New Math – How 75% = 90%, and why you should do this calculation

I have a confession to make. After 4 years of expounding the merits of the eRate program, I realized last week that my calculations were way off – well sort of.  In a recent teleconference with two new Charter School who are considering the merits of filing for Priority 2 services, the subject of discount rates came up. And my math was wrong – is yours?

The general criterion for eRate reimbursement is a measure of the free & reduced lunch population at a given school. Although this number can often be improved upon significantly, by doing household income surveys, many schools simply don’t bother.

The thinking, I presume, is that with reimbursement thresholds hovering around 90%, there is little chance of getting reimbursed for Priority 2 items – which typically include the big ticket expenditures for servers, network gear, and connectivity. Only problem is that 75% equals 90%, at least according to eRate!

Say what??? That was my reaction, too.

Yes indeed, that equation is actually correct! According to the USAC discount matrix, if 75% of your student population is economically disadvantaged (as evidenced by free and reduced lunch counts, or household surveys) then you are at a 90% discount rate!

If only my test scores in college worked on the same principal!

And consider one other interesting report. In 2010, there was no discount criteria applied to any Priority 2 services. Indeed, every school that properly filed for eRate reimbursement for FY2010-11 received that reimbursement, regardless of their discount rate.  Unconventional, yes;   possible again in this fiscally stimulated administration? Perhaps …

 Now were talking quantum physics, not just math!

So what does this have to do with your particular situation? Well, precisely nothing if you follow the normal mode of ignoring eRate reimbursement for your school.  Astonishing as this seems, that is exactly what many Charter Schools are doing – nothing.

If soomeone were to offer you a 40%-60% discount on groceries for the school cafeteria, by filing a few forms. You would surely jump at the chance. What is the logic that keeps you from doing the same for your technology expenses?

Let’s review a general list of services eligible for reimbursement:

Priority 1 Services: (always reimbursed without discount rate considerations)

•  Fiber optic internet connections
• Telephone, fax, cell phones, and other types of internet access (DSL, wireless, etc.)
• Website hosting
• Email services
• Installation and configuration of the above

Priority 2 Services: (reimbursed according to a discount rate threshold)

• Internal Connections – equipment used for transport of digital information (excluding endpoints)
• Network components – routers, firewalls, switches, decoders, hubs, etc.
• Servers – email servers or servers providing an eligible service
• Wiring – wire and cabling to connect your eligible services
• Wireless Access Points and controllers
• Basic maintenance for all the above

Both of the aforementioned schools were under the impression, that there was no point in filing for eRate – aside from the Priority 1 services that are reimbursed to all schools. It is worth noting that their perception was shaped in some measure at a state eRate training event. (And no I don’t suspect a conspiracy against charter schools.) Even more puzzling is the fact that both schools serve minority populations with normally high economic need!

 

So what have you got to lose? Well, possibly thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars. And the unfortunate reality is, due to allocations across fiscal years and other moving measures at USAC, you will ultimately only know your eligibility by filing.

 

In these difficult financial times, it seems extraordinary that reimbursement for technology services would be so inadequately managed. No doubt that eRate is a complex, time sensitive, form intensive, and deadline driven process. But that is not an acceptable excuse.

 

Perhaps a dose of good old fashioned determination is in order. One of my favorite quotes is “That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased. (Heber J. Grant) Can you really afford to not manage this opportunity?

 

But then that brings up another favorite subject – informal logic. Why go through the trouble of filing for eRate, if you can outsource it for less than the cost of the reimbursement you will receive? If you would like to have a conversation with an eRate expert, call us. And then we will refer you to an expert!

 

USAC rules prohibit service providers, which we are, from providing certain eRate functions to ensure a fair bidding process.  So I conclude with this disclaimer. The above information is intended to be general in nature and for educational purposes only. Please contact your certified (yes this is a professional designation) eRate Management Professional for information regarding your specific circumstances.

 

And you might want to do that sooner than later, the eRate filing window will close in a few short months!

 

For the official list of eligible services, go to http://www.usac.org/sl/applicants/beforeyoubegin/eligible-services-list.aspx

Tis the season to do eRate, File-a-li-la-la the forms today!

I love the Christmas season, now termed the Holiday season by those more politically correct. As a technology provider for schools, it marks the start of the annual gift giving season by the Universal Services Administrative Company for eligible technology hardware and services.

The gifts are in the form of reimbursements through the eRate program, and you might not be getting your fair share!

Like me, you may not generally favor government largesse; but  the eRate program is reasonably well run, self-funded, and designed to support the most financially disadvantaged student populations (among other institutions). Take a look at your last telephone bill – mobile or otherwise – and you will see a small fee titled Federal Universal Services Fee. That is the source of the funding – everybody pays a little.

Charter Schools, unfortunately are more likely to receive a proverbial “lump of coal” in their Christmas – woops – Holiday stockings, than traditional school's. The reason is simple, it takes a level of expertise and a significant investment of time to wade through the myriad of forms, compliances, and dates associated with the program. Many Charter Schools simply don’t have the resources to successfully do this.

What a shame!

In a nutshell, there are two broad categories of reimbursements you can receive; they are labeled in the eRate program as Priority 1 eligible services and Priority 2 eligible services. Priority 1 services consist primarily of Internet, Telephone, Email, and Website Hosting Services. Priority 2 services consist of hardware components and services used within you’re your building to connect, route, secure, and deliver technology to end users.
 
These expenses are reimbursed at a rate roughly equivalent to your free and reduced lunch count percentages. Priority 1 services are always eligible for reimbursement; Priority 2 services have discount level thresholds, technology plans, and additional requirements.

What is the easiest way to participate in this annual gift giving? It might not be as difficult as you would think.

Here are a few  things you can do to improve your chances of having a Happier eRate Holiday:

1. Identify state eRate consortiums and join them

Check with your state office of education to see if there is an eRate Consortium. If one exists, they will often handle your Priority 1 items.  In fact some states will give you a steal of a deal on broadband AND help you file the eRate forms to boot.
Give yourself plenty of time. These organizations can be quite bureaucratic and move at a snails pace, but the value proposition can be excellent.

2. Verify that your telecom provider has an eRate department

If your state does not offer broadband, your telephone company should have the resource to help you file for your eRate reimbursement. In fact, you might even find a provider that will only bill you for the unreimbursed costs of your telephone, internet, and fax lines. It is common to bundle internet service with your telephone, especially in rural areas.

Be careful, you still must comply with the eRate program for both priorities and you can easily run afoul of the rules when your telecom sales representative gets involved.

3. Don’t forget your email and webhosting costs

While normally not significant, email services and web hosting costs are always eligible for eRate reimbursement, regardless of your discount rate. If you are settling for a third rate website and the crappy email system that comes attached to it, do yourself a huge favor, upgrade your email and website system and get reimbursed for doing so. It makes the cost very reasonable, and you will likely get huge productivity improvements to boot!

4. Outsource the entire eRate filing process to a professional

The adage of “Penny wise, pound foolish” is my favorite description of those who elect not to choose door #4. In the decade of my involvement with Charter Schools, I have seen very large sums of money lost because school administrators thought they could do this on their own.

Freestanding and independent Charter Schools lack the economy of scale to compete on the eRate playing field. Traditional school districts often have full time staffers just for this purpose.
 
The most common mistake is to presume an incorrect discount rate (there are ways to improve it significantly rather than just counting free and reduced lunch percentages), then buy the prevailing wisdom that you do not qualify for the big ticket Priority 2 items. And the results are both predictable and deplorable. All it takes is a cursory search on the USAC website to demonstrate how poorly most charter schools fare in receiving Priority 2 reimbursements.

Did you know that in in 2010, every school at every discount rate received their Priority 2 funding!  There are multi-year adjustments to the funding pool, and even the most seasoned eRate professionals don’t really know where the exact cutoff will fall for Priority 2 funding.

Don't listen to the naysayers that Priority 2 funding is impossible to acheive. It's bad advice!

Summary

When you are faced with critical tasks that require a high degree of specialization, but for only small projects or periods of time, it is usually best to outsource the task. This is exactly our position about the design and engineering aspect of your technology infrastructure.  Likewise, eRate is a highly specialized process, which trained professionals can manage in a fraction of the time you would spend.

Don’t brush this matter off for another year! Locate an eRate consultant, one who is a Certified eRate Management Professional, and invest in their services. You do it for special ed, technology, finance, and many other tasks – why not for eRate.

‘Tis the season to do eRate, and have a much happier holiday… or Merry Christmas, as the case may be by getting your share of the eRate gift giving.  

The Taming of the Inbox

I had a brief, yet celebrative moment yesterday; I zeroed out my inbox! Yes, for one fleeting and shining moment it was empty.

It’s a little disconcerting that by Monday morning, it will be regenerating, but such is life for the vast majority of us who are connected. Don’t lose hope, you can manage your inbox, but it takes a little effort. And there are huge benefits! Just that small, albeit temporary, victory is just one.

A recent study by the McKinsey Global Institute found that the average knowledge worker spends 28 percent of the workweek either writing, reading, or responding to email.  While you may not be technically classified a “knowledge worker” there is likely a high correlation to being an “imparting knowledge worker”; as in a teacher or administrator at a Charter School.

My favorite Charter School Administrator recently confessed to having something like 4,000 messages in her inbox. That’s a lot! Can you beat that record?

There are hundreds of excellent articles about this subject, so let’s approach it from an Information Architecture perspective. Like my father always said, “If you start with the right set of tools, the job is much easier”. Consider a couple of tools that should assist you in taming your inbox.

Start with an enterprise class mail system

The single most important step you can take to tame your inbox is to start using a real email solution. My recommendation for education has not changed in 10 years – Microsoft Exchange based email is the gold standard of email systems. It is now available as a free service from Microsoft as a Cloud Based (hosted service) and is called Office 365 for Education.

Hosted Exchange Email is the infrastructure an organization’s email runs on, the manner in which you connect to a hosted Exchange system is entirely up to you. You can use an internet browser, a desktop or laptop client such as Outlook (Mac or PC), an iOS device such as an iPad or iPhone, or any smart phone, or tablet.

Aside from Google mail, the alternatives are not even a close second. And privacy issues alone make me shudder in using Google mail, yes even the enterprise version of Google mail. Just because you are not getting advertising, does not mean your email is not being crawled for content.

I am especially puzzled when I come across schools that are using the “free” email that is included in their webhosting account. What an oxymoron that is! There is nothing free about dealing with the SPAM, the loss of messaging control, and the wide variety of compliance issues that accompany this choice of email systems.

A hosted Exchange email system is reliable, secure, compliant, feature rich, and it’s free. What are you waiting for?

Use Instant Messaging more for short or transitory conversations

Text messaging is quickly overcoming email as the mode of communicating in the digital world, but using it in education presents unique challenges. It is a little difficult to enforce a “sterile” learning environment, free from the disruptions of personal electronic devices (PED) if the teacher is constantly checking her own text messages on a PED in the classroom. 

A much better classroom solution is Lync 2010, another free education solution from Microsoft that is far superior to text messaging than what you find on your PED. Lync 2010 provides Instant Messaging (IM) on the desktop, your laptop, and your smartphone and there is a presence indicator for all of your communication. Don’t underestimate the importance of knowing the presence or availability of your intended recipient.

In addition to IM, Lync allows you to turn your texting into a full on video conference with just a click of the mouse. And you can connect with multiple individuals at the same time. And on top of all of that, you can share documents, transfer files, and even show others what you are viewing on your desktop.

In summary, by using Lync more and email less, you will reduce the endless stream of one liner emails that land in your inbox.

Implement a connected eRM/CRM system

The best improvement I have personally implemented in my inbox taming is Microsoft Dynamics CRM; we call it Education Resource Management or eRM for Charter Schools. I can sum up my experience in four short words – “Feel Free to Delete!”

Using eRM/CRM, allows you to associate an email with a contact, a company, a support case, a contract, an order, a meeting, a telephone call, or a dozen other items, and then DELETE it. The email is retained in the eRM/CRM system and you can now refer to it in context of the information it is associated with.

The most likely reason you keep all of those silly emails in the first place is just in case you might need to refer to it later. Fair enough; but while the search function in your email program is powerful, the association of emails with the people, processes, and things in your world is much more useful.

Not ready for an eRM/CRM system? A well thought out system of folders in your email system will be very helpful.

Utilize SharePoint for document collaboration

Ever notice how many emails can be generated over just one document? You send a document for input from an associate; they make a few changes, and then send it back. Next you send it off for approval, there are a few more changes and the document comes back. And finally you send it off for publication or printing and there are the confirmations and drafts and … well, you get the picture.

One of the most inbox clogging activities we observe is using email as a document collaboration platform. As the complexity and the connectedness of your organization grow, the multiplication effect is an inbox assault. At some point you may just have to call a meeting and sit down with all of those documents and team members to sort it out.

SharePoint changes the dynamics associated with collaborative effort and it will bring great happiness to your inbox. And if you have looked at SharePoint and find it a bit clunky, then you really have not looked closely enough.

If you use the synchronization tools in SharePoint and the network mapping tools in Windows that support SharePoint, you will find that getting a document onto your SharePoint document library is a simple as dragging and dropping or saving to a designated folder on your computer.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention – it’s also free and included in Office 365 for Education.

Summary

There are countless articles, even entire websites devoted to the techniques of managing email. And some of them are excellent. However, designing an efficient Information system will have more overall impact on your inbox than techniques.

Start with an enterprise level (not a consumer grade) email system. Embrace an IM or text messaging system that is integrated in your organization. Connect your email with the people, processes, and things you deal with inside a business management system. And use SharePoint for document collaboration, sharing, and versioning.

Good luck mastering your inbox; it makes for a much more enjoyable weekend.

What to do now that you have been approved

Congratulations on the state approving your new charter school. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and relax. OK, time to get back to work!

No doubt the application was challenging, and by now you have a board and a few eager volunteers to help, let’s take a look at the specific things you should do with respect to technology in order to be ready for opening day.

This is only from the perspective of technology, other things will certainly be required; but there are four key waypoints you should consider during the next year or so.

• Build your communication infrastructure as quickly as possible
• Create your Technology Plan and participate fully in the eRate process
• Ensure your critical network components get included in the construction/remodel
• Install your hardware and software  30-45 days prior to opening

Communication Infrastructure

Think of your new school as a product launch. How quickly you put systems into place that will help you market, build your brand, recruit students, engage the community, and establish management systems will in large measure affect opening day. And while that may seem a long way off, it will happen very quickly.

With the world’s finest set of collaboration tools available and free to any academic organization, your first stop should be at the Microsoft Office 365 website to sign up for a free trial. This cloud based suite of solutions will provide the foundation of a technology infrastructure which will serve you well during this critical start-up phase; and it will continue as the core communications infrastructure for years to come.

Included in the Office 365 offering is:

• Exchange based, SPAM free, secure, and compliant email that works on any device
• Lync 2010 unified communications client, with  live meeting, chat, and file sharing
• SharePoint  for document storage, collaboration, and access control

You’ll also need to decide upon a Charter School Management System, or outsource the business office functions. We believe keeping things in house is the best solution. See our post about Education Resource Management Software( eRM) powered by Microsoft Dynamic CRM.

Technology Plan (for Erate)

You’ve probably written enough plans to last a lifetime during the application process, but it’s time to review that technology plan one more time. It will probably need to be fine-tuned in order to pass the state Erate Plan approver. In a perfect world your application plan, eRate plan, and real life (what you will actually do) plan would be the same, but if they truly are, that would be the exception rather than the rule.

An important aspect of the eRate process is determining your discount rate.  Calculating your discount rate for the first year is a little tricky, since you have no financial measures of your student population.  Normally you measure free and reduced lunch percentages to calculate the eRate discount; and ultimately you should conduct a family survey to determine more accurately your actual discount rate. This will be especially important if you are close to reaching the priority two funding levels, which is the level at which you obtain the most significant reimbursements for eligible technology purchases.

You would be well advised to get some professional help with eRate because the dollars at stake are very significant. We know of one school that incorrectly calculated their discount rate and missed out on getting reimbursed for several hundred thousand dollars of eligible equipment. Ouch …. don’t do that.

One final eRate reminder, work on the front side of the eligible time periods for filing. Don’t even think about waiting until the deadlines loom large. Invariably you will miss something and the deadline will come…. and go, along with your opportunity.

Network Components

Ask any network cable installer about the ideal time to install cabling and they will universally agree that it is before you finish out the walls and ceilings. Waiting until the drywall is in and ceilings are hung will increase your cabling expenses significantly. And it increases the likelihood of damaged or improperly routed cables as well.

Having said that, don’t be too ambitious about the rest of the gear. Patch panels, maybe – but definitely not switches, routers, servers, or access points. Those all come in after finish out and several cleanings. Drywall dust is very destructive to electronics, so be sure to do a thorough cleaning of your server room before installing routers, switches, and servers.

If all of your hardware and software is on premise, you can easily wait until the month prior to opening to install this equipment. Please note that waiting to install the equipment is NOT the same thing as waiting to acquire it. While waiting a little may save a few dollars, waiting too long will ensure you are not ready for opening day.

Final Systems Installation

As you count down the month before opening, there will be plenty of tasks to accomplish. Desktops, laptops, and multipoint lab systems should be installed and tested. Wireless access points will be attached and configured. And the server room will come to life with servers, switches, and a good quality firewall.

See articles about managing desktops, UTM devices, Windows Multipoint, and other items not mentioned here for this final step.

Summary

The common, almost predictable experience we have observed in opening schools, is to wait until the building occupancy permit is issued to begin technology implementation. Don't do that! It will create a very shaky foundation for your information systems because you will be rushed, stressed, and making decisions under a great deal of pressure.

We speak of planning as though it only requires thought and conversation, it also requires a significant amount of time. Do yourself a huge favor and start the process early... as in yesterday!

Sidebar

One of the tremendous advantages of the cloud is the capacity to build infrastructure off premise and then connect it to the physical facilities when the time comes. This is a sound strategy in launching your new school.

By building your key infrastructure in the cloud (hosted solutions), you will not only have advanced communication abilities during the critical planning year; but, once you are comfortably housed in your new facilities, you will be using a familiar set of tools and features.

Working across town or across the country today might be necessary to get up and running, but across the hall later on will be necessary to operate smoothly and efficiently. And you may ultimately, as many have, decide that leaving your infrastructure in the cloud is a sound strategy.

Congratulations on your approval, feel free to call if you have questions.

How To Completely Undo Your IT Management

Truly this is not an article on how to dismantle the technical support mechanism at your school. It is however, a recounting of actual experiences – some of them unpleasant – that you should avoid; that is if you wish to have a better technical management support mechanism in place.

Although it is less painful to consider other’s mistakes, making them yourself has a silver lining. Your mistakes can always be used to point out a bad example, which can be instructive …. to others.

 Here are five of the most common self-defeating behaviors we have seen while managing charter schools:

1.       Paying for advice, then completely ignoring it
2.       Allowing everyone to develop their own agenda
3.       Making significant technology related expenses without involving IT
4.       Expecting short turnaround times for complex projects
5.       Assuming IT management grasps the political and leadership challenges in your school

Paying an expert for advice, then completely ignoring it

Several years ago a generous benefactor came to the religious community where we rented facilities for a small K-4 charter school. He had a terminal condition and was offering a generous gift of money to buy computers for both the school and the religious community (they had educational activities during the week).  I was asked to advise them about the best use of this generosity.

After considering the budget, the stated educational objectives, the current infrastructure, and the cost of managing the resources going forward; we proposed a solution to buy 20 laptop PC’s.   They would integrate seamlessly into the existing infrastructure at the school and add to the collection of PC’s currently used to form a full computer lab.

Unfortunately, at the same meeting, was an individual who had much greater influence with the kindly old gentleman, who was an unflinching MAC user; who, without any of the above mentioned considerations, persuaded the benefactor in the direction of using Apple Macs instead.

Please don’t misunderstand, I liked the MAC’s just fine, but given all of the other considerations it was not a good choice. Three months later I was asked to purchase software for the school/congregation to turn these perfectly good MAC’s into PC’s so they could be used with the existing systems and processes the rests of the school was using.

Presumably you have a relationship with a trusted technology consultant as part of your IT management. If that is not the case, you might consider making some changes. And when you seek advice, carefully consider completely ignoring it.

Allowing everyone to develop their own agenda

Want to stimulate creativity by engaging all levels of your staff in a brainstorming exercise of new ideas? Watch out! If you do this without a mechanism to vet those ideas, debate those ideas, and build consensus around the winning ideas you might be causing more damage than good. Trying to herd cats seems a helpful illustration of this concept, which has at its root great potential, but undirected creates chaos, division, power struggles, and politics.

We welcome creativity, the introduction of new ideas, insight into new discoveries, and the development of improved technology. We applaud all those who keep striving to do things better.

However, when those expressions of creativity become individual agendas, it can be detrimental to the organization as a whole – unless there is consensus building, implementation planning, and adequate training.

Several years ago an ambitious technology teacher determined that interactive white boards were an essential part of the classroom experience. And she was quite persuasive. The school purchased and installed the technology at great expense. The perfectly functioning whiteboards were rarely used by even the supporters of the technology and never used by those who did not want it in the first place.

When lesson plans and teaching styles have to be adapted to adopt a new technology, the failure rate rises in proportion to the change required. And without significant buy-in, a top down implementation, and significant training these kinds of projects will fail.

If you cannot manage the process of building consensus and properly implementing a project, then at least do it in a pilot program where the technology can be proved, and likely improved upon, without breaking the bank.

Making significant technology related purchases without input from IT

So common is this scenario that you only have to say these two words “Surprise, Surprise!”, and most technicians immediately know they have been handed a poorly specified, often incompatible, or otherwise problematic new piece of hardware or software to install.

“And could you have it installed yesterday?”

Not long ago we reviewed the USAC Form 471 for a small K-4 charter school that had been approved for over $25,000 of servers, switches, wireless controllers, and access points. While the expected reimbursement was exciting and gratifying, the components specified were not appropriate for the size and makeup of the schools infrastructure. It was the equivalent of putting Boeing 777 engines on a Piper Cub.

Granted, there are times when purchasing decisions cannot wait. And perfect scenarios don’t exists in every school where decisions are adequately considered and due diligence provided. And in a large view, this is a process of continual improvement.

Nevertheless, do yourself a huge favor and run technology purchasing past your IT team and avoid the headaches for both of you. There are two benefits in doing this. First, you will have a much greater chance of getting the right equipment and you may also spend less for the solution.

And this is especially germane to new construction or remodeling projects. Finding that you need a dozen new CAT6 network cables installed is exponentially more difficult after that final coat of paint has been applied.

Expecting short turnaround times for complex projects

Whenever I hear the preface of “How soon can you…” I wonder if adequate consideration has been given to a project or purchase. It’s understandable, logistics now make PC’s appear overnight and you can have an entire computer lab sitting in boxes ready for installation in a few days.

But that does not always happen. We recently placed an order for new lab equipment and were given a 10 day delivery notice. Three weeks later part one of two arrived and it was a full month before the final components were delivered.  It was embarrassing for us and understandably frustrating for the school waiting for the project to be completed.

From a cost perspective, rushing a project universally equates to added costs. And inadequate planning is the most common reason for projects to go awry.

Investigate early, specify clearly, and communicate regularly with your provider about order processing, shipping points, tracking numbers, and any known shipping delays.

Assuming IT grasps the political and leadership challenges of your school

Our management model and the model used by many charter schools are to utilize part-time support resources. In fact our most efficient model places support engineers in the school only a few times each week. And presumably that time is spent solving complex technical issues, rather than circumnavigating power struggles, personality clashes, and addressing individual agendas.

In large measure these are the realities of any organization, so one of the most powerful tools we have used to overcome these very normal challenges is to hold periodic (monthly at least) Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings.

TAC meetings are an invaluable source of information for all involved. Problems can be better identified, the merits of proposed projects can be openly debated, and consensus can be built. A well formed TAC will consist of Technology Managers, Administrators, Department Heads, and representatives of other significant stakeholders. Parent and BOD representatives are especially helpful in this exchange and often provide invaluable “end user” insight.

Summary

Placing your technology team into the appropriate organizational level is an important first step in improving your IT management. Consider that most fortune 500 companies now have Chief Information Officers as part of the highest levels of their management team.

Information systems drive so much school activity and management process that you cannot afford to view IT as the guys who fix computers. And tolerating inadequate IT support staff is very costly. If you don't have the level of expertise you need, get it.

For concrete ways to do this, consider making improvements in the five areas listed above. A helpful moniker is “Just do it!”,… not “Let’s undo it”.

Data Management Plan

Sometimes the most basic concepts can really trip you up. That happened last week when a new school was asked to come up with a Data Management Plan for a grant application.

They reached out to us for insight, and here is our take on the subject. If you are struggling to describe a way to corral those wild 1's and zealous 0's, perhaps this will help. Please feedback your insight and suggestions.

Definitions

Data: digital information in any format utilized by a school for the management of people, processes, and things (resources) associated in any capacity with the school.

Management: awareness, oversight, and control of the aforementioned data.

 

Overview

Data management planning addresses three core components:

1. Ownership and oversight: Managing both the data and the resources that control information systems;
2. Data Security and compliance: Protecting  privacy, controlling access, and securing resources from within and without;
3. Data retention, archiving, backup and disaster recovery planning: Assuring data access in any circumstance for the timeframes specified by law and by policy.

These three core components are intentionally broad to address the wide variety of choice associated with implementing information systems which house, transport, and protect data. However, there are basic standards driven by industry, law, and state education agency guidelines that should be considered standard practice, as individual school boards implement policy.

The purpose of this document is to set forth broad concepts associated with Data Management Planning for Charter Schools and to provide a basic checklist to identify weakness.

Ownership and Oversight

Schools should have direct ownership or contractually delegated control of all resources which are used to store, route, and distribute data. Common examples of these resources are domain names, web hosting accounts, email systems, and hosted applications that store data in the cloud.

The seemingly small matter of legal ownership can cause enormous challenges if mismanaged. It is very common for well-intended parents, volunteers, or even board members to have control of these resources.  However, it can be very difficult to regain control of these resources if problems arise or relationships sour.

Imagine the damage a disgruntled former staff member or parent could inflict if they own your domain name, website hosting account, email system, or other hosted application. Don’t laugh, we have seen it happen.

Checklist:

• Do a simple ”who is” query on the internet and determine who is the registrant of your school's domain name. Is that individual or company still associated with your school? And do you have long-term confidence in that relationship? Is the address and contact information current?
• Determine who hosts your school website. Who owns the hosting account, who has access to control the web server (usually a control panel)? This is not the same as access to the website itself.
• Evaluate the email accounts used to communicate with students, parents, and the community. If your teaching staff is using Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, or other consumer based email system you have no control over the contents of those systems. In any kind of Open Records query or legal discovery, you will be unable to search messages without the express permission of the owner of that email account. This could be both embarrassing and costly.
• Review any hosted (Cloud) applications such as a backups, management systems (eRM or IEP), or desktop management systems. Do you have ownership of those accounts and termination processes when managed by a service provider?
• Determine who owns your social media accounts. If it is not you or someone in your organization, takes steps now to gain control of those accounts.

Data Security and Compliance

Fundamental to managing data is controlling access to that data in order to comply with privacy laws, ensure integrity in the education process, protect students and staff from data breaches, restrict sensitive or confidential information to authorized users, and provide safeguards for financial transactions. Infrastructure choices will impact these objectives and should be considered well in advance of any solution implemented.

Many of these challenges can be avoided by using the built in security and access controls provided in a  Microsoft Active Directory based network. But primary schools may find this security model too complicated. Other solutions may need to be considered.

Email systems should have central administrative capacity as well as the ability to do Open Records requests or legal discovery searches. These systems also need to be capable of addressing the wide range of employee changes without difficulty. Confidential email messages need to be archived and retained for the appropriate periods of time, and email destined for former staff needs to be redirected to an administrative user or replacement email account.

Computers and users need to have several layers of security protection starting at the perimeter and ending on the device in order to protect the data sets being accessed. This starts with a CIPA compliant firewall and is enhanced with added layers of protection through security updates or patches and anti-malware services (virus, spyware, malware protection).

Checklist:

• Review the age and feature set of your firewall, new generation firewalls (termed Unified Threat Management devices) provide a wide range of security services that directly impact data management. One of the foundation services is Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) compliance, which is a basic  component of eRate funding eligibility.
• Review your device based security services (Virus and Malware protection) and consider enforcing security compliance as a condition of internet access. This is a simple process with new generation UTM devices (firewalls).
• Consider implementing Active Directory services into your network environment if you are not doing so already. Couple this with group policies and automatic security patch updates.
• Avoid using personal email for school business, this not only dilutes your brand, but could be very embarrassing in the event of an Open Records Act inquiry or legal proceding.

Data Archiving, Retention, and Disaster Recovery Planning

The most frequent data management deficiency is the lack of planning for the retention of data and the lack of testing backup systems for the recovery of data and associated information systems in the event of a disaster. Typically, retention planning never happens and eventually, hardware failures always occur. Both deficiencies are an important subject for consideration in a data management plan.

Data retention requirements vary by subject matter and user class, each data set should be identified and described in terms of the following four criteria:

1. File format – the format type used to store the data (Word, Excel, pdf, database, image, etc.);
2. Archive length – the time required to retain data;
3. Storage location – the physical location of the stored data;
4. Access control – the security and user permissions associated with the data.

In a well managed environment, data is centrally managed, automatically backed up, and secured with a reasonable level of password protection and/or encryption. Far too often, we see data scattered across a wide variety of staff resources, poorly structured, improperly secured, and inadequately backed up.

The tasks of data archiving, retention, backup, and disaster recovery planning are really connected components of a well structured data management plan. The simplest and most effective way to address these tasks is to view them as a continuum, or a data life cycle – data is created, stored, then deleted at appropriate times, with appropriate security measures during each phase.

Checklist:

• Take inventory of data associated with your school and describe each data set by the above criteria.
•  Seriously question any tape backup systems that are not managed by a highly competent and trained network engineer – 80% of all tape back-up systems fail during recovery.
• Take advantage of the data retention features found in information systems you use. For example, there is no better email archiving, backup, and security solution than Microsoft Exchange Server – the program used to create the email system. Even better is when the Exchange environment is hosted offsite in Tier 3 data centers hosted by Microsoft.
• Consider a single system to manage this process to the extent possible, it will simplify your planning an  execution.
• Test, test, test – always do a full disaster recovery test to validate your plans and document your processes.

Summary

Data management planning need not be an overwhelming project. Rather it should be the logical conclusion to well-designed information systems. When implementing any technology solution, always consider it in light of your data management requirements. Be sure the system compliments your plan, but does not complicate it.

Keep legal and logical control of your data resources, ensure data is secure from all types of threats, and establish clear policies for data lifecycles – including the destruction of data when appropriate.

Contact us if you need assistance drafting a data management plan specific to your school, which may be required for your initial charter application or a grant.

Technology Management or Technical Support – there is a difference

In a perfect world, you would have a Chief Information Officer to help guide your school through the ocean of technology choices, and there are plenty. Desktops or Laptops, on-premise infrastructure or hosted, PC's or Macs (or a combination), and the list goes on. Decisions are heavily influenced by the premises you occupy, existing networking infrastructure, and the demographics of your student population. And of course there is the reality of your budget, your e-Rate eligibility, and the disposition of your board.

All of these decisions directly impact the form and function of your school and they should not be taken lightly. But are you the best qualified to make those decisions? And if not who is?

As it turns out, it might be your IT support company or not, it all depends…

Back at the turn of the last century (like early 1900's), my grandfather earned the nickname of Ray "Henry Ford" Hall, because of his ability to repair the early models of cars being then produced by the Ford Motor Company. Actually, he could fix just about anything. Apparently I inherited his insatiable desire to understand how things work and to a lesser extent how to fix things. At an early age, I was dismantling toasters, bicycles, radios, and just about any mechanical device that I could get my hands on. Like my grandfather, I could fix just about anything that was broken.

 
Fast forward 100 years, and consider the corollary in the world of technical support.

 
Entrance into the world of computer repair is wide open and similar to the mechanics of last century. Some of the cleverest technicians I have worked with have no post-secondary education, few certifications, and few credentials. Yet they can resolve computer issues with blazing speed and uncanny thoroughness. You may even have a few of them on staff.

That talent, as important as it is, has precious little to do with making sound technology management decisions. To prove my point, consider the evolution of the Chief Information Officer position. CIO's are becoming key executives at a growing number of companies. The increase in productivity generated by automation and information systems is driving significant profits to the bottom line. That lesson should not be lost in the translation from business to education. Every Charter School needs access to the guidance of a CIO.

I could easily make the case for financial reasons alone, having witnessed hundreds of thousands of dollars lost to poor decision making and execution of technology projects. But money aside, the weightier matter is the education of our children. Every moment a teacher is interrupted by a technical challenge or prevented from accessing a source of information or is required to spend time doing repetitive mindless administrative tasks, is a moment they are not educating my children and yours. And that is a real problem!

So have I convinced you to run out and hire a Chief Information Officer for your school? Good luck, the board will probably send you for a drug test! Seriously, how do you obtain the services of a CIO, when the going salary for a competent network engineer is 150% of your highest paid administrator! It's not a sustainable proposition.

 
The solution is simple and many of you are using the model already, just for different things. For example how many of you contract for special education services, school lunch programs, or financial management? Those are crucial programs that have wide adoption in the charter school community. So why not technology managers? I submit that it boils down to two reasons, money and expectations. In the above examples there are specific funds designated for such services and they pay for themselves. But expectations for technology management simply don't exist. IT staff fix computers; business managers, principals, board members, or PTO presidents make technology infrastructure decisions. Not true? I beg you to be candid about your own organization and what or who drives these policy decisions.

In a meeting with a school administrator, not long ago, I was shocked to hear her state that the only criterion for hiring technical support personnel was cost. "I will go with the lowest cost provider" she proudly stated. Upon digging a little further, I discovered she had hired her nephew instead and her comments were probably more for the financial manager sitting in the next room than for me. I have also observed principals being cajoled by the technology teachers into implementing wholesale changes in the computer lab, only to have that teacher leave the school within the year. I have observed software purchase decisions costing thousands of more dollars because of a lack of Academic licensing experience, and the list goes on.

The very best schools we operate were purpose built from the ground up and continue to have reliable, affordable, and relevant information systems. We submit that is because we have significant experience managing Charter School technology. We have also observed complete chaos at schools where technology decisions were made by well-intentioned principals who simply had no business making these kinds of decisions.

 
When searching for a Technology Manager, you should minimally have on your list of requirements experience, focus, and reputation. You need to work with someone with experience not only in educational technology, but Charter School educational technology specifically. Ensure that your management team has a clear focus on education and that you are not just one of a dozen different types of businesses they serve, and finally check the reputation of your candidates. Most of the time you find long term relationships exist with technology managers and the schools they serve; ideally they might well serve on the board.

Do your homework, be cautious about using well-meaning internal resources that have only basic skills, and check references of past and present customers. And finally, be sure you are working with a service provider who understands e-Rate, the federal reimbursement mechanism. Your technology costs can be dramatically lowered by structuring resources to maximize e-Rate reimbursement.
    

 

 

Why you need an e-Rate consultant (and why it cannot be me)

Imagine receiving a coupon in the mail that was redeemable at any grocery store which offered you 70% off of all bread, milk, eggs and meat. Eligibility for the coupon was conditioned upon stating your house had a refrigerator to store the items and completing a few forms before your first shopping spree. In these resource constrained times, few of you would pass up such an opportunity!

Now imagine driving to the store intending to use your coupon to find that only bread and milk were available to you, because of your income. Imagine further that it would take you several hours if not days, to complete the forms required to redeem your coupon, and that the store providing the groceries was prohibited from talking to you about how the coupon worked or how to use it. Additionally, imagine being scheduled for training meetings to learn how to complete the forms which have very time sensitive windows for completion and a long list of approved uses for the discounted groceries. And finally imagine being required to plan your menu 3 – 5 years in advance for your most costly groceries, which of course had to be approved by a complete stranger.

Your coupon suddenly becomes not quite so appealing.  Yet giving up a 70% discount (or more) on items you use every day is very appealing, and for some, quite necessary! What do you do?

This is the “stranger than a reality show” world of e-Rate at a large majority of Charter Schools. Does this sound familiar? Here is the corollary:

• E-Rate is the coupon, USAC controls who gets them, and the relative prosperity of your student’s families is part of your eligibility
• CIPA (Child Internet Protection Act) compliance is your refrigerator, which you must have to even be considered for eligibility
• Your technology service provider is the grocery store who is prohibited from assisting you in obtaining your coupon
• The groceries for which you seek the coupon are your telephone, internet, email, website, and related technology equipment bills

So how do traditional school districts do this? It usually boils down to economy of scale (which most Charter Schools don’t have). Traditional districts are sufficiently large and the funds so significant, that they can afford to hire full-time e-Rate staffers.  Such is not the case with most freestanding Charter Schools.

Is it any wonder that the Charter School Community has difficulty obtaining their fair share of e-Rate funding? With few exceptions what I observe is a complete disaster; in one case the financial losses exceeded one hundred thousand dollars (yes that is six figures worth) in a single school year. And this even happened at a school where financial management was outsourced by supposed professionals, which is truly perplexing.

Here are the most common mistakes I observe regarding e-Rate:

• Attempting to do this without a significant investment in training and time. This is not a good second duty for a principal or math teacher.
• Assuming you are ineligible for reimbursement. Certain expenses are always eligible for reimbursement, regardless of your free and reduced lunch count.
• Failing to utilize a family survey to get a more accurate e-Rate discount. This is especially important where “free lunches” run counter to social norms..
• Structuring technology resources in manner that is ineligible for reimbursement or incorrectly classifying the expenses as priority two.
• Believing (erroneously) that the money is too insignificant to justify the effort 

For most charter schools, this is simply not a task that you should attempt on your own, unless you belong to a consortium of schools that can afford a full-time professional. If you doubt my advice, all that is needed to prove my point is a simple search at the official USAC website which maintains a complete database of e-Rate reimbursement. For example, in the State of Utah in FY 2010 fewer than a dozen charter schools received any e-Rate reimbursement that was not filed by an e-Rate professional.

In states that have a large population of freestanding Charter Schools, an e-Rate consortium is an excellent idea. It essentially brings the economies of scale to individual Charter Schools by filing e-Rate as a group. However, this requires a high degree of co-operation and may provide fewer benefits for some within the consortium than others. Getting independent and highly individualistic charter schools to co-operate seems to be a challenge.

For these reasons, we strongly encourage the use of e-Rate professionals, but it is important to do your homework when selecting an e-Rate professional. There are no formal credentials in the world of e-Rate consultants, although the e-Rate Management Professionals Association is attempting to change that. In our experience, fees range widely, as do the personal interaction with your staff. Some companies provide a mostly web-based do-it-yourself interface; others have a very personal and accountable approach. Our recommendation is Kellogg & Sovereign, LLC located in Ada, Oklahoma.

Now for the “not me” part of this article. By statute, technology service providers are restricted in many aspects of the e-Rate process, especially in the pre-bid time frame. This is to prevent undue influence and fraud associated with contracting procedures, and rightly so. E-Rate fraud has been problematic in the past, which is inexcusable, but understandable as the amount of money involved is significant.

So what’s the bottom line? Decide now to get some professional assistance for your e-Rate process. We are well into the FY 2012-13 e-Rate program year. In the worst case scenario you will be dollars ahead for telephone, fax, email, and web hosting costs each month; and in the best case scenario you will receive a huge discount on those expensive technology upgrades every few years.

In these resource constrained times, you simply cannot continue to ignore this important funding mechanism.