The KETS 2018 - 2024 Master Plan

Contents - Executive Summary < Introduction > The Vision

Introduction

As mandated by KRS 156.670, [Appendix D] a plan related to purchasing, developing and using technology to accomplish specific purposes in Kentucky's public school systems must be developed and must cover at least a five-year period. The previous four versions of the Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS) Master Plan for Education Technology served the state very well and are the foundation for the current (fifth) 2018-2024 KETS Master Plan.

The fundamental concepts and visionary principles used in the development of the first and subsequent plans remain relevant today. They are as important today as they were 25 years ago, have withstood the test of time, and will remain as guiding principles and benchmarks for future decision making.

To develop this plan, Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) staff gathered feedback and closely examined input from the state's 173 public school districts, the Kentucky School for the Deaf and the Kentucky School for the Blind, consulted with KDE program areas, and studied other plans such as the state plans of North Carolina and Wisconsin as well as the National Education Technology Plan and the Future Ready Framework. The KETS Master Plan is designed to build upon the state's past successes and progress, while progressing towards the future. This plan illustrates the path that will enable all students, teachers and administrators to understand and leverage technology. Education technology can provide students and teachers the opportunity to realize their full potential. It extends instructional content beyond traditional school walls and leads students to where every opportunity is open to them.

This Master Plan includes information about the technology needs of schools, districts and the state; education technology-related products and standards; areas of emphasis; technology planning guidance; studies and research; and the policies and laws that affect education technology in Kentucky.

While technology has changed over the years, the driving purpose of the planning process for the KETS Master Plan has not. The primary purpose is to ensure technology tools enhance the learning experience of students, help prepare students for higher education and further develop a competitive workforce. This has not wavered. Equity of access and expanded opportunity have roots in the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990 and will continue to be a cornerstone and driving force for KDE through this KETS Master Plan. Through

technology-enabled tools, the following experiences and designs will continue to be major drivers through the work identified in this plan:

• a more informative and engaging experience for students
• addressing the different learning and teaching styles of all students and teachers
• deepen the understanding of academic content
• data-driven decision-making
• ease of access
• creation and production of products and content
• gathering, analyzing and synthesizing information
• communication and collaboration with others

The 2018-2024 KETS Master Plan addresses the technology need for schools, districts and the state. This portion of the plan recognizes both the ongoing operational, maintenance and replacement needs as well as the technology-enabled aspects of new strategic educational priorities, plans and projects. A blend of federal, state, local and creative funding sources are used to address the technology needs and are identified in the budget.

New in this Plan

The 2018-2024 KETS Master Plan differs from previous versions in several ways. Some additions are:

• Since 1992, KETS has enjoyed many big wins and successes that continue to be the priorities and driving principles of the Master Plan. For the first time, major KETS historical milestones are graphically represented in a timeline format.
• Targeted areas of emphasis are aligned with the KDE strategic goals and the Future Ready Framework [Appendix C] to help position the state and P-12 students to be future-ready.
• The plan more closely aligns with the P-12 education strategic plan of the state, school districts and national frameworks. The Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky Board of Education Strategic Plan components are embedded throughout the Master Plan, and technology-enabled products and services are used to help address specific sections in those plans.
• The plan continues to be informed by relevant studies, research, audit and survey results, and customer feedback, as well as national and other state and district plans to help guide and influence the direction of the work going forward. The following new studies and research results along with many others that are included further validate initiatives and work of the Master Plan. A link to a comprehensive list can be found in both Appendix A and Appendix C.
• The People-Side of Educational Technology (including "What is Education Technology")
• Best Practice Results for Data Privacy and Security
• Kentucky Digital Learning Guidelines
• Kentucky Digital Learning 2020
• Kentucky K-12 Data Quality Study
• Future Ready Schools Framework
• Building Teacher Capacity and Competency to Create Learning Experiences
• Kentucky TELL Survey
• KETS standards are streamlined for display in table format to provide a summary of technology need, architectural and design, and product standards. [Appendix E]
• The technology need budget projection is modernized to reflect progress of districts, trending patterns and inclusion of new technologies.

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