Robust Infrastructure

Goals, Action Steps and Progress

Goal 1 Progress 64%

Recommended Action Step 1. Pending approval of Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant funding, implement five library/school district partnerships to share Internet access from school to library. (Q2 2018, FRNC & NNAG or Library Commission)

Recommended Action Step 2. Measure and assess current state connectivity, use of technology, technology staff, technology support, campus Wi-Fi access and technology access through NDE’s annual technology plan. (Q3 2018, NDE)

Recommended Action Step 3. Improve Wi-Fi throughout all school campuses to all staff and student accessible areas to increase digital learning opportunities. (Q1 2019, Districts and ESU’s)

Recommended Action Step 4. Research and Communicate the various technologies to narrow the homework gap that could be piloted at the district level, including TV White Space, cellular hotspots, homework hotspots, and other technology. (Q1 2019, NDE & FRNC)

Recommended Action Step 5. Research and Communicate existing social assistance programs that would help defray the cost of broadband for economically challenged families. (Q1 2020, FRNC, Districts & ESU’s)

Recommended Action Step 6. Encourage every public school district to conduct a confidential, in-school survey of every student to determine the availability of wired or wireless Internet access and devices to every student home. (Q2 2020, NDE & Districts)

Goal 2 Progress 33%

Recommended Action Step 1. All school districts will be connected to the Nebraska Cloud Identity Provider (IdP).  (Q3 2018, NDE, FRNC & ESUCC)

Recommended Action Step 2. Encourage more Service Providers (SPs) to connect their application(s) to the statewide single sign-on system. (Q4 2018, NDE, ESUCC & ESU’s)

Recommended Action Step 3. Train users on how to access statewide resources available in the Portal such as ADVISER, Learn360, and others. (Q1 2019, ESU’s)

Goal 3 Progress 100%

Recommended Action Step 1. Assist Education SuperHighway, a nonprofit organization, in contacting the 40 Nebraska school districts that have not yet leveraged their Category 2 E-rate funding, and provide them with resources, and encourage their Category 2 E-rate participation prior to Q3, 2020. (Q1 & Q2 2018, FRNC & NDE)

Recommended Action Step 2. Provide training to promote and encourage school districts to apply for e-Rate Category 2 funding. (Q4 2018, NDE)

Recommended Action Step 3. Assist schools in leveraging resources including e-Rate procedures (Form 470s, RFPs, etc.) and other State and Federal Funds (like the ESSA Title 1 or Title IV funding) or grants to be used for ubiquitous infrastructure needs and upgrades at the local level. (Q2 2019, NDE & ESU’s)

Goal 4 Progress 33%

Recommended Action Step 1. Post RFP for up to six segments of 10Gbps wave services for a Northeast Nebraska backbone fiber loop. (Q4 2018, OCIO)

Recommended Action Step 2. Begin implementation/installation of Northeast backbone infrastructure. (Q3 2019, OCIO)

Recommended Action Step 3. Build and post RFP for up to 250 WAN transport circuits. (Q4 2019, OCIO)

Recommended Action Step 4. Begin implementation/installation of WAN transport circuits. (Q3 2020, OCIO)

Goal 5 Progress 25%

Recommended Action Step 1.Develop a statewide Open Education Resources strategy and recycle current commercial textbook expenditures into lifecycle funding for end-user technology. (Q3 2018, NDE & ESUCC)

Recommended Action Step 2. Complete a statewide examination of procurement vehicles and help ESUs aggregate purchasing power through state or regional contracts like MHEC contracts.  Negotiate device standard, device catalog, purchasing cycle, and bulk discounts for all institutions. (Q4 2018, NDE & FRNC)

Recommended Action Step 3. Include technology infrastructure and funding technology infrastructure into bonded building projects. (Q1 2019, NDE & Districts)

Recommended Action Step 4. Develop a life-cycling funding planning guide to help local districts better understand long term sustainable technology funding models. (Q1 2019, NDE & FRNC)

Goal 6 Progress 50%

Recommended Action Step 1. Develop and implement a plan to define and coordinate service desk efforts supporting technology services and resources implemented at the state level.  (Q4 2018, NDE, ESU’s & Districts)

Recommended Action Step 2. Develop training to assist technical support staff in providing user support for the use of digital tools and technology. (Q2 2019, NDE, ESU’s & Districts.)

Using the Future Ready Goals and Action Steps

Each of the FRNC gear groups has written a comprehensive set of goals and provided recommended action steps supporting their goals to help move digital learning and education technology forward in Nebraska. To assist districts and schools in aligning their work to this plan, icons representing common state and national education initiatives were created and then aligned to each goal and action step. The table below gives guidance to each of the icons used and which initiative the icon represents. In many cases, the goals and action steps identified support work on multiple initiatives and each icon is shown to indicate these matches.

This icon indicates that the Goal or action step is tied to an AQuESTT tenet or work that supports an AQuESTT tenet.
This icon indicates that the Goal or action step is tied to ESSA either as a support of the act or because it is tied to available ESSA monies or grant opportunities.
This icon indicates that this Goal or action step is directly linked to a Goal or action step of another Future Ready Gear.
This icon indicates that this Goal or action step is tied to a recommendation that is found within the 2017 National Education Technology plan.
This icon indicates that this Goal or action step supports a goal or advances the work of a Nebraska State Board of Education goal.

Annual Timelines

Robust Infrastructure 3 year timeline
2018
Q1: Jan. – March Q2: April – June Q3: July – Sept. Q4: Oct. – Dec.
RI1 Access AS 1. IMLS grant possibilities for library partnerships and implementation of partnerships AS 2. Measure & Assess state connectivity, use of tech. use of tech staff, tech support and access
RI2 SSO AS 1. Connect all schools to the Nebraska cloud identity provider AS 2. Encourage service providers to connect their applications to the SSO system
RI3 E-Rate

AS 1. Education Superhighway encourage districts to leverage Cat 2

AS 2. Train and Promote use of E-Rate Cat 2 funding
RI4 Procurement AS 1. Post RFP for NW NE fiber loop
RI5 Funding AS 1. Create OER strategy to recycle textbook expenditures into lifecycle funding AS 2. Examine procurement vehicles and aggregate purchasing power
RI6 System of Support AS 1. Develop a plan to create a system of technology supports that assist districts with digital and personalized learning goals
Robust Infrastructure 3 year timeline
2019
Q1: Jan. – March Q2: April – June Q3: July – Sept. Q4: Oct. – Dec.
RI1 Access AS 3. Improve Wi-Fi access throughout all school campuses to include all staff and student accessible areas AS 4. Research technologies that could narrow the homework gap and be piloted at the district level
RI2 SSO AS 3. Train users on statewide resources available through the portal
RI3 E-Rate

AS 3. Assist schools in leveraging e-Rate and funding to improve infrastructure and to make upgrades
RI4 Procurement AS 2. Install Backbone of NW fiber loops AS 3. Post RFP for 250 WAN transport circuits
RI5 Funding AS 3. Include technology infrastructure and technology funding into bond issues & AS 4. Life cycling funding guide creation (2)
RI6 System of Support AS 2. Develop training to assist technical support staff in providing user support for the use of digital tools and technology.
Robust Infrastructure 3 year timeline
2020
Q1: Jan. – March Q2: April – June Q3: July – Sept. Q4: Oct. – Dec.
RI1 Access AS 5. Research & communicate social assistance programs to help with costs for broadband in homes AS 6. In School survey on student broadband access at home
RI2 SSO
RI3 E-Rate

RI4 Procurement AS 5. Install 250 WAN transport circuits
RI5 Funding
RI6 System of Support
Updated February 5, 2020 1:09pm