The HISD Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved a $10.3 million technology improvement plan that will give teachers and principals quick access to a broad range of detailed student academic data and create a more efficient information technology network.

The plan was formulated in response to two reviews of HISD’s technology infrastructure by IBM security analysts and experts from the Council of the Great City Schools that uncovered significant deficiencies that require a complete redesign of the system. This major technology upgrade will lead to the creation of “data dashboards” that link HISD’s many different computer systems. Doing so will allow principals and teachers to analyze various pieces of important student data (such as scores on various exams and attendance records) at the district, campus, classroom, and individual student level.

“HISD is committed to using reliable data to drive instruction in the classroom,” said Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier. “For that to happen, teachers and principals must have access to the most up-to-date information that helps them track how each and every student is performing.”

The Board also took the following actions Thursday:

• Postponed consideration of a revised ethics policy regarding contracting standards and procurement methods.
• Revised the district’s anti-bullying policy to prohibit bullying that occurs through the use of electronic means, such as the internet.