Verso’s Evolution Key Features and Benefits By CTE Resource Center Richmond, Virginia

Our Pre-Verso Vision Reduction of printed copies and printing cost 1- to 3-year update on curricula Consistency among curricula Functionality of data focused on formatting through a customizable database Access for Web-based users with limited login requirements

What VERSO Became Responded to Perkins requirements Provided consistent frameworks at a faster rate Disseminated information quickly and cheaply Allowed for editorial changes without incurring additional costs Helped to link academic standards to task lists Linked industry standards to task lists Became an online gathering place for all state- required and helpful curriculum resources Gained attention from administrators and teachers

Growth We have been able to track hits to our site and the numbers of registered users we’ve gained, and there has been noticeable growth since release in April 2003.

Growth in Hits

Growth in Registered Users

Growth in Training

Rollout Offer supporting materials (brochures, quick user’s guide, full user’s manual) Attend conferences and physically assist registration Follow up with timely VERSO messages to all registrants Offer in-services/training sessions Present the system at state functions Make VERSO the sole site for state validated curriculum information

Training for Remote Users CTEresource.org>Verso>Training & Resources

Evolution The current version of Verso has accomplished our initial goals, but because of its data growth, and our processes, we needed another generation of this system to handle and reuse data in different ways.

Evolution: Rigidity v. Flexibility Rigidity creates uniform documents links standards easily omits data that doesn’t conform Flexibility creates multiple types of “documents” arranges a hierarchy links data in multiple ways

Data Evolution: Rigidity v. Flexibility Data The evolving management system will store each piece of information with all connections attached to it. It will also connect in a number of different ways, rather than in just one instance or occurrence. Data Document

Data Evolution: Rigidity v. Flexibility Reports The evolving management system will store each piece of information with all connections attached to it. It will also connect in a number of different ways, rather than in just one instance or occurrence. Report s Document

Evolution: Document-Driven v. Element-Driven Because the next generation of Verso will be flexible and allow for different types of documents to be created and managed within the system, we have learned to focus on connections at the element level rather than the document level. It is the collaboration of these variously connected elements that eventually form the document.

Evolution: System Isolation v. System Integration The current Verso connects outwardly to other systems through hyperlinks, but it does not make real-time connections between shared data types; therefore, these connections are static. The new Verso could connect to other important Virginia systems: career planning, tracking, and reporting.

Evolution: System Integration Career Planning The integration with the new Virginia Career Planning Guide (CPG) will be produced as part of the production of the new Verso system. The arrangement of the CPG is based upon the career cluster hierarchy. The CPG allows students, parents, teachers and administrators access to top-level planning tools, such as courses, completer sequences, and certification opportunities linked to courses.

Evolution: System Integration Tracking CanDo is a Web-based, freely-distributed skills tracking program developed by master teachers and their students in Arlington, Virginia. Students actually programmed this system, using Zope. CanDo will change the paper and pen tracking approach into a Web-based solution (Web-based Excel sheets). CanDo uses Verso’s SCRs, making the important link with curriculum. CanDo was programmed with the same software as the new Verso.

Evolution: System Integration Administrative Reporting Plans budgets Prepares planning documents to meet the state Standards of Quality (SOQ) Supplies Career and Technical Education enrollment data to agencies or individuals who request this information Determines financial disbursements of state and federal funds Speaks the same language as Verso and the tracking system

Speaking the Same Language Zope Zope is an open-source, object-oriented Web application server written in the programming language Python. Zope stands for "Z Object Publishing Environment." “The open-source model can allow for the concurrent use of different agendas and approaches in production, in contrast with more centralized models of development such as those typically used in commercial software companies” (from wikipedia.com)

Safe and Accessible The new, revised VERSO system will be opened up to allow non-Virginia educators to register in VERSO. All patrons, regardless of affiliation, will be asked to register and will need to do so to obtain any data beyond the task lists. This modification better reflects Virginia’s long-term policy of selling its CTE publications only to recapture printing costs.

In Closing Verso has evolved from a white paper in October of 2001 to a new generation of Verso. from a rigid, document-driven system to a flexible, open-source system that can grow exponentially and integrate with other useful systems. from a system with somewhat limited access, to access for all.