Report 2017-102 Recommendation 15 Responses

Report 2017-102: California Community Colleges: The Colleges Reviewed Are Not Adequately Monitoring Services for Technology Accessibility, and Districts and Colleges Should Formalize Procedures for Upgrading Technology (Release Date: December 2017)

Recommendation #15 To: Foothill-De Anza Community College District

To ensure that it is fulfilling requests for alternate media services from students with disabilities in a timely manner, by June 2018, De Anza should establish procedures for monitoring its timeliness in responding to such requests so that it can periodically review its performance in completing the requests. Specifically, it should record and track sufficient information to be able to review how long it takes to complete requests. Additionally, De Anza should calculate the number of days it takes to complete requests, and periodically evaluate its performance against its time-frame goals. Further, to evaluate its performance, De Anza should establish a time-frame goal for completing alternate media requests.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

A DSPS student requesting alternative media services accesses Clockwork through De Anza's MyPortal. Specifically, Clockwork sends an automated module to track alternative media requests from students. Once the request is submitted, they automatically receive a confirmation email that their request has been submitted, another for when it has been accepted, an additional email when their request is pending, and lastly when the request has been completed. This keeps students aware of the timeline of their request.

Specifically, Clockwork captures the exact time email notifications are sent out to students in response to their requests. The emails give details to the approximate turnaround time for alternative media accommodations. Processing requests through the alternative media student module in Clockwork tracks the time-frame goal, which can be exported as reports for evaluation. The Alternative Media Specialist and DSPS supervisor meet periodically to evaluate the performance of these requests and address any issues for improvement.

Regarding tracking timeliness, now that many students are back on campus, the Alt Media Specialist has instructed that they bring in their books to her so that she can scan in their books if the publisher does not respond within a timely manner during the first week of the quarter. She also maintains a spreadsheet of student requests in addition Clockwork to tracking this.

The "Instructions for Making an Alternative Media Requests" online guide https://www.deanza.edu/dsps/dss/alt_media.html addresses all alt media processes and procedures, along with step-by-step instructions for making a request through Clockwork. Additionally, DSPS students can access alt media information in Canvas. This Canvas shell is updated every quarter by Alternative Media Specialist.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

De Anza's response does not fully address our recommendation. Although De Anza established time-frame goals for completing alternate media requests and procedures to fulfill students' alternate media requests, our recommendation was to establish procedures for monitoring its timeliness in responding to such requests so that it can periodically review its performance in completing the requests. De Anza also did not provide documentation demonstrating that it compared its timeliness in completing the requests to time-frame goals, as we recommended.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

From De Anza College Disability Support Programs and Services (DSPS) Division (2021):

We continue to utilize Clockwork and have built an automated module to track alternative media requests from students, when they make a request via MyPortal. When a student submits a request, the automated email template triggers a confirmation email to the student when their request has been submitted, accepted, pending and completed.

For example, the Alternative Media Specialist receives the request, works with the student to meet their alternative media needs, and documents in Clockwork when the request is completed. By using Clockwork to monitor all alternative media requests and completions, we can accurately track request and completion times.

Clockwork captures the exact time of notifications sent out to students as their request is handled. The initial email sent out to student states the approximate turnaround time for alternative media accommodation. Processing requests through the alternative media student module in Clockwork tracks the time-frame goal, which can be exported as reports for evaluation. The Alternative Media Specialist and DSPS supervisor continue to meet periodically to evaluate the performance of these requests and address any issues for improvement.

The DSPS dean, counselors and staff collaboratively created a student guide to assist with the new alternative media procedures and requests, titled "Instructions for Making an Alternative Media Requests." This guide provides terminology that students should know and step-by-step instructions for making a request through Clockwork (instead of using direct email). Our Alternative Media Specialist has also developed a Canvas course shell that is provided to new students requesting alt media accommodations. The Instructional Guide has been added to this landing page with additional resources and information. https://www.deanza.edu/dsps/dss/alt_media.html

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

De Anza's response does not fully address our recommendation. Although De Anza established time-frame goals for completing alternate media requests and procedures to fulfill students' alternate media requests, our recommendation was to establish procedures for monitoring its timeliness in responding to such requests so that it can periodically review its performance in completing the requests. De Anza also did not provide documentation demonstrating it compared its timeliness in completing the requests against time-frame goals, as we recommended.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

De Anza College has developed procedures to fulfill requests for alt media services from students with disabilities through the following:

De Anza had formed a task force for review and implementation of procedures to such items as course textbooks, college catalogs, course syllabi, and other printed course materials in alternate media format as needed.

The Alternate Media Specialist uses Clockwork to track all alternate media requests which includes showing the duration between the initial request and completion of the request. See attached "Alternative Media-DA Update".

The DSPS Supervisor meets with the Alternate Media Specialist monthly to evaluate the performance against the time frame goal for completing alternate media requests, and jointly works on alternative solutions should an issue arise. Note: These meetings met twice per month when the process was being improved, moving to once per month once implementation was completed. Supporting evidence with calendar appointments recorded in Clockwork (under appointments labeled "Touch base").

In addition, a goal to track students' alternative media requests via Clockwork against the length of time it takes for the student to receive completed alternative media materials. See attached document, "Fall 2018 Alt Media Completion"

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

De Anza's response does not address our recommendation. Although its response describes procedures to fulfill students' alternate media requests, our recommendation focused on establishing procedures for monitoring its timeliness in responding to such requests so that it can periodically review its performance in completing the requests. De Anza also did not provide documentation demonstrating it compared its timeliness in completing the requests against time-frame goals, as we recommended. In follow-up correspondence, De Anza stated that moving forward, it will work on getting procedures established.

1-Year Agency Response

Although the Foothill-De Anza Community College District submitted a 6-month response for this recommendation, it did not submit a 1-year response.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

The district did not submit a response.

60-Day Agency Response

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District did not submit a 60-day response for this recommendation. It did, however, submit its 6-month response.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: No Action Taken

The district did not submit a response.

6-Month Agency Response

The DSPS Division has established a procedure for monitoring the timeliness in responding to DSS student requests for alternate media. The Alternate Media Specialist uses Clockwork to track all alternate media requests that includes how the duration between the initial request and completion of the request. Periodically, the DSPS Supervisor meets with the Alternate Media Specialist to evaluate the performance against the time frame goal for completing alternate media requests.This started in September of 2017 and has continued to the present day.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

De Anza did not provide documentation to support its assertion of full implementation of this recommendation.

All Recommendations in 2017-102

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.