Support and provision a safe and healthy technology infrastructure to maintain access, adequacy, and equity.
Institutions of higher education, educational stakeholder groups, professional organizations, business and industry groups, and local school divisions.
Students, educators, and leaders have practical access to safe and healthy networks that provide high quality, reliable access to the internet and other networks.
SCPS will use best practices that follow federal, state, and industry guidelines and recommendations to minimize network threats and exposures and protect educational data.
Students, educators, and leaders have practical access to computing devices and other digital resources, including assistive technologies.
SCPS will maintain access to technical and human resources that enable the effective evaluation of infrastructure costs and other considerations necessary for high quality and reliable connections to the Internet and other networks used by students, educators, and leaders.
SCPS will collaborate with stakeholders to access cost for broadening SCPS infrastructure to ensure connectivity for use off campus.
Increased reporting of equitable and continuous access to safe and dependable networks by students, educators, and leaders as indicated by data, surveys, and stakeholder input.
Implement 1:1 Technology for all students, educators and leaders.
Increase connectivity per classroom.
Ensure students and educators will have access to online and offline content.
Develop a 10GB backbone between segmented networks.
Increase backbone across WAN.
Implement IPTV across LAN.
Establish connectivity off campus for students, educators and leaders with access to resources to support the 6 c’s.
Establish signed data sharing agreements.
Promote practical access to high quality, effective learning environments for all students by supporting efforts to reduce barriers to technology access.
Provide technical assistance such as network standards, recommendations, and other information available from various stakeholder organizations that provide guidance on interoperability, broadband, and network capabilities.
Recommend the continual expansion of broadband capability to support digital learning and innovative education using guidance provided by relevant organizations.
Promote participation in federal (such as e-Rate) and state (such as the Virginia Public School Authority) programs to maximize resources available to students, educators, and school leaders.
Provide infrastructure costs related to broadband to ensure equity; encourage cooperative purchase agreements when appropriate.
Deliver and develop plans and programs that balance safety and security issues while allowing for instructional innovation.
Provide evaluation criteria and standards that allow SCPS to make informed purchases of computing devices and other digital resources, including assistive technologies.
Use regional contracts for preparation, procuring, managing, and maintaining technology, including assistive technology.
Research technologies with stakeholders, educators and leaders to plan and engineer a broadband network for off campus learning and connectivity to bridge the digital divide..
Provide information about evaluation criteria and standards for hardware and software adoption.
Ensure assistive technology services and devices are implemented in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Building Broadband
Individual school divisions in Virginia are approaching the problem of student access to the Internet outside of the school in differing ways. One approach taken by Albemarle County Public Schools is described in the article A School District Is Building A DIY Broadband Network.
Virginia’s KLIP
The K-12 Learning Infrastructure Program (KLIP) is a partnership with VDOE, the governor’s office, the EducationSuperHighway (ESH), and the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. The KLIP supports increased access to affordable, high-speed Internet in every classroom in Virginia. The goals of the KLIP are to: get fiber to schools that need it, ensure classrooms have updated and reliable Wi-Fi, help divisions get more broadband for their budgets, and assist schools with the e-Rate process to get the discounts they need for Internet access and internal connections.
Accessibility and the Division Web Presence
The VDOE has listed some resources that will be helpful to SCPS as they seek to update their web pages and digital content to comply with ADA regulations. Find links to information, tools and instructions on the Website Accessibility Resources and Tools for School Divisions page.
Training and Technical Assistance Centers
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) supports eight Training and Technical Assistance Centers (TTACs), located at Universities across the Commonwealth of Virginia, to improve educational opportunities and contribute to the success of children and youth with disabilities (birth - 22 years).
Virginia Longitudinal Data System
The Virginia Longitudinal Data System (VLDS) provides state policy makers, authorized researchers and citizens with access to educational and workforce training data from multiple sources while protecting the privacy of Virginia students. VLDS supports critical reporting on the quality of public education – such as accurate graduation and dropout rates for high schools and school divisions – while providing information that can help policy makers improve programs that prepare and connect Virginians with employment opportunities.