The document outlines a presentation on enhancing K-12 leadership in technology operations at Memphis Public Schools, focusing on the journey of Brevard Public Schools towards improved technology integration and customer service. It highlights the importance of effective process management, the six key questions for assessing operations, and the necessity of strong leadership in overcoming challenges related to technology use in education. The session aims to equip participants with the tools and knowledge to transform processes, improve efficiency, and create a culture of excellence in technology operations.

1. Meeting the Challenges of K-12
Leadership in Technology
Operations
Memphis Public Schools
Principals Academy
June 4th and June 5th, 2009

2. Introduction
• Steve Muzzy – Asst. Supt. Educational
Technology
• Brevard Public Schools, Florida
• Governors Award for Organizational Excellence
• Currently Applying for MBNQA

3. Brevard’s Technology
Success Stories
• 80% of Classrooms meet “Sunrise Standard”
• Ubiquitous Access to Technology
• Highly Proficient Teachers who Integrate Technology
• Most “Star” Educators in the Country
• Leadership, Governance, and Community Recognition

4. Journey
From:
• CIO Terminated
• Low Cust. Sat.
• Masters of “NO”
• Lots of Tech Talk and
Tech Lockdowns
• Data/Information
Centralized
• Admin. Tech vs.
Instr.Tech
To:
• 95% Customer Sat
• Customer Svc. Culture
• Tech viewed as a
Strength
• Supportive Board
• High PD
• State Model of
Technology Excellence
Program

5. Today’s Agenda
• Sharing the BPS Journey to improve
technology
• What we have done to improve customer
service, increase capacity, and improve
effectiveness and efficiency

6. Goals of the Session
• Understand the importance and definition of
“Process”
• Increase your understanding of some key
process management tools
• Realize the power of the “Six Questions”
• Better understand the role of technology in
improving operations and instruction

7. Technology Beliefs and
Values
Primary Challenge are Human Factors
and Related to Process
Personalizes Learning and Overcomes
Time and Space Barriers
Transformation
Requires Strong
Leadership and
Vision
Technological
Fluency Prepares
our Children for
Today and Tomorrow
Equitable and
Ubiquitous Access
is a Necessity
Enables Innovation,
Resulting in Greater
Efficiencies and
Productivity

8. K-12 TECHNOLOGY
CURRENT STATE (CoSN)
• Average Computers per Tech is 650
• Average Students per Tech is 1,943
• 85% of Leaders identify high need of Instructional
technologists, techs, and web specialists
• 55% report over 80% of time is reactionary
• 80% report budget is not enough to meet the
expectations of Board/Supt./Community

9. Challenges Summarized
• Growing Technology Needs or Dreams
Becoming Nightmares
• Balancing Security with Using Technology to
Tap Into Excitement of Teachers and Students
• Shrinking Staffs and Shrinking
Budgets

10. MEETING THE CHALLENGE
• Relentlessly Pursue the Elimination of
Waste
• Focus on Customer Requirements and
Customer Service
• Not About Getting Leaner but Increasing
Capacity with the Same Funding

11. The Fundamentals
Process
Measurement
Customer
Improvement

12. The Labels Are Many
• Lean
• Six Sigma
• Total Quality Management
• Business Process Management
• Balanced Scorecard
• Accountability
• Many, Many, More

13. PROCESS MANAGEMENT AND
IMPROVEMENT
• Will Transform Your Organization
and Enable You to Build Capacity
•Technology will Accelerate Your
Improvement and Create Flexibility

14. “Focus on processes;
you can’t change
the outcomes
unless you change
the processes
that generate them!”
--Jack Grayson, Jr.

15. Process Management
Overview
Process:
• Is a designed group of related tasks that work together
to create a result of value to the customers
• A series of interrelated activities that convert inputs to
results or outputs
• …steps and decisions involved in the way work is
accomplished

16. Why Process Focus?
• Process focus is concerned with outcomes and results
• A shift from a task focus to a process focus is essential
to achieve desired results.
• A process is a related group of tasks that together create
a result of value to the customer
• Processes cross between traditional functions and
involve multiple people

17. Why Process Focus?
• A process focus requires a customer and results focus
• Much attention is paid to inputs and outputs, but less has
been given to the process or how the work gets done.
• Most problems in organizations are not task problems –
they are process problems
• A process is a related group of tasks that together create
a result of value to a customer

18. Can You Find Waste Your
Processes?
• Too Many Hand Offs
• Excessive Approvals
• Paper Based Data Input
• Non-Value Added Tasks
• Unnecessary Paperwork
• Focus on Task Excellence in Departments
or Silos

19. 19
Process Management Overview
Process:
A systematic approach for achieving a desired result.
Because it is systematic, it is repeatable and can produce
results with minimal variation. All processes can be
measured in terms of quality, cost, and time.
Key Learning Point:
By improving quality or reducing time, costs will be reduced.

20. Principles Of Process
Management and Improvement
• Customer Focus
• Respect For People
• Manage By Fact
• Continuous Improvement

21. Definition of Insanity
• “Expecting Different Results and
continuing to do the same things.”
-Albert Einstein

22. The Six Questions
• What Do You Do?
– Description that identifies need(s) you are meeting
• How Do You Do It?
– A flow chart showing process steps, people or function involved,
and key decision points
• Who Do I Do It For?
– Identifies customer(s) and who receives the product or output of
your process

23. The Six Questions
• How Do You Know You Are Doing A Good Job?
– Outcome measures and In-Process measures are compared to
customer requirements and benchmarks
• How Do You Improve?
– Benchmarking, Plan-Do-Check-Act, DMAIC
• Can You Demonstrate Your Improvement System?

24. Key Takeaway
• By constantly focusing on the six questions, you will
begin to master The fundamentals of process,
measurement, and data
• By learning what causes things to happen in a process
and removing things that contribute little or no value to
the result will improve efficiencies…Outcomes can’t be
improved without process change
• The Improvement Fundamental is Enhanced by DMAIC,
PDCA or other problem solving methodology

25. 26
Process and Measure Fundamentals
Important Process Management Tools:
Flow Chart - Describes the process, players, and key
decision points.
Outcome Measure – Describes the degree(s) to which the
process is successful in meeting its mission and
stakeholders’ requirements.
In-Process Measure – Describes the performance of
behavior factors which are known to have significant
influence on the outcome measure(s).

26. The Six Questions Template
• An Assignment for you and your staff
• Will provide you the template at the end of
the session

27. The Progression
A Process
Discipline
Relentless
Process
Improvement
Measurement
and
Benchmarking

28. Warning
• Embracing Process Management is HARD
WORK
• Not Doing One of the Fundamentals Will Result
in Failure
• Leaders Must Walk the Walk
• Change in Culture Does Not Happen Overnight

29. Focus Points
• Steps or Activities must be based around
the results or outcomes
• Focus must be on the customer, not
politics or tradition
• FIX THE PROCESS FIRST, THEN
AUTOMATE

30. Technology Misconceptions
• Automating Processes Will Fix My Problems
• We Need Faster Computers
• We Need Better Software
• We Need More Bandwidth

31. Applying Technology
• To an Improved Process Will Yield Enhanced Results
and Increased Capacity
• Better, Cheaper, and Faster
• Technology Accelerates Improvement and Enables
Flexibility
• Mastery of the Fundamentals and The Six Questions Will
Change Your Culture

32. Remember….
• A Bad Process Automated is a Faster Bad
Process that is More Expensive

33. Brevard’s Key Technology
Processes
– Manage Educational Technology
• Manage Network Operations
• Manage Internal Customer Inquiries and Problem Resolution
• Information and Data Management
• Programming and Integration Services
• Provide Customer Technology Training
• Manage IT Projects
• Ensure Continuity of IT Operations
• Manage State Reporting
• Manage External Customer Inquires and Problem Resolution
• Manage Printing and Digital Reproduction Services
• Manage Technology Support and Repair

34. Example Customer
Requirements and Outcome
Measures
• Quality/Usability
• Availability
• Reliability
• Responsiveness
• Problem Resolution
• Access to computing and
communications technologies
• Proficient users
• Cost Efficiency
• Customer satisfaction ratings
• Critical server uptime
• Infrastructure uptime
• WAN link uptime
• Help Desk response and
resolution times (tier 1 and tier 2)
• Student/computer ratio
• % 21st century classrooms
• Teacher proficiency ratings
• Student proficiency ratings
• Average cost of repairs
• Staffing ratios

35. Linking In-Process and
Outcome Measures
• Example Outcome Measures
– IT customer satisfaction
rating
– System uptime
– First call resolution
– Proficiency of IT users
– % budget for IT
• Example In-Process Measures
– Response times, Progress
compliance reports related to
meeting tech plan objectives
– Daily and weekly core/WAN
links from NOC
– Abandonment rate
– % of technology training trends
reports
– Monthly variance analysis

36. Important Measurement
Points
• You must measure the right things
• You must set stretch goals or targets to
strive for the right measures
• What gets measured gets done!

37. Some Technology Examples
• First Call Resolution Improved To 65%
• Work System Savings of $1 Million Annually Due to Centralized
Procurement
• Hard Savings of $500K annually due to In-House Programming
• Cell Phone Savings of $90K Annually
• Avoided Costs of $1.8M Through Donated Computer and Parts
Surplus Utilization

38. Some Technology Examples
• Average Time of 2 Days “In the Box” versus 24 days
• Tier 2 Response Time Improved 60%
• Self Maintainer Program Earned 20k in First Year
• Negotiated 250K Cash for Student Enrichment Programs
• Hard Savings of 500k Annually in Printing Operations
• Customer Satisfaction Rating of all Segments at 95%

39. Best Practices
• Pick Project or Process of Interest to Management
• Ensure Process Participants Allotted Time to Provide Input on
Process
• Ensure Customer Requirements are Correct and Collect Baseline
Data
• Implement Feasible Countermeasures
• Document and Communicate Success Stories

40. A Culture of Excellence
Through Process
Management
• Occurs Incrementally
• Depends on Involvement and Empowerment of People
• Listen, Learn, and Help
• Not a Grand Slam but many Base Hits
• Common Language
• Relentless Pursuit of Excellence

41. 42
Process Management Overview
Process Management:
Ensuring processes always achieve desired results.
Key Learning Points:
1. What do you do?
2. How do you do it?
3. Who do you do it for?
4. How do you know you’re doing a good job?
5. How do you improve?
6. Show me.

42. Goals of the Session
• Understand the importance and definition of
“Process”
• Increase your understanding of some key
process management tools
• Realize the power of the “Six Questions”
• Better understand the role of technology in
improving operations and instruction

43. Sources of Help
• Baldrige Education Criteria
• APQC – American Productivity and Quality Center
• Ets, Inc
• Brevard Public Schools Performance Excellence
Resource Manual and Baldrige/Sterling Application
• Muzzy.stephen@brevardschools.org

44. Some Tools to Help
• The Six Questions Template
• BPS Performance Excellence Resource
Manual