A state project that will modernize IT systems supporting teacher accreditation and accountability is well underway and moving at a quick pace, says Darren Addington, CIO of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Addington, who made remarks on Dec. 4 at a commission meeting, explained that the project will include a data warehouse and data visualizations, an updated website and Web presence, development of data dashboards, and enhancements to the commission’s existing credentialing systems, called CASE and CTC Online.
The work, called the Streamlining and Strengthening Accreditation Project (SSAP), will be done using a combination of contractors and in-house staff. The total budget is nearly $6.5 million, according to the California Department of Technology, which has oversight over the project.
On Dec. 4, the commission finalized a nearly $1 million IT consulting contract with Granite Bay, Calif.-based BM Associates Inc. for work on the CASE and CTC Online enhancements. The improvements will link the existing systems to the data warehouse, improve user friendliness and security, and result in more accurate data.
“These enhancements will also improve the public’s access to educator credential information by providing enhanced search capabilities, and improved employment data to help aid the public in finding a specific educator,” according to a project update Addington presented to the commission.
According to state records, in October the commission contracted with Estrada Consulting in Sacramento for design and deployment of the dashboards and data warehouse.
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing also will be buying a new website content management system and is putting the commission’s backup and recovery for it critical applications in the Office of Technology Services’ state data center.
The data visualizations are slated to be launched in 2016. Development of the data dashboards and improvements to CASE and CTC Online will continue through 2017, according to project documents.
