Fast forward Georgia, Vol. 2, no. 3 (May/June 2003)

May/June 2003

A Publication of the Georgia Technology Authority

Tech success:
New info systems enhance customer service at TRS

Like other state agencies, the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) faces the challenge of meeting the demand for higher levels of customer service at a time when resources are scarce.

To bridge the gap, TRS is implementing a multi-

year, multi-phase project that involves redesigning

its business processes and supporting them with

new IT systems.

"As baby boomers began retiring, we saw

greater pressures on customer service," said Greg

McQueen, TRS IT director. "Our staff was working

diligently to serve our customers, but they needed

some help."

TRS manages retirement accounts for 228,000

teachers at Georgia's public schools and some uni-

versity system institutions. Each month,

"Users were involved

it distributes payments totaling $120

every step of the way in

million to 56,000 retired educators.

designing the systems. An IT

TRS began its Pension Administration

project is doomed to fail if

Services Solution (PASS) project in 1999

you don't have your business with an in-depth analysis of its business

staff on board to support it." processes. Agency leadership wanted

to document how the day-to-day work

Greg McQueen TRS IT Director

actually got done. Almost four years later, TRS has simplified and automated many time-consuming, paper-driven

processes. It's completed each phase

of the project on time and on budget, and it's mov-

ing forward with the final phases, which will

replace the system used to manage the accounts

of active members and make it possible for all

members to manage their accounts on a secure

Web site.

GTA has supported TRS throughout the PASS

project by assisting with the development of

requests for proposals (RFPs), participating in evalu-

ating responses and negotiating contracts, and

providing project management oversight.

Bite it off in manageable pieces
TRS spent about one year documenting how work flowed through the agency and designing more efficient alternatives. Then, it established priorities for making changes.
"You've got to bite it off in small, manageable pieces," Mr. McQueen said. "The first piece was our imaging system."
Much of the information about TRS members and retirees was stored on paper. To automate their processes, TRS knew those paper documents would have to be converted to electronic format, and that required a digital imaging system. They got the system up and running in only four months.
"We took a room full of paper file folders and converted them to images," said Ron Thomas, PASS project manager. "In total, we converted 9.5 million documents to images."
TRS was then ready to move forward with a new financial system to manage accounts payable, accounts receivable and the general ledger. The system became operational July 1, 2002, and was followed on January 1, 2003, with a payroll system to produce monthly payments for retired educators, replacing TRS' legacy payroll system.
See Tech success, page 2
Volume 2, No. 3
Inside this issue
Laptops boost student performance . . . . . . page 2
Office of the State Inspector General goes on the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4
Also available online at www.gta.georgia.gov

Bringing the benefits of technology to Georgia state government

Georgia Technology Authority

Tech success, from page 1

Critical elements: executive support, employee involvement

Mr. McQueen and Mr. Thomas both cited execu-

tive support and the involvement of business units

as major reasons for the success of each phase.

TRS Executive Director Jeffrey L. Ezell met with

employees to explain the project's impact on the

work TRS performs for its customers. In addition,

each business unit assigned one per-

"We took a room full of paper file folders and converted them to images."

son to work full time on the project so IT staff would fully understand the needs of employees who would actually use the systems.

Ron Thomas

"Users were involved every step of

PASS Project Manager

the way in designing the systems," Mr. McQueen said. "An IT project is

doomed to fail if you don't have your

business staff on board to support it."

For large projects like PASS, it's also important to

find an experienced consultant. "We chose a com-

pany with extensive experience in public retirement

systems and large-scale systems integration,"

Mr. McQueen said. "We've been extremely pleased with the performance of our consulting partner."
TRS is now focusing on PASS' next phase: a new system to manage the accounts of active members.
It will track contributions and service credits, process refunds and calculate the estimated amount of a member's monthly retirement check. The deadline is June 2004, after which technical support for the legacy system's database will no longer be available.
TRS will then implement new self-service options so members can manage their accounts on the Web or over the telephone.
Mr. McQueen is encouraged by the feedback he's receiving from employees.
"We're not looking for file folders anymore since all the information we need is on our computer screens. We've also freed up space in our office building," he said. "It was very difficult for business managers to see the workflow when it was manual. Now, workflow tools and reporting allow our managers to track work completed, work in progress, and the work to be done."

Fast Forward

Georgia

Firstyear results
Students with laptops gaining fast

Laptop computers are helping to improve stu-

percentage points.

dent performance at Georgia middle schools par-

In mathematics, the number of eighth-grade

ticipating in the Wireless Classroom Project. Eighth- students meeting or exceeding the statewide stan-

grade students are performing even better than

dard increased by 11 percentage points at partici-

anticipated.

pating schools while the

"The first year results indicate success at a higher rate than expected," according to an assessment of the project by S. L.

One middle school from each of Georgia's eight education districts participates in the project.
Early County Middle School, Blakely

statewide average increased 6 percentage points.
In reading, the number of eighth-grade students

Ogletree and Associates,

Henderson Middle School, Jackson who met or exceeded the

an independent educational consulting and evaluation firm.
Schools participating in

Hilsman Middle School, Athens Louisville Middle School, Louisville Marshall Middle School, Columbus

statewide standard increased by 3 percentage points at participating schools, and the statewide

the project showed a

Rossville Middle School, Rossville

average fell by 2 percent-

greater improvement in average test scores than other schools during the

Treutlen Middle School, Soperton W. L. Parks Middle School, Atlanta

age points. The improvement in
test scores cannot be

2001-2002 school year.

attributed entirely to the

The number of eighth-grade students who met or project since other educational reforms were also

exceeded the statewide standard for English

implemented. However, almost 72 percent of

increased by 13 percentage points at participating teachers at participating schools said the project

schools while the statewide average increased 4

had a positive effect on learning during its first year.

See Firstyear results, page 3

Page 2

Firstyear results, from page 2
The three-year pilot project began in 2001 at eight schools around the state with the goal of improving academic achievement. The project is supported by $12 million from state lottery funds. The schools were selected because their average student test scores fell below statewide averages. The program uses software from PLATO Learning, Inc., to create an online community connecting

teachers, students and parents. PLATO Learning also installed a wireless computer network at each school, and teachers and students were issued a laptop computer that connects to their school's network.
GTA oversees the project and also developed the request for proposal for the competitive bidding that resulted in the selection of PLATO Learning.

Laptop project about more than test scores

Improved test scores tell only part of the story

Teachers and administrators at other participat-

when it comes to the success of Georgia's Wireless ing schools see the same sense of ownership

Classroom Project.

among their students. The number of lost or stolen

"We're making changes to the business-as-

computers has been remarkably low, thanks to a

usual attitude," said Rachel Lyons, technology spe- unique security program installed on the comput-

cialist at Turner County Middle School in Ashburn, at ers that renders them useless if they have not

a conference of participating

logged onto the school's serv-

schools in April. Teachers and administrators
from the eight participating schools have met several times

"It's a springboard for our school to become one of the premier schools in our county."

er within a specified number of days. One school reported only two laptops missing out of a total of 733 issued to stu-

during the 2002-2003 school year to share ideas and best practices from the laptop pro-

Vanessa Biggers, Principal Marshall Middle School

dents. At another school, only one laptop was reported missing. Hilsman Middle

gram. And they've told how

School in Athens formed

the project changed their school in ways that can't Student Laptop Helpers, a group of volunteer stu-

be measured by standardized tests.

dents who provide technical support to help main-

It's brought a new sense of fun and excitement tain the laptops.

to the classroom. Some teachers create their own

Web pages for students to use as part of class

No longer at the bottom

work. Students at Rossville Middle School in Rossville use their laptop to create images of their science experiments. They also create timelines of historical periods such as the Middle Ages, then take virtual tours of the periods on the Internet.
"It's increased student interest in learning," said Rossville's Becky Welch.
Kids learn responsibility
Also significant is the way students have enthusiastically taken on the responsibility of caring for an expensive piece of technology.
"Kids guard those laptops with their lives," said Vanessa Biggers, principal of Marshall Middle School in Columbus, where many students come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Without the project, most students wouldn't have daily access to computers.

Marshall's test scores are no longer the lowest in the school district, and Ms. Biggers said it's because the school is part of the laptop project. Improved test scores have caught the attention of teachers and administrators at other schools, and they now ask to visit Marshall to see firsthand how laptops make it possible for both teachers and students to achieve more.
"It's a springboard for our school to become one of the premier schools in our county," Ms. Biggers said. Teachers report students are more engaged during the school day as they do assignments and research online. The laptop program is also a catalyst for increased community involvement at Marshall. The program has fueled camaraderie in the school, increased the success of after-school clubs and summer programs, and served as a forum for community leaders.

See Laptop project, page 4

Fast Forward

Georgia

Page 3

Web site promotes government accountability

The Office of the State Inspector General (OIG) is basis. The site also features the executive order

using the Internet as a tool to help the citizens of

issued by the governor establishing a code of

Georgia understand the role of the newly created

ethics for executive branch officers and employees.

office.

It appears under the heading, "Best Practices for

GTA and the OIG recently worked together to

State Employees."

develop and launch a Web site

GTA's Teresa Petty and Jeff Kuenn headed up

(www.oig.georgia.gov) as part of the OIG's

the creative team that designed and built the site.

approach to promoting government accountability Ms. Petty worked closely with Betty Joiner, execu-

and integrity. The OIG works to hold state officials accountable for efficient, cost-effective government operations and strives to uncover fraud, waste, abuse or other compromising situations. The office uses inquiries, audits, reviews and evaluations to analyze complaints about state departments and agencies.

"With GTA's support in the establishment of this Web site, we will hopefully increase the public's awareness of our mission as mandated by the governor. GTA has provided tremendous support to this office for which we are grateful."
James Sehorn Inspector General

tive assistant to the inspector general, to ensure that the site met the needs of the office.
"The OIG is a new office, and we were pleased to help them get off the ground with a site that supports their mission and is easy for people to use," Ms. Petty said.
Ms. Joiner appreciated GTA's ongoing assistance and

"With GTA's support in the

accessibility during the cre-

establishment of this Web site, we will hopefully

ation and launch. "Teresa and Jeff demonstrated

increase the public's awareness of our mission as extreme patience while teaching me how to navi-

mandated by the governor," said Inspector General gate, edit and maintain our new Web site," she

James Sehorn. "GTA has provided tremendous

said. "It's great to know that these supportive and

support to this office for which we are grateful."

competent folks are just a phone call away."

Part of georgia.gov, the site offers information

The georgia.gov Contact Center provides critical

about the OIG and its responsibilities and allows

support to the site by answering users' telephone

users to print out a form for reporting questionable and e-mail inquiries about using georgia.gov.

activity. Executive summaries of closed inquiries will

be published on the Web site on a continuing

Fast Forward

Georgia

Laptop project, from page 3
Hilsman asked a team of teachers to design a survey to assess teacher attitudes and opinions about the project. According to survey results, 75 percent of teachers are "totally committed" to continuing the project after the three-year pilot ends at the close of the 2003-2004 school year. Another team of teachers is making sure the project conforms with the district-wide technology plan so it

can be expanded to include other schools. Hilsman also started a mentoring program to help new teachers quickly make laptops a part of their classes.
But giving teachers and students laptops and other technology doesn't improve learning by itself. As Ms. Lyons said, "Without the vision of an inspired teacher, nothing of value will happen."

Fast Forward Georgia
Published bi-monthly and available online at www.gta.georgia.gov 100 Peachtree Street, Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 404-463-2300, FAX 404-463-2370
Paula Calhoun and Michael Clark, Editors; Hettie Smith, Designer

Tom Wade Cigdem Delano
Steve Nichols Chris Tomlinson

Acting GTA Executive Director & State CIO , twade@gta.ga.gov Deputy Director & Acting Chief Operating Officer, cdelano@gta.ga.gov Deputy Director & Chief Technology Officer, snichols@gta.ga.gov Assistant to the CIO for Policy & Deputy General Counsel, ctomlinson@gta.ga.gov

James D. Lester III, Chairman, GTA Board of Directors

Page 4