The Office of Technology Services supports the integration of learning technologies and digital resources for Georgia’s local educational agencies (LEA) and the State Department of Education. Technology Services’ mission “Connecting collaborative environments that empower innovation and trust” is supported by the CIO’s thirteen strategic goals; all aligning to five core values:
- Collaboration: works with educational partners and stakeholders to empower, create and enable solutions.
- Service: embodies a responsive and solutions-oriented mindset to support our educational community.
- Security: prioritizes our commitment to safeguarding all stakeholders within our operational environments.
- Trust: strengthens relationships and confidence through integrity, transparency and reliability.
- Innovation: embraces transformative methods and visionary ideas and strategies.
In turn, aligning with the Superintendent’s Roadmap to Reimagining K-12 Education, the vision of technology services is to shape technological solutions that connect and empower the educational community.
Nathan Miller, Chief Information Security Officer
As the number of cybersecurity attacks are continuing to increase within the K-12 education environment, information security response planning has become an important component within information technology. Information Security is defined as the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. It typically involves preventing, or at least reducing, the probability of unauthorized access to data, or the unlawful use, disclosure, disruption, deletion, corruption, modification, inspection, recording or devaluation of information. It also involves actions intended to reduce the adverse impacts of such incidents.
Learn more about Information Security.
Nicholas Handville, Chief Data and Privacy Officer
Data Collections, Analysis, and Reporting (DCAR) provides products, services, and supports in the domains of data governance and strategy, data architecture and management, data collection, data reporting and analysis, and data literacy. The unit works with partners within the GaDOE, across Georgia, and at the U.S. Department of Education to ensure Georgia's K-12 data ecosystem supports the needs of education stakeholders.
Learn more about DCAR.
Laws affecting the privacy and security of education data in Georgia are featured on the Student Data Privacy page. The Student Data Privacy, Accessibility and Transparency Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) are the two primary laws that affect the education data of students attending a Georgia public education school.
Learn more about Student Data Privacy.
Enterprise Services and Applications
Jay Heap, Associate Superintendent for Enterprise Services and Applications
Enterprise Application Services creates and supports tools for the agency to better serve student and district reporting and information across the state. SLDS and the Portal are two main components of Decision Applications. Financial Services maintains, among others, Capital Outlay and Consolidated Applications. Collaboration, both within the Georgia Department of Education and across multiple State agencies, ensures data around student attendance, progress, and needs are met on a timely basis.
- PCGenesis
PCGenesis is a Financial Accounting and Reporting System, which includes Payroll, Personnel, and CPI for Georgia school districts and RESAs. PCGenesis supports all local, State and Federal reporting requirements.
Amanda Williamson, Director of Virtual Learning
Georgia Virtual is your headquarters for online education from the Georgia Department of Education. Georgia Virtual provides access to openly licensed online educational materials (OER) that allow teachers and students to freely use, share, and modify. Under the Georgia Virtual Learning umbrella, you can find Georgia Virtual School, the online learning opportunity for 6-12 students, Georgia Credit Recovery, the teacher-less online location for students who need to recover credit from an unsuccessful course, and Georgia Virtual Professional Learning, a learning platform which provides professional development courses for educators and administrators.
Chris Shealy, Director of IT Strategy
IT Strategy provides the foundation for all technology systems at GaDOE. This includes innovative technology solutions to include hardware, software, connectivity, cloud-based systems, services, and user support with a focus on the GaDOE and Technology Services core values. Our customers include all agency divisions and users, Georgia school districts, and other external education partners. Learn more about IT Strategy.
Joyce Bearden, Director of Knowledge and Resource Management
Knowledge and Resource Management designs and supports processes for creating, sharing, applying and managing knowledge and instructional resources. This includes facilitating and leveraging innovative solutions and expertise within technology services, managing training and learning on various applications, and establishing workflow systems for content, document and digital standards to support all GaDOE divisions and users, Georgia education stakeholders, and other external education partners.
Georgia's Statewide Longitudinal Data System
At the request of Georgia’s LEAs, Technology Services has integrated key functions of all GaDOE departments into one comprehensive statewide solution, the Georgia Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS). Georgia's SLDS is accessed through the LEA’s existing student information system.
Library Media Services
The school library media program supports and strengthens the curriculum, bridges the digital divide, and puts state standards into action. The school library media specialist encourages reading for learning, reading for pleasure, and reading for life. The school library media specialist is a teacher, an instructional partner, an informational specialist, and a school library media program administrator. School library media specialists directly affect student achievement by collaborating and planning with teachers, teaching information literacy, designing assessment procedures, and providing supplemental curriculum material.
SketchUp for Schools
SketchUp has been a longtime partner of Georgia educators and students. The SketchUp Pro licensing grant program for K-12 has officially ended; however, you can now access a new version of SketchUp called, SketchUp for Schools, via the web. Helpful video content and curriculum resources are also provided.
Georgia's Online Clearinghouse
The Georgia Online Clearinghouse provides students and parent with information and access to high-quality academic and career-oriented courses through a variety of online providers.
Keith Osburn, Chief Information Officer for the Georgia Department of Education, conducts monthly meetings for Chief Information Officers through a live web conference for school district technology leaders. Visit the CIO Meetings page to access past meeting recordings.
