Managing Growth:K-12 Online Infrastructure

Christine BauerRyan Gravette

Idaho Digital Learning Academy

Overview

• IDLA– Statistics, Programs, Blackboard Info

• Challenges– Dealing with program expansion and

growth

• Leveraging Blackboard– Learning System, Content System, Portal

Idaho Digital Learning Academy• Statewide, web-based educational program• Meet education needs of all Idaho

secondary students– Serving 7-12th grade students– In-school or out-of-school choice

• Superintendents Association (2001)• Created by Idaho State Legislature (2002)

– Title 33, Chapter 55

Blackboard Information• Learning, Community, and Content System• Version 6.3• Using since Fall 2002• ASP hosted• Building Blocks/Licensed Content

– Wimba– Learning Objects– MITE– United Streaming

Programs• 7-12th Grade Online Courses:

– Core classes, Remediation, & AP/Dual Credit

• State Standards Test Preparation (ISAT Prep):– Online materials aligned to state standards– Reading, Math, & Language Arts (Science)

• Partnerships:– User Groups (K-20, IASA, etc.)– School Districts (Twin Falls, Jerome)– State Dept of Ed. (Active Citizenship)

Statistics• 70 Faculty • 11 Staff members: 5 Full time, 6 Part time• 113 Idaho School Districts• $900,000 budget • 85 semester course offerings• ISAT Preparatory Materials

– 3800 generic logins (1 login for every 35 students)

• Rapid Growth– 2004-2005 = 33% increase in enrollments– 2005-2006 = 67% increase in enrollments

Challenges• Support/Advocates

– Getting the Word Out

• Training– Faculty, Students,

Site Coordinators

• Maintaining Quality & Accountability– Courses, Program

• Managing Growth/Change– Technology– Policies &

Procedures

• Leveraging Blackboard to meet these challenges– Learning System– Content System– Portal

Training• Students

– Orientation• Teachers

– Professional Development– Summer Conference

• Site Coordinators• Partners• ISAT Prep

Quality & Accountability• Course Development

Guidelines– Standards Based, team

developed, rigorous review process

– Balanced Interaction: S-S, S-T, S-C

• Teaching Online Guidelines– Update course, course

menu, communication, community building)

• Student Accountability– Orientation, Progress

Reports, Proctored Finals, Policies/Procedures

• Staff Accountability– Contracts, Online

Principals, Course Evaluations, Weekly Teaching Reports, Policies/Procedures

Managing Growth

• Establishing a foundation for growth– Course Creation– User Creation– Student Information System

• Integration with blackboard

– Technology Plan– Monitoring/Reporting

Managing Change

• Plan for Change and Communicate– Users– Staff– Vendors

• Changes in Blackboard– Blackboard version upgrades (6.2-6.3)– Building Block Additions and Upgrades– Adding systems (Content, Portal)

Leveraging the Learning System• Flexibility of Blackboard

– Teacher led courses– Self led ISAT– User groups– Face to face supplement– Professional development

• Leveraging within the existing framework– Usernames

Leveraging the Content System• Originally purchased to track

licensed content.– United Streaming– MITE– Textbooks

• Leveraged for– Communication (My Content)– Master course tracking– Large file repository– Web Server– Standards Organization– Lesson Plans– Staff Portfolios

• Tiered structure allows flexibility and maintains order.

Leveraging Institutional Roles• Content System

– Access– Security– Organization

• Wanted tiered organizational and functional assignments.– Active Directory– Novell Directory– Groups within groups– All students or just AP

students• Institutional roles created

with a tiered structure.• Users are part of multiple

intuitional roles (average of 5)• 188 different institutional

roles.

Leveraging Institutional Roles 2• Institutional roles

allow – Granular system

security– Organized content

distribution and collaboration

– Future flexibility

• C-Name can push intuitional role

• Cost– Added user creation

step (script)

• Top Tier– IDLA

• Second Tier – IDLA.Admin– IDLA.Board– IDLA.District– IDLA.Faculty– IDLA.Institution

• Third Tier– IDLA.Faculty.Department– IDLA.Faculty.TeamLead

• Fourth Tier– IDLA.Faculty.Department.Mat

h– IDLA.Faculty.Department.Scie

nce

Leveraging Portal System

• Institutional roles allow for portal system customization

• Messages based on role– AP student opportunities– Department specific tabs– Branding per institution

• IDLA website to utilize portal

Idaho Digital Learning Academy

Any questions?

IDLA Officeidla@idla.k12.id.us http://idla.k12.id.us208-342-0207

Christine BauerCurriculum & Instructioncbauer@idla.k12.id.us

Ryan GravetteTechnical Support rgravette@idla.k12.id.us

Managing Growth:K-12 Online Infrastructure

Ben JohnsonPoudre School District

Ft. Collins, CO

Poudre School District

• Fort Collins, Colorado• 45 Schools• About 25,000 students• 3,325 employees• Nestled against the foothills of the

Rocky Mountains and alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River.

Blackboard Statistics

• 475 Active Courses• 2,357 Active Users• Average 36,341 Page

views per day

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

2005-08 2005-09 2005-10 2005-11 2005-12 2006-01 2006-02

Series1

Programs• Started as a way to host our virtual high

school courses purchased from Class.com.• Mostly to supplement face-to-face classes.• Beginning to use it for some staff development

(Book studies, curriculum specialists, etc.)• Some use for curriculum planning & resources• Used to create discussion boards for a variety

of user groups. (Media Specialists, Negotiations, etc.)

• Some groups (Math Counts, etc.)

Blackboard Information

• Learning system only• Version 6.2.2.77• Using since about 2000• Hosted in house• Using integrated version of TurnItIn

for plagiarism detection.

Challenges• Automating course and user creation.• Automating user enrollment.• Running the system on older servers. Keeping

the servers maintained.• Getting faculty trained at up to 45 schools with

one trainer.• Keeping up with email and phone questions.• Finding money to pay for it.• Getting grades into the district’s grade book.• Removing students after the semester is over.

Administrative Support

• Support of director of media and technology

• Support of director of curriculum• Support of high school assistant

superintendent.• Support of chief information officer.• Buy in from teachers around the

district.

Getting Buy In• Success of virtual high school.• Making course content available 24/7.• Online testing (automatically graded)• Losing students to competing online schools.• Interest of Teachers

– Ease of Use– Password Protected– Awesome Tools that teachers can’t create on

their own personal web sites.

Policies and Procedures• At this point, very minimal.• To have courses created, teachers

must have his/her course coded on our student information system (SILK).

• Prefer that teachers go through 2 or 3 short workshops.

• Anticipate developing policies and procedures for appropriate communication and online test taking.

Training• After/before school workshops at many high

schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools.

• Formal staff development classes. 15 hour courses.

• Training for groups such as curriculum specialists and media specialists.

• Pedagogy embedded within the “how to” training.

• College (CSU) credit available.

Getting the Word Out

• Staff development catalog• Media Specialists• Blackboard Power Users• School workshops set up by

administrators• Newsletter in leave and earnings

statement• Word of mouth

Online/Hybrid Courses• VHS – students who failed face-to-face course

or other reason such as teen parent.• Self-paced (with time points). Instructor serves

as a facilitator. Students are not on their own.• Success really depends on the teacher.• All types of courses offered (mostly courses

required to graduate).• VHS courses purchased from Class.com• Test, assignments, and grading are built into

Class.com courses.• Supplemental courses are not reviewed.

Managing the System• System Administrator – 1 (me)• A person in IT to install/update Blackboard• User logins

– Automatically created every night– Tied to SILK

• Courses– Automatically created every night– Tied to SILK

• Problem: Teachers who teach the same course several times a day. (One course or Many???)

Lessons Learned• Figure out a way to automate user &

course creation, and user enrollment.• Figure out how you will deal with multiple

sections (i.e. one course vs. many)• Figure out an efficient way to train users.• Make sure equipment is adequate and that

maintenance is being performed.• Determine a way to deal with help calls

and email questions.

Poudre School District

Any questions?

Ben Johnsonbenj@psdschools.org