District Administration - October 2011 - (Page 16)

NewsUpdate Technology Transformation Sweeps Oklahoma Transparency, sTudenT daTa and modernization have been on the forefront of Oklahoma state education superintendent Janet Barresi’s mind since she began her job in January 2011. upon her arrival, Barresi saw the state’s education technology was lagging behind, to say the least. Barresi implemented a new email and phone system, which previously had messages received through snail mail and without conference -call capabilities. accessing student data for district leaders was also a challenge given the state’s outdated system. “The state had a data system that required a lot of effort but didn’t yield usable data,” says Barresi. “districts were hiring extra personnel to input it. We decided to overhaul the longitudinal data system.” Barresi’s efforts were stampeded in May when Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed a law mandating the restructuring of the state’s technology infrastructure under the authority of the state’s chief information officer, alex pettit. according to Barresi, she and pettit teamed up ogy for pettit—you can stay focused and achieve your goals.” communication with the public has also been a key issue, and the main complaint from local districts, Barresi says. although the number has since dropped, up until two years ago, 15 percent of the state’s 537 school districts did not have a Web site, according to a report by Oklahomans for responsible Government. The state is now launching a pilot program with Google apps for education in addition to other open-source programs in order to help districts save money. “The underpinning of all this is data,” says Barresi. “If you want to deliver quality services, you can’t do it without data.” The state department is coordinating its efforts with 77 local school districts through a new network to communicate how technology can assist in the classroom as the state moves toward the common core state standards. Going forward, Barresi plans on establishing a statewide coalition to discuss how technology assists education. —Marion Herbert Br iefings Oklahoma State Superintendent Janet Barresi (above) has partnered with the state’s Chief Information Officer, Alex Pettit, to update the technology at the state and local level for improved communication, transparency, and data collection. to overhaul the IT infrastructure without losing sight of the education department’s objectives. “My job is to focus on the students of the state,” says Barresi. “some had been concerned about losing control of the system that they were accustomed to, but when everyone focuses on their primary objective—students for us and technol- Tornado Recovery Efforts Almost Complete in Kansas three yeArs After tOrnADOes ripped through a high school, middle school and elementary school in the small rural community of Chapman, Kan., the school district’s restoration project, which includes a new art building, will be completed January 2012. the high school, middle school, elementary school and gym, which opened in January 2011, include hallways without glass in the ceilings and stronger doors. the middle school has a safe room below ground that is designed as a tornado shelter. On June 11, 2008, Unified school District 473, with 1,050 students, lost three schools, leaving only three smaller elementary schools on the outskirts of town. (the community’s devastation was seen around the country, and in January 2009, the popular television show extreme Makeover: home edition built a local family’s home and a safe shelter for the community.) former superintendent tony frieze did not blink, however, and said school would open as scheduled in August. “frieze had been superintendent for 12 years and had been with the district for over 30 years. he was committed to the community,” says Lacee sell, the current superintendent. to rebuild the district, funding was pooled together from the federal emergency Management Agency (feMA), insurance, and an $8.2 million bond from the town. Classrooms were held in crowded mobile units provided by feMA. the district partnered with a Midwest architecture firm, Bowman Bowman novick, for its construction. —Marion Herbert District Administration Chapman (Kan.) High School was destroyed by tornadoes in June 2008, along with the middle school and elementary school. The school reopened this year and restorations will be complete by 2012 with the completion of an art center. 16 October 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - October 2011

District Administration - October 2011
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Transportation Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Building a Blended Learning Program
How Are Science Fairs Fairing?
A New Age for Algebra
Early College High Schools
Changing of the Guard in Florida
CIO News
How Much Computing Power Do You Need?
An Unconventional Approach to 1:1
New Books
Problem/ Solution
Research Center
Product Focus
New Products
Professional Opinion
Going Mobile
Online Edge

District Administration - October 2011