Managing Growth: K-12 Online Infrastructure

1. Managing Growth:K-12 Online Infrastructure Christine Bauer Ryan Gravette Idaho Digital Learning Academy

2. Overview • IDLA • Statistics, Programs, Blackboard Info • Challenges • Dealing with program expansion and growth • Leveraging Blackboard • Learning System, Content System, Portal

3. Idaho Digital Learning Academy • Statewide, web-based educational program • Meet education needs of all Idaho secondary students • Serving 7-12th grade students • In-school or out-of-school choice • Superintendents Association (2001) • Created by Idaho State Legislature (2002) • Title 33, Chapter 55

4. Blackboard Information • Learning, Community, and Content System • Version 6.3 • Using since Fall 2002 • ASP hosted • Building Blocks/Licensed Content • Wimba • Learning Objects • MITE • United Streaming

5. Programs • 7-12th Grade Online Courses: • Core classes, Remediation, & AP/Dual Credit • State Standards Test Preparation (ISAT Prep): • Online materials aligned to state standards • Reading, Math, & Language Arts (Science) • Partnerships: • User Groups (K-20, IASA, etc.) • School Districts (Twin Falls, Jerome) • State Dept of Ed. (Active Citizenship)

6. Statistics • 70 Faculty • 11 Staff members: 5 Full time, 6 Part time • 113 Idaho School Districts • $900,000 budget • 85 semester course offerings • ISAT Preparatory Materials • 3800 generic logins (1 login for every 35 students) • Rapid Growth • 2004-2005 = 33% increase in enrollments • 2005-2006 = 67% increase in enrollments

7. Support/Advocates Getting the Word Out Training Faculty, Students, Site Coordinators Maintaining Quality & Accountability Courses, Program Managing Growth/Change Technology Policies & Procedures Leveraging Blackboard to meet these challenges Learning System Content System Portal Challenges

8. Training • Students • Orientation • Teachers • Professional Development • Summer Conference • Site Coordinators • Partners • ISAT Prep

9. Course Development Guidelines Standards Based, team developed, rigorous review process Balanced Interaction: S-S, S-T, S-C Teaching Online Guidelines Update course, course menu, communication, community building) Student Accountability Orientation, Progress Reports, Proctored Finals, Policies/Procedures Staff Accountability Contracts, Online Principals, Course Evaluations, Weekly Teaching Reports, Policies/Procedures Quality & Accountability

10. Managing Growth • Establishing a foundation for growth • Course Creation • User Creation • Student Information System • Integration with blackboard • Technology Plan • Monitoring/Reporting

11. Managing Change • Plan for Change and Communicate • Users • Staff • Vendors • Changes in Blackboard • Blackboard version upgrades (6.2-6.3) • Building Block Additions and Upgrades • Adding systems (Content, Portal)

12. Flexibility of Blackboard Teacher led courses Self led ISAT User groups Face to face supplement Professional development Leveraging within the existing framework Usernames Leveraging the Learning System

13. Originally purchased to track licensed content. United Streaming MITE Textbooks Leveraged for Communication (My Content) Master course tracking Large file repository Web Server Standards Organization Lesson Plans Staff Portfolios Tiered structure allows flexibility and maintains order. Leveraging the Content System

14. Leveraging Institutional Roles • Content System • Access • Security • Organization • Wanted tiered organizational and functional assignments. • Active Directory • Novell Directory • Groups within groups • All students or just AP students • Institutional roles created with a tiered structure. • Users are part of multiple intuitional roles (average of 5) • 188 different institutional roles.

15. Leveraging Institutional Roles 2 • Institutional roles allow • Granular system security • Organized content distribution and collaboration • Future flexibility • C-Name can push intuitional role • Cost • Added user creation step (script) • Top Tier • IDLA • Second Tier • IDLA.Admin • IDLA.Board • IDLA.District • IDLA.Faculty • IDLA.Institution • Third Tier • IDLA.Faculty.Department • IDLA.Faculty.TeamLead • Fourth Tier • IDLA.Faculty.Department.Math • IDLA.Faculty.Department.Science

16. Leveraging Portal System • Institutional roles allow for portal system customization • Messages based on role • AP student opportunities • Department specific tabs • Branding per institution • IDLA website to utilize portal

17. Any questions? IDLA Officeidla@idla.k12.id.us http://idla.k12.id.us 208-342-0207 Christine BauerCurriculum & Instructioncbauer@idla.k12.id.us Ryan GravetteTechnical Support rgravette@idla.k12.id.us Idaho Digital Learning Academy

18. Managing Growth:K-12 Online Infrastructure Ben Johnson Poudre School District Ft. Collins, CO

19. Poudre School District • Fort Collins, Colorado • 45 Schools • About 25,000 students • 3,325 employees • Nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River.

20. Blackboard Statistics • 475 Active Courses • 2,357 Active Users • Average 36,341 Page views per day

21. Programs • Started as a way to host our virtual high school courses purchased from Class.com. • Mostly to supplement face-to-face classes. • Beginning to use it for some staff development (Book studies, curriculum specialists, etc.) • Some use for curriculum planning & resources • Used to create discussion boards for a variety of user groups. (Media Specialists, Negotiations, etc.) • Some groups (Math Counts, etc.)

22. Blackboard Information • Learning system only • Version 6.2.2.77 • Using since about 2000 • Hosted in house • Using integrated version of TurnItIn for plagiarism detection.

23. Challenges • Automating course and user creation. • Automating user enrollment. • Running the system on older servers. Keeping the servers maintained. • Getting faculty trained at up to 45 schools with one trainer. • Keeping up with email and phone questions. • Finding money to pay for it. • Getting grades into the district’s grade book. • Removing students after the semester is over.

24. Administrative Support • Support of director of media and technology • Support of director of curriculum • Support of high school assistant superintendent. • Support of chief information officer. • Buy in from teachers around the district.

25. Getting Buy In • Success of virtual high school. • Making course content available 24/7. • Online testing (automatically graded) • Losing students to competing online schools. • Interest of Teachers • Ease of Use • Password Protected • Awesome Tools that teachers can’t create on their own personal web sites.

26. Policies and Procedures • At this point, very minimal. • To have courses created, teachers must have his/her course coded on our student information system (SILK). • Prefer that teachers go through 2 or 3 short workshops. • Anticipate developing policies and procedures for appropriate communication and online test taking.

27. Training • After/before school workshops at many high schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools. • Formal staff development classes. 15 hour courses. • Training for groups such as curriculum specialists and media specialists. • Pedagogy embedded within the “how to” training. • College (CSU) credit available.

28. Getting the Word Out • Staff development catalog • Media Specialists • Blackboard Power Users • School workshops set up by administrators • Newsletter in leave and earnings statement • Word of mouth

29. Online/Hybrid Courses • VHS – students who failed face-to-face course or other reason such as teen parent. • Self-paced (with time points). Instructor serves as a facilitator. Students are not on their own. • Success really depends on the teacher. • All types of courses offered (mostly courses required to graduate). • VHS courses purchased from Class.com • Test, assignments, and grading are built into Class.com courses. • Supplemental courses are not reviewed.

30. Managing the System • System Administrator – 1 (me) • A person in IT to install/update Blackboard • User logins • Automatically created every night • Tied to SILK • Courses • Automatically created every night • Tied to SILK • Problem: Teachers who teach the same course several times a day. (One course or Many???)

31. Lessons Learned • Figure out a way to automate user & course creation, and user enrollment. • Figure out how you will deal with multiple sections (i.e. one course vs. many) • Figure out an efficient way to train users. • Make sure equipment is adequate and that maintenance is being performed. • Determine a way to deal with help calls and email questions.

32. Poudre School District Any questions? Ben Johnsonbenj@psdschools.org