the unique challenges facing the it professional in k12 education

The Unique Challenges Facing the IT Professional in K-12 Education

A research survey conducted by: In coordination & partnership with:

eSchool News

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary Pages 2 – 3

Demographics Pages 4 – 7

Staffing Levels Pages 8 – 9

Staffing Issues Pages 10 – 12

Staff Recruitment and Retention Pages 13 – 14

IT Assets Pages 15 – 17

Software and Systems Pages 18 – 22

Software as a Service Pages 23 – 26

IT Funding Page 27

Strategic IT Issues Pages 28 – 29

The Unique Challenges Facing the IT Professional in K-12 Education of 35

Conclusions 9

Survey Methodology, Notes & References Page 30

The Unique Challenges Facing the IT Professional in K-12 Education Page 2 of 35

The Unique Challenges Facing the IT Professional in K-12 EducationMarch 1, 2008

As an information technology professional in K-12 education, you have quite a challenge...possibly one of the greatest challenges since the first computers were introduced to your schools. You are forced to manage this growing phenomenon of too much IT stuff without enough staff.

Many studies have been undertaken regarding the challenges of the information technology professional in the corporate world, but none address the special concerns of K-12 educational institutions. Anecdotal stories often center on a department that has too many systems to manage and not enough staff. Budget constraints, changing technology and board requirements impact the abilities of school IT staff.

The evidence is sobering:

Nearly $2.25 billion is spent annually on e-Rate, and this multi-year investment has resulted in exponential growth in the IT infrastructure asset base in schools. While this program was created for noble purposes (providing discounts to assist schools in obtaining affordable telecommunications, IT services and Internet access), it did not provide any additional funding to increase personnel to help with these new infrastructure and asset demands.

The advancement of 1:1 computing as a “gold standard” in public education is another noble initiative, and this will continue to dramatically expand this asset base that the IT staff must manage. As evidenced with the e-Rate program, institutions that pursue a 1:1 computing initiative, without addressing the need for additional personnel and funding to manage and maintain the new assets, could see the IT staffing crisis exacerbated by four times.

Not only is the work, demand and asset base multiplying, technology has become mission critical to the educational enterprise. The condition of the technology infrastructure is crucial to student-based outcome and performance, effects teacher retention and impacts the requirements set forth in NCLB. More so than ever, the technology infrastructure is inextricably coupled to the learning environment and has become mission critical.

Although the solution to this complex problem will inevitably have many more dimensions, technology that enables the IT professional to do more with the limited resources he has must be one dimension. Technology has helped fuel this crisis, but a multifaceted approach can help stem it. Many administrators who have faced this dilemma have successfully executed a four-step plan, which includes:

1. Improving the image and professionalism of IT operations It is important to build a business process for your IT operations that improves communication, incorporates good

process and feedback mechanisms, and clearly defines service level expectations.

2. Establishing a respected methodology Your methodologies for IT capital renewal, software license compliance, help desk prioritization and other aspects

to your operation must be communicated and be based on sound methodologies.

3. Educating the decision maker The administration may not be engaged in your daily process. It is your responsibility to use data driven decision

making to build a clear understanding of demand, capabilities and shortfalls. A proven business process coupled with reliable data will showcase: (1) staffing levels; (2) areas of highest demand; (3) recurring problems; (4) staff productivity relative to demand; (5) how the district compares to service standards outside education; (6) how your district benchmarks against your peer districts.

4. Asking for additional resources With a professional image, business process and data, the time is right to ask for additional resources.

This study was developed by SchoolDude.com and eSchool News. Many organizations contributed to the success of this first ever research report. We would like to thank the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), Association of School Business Officials International and MassCue for participating.

We hope this research report is the first tool you can use to improve your process and educate your decision makers.

Sincerely,

R. Lee PrevostPresident & FounderSchoolDude.comEmail: [email protected]



Key Findings

As expected, IT staff members at K-12 institutions face many challenges. As technology has evolved, the number and complexity of computer systems in the typical school has increased substantially. However, information technology staffing levels have not kept pace, forcing IT staff into a reactive mode. This is limiting many schools from realizing the full benefits of technology. For example, the majority of those surveyed reported that they do not have enough staff to plan for or implement new technologies or to integrate technology into the classroom. In addition, school IT staff are stretched thin, supporting more computers and end users than their counterparts in the corporate world. The heavy workload, combined with lower salaries than in other industries, can make it difficult to recruit and retain IT staff. And although school/district leaders are often supportive of IT and understand its importance to the institution’s overall goals, funding is not always a priority or available.

Key findings of the survey include:

K-12 schools have less than optimal IT staff levels Mean number of computers per technician: 550 Mean ratio of students to technicians: 1,409:1 Mean ratio of students to all technical support staff: 716:1 During the past school year, 60% of those surveyed were unable to complete all software

installations in a timely manner; 21% hired contractors to help.

Staffing shortfalls translate into reduced institution and classroom benefits 55% reported that 50-100% of their department’s workload is spent reacting to technical problems. Two-thirds do not have enough staff to plan for new technology. Three-quarters do not have enough staff to implement new technologies. 65% do not have enough staff to integrate technology into the classroom.

Schools face challenges in recruitment and retention of IT staff 40% felt that the school pay scale was too low, making it difficult to recruit IT staff. One-third felt that the biggest obstacle to retaining IT staff members is the salary not being

competitive enough with similar positions in other industries. Heavy workloads and not enough opportunities for advancement were cited as potential obstacles.

Some technology and systems have been widely implemented, while others are less utilized One-third of respondents have wireless networking in all of their schools; 13% do not have it in any

of their schools. Almost all (94%) have an enterprise level anti-virus solution in place. 38% have implemented and use a secure remote access system. 45% have a functioning software-based help desk. 42% have a functioning student database tracking system; another 20% are currently developing an

in-house system or implementing a purchased system. 53% use at least one Software as a Service application. This type of application is viewed favorably

by thinly-stretched IT staff, who cited ease of deployment and the need for less technical support as the main reasons for use. This has contributed to an adoption rate of SaaS applications in schools that is much higher than in other industries.

School/District leaders view IT as important, but funding issues remain a problem 49% of those surveyed said that the school board understands the importance of IT as it relates to

the overall goals but is not as supportive of it financially; 8% felt that their school board did not feel IT was important to the overall goals.

43% responded that IT security is viewed as a priority, but funding is insufficient. One-third felt that their IT budget was severely less than they needed in order to meet the overall

expectations of the school board/district. IT funding was identified as the most important issue that needs to be resolved for strategic

success.

Demographics

The survey respondents represent a balanced mix of demographic characteristics. Participants came from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

In What State/Country is your educational institution located? (n = 859)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

CA

PA

MO TX

NY

OH IL MI

NJ

MA

VA

GA CT

Can

ada

WA WI

INM

D AZ

FL

AL

AR

KS

NC

NE TN

OR

ME

MN

NH

OK

SC

CO

MS

Aus

tral

ia IA KY

Uni

ted

AK

ND UT

LA NM NV

WV

WY

DC

MT

VT HI

SD ID RI

DE

Num

ber

of R

espo

nden

ts

The average daily attendance for these educational institutions ranged from less than 500 to greater than 25,000 students. The largest segment, almost one-quarter of responses, came from schools/districts with 1,000-2,999 students.

What size is your educational institution (average daily attendance)? (n=889)

9.6%7.8%11.2%11.0%

23.5%

16.2%20.7%

25000 orGreater

10,000 -24,999

5,000 - 9,9993,000 - 4,9991,000 - 2,999500 - 999Less than 500students


The majority of respondents (75%) were from public K-12 schools or school districts. Additionally, 154 were from private schools, enough to allow valid segmentation for this group.

Respondents who reported being from higher education institutions, associations, vendors or consultants were filtered out of the analyses in this report. The remaining “other” includes limited grades, technical and alternative schools.

Almost half of the private schools who participated in the survey had fewer than 500 students; whereas only 12% of public schools/districts were this small.

What size is your educational institution?

27.6%

11.8%9.8%14.2%13.7%

1.3%0.7%1.3%3.9%

18.4%

46.7%

12.4%

24.4%

13.7%

25000 orGreater

10,000 -24,999

5,000 - 9,9993,000 - 4,9991,000 - 2,999500 - 999Less than 500students

Private K-12

Public K-12

Survey participants were fairly evenly split between those whose job is school based (42%) and those who work at the centralized district level (58%). Two-thirds of the respondents (64%) work for a public school district.


What type is your educational organization? (n = 899)

Public K-12 (or other grades)

75%

Private K-12 (or other grades)

17%

Other 8%

Do you work at a centralized district level

or are you school based? (n = 885)

District level, 58.2%

School based, 41.8%

Where do you work? (n = 893)

3.5%

13.2%

13.8%

0.9%

0.9%

3.4%

64.4%

School District, Public

School District, Private/Parochial

School Building, Public

School Building, Private/Parochial

Higher Education

Federal/State

Other

Most institutions that are part of a school system have between 3 and 10 schools, with the average number equal to 16 schools.

The job titles, positions and responsibilities vary widely among school IT staff. In fact, this wide range can make it difficult to target similar people and to group responsibilities for comparison purposes. Two people at different schools can have the same responsibilities but different titles. Add to the mix the issue that one staff person is likely to have multiple responsibilities and a variety of skill sets, and it becomes increasingly difficult to segment these job descriptions.

To this end, the survey posed two similar questions: “Which title most closely resembles your own?” and “What best describes your position?” Based on their title, 61% are either the IT Director, Manager or Coordinator. Based on their position, 57% are either the main IT boss or the IT Manager/Coordinator. This means that close to two-thirds of the respondents can be considered to be in an IT leadership role at their institution (the intended target of the survey). The responsibilities and titles among the remaining one-third vary widely, most likely due to the multiple roles of each individual. For example, 11% of the respondents were teachers, and about half of those were not necessarily a computer teacher, just a tech-savvy teacher who assumed additional responsibilities.


If you are part of a school system, how many schools are in your distrcit? (n = 762)

12.9%

22.3% 22.8%

16.7%

11.3%14.0%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

1 - 2 3 - 5 6 - 10 11 - 20 21 - 50 More than50

Which job title most closely resembles your own? (n = 891)

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0%

Federal Off icial

Governor’s Off ice Staff Member

Legislative Staff Member

College/University Off icial

Federal/State Program Administrator

Safety/Security Director

State School Off icial

Educational Service Agency Director

School Board Member

Non-Educator/Parent

Library Services Director

Superintendent (General)

School Business Official

Vendor

Curriculum Director

Deputy/Assistant/Area Superintendent

Principal/Assistant Principal

Librarian/Media Specialist

Administrative Support Staff

District Administrator

Teacher

Technology Coordinator, School-Level

Technology Coordinator, District-Level

MIS/IT Director

Percent of Respondents

This mix of job responsibilities is particularly evident in the more specific survey questions where close to 300 respondents (approximately one-third) skipped these, presumably unable to answer because they were not in a leadership IT role and did not know the answers or because it did not apply to them. In such cases, by skipping the questions the respondents self-corrected the data, and further filtering of the raw data was not necessary. But the reader should be careful to note the number of responses to a particular question when analyzing those results.


What best describes your position in your educational institution? (n = 891)

Other (please specify)

31%

CIO/ CTO/ IT Director or Department

Head31%

Network Analyst/

Administrator4%

Technology Manager/

Coordinator26%

Technology Technician/

Support8%

Staffing Levels

One of the key issues the survey sought to address was the number and types of IT staff based on various enrollment levels and asset quantities. After completion of the survey, it was determined that a more consistent benchmark for future research projects would be to measure student enrollment, assets and staffing in actual numbers and not ranges.

To achieve this goal, we have made available a 10-question follow-up survey for all IT decision makers. We invite you to take this short survey by visiting http://www.schooldude.com/survey. By taking this survey, you will receive a copy of a staffing guideline research report as a follow up to this report.

Once again, just developing a common list of jobs and descriptions was a challenge. Ultimately, eleven positions were identified and job descriptions defined, which were based loosely on those posted on state websites. Survey respondents were then asked how many full time equivalent staff members they had for each position.

Job Descriptions CTO/Director: Oversees all administrative and educational information technology systems and

applications.

Media Specialist (district-based): Oversees school library media applications.

Technician: Performs repair and maintenance of all technology-related equipment as well as technical support for all technology-related systems. Supports and maintains administrative and instructional computers, software, networks, file servers and workstations.

Technology Assistant (school-based): Performs tasks to aid in the on-going support of teachers and students. Provides hardware and software support to teachers.

LAN Engineer: Designs, implements and maintains local area networks in a school environment. Supervises the installation, maintenance and operation of local area networks and associated computer hardware and software.

WAN Engineer: Designs, implements and maintains wide area networks in a local school agency. Supervises the installation, maintenance, and operation of a wide area network and associated computer hardware and software.

Student Records Specialist: Performs technical and computer support functions for the student information system.


http://www.schooldude.com/survey

MEAN NUMBER OF STUDENTS PER STAFF National

Less than 500 Students

500 - 999 Students

1,000 - 2,999 Students

3,000 - 4,999 Students

5,000 - 9,999 Students

10,000 - 24,999 Students

25,000 or More Students

Students per CTO 4,560 221 699 1,407 3,507 6,615 14,792 17,184Students per Media Specialist 3,059 221 609 906 1,909 3,544 10,219 11,926Students per Technicians 1,409 162 503 892 1,767 2,296 3,113 2,941Students per Tech Asst 1,552 177 523 757 1,529 1,808 5,527 3,794Students per LAN Engineer 4,010 201 645 1,272 3,024 6,349 12,002 9,128Students per WAN Engineer 5,448 191 656 1,261 3,375 6,664 14,000 11,709

Students per Tech Support* 716 109 317 532 1005 912 1545 1577Students per Student Records Specialist 3,290 193 598 1,189 3,056 5,996 9,490 6,575Students per Web Specialist 5,280 211 644 1,388 3,467 6,700 14,966 16,162Students per Help Desk Mgr 7,440 196 657 1,350 3,511 6,449 14,966 21,975Students per Tech Coord 1,496 199 557 1,000 2,168 2,248 4,866 2,798Students per Media Coord 1,515 177 562 719 1,349 1,463 4,481 4,266

* Tech Support is defined as technicians, technical assistants, LAN engineer and WAN engineer

The mean number of students per technician is 1,409:1. This ratio is lower for small schools and increases disproportionally for large schools/districts. Combining technicians, technical assistants, LAN engineers and WAN engineers into a group called Tech Support, the mean number of students per tech support person drops to 716:1.

End user support is one of its most basic but time consuming functions, and the support staff ratios are very high. Previous industry studies have typically shown that ideally one tech support staff member is needed for every 100-200 users.

A recent article in Network World cites a poll conducted by Robert Half Technology with 1,400 corporate CIOs. They reported a mean ratio of internal end users to tech support pros of 136:1. Even this was felt to be significantly less than optimal; those corporate CIOs reported an ideal mean ratio to be 82:1. That study also found that bigger companies were in a better technical support staffing position. This is opposite of K-12 educational institutions where the students to technician ratio gets higher as the schools get larger.


Staffing Issues

With too much to do, and too little to do it with, IT leaders seem to be focused on the basics of keeping the systems they have functioning properly. Eighty-three percent indicated that although this might be a challenge, it was one they were able to meet.

Testing and implementing new technologies, however, is a challenge that 50% of the participants were struggling to meet. Further emphasizing the reactive mode that school IT departments are forced into taking, three-quarters felt that they do not have enough staff to implement new technologies, and two-thirds do not have enough staff to plan for new technology.

Indicate the degree of difficulty you face in each of these aspects of IT management (n = 642)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Keeping IT systems functioning properly

Supporting end-users

Planning effectively for IT needs

Testing and implementing new technologies

Monitoring student and staff technology use;ensuring proper use

Keeping student and staff data up to date

Maintaining IT security

Integrating technology into instruction

Not a challenge Somewhat of a challenge

Definitely a challenge, but we're meeting it A challenge we're struggling to meet

School IT departments are clearly stretched thin. Only 27% of respondents felt that they have enough staff to effectively support the needs of the school/district, and only 31% felt that they had enough staff to meet their yearly objectives.

In the corporate world, technology is viewed as a strategic asset, and IT is validated by its ability to support the core business. IT investments are determined based on the contribution the technology will make to the employees’ productivity and ultimately the business’ output. In schools, the output is education, yet IT often is not measured in terms of enhancing student education. In fact, a reoccurring theme throughout the survey is that stretched IT departments are falling short when it comes to integrating technology into classroom instruction. Sixty-five percent reported that they do not have enough staff to do this. Forty-five percent indicated that integrating technology into instruction was a management challenge that they are struggling to meet.


Overall, do you feel that you have enough IT staff to:(n = 648)

Yes, 27%

Yes, 31%

Yes, 45%

Yes, 55%

Yes, 47%

Yes, 38%

Yes, 24%

No, 73%

No, 69%

No, 55%

No, 45%

No, 53%

No, 62%

No, 76%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Effectively support the needs of the district/school?

Meet your department’s yearly objectives?

Maintain network systems adequately?

Install IT applications?

Maintain IT applications?

Plan for new technology?

Implement new technology?

In what areas do you not have enough IT staff?(multiple responses allowed n = 642)

IT Service and Support, 55%

Classroom Integration, 65%

Systems Technicians, 43%

Web Site Development, 41%

Network Administration, 37%

Database Management, 33%

None, 9%

Other, 6%

In what areas do you have too much IT staff?(multiple responses allowed, n = 621)

All Other, 5%

None, 96%


Overall, 45% of respondents felt that they did not have enough staff to install software applications, and 53% did not have enough staff to maintain the applications. In fact, 60% reported that, during the past school year, their IT staff was unable to complete all software installations in a timely manner. About one-third of these - 21% overall - hired contract help for software installation.

When asked what percentage of their total IT staffing is outsourced, 41% of the survey respondents said none, and 35% reported between 1 and 10 percent.

What percentage of your total IT staffing is outsourced?(n = 642)

41%

10%7%

3% 4%

35%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

None 1-10% 11-25% 25-50% 51-75% 76-100%


During the past school year, was your IT staff able to complete all needed software installations in a timely manner? (n = 646)

Yes40%

No and Did Not Hire

Contract Help39%

No, but Hired Contract Help

21%

Staff Recruitment and Retention

Adding to the problem of limited staff, there was concern among the respondents that the school/district pay levels make it difficult to recruit for additional IT positions. Forty percent felt that the school pay scale was too low, making it difficult to recruit, while 44% said the pay could be better but were still able to recruit. The biggest obstacle faced in retaining IT staff members is the salary is not competitive enough with similar positions in other industries. Heavy workloads and not enough opportunities for advancement were also cited as significant obstacles.

Is the school/district pay scale sufficient for recruiting IT staff? (n = 635)

The pay scale could be better, but still able to

recruit, 44%

The pay scale is too low, making it difficult to recruit,

40%

The pay scale is competitive

enough to recruit

effectively, 16%

What is the biggest obstacle you face in retaining IT staff members? (n = 630)

Workload too much, 28%

Not enough opportunities for

advancement, 18%

Other, 14%

Underqualified for job

responsibilities, 6%

Salary not competitive enough with similar positions in other industries, 34%


What percentage of your department's workload is spent reacting to technical problems

(as opposed to working in a proactive mode)? (n = 636)

76-100%

51-75%

25-50%

11-25%

1-10%None

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

One of the most concerning findings of the study is the percentage of workload that is spent reacting to technical problems as opposed to working in a proactive mode. Just over half (55%) reported that 50-100% of their department’s workload is spent reacting to technical problems. Working in a reactive mode makes it difficult to plan, test or implement new systems and software. With the rate at which some technology changes, it becomes easy to invest too much staff time in supporting outdated and ineffective applications.


Percent of Percent of Time ResponsesNone 1%1-10% 6%11-25% 11%25-50% 28%51-75% 35%76-100% 20%

IT Assets

The National Center for Education Statistics has tracked a steady increase in the number of computers in schools over the past decade. Computers are used by administrators, staff and teachers to support daily school operations. In addition, students have access to common computers in labs and media centers, and personal computers are increasingly found in the classroom. Declining prices and funding programs have also encouraged more investment in school computers.

This survey found the average school to have about 2,000 desktop computers.

MEAN NUMBER OF COMPUTERS National


500 - 999 Students

1,000 - 2,999 Students

3,000 - 4,999 Students

5,000 - 9,999 Students

10,000 - 24,999 Students


# of PCs/Desktops designated as lab computers 940 95 592 291 546 984 2,014 7,021# of PCs/Desktops designated as staff computers 963 475 162 906 402 718 1,287 6,235# of PCs/Desktops designated as student computers 1,434 143 247 408 662 1,056 3,254 12,514TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPUTERS 2,008 425 648 1,095 1,109 1,545 3,895 10,098

There is a general feeling within the education industry that one technician typically supports 300–500 computers. This study found the overall mean ratio to be a little higher: 550 computers per technician. Since the level of support needed can vary by the use of the computer, distinctions were made between the number of computers designated as staff computers, lab computers and student computers.

MEAN NUMBER OF COMPUTERS PER TECHNICIAN National


500 - 999 Students

1,000 - 2,999 Students

3,000 - 4,999 Students

5,000 - 9,999 Students

10,000 - 24,999 Students


student computers per technician 219 140 92 179 204 246 430 449lab computers per technician 203 78 271 157 212 183 263 383staff computers per technician 128 123 61 102 131 150 164 247TOTAL COMPUTERS PER TECHNICIAN 550 341 424 438 547 579 857 1,079


Other industry research has suggested that one support person is needed for every 6-20 servers. As with desktops, the use of the server has an impact on the amount of technical support needed.

MEAN NUMBER OF SERVERS National


500 - 999 Students

1,000 - 2,999 Students

3,000 - 4,999 Students

5,000 - 9,999 Students

10,000 - 24,999 Students


# of File Servers 23.0 6.5 6.2 8.2 17.3 28.7 46.1 153.2# of Database Servers 7.4 3.0 4.1 3.7 4.3 7.8 14.9 40.7# of Application Servers 9.7 3.3 5.0 4.8 7.3 14.1 20.4 47.1TOTAL NUMBER OF SERVERS 34.2 11.4 14.6 14.7 25.1 39.4 69.1 168.7

MEAN NUMBER OF SERVERS PER TECHNICIAN National


500 - 999 Students

1,000 - 2,999 Students

3,000 - 4,999 Students

5,000 - 9,999 Students

10,000 - 24,999 Students


File Servers per technician 5.2 5.0 2.8 4.2 5.6 6.4 5.1 9.8Database Servers per technician 1.9 1.7 2.1 1.9 1.6 1.7 1.5 3.6Application Servers per technician 2.4 1.7 2.6 2.5 2.0 2.8 2.7 2.4TOTAL SERVERS PER TECHNICIAN 9.5 8.4 7.5 8.6 9.2 10.9 9.3 15.8

More than three quarters of respondents conduct an inventory of IT assets every school year for internal use. Yearly IT asset inventories are also often conducted for school boards and the state Department of Education.


How often do you conduct an inventory of IT assets and to whom do you report

the results? (n=509)

0

100

200

300

400

For internal use For the SchoolBoard

For the State DOE

# of

res

pons

es

Twice per Year Every School Year Every Other Year

Software and Systems

The majority of respondents (79%) have licenses with 20 or fewer different software vendors. The mean number is 16. Manufacturers and national direct marketers are the primary vendors for information technology products and accessory purchases.

How many different software vendors do you have licenses with? (n = 548)

9%7%

1% 1%3%

23%

28% 28%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

1-5 6-10 11-20 21-30 31-50 51-75 76-100 More than100Number of Vendors

Per

cent

of

Res

pons

es

What type of vendor do you primarily use for information technology products and accessory purchases? (n = 547)

1%

1%

2%

3%

6%

40%

48%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Consumer electronic superstores (such as BestBuy, Circuit City)

Computer superstores (such as CompUSA)

Web resellers (such as Amazon.com, Buy.com,Newegg.com)

Office supply superstores (such as Office Depot,Office Max, Staples)

Government resellers (such as GTSI)

National direct marketers (such as CDW-G,Insight Enterprises, PC Connection, PC Mall and

Manufacturers (such as Dell, HP, Lenovo)


Almost half of all respondents (45%) have a functioning software based help desk, and another 10% are currently developing or implementing one. Commercial software systems make up 40% of the Help Desk systems; Thirty-five percent are email-based. Private schools are much less likely to have a software-based help desk: only 27% currently have one functioning, and another 13% are under development. This is most likely due to the typically smaller school size with fewer students, staff and assets.

Has your educational institution implemented a software based

Help Desk? (n=555)

45%

16%

29%

10%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%No, we have othermore pressingneeds

No, we need tohave one but it isnot actively beingpursued

No, but one iscurrently beingpursued (developedor purchased)

Yes, we have afunctioning HelpDesk


If you have any kind of Help Desk, what type is it? (n = 382)

Paper - based

6%

Email - based35%

Software (purchased)

40%

Software (developed in-house)

19%

Comparison of Public and Private SchoolsSoftware Based Help Desk

51%

10%15%

25%27%

13%

20%

40%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Yes, we have afunctioning Help

Desk

No, but one iscurrently being

pursued (developedor purchased)

No, we need to haveone but it is notactively being

pursued

No, we have othermore pressing

needs

Public K-12 Private K-12

Requirements in No Child Left Behind are expected to prompt schools to use technology to better track school and student performances. Indeed, 42% do already have a system up and running. The flip side, however, is that 57% do not yet have a student database system, although half of those are either currently implementing a purchased system or developing an in-house system.

Again, implementation appears to be slower in private schools, where only 21% already have a system, and 42% have not yet planned for a system.


Has your educational institution implemented a database system that

tracks student and school performance? (n=548)

42%

15%

5%

19%

18%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%We have not yetplanned for such asystem

We are investigatingour options

We are currentlydeveloping a systemin house

We are currentlyimplementing apurchased system

We already have asystem up andrunning

Comparison of Public and Private SchoolsDatabase System to Track

Student & School Performance

11%

20%

5%

17%

8% 9%

47%

21%19%

42%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

We have not yetplanned for such a

system

We are investigatingour options

We are currentlydeveloping a system

in house

We are currentlyimplementing a

purchased system

We already have asystem up and

running



Just over a third of all respondents reported that all of their schools have wireless networking, with most having some portion of their schools with this capability. Private schools were twice as likely as public schools to have wireless networks installed in all of their schools (of course many private school systems consist of only one school).

Comparison of Public and Private Schools

Wireless Networking

31%

63%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Yes, in all of our schools


Almost all of the school systems (94%) have an enterprise-level anti-virus solution in place.

Just over one-quarter of those surveyed did not have a secure, remote access system in place (26%), 14% are developing a system and 22% have one implemented but it is not being utilized to the fullest.


Do you have wireless networking in your schools? (n=557)

38%

14%

15%

21%

13%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

No, not in any of ourschools

Yes, in a few of ourschools

Yes, in some of ourschools

Yes, in most of ourschools

Yes, in all of ourschools

Do you have an enterpise level anti-virus

solution in place? (n = 555)

Yes94%

No6%

Do you have secure remote access? (n = 553)

We have implemented a

system but it is not yet utilized to the

fullest, 22%

We have implemented and

currently use a secure remote

access system, 38%

We are currently

developing/ implementing a system, but

it is not yet utilized, 14%

We do not have a secure remote

access system, 26%


Eighty-two percent of respondents said that is it very or somewhat important to have a single sign-on of all of their school applications and to have an integrated security model.

The most commonly reported strategies for a single sign on include use of active directory and LDAP implementation. Other approaches include Kerberos, Citrix, Novell, Sharepoint and developing more stringent password policies.

Only 29% of the IT leaders surveyed have implemented, or have plans to implement, a school interoperability framework. More than one-quarter had never heard of a school interoperability framework.

Do you have plans to implement a school interoperability framework (SIF)?

Never heard of SIF, 28%

Heard of SIF, but have no immediate plans to implenent,

43%

Heard of SIF, and planning to implement

or currently in the process of

implementing, 20% Hav

e al

read

y im

plem

ente

d a

SIF

, 9%


Do you view that is is important to have a single sign on for all of your organization applications and have

an integrated security model?

Very important

40%

Somewhat important

42%

Of minor importance

12%

Not at all important

6%

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a computer application that is delivered as a service rather than being physically installed on school servers or individual desktops. Users access the software via their PC web browser or mobile device. SaaS applications free IT staff from installation, upgrade and software maintenance chores.

In early 2007, InformationWeek conducted a Software as a Service survey with 250 business technology professionals. The research showed that the majority were familiar with the delivery model and that almost one-third were using it for one or more applications. Small businesses were expected to be key drivers, and indeed the survey found that small- to mid-size businesses were adopting it faster due to cost savings from less hardware and staff support.

Given that most school IT departments face constraints similar to small businesses, the IT survey posed a series of similar questions regarding Software as a Service. In comparison, IT leaders in school systems seem to be about as familiar as business IT leaders with the Software as a Service delivery model. More than 80% of both groups are very or somewhat familiar with it.

However, schools have adopted SaaS application more readily than businesses; 53% of schools versus 29% of businesses reported that they currently use one or more SaaS applications.

Do you currently use any Software as a Service applications?

IT School Survey

Info Week Survey

Currently use for one or more applications 53% 29%Plan to adopt within next 12 months 2% 9%Plan to adopt in more than 12 months 2% 2%Under consideration, but no decision yet 22% 24%Don’t plan to use any 21% 36%

Among those who are already using SaaS applications, both groups cited ease of deployment as the main reason for adoption (72% and 69%). More flexibility to support changing application needs was also a common response among both groups. Not surprisingly, two-thirds of school IT leaders indicated that the fact that SaaS applications require less technical support was also a main reason for choosing

them. This was not a response choice on the InformationWeek survey. This finding supports the emerging conclusion that school IT departments are stretched thin and are anxious for ways to better manage the workload for their technical support staff. Ease of use was also of importance to the IT school leaders and is another example of the emphasis on solutions that can reduce the need for IT help. Interestingly, ease of use was cited more than twice as often by the school group than the corporate group (41% vs. 19%). More business IT leaders indicated lower costs as a main reason than did their counterparts in schools (43% vs 34%).


How familiar are you with the Software as a Service delivery

model?

38% 37%

46% 49%

16% 14%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

IT SchoolSurvey

InformationWeek Survey

Not at AllFamiliarSomewhatFamiliarVery familiar

Respondents who currently use SaaS for one

or more applications

53%

29%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

IT SchoolSurvey

InformationWeek Survey

If you are already using them, what are your main reasons for adopting SaaS? (Select all that apply.)

20%

8%

32%

43%

19%

52%

69%

16%

17%

18%

28%

34%

41%

47%

63%

72%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Other

Not locked in to long license

More reliable

Easier to change number of users

Lower and/or more predictable software costs

Ease of Use

More flexibility to support changing application needs

Requires less technical support

Ease of deployment

IT School Survey

Information Week Survey

Among those who are not already using SaaS applications, school IT leaders said that concerns about costs (40%) and concerns about reliability and response times (38%) were the two biggest issues. Business IT leaders indicated that the biggest issues were concerns about security (48%) and not seeing and advantage over commercial products (42%).

If you are not already using them, why aren’t you adopting SaaS applications? (Select all that apply.)

33%

26%

16%

29%

15%

42%

27%

31%

31%

48%

22%

40%

30%

9%

13%

15%

15%

20%

22%

22%

23%

25%

26%

38%

40%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Features and functionality

Loss of development control over key software applications

Won’t fit the needs of our dynamic organization

We have no need for it

Difficult to measure ROI

Don’t see advantage over commercial software products

Lack of available applications

Too entrenched

Other

Interoperability with legacy systems

Concerns about interoperability with other software

Concerns about Security

Exisiting software licenses are adequate

Concerns about Reliability and Response Times

Concerns about costs

IT School Survey

Information WeekSurvey

Data security and integration with non-SaaS applications were considered by both groups to be the biggest challenges with the SaaS model.


Whether you are using any applications or not, what do you consider to be the biggest challenges with SaaS?

(Select all that apply.)

24%

6%

11%

26%

26%

20%

36%

21%

56%

62%

15%

15%

16%

18%

19%

20%

31%

34%

40%

40%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Lack of application development and enhancement

Other

Less value in subscribing over licensing

Unclear ROI

Not enough offerings

Lack of flexibility

Data control

Unclear cost advantage

Data security

Integration with non-SaaS applications

IT School Survey

Information Week Survey

When asked how big of a concern security is in SaaS, 87% of the business IT leaders classified it as a major concern, compared with only 48% of school IT leaders.

There are a number of key benefits that can be attributed to subscribing to SaaS-based solutions, including:


How big of a concern is security in SaaS?

47%

87%

41%

12%12%1%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

IT School Survey Information WeekSurvey

No Concern

Minor Concern

Major Concern

Time: SaaS solutions often provide significant implementation cycle time benefits and are quite often considerably less complex to configure and launch. This typically delivers a higher return on investment (ROI) and time to value for your software subscription. The overall project management planning and execution is quite straightforward and results in rapid implementation of your software solution.

Risk: Because the implementation complexity is greatly reduced with a configurable SaaS-based solution, the overall risk to your enterprise is lessened considerably, and the success rate of meeting your initial implementation goals is appreciably improved.

Scalability: Most SaaS solutions are designed and architected to be quite agile and are equipped to quickly and easily scale your software application solution to meet the requirements of your institution with no hardware, IT resource, or procurement lead time requirements.

IT Resources: SaaS-based solutions position your internal IT organization to continue to focus on strategic and mission-critical projects and rely on considerably less on-going internal IT support resource commitments than traditional client/server and mainframe-based software applications. SaaS solutions are appealing to many IT organizations that are currently over-committed and under-staffed.

Cost: Most experts and analysts agree that SaaS solutions deliver a lower total cost of ownership (total of hardware, software licensing, infrastructure, support staff, and overhead costs over time) than traditional client/server and mainframe-based software solutions. SaaS solutions also require lower upfront costs while making planning and budgeting easier with more predictable costs throughout the subscription agreement.

Simplicity: SaaS solutions offer less technology complexity than traditional IT solutions, which require internal staff members to deal with various issues surrounding the application hardware, application software, operating system software, middleware software, and infrastructure software and hardware. There are also change, release and configuration management procedures that need to be designed and implemented for each of these layers of technology to manage the on-going maintenance, upgrades and support for each component.

Configurability: SaaS solutions typically offer many configuration options versus the ability to be customized. Although this model limits the ultimate flexibility of the application software, it generally is in the best interest of each customer in that on-going updates and enhancements can be applied on a frequent basis without “breaking” the application or creating extended version upgrade outages. In most enterprises, customized software is considerably more expensive to operate and maintain than software where vendor configuration options are administered.

Enhancements: Most SaaS solution providers today have maintenance and enhancement release schedules that are considerably shorter than traditional client/server and mainframe software applications. The updates also do not require scheduling internal IT resources and application experts to review and apply the software changes.

Access: SaaS solutions leverage Internet access, which is ubiquitous for most organizations today. A key advantage is that they provide secure access from anywhere at anytime for your facilities and maintenance team, administration and staff, faculty, and students.

Business Continuity: Proven SaaS solution providers have made a thoughtful and considerable investment in comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery plans and procedures to ensure that their customers do not experience any serious application outages. Internally hosted software applications require an appropriate investment of time to ensure that contingency plans are defined, developed and implemented accordingly.

There are two additional benefits that SaaS solutions offer that appeal to many IT organizations. First, these solutions are typically “green” in that they do not require additional internal investments in data center floor space, cooling and power. Secondly, SaaS solution providers typically leverage the latest “virtualization” techniques to maximize their investments in hardware and software to support their application offerings.


IT Funding

Forty-three percent of the survey participants felt that school board/district leaders understand the importance of IT as it relates to the overall goals and mission of the organization and that they are very supportive of IT. Another 49% said they understand the importance but are not as supportive financially.

Does your IT budget . . . (n = 541)

2% 2% 2%

29% 34% 29%

36%39%

34%

33%25%

34%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Allow you to meet theoverall expectations of

the School Board /District leaders?

Allocate enoughfinancial resources tosupport the computer

assets that havealready beenpurchased?

Allocate enoughfinancial resources to

invest in new computerassets that are needed

to meet staterequirements?

IT budget is severelyless than needed

IT budget is slightlyless than is needed

IT budget issufficient

IT budget is morethan is needed

One-third reported that the IT budget was severely less than they needed in order to meet the overall expectations of the school board/district leaders. One-quarter felt that the budget was severely less than they needed to support their existing computer assets, while 39% thought that the budget was slightly less than needed. Regarding the financial resources needed to invest in new computer assets to meet state requirements, 34% reported that their IT budget was severely less than needed, and another 34% felt that it was slightly less than needed.

Forty-three percent responded that IT security is viewed as a priority but that funding is insufficient.


How well do the School Board/ District leaders understand the importance of IT as it relates to the overall goals

and mission of the organization? (n = 538)

They understand the importance and are very supportive of IT,

43%

They understand the importance but are not as supportive financially, 49%

They do not feel that IT is important to the

overall goals, 8%

Is IT security viewed as a funding priority? (n = 543)

It is viewed as a priority and funded

accordingly, 38%

It is viewed as a priority but funding is insufficient, 43%

It is not viewed as a priority and

therefore not much money is allocated for it,

19%

Strategic IT Issues

For eight years, EDUCAUSE has conducted a current issues survey with higher education information technology leaders to “rate the most critical IT challenges facing them, their campuses, and/or their systems.” In 2007, 1,785 respondents completed the survey. To see if the issues facing K-12 IT leaders were the same, a similar set of questions were included in this survey. IT funding was identified as the most important issue to resolve for strategic success from both groups. However, the K-12 IT professional is also concerned about faculty development and staffing, whereas the higher education group identified security and administrative/ERP systems as important for strategic success.

Which issues are most important for your School/ District to resolve for strategic success? K-12 IT Survey 2007 EDUCAUSE 2006 EDUCAUSE

Number 1 ConcernFunding IT Funding IT Security

Number 2 Concern Faculty Development, Support and Training

Security Funding IT

Number 3 Concern Staffing/ TrainingAdministrative/ ERP/ Information Systems

Administrative/ ERP/ Information Systems

The K-12 school survey found IT funding to be the issues with the potential to become more significant in the coming year. The EDUCAUSE survey found security to be the number one issue with potential in the higher education market.

Which issues have the potential to become more significant in the coming year? K-12 IT Survey 2007 EDUCAUSE 2006 EDUCAUSE

Number 1 Concern Funding IT Security Security

Number 2 ConcernFaculty Development, Support and Training

Identity/ Access Management

Funding IT

Number 3 Concern Security Funding ITDisaster Recovery/ Business Continuity


Infrastructure was identified by the K-12 group as the issue on which most of their time was spent. The EDUCAUSE survey found funding to be the number one most time-consuming issue.

Which issues are you spending most of your time addressing? K-12 IT Survey 2007 EDUCAUSE 2006 EDUCAUSE

Number 1 Concern Infrastructure Funding IT Funding IT




Number 3 Concern Funding IT Strategic Planning Strategic Planning

The K-12 IT leaders reported that most of their financial resources were spent on infrastructure. The higher education leaders said that their schools were spending most of their financial resources on Administrative/ERP/Information Systems.

On which IT issues is your school spending the most financial resources? K-12 IT Survey 2007 EDUCAUSE 2006 EDUCAUSE

Number 1 Concern InfrastructureAdministrative/ ERP/ Information Systems


Number 2 ConcernAdministrative/ ERP/ Information Systems

Infrastructure Infrastructure


Electronic Classrooms

Support Services/Service Delivery Models

Conclusions

Information technology professionals in the K-12 education sector are in a difficult situation. The staffing levels in these departments are low in relation to the number of end users and IT assets they support. Comparisons to IT ratios in non-education industries show that school tech support staff is responsible for about five times as many end users. Staffing shortfalls translate into reduced benefits in both operations and the classroom. The IT workload is primarily reactive, making it challenging for IT leaders to plan for or implement new technologies or to integrate technology into instruction. And although school/district leaders are often supportive of IT, and understand its importance to the institution’s overall goals, funding is not always a priority or available.

Even with these challenges, K-12 schools have made some technological advancements. Almost all schools now have an enterprise-level anti-virus solution in place. Wireless connectivity and remote, secure access are becoming more prevalent. Changes in application solutions are also helping under-staffed IT departments. Software as a Service applications are particularly seen as beneficial since there is no software to be installed or maintained on individual computers, freeing up staff for other needs.


Survey Methodology

This study was developed by SchoolDude.com and eSchool News. Together, we designed a 44-question online survey to address educational IT issues. During June 2007, an email announcement with a hyperlink to the on-line survey was sent to school district leaders and IT administrators. Targeted respondents included both members and non-members of the SchoolDude community and subscribers and non-subscribers to eSchoolNews.

Many organizations, such as the Consortium for School Networking, Association of School Business Officials International, and MassCue participated in distributing the survey. By combining efforts, more than 400,000 people were contacted. By the close of the survey in September, 956 respondents had completed the questionnaire.

Notes on Statistical Analysis and Survey Limitations

1. Although 957 individuals responded to this survey, some were not members of the targeted audience (public and private K-12 schools). The raw survey data was cleaned based on the answer to question 3: What type is your organization? The answer choices were “public K-12 or other grades,” “private K-12 or other grades” and “other.” Twenty-four respondents who answered “other” and then indicated they were vendors, consultants, association administrators or from higher educational facilities were dropped from the analysis. In addition, there were 27 respondents who skipped this question and therefore were also dropped. This resulted in 899 respondents being included in this analysis.

2. The survey questions were aimed at information technology leaders, however the respondents represented a range of job positions (see the results of question 6 in the report). This became particularly evident in some questions where close to 300 respondents skipped the question, presumably unable to answer because they were not in a leadership IT role and did not know the answers or because it did not apply to them. In such cases, by skipping the questions the respondents self-corrected the data, and further filtering of the raw data was not necessary. But the reader should note the number of responses to a particular question when analyzing the results.

3. For many of the questions that asked for a numerical response, the respondent was given choices that covered a numerical range (eg. “How many FTE employees does your institution have…”). Although this makes it easier for the person responding to the survey to answer “6-10,” it limits the exactness of the analysis. It should be noted that, in such cases, the midpoint of the range was used for statistical calculations. Some ratios, such as the computers per technician, required the use of midpoints for both variables.

4. Statistical calculations were derived by eliminating responses that were: significantly different from the distribution (outliers), left blank and, when appropriate, equaled zero.

References and On-Line Resources

1. InformationWeek, Businesses Get Serious About Software as a Service, April 2007http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199000824

2. Network World, Tech Support Could Use More Help, September 2007http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/itlead/2007/0910itlead1.html

3. EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY, Current Issues Survey Report, 2007

4. SchoolDude.com, http://www.SchoolDude.com

5. eSchoolNews, http://www.eSchoolNews.com

6. National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/

7. National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, http://www.edfacilities.org/


http://www.edfacilities.org/

http://nces.ed.gov/

http://www.eSchoolNews.com/

http://www.SchoolDude.com/

http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/itlead/2007/0910itlead1.html

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199000824

About SchoolDude.com

SchoolDude has become the nation’s #1 provider of on-demand software designed exclusively for the unique needs of support services professionals. We now serve more than 3,100 educational institutions (school districts, colleges and universities, and private schools), representing more than 14 million students.

While we have long been known for our facility operations solutions, what is not as well known is that SchoolDude is one of the top vendors serving the senior-level IT decision maker. To help solve the challenge of “too much stuff…and not enough staff,” we launched our IT suite of products – ITAMDirect (hardware and software asset management), ITDirect (help desk management) and ITWireless (wireless incident management). Beginning in 2005, these IT products provided breakthrough pricing and performance unique to the education industry.

SchoolDude’s accomplishments serving the CIO/CTO/IT Director include:

The rapid adoption of our three IT management solutions by more than 1,100 IT departments.

Being the #1 company, and the market leader, serving educational institutions with the Software as a Service (SaaS), on-demand model.

Our launch of ITAMDirect is providing a breakthrough in price/performance for managing your hardware and software assets with our leading on-demand offering. With just a simple installation of an agent on your MAC or PC, you can get instant and rich information on your hardware and software assets. More than 180 educational organizations have adopted this new breakthrough approach.

Our comprehensive, integrated suite of products serving multiple departments – leveraging IT costs and training across the entire educational institution.

Serving the unique needs of business, information technology, energy, facility and transportation educational operations professionals with solutions to improve efficiency and productivity and save money.

Being recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. in 2006 and 2007; Deloitte as one the fastest growing technology companies in North America in 2006 and 2007; the Triangle Business Journal as one of the top 50 fastest growing companies and a Best Place To Work in North Carolina in 2006 and 2007.

Spending an enormous amount of time and resources getting to know you and your challenges through support of educational organizations, such as CoSN, ISTE, NECC, EDUCAUSE, Campus Technology, League of Innovation, and many more.


To learn how SchoolDude’s IT solutions:

Automate networked asset data collectionIdentify missing assetsSave up to 25% on license renewals through tracking and complianceDramatically reduce the need for field audits of IT assets by 50% or moreSupport long-term planning and life cycle costingReduce incident requests 10-20% with request troubleshooting and knowledge baseSave the IT staff approximately 30 minutes per incident annually

Please contact us toll free at (877) 868-3833 or email [email protected]

For more information, please visit http://www.schooldude.com

To learn more about SchoolDude's IT products, please visit http://www.schooldude.com/public/technology/

http://www.schooldude.com/public/technology/

http://www.schooldude.com/

mailto:[email protected]

About eSchool News

eSchool News covers education technology in all its aspects – from legislation and litigation, to case studies, to purchasing practices and new products. First published in March of 1998, eSchool News is a monthly print newspaper providing the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and the Internet to transform North America's schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals. The print newspaper is read by more than 300,000 school leaders, and a companion web site – eSchool News Online (http://www.eschoolnews.com) is visited by more than 300,000 unique visitors each month, including 135,000 registered members.

eSchool News is a marketing solutions company serving the education technology industry. Throughout our 25-year history, we have created the most comprehensive portfolio of products and services in the industry. We offer access to the broadest reach and deepest range of education technology professionals worldwide across the entire technology spectrum: the creators, sellers and buyers of technology around the world.

Every day, our editorial, sales and marketing professionals share their content expertise to help our customers grow their businesses. We leverage the immediacy of online, the networking of face-to-face opportunities, the expert interaction of web seminars, and the breadth and depth of print to create compelling, focused media that delivers measurable results.

Mission

eSchool News – helping educators succeed by:

Providing the latest news, resources and reports on the applications of technology to improve learning Providing resources and tools to evaluate the funding, purchasing and the evaluation of technology in the

education systems Assisting educators in forming collaborative alliances and providing a valuable resource bank for the

exchange of information, ideas and best practices.

In order to fulfill our mission, we pledge the following:

We will treat each member as though the success of our organization depends on that individual alone We will continue to increase the value and benefits of our services, programs and products We will deliver what we promise We will conduct our business in a manner which commands the respect of the public for our industry and

for the goals toward which we strive.


http://www.eschoolnews.com/

the unique challenges facing the it professional in k12 education

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