Areas of Emphasis
Connected to the Future Ready Framework
The following section links current successes (see executive summary) and identified areas of emphasis to the Future Ready Framework. The identified areas of emphasis are categorized as either 1) Areas of Acceleration or 2) Areas of Improvement. Each Future Ready connected gear will include both categories of emphasis. The "acceleration" areas of emphasis, which are considered big wins, successes, and major milestones of the Kentucky Education Technology System are identified for continuation work. The areas of improvement identified below address emerging areas based upon growth or decline metrics, research, needs assessments, and reporting by Kentucky school districts. The areas of emphasis established through a strategic planning process are intended to highlight the groundbreaking progress made over KETS program history and continue placing major emphasis on this work as a primary goal. Additionally, this will help prevent duplicate initiatives, which create confusion and lost time, while simultaneously focusing energy on areas of improvement in order to get better. These areas will focus efforts during the life of this Master Plan to continue the delivery of quality, opportunity and access to students and staff. Identification of area types are represented by the following symbols:
| 
|
| (Big Wins, Successes & Continuation) | (for this Master Plan) |
 | Robust Infrastructure & EcosystemFuture Ready Gear KETS GUIDING PRINCIPLE – A robust infrastructure is one that delivers the device, network and support needs of staff and students to create personalized learning environments using digital tools and resources. |
 | Continue to provide nation's first, fastest, highest quality, and most reliable Internet access to 100% of Kentucky's public schools |
| | Continue to ensure equity and standardization for delivery of device, network, data, and support creating best in class staff and student digital experiences AND provide a system of shared/brokered/managed services maintaining low infrastructure costs and providing support structures promoting the use of personalized learning environments |
| | Continue to create a culture of digital connectedness through all - the - time, everywhere, always on digital opportunity and access with emphasis on dense Wi-Fi throughout schools (also including home access, Wi-Fi buses, school and classroom Wi-Fi, etc.) |
| | Continue to encourage the use of instructional programs and administrative processes requiring cloud-based services |
 | Improve ease of access for students and staff through continued progress toward a 1:1 student to computer ratio utilizing increased amounts of mobile devices (fewer traditional computer labs) |
_____________________________________
 | Data Security, Safety & PrivacyFuture Ready Gear KETS GUIDING PRINCIPLE – Security, safety and privacy of student data is a cornerstone of digital learning. Policies and procedures are enacted at the state, district and school levels that work in conjunction for this purpose. Student data are then utilized by data fluent educators for improved decision-making leading to increased learning for students.
|
| Continue to support districts in securely accessing and managing key student and administrative data sets through improved user experiences, refined data collection processes, continuously updated policies and practices regarding student data security, and timely access to data sets that improve the depth and efficiency of student learning. (Infinite Campus, Early Warning, MUNIS, eTranscripts, School Report Card) |
| Continue to identify key aspects of data security regularly to build upon the current systems, procedures and policies to remain a leader in mitigating emerging threats (acceptable use policies, firewall updates, data privacy studies, digital citizenship, content filtering) |
| Continue to utilize adoption metrics or trending data for planning purposes that allow EdTech leaders to identify what's working and what's not working based upon data quality and evaluate current systems and solutions to determine effectiveness and future direction (annual auditors, TELL survey, Technology Activity Report, Digital Readiness, Data Quality Study, Data Quality Campaign, BrightBytes, SpeakUp) [Appendix
A] [Appendix
B] |
| Continue to migrate key administrative and student data sets to secure cloud-based services that allow anywhere, anytime secure access for the improvement of student learning (Infinite Campus, Early Warning, School Report Card, MUNIS) [Appendix
A] |
| Continue supporting teacher efforts in taking ownership of digital citizenship skills and educating their students in the same skills to foster a secure digital learning environment |
| Educate and support districts in the importance of personnel with duties related to student/staff data quality, security and privacy as well as bringing data privacy to the "radar screen" of teachers/staff (The People Side of EdTech) [Appendix
A] |
| Kentucky K-12 Data systems are first-class but
we need to do much better with districts using the data available to them as
well as providing visual data analytic tools allowing the data to be better
understood and more interesting to the average person who does not have a
technology and data background. |
_____________________________________
 | Budget & ResourcesFuture Ready Gear
KETS GUIDING PRINCIPLE – The Master Plan, as well as district and school technology plans, are aligned to the vision of 21st century skills for students and staff. Revenue streams are aligned to account for the recurring and nonrecurring total cost of ownership to support the 21st century learning environment in a manner that reflects good stewardship of tax dollars to include devices, infrastructure, support, data and human services. |
| | Continue to maximize local and state education technology expenditures through a system of shared/brokered/managed services |
| | Continue use of long-term planning strategies that allow for continuity of initiatives and systems (ex: accounting for cost of ownership over the lifespan equipment so monies are allocated for repairs/upgrades) |
| | Continue to leverage all available state and federal funding opportunities to address required basic cost of living increases, previous budget cuts of basic services, projected growth by districts (e.g. Internet consumption) while maximizing education technology programs and initiatives (Technology Need, E-rate) |
| | Make districts aware of positions/roles requiring technology-related duties in support of technology and instruction (The People Side of K-12 EdTech) |
| | Make districts aware of how to reduce expenditures on printing/print services (both in consolidated contract pricing as well as shifting from paper to digital experiences) |
| | Evaluate the need and explore new contracts that drive costs down for statewide summative online assessment, learning management systems, printing services & interim based assessments |
| | See an increased percentage of districts examining which education technology investments are or are not being maximized |
_____________________________________
 | PartnershipsFuture Ready Gear KETS GUIDING PRINCIPLE – Connecting students and educators to the local and global community is a key factor to student success. The Master Plan will continue to provide opportunities for trusted relationships to build those connections as well as increase communication and transparency with shareholders, including families, districts, vendors, regional education collaboratives, postsecondary institutions and business/industry, in support of student learning and preparation beyond K-12. |
| | Continue to build trusted relationships with shareholders (families, districts, partners) that will reduce risk as well as increase transparency and communication.(districts, vendors, higher-education, regional cooperatives) |
| | Continue to utilize avenues of communication with shareholders allowing pertinent information and dialog to further student learning efforts. (Webcasts, BrightBytes, Technology Activity Report, KETS Service Desk, Office of Education Accountability studies, independent studies, etc.) |
| | Continue to utilize tools engaging postsecondary institutions, community members, districts and families in student learning and life after K-12. (eTranscripts, School Report Card & Dashboard tool, Infinite Campus parent & student portal, KDE Open House, Digital Readiness Survey) |
| | Partner with postsecondary pre-service teacher and principal programs to provide support in candidate preparation |
| | Encourage postsecondary institutions to host STLP events and/or more fully maximize the opportunity to showcase the university and its programs while students are on campus |
|
|
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 | Personalized Professional LearningFuture Ready Gear KETS GUIDING PRINCIPLE – Digital learning expands the access to quality strategies and experiences for educators beyond the traditional methods of professional development. A culture of digital collaboration, workflow and relationships allows educators to build skill sets and instructional best practices with colleagues globally. This approach of increased access and flexibility for professional learning ultimately leads to greater success for students. |
| | Continue building a culture of digital collaboration and connected digital relationships that allow administrators to support and encourage the use of digital tools by staff for professional learning |
| | Provide districts with guidance and support to determine crucial learning needs of teachers resulting in more professional learning opportunities related to digital learning tools |
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 | Use of Space & TimeFuture Ready Gear KETS GUIDING PRINCIPLE – The personalized learning environment for students requires reimagining the use of school space and time. Virtual instruction, cloud-based learning tools, digital instructional material, digital collaboration, digital workflows and digital relationships, etc., assist in providing the vehicle for anywhere, anytime learning. |
| | Continue to provide guidance, support and resources for
districts in the development and application of high quality online/virtual
coursework as well as implementation of learning management systems |
| | Educate and support districts in the implementation and facilitation of digital learning tools and portable technologies that foster anywhere, anytime access for staff and students |
Contents - Technology Planning < Master Plan Areas of Emphasis > Projected Costs
Mike Leadingham
Office of Education Technology
Division of School Technology Planning and Project Management
300 Sower Blvd., 4th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 564-2020 ext. 2202
Fax (502) 564-1519