November 14, 2017 at 1:00 PM - Technology Committee Meeting

Call to order at 1:00PM.  

Executive Director discussed needing to schedule a meeting with our legal department.  To continue discussion on policies.  

Technology Director shared that the updates on ADVISER.  They will continue to host work sessions at ESU to help process along.  Fifteen schools need to move to a certified student management system, so they will be a little behind the rest of the schools.  Continue to work through issues with schools case by case.  

Technology director shared that 222 districts and ESUs listed in the portal.  The work of the Innovation Grant continues to look at different software that will be more sustainable.  Software updates that will be applied to help work out some issues.  

Technology Director shared that there is workgroup that has been meeting to discuss future hosting options.  Looking to combine efforts between ESUs and NDE to make systems more sustainable.  Looking at several vendors, hoping to have a proposal to the Board early next year.  Working to transition servers over to newer equipment, one left to transition to get us down to one rack at UNL.

Executive Director shared that conversion to Zend 1 is complete.  Working through the Strategic Plan put together by SRS Board this summer.  They will continue to unpack and further develop work.  SRS is officially certified with ADVISER to start publishing data to the data store.  They also are the first group to take data out of ADVISER.  The issues will pop up early so that can be fix prior to reporting.  

BlendED/Distance Education Director updated the committee on the new co-hort for pilot.  Have schools submit prior to January 15.  We will have training for this co-hort in July.  A school not in co-hort could join training for a small fee if interested.  Looking for two per ESU area.  Conversations regarding private schools in the pilot.  We will work on plan to provide support for the initial pilot schools.  Give feedback to the BlendED/Distance Education Director on ideas on how to offer support.  

Nancy Movall, Innovation Grant shared that NROC is releasing EdReady English in January.  NROC has partnered with ACT for a college level program but it will be a nice alignment with the work we do NROC/EdReady.  We currently have nine pilot sites but have other schools using as well.  Process continues to grow throughout the year.  Through our contract with NROC we have the use of online curriculum that you put into their LMS, Hippo Campus has materials for teacher use on topic specific, and EdReady products.  Infinite Campus is aligned to the Nebraska Standards.  We are also members of NROC, so we have voice in the process.  

SIMPL process is a model that is being created.  This is a model for best practices.  ESU 2, 7, 8, 10, 17 are the pilots schools.  Co-hort will begin after the first of the year.  Larianne Polk present to the state board last week having great conversations.  The process uses good data in order to honest conversations.  This is not an accountability systems, it is an accounting of services we offer.  Discussion regarding the scoring the process/program evaluation.  

Executive Director shared the evaluation report from our evaluators.  

Several members of the OER Committee was present to share more details regarding the work for the OER Commons Proposal.  They have created the FAQS to help answer some of the questions.  Craig Hicks gave a presentation on OER Commons Hub.  OER Commons allows us to curate materials, share resources.  The Hub is a customizable, branded resource center on OER Commons where a network of users can create and share collections, administer groups, etc.  Groups would provide a connecting point for sharing, a center where uses can gather to discover, recommend and collaborate.  The OER commons Hub would be able to be added to the NE portal.  It can be customizable to the district level.  They shared the goals of the committee.  Executive Director shared the budget discussion of sharing costs with NDE.  Dean Folkers, CIO NDE shared his thoughts regarding the OER Commons Hub.  

The E-Rate Resolution is on hold for one year.  

Technology Director shared that the contract for Schoology contract.  Time to review the LMS offered in the state.  Discussion regarding on one statewide LMS and how that would work.  LMS Committee to review possibilities.  Future Ready is working towards a plan to include a core set of tools.  Look to the Gear of Future Ready to help guide process.  

Committee Chair shared the CCSSO Group that will be discussing Instructional Materials Network.  

Report throughout committee discussion.

BlendEd/Distance Education director shared some observation data.  Continue to promote blendEd Learning throughout the state.  The Distance Learning Directors had a meeting with the non-profit virtual field trip meeting.  The Distance Education Coordinators decided that they need to meet more often than the three scheduled meetings.  

Rhonda Eis gave the projects report.  Information on the TLT meetings/training this week.  She has created a Google Group to create a Learn360 group.  She shared that usage is up for Learn360.  

Meeting adjourned at 2:25 PM.