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TABLE OF CONTENTS

California Educational Technology Professionals Association

Fall 2011 | Volume 2011 | Issue 4

ARTICLES 6 President’s Message By Steve Carr

8 Storing, Charging, and Syncing Tablet Computers: One Size Does Not Necessarily Fit All By Dean Smith

12 Strategies to Select a Systems Integrator By Curtis Paradzick

14 CETPA Goes Regional By Brianne Meyer

16 Hybrid Desktop Virtualization: What Is It and Why Should I Care? By Todd Finnell

18 CUE View By Tim Landeck

22 Industry News By Fred Brakeman

24 Member Profile DataBus Chats with Matt Kinzie

In-depth Online for Members Only Best Practices By Phil Scrivano http://cetpa.net/cs/databus/view/db_art/386

Corcoran Unified School District’s One-2-One iPad Program: A Vision of Success By Dean Smith http://cetpa.net/cs/databus/view/db_art/387

Databus is the official publication of the California Educational Technology Professionals Association (CETPA). Databus is published four times a year as a service to our members and information technology managers for California’s K-12 school system. The CETPA and the Databus assume no responsibility for the statements or opinions appearing in articles under an author’s name. The services of an attorney or accountant should be sought in legal and tax matters. All copyrights and trademarks are property of their respective owners. Except where otherwise noted, content in Databus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Publisher California Educational Technology Professionals Association Managing Editor Tim Goree timg@fsusd.org Assistant Editor Diane Foulks foulks@sti.net

Advertising Manager Cici Trino Association Outsource Services (916) 990-9999 Fax: (916) 990-9991 cicit@aosinc.biz

Layout and Design Lori Mattas Printing and Mailing Copeland Printing

Editor Lisa Kopochinski (916) 481-0265 lisakop@sbcglobal.net

Fall 2011 • DataBus 5

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

Stephen Carr, Chief Technology Officer

Ed Tech Potpourri By Steve Carr, CETPA President

Ventura County Office of Education 5189 Verdugo Way Camarillo, CA 93012

PRESIDENT ELECT

J. Todd Finnell, Vice President of Technology

Imperial Community College District 380 E. Aten Road Imperial, CA 92251 PAST PRESIDENT

Dr. Kelly Calhoun, Chief Technology Officer Santa Clara County Office of Education 1290 Ridder Park Drive San Jose, CA 95131 TREASURER

Gregory W. Lindner, Technology Services Director

Elk Grove Unified School District 9510 Elk Grove-Florin Road Elk Grove, CA 95624 SECRETARY

Steve Thornton, Director of Technology Menifee Union School District 30205 Menifee Road Menifee, CA 92584

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Andrea Bennett

915 L Street #C424 Sacramento, CA 95354 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Tim Goree, Director of Technology Support Services

Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District 2490 Hilborn Road Fairfield, CA 94534 DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Aaron Barnett, Information Systems Director

Moreno Valley Unified School District 25634 Alessandro Boulevard Moreno Valley, CA 92553

Sandra Ching, Director of Information Services

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District 1301 Orangethorpe Avenue Placentia, CA 92870

Julie Judd, Director of Technology Moorpark Unified School District 5297 Maureen Lane Moorpark, CA 93021

Brianne Meyer, Chief Technology Officer Irvine Unified School District 5050 Barranca Parkway Irvine, CA 92604

Peter Skibitzki, Director of Administrative Operations

Placer County Office of Education 360 Nevada Street Auburn, CA 95603

Wade Williams, Director of Network Services

Stanislaus County Office of Education 1100 H Street Modesto, CA 95354

6 DataBus • Fall 2011

CETPA continues to advocate for its members by having a voice at the legislative table and at the state level to describe challenges and propose solutions for the education community with all things related to technology.

hat a year it has been and what a pleasure it has been to serve as the president of this organization. We continue to be challenged with very tight education budgets, and we have all had to come up with ways to tighten our belt when it appeared that there were no notches left. Yet, when the school year started, the students returned, the technology was being delivered with interactive white boards, computers, laptops, tablets and response pads. This is what we do. We have had a relatively new board of directors this year. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this bright, talented and dedicated group of professionals. We have taken Dr. Kelly Calhoun’s lead from last year and moved forward with the membership initiative. As you may know, annual membership is currently being offered as part of the registration for this year’s conference. Following the conference, membership sign up will be offered with its benefits beginning in December 2011. Many other professional organizations offer memberships and we believe that the $90 annual fee provides CETPA members with great value. CETPA continues to be recognized as the leading organization in the state representing educational technology professionals. CETPA continues to advocate for its members by having a voice at the legislative table and at the state level to describe challenges and propose solutions for the education community with all things related to technology. Your membership fees will continue to provide funding for our flagship CTO Mentor program. After four completed cohorts of the CTO Mentor graduates, approximately 30 percent have received promotions in their work to support educational technology. Both behind the scenes and in front of the podium, CETPA Executive Director Andrea Bennett has continued to be the face of CETPA. It is clear that she is passionate about her job and role in representing the organization on the state and federal level. She has also helped forge new relationships with affiliate organizations such as CUE, CoSN, CASBO and ACSA. CETPA is also very excited to launch the CETPA and Microsoft Strategic Alliance (CAMSA) supported by SHI. Fred Brakeman’s article this month describes the program in detail. I would like to thank Fred and Infinity Communications for managing the entire RFP. He has done a phenomenal job of managing the process to assure that we selected the best reseller for our needs. I would also like to thank Mark Williams from the law firm Fagen Freidman and Fullfrost (F3). He assisted us from the beginning in providing detailed research about the program and how CETPA could manage a statewide consortium buy program. He helped us negotiate and structure an agreement with both Microsoft and SHI that will surely save thousands of dollars for schools in California. For more information on this program, see our CETPA website at http://cetpa.net/camsa. This is a new direction for the CETPA organization and offers us the potential to research other opportunities that may serve its membership. Another goal that was set by the board for this year was to begin the process of establishing an Affiliate Advisory Council (AAC). The plan was to form a small group of respected vendor partners who could help shape the formation of such a council. This council would work directly with the CETPA board to provide feedback and input from the vendor or affiliate perspective as well as to become a communication vehicle from the education member continued on page 20

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ED TECH POTPOURRI OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

Storing, Charging and Syncing Tablet Computers:

By Dean Smith

One Size Does Not Necessarily Fit All

ablet computers have become one of the most exciting teaching tools to hit classrooms in a while. We’ve already seen the benefits of the Apple iPad: the ease of use, how it engages the student, the anytime-anywhere learning options, and the heightened communication between teachers, students and families. The extraordinary potential of this learning tool is also fueling innovation. The tablet market is growing at an exponential pace, affording districts the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of options at a number of different price points. And, those amazing apps. Everyone is eager to see, test and use the latest and greatest educational apps to help their students thrive. While educators are excited to put this new technology through its paces, there are still the nuts and bolts of “fleet management” for those tablets. Security software, filtered wireless access, computer tagging, asset engraving and written procedures should be automatic when the tablets come in the door. But, then they go out the door— to classrooms, computer labs or even home with students. How do you securely store, quickly charge and easily sync dozens—perhaps hundreds—of tablets after they have been deployed?

This is where the “one size does not necessarily fit all” concept comes into play. Just as each district will create its own plan to maximize the benefits of tablet computers, the process for completely and effectively overseeing the use of tablets must be developed. Fortunately, there is a mix-and-match effect available when it comes to storing, charging and syncing tablets that allows each district to find the best solution to meet its individual needs. As you begin the process, consider these two questions when developing your tablet fleet management plan:

Where are they to be secured? With the portability and versatility of tablets or any handheld device, such an iPod Touch for that matter, this question must be answered first. • Will a set be in the classroom exclusively? If so, a fixed storage and charging station is the best option. Bolted to the countertop or freestanding units, secure lockers come in almost any size needed (16, 20, 30, 32 and 48-unit sizes) and provide a secure location to store and, if needed, to charge and store. Consider your multicontinued on page 10

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8 DataBus • Fall 2011

the answer, and their GENESIS solution was straightforward, simple to use, and best of all, it works. We will have faster, easier access to data, better standard and ad-hoc reporting, more user functionality, and a better student/parent portal.” Developed by Edupoint, GENESIS is one of the nation’s leading SIS solutions and delivers the industry’s richest feature-set and state reporting capabilities. GENESIS empowers all stakeholders in the education process – teachers, principals, counselors, administrators, parents, and students – to share and access the information they need to do their unique, essential part in helping students reach their highest level of achievement. “We made sure that all key users, from teachers entering grades to administrators creating schedules and running reports, thoroughly evaluated the solution,” stated Yeh. “It’s important for everyone to understand the full functionality of our SIS. The comprehensive training provided by Edupoint will help us promote rapid adoption of the system by all users, and will allow our district to achieve all of its student data management project goals. We’re happy that Edupoint will be our long-term SIS partner” Better student achievement begins with better information. To learn how Edupoint can help, please visit www.edupoint.com.

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Storing, Charging and Syncing Tablet Computers continued from page 8

year tablet plan when choosing a size. Too small makes for a costly replacement; too big and it’s a waste of space and funds. • Does the district need mobile carts to transport tablets from class to class? A cart that can store, charge and be easily moved may be the best solution. Whether it’s a “charge-only” or a “syncand-charge” unit, sizes can range from a 20-unit size up to 48-unit size for the largest class. Look for a cart that is compact,

durable, has adjustable compartments and secure locking doors. • Will students be assigned individual tablets or will tablets be available for checkout? If the tablets are not being charged at home, a centralized and fixed charging station—either in class or other approved location—would be optimal and allow students to bring them in each day to be charged during class or lunch. A fixed locker installation is an excellent

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10 DataBus • Fall 2011

solution for this issue. And again, sizes can range from 16-unit to 48-unit sizes.

How will they be synced? In the classroom, library or district office? With any new technology, it can feel like uncharted territory when it comes to app purchases, content, downloads and uses. Districts do need to address the many variables when it comes to securing and syncing tablets. • Is every tablet going to have the exact same items downloaded or will teachers have the flexibility to load class-specific software onto their students’ tablets? For districts that want to control the content at the district level, there are syncing systems designed to transfer the image with the appropriate curriculum material to multiple tablets, as well as install district settings and protocols for the tablets. Some companies have recently introduced stand-alone syncing devices that can sync groups of tablets to a single account. This option has proven to be an economical, convenient and time-saving device for use in individual classrooms or for school districts with limited IT resources. • Will the tablet be brought to one location for updating or do you need a mobile system that can travel from class to class, school to school? A large-capacity sync station (some can hold up to 49 units) would serve well for single-location syncing. If mobility is key, there are portable syncing solutions that will charge and sync up to 16 tablets. Look for a mobile system that has a heavy-duty transport case with handles and rollers. A great example of tablet computer fleet management is from Corcoran Unified School District (CUSD) in Corcoran, Calif. CUSD considered the various options and created a customized plan that has been highly successful. Securing, charging and syncing tablets may not be as simplistic as picking one from column A and one from column B. Instead, asking these questions and eliminating the unnecessary does make the process easier. Whether you are like CUSD and want to create a program for more than a thousand tablets or you are just getting started with a single class set, know that there are options to aid you in developing a plan for storing, charging and syncing that will work now and grow with your district’s needs.  Dean Smith is president and CEO of D&D Security Resources, a leader in computer security, serving schools for more than 35 years. He can be reached at dean@ ddsecurity.com.

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Strategies to Select a Systems Integrator

T By Curtis Paradzick

oday’s IT and network projects are increasingly complex. Phone, computer, video surveillance, and other systems that used to work as stand-alone networks are typically now part of one IP-based infrastructure. While this approach provides many benefits, it also increases complexity. Every system on the network affects network performance; e.g., deploying a video-surveillance system with high-performance video cameras can easily degrade the quality of voice service without adequate planning. And, while school administrators are responsible for network quality, they are often not equipped to make technical decisions. Bringing in outside resources—such as systems integrators—can provide multiple benefits for today’s more complex networking projects. These include knowledge of the most recent technology developments, teams experienced with design, implementation and maintenance of new technologies and the extra “bandwidth” that extends the resources of in-house IT departments. Because each systems integrator offers a unique set of capabilities, experience and work style, school administrators should select an integrator only after an extensive review process. Here are some important considerations. Form a cross-functional team within the company to select the integrator. This ensures “buy in” for the systems integrator ultimately selected. Typically, in addition to IT staff, these teams include those involved in school operations, human resources and accounting. Create a request for information (RFI) document that requests information about the integrator, such as size (revenues and people), capabilities, case studies, projectmanagement processes and other questions that are specific to the given program. Creating the RFI will ensure a level playing field exists when the team reviews integrator qualifications and also often reveals questions that team must answer about the work to be done prior to evaluating integration firms. Cast a wide net to identify an initial list of integrators. Sources to consider include word of mouth, reviews of publications and analyst reports, online searches and/or contacting administrators proactively who recently completed similar projects. Distribute the RFI to as many as 15 to 20 integrators. Conduct a first set of meetings with senior people to learn the full capabilities of the firms receiving the RFI. Ensure as many people as possible from the team participate. Develop an evaluating sheet and distribute in advance to ensure the in-house team asks all the questions necessary and provide as complete feedback as possible. During the evaluation process, interviewers often fail to ask two key questions: is this a “best-of-breed” integrator, and how much of the work is self-performed versus by a partner or subcontractor. These two points can be very important depending on the scope and size of the project. In terms of defining “best of breed,” include factors such

12 DataBus • Fall 2011

as: does the integrator work with multiple manufacturers to ensure they spec the products most suitable for the project. For the self-performed question, does the integrator have multiple references for projects similar to the one under consideration. Reduce the pool of integrators to three to five finalists and hold second meetings, insisting that the teams who will work on the project be included. Provide these finalists with a request for proposal (RFP) that includes specifics about timetables, teams (especially what work—if any—will be subcontracted), work processes, pricing and other detailed information. In addition, consider providing a nondisclosure agreement to ensure the integrator is legally bound to keep company information, as well as the specifics of this engagement, confidential. If possible, obtain copies of other companies’ RFPs for similar projects and incorporate relevant questions. Check references of both the firm and the specific team members to be involved. References should reflect the same type of technology your company is considering, as well as the scope of the project. Determine if each of the integrators that the in-house team is considering are people they can work with. While responses to RFI and RFP questions are important, the qualitative aspects are also important. School projects often have unique aspects and it is important that the integrator’s team has extensive school experience. In addition, the team will be allowing the systems integration firm access to the critical parts of the school’s network; these are people they will see every day for weeks or months. Identify an exit strategy. As part of the RFI and RFP, outline a project scope that has specific beginning and end points. During a project, the integrator or IT staff may find additional work to perform. If so, ensure there is a specific process for bidding and pricing that work to ensure there are no surprises. Avoid scope creep. Once you believe you have selected an integrator, hold a meeting to review the final schedule and scope of work. You want to make sure each party understands the project time frames and milestones, specifically what work is to be done, and where the integrator responsibility ends and the customer responsibility begins. The network is increasingly the heart of the school today. Taking a little extra time to involve key decision makers, conduct proper integrator due diligence and ensure detailed paperwork in place can mean the difference between a smooth project and one beset by problems, delays and cost overruns.  Curtis Paradzick is Vice President of Sales for Vector Resources, Inc., a Torrance, Calif.-based network consulting and systems integration firm. Paradzick has extensive experience customizing dependable, secure network solutions for enterprise-level customers in the education, medical and federal markets, and all manner of medium-sized and small business. He can be reached at cparadzick@vectorresources.com.

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Regional groups create dedicated time to learn about what is coming next and how other districts and counties are planning for the future.

CETPA Goes Regional Today’s “To Do” List

By Brianne Meyer

• Accept that every new idea, new device and new application translates into a new project for you. • Find a balance between control and flexibility on technology standards that doesn’t send you over the edge. • Put out fires—sometimes literally. • Face down an inbox that you can’t possibly conquer, even if you have no need of sleep or personal time. • Find a way to perform technological miracles with less than half of the time and resources that you need. • Understand that your choice to select a career driven by innovation, education and service condemns you to a constant feeling that you are racing to catch up. • Wonder how the last eight (or 12) hours passed so quickly.

agement may struggle with educational content delivery and professional development. However, a district that is a short drive away may have excelled in those areas, but lack the management tools and devices to realize the value to their students. The connections that develop between members of a regional team deliver immediate solutions to serious problems.

Strategic Direction

• Find some relief in the expertise, counsel and good humor of your peers!

Bound to the urgent, technology professionals struggle to make time for the important, strategic requirements of the role. Regional groups create dedicated time to learn about what is coming next and how other districts and counties are planning for the future. The dialogue between members highlights alternative approaches, policies and technologies. The community of a regional group creates opportunities to reflect on decisions and confidently stay on the current path or alter course.

The Inland Area CETPA Regional Group

Relationships

The members of the Inland Area CETPA Regional Group have found relief from the daily challenges of their positions by creating and sustaining a strong community. Every two months, the group of assistant superintendents, technology directors, teachers, system administrators and technicians gather to discuss major trends in education technology and learn about the each other’s work. The structure is simple. Bring whatever issue you are facing to the meeting. Leave knowing you have the support of outstanding colleagues and, more often than not, the solution to your problem. Inland Area CETPA Regional Group meetings include round-table discussions based on topics submitted by the members, opportunities to collectively evaluate vendor solutions, informal networking, a regional listserv, and sharing of meeting notes and resources across districts and county offices of education.

Get Involved

Today’s Should Do List

Benefits of Regional Groups “There is no substitute for being in a room of IT people from other school districts who face the same challenges and requirements as you do,” says David Banzan, IT director, Val Verde Unified School District. No single district or county office of education in California is well-resourced or expert enough to stay ahead of the infinite demands and ever-changing landscape of education technology. Combining those resources through regional groups provides the practical and visionary solutions that are beyond the reach of a single organization.

Tactical Solutions Regional groups bring together diverse technology experts, with practical knowledge and proven solutions. Districts that are ahead of the curve in mobile-device man14 DataBus • Fall 2011

“Being part of the CETPA regional group is like having your own brain trust of wise counselors,” says Thomas Tan, director, Network and Computer Services, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. The regular meetings, ongoing collaboration and local focus of CETPA regional groups cultivates lasting professional friendships. It extends the CETPA conference and other professional development opportunities into a constant community of professional growth and support. CETPA regional groups allow you to get the answers you need from the people you know. And, on the rare occasions that your colleagues don’t have the answer you need, you will have a room full of sympathetic geeks that will help you find it. The support provided by the merging of CETPA resources and local communities is invaluable. If you are interested in joining or initiating a CETPA regional group, email the CETPA membership committee at membership@ cetpa-k12.org and plan to attend the information session at the CETPA conference in Long Beach this November. “If you want to find out how others are addressing the same issues that you address or just get some great ideas attend your local CETPA regional group or start one! It is well worth your time,” says Steven Marx, director of IT, Alvord Unified School District.  Brianne Meyer is the Chief Technology Officer for the Irvine Unified School District in Orange County, Calif. She has been working in education technology for over ten years and is currently a member of the CETPA Board of Directors. She can be reached at bmeyer@iusd.org.

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ED TECH POTPOURRI

Hybrid Desktop Virtualization: What Is It and Why Should I Care?

I By Todd Finnell

16 DataBus • Fall 2011

mperial Valley College (IVC) has undertaken a desktop virtualization project, like many other schools and organizations have. Virtualizing desktops provides for enormous value within organizations such as reduction in staff cost, increased application availability, and flexibility that was unheard of when using the standard PC desktop model. The consumerization of IT with iPads and user devices is changing the landscape, which results in the need of a nimble, flexible desktop delivery model. So what is desktop virtualization? And what is “hybrid” desktop virtualization? It is generally agreed upon that a definition of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, is a system where multiple Windows 7 or XP images run on a server on top of a virtualization platform such as VMWare or Microsoft Hyper-V. The other form of desktop virtualization is delivered by way of Microsoft Terminal Server (TS), or more recently known as Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH). Both models are valid and are appropriate for many environments. RDSH/TS can deliver a Windows 7 look and feel to the user on a shared server platform, providing very high density (up to hundreds of users on single server) and a very cost-effective solution. Combining the two technologies is referred to as “Hybrid Desktop Virtualization.” Much like a hybrid car, you have the power of VDI combined with the efficiency of TS/RDSH based desktops. IVC is leveraging Quest vWorkspace as the management platform for their desktop virtualization initiative, which allows both forms of desktop virtualization to be delivered, based on the use case. Some applications do not work well in a TS/ RDSH environment resulting in VDI being the right tool for the job. With VDI, the OS is fully isolated and “is” a full PC OS, but just running on a server in the data center. It is “just like a PC.” With TS/RDSH, the user’s desktop looks like Windows 7 (or XP), but runs in a shared environment. Although most applications are supported, certain applications do not work well in such an environment. IVC leverages HP thin clients for the endpoint device. This provides a stateless, virus-proof endpoint that requires near-zero IT touch or maintenance. If a device fails, end users can replace it by just plugging it in—no configuration needed.

IVC currently has built a proof of concept (POC) environment. The configuration of this environment is for POC purposes and is not built for large scale production use…yet. The software components in this POC are as follows:

Microsoft Hyper-V R2 SP1 (#1)

Windows 2008 R2 SP1 Enterprise • Quest vWorkspace Management Console (provision virtual desktops, user and desktop assignment/ administration, session shadowing, etc.) • Quest vWorkspace Broker (infrastructure management server for virtualization platforms, virtual desktops, RDSH, Active Directory integration) • SQL Express database (all vWorkspace configuration setting and client management settings) • Quest vWorkspace WebAcess Server (web portal for ubiquitous client access) Windows 2008 R2 SP1 Enterprise • Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) role enabled (allows for the delivery of up to hundreds of virtual desktops from a single virtual machine) • vWorkspace management agents (enables enhanced user experience and administrative management over standard RDSH) Windows 7 Ultimate Virtual desktops (multiple) • vWorkspace management agents (enables enhanced user experience and stateless mode to ensure desktop image integrity)

Microsoft Hyper-V R2 SP1 (#2)

Windows 7 Ultimate Virtual desktops (multiple) • vWorkspace management agents (enables enhanced user experience and stateless mode to ensure desktop image integrity) HP WES7 Thin Clients • End point devices leverage the Microsoft WES7 OS providing a rich user experience and configurable to be user and virus proof.

IVC has a number of use cases, and associated challenges related to deploying and maintaining full PCs at the desktop. The table below provides a summary of the uses cases, along with the challenges and benefit of using virtualized desktops. With the consumerization of IT upon us, where iPads and alternate user devices are changing the IT landscape, users need the flexibility to work wherever they are, Use Case Labs Note: These issues are common among many use cases

Library

Staff

Unplanned application or desktop rollout

Campus access to applications

Remote access/learning

BYOC and the Cloud

including home and on the road. In addition, traditional management of desktops can be extraordinarily resource intensive. A new paradigm for providing applications and desktops is needed. Virtualizing desktops can provide a dramatic reduction in staff cost, increased application availability, and flexibility compared to the standard PC desktop model. IVC is starting down the path with a scal-

able, cost effective, flexible solution for their users and staff.  Todd Finnell is Vice President of Information Technology at Imperial Valley College. He currently serves as CETPA’s President Elect and has spent the past 18 years in educational IT. He can be reached at toddfinnell@imperial.edu.

Problems

Benefits/Solution

Traditional PCs are typically built to support a limited number of applications. This often limits the use of the computer to one or two subjects.

Because the virtual desktop is running in the data center and “displayed” on the endpoint (thin client), any lab (room) can support any curriculum. Depending on the generic user IDs the users use, they are delivered an application specific windows image, such as engineering, math or science.

Application access is limited to the lab. Students must physically go to a lab to do their work limiting flexibility and availability during crunch times.

Labs provide access to applications. Applications should be accessible from outside the lab environment. Because the applications are “in the cloud,” students can access required applications from any location in or out of the campus.

Traditional PCs are vulnerable to user actions, both malicious and innocent. Inevitably, the PCs become corrupted, and IT staff must fix or re-image to get the machine back on line.

Extraordinary efforts need to be taken to protect the integrity of a Windows PC in a lab environment. Using a virtual image, the thin client can be stateless so no user or external changes are retained at reboot or reprovision. It is effectively user and virus proof.

Traditional PCs often become corrupted requiring physical visits by limited IT staff. The downtime of a PC is normally measured in hours, which include hours of IT staff time.

Thin clients are stateless and are used as the end point access device. Think of it as a TV with a keyboard and mouse. The user cannot modify or impact the integrity of the device and therefore almost no staff is needed to support the thin clients, or even manage hardware failures. A thin client is like a TV; just plug it in! The downtime of a PC is measured in minutes.

Regular software maintenance for the OS and other security updates can be an arduous task. A number of traditional PC management tools can help automate this task, but it is commonly understood that these tools are imperfect at best. The available limited staff at most organizations are stretched when maintenance updates fail or roll-backs are required.

Since the OS is in the data center and is disposable, it allows the admin to deploy updates with extraordinary ease and speed, without leaving his or her chair. Since the application is inside a virtual image, it is bullet proof and incredibly easy to update or roll back updates to one or thousands of users

Traditional public use computers suffer integrity issues because of user actions and security issues because of the “previous user.”

Since the user is using a virtual desktop, the desktop OS image can be “reset to default” on log-off, ensuring every user gets a “new PC image” that is unmolested by any previous user. The previous user session information is obliterated.

Many libraries use elaborate, costly, and often limiting security software to help protect the integrity of the PC image. This software is typically expensive, very hard to configure and maintain, and often introduces application compatibility issues.

In most cases, the need for this software is eliminated when leveraging Desktop Virtualization because the virtual OS image in the data center is “reset to default” ensuring the integrity of the desktop and avoiding helpdesk calls.

A full PC for most administrative staff is computing overkill. Users only use a fraction of the machine capabilities and can cause a significant support impact on IT staff.

Using a TS/RDSH delivered desktop allows for very efficient use of resources, achieving up to approximately 200 desktops/users on a single server. It is a very cost effective and scalable solution

From time to time, new applications need to be rolled out to desktops, or new desktops need to be rolled out to users. The lead time for these activities can be significant, not to mention the impact on IT staff.

With desktop virtualization, instant desktop image provisioning allows an administrator to roll out a new desktop image for a new or temporary application in a few clicks. Hundreds or thousands of desktops can be rolled out or updated in minutes or hours.

Access to applications is often limited to the labs or computers the applications are loaded on. Also, users cannot access those applications using “their” computing device, such as an iPad.

Access to curriculum specific applications can be made available campus wide—rather than just in the labs—and accessed by iPads, PCs, Macs, Android, and other devices. The students can “sit under the tree” and do their lab work using the device of their choice.

There is no way for users to work on curriculum-based applications from home, Starbucks, or “anywhere” they are connected to the Internet.

Users can work from home, Starbucks, or anywhere they have Internet access. If the users have access devices (iPad, PC, etc.) and an Internet connections, they are “in the lab.” This can be leveraged for remote learning programs as well as extension of lab environments.

Increasing demand for application access and dependencies on computer based learning tools causes most organizations to purchase more and more desktop computers and maintain those computers.

The “consumerization of IT” is a trend that is being forced upon all IT organizations. Higher education is particularly affected because the students/users “expect” to be able to access information in the cloud. This technology enables the IT organization to deliver the desktop or apps to the user like they expect. The upside is that—in time—the need for the school to provide end-point devices will diminish and the users will BYOC. This will lead to significant cost savings for the schools. Fall 2011 • DataBus 17

CUE VIEW

Technology Tools that Support School Community Communication

I By Tim Landeck

t has long been known that parent and community support is a key factor associated with student success. One of the most effective ways to reach out to your local parent community is with the assistance of technology tools that enhance communication between the students, staff and parents. Some tools require shifting the way people are used to doing business, and other tools seem to integrate into the way people have been teaching and getting their information all along. We have implemented many tools that have had a significant impact on the communication we were able to accomplish with our parent community. Some tools were easily implemented and quickly adopted, leading to a large and “easy” impact on our parent community. Other tools have taken longer to implement due to their complexity and/or disruption of the “way we have always done it.” However, no matter which tool we implemented, the positive results have greatly outweighed the effort. An obvious tool that probably all school sites have used is the school website. Our community has a large free and reduced lunch student population, yet we get thousands of hits each day on our websites. With smart phones and mobile technology, we are seeing the narrowing of the digital divide, and parents of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds are gaining access to web content. A school can easily create a web presence on the Internet, but the value of that presence is only as good as the viability and relevancy of the content on the site. If a website is outdated and contains information months (or years) old, people will not find much reason to access the resource more than once. Consequently, using a tool that makes editing your website easy for anyone with the proper credentials is critical to keep your site alive and fresh with updated information. My district has moved through a variety of web content management tools. Adobe Contribute (www.adobe. com/products/contribute), a component of Adobe CS5, requires a client to be installed on each editing computer, but makes managing a website as easy as composing an MS Word document. At times, we have needed to use a more advanced (and complex) web page editing tool (such as Adobe Dreamweaver, www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver) to make web content adjustments that Contribute was not able to accomplish. Some of our school sites use free blogs for their websites (www.blogger.com/start/) that make editing the content very easy. However, you are limited by the capabilities and visual representation of the blog software, be it on your server or a hosted solution. Many of our school sites (and soon our district office) have

migrated to a new, free, web browser-based solution that offers drag and drop content management called School Loop Standard (http://schoolloop.com/what/ school-loop-standard.aspx). School Loop Standard is a hosted web-content management system (no server management necessary!) that offers bottomless storage (no disk space limits), integrated calendars, teacher websites, digital lockers and much more. However, the key to the success of this service is the ease of creating and updating web content. No client is necessary to install on computers (accessible from any Internet-connected computer), and moving items around on the web page can be accomplished via a simple drag and drop. If keeping your school website up to date and encouraging teachers to do the same for their class websites is an issue for you, then School Loop Standard is a great solution. Almost all families have a telephone number associated with the parent or guardian of their student. This phone number is the “gateway” into the family’s familiar communication system and one that should not be ignored. For emergencies, field trip, homework reminders, attendance notification, or just to share that a student completed their assignment as requested, a telephone dialer is a fabulous tool for communication with your parent community. The old dialer systems (analogue land line, computer and USB dialer device combination) are on their way out because a hosted, web-based system offers many more advantages over the tried and true system we used back in the 1990s. SchoolMessenger (www.schoolmessenger.com) and Teleparent.com (www.teleparent.com) are two of the many services that offer a hosted dialing system. Our hosted service can share an emergency message with the families of our 19,000 students within an hour of initiation. Creating the call is so simple and quick that we need to remind some of our (“not-so-tech-enabled”) principals to not overuse the system and unintentionally spam our parent community. One of the tools that has had the greatest impact on communication with the families of our students is also the tool that has taken the most effort to integrate into our school environment because it has required the buy-in and involvement of the majority of the school staff. By empowering the learning management team (“a student-centric team comprised of every adult with a stake in each student’s success”) and students with tools that enhance communication, the school community thrives and student achievement benefits. School Loop Plus (http://schoolloop.com/what/school-loop-plus. aspx) offers a hosted (and Active Directory integrated) continued on page 20

18 DataBus • Fall 2011

SunGard K-12 Education provides secure, reliable software solutions for over 1,500 school districts nationwide, impacting student achievement for over 8 million students every day.

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sungard.com/PLUS360 | 866.905.8989 ÂŠ 2011 SunGard K-12 Education SunGard and the SunGard logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SunGard Data Systems Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. PLUS Series and PLUS 360 are registered trademarks of SunGard K-12 Education Inc. All other trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

solution that has enhanced communication among all students, staff and parents that we would not have been able to accomplish without such a tool. Not to be confused with the School Loop Standard mentioned above, School Loop Plus takes the school website and increases its value tenfold. With an integrated TeleParent dialer, student/parent email, grade book, assignment posting/submissions, homework email subscriptions, data integration and a student tracker, School Loop Plus has many of the components that make frequent and

relevant communication and information sharing between students, faculty and parents an obtainable reality. Another similar tool offered by Edline (www.edline.com) uses communication tools to help improve school community information sharing. Both of these solutions are eligible to receive priority one E-rate discounts to help reduce the cost associated with their implementation and use. No matter which solution you implement to increase parent and community

communication, your school and district will benefit from improved visibility, enhanced public relations, and empowered participants in your school community.  Tim Landeck is Director of Technology Services of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District in Watsonville, Calif., a national conference presenter, and a consultant with various school districts nationwide. Tim can be reached at tim_landeck@pvusd.net.

President’s Message continued from page 6

Visit Bo

oth

# 613

CETPA

20 DataBus • Fall 2011

at the

Confere

nce

back to the affiliates. We took small but effective steps toward this goal this year. The board selected Fred Brakeman, Infinity Communications; Rob Chambers, Lightspeed Systems; and John Walden from Eagle Software. These three were selected because of their long history with CETPA with some coming from the education ranks, and some even as former members of the board. They have each committed their own time and resources to work on this council and have begun work on development of a survey that will be shared with the affiliate community as to the nature of our conference. We also structured a few sessions during the conference to explore ways to model improved vendor customer relations. CETPA realizes that the vendor affiliate community is critical to our success as technology providers. We all have had experiences where vendors were true partners. During these sessions, we hope to discuss the key components to repeat this relationship. We are excited to host the 51st annual CETPA conference in Long Beach this year. With more than 160 exhibitors, 135 breakout sessions and labs, motivating keynotes, and a Technology Pavilion filled with information, we expect that this will be an unforgettable conference. We know how difficult it is to get away from the office these days; but, you will find the experience motivating, informative and fun! Thank you for your continued support. 

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Controller-less Wireless LANs for the Classroom.

INDUSTRY NEWS

New CETPA Statewide Purchasing Contract

with Microsoft

B By Fred Brakeman

22 DataBus • Fall 2011

y now, I am sure you have seen CETPA’s news release to the media or on the CETPA listserv that the organization has signed a multi-year contract with Microsoft and Software House International (SHI) to offer greatly-reduced pricing on Microsoft’s Educational Enrollment Solution (EES) products to all public and private educational organizations in the state of California. The program is called the Microsoft Strategic Alliance supported by SHI (CAMSA supported by SHI). Just in case you were not aware that this might save your district some money, I thought I would use this opportunity to provide some details. Earlier this year, management at Microsoft Corporation contacted CETPA President Steve Carr to see if CETPA would consider being the lead agency to provide a statewide purchasing contract for Microsoft EES products. After a thorough review of the proposal, the CETPA board decided to go forward with this project. At that time, they contacted Infinity to see if the firm would be interested in taking the lead to develop the RFP and manage the bidding process. Mark Williams, partner at the law firm of Fagen Friedman and Fulfrost (“F3”) was also engaged to ensure that all California bid laws were followed and to help negotiate the contract with Microsoft and the Microsoft Large Account Reseller (LAR). The RFP was posted on our Infinity website in late June. In late July, we received three proposals. A team consisting of CETPA executive board members, Executive Director Andrea Bennett and myself then interviewed all three vendors. Based on the proposals and final interviews, the interview team recommended to the CETPA board that Software House International (SHI) be chosen. The contract was signed in early September. Steve Carr stated, “The CETPA board is excited about announcing this new program and we hope that you will find both savings and value in this initiative. Many of our CETPA members representing their respective districts already understand the benefits of the EES licensing program. The problem was that only medium-to-large

districts were eligible based on FTE (full time equivalent) staff counts. Now with this alliance, Microsoft lowered the minimum FTE count to 25 so that most schools and districts can participate. Additionally all organizations enter into the program at Level C pricing, which represents the 10,000 FTE discount level.” Rebecca Smith at SHI stated, “SHI is appreciative for the opportunity to work with both CETPA and Microsoft on this innovative new contract that will save California’s schools a great deal of money.” Brian Bratonia, CA K20 Education State Alliance manager for Microsoft stated, “The California K12 space represents one of the largest, if not the largest, systems preparing the next generation of students to be successful members of their society. Prior to the creation of the strategic alliance between CETPA and Microsoft, a consortium purchasing program for Microsoft software did not exist for education in California. This resulted in inefficiencies in the procurement of 21st-century tools that other states have benefited from in recent years. The strategic alliance between CETPA and Microsoft will be a tremendous benefit to California schools in light of the current economic conditions. By leveraging the aggregated purchasing power of California schools, all K12 institutions will now be eligible for a price point that only a handful of California schools previously would have qualified for. Additionally, due to the rigorous nature of the RFP process which CETPA undertook in selecting SHI as the supporting reseller, California schools will be able to save management and administration time by leveraging the relationship CETPA has established with Microsoft, knowing they have secured the lowest academic pricing available for California schools. Phase I of the Strategic Alliance between Microsoft and CETPA was focused on increasing access to technology through the creation of the statewide purchasing framework. In phase II, CETPA and Microsoft will focus on working to ensure schools are leveraging best practices to become more efficient as an organization and that technology

tools within the classroom are amplifying and accelerating both professional and student learning.” See the chart below for some of the other benefits. Depending upon the success of this program, if the FTE count for all combined CETPA orders raises to 25,000+ in the first year of the program, next year the program will automatically increase to Level D pricing. A dedicated team at SHI that can help school district personnel through the entire process including understanding the Microsoft products, developing quotes, helping with the ordering process, delivering the products and keys and assisting district staff with after sale services. For program details, go to shi.com or call (800) 535-5210. The EES program also allows staff to download the programs onto their personal computer at home at no additional cost. The contract has a “piggyback” clause to make it easy for educational organizations to purchase these products. If your chief business official has questions about the procurement process, contact CETPA and they will send your CBO a copy of F3’s legal review. If you need to order different products later in the fiscal year onto your original contract, you can do so; it does not need to the same FTE as your original order. CETPA, SHI and Microsoft each have dedicated links on their websites that provide more details. SHI will provide school districts, free of charge, with reporting tools to help keep an inventory of all Microsoft products. There is no cost to join this program. SHI is a privately-held corporation and has been under current ownership since 1989. SHI has done business with California schools for many years. Since Infinity was involved in this process, we made sure that the selected LAR had extensive background in not just Microsoft products, but also with the E-rate and Microsoft voucher programs. If your educational organization has a high enough free and reduced lunch count and wants to apply for Microsoft products as an E-rate basic maintenance service, you can do so by filing your own Form

470 and then using your standard procurement process to receive maintenance services quotes. We also confirmed with the California Department of Education that districts can receive Microsoft voucher monies on the portions of the project that E-rate does not pay. For those educational organizations that don’t qualify for E-rate, all Microsoft products including these EES services are eligible for Microsoft Voucher monies. As president of Infinity, I want to publicly thank the CETPA board for taking the lead to establish this new program in the state of California. In these tough economic times, schools are looking under every rock to find cost savings for their districts and to continue to offer better services for their students, staff, and parents. This could be a huge cost savings for California schools! It was an honor and a pleasure to work on this project. If you need more information regarding this program and plan to attend the CETPA annual conference this fall in Long Beach, CETPA will be doing a seminar on this program. SHI and Microsoft will both exhibit at CETPA, so please stop by their booths for more information. As always, Infinity will be there as well to present seminars on E-rate and purchasing regulations as well as participate in the CETPA Microsoft Statewide Contract seminar. Be sure to stop by our booth to say hi! Fred Brakeman is president of Infinity Communications & Consulting, Inc., a full-service consulting firm including E-rate/ CTF and Microsoft Ed Tech K-12 consulting, technology design services, and low voltage construction management and inspection services serving approximately 20 percent of all the school districts and county offices of education in California. Infinity Communications & Consulting is located in Bakersfield, Calif. with field offices in Fresno, Hollywood and Emeryville. Fred can be reached at fbrakeman@infinitycomm.com, office phone (661) 716-1840, or via mail at P.O. Box 6069, Bakersfield, Calif. 93386. Please visit www.infinitycomm.com.

GREAT PRICING! Example A

Example B

Example C

School ABC 1,000 computers 750 faculty and staff Purchased 1,000 Microsoft Office Pro and Windows 7 Upgrade Licenses under Select

School XYZ 6,000 computers 7,000 faculty and staff Purchased under the Microsoft Select Program 6,000 licenses of Office Pro Plus and Windows 7 Upgrade

School RST 500 computers 300 faculty and staff Purchased under the Microsoft Select Program 500 licenses of Office Pro Plus and Windows 7 Upgrade

School XYZ cost.......................... $790,140.00

School RST cost............................$65,845.00

School XYZ 6,000 computers 7,000 faculty and staff Purchased under the CETPA Microsoft SHI Contract using the FTE count of 4,500 Microsoft Office Pro Plus, Windows 7 Upgrade and IT Academy

School RST 500 computers 300 faculty and staff Purchased under the CETPA Microsoft SHI Contract using the FTE count of 230 Microsoft Office Pro Plus, Windows 7 Upgrade and IT Academy

Cost for School XYZ.....................$155,187.48

Cost for School RST......................... $9,196.18

SAVINGS for School XYZ......$634,952.52

SAVINGS for School RST........$56,648.82

Cost for School ABC.................... $131,690.00 School ABC 1,000 computers 750 faculty and staff Purchased under the CETPA Microsoft SHI contract using the FTE count of 575 Microsoft Office Pro Plus, Windows 7 Upgrade and IT Academy Cost for School ABC...................... $20,991.73

SAVINGS for School ABC...... $110,698.27

CAMSA program pricing is a per year recurring cost. For a true comparison, factor in the number of years your District would keep a particular Select license.

Fall 2011 • DataBus 23

MEMBER PROFILE

DataBus Chats with Matt

By Lisa Kopochinski, DataBus Editor

Kinzie

What are your responsibilities as chief technology officer for the San Francisco Unified School District?

I am responsible for planning and developing the information technology function at San Francisco Unified School District, which serves a little over 56,000 students. I work with a team of 89 talented professionals (growing close to 100 by fiscal year end) to deliver technology to all departments, 104 school sites and 37 early education centers in the district. What drew you to the industry? What do you like about it and why?

I have been in the computer industry for 19 years. I enjoy using technology to help an organization achieve its goals. When implemented and used properly, technology can transform an organization to serve its purpose in ways never imagined before the technology was available. Early in my career, a co-worker made a comment, “Matt, I’ve never seen anyone work so hard to eliminate

work.” While not as interesting as a transformation, I reflect on that statement often. I think that is one of my driving philosophies in this profession. When did you join CETPA and why?

I joined CETPA at my first annual conference in 2004. I attended on the recommendation of colleagues all around me— my boss, peers, co-workers and even a vendor. I’ve stayed with CETPA because I am impressed by the quality and capability of its members. One of the most attractive benefits of working in K-12 technology is the freedom that enables us to share our practices with counterparts in other districts. We’re all here to advance the educational opportunities for our children, rather than competing against each other. Where does CETPA need to grow?

I’m excited about the growth of CETPA into the post-secondary education sector. However, I think we should also look at early education (preschool) and special education. The rise of the touch screen tablets (e.g. iPads) present unique opportunities to open the world of instructional technology to help preschool children become ready to learn. These same devices also replace many of the expensive special purpose assistive technology devices for special education with a single solution that is cheaper and easier to support. How is the state’s deficit affecting you?

I think we are faring a little better than most. I am fortunate to have a supportive superintendent, board and community who recognize that SFUSD’s technology has been ignored for close to seven years. They have been very supportive in helping us to find money to rebuild the technology infrastructure so we have a fighting chance to provide a 21st-century education to our students. However, there is still a lot we’re unable to accomplish due to a lack of funding. What do you like to do in your spare time?

I am the proud father of a 19-month-old daughter. I spend most of my spare time with my family helping to raise her. When the time comes that I’ve finally started catching up on sleep, I would love to get out and hike in the mountains. When she grows older, I hope hiking becomes a much more rewarding experience. 

24 DataBus • Fall 2011

Resource Guide & Advertiser’s Index COMPUTER HARDWARE

TKO Education (877) 219-6228 • www.tkoeducation.com Please see our ad on page..............................20 CONTROLLER LESS WI-FI - LESS HARDWARE MORE VALUE

Aerohive (866) 918-9918 • www.aerohive.com Please see our ad on page..............................21 ERATE/CTF CONSULTANT TECHNOLOGY DESIGN SERVICES

Infinity Communications & Consulting (661) 716-1840 • www.infinitycomm.com Please see our ad on page..............................26 FINANCIAL & HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Infinite Visions/Windsor Management Group (888) 654-3293 www.InfiniteVisions.com/CETPA Please see our ad on page................................3 Smartetools (760) 242-8890 • www.smartetools.com Please see our ad on page..............................24 FINANCIAL/HUMAN RESOURCES

Sungard Public Sector (866) 965-7732 www.sungardps.com/plus360 Please see our ad on page..............................19

Tyler Technologies (800) 431-5776 • www.tylertech.com Please see our ad on page..............................15 NETWORK SOLUTIONS & SERVERS & PC SOLUTIONS

Sehi Computer Products, Inc. (800) 346-6315 • www.sehi.com Please see our ad on page..............................10

Infinite Campus, Inc. (800) 850-2335 www.infinitecampus.com/california Please see our ad on page................................7 Pearson School Systems (877) 873-1550 www.pearsonschoolsystems.com Please see our ad on page..............................27

Decotech (800) 597-0757 • www.decotech.com Please see our ad on page................. Back Cover

Sungard Public Sector (866) 965-7732 www.sungardps.com/plus360 Please see our ad on page..............................19

NWN (800) 660-0430 • www.NWNIT.com Please see our ad on page..............................13

Tyler Technologies (800) 431-5776 • www.tylertech.com Please see our ad on page..............................15

STUDENT ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS

TURNKEY TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AND CURRICULUM INTEGRATION

SOLUTIONS PROVIDER

Pearson School Systems (877) 873-1550 www.pearsonschoolsystems.com Please see our ad on page..............................27 STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Eagle Software (888) 487-7555 • www.aeries.com Please see our ad on page................................2 Edupoint Educational Systems (800) 338-7646 • www.edupoint.com Please see our ad on page................................4

IVS Computer Technology (877) 945-3900 or (661) 831-3900 www.ivsct.net Please see our ad on page..............................25 USER ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

Advanced Toolware (888) 770-4242 • www.advtoolware.com Please see our ad on page..............................11 WEB DESIGN HOSTING

Interactive Educational Services, Inc. (661) 859-1900 • www.cyberschool.com Please see our ad on page................................9 WEBSITE & CONTENT MANAGEMENT

Schoolwires (877) 427-9413 • www.schoolwires.com Please see our ad on page..............................15 AD INDEX

Advanced Toolware..................................... 11 Aerohive...................................................... 21 Decotech.......................................Back Cover Eagle Software............................................... 2 Edupoint Educational Systems....................... 4 Infinite Campus, Inc....................................... 7 Infinite Visions/ Windsor Management Group........................ 3 Infinity Communications & Consulting........ 26 Interactive Educational Services, Inc............. 9 IVS Computer Technology........................... 25 NWN........................................................... 13 Pearson School Systems.............................. 27 Schoolwires................................................. 15 Sehi Computer Products, Inc...................... 10 Smartetools................................................. 24 Sungard Public Sector.................................. 19 TKO Electronics.......................................... 20 Tyler Technologies....................................... 15

26 DataBus • Fall 2011

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The fastest growing, most widely used web-based student information system Please visit www.PearsonSchoolSystems.com or call 877.873.1550 to learn why more schools and districts select PowerSchool over any other student information system.