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The following mission statement was used to develop the way digital resources are managed in our school district:
APS will purposefully maintain a suite of instructional technology that effectively supports teaching and learning across the division.
The purpose of this collaborative work is to provide innovative and appropriate digital resources for all APS staff and students through a more transparent and planful process.
Purposefully Identifying Instructional Technology
We understand the critical role that digital resources play in education. At APS, we have a thorough process for evaluating new resources and updating existing ones. This process is overseen by IS staff, while the Office of Academics selects all instructional software and hardware. New software requests and changes to approved resources can begin in one of two ways: with information gathered at the school level by Instructional Technology Coordinators and shared with an Office of Academics point of contact or initiated within a curriculum office (Math, ELA, Science, AAC, Social Studies, Special Education, etc.).
APS tracks and supports an approved resource through its full life cycle. Each educational technology tool has an Instructional Lead responsible for supporting the resource, maintaining a relationship with the vendor, and communicating changes/updates to the Department of Information Services.
A Technology Review Committee evaluates digital resource requests from the Office of Academics Directors and Supervisors by reviewing information collected on various components: |
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Instructional Rigor |
The Office of Academics considers whether a digital resource supports high-quality, challenging, and engaging instruction. This involves assessing whether the software promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and deep understanding of the subject matter. The goal is to ensure that the resource enhances the learning experience and meets the educational standards set by APS and the VDOE. |
Student Data Privacy Compliance |
Digital resources must comply with federal and state regulations that protect sensitive student data, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The goal is to ensure that any data shared or stored by the software is handled securely, safeguarding students’ personal information. |
Duplication of Resources |
The software review process checks for redundancy by evaluating if a new digital resource request duplicates any existing approved resources. If a similar resource is already on the Approved APS Digital Resource List, the new request is declined, and alternative options are provided to the requestor. |
Equitable Access |
When equitable access to technology is reviewed, it ensures that all students, regardless of their background or circumstances, can access and benefit from the technology. This includes making sure the technology is accessible to students with disabilities and can be used effectively by all students in a content group or grade band across the district. For example, the review process might ask questions like, “Is the request to purchase the resource districtwide or school by school?” and “Can all students access the full features of the resource?” This ensures that no student is left behind due to a lack of access to necessary digital resources. Equitable access in this context also refers to the distribution of instructional resources available to APS teachers. Teachers who move from one school to another should be given access to the same instructional tools in any grade level band, wherever they are assigned in the district. This allows content offices to provide consistent training for teachers on the appropriate use of tools available to all. |
Technical Compatibility |
A new digital resource must be able to integrate easily with the existing technological infrastructure. This involves assessing the underlying technology, development, and support structures to ensure that the resource functions well within the current systems used in APS. IS evaluates new requests to determine if the digital resource meets the technical requirements and can be integrated and maintained without causing disruptions. This includes checking for compatibility with existing systems, cybersecurity risks, and the effort involved in integration. |
Accessibility |
The review process ensures that digital resources are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities, by assessing compliance with accessibility standards and guidelines. New requests are reviewed for general accessibility in collaboration with the Assistive Technology Specialists in the Office of Academics. |
Sustainable cost |
The software review process evaluates the long-term financial viability of digital resources by considering all associated costs, ensuring they can be sustained within the budget. |
Evidence of Rollout, Training, & Ongoing Support Plan |
The review and approval process ensures there is a comprehensive plan for implementing the digital resource, training staff, and providing ongoing support. |
All approved digital resources are added to a live, public-facing list. The community can view the list at APS Approved Digital Resource List (as of August 2024).
Annual APS Deprecation Process – End of Life Cycle for Digital Resources
Deprecated digital resources are technologies which have been replaced by newer technologies. A digital resource that is being deprecated is one that may eventually be phased out but will continue to be used in the meantime so that minimal disruption to instruction occurs. There are some circumstances where the immediate removal of a resource occurs due to changes by the vendor or an identified security risk to staff or students.
There are many reasons why an APS resource could be added to the deprecation list. Some of those reasons include:
- It was not approved by the school district
- It is no longer supported by a content office in the Office of Academics
- It no longer works as originally intended or no longer works with other APS systems (technical compliance)
- The vendor allows advertisement in their student-facing product (violation of FERPA and potential upcoming changes to COPPA)
- It no longer receives updates from the vendor
- It has been deprecated by the vendor and/or no longer exists
- APS has multiple resources with similar functionality (redundancy)
- There is a change in privacy/student data sharing policy or Terms of Service
- There is a change in cost (often free to paid)
- The use of the resource creates an inequitable learning environment for our students where no alternative resource can be made available for all students in the district