2013-2016 Technology Plan - Osceola County School District

Administrative and Instructional Technology
17General Controls: The district has established general controls in the
areas of access, systems development and maintenance, documentation,
operations, and physical security to promote the proper functioning of
the information systems department.
The Information and Technology Services Department not only provides a secure
operating environment, it is also innovative in developing and modernizing applications
that benefit users. However, IT documentation has not kept pace with changes in the
operating environment.
Controls in areas of access
The IT Services department provides a secure environment for the district’s investment in technology.
Keyless door locks secure IT equipment from unauthorized personnel. Anyone outside of the operations
staff who enters the computer room is required to sign in and out. Safes are used to protect tape backups.
Most reports are printed by users, however, when operators print sensitive data, users are required to pick
up the reports in person.
System development and maintenance
Specifications are written for the development of new systems and modifications to existing applications,
but specification requirements are generally less rigid than in the past. Currently, district users, IT
analysts and IT programmers work interactively to develop programs like the Professional Development
Intranet application or the browser-based Student Registration Project. Email and the HEAT Help Desk
system promote this interaction and provide resources to developers that were unavailable in years past,
which not only improve communication but also double as a source for documenting the development
process. As discussed previously, the HEAT Help Desk system is often used to document modifications
to existing systems. Specifications are more detailed for developing new applications as more time,
analysis and documentation is necessary to outline the expectation of users.
Documentation needs updating
Although, written policies and standards exist in the MIS Standards Manual, the manual has not been
updated since 1996. Although many of the written procedures to test and implement new development
are still valid, many of the requirements outlined in the manual no longer apply now that new tools are
available and demand for interactive web applications dominate development efforts. In addition,
documentation should be updated to include information that will guarantee that the organization could
continue to operate if important data processing employees were to leave. Changes in procedures should
also be documented in the updated manual, including automatic scheduling requirements, off-site storage
of backup tapes and updated disaster recovery plans.
Operations
Routine operational processes are scheduled through an automated job scheduler. The job scheduler
produces a log of all jobs, the date and time they start running, the time they ended and their status upon
completion. The scheduler log is reviewed to ensure that jobs ran according to the schedule. Backups,
payroll processing, state reporting schedules, grading reports and student record edit reports are among
the automatic processes scheduled regularly.
OPPAGA 6-37
2013 Educational Technology Plan 37/40 School District of Osceola County Florida