Region and above - Week 8

Develop strategies for funding

Region 14 Education Service Center is funded through a variety of methods.  “We are funded through partial state, federal, and local, and through program revenues with the intent to provide the best possible services at the best possible cost to the districts within Region 14’s service area.” (RM, personal communication, 1-30-2012)  The past year has been difficult due to the reduced state funding but with the expectation to continue to provide the same high quality services. “The majority of our funding comes from the shared service arrangement and contracted services contracts we maintain with our participating districts.  We also use Chapter 41/42 contracts that provide additional funding through excess revenue obtained through sources such as wind farms and oil production.” (KT, personal communication, 3-8-2012)

 “Region 14 operates with no major debt, if any, and maintains a fund balance to allow for emergency operation if needed.  With a stable financial environment, Region 14 is able to provide the needed services and most requested services that the districts find important.” (MW, personal communication, 2-2-2012)  Much of the funding issues come due to the fact that Region 14 operates to provide the best possible service at the best possible price for the districts it support.  By not charging excessive fees, this means we must work to do the best we can within our budget.  We do what is necessary but sometimes have to pass on some things that are just wanted.” (RM, personal communication, 1-30-2012)  The service center does rely heavily on E-rate funding to discount many of the telecommunication services we provide to our districts to offset cost that would cause regular pricing to be unobtainable for the districts within region 14.  This funding offsets Internet access costs, distance learning services costs, and basic telecommunications costs such as local phone calls and long distance charges.  “We also are involved in as many grant opportunities as possible and are members of purchasing coops that allow Region 14 to partner with a large number of customers and then receive rebates back on the amount of sales that the purchasing coop makes any given year.” (KT, personal communication, 3-8-2012)  By leveraging as many sources as possible Region 14 works to keep the cost of its services to a minimum, which is good for the school districts it provides service.

Develop strategies for management plans

Technology is now a major point of emphasis in all parts of education.   Therefore, it is a practice of the directors of Region 14 Education Service center to include technology training into as many professional development opportunities as possible.   “The Region XIV Education Service Center management ensures that effective and efficient communication is established. Management promotes awareness of the quality policy, disseminates progress on quality performance and customer satisfaction and changes in the Quality Management System at regularly scheduled Planning, Training and Collaboration (PTC) Meetings.”  (Quality manual, 2011-2012, P17)  The most frequent technology trainings occur on the day PTC meetings are held.  This allows the technology staff to offer technology specific trainings that may include a higher percentage of staff due to them being on-site for the PTC meeting.

Region 14 must continuously work with technology to increase productivity.  This is accomplished by the use of a variety of software applications that range from Microsoft Office 2010, Camtasia, Photoshop, Acrobat, to NetStart web Enterprise web editing, TimeClock Plus, SQL anywhere data bases and the TxEIS student and business software supported by Region 14 for the districts.  The Director of Technology Services duties require that, at any given time, support for our staff or any district in need of support on video imaging, distance-learning, electronic devices such as iPhones, calculators, or even media devises such as laminators and copy machines must be provided.  It is also a frequent practice to work through instructional design principals on hypermedia projects.  One example is the Region 14 “ToolBox” that includes specialized tools required for Region 14 staff to complete paperwork through a paperless system.  This was designed to include the Region 14 time and effort application, the itinerary, the “Autobook” car reservation system, our form portal, access to our webinar login and employee access system, and web-editing logon.  This is a single point of access for all Region 14 business applications.  Other issues need to be completed on a daily basis is the coordination of the distance learning being used throughout Region 14.  We utilize distance learning for communication across not only the region by providing connections to administrator and professional development sessions but across the state to meeting with the Technology Task Force, Texas Education Agency, and dual credit college classes for students.  This access to communications allows for a cost savings and effectively allows for meeting that could not take place without this technology.

Describe the required procedures for the proposed strategies.

To make sure the multitude of tasks are being provided effectively, Region 14 must utilize a variety of evaluation mechanisms to monitor the progress of the management guidelines in place.  These evaluation tools include “To monitor Region 14 policies and procedure we use the annual balanced score card summary that provides information to TEA relating to the programs provided by the service center, the Texas STaR chart as an evaluation of how teachers are utilizing technology and the effectiveness of its integration.  We also use the Texas ePlan system that monitors the technology plans of the districts within Region 14 and the state of Texas, and specify for Region 14 the Quality Management System that serves as a system to maintain the integrity of policies and procedures in place throughout Region 14.”  (SC, personal communication, 3-8-2012)

All policies and procedures are located in the Region 14 Quality Management System.  This system serves as the basic operating procedure manual for the service center.  “We started the Quality Management System through a process requested through the state legislature to provide a system of oversight.  We contracted with the ISO 9000 quality management system to begin the process and now maintain the policies and procedures for operation through our own quality management system.” (JA, personal communication, 3-7-2012)  This system provides the structure and design to add, modify, or remove policies and procedures required for the operation of Region 14.

References:

JA, Region 14 Education Service Center, Quality Management Representative, Personal

 Communication, March 7, 2012

KT, Region 14 Education Service Center, Chief Financial Officer, Personal 

Communication, March 8, 2012

MW, Region 14 Education Service Center, WTTC Director, Personal Communication,

 February 2, 2012.

Region 14 Quality Manual, 2011-1012, Revision #11, Region 14 Education Service

 Center Quality management system

Region 14 Employee Handbook, 2011-1012, Revision #7, Region 14 Education 

Service Center Quality management system

RM, Region 14 Education Service Center, Director of Technology Services, Personal

 Communication, January 30, 2012.

SC, Region 14 Education Service Center, Technology consultant/ E-Rate specialist, 

Personal Communication, March 8, 2012