BuiltIn recently reported that 75% of teachers said they recognized that tech improved the academic performance of students. Yet, despite the evidence that technology plays a critical role in modern learning, school districts are often caught playing catch-up rather than proactively addressing school technology needs.
In this article, we’ll tackle school technology and IT. Specifically, we’ll discuss how your school can prepare IT for summer and the upcoming school year.
Challenges Facing School IT
There is perhaps no industry as underfunded and undersupplied as the education system. As money is stretched thin between salaries, supplies, and student-activities, IT plans often get put on the shelf to collect dust.
School systems are no stranger to these issues:
- Obsolete Tech: Schools can sometimes seem like a tech museum, sporting older computers and outdated hardware. This is understandable, as school systems are often battling budget cuts and tech can fall by the wayside.
- Outdated Infrastructure: Many school networks use antiquated wiring and difficult-to-manage architectures that are unable to be upgraded due to incompatibility with new technologies.
- Compliance & Student Safety: Schools are responsible for keeping their data and student records compliant with state and federal regulations while ensuring both the physical and cyber safety of their students. Both physical threats and hackers pose danger to student safety and data.
How To Prep Your School IT For Summer
Teachers aren’t the only ones who need to worry about cleaning for the summer—school technology needs a little pre-summer attention too. A managed services provider can assist in creating an effective approach towards school IT during summer months.
Here are some tips for preparing your school IT for summer:
- Review/Update Infrastructure: Take the time to assess classroom and office IT infrastructure with your IT provider. School IT managers should also review the school’s overall network infrastructure and capabilities in order to identify any areas of improvement or expansion. Your provider can make recommendations and work to solve any potential problems before school resumes in the fall.
- Conduct Vulnerability Scanning: With the increasing number of school data breaches over the past couple of years, school networks should be subjected to regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing in order to identify any vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.
- Utilize Cloud Solutions: In order to both reduce costs and improve school IT infrastructure, school systems should take advantage of cloud solutions such as Google Classroom or Microsoft Office 365 Education. These services can often integrate with existing school IT infrastructures and provide students with easily-manageable applications and resources. Also, these solutions can be more affordable and easily managed with an outsourced IT team.
- Properly Store & Backup Hardware: Prior to summer break, school technology managers should make sure that all hardware is properly stored and backed up. Taking physical and cyber precautions will help ensure crucial school data stays safe. Florida schools should also take additional measures to protect hardware as hurricane season begins on June 1st.
- Take Inventory of Software Agreements & Current Hardware: School technology managers should audit their current hardware and software licenses to ensure they have not expired or experienced a breach. Taking a comprehensive look at your technology inventory can help strengthen your case if new technology is needed or if funds are being wasted on outdated solutions.
Prepare for Summer with ITS Group
By taking a strategic approach to school technology and IT during summer, school systems can ensure their school IT investments are up-to-date. Working with a managed services provider such as ITS Group, can help schools optimize the use of IT resources and provide guidance and support on any school technology needs.
From network infrastructure review to cybersecurity recommendations, ITS Group offers expertise in education IT solutions that school personnel can rely on. Contact us today to learn more about our managed services!