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Information Technology Strategic Plan

For the

Miami-Dade Public School District

(Fiscal Years 2003/04 through 2005/06) Agenda Item I1

Table of Contents

Forward .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction............................................................................................................................................................. 6

Planning Approach ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Accommodating Change ................................................................................................................................... 7 Document Organization..................................................................................................................................... 8

M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan Overview ................................................................................................................... 10

Rationale for the M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan ................................................................................................... 10 M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan Scope ................................................................................................................... 10 Stakeholders.................................................................................................................................................... 11 What Our Customers Want ............................................................................................................................. 11 M-DCPS Strategic Planning Mission............................................................................................................... 12 Information Technology Vision for the School District..................................................................................... 12

Who We Are ......................................................................................................................................................... 12

Information Technology Services (ITS) ........................................................................................................... 13

Current State of Information Technology within M-DCPS.................................................................................... 16

Core Administrative Systems .......................................................................................................................... 16 Characteristics of IT within M-DCPS............................................................................................................... 17 Recent Accomplishments................................................................................................................................ 19 District Challenges Impacting ITS ................................................................................................................... 20 ITS Capabilities ............................................................................................................................................... 20 Internal Influences Impacting IT ...................................................................................................................... 21 Existing Strengths............................................................................................................................................ 21 Known Weaknesses........................................................................................................................................ 22 External Influences Impacting IT ..................................................................................................................... 24 Future Opportunities........................................................................................................................................ 24 Potential Threats ............................................................................................................................................. 25

Where We Want To Be ........................................................................................................................................ 26

Preparing our Children for the 21st Century .................................................................................................... 27

How We Will Get There: The Blueprint ................................................................................................................ 30

Guiding Principles for Designing the Blueprint................................................................................................ 30 Major Steps for Constructing the Blueprint ..................................................................................................... 31 Aligning the IT Strategic Direction with the District Goals ............................................................................... 32 Defining Needs ................................................................................................................................................ 32 Organizing Needs into Functional Goals......................................................................................................... 33 Prioritizing the Functional Goals...................................................................................................................... 33 Goals to Initiatives ........................................................................................................................................... 33 Achieving The Goals ....................................................................................................................................... 35 Building the Foundation................................................................................................................................... 36

Foundation Projects Proposed Funding............................................................................................................... 37

Timing for Implementing the Foundation Strategic Initiatives ......................................................................... 39 Building the Program Portfolio of Strategic Projects ....................................................................................... 41 Establishing Projects to Achieve Strategic Goals ........................................................................................... 41 Project Resource Management....................................................................................................................... 42

Selecting Strategic Actions from the Portfolio ...................................................................................................... 44 Implementing Strategic Actions from the Portfolio ............................................................................................... 45 Implementing Strategic Actions from the Portfolio ............................................................................................... 46 Updating the Portfolio of Strategic Projects ......................................................................................................... 47

Cancelled Strategic Actions ............................................................................................................................ 48 Initiating New Strategic Actions....................................................................................................................... 48 Prioritizing New Strategic Actions ................................................................................................................... 48

Conclusion............................................................................................................................................................ 49

Appendices Appendix “A” – Foundation Projects Appendix “B” – Portfolio of Strategic Projects Appendix “C” – ITS Weighting Methodology Appendix “D” – M-DCPS Goals for Information Technology Appendix “E” – Survey Results Appendix “F” – Peer Review Findings Glossary of Terms Acknowledgements

Forward The M-DCPS Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan identifies the District’s information system needs over the next three years starting with the 2003/2004 School Year. This plan was developed with full stakeholder involvement as a result of an Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) recommendation to develop an IT Strategic Plan to improve District alignment, improve service quality, and reduce costs. In addition to focusing on IT needs, this plan discusses the process for selecting and managing strategic actions so that their outcomes truly lead towards significant, measurable improvements in academic performance and operational efficiency. The need for developing this plan is apparent when considering most of our core business systems are 25-30 years old and require high support overhead. The need is also evident when considering issues that occurred due to rapid developments in computer technology during the 1990’s. For example: Reduced technology costs led many departments to purchase independent applications

and databases. Many of these systems do not share data with other systems, contain inconsistent data, have inadequate data recovery processes, and may be vulnerable to security breaches.

The Internet created great opportunities for leveraging technology into the curriculum but

has also dramatically increased support requirements and has presented new challenges in fully wiring the District facilities for adequate Internet access.

Decentralization of new systems led to a breakdown in technical standards resulting in

diminished reliability and inability to provide adequate support. The implementation of this strategic plan will take the District’s technology from the current level to the desired level of support for the District’s goals and priorities. It:

Provides stakeholder inclusiveness, Establishes a more efficient process for acquiring technology, Provides uniformity in Information Technology (IT) standards, Lowers maintenance costs, Establishes measurable indicators, Promotes equitable distribution of resources, Enhances monitoring of IT projects, Provides a plan for infrastructure development and Provides a mechanism for directing the District’s technology future.

The M-DCPS IT Steering Committee was formed to guide and participate in developing the M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan. This committee is made up of senior management from both the Instructional and Administrative functions of the District. Gathering the functional information and technology support needs of the District was the first step in developing the plan. After these needs were identified, a refinement process to determine costs, timing, and resources occurred. During this process, it was determined that some strategic actions lay the “foundation” for the ones remaining. As a result, the M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan classifies strategic actions as either “Foundation” or “Portfolio.” All “Foundation” initiatives are recommended. Most of these initiatives are relatively low cost ($39,000 - $258,000) process improvement projects and/or planning/requirements studies. These items can be funded through the operational budget. The remaining projects involve the procurement of new hardware and/or software and can be funded through a combination of the operational budget, grants, and capital investment. Just like a stock portfolio, the “IT Project Portfolio” contains potential projects with varying risks proportional to the benefit. The IT Strategic Plan does not directly recommend which items go forward. Instead, the plan establishes the process for evaluating goal alignment, risk, cost, and benefit. Findings are presented to the IT Steering Committee which then ratifies, denies, or requests modifications for proposed initiatives. If the project is approved by the IT Steering Committee it is then presented to the Board for consideration. If every single “Portfolio” initiative were approved, the estimated cost ranges from $39M to $63M. Most of the Foundation strategic initiative costs are focused on much needed PC replacement and network expansion to support the deployment of effective, District-wide e-curriculum. To maximize federal funding, the network will be expanded incrementally over three years. Likewise, new desktop computers would be deployed over three years. To keep the one-time costs to a minimum, and reduce the support and maintenance costs, the plan specifies centrally purchasing and configuring these new machines. In total, year one estimated cost for the 18 Foundational strategic actions is $13M ($38M over three years). Of the $13 Million, $8 Million is computer replacement. The IT Strategic Plan is flexible. This plan complements the existing and new District-wide Strategic Planning effort currently underway by establishing a method to change IT strategic direction to evolving District priorities. It provides the School Board with the flexibility to approve or reject projects based on a District-wide priority.

Introduction

The Information Technology Strategic Plan for Miami-Dade Public Schools (M-DCPS) uses the District’s three high-level goals as the basis for determining the optimal implementation and deployment of technology to support those goals.

M-DCPS District Goals

1. School to Career: Students will be prepared for graduation, employment, post-secondary education, and to become responsible citizens.

2. Effective Learning Environment: Enhance the safety of students, and increase the

quality of the learning environment. 3. Efficient Management Practices: Ensure that school system operations conform to the

highest business and professional standards of effectiveness, ethics and efficiency. This planning document then takes into account the:

Current and anticipated social, political, and educational conditions. Current status of technology and support capabilities within the District. Optimal role of technology within the District. Gaps between the current and optimal state of the technology effort.

The M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan provides a blueprint that identifies eight initiatives of Information Technology that will take the technology from the current to desired level of support for the District goals and priorities. It then takes a more tactical view by defining near and long-term projects to achieve the desired outcomes.

Planning Approach The diagram on the next page shows the analytical process leading to the building of this plan. A primary consideration when developing this approach was to involve client organizations fully (i.e. users of IT services) in the strategic planning effort. The District Goals drive strategic planning by first reviewing the needs of the District, organizing them into functional goals to determine the direction information technology must take to ensure alignment. Once the direction is understood, the work required to meet the needs is organized in the most cost/time efficient manner possible.

Evolving Needs into Achievable Outcomes

Another important objective was to give direction as to when and how each approved Strategic Action would be implemented. The M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan transitions into the tactical realm as specific projects are identified with broadly defined effort and cost estimations. Early during this analysis, it became apparent that certain strategic actions depend on other identified strategic actions. These strategic actions are Foundation Projects. Single-page descriptions of each of these Foundation Projects may be found in Attachment “A” to this document.

Accommodating Change The M-DCPS is a dynamic and ever-changing institution that requires a strategic action selection methodology that is capable of adjusting as needs change. To accommodate this requirement, each action will be evaluated against a set of adjustable weighted criteria. These weight adjustments and cut-off points occur when there is a major shift in Board policy or priority and/or after a periodic review process. Re-adjustments are made by the Information Technology Steering Committee and are done independently from the strategic action selection activity.

District Goals

IT StrategicDirection

8 StrategicTechnologyInitiatives

IT Strategic Actions

Projects

Projects

Projects

G O A L S

Strategic Needs

Document Organization

Section Discussion Topics Overview

M-DCPS Strategic Plan:

Rationale Scope Stakeholders What Our Customers Want Mission Information Technology Vision

Who We Are

Information Technology Services (ITS): Mission Statement Overview Organization

Current State of IT Within M-DCPS

Characteristics Recent Accomplishments District Challenges Impacting ITS ITS Capabilities Internal Influences Impacting IT (Strengths, Weaknesses) External Influences Impacting IT (Opportunities, Threats)

Where We Want To Be

Preparing our Children for the 21st Century Critical Elements for Creating 21st Century Skills By 2006/07, We Envision…

How We Will Get There: The Blueprint

Guiding Principles for Designing the Blueprint Major Steps for Constructing the Blueprint

- Aligning the IT Strategic Direction with District Goals - Defining Needs - Organizing Needs into Functional Goals - Goals to Initiatives - Prioritizing Strategic Actions

Building the Foundation Building the Program Portfolio

Implementation Approach

Implementing Strategic Actions from the Portfolio

Document Organization (continued) This plan goes beyond defining the high-level strategic planning approach by examining each strategic action in greater detail. Appendix “A” and “B” describe each strategic action as follows: Appendix “A” – Foundation Projects: These are the strategic actions that must be initiated first since they are the “building blocks” for strategic actions indicated in “Appendix “B” – Portfolio of Strategic Projects.” Appendix “B” - Portfolio of Proposed Projects: These are strategic actions that require further analysis to determine the level of strategic fit, cost/benefit, and impact on other projects, risks that will be done during the Project Portfolio management process described in “Project Portfolio Management Approach” of this document. Content in both of these attachments includes:

Strategic Action Purpose Impact to the District Qualitative / Quantitative Benefits and Critical Success Measures Responsible organization(s) Risks, Dependencies, and Key Implementation Activities Expected Duration, Cost, Funding

In addition to the above-mentioned appendices, Appendix “C” describes how each strategic action listed in the Portfolio of Proposed Projects (Appendix “B”) is prioritized based on District goal alignment. Lastly, Appendix “D” is the listing of original functional needs that are satisfied by the strategic actions listed both the Foundation Projects (Appendix “A”) and Portfolio of Proposed Projects (Appendix “B”).

Data Network Related Instructional Safety

M-DCPS District Information Technology Needs

Technical Support

Appendix “B”

Portfolio of Strategic Projects

Appendix “A”

Foundation Projects

M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan Overview

Rationale for the M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan The IT Strategic planning process holistically focuses on technology needs that directly meet the District’s overall goals and objectives. The main drivers for this plan include the: o Strong focus on information technology investments that support District education o Efficient use of capital by ensuring that selected projects substantially contribute to the

overall District strategy

o Promotion of centralized technology solutions that are reliable and cost effective. o Drive towards standards and a common systems architecture to improve reliability

substantially while reducing maintenance and support costs o Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability’s (OPPAGA)

recommendation to establish a single IT strategic planning process for the entire District

M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan Scope The M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan encompasses the District’s enterprise-wide instructional and administrative technology needs in the following areas: Applications architecture: Instructional and business systems including educational

content, business information, and workflow processes. Technical architecture: The voice/data network and components (servers, PCs,

scanners, printers, etc.) Service architecture: Centralized support functions such as District-wide

software acquisition and IT Service Desk. Service architecture relates to the people and processes involved with managing the District’s technology assets.

Training needs: Includes training for teachers and non-instructional staff to

utilize applications and technology effectively as well as training for technical staff to ensure systems availability.

Pedagogy: Integrating technology into classroom practice through

curriculum development, teacher training, etc. Note: Previously funded initiatives are not directly included in this Strategic Plan.

Stakeholders This M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan considers the members of the School Board, Superintendent, his direct reports, and all business units that report to them as the main stakeholders of this plan. In addition, the community, parents, and students are major stakeholders in the outcomes of this plan. ITS wishes to convey its appreciation to the following participants in this planning effort:

School Board and the Superintendent The M-DCPS IT Steering Committee Gartner Group Parents, Teachers, Principals, Students External Peer Review Group1

What Our Customers Want

Focus group sessions involving teachers, parents, students and administrators were conducted in May 2003. Values including integration of technology into the curriculum, reliable throughput, and improved support were consistently expressed. Unfortunately, the number of attendees was too low for obtaining statistically valid data. Therefore, with the assistance of the M-DCPS Office of Evaluation and Research as well as Instructional Technology & Media Support Services, surveys were administered to principals, assistant principals, teachers, and students in September and October 2003. In addition, Mars Research in English, Spanish, and Creole conducted a telephone survey of parents. The surveys were adapted from the surveys used for the District evaluation of instructional technology conducted in 1999. By using the same questions, comparisons can be made in terms of changing values and expectations of stakeholders. Approximately 5,300 students, 800 parents, 149 teachers and 188 principals participated in the survey process. All of the surveys, with the exception of the parents’ survey, were collected using an on-line tool. The survey results validate the needs assessment highlighted within this plan. The survey results indicate that some of the core concerns include improved computer network performance, technical support responsiveness, and access to information for analytical purposes. The survey also shows interesting trends since 1999. Among them:

- A substantial increase in students with Internet access from home. (89% now have PCs within their homes; was under 50% four years ago)

- A growing expectation for reduced downtime and improved reliability; and - A very high priority on the part of parents for students having computer access within school

The full results of this survey are available in Appendix E of the M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan.

1 See Appendix “F”

M-DCPS Strategic Planning Mission

M-DCPS IT Strategic Planning ensures the cost-effective and efficient delivery of evolving technology to underpin 21st Century public education by collaborating with teachers, parents, staff, and administrators to build, revise, and manage the technology roadmap continuously to guide us towards effectively contributing to the achievement of District-wide goals.

Information Technology Vision for the School District M-DCPS envisions all learners, and those supporting the learning process, as consumers of technology, who access information, communicate, collaborate, construct knowledge, and prepare learners for the workforce of this new millennium. Technology is more than an enabling tool for learning and back-office support; it is the foundation of knowledge management and an essential means for delivering the learning experience.

Who We Are The Miami-Dade County Public School System (M-DCPS) is the nation’s 4th largest school district with a culturally diverse body of approximately 371,482 students in grades K-12 (363,562 K-12, 7,920 in pre-Kindergarten), in 340 schools taught by 19,486 teachers.2 In addition, there are 65,041 students enrolled in the District’s Adult-Vocational education program.

K-12 Student Demographics2

Student Population

Enrollment %

Hispanic 216,077 58.2%Black, non-Hispanic

108,852 29.3%

Caucasian, non-Hispanic

38,483 10.3%

Other 8,070 2.2% M-DCPS is administered independently of the metropolitan and city governments. However, the Miami-Dade metropolitan government is responsible for collecting taxes to support the school district. The District Superintendent is appointed by the School Board and is responsible for overall school administration.

2Miami-Dade County Public Schools Statistical Highlights 2002-03 (June 2003)

Information Technology Services (ITS) ITS Mission Statement To utilize appropriate current and future technology services to collect, maintain, and deliver information that effectively supports the District’s aims of improving student achievement. ITS Overview Information Technology Services (ITS) administers and delivers infrastructure as well as application support to M-DCPS. ITS evolved from an older organizational structure where instructional technology and administrative support were performed independently. During FY 02/03 Instructional Technology and Media Support Services was combined with Information Technology Services under the management of the Executive Officer of Information Technology Services. According to a Gartner report on K-12 E-Education Governance, integrating Instructional Technology and IT support for administrative services is essential to support a reliable, efficient information technology support organization.

“Although schools and school districts in the K-12 market vary greatly in size, sophistication and the complexity of their operations, they are all moving toward e-education – that is, the client-centered, web-enabled delivery of instructional and administrative information and services. The successful implementation of an e-education strategy is hampered when district technology efforts are fragmented, with different organizational units responsible for setting standards, developing strategic and tactical plans, and managing available technical and human resources.”3

ITS Statistical Snapshot During the school year 2002-03, ITS: Printed 2,414,196 report cards Scanned 1,944,288 testing sheets Electronically transmitted 12,821,282 data records to the Florida Department of Education Managed 117,895 Help Desk requests Printed over 53,270,114 pages Managed 45,611 Attendance Services requests Performed 17,399 days of training for M-DCPS teachers and staff

3 From Gartner Strategic Planning, SPA-14-4362, B. Rust IV, B. Keller

ITS Organization ITS provides the backbone and convergence point for information systems and data management within the M-DCPS district. Recently, the reporting structure for ITS has been changed from the Chief Financial Officer to the Chief Communications Officer to ensure better alignment with the information needs of the entire District. ITS consists of the eight following business units: Attendance Services processes registrations, transfers, foreign student placement, and FTE audits and ensures compliance with all state and federal regulations. Business & Operational Services (BOS) provides management and technical support for the District’s network and server equipment located at over 378 sites. BOS also offers support for telephone equipment and oversight for all budgets and contracts. In addition, BOS works closely with Data Security for data integrity. Computer Operations & Facilities Support operates the center’s computer equipment seven days a week, 24 hours a day to maintain production schedules and ensure that all reports are delivered on time. It also directs the operation and services of ITS’ complex with regards to building maintenance, space utilization and expansion and safety. Data Security establishes and manages the policies and procedures for securing the Information Technology operating environment from unauthorized access. Instructional Technology and Media Support Services provides centralized support for e-curriculum, textbooks and library media. Program Management and Process Engineering is responsible for managing the strategic and tactical planning within ITS by managing the M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan; serving as the Project Management Office for ITS; facilitating ITS performance measurement; and assisting ITS process improvement initiatives. Support Services provides support through a Service Desk and on-site visitations. In addition, Support Services maintains all district information on the web. Web page hosting for all schools and district offices, and free Internet access for all district personnel are also provided. Over 8,500 administrators, teachers, and support staff participate in the training services offered. Systems & Programming Services collects, processes, and maintains information for all students, and employees of M-DCPS.

ITS Organization (continued)

Information Technology Services

Support Services

Program Management

& Process Engineering

Systems &

Programming Services

Data Security

Computer

Operations & Facilities

Support

Attendance Services

- Student Attendance - Student Transfers - Foreign Records - Florida Home Ed - Truancy - Driver Education - FTE Coordination

- Service Desk - Training - Web page hosting

- Financial Services - Business Services - Human Resources - Adult Applied Tech - Student Records - Student Accountability - Web Applications - Technical Services

Instructional Technology

& Media Support Services

- Mainframe Operations - Report Distribution - Network Monitoring - Help Desk Assistance - Building Maintenance

- Data Security - Virus Protection - Password Management

- Instructional Support - Textbook Services - Library Media Services

- Program Management - Process Improvement - Performance - Strategy & Planning - OPPAGA

- Network Services - Field Services - Telephony - E-Rate Management - Contracts - Records - Budget

Business &

Operational Services

M-DCPS Chief Communications Officer

Current State of Information Technology within M-DCPS

Core Administrative Systems M-DCPS has several “Legacy Systems” that manage administrative data for the District. These systems were first implemented in the late 1970’s and 1980’s.

System Purpose

ISIS Student information Daily attendance Report cards Course information School information Report requests

CATS

Student transportation system including bus route and bus stop information

SPAR

School Police Reporting system used for recording incidents of violence involving students and staff

DECO, WDIS

State reporting of pre-kindergarten through adult student information for District funding

VACS

Vocational and adult student information system

MSAF

Budget and finance

COMPASS

Business operations system for: Purchasing Inventory Work Orders for Transportation, Facilities, and Capital.

PERS

Personnel system including payroll, applicant tracking, benefits, and personnel information.

FOOD

Food Service system for food ordering and inventory. Also includes an on-line cash register and accounting functions.

In general, these systems are based on 1970’s technology and have inherent limitations. Supporting new requirements for these systems is becoming increasingly more difficult. Many of the strategic initiatives listed in Appendix “A” and Appendix “B” specifically address these challenges through a variety of solutions.

Characteristics of IT within M-DCPS In the opinion of recent external audits4, ITS has done a good job at providing high value for the cost of providing and managing information technology infrastructure, enterprise applications, and support services for the District. In addition, ITS is in the process of identifying how these services could be further improved as evidenced by this Strategic Plan. As a result of the analysis conducted during the development of this plan, the following opportunities for improvement have been identified: 1. Data is located in a variety of sources making it difficult to produce required reports

and perform information analysis, as well as maintaining the integrity of data across multiple systems. Labor costs and backlogs are rapidly increasing to meet the growing demand and required maintenance effort. Currently, M-DCPS has a basic data warehouse system, but it may prove insufficient to meet rapidly increasing demands. In addition, there are no standard easy-to-use On-line Analytical Processing (OLAP) reporting tools for empowering business users to build their own ad-hoc reports and perform information analysis (e.g., trends impacting school truancy rates).

2. There is no uniform District-wide process for developing and governing effective

technology configuration standards nor is there a formalized program for replacing obsolete hardware on a recurring basis. This results in:

- Applications not working correctly due to incompatible hardware. - A lack of consistent understanding of what technology is available at school

sites and administrative offices.

- Substantially higher than necessary support and component replacement costs to maintain aging equipment.

3. There is an extensive computer network available to each school and administration

and support facility that provides access to the Internet and administrative functions for all of the schools. However, it is anticipated that the current network infrastructure will not meet future capacity and performance requirements to support multi-media, intensive e-curriculum.

4 OPPAGA 2001; Sterling Navigator Site Visit 2002.

Characteristics of IT within M-DCPS (continued) 4. Due to the decentralized nature of the District, there is no District-wide instructional

software procurement strategy that can be enforced. The lack of a centralized processing system may result in higher procurement and total cost of ownership (TCO) costs.

5. There is a centralized process for identifying obsolete technology in the schools and it

is reported on an annual basis through the District’s Instructional Technology Statistics Report. Instructional Technology uses this information when budgeting Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) funds. However, there is no process for using this information to centrally acquire and configure new PC equipment. This results in higher than necessary costs, fewer new PC’s deployed, and support difficulties due to non-standard software installed on independently acquired computers.

6. ITS staff performs their services well but is generally focused on servicing “back-office”

functions because of tool and staff limitations. As more technology is delivered to the schools, students, teachers, and administrators will require more support. To reduce staff expansion, new system management tools are required.

7. There are numerous enterprise applications to assist with managing the District’s

operational functions, but opportunities to further streamline work processes and increase productivity may be limited. New systems such as workflow automation, imaging, and a centralized data warehouse could fundamentally improve business management aspects of the District. Failure to implement these new solutions will limit the District’s capacity to fundamentally improve management practice efficiency (i.e. M-DCPS District Goal #3).

8. Although ITS recently formed a Program Management and Process Engineering team,

there has not been a previously established process to seek information technology improvement opportunities on a continuous basis.

Recent Accomplishments

ITS has addressed many of the recommendations indicated by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) review of M-DCPS in 2001 which are a subset of the achievements listed below.

Some of the accomplishments are as follows: 1. Merged the former support division for information technology administration (OIT) and

Instructional Technology (IT) into ITS with a single reporting structure under the Chief Communications Officer.

2. Implemented a Program Management & Process Engineering team within ITS to

improve project management practices and to support the portfolio management approach discussed later within this document.

3. Established an aggressive competitive bid process in 1998 saving the District millions

of dollars over time. However, the savings were not tracked until 2002. In FY 2002/03, the District saved over $6M from these efforts.

4. Implemented a District-wide email system for all 40,000 M-DCPS staff and teachers.

5. Implemented the Student Data Warehouse. Student Performance Indicators (SPI) is

the first application of this data warehouse currently being used by teachers.

6. Reduced the number of independent databases containing critical, non-centralized information while ensuring data integrity and security.

7. Reduced labor and improved response time for parents, teachers, administrators, and

staff by providing real-time information for school assignments via the newly developed School Locator web application.

8. Leveraged grants and partnerships resulting in donations and grants of $5M for model

programs such as Intel National Model School Program, Enhancing Education Through Technology, and IBM Re-Inventing education. In addition, $7.4M from the Federal E-Rate program has been applied to upgrade phone systems and network infrastructure.

9. In the past year, ITS efforts have resulted in increasing the District’s overall E-rate

eligibility by 2%, resulting in additional $130,000 in federal funds for the M-DCPS computer network infrastructure.

10. Implemented a near term Capital Budget and Planning solution to overcome

incomplete and inaccurate data in the existing Capital Management Information System. New capability includes on line tracking for all active projects by account structures for current year budget, financial commitments, encumbrances, expenditures and available balances are available.

District Challenges Impacting ITS 1. Failure to meet No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and A+ requirements 2. Increasing budget pressures due to less available revenue 3. District credibility with the taxpayers 4. Increasing population 5. Sufficient capital for replacing aging infrastructure and computers 6. Loss of FTE funding due to students leaving the District for private and Charter

Schools

7. The “Digital Divide”

8. Class size reduction negatively impacts ITS funding. This problem is further compounded by the cost associated with new reporting requirements and providing new services such as hosting virtual education programs.

ITS Capabilities OPPAGA and discussions with M-DCPS staff indicate that there are significant challenges that must be addressed to gain the benefits of technological enablers for achieving the District’s goals. These can be best summarized as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The following page demonstrates how M-DCPS already has an existing base for providing robust technology to support the educational needs but also has areas requiring improvements to achieve tangible benefits.

Internal Influences Impacting IT

Existing Strengths

1. District leadership is committed to using technology effectively as a tool to achieve the District objectives.

2. ITS does a commendable job of managing E-rate and grant opportunities to enhance

technology.

3. The infrastructure “foundation” necessary for secure, intra-district communication and Internet access exists and includes Internet safety policies and technology protection measures (i.e. filtering technology to comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act).

4. The District provides formal and informal support to incorporate technology into the

curriculum in a cost-effective and timely manner.

5. Procurement standards for new hardware and software have been established and are managed by the Technology Standards Committee.

6. The District has procedures in place to properly track physical computer assets. Items

of certain category or dollar amount (>= $750.00) automatically feed the Property Control system once received and paid.

7. ITS is doing an excellent job of keeping legacy systems operational.

8. The District has implemented a standards based infrastructure to meet basic

data/voice communications requirements. In addition, the network is monitored for security breaches and capacity management.

9. The District has in-depth historical data that could be leveraged to streamline

processes (supports District Goal #3), provide on-line reports, and improve predictive analysis.

10. The M-DCPS IT Steering Committee provides ITS direct guidance on what technology

requirements are needed for the District, resulting in improved alignment.

Internal Influences Impacting IT (continued)

Known Weaknesses 1. The current network infrastructure will not meet future capacity and performance

requirements to support Internet/intranet multi-media intensive e-curriculum delivery across the District.

2. Technical Support:

a. Given the proliferation of technology, quality support is not sustainable b. Inadequate access to technical support c. School site technical support lacks coordination d. Technical support skills vary among technicians e. Insufficient tools for proactive system monitoring f. Service Desk application does not support the school sites

3. Decentralized authority over curriculum technology selection presents difficult training

challenges that jeopardize M-DCPS’ ability to meet the mandate to ensure teachers and students will be proficient with technology by 2006.

4. When the quality of online content and delivery is poor or unreliable, there is little buy-

in to use technology investments as a means to achieve academic improvement.

5. The vision for effectively employing distance learning and technology must be fully supported by teachers and administrators to prevent ineffective investments in technology.

6. Configuration and hardware/software assets:

a. Standards have been developed but are not always followed. This could be

due to communication issues, a technical compatibility problem, and/or autonomous governance.

b. Today, the current asset tracking system indicates what hardware and software

we own, but not what software is on which hardware. Improved integration of asset information with the Service Desk application will improve time to resolution. Understanding this relationship would help the Service Desk diagnose root cause and resolve problems more quickly.

Internal Influences Impacting IT (continued)

Known Weaknesses 7. There is an underlying problem of perpetuating ageing customized software.

Manifestations include:

a. Sub-optimal business process workflow b. Inability to consistently meet reporting requests within required timeframe

c. Prolonged development time as a result of the retirement/attrition of

knowledgeable programming staff

d. Ever increasing support resources required to support “brittle” applications. For example, one simple change becomes more difficult over time since this change impacts other interfacing customizations

i. This is analogous to adding a floor to a one-story house. If the

foundation is not amended prior to the expansion, the building may collapse. An alternative would be to build a stronger foundation with future expansion in mind

ii. The same approach should be used when replacing “brittle” applications.

In some instances, the District is better served to replace an existing highly customized application with one that is expandable and extensible

8. The current technology infrastructure will not meet future capacity and performance

requirements as multimedia content propagates throughout the District.

9. Support teams are focused on operational support. Additional resources are necessary to plan required network expansion to support e-learning.

10. IT Service Management for managing an integrated, District-wide IT Operation

requires further development. Specific areas include technology acquisition, configuration management, Service Desk, technical support, change control, as well as capacity and availability management.

11. Schools may elect to use ITS/Instructional Technology supported curriculum but are

not required to use these resources. This results in the inability of the District to centrally monitor instructional staff training on IT related technologies, possibly diminishing the value of the technology investment. If the quality of online content and delivery is poor or unreliable, there will be little buy-in to use technology investments as a means to achieve academic improvement.

12. The vision for effectively employing distance learning and technology must be fully

supported by teachers and administrators to prevent ineffective investments in technology.

External Influences Impacting IT

Future Opportunities

1. Reduce cost liabilities by leveraging state/federal matching funds and public/private grants to enhance the infrastructure and procure the electronic curriculum that provides technology solutions to the classroom.

2. A robust computer network provides 24x7 access to educational content and offers

increased student exposure to learning materials. 3. Increased student performance may be achieved through e-curriculum that is more

engaging.

4. The potential for reduction in building and maintenance costs due to new potential modes of delivering the learning experience from any location in the world on a 24x7 basis.

5. The popularity of Charter and private schools is both an opportunity and a threat.

Opportunities include “healthy” competition to drive performance improvement and concentrating financial resources to specific areas (e.g., music, science, etc.) for gifted children. The public schools have the potential to outperform charter and private schools by focusing on opportunities to excel.

6. Reduced operating costs by streamlining both instructional and non-instructional

processes.

7. Technology provides a steady stream of opportunities for new approaches to age-old educational issues, especially by providing interesting, self-contained educational applications to students and opening any number of new avenues of communication with parents.

External Influences Impacting IT (continued)

Potential Threats

1. Potential decrease in State/Federal funding may impact the District’s ability to maintain current systems or move forward on strategic e-curriculum solutions.

2. E-rate allocations could diminish due to nation-wide demand for the program

and/or budget cuts resulting in a weakened ability to offset network related expenses.

3. State mandated reporting/compliance requirements continue to increase. This

results in a reduced capability to service internal District requirements or achieve progress on strategic initiatives.

4. A dramatic positive turn-around in the economy could result in a “brain-drain” of

technical staff due to an inability to compete with compensation packages offered in the private sector as has happened in the late 1990s.

5. The popularity of Charter and private schools has created a drain on financial

resources as a portion of the student population leaves the District.

6. Teachers are not mandated to use technology today. However, there are new mandates that require teachers and students to be proficient with technology by 2006. It may be difficult to achieve this proficiency mandate unless the technology is more fully utilized.

7. Individual departments install large-scale systems without sufficient regard to how

they would interface with other systems within the District.

8. Although the dynamism of technology provides opportunities for new approaches to educational issues, new threats to data assets and information privacy exists. If information is available to students, parents and staff, then it may also be available to people with malicious intentions. The district must provide the tools, staff, training and flexibility to protect these assets.

Where We Want To Be The beginning of the “Industrial Age” initiated massive changes in education and so will the new realities of the “Information Age.” At the start of industrialization, schools mirrored society by evolving from multi-grade, single room schoolhouses to centralized facilities teaching subjects by departmental area. A major shift in education is about to occur to address the new ways we work and interact with the world. For example, Henry Ford’s “Division of Labor” concept is facing obsolescence. Instead of many people doing different tasks, the new approach collapses work tasks through technology. We now accomplish more in less time with fewer people. The old way of compartmentalizing tasks has been replaced with start-to-finish process ownership. These processes are usually part of a greater effort involving co-workers across the globe. In addition, telecommunications advances have shrunk the world and expanded the marketplace. In 1973, the U.S. consumed over 51% of the world’s goods. By 2002, this figured dropped to 29% and will continue to trend downwards as globalization continues. Wealth is being distributed globally, especially in certain cities and regions deemed to be global trade centers.5 Miami-Dade is well positioned to capitalize on this trend, but its role depends on a skilled labor force. This means we must foster an educational system that produces graduates that are:

o Effective Communicators o Innovative/Quality producers o Complex Thinkers o Team Workers o Self-Directed Learners

To prepare citizens with these qualities, M-DCPS needs to capitalize on technology to re-define its pedagogy. The M-DCPS educational leadership understands the importance of leveraging technology to foster these life skills. The District also values how technology can secure the learning environment and reduce bureaucracy.

5 From Dec 2002 issue of The Economy Magazine. “Global Recovery”

Preparing our Children for the 21st Century This section, “Preparing our Children for the 21st Century”, consists of extracts from “Learning for the 21st Century” which was sponsored by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. This group consists of major business and educational organizations formed to close the gap between what most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills required in typical 21st Century communities and workplaces. Defining the Need for Change “Economic, technological, informational, demographic and political forces have transformed the way people work and live. These changes – and the rate of change – will continue to accelerate. Schools, like businesses, communities and families, must adapt to changing conditions to thrive. Today’s education system faces irrelevance unless we bridge the gap between how students live and how they learn. Schools are struggling to keep pace with the astonishing rate of change in students’ lives outside of school. Students will spend their adult lives in a multitasking, multifaceted, technology-driven, diverse, vibrant world – and they must arrive equipped to do so. We also must commit to ensuring that all students have equal access to this new technological world, regardless of their economic background. Moreover, we know more today than ever about how students learn. Researchers and educators in recent years have made great strides in mapping the remarkable territory of the human mind. We now have scientific insights that can inform educators about the cognitive processes of learning, effective teaching strategies for engaging students in learning and motivating students to achieve. We must incorporate this understanding into classroom teaching and learning on a broad scale. Against this backdrop, literacy in the 21st century means more than basic reading, writing and computing skills. It means knowing how to use knowledge and skills in the context of modern life. As writer Alvin Toffler points out, “The literate of the 21st century will not be those who can read and write, but those who can learn, unlearn and relearn.” Standards, assessments and accountability measures set by states, implemented by school districts and underscored by No Child Left Behind are the starting point for strong schools and student achievement. To complement these efforts, schools need to increase emphasis on the additional knowledge and skill students will need for the 21st century.”6

6 “Learning for the 21st Century”, a white paper presented by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Critical Elements for Creating 21st Century Skills7 1.

Emphasize Core Subjects:

The focus must expand beyond basic competency to the understanding of core academic content at much higher levels.

2.

Emphasize learning skills:

Learn how to keep learning continually throughout their lives. Three skill categories include:

- Information and communication skills - Thinking and problem-solving skills - Interpersonal and self-directional skills

3.

Use 21st century tools to develop learning skills:

Skilled 21st century citizens should be proficient in ICT (Information and Communications Technology) literacy, defined by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) as “the interest, attitude, and ability of individuals to appropriately use digital technology and communications tools to access, manage, integrate and evaluate information, construct new knowledge, and communicate with others in order to participate effectively in society.”

4.

Teach and learn in a 21st century context:

Students need to learn academic content through real-world examples, applications and experiences both inside and outside of school.

5.

Teach and learn 21st century content:

Three significant emerging content areas that are critical to success in communities and workplaces:

- Global awareness - Financial, economic and business literacy - Civic literacy

6.

Use 21st century assessments that measure 21st century skills:

To be effective, sustainable and affordable, sophisticated assessment at all levels must use new information technologies to increase efficiency and timeliness.

7 “Learning for the 21st Century”, a white paper presented by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

By 2006/07, we envision:

1. All teachers meeting the definition of “highly qualified” as mandated by federal law.8 2. Increased options for accessing the Internet beyond the school day, delivering learning

content to any location, at any time.

3. Students involved with global distance learning using the Internet and E-curriculum (e.g., a collaborative school project with international participation).

4. A rise in M-DCPS non-traditional student enrollment through such initiatives as the

Florida Virtual High School and the Miami-Dade Virtual School.

5. Parents reviewing children’s progress online, communicating with educators online, and utilizing resources on the educational portal.

6. Streamlined administrative processes leveraging technology to reduce costs, improve

capabilities, and establish intuitive methods for accessing information on demand.

7. A technical support environment where students, teachers, parents, and staff can access self-help options and obtain “one-stop” person-to-person technical assistance any time of day.

8. Secure, and easy to use web interfaces to access information thereby enabling new

process improvement opportunities to further streamline the District’s business environment, improve community communications, and access student performance data.

9. Seamless integration of technology in the classroom where 21st century tools support

student achievement and teacher productivity.

8 No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

How We Will Get There: The Blueprint To meet the demands of the previously mentioned challenges, a holistic IT “blueprint” is essential. There must be a continuing process to manage the deliverables on this blueprint and to review and revise its contents and placement on future implementation plans as the educational and business operational needs evolve. In effect, the IT Strategic blueprint is analogous to an architect’s blueprint for an office building. Modifications may be necessary, but they are done through a centralized process of change management for all District IT related requests. This process ensures proper integration of the IT strategy in meeting the District goals in the most cost-effective and efficient manner possible.

Guiding Principles for Designing the Blueprint 1. Always maintain focus on the District Goals. These are the guideposts that drive

improvement effort. If a critical strategic action does not fit within a District Goal then either the priority of the action is incorrect or the District Goals should be reviewed.

2. First focus on the functional needs of the District without regard to timing and cost and

then refine those requirements as cost and effort are later determined. This approach keeps the initial focus on “what we need” instead of “what we can afford.”

3. Proceed with only those actions that demonstrate a strong strategic fit and one or

more of the following:

Manageable risk Strong cost savings and/or cost avoidance Adherence to State, Federal, and District mandates

4. Manage the outcome of strategic actions to seek continuous improvement

opportunities.

Major Steps for Constructing the Blueprint Prior to executing projects to implement required changes, a method is followed to determine the high-level scope and prioritization of each initiative. These planning steps include: 1. Align with the District Goals: Each of the three District goals helps us to self-

examine current weaknesses and opportunities with the IT delivery capability. These gaps help determine the supporting IT direction for each of these District Goals.

2. Defining Needs: Examine functional requirements and technologies,

processes, and skills to support those requirements. The needs include capability, information access, workflow, and required training.

3. Organizing Needs into Goals: By examining individual functional requirements, it is

possible to see patterns that impact using technology to deliver the learning experience and the business of running the District. By grouping these functional requirements, it becomes possible to see how requirements impact one another.

4. Prioritizing the Goals: Evaluate the criticality and urgency of each goal in

relationship with one another.

5. Organize Goals into Initiatives: Transform the functional goals into Initiatives and Strategic Actions that can be efficiently managed and executed.

6. Building the Program Portfolio: Translate each Initiative into a “Program of Work”

definition. Each Program contains one or more Strategic Actions. The deliverables of each Strategic Action have associated Key Performance Indicator (KPI) metrics.

7. Building the Foundation: Certain Strategic Actions, whether explicit or implied,

must be implemented first since they are pre-requisites for the remaining prioritized Actions.

8. Implement Strategic Actions: Implement approved Strategic Actions as defined in

the “Program of Work”. 9. Measure and Review: Monitor both the Strategic Action’s progress and the

outcomes to the District once implemented.

Aligning the IT Strategic Direction with the District Goals

The first guiding principle is to maintain alignment with the overall District Goals. The first step in this process is to establish a one-for-one IT Strategic Direction to each of the three District Goals. These can be summarized as follows:

District Goals IT Strategic Direction I.

Students will be prepared for graduation, employment, postsecondary education, and to become responsible citizens.

Prepare learners of all ages to use technology appropriately to access information, collaborate, construct knowledge, and to prepare students to lead successful personal and professional lives.

II.

Enhance the safety of students, and increase the quality of the learning environment.

Enable communications and directly contribute to school safety as well as ensure environments that are conducive to learning by providing timely and accurate management information on demand.

III.

Ensure that school system operations conform to the highest business and professional standards of effectiveness, ethics, and efficiency.

Implement and manage enabling technologies for streamlining business processes to substantially improve operational efficiency, enforce government standards, and improve the quality and timeliness of services.

Defining Needs The second guiding principle is about defining needs. This is done by establishing goals without initial regard to the cost and effort required to implement these goals. Once these goals are collected, it is then possible to determine the best way to manage projects to achieve these goals in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible. Once this is understood, cost and effort estimates can be determined. These estimates are then used to further refine the goals by comparing the “ideal” to the “practical.”

Organizing Needs into Functional Goals The Information Technology Steering Committee has the responsibility to provide the direction of technology for the District. It was formed in February 2003. The membership consists of staff recommended by the direct reports to the Superintendent. Each of the members has a stake in the outcome of the technology decisions made for the District. The initial meeting of the Committee was April 7, 2003. At this meeting, the Committee was given an overview of current technology initiatives and a perspective of where the school system should be heading in the next few years technologically speaking. Speakers gave the Committee insight to the current needs of students and employees and the future needs that will be required as technology progresses. After some discussion, members of the Committee were asked to meet with their departments and provide technology goals for the next three years for the District. The group provided 117 needs. Many of these needs were similar in scope. After careful analysis they were combined into 15 major goals for technology.

Prioritizing the Functional Goals After the April 7th meeting, the Committee was asked to prioritize all of the functional goals. Although all the goals were determined to be essential, certain goals were viewed as critical to the success of all. In particular, information access, centralized support practices, and reliable network connectivity were rated highest because they are essential for the success of the remaining goals.

Goals to Initiatives Functional Goals describe what is needed. Strategic Initiatives describe the best way to go about delivering what’s needed. As structured within this document, 15 Goals have been collapsed into eight Strategic Initiatives. This is due to interdependencies, resources, effort, and cost factors that can be best controlled when the needs within the goals are organized in a logistical context. The chart on the next page shows how the 15 functional goals collapse into eight strategic initiatives.

Transforming Functional Goals into Technology Initiatives

15 Original Goals in Priority Order 8 Information Technology Initiatives Move all applications to an “enterprise based data architecture” allowing better access, improved updating, and more effective distribution of data to all departments.

Data Warehouse: Improve operational efficiency by enabling improved access to accurate and meaningful information.

Develop and implement a Technology Acquisition Plan that will provide guidelines. Appoint an Applications Change Control Team to review all new software requests and change requests and provide a "fast track process."

Acquisition, Asset, and Change Management: Efficient procurement, use and deployment of all software and hardware used within the District.

Develop recommendations for an enhanced, “state of the art” network capable of supporting 21st Century Teaching and Learning functions and future administrative and departmental access to applications and systems. Implement student/parent collaboration and study rooms at all Access Centers. Equip facilities with computers and full internet access and provide video conferencing.

Provide wireless equipped laptop computers to all students.

Provide wireless equipped, laptop computers to all teachers and administrators. Provide 24x7 access to applications, data, curricula and other services available to teachers, parents, students, and administrative staff as appropriate. Provide for wireless access in all new and existing classrooms.

Infrastructure: Ensure the infrastructure is capable of supporting courseware and administrative services using advanced data/communications technology.

Develop a technology support structure that will enhance the provision of dynamic web based learning tools including distance learning, media based courses, and enhanced professional development programs. Enhance professional development programs and adapt curricula to further the use of technology in the delivery of teaching and learning.

Technology and Instruction: Integrate technology and its proficient use into the instructional program at schools to improve teaching and learning thereby expanding educational opportunities for all students and teachers

Enhance “Service Desk” functions including extended hours, addition of personnel, and establishment of an expanded web based "self help" process.

Technical Support: Expand capabilities to support the rapid proliferation of technology through improved access to technical support (K-12), procurement standards, training, and process improvement.

Implement appropriate workflow solutions. New Applications: Enable operational improvements, increase student achievement and secure school safety.

Implement a “continuous improvement” process for ITS with established measurements and provide performance reporting to the IT Steering Committee for review and publication to all District Departments and Divisions on a periodic basis.

Continuous Improvement: Implement continuous improvement processes with established measurements for all areas of major impact.

Provide technological support for a “Safe Schools Program.” Safe Schools: Collaborate with Campus Security and Police to develop technology programs focused on M-DCPS "Safe Schools Program".

Achieving The Goals This chart shows how the three District Goals translate into eight Information Technology Initiatives. The following pages describe each of these initiatives in greater detail by first describing the activities and deliverables, and then describing the strategic approach to implementing these initiatives.

District Goals IT Strategic Direction Related IT Initiatives

I.

1. Data Warehouse: Improve operational efficiency by enabling improved access to accurate and meaningful information. Supports District Goals #1 & #3

2. District Wide Processes for Acquisition, Asset Control, and Change Management: Efficient procurement, use and deployment of all software and hardware used within the District. Supports District Goal #3.

3. Infrastructure: Ensure the infrastructure is capable of supporting courseware and administrative services using advanced data/communications technology. Supports all three District Goals.

Students will be prepared for graduation, employment, postsecondary education, and to become responsible citizens.

Prepare learners of all ages to use technology to access information, collaborate, construct knowledge, and to prepare students to lead successful personal and professional lives.

4. Technology and Instruction: Integrate technology and its proficient use into The instructional program at schools to improve teaching and learning thereby Expanding educational opportunities for all students and teachers. Supports District Goal #1.

II. Enhance the safety of students, and increase the quality of the learning environment.

Contribute to school safety and ensure environments that are conducive to learning by providing timely and accurate management information on demand as well as the infrastructure to support safe schools.

5. Technical Support: Expand capabilities to support the rapid proliferation of technology through improved access to support (K-12), procurement standards, training, and process improvement. Supports all three District Goals.

III.

6. New Applications: To enable operational improvement, increase student achievement and secure school safety. Supports all three District Goals.

7. Continuous Improvement: Implement continuous improvement processes with established measurements for all areas of major impact. Supports District Goal #3.

Ensure that school system operations conform to the business and professional standards of effectiveness, ethics, and efficiency.

Implement and manage enabling technologies for streamlining business processes to substantially improve operational efficiency, enforce government standards, and improve the quality and timeliness of services.

8. Safe Schools: Collaborate with Campus Security and Police to develop technology programs focused on M-DCPS "Safe Schools Program". Supports District Goal #2.

Building the Foundation Certain Strategic Actions, whether explicit or implied, must be implemented first since they are pre-requisites for the remaining prioritized Actions. Roughly two thirds of the strategic actions listed in Appendix “A” – Foundation Projects are analytical in nature and could be achieved within 3-6 months. The remaining third involve implementation activity that can be delivered in phases over one to three years. Once approved, each of these “Foundation” Strategic Actions is initiated as a project and then progresses through the planning and implementation phases. The chart on the next page is a synopsis of the Foundation Strategic Initiatives.

M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan

Page: 37

Foundation Projects Proposed Funding

M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan Foundation Projects Cost Savings over 3 Years

Cost Avoidance over

3 Years Total Costs

Funding Required for the 1st Year

Total Funding Already

Identified

Remaining Funding to be

Identified In Year 1

Remaining Funding to

be Identified in Year 2

Remaining Funding to be Identified in

Year 3

1 Expand the District’s network bandwidth to support new e- curriculum in the District’s schools. $ 6,900,000 $ 2,375,000 $ 1,875,000 $ 500,000 $ 2,262,500 $ 2,262,500

2 Install special purpose servers (hardware) at each of the schools to improve delivery and management of multi-media educational software.

$ 1,486,000 $ 825,000 $ 825,000 $ 661,000

3 Develop a District-wide Data Warehouse Strategy to improve the quality and timeliness of information. $ 52,000 $ 52,000 $ 52,000

4 Establish an ITS Project Management Office to ensure approved projects are delivered on time, in budget, and to specification.

$ 76,500 $ 76,500 $ 76,500

5 Install “Technology Shopping Cart” application to simplify procurement and enforce standards that ultimately drive down the cost of supporting procured technology.

$ 174,000 $ 187,260 $ 187,260 $ 187,260

6 Perform a School Site Network Audit for each school to identify technical and support process deficiencies. $ 136,800 $ 68,400 $ 68,400 $ 68,400

7 Replace obsolete PCs in each school on a continuing basis. This is necessary to ensure educational software remains functional as technology advances.

$ 24,000,000 $ 8,000,000 $ 8,000,000 $ 8,000,000 $ 8,000,000

8 Establish a District-wide Instructional Software Adoption Process to further streamline purchasing and improve technical support for District e-curriculum.

$ 12,100,000 $ 63,100 $ 63,100 $ 63,100

9 Develop a Professional Development Strategy to incorporate technology into the pedagogy. $ 39,600 $ 39,600 $ 39,600

10 Install workflow software to be used District-wide in order to streamline administrative processes. $ 900,000 $ 2,500,000 $ 50,000 $ 50,000 $ 750,000 $ 1,700,000

11 Develop a legacy system replacement /upgrade strategy focused on cost efficiency, long-term benefits, and minimizing risks to the District.

$ 100,000 $ 100,000

M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan

Page: 38

Foundation Projects Proposed Funding (continued from previous page)

M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan Foundation Projects Cost Savings over 3 Years

Cost Avoidance over

3 Years Total Costs

Funding Required for the 1st Year

Total Funding Already

Identified

Remaining Funding to be

Identified In Year 1

Remaining Funding to

be Identified in Year 2

Remaining Funding to be Identified in

Year 3

12 Install new hardware in the Police Communications Center. $ 20,000 $ 20,000 $ 20,000

13

Install District-wide Service Desk software that will dramatically improve support by streamlining the incident to resolution process as well as provide self-help tools, problem diagnostic support, and remote desktop troubleshooting capability.

$ 2,862,000 $ 1,850,000 $ 50,000 $ 50,000 $ 1,800,000

14

Develop a Strategy for District IT Change Management to improve the communications, and quality testing necessary to minimize the disruption to the District as systems are upgraded and/or replaced.

$ 54,000 $ 54,000 $ 54,000

15

Install new web content management tools to enforce standards and improve the dadeschools.net visitor experience. This software helps keep published information up to date, and ensures similarity of web pages.

$ 124,600 $ 24,600 $ 24,600 $ 100,000

16

Develop and Execute a training program for School Site Technicians on how to manage the District’s technology. This will address the specific support deficiencies found during the School Site Network Audit.

$ 544,000 $ 258,200 $ 129,100 $ 49,100 $ 80,000 $ 129,100

17 Implement Automated Password reset software. Conservatively speaking, M-DCPS spends $25 on labor per reset with 50,000 resets per year. Savings in 1 year = $1M+

$ 3,750,000 $ 250,000 $ 75,000 $ 175,000

18 Develop a District-wide Web Portal Strategy that simplifies access to information. $ 68,400 $ 68,400 $ 68,400

TOTAL: $ 1,074,000 $ 19,256,000 $ 38,166,460 $ 12,082,960 $ 3,122,700 $ 8,960,260 $ 13,946,000 $ 12,137,500

(Less PC Procurement) $(24,000,000) $ (8,000,000) $ (8,000,000) $ (8,000,000) $ (8,000,000)

$ 14,166,460 $ 4,082,960 $ 960,260 $ 5,946,000 $ 4,137,500 Total Benefits within the first Three Years: $20,330,000

Page: 39

Timing for Implementing the Foundation Strategic Initiatives The next page graphically displays the timing for each of the “Foundation” Strategic Initiatives. This diagram assumes approval of this plan in November 2003 with a start date for most initiatives on December 1, 2003. Any delay in approval will delay these start dates respectively. Five of these initiatives are in progress and have been authorized following the existing approval process. These items have been captured in this plan since they are fundamentally necessary to implement many of the initiatives listed in Appendix “B,” “Portfolio of Strategic Projects.” Items in progress:

District-wide Network Expansion Planning and Implementation Web Cache Servers Planning and Implementation Data Warehouse Strategy Project Management Office Planning and Implementation Technology Shopping Cart Planning and Implementation

Details of these five initiatives, as well as the remaining Foundation Initiatives, can be found in Appendix “A,” “Foundation Projects.” The graphic on the next page indicates that some of the Strategic Items have a short duration (3 to 4 months) while others span several quarters. Four of the Initiatives span over most of the 3-year period for logistical and budgetary reasons. For example, to upgrade school network connectivity to the latest high-bandwidth technology for enabling access to the current and future generation of e-curriculum, we must: a). Maximize E-Rate grants opportunity by spreading procurements over three years. b). Physically perform the upgrades to 340+ schools. c). Work with the provider’s timetable (BellSouth) to upgrade the public network

infrastructure. Lastly, the graphic shows two items (Single Portal Strategy and Standards/Competency Training) starting later than the December 1 “Kick-off” date. This is because these two initiatives have task dependencies with the other Foundation initiatives. For example, Web Portal requires proposed standards from the “Web Site Standards Planning and Implementation.” For another example, “Competency/Standards Training” depends on the initial work done in the “School Site Network Audit” and “District-wide Change Control Strategy” initiatives.

Page: 40

Timeline for Strategic Foundation Initiatives

Legacy System Replacement Strategy (7/5/04 – 12/24/04)

Standards/Competency Technician Training Planning & Implementation (2/2/04 – 3/30/05)

Police Communications Center Planning & Implementation (2/2/04 – 2/26/04)

Single Portal Strategy (2/2/04 – 6/1/04)

Automated Password Reset (2/2/05 – 8/31/06)

Web Site Standards Planning & Implementation (5/7/04 – 9/24/04)

District-wide IT Change Control Strategy (2/2/04 – 4/6/04)

District-wide Service Desk Planning & Implementation (2/2/04 – 11/26/04)

Enterprise Workflow & Document Planning & Implementation (12/1/03 – 6/30/05)

Professional Development Strategy (2/2/04 – 5/5/04)

District-Wide Instructional Software Planning & Implementation (2/2/04–7/13/04)

Obsolete PC Replacement Planning & Implementation (2/2/04 – 6/30/06)

School Site Network Audit (2/2/04 – 8/17/04)

Technology Shopping Cart Planning & Implementation (9/24/03 – 5/26/04)

Project Management Office Planning & Implementation (9/2/03 – 1/15/04)

Data Warehouse Strategy (7/21/03 – 10/17/03)

Web Cache Servers Planning & Implementation (7/1/03 – 6/30/05)

District-wide Network Expansion Planning & Implementation (7/1/03 – 6/30/06)

2005 / 2006 2004 / 2005 2003/2004

Q4Q3Q2Q1Q4Q3Q2Q1 Q4Q3Q2Q1

2 Feb 04 1 July 04 1 July 05

Page: 41

Building the Program Portfolio of Strategic Projects The previously discussed “foundation” strategic projects provide the framework for efficiently implementing the remaining strategic actions. The next step is to apply a method for determining which of these remaining strategic actions are funded and implemented. This method uses a system of weighted criteria to determine the Strategic Action’s value using factors such as strategic fit, risks, cost/benefit, academic performance benefit, and adherence to mandates. These factors are evaluated to further refine prioritization. The District’s goals and values may change over time. Factors impacting such changes include the economy, demographics, political changes, and external mandates. By periodically reviewing the weighted criteria, we are able to adjust the Strategic Action to ensure alignment with the District. The M-DCPS Information Technology Steering Committee will be responsible for reviewing and ratifying the weights as well as recommending changes to criteria items. In addition, this steering committee will be asked to evaluate and rank each of the discretionary items within the Portfolio of Strategic Projects. Appendix “C,” the “ITS Project Weighting Methodology” steps through how this process works.

Establishing Projects to Achieve Strategic Goals As each strategic action is approved and funded, a project is established to deliver the expected outcomes efficiently. This is when a Project Manager is appointed to develop a detailed project plan, secure resources, develop contingencies for risks, and so forth. Specifics about the ITS Project Management methodology are beyond the scope of this document but are covered in greater detail in the “ITS Strategic Plan & Program Roadmap.”

Page: 42

Project Resource Management Project Team Staff: Each approved project will require staff resources to implement the solution. Budgetary estimates shown on appendices “A” and “B” include these related staff costs when additional resources are required. Resource requirements for each project will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The following diagram shows how resources will be selected.

Do We Have staff that has the Required

Skill?

Is this person Available for this project?

“Backfill” this person with

new staff or contractor?

Hire staff or contractor to

complete required tasks

Hire Contract Personnel to

complete required tasks

Assign the resource

to the Project

Hire staff or contractor to backfill then assign

this person to the project

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Time to train existing staff ?

Yes No

Train resource and Assign to the

Project

Page: 43

Project Resource Management (continued) Management Resources: The following chart lists key participants and role for each strategic action (i.e., “project”).

Role Roles and Responsibility

Executive Sponsor The champion and “visionary” supporting a given strategic project. This person is typically an Executive who is responsible for funding the strategic action (i.e., “project”)

IT Steering Committee

District Executives who ensure alignment between Information Technology initiatives and the District. Responsibilities include: Approve revisions to the Strategic Plan Program Management oversight Review and prioritize major proposed projects within

the IT Project Portfolio

ITS Program Management & Process Engineering team

Project Management Office (PMO) for ITS projects. Responsibilities include: Provides tools, guidance, and assistance to Project

Managers Monitors and reports on the progress of each project,

initiating corrective actions where necessary Ensures coordination of resources between various

projects Maintains the ITS Strategic Roadmap and updates the

M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan as required

Other Stakeholders Organizations that will be impacted by the success or failure of a specific project

Owner

Chief stakeholder(s) and beneficiaries of the project’s outcome(s)

Project Manager

Responsible for ensuring the project’s outcomes on time, within budget, and to specification

Project Team Members

May consist of dedicated team members or matrixed operational staff

Page: 44

Selecting Strategic Actions from the Portfolio “Building the Program Portfolio,” on page 37 of this document provides a high-level overview of how major, non-mandatory, Strategic Actions (within each of the 8 Strategic Initiatives) are selected. The following diagram shows this process in greater detail:

1. Project Request Forwarded to ITS

2. Initiation Review - Technical Assessment - Financial Assessment - Risk Assessment

3. ITS & Owner rates the project using the Weighted

Analysis Tool.

4. ITS & Owner PresentRecommendations to Steering Committee.

5. Steering

Committee Approves Project?

Modifications Requested?

PMO Assistance & Reviews through

completion

Initiate Project

Project Closed

Project Shelved Modify Scope

Yes No

Yes No

Steering Committee Prioritizes Projects

Funding Approved?

Yes No

Would be approvedif scope modified?

Project Shelved Modify Scope

Page: 45

Selecting Strategic Actions from the Portfolio (continued) Step #3 on the previous page references a “Weighted Analysis Tool.” This tool is a key mechanism for ensuring that the project selection criteria are consistent with the goals and objectives of the District. The weighted criteria include factors such as alignment, benefits, risk, financial, and external influences (e.g., state and federal government, demographics, economics, local government priorities, etc.). They are presented as a series of questions where the acceptable responses are “yes” or “no.” However, not all questions are equal. Currently, improved FCAT test results have a higher priority than “Cost payback period in less than two years.” By applying numeric weights, we can adjust the values according to our priorities. On a scale from 1 to 5, with “5” meaning “extremely important” and “1” meaning “not important,” the IT Steering Committee rated “Contributes to Academic Improvement” 4.22 whereas “Payback period in less than two years” rated 2.88. There are a series of “yes” / “no” weighted questions including the two mentioned above. The next step is to multiply each of these question’s associated weights by one (1) or zero (0). If the answer to the question “Does this project contribute to academic improvement?” were “no” then the adjusted result would be (4.22 * 0 = 0). Conversely, if the answer to this same question is “yes,” (4.22 * 1 = 4.22). The last step is to add up the ratings to compute the project’s score. See Appendix “C” – ITS Project Weighting Methodology for a full example of how this weighting process works. The project’s score, along with risks, technical compatibility, and cost/benefit are combined factors ITS uses when making its recommendation to the IT Steering Committee. To address variations over time, a periodic review process is necessary. One of the roles of the M-DCPS IT Steering Committee is to re-evaluate the criteria questions and their associated weights periodically. The following diagram shows how the criteria questions were formulated and utilized.

IT Steering Committee weight each question 1-5

ITS/Owner use these Weighted “Yes/No”

questions

IT Steering Committee

reviews ITS/Owner

Recommendation

Steering Committee Prioritizes

Approved Projects

Budget

Approval Process

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Implementing Strategic Actions from the Portfolio As each approved project is initiated, the following actions will be taken to ensure that they stay on track and meet the needs of the District:

1. Success metrics are implemented to track progress against costs, time, quality,

and outcome. 2. Projects exceeding three (3) months and/or having a budget exceeding $10,000

will be sub-divided into phases. Each phase must produce at least one tangible deliverable with value to the District. The metrics and strategic fit will then be re-evaluated. Depending upon the outcome of this review, the project will be:

i. Permitted to continue with the next phase as planned. ii. Permitted to continue only after a successful scope review. iii. Put on hold. iv. Cancelled.

“Two-thirds of technology projects that take longer than a year fail. Tackle projects in chunks. Break a single 18-month project into three six-month projects – bearing in mind that business realities might dictate that you adapt or change course between projects.”9

3. Once the project “Goes Live,” the metrics gathering process continues. This

will be done to evaluate whether the benefits claimed in the Business Case are achieved.

4. The continuous process of measurement during, and after, each project will be

a driving force for ensuring quality and value to the District. The Project Management Office (PMO) managed by the ITS Program Management & Process Engineering team will be responsible for this function.

5. The ITS Project Management Office will be a resource to support information

technology projects. Accountabilities include project portfolio management, standards management, communications, as well as training and mentoring project managers.

9 Margo Visitacion, Giga Information Group

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Updating the Portfolio of Strategic Projects The M-DCPS IT Strategic Plan is a living document. The projects listed in Appendix “B” are dynamic and will be updated on a regular basis. Each strategic action listed in Appendix “B” will be in various stages of development. For example, some items may be at the conceptual stage while others are actually in the process of being implemented. The following chart shows a list of possible status conditions.

Status

A Strategic Action That Has Been…

Proposed Submitted for review to the M-DCPS IT Steering Committee

Modified

Changed to reflect scope, cost, funding source, and/or timing modifications

In Progress

Approved and is currently being developed or implemented

Completed

Delivered to the customer

Cancelled

Indefinitely suspended or permanently removed from the portfolio

The second column for each strategic action listed in the first half of Appendix “B” indicates the status and the date of the last change to the data of each strategic action item. This information is useful when determining where progress is being made on each strategic action. To keep track of changes, a change history log is placed below each item in Appendix “B”. This section discusses:

- What changes were made - The date of when the change will take effect - The rationale for performing the change - The cost and/or schedule impact of the change - Who approved the change

ITS will post an updated copy of Appendix “B” as these changes are made.

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Cancelled Strategic Actions Some Strategic Actions listed in Appendix “B” may not be implemented. However, it is important to preserve a record of these projects since: - There could be a renewed interest in this strategic action at some future date. - The baseline is necessary to measure the success of the planning process. For this reason, “Cancelled” projects will not be removed from Appendix “B” until this plan is revised for the next 3-year cycle (FY 2006/07 - FY 2008/09).

Initiating New Strategic Actions Before a strategic action is posted into Appendix “B,” a preliminary review will be conducted between the owner and ITS. The purpose of this meeting is to: a). Help ITS gain a high-level understanding of the functional requirements of the proposed

strategic action.

b). Give the owner of the proposed strategic action insight to help ensure a successful project outcome. This insight is gained by having visibility to other related projects and implemented technologies, as well as reviewing common risks, total cost of ownership, quality control opportunities, etc.

c). Use the Project Weighting Tool to help evaluate relative benefits, risks, and goal

alignment. The result of this exercise is one of the factors used by the District’s IT Steering Committee to determine the priority of the proposed project.

d). Examine the business case information, vendor data (if applicable), and other relevant

information sources.

Prioritizing New Strategic Actions The preliminary review provides the required information necessary for prioritizing projects. ITS consolidates this information as a recommendation to the M-DCPS IT Steering Committee. To develop a recommendation, ITS reviews all other proposed projects and “in progress” projects to determine resource and timing conflicts in addition to the information gathered during the preliminary review meeting. The M-DCPS IT Steering Committee reviews ITS’ recommended prioritization changes then votes to concur, disagree, or agree with modifications. ITS then reorders the portfolio accordingly.

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Conclusion

To contribute to the fulfillment of the 3 District Goals, M-DCPS Information Technology systems and processes must be upgraded and integrated to:

o Deliver access to instructional materials and administrative support systems

reliably, effectively, and cost efficiently.

o Provide easy, flexible access to information enabling the streamlining of workflow and improving communication between parents, teachers, students, administrators, and support staff.

o Efficiently support schools to be safe and conducive to learning.

o Provide quality and uniform support at the best possible costs. During the course of analyzing the District’s Information Technology needs, it became apparent that some strategic actions provide the foundation for the remaining items. For example, expanding the capacity of the computer network is essential for newer educational software that combines sound, video, and text. This plan highly recommends implementing all of the indicated “Foundation Projects.” The majority of these projects are relatively low cost process improvement efforts and/or planning studies. The remaining foundation initiatives provide systems that ultimately support other systems (e.g., a new District-wide Service Desk, Automated workflow solution, etc.) A more complete description of these initiatives can be found in Appendix “A” of this strategic plan. Appendix “B” describes a portfolio of strategic initiatives. This appendix lists the remaining strategic initiatives that must be prioritized using a portfolio management approach. Total cost of ownership, risks, benefits, and the strategic fit for non-mandatory projects are evaluated before being presented for formal approval. As each approved project is initiated, success metrics will be monitored to ensure each project stays on track and meets the goals of the District. This plan goes beyond discussing the current and desired state of Information Technology for the District. This plan discusses: How the functional needs were refined The roadmap for implementing solutions to meet these needs The methodology for prioritizing non-mandatory projects

This plan is flexible. It is the starting point for holistically managing the District’s future IT initiatives while complementing the existing and future District-wide Strategic Planning efforts by establishing a method to change strategic direction to evolve with District priorities.

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