5a. Describe the existing hardware, Internet access, electronic learning resources, and technical support already in the district that will be used to support the Curriculum and Professional Development Components of the plan.
Existing Hardware: Maintaining a reliable and secure infrastructure to support 21st century teachers and learners is a fundamental tenant of improving education through technology. Currently, the school district technology hardware consists of:
1) Five physical servers supporting roughly 50 virtual servers at the district office with UPS battery backup
2) A single physical server supporting roughly 10 virtual servers at the districts Heritage Elementary school disaster recovery center on UPS battery backup.
3) A server at each school site for identity management, storage, DNS, and DHCP not on UPS battery backup.
4) At least one computer lab of 36 or more computers at each elementary and middle school. A few elementary schools have two computer labs. Most middle schools have 2 or 3 computer labs. Most high schools have 3 computer labs.
5) Most classrooms have a projector, interactive white board, and teacher computer, and media player. Many of the projectors are 5 or more years old and need to be replaced.
6) Half of all classrooms have a document camera.
7) Approximately 20% of classrooms have audio amplification.
8) Approximately 5% of classrooms have an AV control panel allowing the teacher to easily control the media within the classroom.
9) Most classrooms have at least 3 student computers per classroom.
10) The secondary schools have approximately 1,000 netbooks and donated laptops that are used for mobile labs and 1:1 programs such as STEM and MUN.
11) The secondary schools have 1,000 tablets used to support 1:1 programs and mobile carts. 12) The elementary schools have 800 tablets used to support mobile carts for 1:1 instruction, intervention, and enrichment.
Existing Internet Access: Currently the school districts Internet access consists of: 1) Internet access of 250Mbps shared by all schools from the district office to OCDE. 2) Each elementary and middle school has 50Mbps of access to the district office. 3) Each high school has 100Mbps of access to the district office.
Existing Electronic Learning Resources: Currently, the school district's electronic learning resources consist of:
1) Haiku Learning Management System integrated with Google Apps for education, provides all teachers and students online classroom, instructional email and productivity tools.
2) Aeries for the student information system and Illuminate for the student data management system. In addition, PBIS/SWIS is used for informing student and school wide behavior interventions.
3) Renaissance Learning Accelerated Reader or Scholastic Reading Counts are used at all elementary school sites for literacy intervention and enrichment.
4) Blackboard Connect is used for parent communication by school sites.
5) Schoolwires Nimbus is a social intra-network for online professional learning communities for teachers and administrators.
6) Instructional video streaming both through Discovery Education and a local video portal of resources that are checked out from the District Media Center.
7) Britannica Online and ABC-CLIO are used by teachers to create Haiku lessons aligned with the California Common Core Standards.
8) Almost all K-8 teachers make routine use of the SMART Notebook software to create dynamic, interactive, and engaging lessons for their students. With Haiku and Nimbus, some teachers are now regularly sharing lessons between schools.
9) Plato Online Learning is used to enable students to make up failed or missed classes at their own pace.
10) BrainPop and Starfall are used at the elementary sites.
11) CTE, STEM, and STEAM make use of specific software programs such as Adobe Creative Suite, AutoDesk, SolidWorks, GameMaker, and several others.
12) The PD Express professional development system is used to schedule and track teacher professional development.
13) DIBELS and Earobics are used to teach early learners mastery of phonics. 14) Naviance is used to track student outcomes after graduation.
Existing Technical Support: Current technical support consists of: 1) A Director of Information Technology
2) An Assistant Director of Network Services
3) A Student Information Systems Manager and Records Clerk 4) A Network and Systems Manager
5) 4 Computer Systems Specialist 6) 1 Computer Support Specialist
7) 5 Computer Technicians each working 3.95 hours per day assigned to cover roughly 4 elementary schools each.
5b. Describe the technology hardware, electronic learning resources, networking and telecommunications infrastructure, physical plant modifications, and technical support needed by the district's teachers, students, and administrators to support the activities in the Curriculum and Professional Development Components of the plan.
Hardware Needed: TUSD seeks to enable students to learn at their own pace, anywhere, at any time. The hardware that will be used to support this plan includes:
1) A mobile learning device in the hands of all students, grades 5-12. The device will go home with the student each day. The device will provide access to traditional standards based
instruction and enable student creativity with the capability of authoring and consuming
multimedia information. While every effort will be made to help students obtain mobile or home Internet access, the device will have sufficient space to hold instructional content locally. 2) All teachers will be given access to the same classroom multimedia technology including projector, interactive whiteboard, audio amplification, document camera, Apple TV, and wireless HDMI connectivity. Teacher’s desktop and laptop computers will be updated and teachers will receive the same mobile learning devices as their students. In addition to their traditional
professional development, teachers will be using the internal Nimbus social networking platform to create ad hoc peer, mentoring, and support groups around instructional topics that are pertinent and relevant to their needs.
needs to be ready for assessment and reporting purposes to track educational and operational performance. This requires a new investment in central servers, storage, and the associated storage area network.
3) The initial 5 year bond issuance for Measure S will be used both to purchase central hardware, teacher and student devices, create a pool of spares, purchase theft recovery solutions, replace batteries at the 3 year mark and many other items related to the hardware TCO.
Electronic Learning Resources Needed: As instruction is transformed with the California Common Core Standards, teachers will be increasingly dependent on teacher created lessons using a variety of electronic learning resources. In addition, TUSD would like to enable teachers to provide students with learning opportunities beyond the classroom walls at anytime anywhere. In addition to all the existing electronic resources, TUSD is adding the following electronic learning resources:
1) In addition to open source resources, ABC-CLIO and Britannica Online provides teachers with grade appropriate resources categorized by Common Core Standards for use in building lessons for students.
2) VoiceThread will allow teachers to record instruction for students to listen to later at their own pace and time. By using the multimedia hardware and software authoring capabilities built into the student mobile learning device, teachers will also upload videos of themselves teaching a topic or lesson to their classes Haiku page.
3) Automated identity and information integration between existing electronic resources remains a critical component to enable teachers and administrators to use the technology with reduced confusion, hassles, and down time.
4) The Illuminate Data Management System will continue to be used for automated analysis of formative, summative, and benchmark assessments of students.
5) The AERIES Student Information System will continue to provide an operational student information database compatible with state, federal, and grant reporting requirements. 6) In addition \email and phone communication, Blackboard Connect is used for emergency, parent, and community communication.
Networking and Telecommunications Infrastructure Needed: A robust wired and wireless LAN and WAN are required to support learning by any student anywhere at any time.
Specifically:
1) A dual radio 802.11n wireless access point will be placed in every classroom district wide to support up to 60 active student mobile learning devices in each classroom. This will provide both the density of wireless coverage needed and support roughly 2Mbps of access per device.
2) The district will have two locations for Internet Access. The first location will initially be the District Office, but will move to Tustin High School in the summer of 2013. The second location will be at Heritage Elementary, but will move to Beckman High School in the summer of 2015. Each location will have 1Gbps of Internet Access. Internet Access will be load balanced between the two locations providing 2Gbps of capacity for all schools in the district to the Internet. Each elementary school will have a 100Mbps connection that connects simultaneously to both
locations. Each middle and high school will have a 1Gbps connection that connects simultaneously to both locations.
3) The District's existing Internet firewalls, internal service firewalls, service encryption using public key cryptography, backup infrastructure, and virus protection will continue to provide protection and data integrity. In addition, active malware protection, intrusion detection, intrusion prevention, and network access control will be required in the presence of both bring your own device and the large number of mobile student devices.
4) The district will continue to provide a content filtering and will apply that filtering to student and staff devices even when off network.
5) With access to the cloud based Google Apps for Education, both students and teachers have access to their work at home. With District licensing teachers are entitled to work at home with all of the software they use at school.
6) Parents and the community can access school information from the district and school web sites. Parents can also access the portals on Aeries, Illuminate, and Haiku.
7) E-Rate discounts are and will continue to be leveraged for eligible priority 1 and priority 2 services. CTF discounts will be leveraged for all eligible telecommunications services.
Physical Plant Modifications Needed: The only remaining physical plant modifications needed in support of this plan are:
1) Generator, battery backup, and redundant cooling, and sufficient power at the two data center locations. This is in process with estimated completion of the THS data center in summer 2013. The completion of the BHS data center is expected summer 2015.
2) Wired drops to support an additional access point in 300 rooms at the secondary schools. This is in process with estimated completion summer 2013.
3) Student Mobile Device charging carts for every 3 classrooms K-4 and a power strip with 8 student mobile device charging adapters for charging in each class room grades 5-12. Students will primarily be charging their devices at home.
Technical Support Needed: With the 18,000 new student mobile learning devices and the associated increase in dependence on technology for classroom instruction, technical support
1) An Information System Specialist is being hired to provide support for the additional data management and analysis needs.
2) A Technology Support Manager is being hired to ensure that schedule, manage, prioritize, and train support resources. The technology support manager will prioritize problems based upon scope and imminence of instructional, operational, and fiscal impact.
3) 5 Additional Computer Support Specialists are being hired to provide a full time second tier support staff at each high school and a half time second tier support staff at each middle school. 4) 12 Computer Technicians working 5.95 hours per day are being hired to provide a half time first tier technical support person at each middle school and a first tier technical support person at each elementary school for 3 half days each week.
5) The Teacher Technology Task Force member at each school will also continue to be available to provide technical assistance to the site.
6) As determined by the Technology Support Manager, the Computer Technician staff from the 6 middle schools will be dispatched to elementary schools where there is a need to resolve a problem right away.
With this level of technical support instructional problems will be resolved with 2 hours. At high and middle schools non instructional problems will be resolved within a day, and non-
instructional problems at elementary schools will be resolved within 2 days.
5c. List of clear annual benchmarks and a timeline for obtaining the hardware, infrastructure, learning resources and technical support required to support the other plan components as identified in Section 5b.
Year 1 Benchmark: By Jan 2014, 100% of grade K-4 students have access to a mobile learning cart and 100% of grade 5-12 students have a take home mobile learning device. Recommended Actions/Activities Timeline Person(s) Responsible
Hire Technology Coaches By July 2013
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Technology Coordinator
Hire Additional Information and Technical Support Staff
By July 2013
Director of Technology Device and cart evaluation and selection By July
2013
Assistant Superintendent, Coordinator Educational Technology, Director of Technology
Preparation of Mobile Device Management Solution
By July 2013
Director of Technology
Device Purchase and Inventory July 2013 Director of Purchasing, Director of Technology
Review and where applicable renew licensing and/or support on existing software and hosted applications.
By July 2013
Director of Technology
Complete WAN upgrades By August
2013
Director of Technology Complete class room wireless upgrades By August
2013
Director of Technology Battery Backup in every IDF and MDF. By August
2013
Director of Technology Complete Tustin High School Data
Center generator, power, cooling, server, and storage upgrades
By August 2013
Director of Technology
Complete classroom instructional audio visual technology upgrades
By August 2013
Assistant Superintendent, Director of Technology
Device preparation and imaging By
September 2013
Director of Technology
Purchase and deploy Voice Thread By
September 2013
Director of Technology
Power strip with 8 device chargers in each grade 5 - 12 class room.
By October 2013
Director of Technology Cart Deployment, Check out devices to
grade 5-12 students like textbooks
November 2013 - Jan 2014
Director of Technology, Library Supervisor
Repair, replace, and purchase additional devices as needed.
November 2013 - June 2014
Director of Technology
Collect devices at the end of the school year, assess damage, assess fines
June 2014 Library Supervisor, Director of Technology
Year 2 Benchmark: From July 2014 to June 2015, 100% of grade K-4 students will continue have access to a mobile learning cart and 100% of grade 5-12 students will continue to have a take home mobile learning device.
Recommended Actions/Activities Timeline Person(s) Responsible Review and renew software licensing as
appropriate.
By July 2014
Director of Technology Use projected enrollment to assess
number of devices needed per school.
July 2014 Director of Technology Restock spare device pool for start of
school year.
Year 2 Benchmark: From July 2014 to June 2015, 100% of grade K-4 students will continue have access to a mobile learning cart and 100% of grade 5-12 students will continue to have a take home mobile learning device.
Recommended Actions/Activities Timeline Person(s) Responsible
Reimage devices July 2014 -
August 2014
Director of Technology
Check out devices to students like textbooks.
September 2014
Library Supervisor, Director of Technology
Repair, replace, and purchase additional devices as needed.
September 2014 - June 2015
Director of Technology
Check in devices, assess damage, and assess fines.
June 2015 Library Supervisor, Director of Technology
Year 3 Benchmark: From July 2015 to June 2016, 100% of grade K-4 students will continue have access to a mobile learning cart and 100% of grade 5-12 students will continue to have a take home mobile learning device.
Recommended Actions/Activities Timeline Person(s) Responsible Review and renew software licensing as
appropriate.
By July 2015
Director of Technology Use projected enrollment to assess
number of devices needed per school.
July 2015 Director of Technology Restock spare device pool for start of
school year.
July 2015 Director of Technology
Reimage devices July 2015 -
August 2015
Director of Technology
Check out devices to students like textbooks.
September 2015
Library Services Supervisor, Director of Technology
Repair, replace, and purchase additional devices as needed.
September 2015 - Jun 2016
Director of Technology
Check in devices, assess damage, and assess fines.
June 2016 Library Services Supervisor, Director of Technology
5d. Describe the process that will be used to monitor Section 5b and the annual benchmarks and timeline of activities including roles and responsibilities.
1) Assistant Superintendent, Educational Technology Coordinator, and Director of Technology will monitor progress at their weekly technology meeting. The Purchasing Director and Library Supervisor will attend as needed.
2) Assistant Superintendent will take a report of status into the Superintendent's Cabinet each week.
3) Administrators will be informed about the status through the monthly management and principals' meetings. Principals and management staff will keep their staff up to date. 4) Technology will be inventoried as it arrives. As failed devices are replaced they will be removed from inventory and the replacements will be added to inventory.
The ongoing support and maintenance of will be monitored as follows:
1) The Technology Support Manager dispatches all technology support requests through the helpdesk and will create weekly reports of technology support status. Recurrent problems will be flagged for additional attention.
2) The capacity of the network and servers will be monitored by Cricket. The performance of the network will be monitored by Smokeping. The availability of the network and servers will be monitored by Nagios. Each system will alert the helpdesk to Coordinator of Educational Technology, and Director of Technology adjusting resources and schedules as needed.
6. Funding and Budget
6a. List of established and potential funding sources.
Established Funding Sources: The following funding sources are used to fund the plan:
1) The Tustin USD Measure S General Obligation bond is used to fund all technology hardware, infrastructure, facilities costs, and staff dedicated to working on these components. This is $35,000,000 over the next 5 years.
2) General Fund and Tier III flexible categorical funds are used to fund staff performing non bond related work.
3) EIA is used to fund the 13 Digital Learning Coaches dedicated to helping teachers integrate 21st century equipment into their daily instruction.
4) Software licenses and subscriptions are purchased by K12 Ed Tech Voucher until 9/25/2013 and General Funds.
5) E-Rate is used to reimburse eligible priority 1 and 2 services including WAN circuits, telephone lines, cell phones, and web hosting.
6) CTF reimburses eligible telecommunications services.
7) Community Facility District Funds are used to fund technology related facility construction at school sites within the CFD.
Potential Funding Sources: The Assistant Superintendent, Director of Technology, and
Coordinator of Educational Technology are always seeking additional funding sources including grants, such as CTAP, and rebates such as power utility rebates.
6b. Estimate annual implementation costs for the term of the plan.
Item Description Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Funding Source Including E-Rate 1000-1999 Certificated Salaries
Assistant Superintendent and Coordinator Education Technology
$290,000 $300,000 $310,000 General Fund
Technology Coaches $923,076 $0 $0 EIA
2000-2999 Classified Salaries
Technology Support Staff $950,000 $1,000,000 $1,050,000 General Fund, Tier III, and Measure S
Information Support Staff $370,000 $375,000 $380,000 5000-5999 Other Services and Operating Expenses
VoIP Maintenance $116,000 $116,000 $116,000 General Fund
Infrastructure Maintenance $36,000 $36,000 $36,000 General Fund, E-Rate where applicable Software, Licensing, Web
Hosting