Douglas Casey

1

• Douglas Casey
• Capitol Region Education Council
• Saturday, November 17, 2007

Choosing Technology Tools for Learning
Environments
2
PRECONCEPTIONS AND GOALS

• Not a Product Demonstration or Comparison
• Not a School Data Overview
• Not for Geeks (Technology Experts)
• You Are an Expert
• Know the Right Questions

3
MY BACKGROUND

• 7th - Grade English Teacher
• Smithsonian Office of Education
• Tech Management for Intelligence, U.S. House,
  Financial Management, and Marketing
• Systems Development for LEAs

4
YOUR ROLE

• Who Are You?
• Board of Education Member
• Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent
• Building Administrator
• Business Manager

5
TOOL SUCCESS CRITERIA

• Impact on Learning and Instruction
• Efficiency
• Cost (Long- and Short-Term)
• Functionality
• Ease of Use
• Availability (Bandwidth and Web Access)
• Standards-Aligned

6
TOOL FUNCTIONS

• Information
• Workflow
• Operations
• Analysis
• Reporting
• Accountability

7
SOBERING STATISTICS TECHNOLOGY BUDGETS
District Administrator September 30, 2007
8
LIFECYCLE
9
1) CURRENT STATE

• Processes
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Costs
• Culture

10
MAPPING THE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT

• Key Questions
• How will the addition of new software require
  changes in personnel, processes, and even
  culture?
• How should we change these elements to improve
  instruction and learning, regardless of the new
  system(s)?

11
LIFECYCLE STEP 2 - REQUIREMENTS
12
2) REQUIREMENTS

• People
• Protocol
• Process

13
2) REQUIREMENTS A TEAM OF PEOPLE

• Team Approach
• 75 90 of districts use teams for high-stakes
  systems purchases- Akel and Associates, 2007-
  District Administrator, 9-30-07

14
2) REQUIREMENTS BENEFITS OF A TEAM

• Decisions Affect Multiple Areas
• Interdependency of Educational Organizations
• Broader Perspective and Insights
• Awareness of Current Needs and Offerings
• Delivery Will Also Count on Teamwork
• Screening for Implementation Team

15
2) REQUIREMENTS TEAM MAKEUP

• Curriculum
• Building Administration
• Business Services
• Technology
• Others?

16
2) REQUIREMENTS PROTOCOL

• Egos at the Door
• Questions Are the Goal (Not Quick Answers)
• Long-Term Relationship

17
2) REQUIREMENTS PROCESS

• Gather
• Consolidate
• Clarify
• Document
• Review
• Share

18
2) REQUIREMENTS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
19
2) REQUIREMENTS RFP Interoperability

• Database Platform
• ODBJ, JDBC, or Other Connectivity
• Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF)
• Definitions
• Certification vs. Compliance
• Agents

20
2) REQUIREMENTS RFP Platform(s)

• Web
• Client
• Tie-in to Network Access

21
2) REQUIREMENTS RFP Security

• Access Security Encryption (SSL)
• Protection of Student Data
• FERPA
• HIPAA
• Group- and User-Level Permissions

22
2) REQUIREMENTS RFP Standards

• Account for State Standards
• Allow for Flexibility in Revising Alignment

23
2) REQUIREMENTS RFP Hosting

• Location and Provider
• In-House
• Vendor-Hosted
• Third-Party
• Security and Backup
• Uptime

24
2) REQUIREMENTS RFP Support Team

• Locations
• Personnel
• Experience

25
2) REQUIREMENTS RFP Implementation

• Costs
• Scope
• Timeline
• Team

26
LIFECYCLE STEP 3 REVIEW AND SELECTION
27
3) REVIEW AND SELECTION

• Product Demos (Vendors and Partners)
• Recommendations
• Review Board Meetings
• Quantifiable Score Sheet

28
3) REVIEW AND SELECTION Score Sheet
29
LIFECYCLE STEP 4 NEGOTIATIONS
30
4) CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS PRINCIPLES

• Cross-Disciplinary Team
• No Experience Necessary
• Take Ownership Your Contract
• Ask for Help If You Need It
• Better to Ask Forgiveness than Permission
• Dont Burn Bridges
• No Silly Questions
• Imagine the Worst

31
4) CONTRACT DEFINITIONS

• Parties
• Services
• Products
• Third-Party Products or Services

32
4) CONTRACT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• Definition
• Protection and Confidentiality
• Separate from Vendor-Provided Data

33
4) CONTRACT SUPPORT

• Service-Level Agreement
• Hours
• Personnel
• Response Time
• Upgrade Schedule, Costs, and Deployment

34
4) CONTRACT COSTS

• One-Time Licenses
• Recurring Licenses
• Third-Party Licenses
• Implementation Services
• Travel (Ethics Policy)
• Transaction Fees

35
SOBERING STATISTICS COST OF OWNERSHIP
2002 2003 QED Technology Purchasing Forecast
and 2006 Americas Digital Schools Survey The
Hayes Connection
36
4) CONTRACT SCOPE

• Full District
• Selected Schools
• Leverage the Power of Scope!

37
4) CONTRACT WARRANTY

• Stems from Definitions
• Remediation
• Time
• Functionality
• Costs

38
4) CONTRACT TERMINATION

• Causes
• Responsibilities
• Conditions (See Definitions)
• Cost Reconciliation
• Time Frame

39
4) CONTRACT LIABILITY

• Software
• Data
• Access
• Intellectual Property (Theirs and Yours)
• Indemnification

40
4) CONTRACT UPGRADES

• Availability
• Cost
• Deployment Schedule
• Support of Older Versions

41
4) CONTRACT OPERATING ENVIRONMENT(S)

• End Users
• Operating System(s)
• Bandwidth
• Third-Party Software e.g., Browser(s), PDF,
  etc.
• Server(s)
• Storage and Backup
• Bandwidth
• Operating System(s)
• Processor(s)
• Load Balancing

42
4) CONTRACT PROJECT PLAN

• Milestones
• Roles
• Responsibilities
• Review
• Remediation

43
4) CONTRACT FEE SCHEDULE

• Licenses
• Spread Payments
• Semi-Annual or Quarterly
• Prorated for Termination
• Services As Delivered
• Partial Up Front
• Partial on Delivery
• Maintain Leverage!

44
4) CONTRACT CHANNELS

• District Purchase (Autonomous)
• Consortium or Regional Purchase

45
QUESTIONS AND FOLLOW-UP
Doug Casey Technology Services Capitol Region
Education Council [phone] dcasey_at_crec.org w
ww.crec.org/techtools/