. 49% said they needed to know that their students had adequate broadband access outside of school and 46% indicated they were concerned that they didn’t have consistent, reliable internet access within school. Maybe I need to have my staff do some focus groups related to internet access and speed. Looking at my network resources, they should have adequate bandwidth, but maybe something is happening on campus that I am not aware of. While my team is on campus, I probably should also have them ask teachers about the availability of technical support since 47% of the teachers indicated it was lacking. And lastly, my teachers still need time to plan with their colleagues (60%) and additional professional development (50%).  I need more staff to be able to meet this need! 

Whew, I learned this much in less than an hour by looking at this data. This will come in handy when I go to the superintendent and tell her I need more funding to do the things she wants me to do. It will also help me know where I need to place my time and energy. 

Your Turn

Seriously, I gained this information in less than an hour. Just think what you and your team could glean from your district’s data. 

If nothing else, I hope you will sign up to watch one of their webinars so that you can learn more about the survey and how it can assist you in your work. On October 23, you can watch the livestream of Julie Evans, the CEO of Project Tomorrow, provide a congressional briefing on the latest data. Julie does an excellent job of weaving a story with the data. She is always extremely interesting. In addition, check out this site for other webinars the Speak Up team is hosting. 

Register Now

The Speak Up survey is open until June 30, 2020. What are you waiting for? Register today!

Photos of student and teachers by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Photo of hands and laptop  by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

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Graduates throwing their caps into the air.
Announcements/Important DatesProfessional Learning

Congratulations Certification Graduates!

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

TCEA would like to congratulate the dedicated and hardworking educators who have completed a certification with us during 2018 and 2019. These individuals have put in many long hours honing their craft, networking with peers, and preparing a portfolio showcasing their new skills and tools. They did an amazing job and should be congratulated on their success!

Campus Technology Specialist Graduates

Voltaire Archelus – Houston ISD

Kristy Bowers – Hempstead ISD

Janet Crawford – Medina Valley ISD

Kevin Engler – Seguin ISD

Lynne Gubichuk – Midlothian ISD

Nancy Hermes – Liberty Hill ISD

Leann Kidd – Northside ISD

Mary Kuterbach –  St. Patrick Catholic School

Lisa Lafond – Round Rock ISD

Karen McQuaid – Duncanville ISD

Hilary Miller – Merkel ISD

Gerardo Novelo – Hempstead ISD

Janice Stewart – Canyon ISD

Denise Shaffer – Beaumont ISD

Suzanne Taylor – Clarendon ISD

Emily West – Metairie Park Country Day School

Heather Womack – Lago Vista ISD

Courtney Young – Lampasas ISD

IT/Tech Director Graduates

Angelica Aguirre – Tahoka ISD

Linda Burrell – Austin ISD

Tony Brooks – Athens ISD

Melody Baker – Pampa ISD

Veronica Castillo Baca – Harlingen ISD

Larry Dutcherm- Rosebud-Lott ISD

Matthew Grubaugh – Gadsden ISD

Seth Guttenplan – Community School

Justin Hermanek – Alexander Dawson Schools

Jan Hodge – Crowley ISD

Leann Kidd – Northside ISD

Kimberly Lane – Lancaster ISD

Ana L. Murray – Smithville ISD

Carla Norad – White Settlement ISD

ISTE Certified Educators

Nicole Allien – Caddo Parish Public Schools

Veronica Baca – Harlingen CISD

Suzanne Becking – Fort Hays State University 

Diana Benner – TCEA

Elizabeth Benno Lovejoy ISD

Kathy Boulet – Schools of the Sacred Heart 

Lisette Calderon – Colegio Brader 

James Demery- Caddo Parish Public Schools

Samantha Duchscherer – Jacksonville North Pulaski School District / ARKSTE

LaJean Elder – Ogden School District 

Bruce Ellis – TCEA

Sue Elwood- Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

Michelle Farque- Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Tammy Glass – Dawson Education Cooperative

Marybeth Green – Texas A&M – Kingsville

Ciane Grossman – Dallas ISD

Miguel Guhlin – TCEA

Ashley Guillory- Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Lisa Juneau – Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Angela Kiser – Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Lori Cole Miniet  – ESC 11

Tonia McMillan – Dawson Education Cooperative 

Laura Morris – Calvary Christian Academy

Peggy Reimers – TCEA

Jason Sanders – Northside ISD

Rechelle Shaw – ESC 11

Teresa Thomassen – Gaston County Schools

Jessica Torres – Lake Air Montessori Magnet 

Jason Trumble – University of Central Arkansas

Allyson Turner – Calcasieu Parish School Board 

Holly Veith –  Calvary Christian Academy

Michael Voth – Frisco ISD

Brian Williams II – Klein ISD

 

Chromebook Level 1 Certification

Kris Bumsted – McGregor ISD

Michele Herod – Houston ISD

Ursula Idlebird – Somerville ISD

Monica Maldonado – Diocese of Corpus Christi

Stephanie Sullivan – Homeschool

Khyati Sanjana – Houston ISD

iPad Level 1 Certification

Lew Coleburn – Dripping Springs ISD

Marissa Gould – Westbrook ISD

Bethany Hair – Northside ISD

Lisa Lafond – Round Rock ISD

Jennifer Smithers  – Salem Lutheran School

Would You Like to Get Certified? 

TCEA offers three certifications to assist educators in becoming more proficient in specific areas. The Campus Technology Specialist and IT/Director certifications consist of required coursework, a final project, and a portfolio. The ISTE Educator certification is a three-part process with a two-day face-to-face training, an online course, and a portfolio demonstrating mastery of the ISTE Standards for Educators.

Advantages of Certifications:

  • Stand out among your peers
  • Ensure your knowledge is up to date and that you are proficient in it
  • Provide additional value to your school by holding a certification in a specific area, becoming the “go-to” in that area
  • Show your willingness and initiative to continue your education

Campus Technology Specialist Certification

This certification is designed to provide educators who wish to become, or already are, campus-level technology specialists. The emphasis is on developing skills to help classroom teachers successfully integrate technology into the everyday curriculum and build capacity at the local campus level. The certification is designed for teachers, librarians, and technology specialists. Attending the 2019 Campus Technology Specialist Academy will earn you six hours toward the CTS certification. 

Technology/IT Director Certification

The Technology/IT Director Certification provides a program for educators who wish to become, or already are, district-level technology or IT directors. The emphasis will be on developing strategic leadership skills, as well as the ability to provide effective and engaging educational technology experiences for both staff and students. 

ISTE Educator Certification 

TCEA is a registered Certified Authorized Provider of the ISTE Educator Certification program. The ISTE Certification for Educators is a competency-based, teacher certification based on the ISTE Standards for Educators. This credential recognizes educators who understand how to use ed tech for learning in meaningful and transformative ways.

Featured image by Gillian Callison from Pixabay

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metrics
CTO/CIOLeadership

Metrics and KPIs Made Easy

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“I want you to come up with metrics,” said my assistant superintendent. He wasn’t speaking only to me. His gaze went around the room touching on each of the directors seated in front of him. “They should be short, to the point, and tell me in one page how you are getting things done.” This was my first introduction to the concept of key performance indicators (KPIs). In this blog entry, we’ll explore some ways you can use KPIs to gauge effectiveness.

kpi

Defining KPIs

Before we jump into KPIs, let’s take a moment to define them. A well-defined KPI can make it easier to gauge success. Here’s a definition that I use with folks attending my webinar for TCEA’s IT/Director Certification:

KPIs are an actionable scorecard. They focus your strategy. They are metrics that make management, control and achievement of  desired results possible.

There is a purpose to setting up KPIs, says Steve Young (former CTO for Judson ISD, San Antonio, TX, now CTO for VIA Transit). He says, “It is to create an easy-to-understand visual representation of metrics. The goal is to integrate and automate data analysis from a few key systems and share this data in a public way.” This makes it simple for staff to update data and for the end user to see it, too.

Spotlight District: Crowley ISD Features a Digital Dashboard

Jerry Allen, CTO, uses several tools to power the District’s digital dashboard. He combines Google Sites, Sheets, Domo, and Pingdom. The first three yield a wide variety of viewable data. The last, Pingdom, provides insight into the status (e.g. offline or up/down) of web-based services.

Created by author, View Canva version

Types of KPIs

There are many types of key performance indicators. While you can find a complete list online, here are a two examples:

Input KPIs measure assets and resources invested in or used to generated results. For example, they could help you gauge the answers to these questions:

  • How much has staff spent to enhance employee knowledge and capacity? Think of this as useful for online or face-to-face certification programs.
  • How much time has your staff spent planning a future initiative or project?

Output KPIs measure financial and non-financial results of activities. Two output KPIs include the following:

  • How many people did the HelpDesk or onsite support serve in a given time?
  • How many staff members received professional learning on blending technology into the curriculum?

Whatever KPIs you decide to use, make sure of one thing. Align them to your organization’s strategic goals. Then make every an effort to put these KPIs online for others to access. Once you start making KPIs for technology, the curriculum department will be after you to make some for your own.

Case Study: Crowley ISD

Since I first saw web-based data dashboards highlighting KPIs in my work in San Antonio ISD a scant ten years ago, the technology has gotten easier. In East Central ISD, I made KPIs with Google Sheets and Sites. Each Sheet had to be filled in with data collected one row at a time. Then the data was graphed. On a published update schedule, the graphs were updated. To be honest, my cobbled together data dashboard was light years ahead of anything any other director could put together at that time.

Now you can create data dashboards with low-cost tools that update in real time. Crowley ISD’s Jerry Allen has done a phenomenal job of featuring usable data.

kpi

Take a quick visit to Crowley ISD’s Data Dashboard website (a Google Site). In no time, you’ll be drooling (like I was) over the data available. When I asked Jerry Allen how he started off, he said, “I started putting numbers in a Google Sheet. The Sheet connects to Domo, which gives me embed code for a live graph. I put that code on a Google Sites page.” Over time, the people who owned the data learned how to add to it themselves.

kpi

As you might imagine, putting data into Google Sheets and then reflecting that data as a graph via Domo is quite straightforward. What KPIs are you using (or could be using) to capture your department’s efforts in alignment to district strategic goals and objectives?

Sample KPIs

Looking for examples of KPIs specific (link goes to Google Doc you can get a copy of) to your area? Here is a quick round-up of a few popular ones you can find online.

kpis
Pingdom generated KPI for offline/online services

Instructional Technology

  • Percentage of Classes Using Technology
  • Percentage of Administrators Using Technology
  • Social Media Engagement
  • Level of Teaching Innovation (LOTI) or Brightbytes Clarity Survey Data

HelpDesk

  • Calls to HelpDesk Per Month
  • Average Handle Time for HelpDesk
  • Average Response Time for Onsite Support

Technology Administration or Infrastructure

  • Technology Budget as a Percentage of Total Expense
  • Out-sourced versus In-sourced Services Cost Overview
  • Cost and Quantity of Devices Deployed in Schools
  • Inventory: How many items are part of an active inventory, have been removed from inventory, are “aged” and have become obsolete. This should be connected to the equipment replacement plan and costs planned in advance.

Another approach you can take is to rely on an SLA. An SLA is a “service level agreement” that you share with your stakeholders. It describes what services you offer, the level of priority assigned to each, and response time. A critical computer lab at the high school goes down? How often does that happen? How quick did your team respond? Get a copy of an SLA I adapted from another CTO for use in a school district I served.

kpi

Metrics and KPIs Made Easy

As mentioned earlier, there are various tools for creating an online KPI dashboard. While you can pay a pretty penny for these, you can put your own together. Do you like KPI tools like Domo, Pingdom, Google Sheets + Google Sites, CatchOn, or Microsoft’s Power BI? Need some inspiration as to crafting KPIs? Check out these examples to get you started.

Want to learn more about KPIs? Why not sign up for the TCEA IT/Director certification course?

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Hand holding up different cards with words on them. Word include: To Do, Doing, Done.
Leadership

Project Management Done Right

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Ever find yourself in charge of a project? Whether it’s your first time out, or even if you are a veteran, project management can be tough. You may think you know what your next steps are, but then all sorts of problems arise. In this blog entry, let’s explore some project management fundamentals.

“Houston, We Have a Problem”

“Our kiddoes are stuck in a portable building with NO internet access,” challenged a kindly, experienced principal. She smiled. I smiled. She continued. “Why don’t my kids have internet access? Why can’t my teachers fill out digital attendance or grades? I’m not sure why. Can you help me, please?”

This was, as you might imagine, the beginning of a fun project. What would you do to get this working? My first steps were to find out who the stakeholders were and who had started work (and left it unfinished). It was also to assume ownership of the project. The project? “Connecting 4th Grade Portable 6 to the District Network.”

Check out Venngage’s The 4 Stages of the Project Life Cycle. The project life cycle is a 4-step framework designed to help project managers guide their projects successfully from start to finish.

In any place, there are ways to get jobs done. In some locales, a conversation suffices to move those involved towards action. In others, only a formal presentation or proposal will work. Let’s dig deeper into project management fundamentals.

Defining Project Management

Project management involves applying processes, knowledge, skills, and experience. You use whatever you have to achieve a project’s stated objectives. Several factors play into project management, such as time, the scope of the project, and cost.

If a problem is not resolvable in one, quick step, then you have the potential for project management. In fact, it is best to break down how to resolve a project into manageable steps.

Did You Know?

Learn more about project management via the TCEA IT/Director certification course. As a technology system admin, coordinator or director, you will need to organize and coordinate large projects that may become quite detailed. This session in the certification course will introduce you to the fundamentals of organizing such projects while highlighting tips and best practices.

Project Management Action Steps

As a veteran project manager in K-12 school settings, I use the following steps. You may recognize them with a few slight modifications.

project management

Let’s explore these steps in the context of a real-life problem I encountered in a middle school:

“When the power poles in the computer labs were put in, the maintenance department failed to connect the power.”

“Wait,” I asked in surprise, “Are you saying that all these power poles do not have power in them? Are you just daisy chaining the power from one outlet?”

“Yes,” replied the media specialist. “That is exactly what we have had to do. As you can guess, we can’t put as many computers in this room as we would like. And I’m worried about overloading power. Isn’t this unsafe or something? I’ve told my principal, but she doesn’t have the money to get it done and it should have been done when they built the school several years ago.”

What a delightful problem! To address this, and follow the steps, I put together the following:

Step 1 – Start

project managementIdentify the project goals and scope, define success, and connect with stakeholders. To achieve this, I put together an executive summary. You can read about various proposal forms and executive summaries in my series. The three-part series, Solving Wicked Problems: Talk is Cheap, serves as a nice primer. In the executive summary, I provide these elements with more questions:

  • Overview (with details and locations)
  • Staff Impact
  • Student Impact
  • Budget Available
  • Professional Learning
  • Products
  • Stakeholders Affected

I provide my best responses to these questions:

  • Why is this necessary?
  • What happens if we don’t implement?
  • How will we measure success?
  • When will this happen?

This is often a one-page document that anyone can read and take action on. In this case, I had the campus media specialist and principal review it. Then, I submitted it on their behalf to the Superintendent’s Cabinet for disposition.

Step 2 – Plan

In this step, craft a budget, a timeline, and determine who will do what by when; that last piece is critical. You will include all these details in your executive summary. One key aspect of this step that often goes unnoticed is the communications plan. Make sure that you craft a communications plan that includes how you are going to share the latest status reports.

When preparing a communications plan, I include a website address. This website is an online document or web page with all the details. It takes ten minutes to set up and less to update. In this situation, a Google Sites page was set up and regular updates provide there. My goal? To ensure that if anyone had a question about how money was being spent, they could find it themselves. No need to call me or interrupt technicians working on other projects.

To be clear, documenting status in a work order system only goes so far. A communication plan includes different types of updates for all stakeholders. Those updates can be the website but also emails, a two-minute phone call, or a face-to-face chat.

Step 3 – Execute

Ready to execute your plan? Make sure to log all progress, providing short updates to stakeholders. Just as important is that you verify who is doing what and that it is getting done in alignment to the timeline. You may need to put into place some daily check-in meetings a la Patrick Lencioni.

Step 4 – Stop

Before you declare success on any project, ask stakeholders. Ask them to verify if they have received the “deliverables” they identified and thought they would receive. You can preempt some of this. Get video/photos of success and put them on your project website. Verify achievement of articulated goals and outcomes. Did you have to do something extra? Then make sure to mention that.

One way to flush out these insights involves reflecting as a team. Bring everyone together to reflect on project execution and plan quality. Write those reflections as a short report and then put them on the project website.

Project Management Done Right

“Did you get this done right?” your superintendent or supervisor will ask. After you say “Yes!” show them your documentation, the videos, or artifacts of observed success. They may not want to see it at first, but there is more to it than that. It’s about building their trust in you to get things done. It’s also about training them to go online to see how things are progressing in any given project. Wouldn’t you rather spend your time getting things done than sitting in a meeting?

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data warehouse
CTO/CIOLeadership

District Data Warehouse: Recognizing the Need

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Can your district recognize patterns in student achievement data and then craft appropriate instructional interventions? Many districts have a clear and urgent need to do so. The problem is that they don’t know it. Achieving the technical reality can be difficult to grasp for top leadership. In this blog entry, we’ll explore some of the reasons why a data warehouse can be helpful.

Web Portal with Data Warehouse

When I first proposed the need for a data warehouse, the district I served thought what they had was sufficient (e.g. Eduphoria Aware). One reason was that they didn’t know how many systems needed to interact with each other. For each system, a manual process was involved. The image below captures some of the various data systems that needed to interact with each other. See if this looks familiar to you.

warehouse

Conversations with school leadership staff soon revealed that they spent weeks combining various data sources (e.g. assessments) into spreadsheets. Unfortunately, these spreadsheets were prone to errors and seldom resulted in swift instructional interventions that impacted teaching and learning. Worse, district leadership didn’t know what they did not know. They did know that digging up, reviewing, and crafting data reports manually took time. They didn’t realize that campus staff spent weeks doing it.

One of the challenges was identifying the steps to go forward. The initial journey was imagined to take about six months. However, the process took a full year with constant interventions. The main obstacles? Getting the district’s internal systems exporting the data to match the required schema, as well as getting the various vendors to work together (e.g. Student Information System (SIS)).

warehouse

Once district leaders understood the potential of a data warehouse with a web-based data dashboard, they decided to move the project forward. One way of helping them understand involved collecting scenarios from various stakeholders.

Scenarios

Here are a few scenarios that illustrate why a data warehouse is needed:

  • Due to ELA Reading and Writing scores being combined, campuses will need to know if a student met minimum composite scores and ascertain minimum section scores. To effectively track students for End of Course retesting, we need to know two collections of data:
    • Student information (e.g.ID#, first year enrolled in high school, first year in a Texas high school, and testing results (three tests per year per subject). This data is combined with…
    • Combined ELA Reading and Writing scores. This spring, the ELA tests will be combined. The district will need to know if the student met a minimum composite score and a minimum score for each section. This information is then compiled to determine who needs retesting.
  • A need exists to evaluate special education services. Six components of information that need compilation and juxtaposition include the following: level of inclusion, modifications, accommodations, nine weeks test scores, and STAAR results, all listed by teacher.
  • A teacher needs to complete a report about AVID at his school. He needs to know student performance in AVID as compared to other students. One piece of information he needs is the percent of students that drop Pre-AP classes.
  • List of students to test for gifted and talented. The campus staff person begins with a basic list from SMI/SRI scores. Then the staff person goes into Aware to look at quarterly assessment scores, STAAR scores, and then into Texas Gradebook to look at grades. The campus staff person has to look at 45 different students to gather the data. The process is repeated each time a list of students needs to be tested for gifted and talented. It can also involve greater numbers of students.
  • When beginning the RTI process, teachers must complete a Review of Student Records form. Teachers must pull attendance data, previous intervention data, screening data, and possibly others as well like grades. In the past, many teachers have even called in sick so that they could complete these forms. In most cases, it took several hours to gather the data prior to even compiling it on the forms.
  • A need exists to pull data from the following: iStation, SAM, ALEKS, Think Through Math, Tango, AIMs Web, and Eduphoria. Current practices involve going into each program individually and then extracting data from each to compile.

Even More Scenarios

Wondering about some other possible reasons for a data warehouse from a special programs perspective?

  • Bilingual/ESL Office: TPRI/TejasLee staff and student data exports have to be obtained via a single district person and this can involve wait time.
  • Special Education: Both district and campus staff have to correlate data between iTCCS and vendor systems–whose disparate systems are unable to “talk to each other”–to get the results needed to serve special populations.
  • Technology: To assess the implementation of digital devices and their impact on instruction, it would be wonderful  to query and generate reports. Data needed includes student attendance (comparing one classroom to others), individual attendance reporting, student achievement across grade levels, individual performance, and discipline referrals.

If these scenarios are familiar to you, a data warehouse may be the solution to your problem.

Data Warehouse Next Steps

The goals of establishing a data warehouse include the following:

  • Facilitate easy, safe, and appropriate access to data that campus and district staff need to accomplish essential job functions, and
  • Eliminate time that the staff currently waste in data hunting-and-gathering, sifting, and organizing that consume more time than the data analysis component requires.
  • Enable staff to have tiered levels of access to generate reports derived from data critical to their job functions via a web-based interface to a data warehouse of content.

The end result is a more informed leadership and better decision-making in service of students and staff. To achieve that, your district will need to make a plan. In part two of this blog entry, we will explore a sample plan you can customize for your own district.

 

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