2024 - 2030 KETS Master Plan

The 2024-2030 KETS Master Plan will identify: (a) things we already do well that we want to continue doing well over the next six years, (b) areas to improve upon, and (c) emerging items likely to occur that need to be accounted for by this Master Plan. The studies, research, standards, governance, and technology needs of the state and districts that play a critical role in executing the Master Plan are also identified.

KETS celebrated its 30th year in 2022. It is exceedingly rare for a K-12 state-level education technology initiative to not only survive but also thrive for 30 years through changes of education commissioners and board members, governors' administrations, and state legislators. Fortunately, KETS maintained solid support from numerous leaders throughout the entire time. In that sense, KETS is like a good band of musicians that, over the decades, stays relevant, continues putting out hits, and grows in depth. Progress in earlier years (e.g., the initial six-year Kentucky K-12 Education Technology Master Plan, Internet connectivity, and identification of a variety of sustainable funding sources) created a solid foundation for the unique accomplishments including, but not limited to, cloud-based major state-level services, digital learning initiatives, Student Technology Leadership Program and the Computer Science & Information Technology Academy (formerly Microsoft's Imagine Academy).

Kentucky K-12 has been and continues to be the pioneer and national leader in most aspects of education technology since 1992, while always looking to get better. Below are some of the highlights of those accomplishments and things we want to continue doing well; a more comprehensive and graphical view of the KETS major achievements since 1992 can be found in Appendix G.

2023

• Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP​) - Record Setting STLP State Championship Growth
• Making IT Happen Award Presented to OET Staff Member - OET staff have received ten (10) times since 2009
• MUNIS Upgrade Implemented
• Enhanced Identity Security Initiative Completed
• Statewide Implementation of Campus Analytics Tools

2022

• Continuation of Crucial EdTech Services Right After Historical Flooding of 2022
• One of First Five States to Implement Generate - A federal reporting solution that standardizes to improve data quality, automate reporting, and streamline data processes.
• Equity Dashboard Provides Improved Data Interaction and Visualization Inside Student Information System
• Internet Access Beyond the School Campus Expanded
• Continuation of Crucial EdTech Services Right After Tornadoes of 2021
• Launched Kentucky's First Comprehensive K-12 State Plan for Computer Science Education
• Entire Kentucky K-12 Community Recognized for Heroic Efforts
• Single Sign-On (SSO) with Kentucky Virtual Library Provided
• Largest and Most Successful Kentucky K-12 Online, High-Stakes Assessment Conducted Three Years in a Row
• Kentucky Educator Credentials System (KECS) Launch
• “The People Side of K-12 EdTech" Study Updated
• Kentucky K-12 EdTech Not Only Survives but Thrives Throughout Covid-19 Pandemic
• Preparing/Building for the Future - KDE and Kentucky school districts made record improvements to the technology components and services supporting the learning experience from the classroom, home, or in a hybrid model; these improvements will support growth, safety and improve the overall digital experience

2021

• Revised Academic Standards for Technology Adopted
• First Academic Standards for Library Media Adopted
• Digital Learning Coaches Exceed 550
• Kentucky Becomes First and Only State to Provide Internet Safety and Protections for 100% of Schools to Meet New Federal Requirements
• First KySTE KY K-12 CIO Virtual Summit Hosted
• Campus Learning Available to All Kentucky Schools

2020

• Kentucky Conducts the Largest and Most Successful K-12 Online Assessment in Kentucky History
• All Kentucky K-12 Schools Quickly Pivot to NTI
• First Totally Virtual KBE Meeting
• First Statewide Staff Password Requirements
  
• KY K-12 School Report Card (SRC) is Recognized as One of the Nation's Best
  
• Next Generation Internet Bandwidth Upgrade for Kentucky K-12 Schools
• Kentucky K-12 Further Commits to Computer Science Growth
• Online Registration Available for all Kentucky Schools
• Kentucky Expands KY K-12 Internet Safety Beyond the School Campus
• Academic Standards Become Machine Readable and Interactive with Interoperability

​2019

• School Safety (SB 1) Anonymous Reporting Tools for Schools
• New Kentucky K-12 School Report Card (SRC) Suite Introduced
• First Academic Standards for Computer Science Adopted
• Technology Competencies Included as Minimum Graduation Requirement
• Computer Science & IT Academy Launch
• Statewide Creation and Expansion of Digital Learning Coach Network
• Library Media Statewide Leadership Selected
• Record-Setting STLP Growth

2018

• KY K-12 Online Testing – High School End of Course
• KDE's KY K-12 EdTech presentation to US Congress committee in Washington DC - Kentucky K-12 is the pioneer and overall national leader in most aspects of K-12 education technology
• Statewide KETS Service Desk Reaches Milestone of Service
• KY K-12 Email Upgrade/Transition to Microsoft/Google Email
• PBS Learning Media Launch
• Data Visualization Tools Launched

​2017

• The People Side of Education Technology - First in the nation study and tool that addressed the people side of K-12 education technology
• Infinite Campus Migration to the Cloud
• First in the nation to implement a complete cloud-based firewall security service for every school district
• Successful Pilot of Future KY K-12 voice/telephone communications via the cloud by KDE the agency, KSB and KSD
• EdScoop's EdTech Heroes Award – Awarded to KDE as one of the top 25 states demonstrating innovative practices and leadership in harnessing technology to support education

2016

• Creation of OET's Digital Learning Coach Leadership Team
• KDE Receives Government Technology Magazine's "Doers, Dreamers and Drivers" Award

2015

• Established Product Standard for Internet Safety and Content Management
• Kentucky Information Highway (Version 3) - First in the nation to connect every school with high-speed fiber and meet the national standard of 100kbps for every student
  
• Created a National Model with KY's First IT Academy championing industry-recognized IT student certifications
  

2014

• Data Quality Study Completed defining best practices for collection and stewardship of education data
• Non-Traditional Instructional Time Legislation Enacted – This approval provided the opportunity to conduct school through virtual or other non-traditional means on days that the district would have normally had to cancel school
• Wireless Access on School Buses Implemented
• eTranscripts - First state to use a common transcript and electronic process for college admissions statewide
• Recognized as a Top 3 State in Data Quality
• Single Sign On (SSO) - First in the country to provide the ability for every student and teacher to access Chromebooks and Google resources via their Office 365 credentials

2013

• 2013-2018 KETS Master Plan for Education Technology Approved - Delivered in an online digital format for the first time
• MUNIS Transition to the Cloud - First and largest in the nation to provision cloud-based financial service for K-12 and any type of government organization

2012

• First Online Statewide School Report Card
• First All State-wide Superintendent Webcast
• Paperless State Board Meetings Implemented
• Kentucky Virtual High School Grows

​2011

• KDE Open House Launched
• Kentucky Student Information Mobile App Launched
• Digital Driver's License for Digital Citizenship Launched
• First State Board Meeting Webcast

2010

• Cloud Email - First and largest statewide implementation of cloud-based K-12 email for every student, teacher, and administrator

2008

• First Stilwell Award Presented - William E. Stilwell, namesake of the KDE Technology Award, was named the first recipient

2006

• Scott County Hosts First Kentucky EdTech Leaders Webcast – These monthly webcasts have continued since this time

• First Statewide STLP Championship at Rupp Arena

2004

• Statewide Identity Management Service - First in the nation to provide enterprise directory services to all schools and districts allowing secure access to the Internet and web-based instructional material

2000

• Statewide Student Information System - First in the nation to implement a common statewide student information system
• Statewide KETS Service Desk - First in the nation to provide dedicated education technical assistance to all school districts

1998

• Federal E-rate Program - Kentucky was the best-positioned state in the nation to take advantage of this new federal funding opportunity and remains among the top states in the nation in E-rate funds received
• Internet Safety and Security Measures (SB 230) – Implemented Internet content safety measures for every school

​1997

• MUNIS Established as Common Financial System for Every District - First in the nation to provide those applications deemed most critical: Accounts Payable, Personnel, Payroll, Budget, General Ledger, and Purchasing

1995

• First Microsoft Mail Implementation - First in the nation to have email capabilities for all students, teachers, and administrators
• Rollout of District Administrative System - First in the nation to provide a local area network, Internet, and office productivity software to every district
• Every School District Connected to the Internet - First in the nation to connect all school districts to the Internet via high-speed network connections provided by the first Kentucky Information Highway Contract (KIH 1)

1994

• Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) Established
• First KDE Website Created

1993

• Technology Assistance Team Established

1992

• Birth of Kentucky Education Technology Systems (KETS)
• 1st Master Plan for Education Technology Approved

​

Going forward, these will be other areas of emphasis during the next six years:

• Recognize, educate, and continue to build upon previous accomplishments - Educate others about high-quality continuing initiatives to prevent duplicative work for things that already exist and are highly successful for schools.
• Address the importance of having adequate numbers of education technology roles/positions in all districts to ensure that existing and new education technology is (a) extremely reliable and available in the classroom, (b) maximized, (c) secure and safe, and (d) provides data of the highest quality.
• Address funding required for basic cost of living increases, previous budget cuts to basic services, and projected growth by districts (e.g., Internet consumption).
• Recognize the most crucial education technology professional learning needs identified by teachers and identify who can best address the needs.
• Focus efforts on shifting basic cyber security and safety to a prime position on the radar screen of teachers and district staff members.
• A higher percentage of districts annually examine education technology investments to determine which technologies are and are not being used/maximized.
• Interoperability strategies aim to enhance user experiences and drive administrative efficiencies with education technologies. Through this Master Plan, we will implement high-quality, efficient and effective interoperability strategies with statewide, district and school EdTech systems and platforms (including integrations and data exchange).
• Data systems are first-class, but we need to continue to emphasize districts' use of data. Data available in reports and through visual data analytic tools provide more interesting views that are easier to understand for an average person who does not have a technology and data background.
• While it has gotten significantly better due to advancements in mobile hardware and software, there are still too many traditional labs filled with desktop computers (and/or mobile workstations sitting idle in carts not assigned to students) in schools. Typically, labs do not provide ease of access for students throughout the school day and for all parts of the curriculum. Labs are also problematic for large-scale online assessment within a compressed window of time. Student and teacher mobile or portable devices help address the "ease of access" issue.
• Create a deeper partnership with higher education (postsecondary institutions). Focus on giving future teachers currently in a Kentucky postsecondary college of education experience with the K-12 education technology tools and environment. As well as having STLP​ events better maximized by the institution (learning experiences) while we are on their campus.
• Kentucky is the most advanced state in regard to having electronic transcripts sent from a K-12 school and electronically accepted by a Kentucky higher education institution. KDE and public universities through the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) fund electronic transcripts to help promote college-going.
• There can be significant cost savings and increased reliability and security by continuing to move more types of services to managed (e.g., printing) and cloud-based services (e.g., phone systems).
• Continue to create a closer connection with Career and Technical Education (CTE) expanding opportunities for students to code, expand the technology and computer science courses/exams available through our Computer Science & Information
•  Technology Academy (CS & IT Academy), implement computer science standards, as well as implement digital citizenship skills and technology standards.
• Be a vital part of helping implement the new assessment and accountability system - This includes the implementation of the new school report card/dashboard and summative online assessment. The successes of formative and interim online assessments are now starting to be realized and duplicated with our online summative assessments. ​