Wednesday, February 19, 2014, 9:00 a.m. CT
Host site: Varner
Hall Lower Level Board Room, 3835 Holdrege Street, Lincoln
Remote: Metro
Community College, Bldg 30—Suite 252, 30th & Fort Streets, Omaha
Remote: Wayne State
College, NATS Conference Room, 1111 Main St, Wayne
Remote: ESU 13, 4215
Avenue I, Scottsbluff
Remote: Southeast
Community College, Eicher Bldg IVC Room, 600 State
Street, Milford
VOTING MEMBERS/ALTERNATES PRESENT:
Dr. Terry Haack, Co-Chair, Bennington Public Schools (Omaha Site)
Mr. Burke Brown, Alt. for Mr. Jeff
Johnson, Centennial Public Schools (Lincoln Site)
Mr. Mike Carpenter, Doane College
(Lincoln Site)
Mr. Matt Chrisman, Mitchell Public
Schools (Scottsbluff Site)
Mr. Stephen Hamersky, Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School (Omaha Site)
Mr. Lyle Neal, Southeast Community
College (Milford Site)
Mr. Gary Needham, ESU 9 (Kearney
Site)
Ms. Mary Niemiec, University of
Nebraska (Omaha Site)
Mr. Randy Schmailzl,
Metropolitan Community College (Omaha Site)
Dr. Bob Uhing, Educational Service
Unit 1 (Wayne Site)
LIAISONS/ALTERNATE MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr.
Brent Gaswick, Nebraska Department of Education (Lincoln Site)
MEMBERS/LIAISONS ABSENT: Mr. Clark Chandler, Nebraska Wesleyan University; Mr. John
Dunning, Wayne State College; Mr. Ed Hoffman, Co-Chair, Nebraska State College System; Ms. Yvette Holly,
UN-Medical Center; Dr. Mike Lucas, York Public Schools; Mr. Jeff Stanley,
School Boards; Ms. Brenda Decker, Office of the CIO; Mr. Gary Targoff, Nebraska
Educational Telecommunications; and Dr. Carna Pfeil, Coordinating Commission
for Postsecondary Education
CALL TO ORDER, ELECTRONIC POSTING,
LOCATION OF OPEN MEETING LAW DOCUMENTS, ROLL CALL, INTRODUCTIONS
The Co-chair,
Dr. Haack, called the meeting to order at 1:31 p.m. There were seven members
present at the time of roll call. A quorum was not present at the time of roll
call. After roll call was taken there were two late arrivals at which time a
quorum existed to conduct official business. The meeting notice and agenda were
posted to the Nebraska
Public Meeting Calendar on December 19, 2013.
The meeting agenda was posted to the NITC site on February 17, 2014. A
copy of the Open Meetings Act was available in Varner Hall as well as each of
the remote sites.
CONSIDER
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA FOR THE FEBRUARY 19, 2014 MEETING*
Mr. Uhing moved to approve the February 19, 2014 agenda as presented. Mr. Needham seconded. Roll call vote: Carpenter-Yes, Chrisman-Yes, Haack-Yes, Hamersky-Yes, Brown-Yes, Neal-Yes, Needham-Yes,
Niemiec-Yes, Schmailzl-Yes, and Uhing-Yes. Results:
Yes-9, No-0, Abstained-0. Motion carried.
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM
THE DECEMBER 18, 2013 MEETING*
Mr. Hamersky moved to approve the December 18, 2013 meeting minutes as presented. Ms. Niemiec seconded. Roll
call vote: Uhing-Yes, Schmailzl-Yes, Niemiec-Yes,
Needham-Yes, Neal-Yes, Brown-Yes, Hamersky-Yes, Haack-Yes,
Haack-Yes, Chrisman-Yes, and Carpenter-Yes.
Results: Yes-9, No-0, Abstained-0. Motion carried.
NETWORK NEBRASKA-EDUCATION REPORT
RFP 4582 Update.
The State Purchasing RFP was released in December. Bids were opened on January 17th
and then a Best and Final Offer bid round opened on January 31st. The intent to
award letters have been sent to vendors. The included 29 circuit
bids. Three of these circuits
were for the potential growth of Network Nebraska for ESUs 3 and 5 and a combination
for ESUs 4 and 6. The terms and
conditions are being negotiated and finalized.
There may be a slight increase in Interregional Transport Fee rates but probably
not in the Participation Fee. Currently,
the K-12 Internet purchase is at 8 Gbps and is expected
to increase to 14-16 Gbps – 80-100% growth. With the new Internet contract negotiated by
the University of Nebraska, 18-20 Gbps of Internet
will be available. The cost will go down
from $2.50/mg to $1.35/Mbps/month. After
E-rate is applied, the network cost will be around $ .47/Mbps/month. Higher education will pay the retail price
when determined. Mr. Rolfes commended
the Council for their work with Network Nebraska.
Services Update. The participation fees in the past have
funded additional intrusion protection and security services. In addition, on December 5th,
Network Nebraska initiated Internet2
Commercial Peering Services which permits
some quicker routes than commodity Internet. Network Nebraska previously piloted
CPS in 2012, when it filled an entire research circuit. This was a collaborative effort of the Network
Nebraska Advisory Group and the Collaborative Aggregation Partnership, working
with UNL and UNCSN.
Membership Outlook
for 7/1/2014
There is a possibility of 32 new schools that could be joining
Network Nebraska on 7/1/2014. Fourteen (14) have been confirmed and 18 are waiting
until the final internet rate or WAN costs are decided. The project should have confirmation within
the next week. If all 32 schools
participate, Network Nebraska will have 99% of K12 participation.
List of
possible K-12 and higher education entities joining Network Nebraska-Education
on 7/1/2014:
Confirmed Commitments: Educational Service
Unit #4, Auburn Public Schools, Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer
Schools, Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Public Schools, Crete Public Schools,
Exeter-Milligan Public Schools, Fillmore Central Public Schools, Friend Public
Schools, Malcolm Public Schools, McCool Junction Public Schools, Seward Public
Schools, Shickley Public Schools, Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools and York Public Schools
Waiting on final
Internet rate or WAN costs to decide: Archbishop Bergan Catholic School (Fremont), Arlington
Public Schools, Bellevue Public Schools, Bennington Public Schools, Blair
Community Schools, Conestoga Public Schools, Elkhorn Public Schools, Elmwood
Murdock Public Schools, Fort Calhoun Community Schools, Gretna Public Schools,
Millard Public Schools, Papillion-LaVista Public
Schools, Plattsmouth Public Schools, Ralston Public Schools, Westside Community
Schools, St. John Lutheran School in Seward, South
Platte Public Schools at Big Springs and Concordia University in Seward
Budget Outlook for 7/1/2014. At this
point, the project is uncertain as to number of entities that will participate
in Network Nebraska. It is anticipated
that the backbone will increase by as much as $5/month for K12 and $13/month
for Higher Education but participation fees should decrease.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
NITC Website. The NITC staff posted upcoming legislative bills
pertaining to I.T. on the NITC website. Mr. Rolfes has added legislation
pertaining to the education sector. If members
are interested, they can sign-up for e-bill tracker that is available to Nebraska
citizens. eBill sends alerts
when the status of proposed bills change.
LR 199, The purpose of this
study resolution was to acquire additional information, including financial
requirements, regarding the state's efforts to establish a statewide virtual/digital
educational system. No report has been
published on the Legislature’s website.
LB 497, (3) The
Education Committee of the Legislature shall conduct a study of potential uses
of the funds dedicated to education from proceeds of the lottery conducted
pursuant to the State Lottery Act. The committee shall submit a report
electronically on the findings and any recommendations to the Clerk of the
Legislature on or before December 31, 2014. Factors the study shall consider,
but not be limited to, include:
(1) The educational priorities of the state;
(2) What types of educational activities are suited
to being funded by state lottery funds as opposed to state general funds;
(3) Whether state lottery funds should be used for
significant projects requiring temporary funding or to sustain ongoing
activities; and
(4) Whether periodic reviews of the use of lottery
funds for education should be scheduled.
Dr.
Haack suggested the council submit information for the LB 497 study and he
requested members’ input. The information should include the following:
·
Schools need for IT support with statewide
networking
·
Admonition that Technology changes
so quickly
·
Rather than special earmarking for equipment,
have a component that provided professional development for teachers to learn
technology
·
Provide a history of Network
Nebraska-Education including cost savings
LB 1103 – (2)
The
Education Committee of the Legislature shall conduct a strategic planning
process to create the statewide vision for education in Nebraska described in
section 1 of this act which shall include aspirational goals, visionary
objectives, meaningful priorities, and practical strategies. The committee or
subcommittees thereof may conduct meetings, work sessions, and focus groups
with individuals and representatives of educational interests, taxpayer groups,
the business community, or any other interested entities. The committee shall
also hold at least three public hearings to receive testimony from the general
public in locations that represent a variety of educational situations. The
committee shall submit a report regarding such process electronically to the
Clerk of the Legislature on or before December 31, 2014.
A hearing was held before the Education Committee on
February 10th and additional public hearings will be held throughout
the state. The study is to be completed
before the end of 2014. Mr. Rolfes asked
if the Council sees itself being involved in the LB 1103 study or if they would
want to make a statement about IT in education similar to LB 497. The Council would need to work with the NITC
to have their documents shared with the Education Committee.
LB 467, FOR AN ACT relating
to the Postsecondary Institution Act; to amend section 85-2405, Revised
Statutes Cumulative Supplement, 2012; to provide for interstate reciprocity
agreements regarding postsecondary distance education; to harmonize provisions;
and to repeal the original section.
Higher
education institutions are tracking this bill.
TASK GROUP REPORTS
Emerging Technologies Task Group [Discussion Requested on Changing Curriculum],
Steven Hamersky. The work group met in
December and discussed curriculum changes motivated by technology. The work group would like to propose ideas but
wanted to get the Council’s feedback.
High education sector
feedback: More and more university students
are looking for more applications rather than memorization for example on
topics such as “how to deal with patient” or “patient issues”. Recording a classroom lecture that you can
watch on YouTube is becoming more popular. Ms. Niemiec commented that the “pedagogy” of education should be addressed. For example, the
flip classroom and blended education and MOOCs have great potential. UNL has several initiatives underway
regarding the continuum of education. It
is about the technology needs of students and student’s competency and ability for
success. At UNL, 60% of the students
have taken online courses. Some colleges
are switching from BlackBoard to Canvas. Mr. Carpenter would like the council to
address adaptive learning and students learning at their own pace. He will send Mr. Rolfes a link to some additional resources. Community
colleges and trade areas are taping lectures with students attending class one
day a week. Community colleges are also looking more and more at outcomes and competencies
for students.
K12 sector feedback: In regards to the flip classroom, Dr. Haack
stated that one of their 5th grade teachers is recording lectures. She emails the parents and this engages both
the parent and the students in the lesson. They use a lot of technology at home
and do a lot with Moodle. From the K12
area, curriculum changes are difficult due to the standardized testing that
teachers/students have to complete. They
rely on more traditional teaching means. Schools are dropping computer courses
to make room for more math and reading.
Technology always changes and sometimes this causes changes in
curriculum. Mr. Uhing stated that the
ESU Coordinating Council is putting together electronic text books. Mr. Brown commented that assessments have
affected their IT efforts. His
institution uses MATS.
This would be a unique opportunity
for K12, Higher Education and the Department of Education to collaborate in
making digital curriculum changes.
Services Task Group,
Gary Needham. Prior to the meeting, he
met with Mr. Carpenter to discuss the Service Catalog action item. It needs to be done before the next school year
or at least have the layout structured. A
draft of the services catalog with at least the table of contents will be made
available for review of Network Nebraska Advisory Group. Three categories will be proposed:
·
Direct Services. These would be services offered directly by Network Nebraska but would be optional and not part
of the Participation Fees)
·
Centers of Excellence Services that
would be offered by Participants to other Participants (would need to have a
structure in place)
·
Third Party Services. An example of
this would be state master contracts or working with the vendor of the NeSA assessment test regarding connections, etc.
Mr.
Carpenter stated that there is a need to develop a framework to implement and
evaluate the services. Mr. Rolfes
recommended that the work group contact Rick Golden, University of
Nebraska. Mr. Golden has sample
catalogues that the Office of the CIO has sent him.
Governance Task Group, Randy Schmailzl. The work group has not met. Future involvement could be communication
from the Council regarding legislation.
Marketing Task Group. Ms.
Niemiec reported that the work group has not met. Mr. Rolfes will send the last
marketing survey data to the Marketing Task Group.
SUBSECTOR REPORTS
State College. No report.
Community Colleges. Mr. Schmailzl reported
that there is a lot of legislation affecting community colleges. Senator Lautenbaugh
has introduced a bill to do away with county elected boards. County boards have a budgetary responsibility,
along with community college boards.
County Boards also levee property taxes. He had testified yesterday and
listened to other testimonies that were inaccurate. Providing accurate historical background on Network
Nebraska would be helpful. Many new senators have very little knowledge about
IT issues.
Independent Colleges. No report.
University of Nebraska. Ms. Niemiec reported that there are lots of eLearning
initiatives underway at UNMC. MOOCs are being delivered on the
Kucera platform and are being used for health literacies and six-week long
modules for health professionals. UNO and the UN High School Program are offering
a dual course in Psychology. SARA (State
Authorization Reciprocity Agreement) is a national initiative for higher
education institutions to provide courses out of state. It will be 3-5 years before it is fully
implemented. Ms. Niemiec is willing to
share information and groundwork about the initiative with members. The University of Nebraska will be holding
its 2nd Distance Education Symposium in May. She proposed ideas for the council to
consider. Perhaps the NITC Education
Council could host a similar symposium and/or partner with the University to
host an event. Members liked the idea
and would be interested in more discussion at a later date.
K-12 public and private. Dr. Haack suggested that perhaps the April
NETA conference could be an option for the collaborative distance education
symposium cross-sharing. Due to current
legislation, the public can now see all Nebraska state contracts including
school superintendents. There is proposed early
childhood education that if passed will have a funding mechanism and technology
will have a role. LB 1060 regarding county commissioners also applies
to ESUs. Mr. Gaswick stated that the Department of Education has the technology
planning tool used for E-rate funding.
They are planning to modify the tool to make it more useful to schools.
AGENDA ITEMS AND LOCATION FOR NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the NITC
Education Council will be held on April 16th with the location to be
determined. This will be a face-to-face
meeting. If any members would be willing
to host the meeting, they were asked to contact Mr. Rolfes
Below are a few proposed agenda
items:
·
Legislative Update
·
Services Catalog
·
Network Nebraska Website
presentation
ADJOURNMENT
Mr. Schmailzl moved to
adjourn. Ms. Niemiec seconded. All were in favor. Motion carried.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:35
a.m.
Meeting minutes were taken by Lori
Lopez Urdiales and reviewed by Tom Rolfes of the Office of the CIO/NITC.