IT Updates

Check

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:21:24 +0000

I am excited to announce that IT is at the ‘Starting Blocks’ with all designated systems. We are now focused on refining our existing systems and are anxious to begin researching and implementing new technology. The following includes all ‘Starting Blocks’ designated projects / systems:

1.   Student Management System
2.   Teacher Gradebook and Student/Family Access
3.   Student Fee and School Finance Management
4.   Special Education Plan Management
5.   Parent Notification Phone Dialer
6.   Phonemaster
7.   Formative Student Testing Systems
8.   Scholastic Reading Inventory
9.   Media Booking System
10.   School Catalog and Circulation Management
11.   Financial Management
12.   Bid Management
13.   Human Resource/Payroll/Insurance Management
14.   Substitute Management
15.   Insurance Premium Management
16.   Medical/Prescription Plan Enrollment and Inquiry
17.   COBRA Management
18.   Edulog/Boundary Planning/Enrollment Projection
19.   Field Trip Management
20.   Vehicle/Fleet Management
21.   Geographical Information System
22.   Jordan Professional Appraisal System
23.   Jordan Administrator Evaluation System
24.   Jordan Classified Evaluation System
25.   Nutrition Services Management
26.   Maintenance Work Order Management
27.   Meeting Room and Facilities Scheduling
28.   Facilities Assessment/Maintenance Management
29.   BoardDocs
30.   Active Directory
31.   Document Imaging
32.   Electronic Mail
33.   Help Desk Management                                                   Image Source
34.   System Management
35.   Firewall/Filter
36.   System Backup
37.   Remote Help
38.   Application Tracking
39.   Form Generator
40.   Network
41.   Security
42.   VOIP
43.   Geomax
44.   Wireless
45.   MyAccess
46.   Google Apps
47.   Citrix

Next Step

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:19:57 +0000

In previous posts, I’ve discussed where the Information Technology Department is coming from, as well as where I believe we are right now. In this post, I’d like to cover where we believe we are going.

Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, credited with the creation of the World Wide Web, once said: “Data is a precious thing and will last longer than the systems themselves.”

The Canyons School District stores countless bits of precious data pertaining to students and staff. Understanding the correlation to this information allows the District to make data-driven decisions. It allows for real-time student intervention in addition to providing us with the ability to be agile and responsive to student and employee needs. Much of this data is stored in disparate database systems with differing user interfaces, making the correlation difficult at best.

The IT Department is investigating applications and systems that will help us combine and leverage all data the District collects. They will take the form of a central data storage warehouse collecting data from the disparate systems and a business intelligence front end for reporting to all user levels in the district. We believe that this type of solution will provide a tremendous amount of value to the District despite the massive scope of work, which will require input and resources from multiple departments.

I am excited and optimistic for the future of Canyons School District. I believe that the Information Technology department will play a vital role in meeting our students, faculty, and District’s needs. My team and I are committed to enriching the learning environment by uniting excellent customer service with the successful deployment and integration of appropriate technologies.

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Hurdles

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:18:30 +0000

When I attended Hillcrest High School, one of my best friends ran 110-meter high hurdles. Each hurdle was 42-inches high and they were spaced 10 meters apart. Pete was not the fastest sprinter, but he would often win by using proper technique. Even with good technique, I saw many runners knock down hurdles and occasionally crash into them.

As we work through our first year as a school district, we are faced with many hurdles along the way. We have been able to clear many of these hurdles without a moment’s pause; however, there have been others that have tripped us up.

We faced such a hurdle at the end of the first marking period. As our teachers and staff logged into the system we quickly found that the servers and systems we had in place did not have the capacity to handle the requests being made of them. My team and I worked with Skyward throughout the weekend to double the capacity of every server, as well as tripling the number of servers dedicated to the reporting.

Unfortunately, this solution came after the fact. We tripped -- and in so doing, caused pain and frustration to our teachers and administrators. Two weeks ago was the end of the second marking period. The servers were in place, the capacity was there, and the hurdle was cleared.
I commit to you that I will do everything in my power to plan for and clear the hurdles we face. In addition, and perhaps more meaningful, I promise that when we do trip and fall, I will do my part to pick us up, dust us off, and ensure that the next time we won’t trip over the same hurdles.

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Starting Blocks

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:32:23 +0000

This time of year lends itself to reflection. As I reflect back upon the past year, I am humbled by what our team has accomplished. I am also driven to continue the work we have begun. I would like to publicly acknowledge that we have gotten to where we are by standing on the shoulders of Jordan School District. They have set the bar for what Information Technology can be in public education.

I would also like to acknowledge that we are not yet at the point that I would like us to be. When I started a year ago, I identified 47 key systems that we needed get in place. Of those systems, 11 are not yet fully in maintenance mode. We still have some work before we get to the starting blocks. However, I know we will get there.

Once at the starting blocks, we must continue to improve. We are undertaking a number of initiatives that will improve our infrastructure. We are installing a comprehensive wireless solution in all of our secondary schools. We are installing GeoMax gig connectivity in all of our elementary schools. We are also committed to spending as much time as possible in the schools getting to know their individual needs.

At this time of year, hope would seem to be one of the greatest gifts. I truly am hopeful and full of wonder at the possibilities and opportunities that face us. I wish everyone Happy Holidays and a very successful New Year!

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Welcome to CSD IT Updates

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:15:58 +0000

This is the first post in the IT Updates section of the Canyons School District website. This will be a great information resource for District staff and schools.