Customer Case Study
Charles County Public Schools is delivering innovative services that change the way educators and administrators deliver education.
BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Like many school districts in the United States, Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) must balance achieving ambitious academic goals with equally important business management requirements. Whether developing new courseware, implementing new security measures, improving test scores, building multiple new schools to house a rapidly growing student population, recruiting and retaining teachers, or efficiently managing facilities and infrastructure - CCPS has found a way to achieve its goals and still be able to invest savings back into the classroom.
In 1996, James E. Richmond became the school system's superintendent and embarked on an aggressive campaign to provide Charles County students with a world-class education that challenges each to achieve his or her potential. Richmond teamed with the Charles County Commissioners' Office and technology industry leaders like Cisco Systems® to implement his vision. With Cisco® solutions, CCPS has revolutionized how technology is used to provide services that improve every facet of running a school district - from building maintenance to motivating 5000 students to voluntarily attend summer school.
"One of our proudest accomplishments is delivering technology to our classrooms," says Richmond. "In the past eight years we have moved the district forward in almost every imaginable way, and we are extending this approach to the approximately 17 schools slated for construction over the next few years."
NETWORK SOLUTION
CCPS became a Cisco Connected Learning school district - taking advantage of networking technology to deliver dramatically enhanced educational, managerial, and administrative services districtwide. The district deployed a network infrastructure based on the Cisco Service-Oriented Network Architecture (SONA) framework to deliver a network platform that enables a wide range of services.
The network connects all CCPS locations with high-bandwidth links, up to 2 Gbps, which enable reliable, high-performing voice, video, and on-demand services. The district also consolidated services, deploying an enterprise backup system and a storage-area network capable of hosting multiple terabytes of data.
The SONA framework provides a unified platform that enables the district to quickly deliver a rich portfolio of services to teachers, principals, administrators, facilities workers, and security staff:
• Cisco Unified Communications solutions deliver convenient cost-effective voice communications and voicemail across CCPS.
• Video and collaboration services deliver rich multimedia teaching materials to classrooms and enable video conferences.
• Wireless communication services enable administrators to connect to information anywhere in the district. In addition, security staff can monitor and control IP security cameras from mobile tablets.
• Storage services enable high performance for rich multimedia courseware, delivered on demand.
• Security services protect the district's network infrastructure from intrusion, provide safe Internet access for students, and enable secure remote connectivity.
BUSINESS RESULTS
Reducing Costs
By eliminating the majority of the district's analog phone lines and deploying voice services over the network, CCPS saved approximately $170,000 in the first year. The network enables CCPS to deliver many times the number of services that it could previously, and still operate within budget. "We have had five or six budget balances in ten years, totaling several million dollars that we have been able to reinvest right back into the school system," says Richmond. "When I became superintendent ten years ago, I was facing a $1.5 million deficit. In our ten years, we have never had a deficit."
Achieving Academic Excellence
CCPS' emphasis on a technology-based curriculum has enabled it to move textbooks online and develop complementary materials that enable teachers to better align coursework with federal No Child Left Behind and Maryland state mandates. In 1996, CCPS ranked 20th out of 20 metropolitan Washington, D.C. school systems in advanced placement course offerings and student participation. Today it ranks 11th out of 29 systems ranked. Four CCPS high schools rank in the top 1000 U.S. high schools, and the district offers every available advanced placement class. The extensive summer program attracts 5000 students who come to school voluntarily.
All six CCPS high schools share curriculum that teachers develop over the summer. Everything is available electronically - every teacher has a laptop and can download lessons and supporting material, such as film, speeches, and video clips, directly from CCPS servers. The laptop screen is projected for the class to view. Core subjects that support the state's standardized testing program for high-school students are available online. CCPS plans to adapt the rest of its curriculum for high school and then continue with course development for the middle school.
Improving Teacher Productivity and Proficiency
As CCPS teachers develop their curriculum coursework, they gain proficiency with the technology and are able to share exciting new methods and ideas. "Teachers are paid for developing the class work and as a result, they take ownership," says Richmond. "The curriculum also functions as a roadmap for new teachers and for substitutes, providing consistency throughout the system."
With Cisco Unified Communications solutions, communication has improved between teachers, administrators, and students' parents. Unified IP Phones in every classroom make it easy for teachers to receive messages and return calls.
CCPS has implemented a third-party solution called Desire2Learn, which has allowed teachers to collaborate and share work and best practices among the high schools. The solution will be extended to enable principals and staff to easily access district policies, emergency procedures, and administrative systems wherever they are, using a wireless tablet. Meetings can be easily scheduled with all supporting materials available for instant access.
Improving Administrative Productivity and Safety
Before the Cisco network, staff spent hundreds of hours creating reports and preparing paperwork. Now any authorized CCPS user can quickly access reports, state assessment data, and action plans. Online access to information stored in the data warehouse eliminates the need for hundreds of copies for meetings and has created a near-paperless environment.
Every Cisco IP Phone allows emergency calling. If a call is dialed, the district emergency center and county sheriff's office know where the call originates and can send assistance directly to the correct location. Extensive Cisco wireless services also allow administrators and security staff to centrally control and monitor any IP security cameras deployed across the district.
CCPS will be completely wireless by the start of the 2006-2007 school year. Wireless capabilities will enable principals to carry a Cisco IP wireless phone and be accessible anywhere in the district. The district's IT team hopes to completely eliminate walkie-talkies and pagers currently used by building service managers, bus personnel, and vice principals. Doing so will reduce the costs of maintaining and supporting multiple devices and services while enabling staff to have one contact number, one device, and continuous connection to calls.
Facilitating Building Management
When the wireless deployment is complete, teachers will be able to use their classroom IP phones to report maintenance issues, such as a broken light bulb or equipment failures. An e-mail will be sent directly to the building services manager, who can dispatch the appropriate person and supplies to the correct location. Using a wireless personal digital assistant device, the maintenance staff can collect the data that they need, file a report for the repair, and print a report for the teacher. Heating, air conditioning, and other building systems can also be monitored online, reducing the number of hours that the district must provide staff for while improving service.
NEXT STEPS
"We are grateful for the wonderful partnership that we have with Cisco," says Richmond. "We are looking forward to planning the next high school in 2011 and numerous new elementary and middle schools over the next few years. It is exciting to see how technology can change the way that we educate."
CCPS continues to lead the way with plans to expand its advanced placement course offerings and deliver new IP communication capabilities, such as making attendance data available to teachers in the classroom over Cisco IP Phones. Wireless capabilities will be extended to older facilities, enabling mobile computer labs and carts for creating a classroom anywhere. Wireless is a cost-effective way to upgrade capabilities without having to run cabling or trench around existing facilities. New learning applications, such as lessons based on the district's Desire2Learn Program, are also planned for students at all levels.
"We cannot sit still," says Richmond. "We are opening a new elementary school in August and building a new middle school - all with state-of-the-art technology. We plan to be improving education for a long time."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To find out more about Cisco Solutions and Services, visit: www.cisco.com.
To find out more about Cisco Education Solutions, visit: www.cisco.com/go/education.
To find out more about Cisco Service-Oriented Architecture, visit: www.cisco.com/go/sona.
To find out more about Cisco Unified Communications solutions, visit www.cisco.com/go/voice.
To find out more about Charles County Public Schools, visit: www.ccboe.com.
This customer story is based on information provided by Charles County Public Schools and describes how that particular organization benefits from the deployment of Cisco products. Many factors may have contributed to the results and benefits described; Cisco does not guarantee comparable results elsewhere.
CISCO PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some jurisdictions do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties, therefore this disclaimer may not apply to you.