INFORMATIONAL

  The approach of the year 2000 presents many challenges for
  both the public and private sectors. In Virginia education,
  the importance of school divisions' readiness for the year
  2000 cannot be overstated. For this reason, the Secretary
  of Education and the state's Century Date Change Initiative
  (CDCI) Project Office have asked the Department of
  Education to monitor the progress of Virginia's school
  divisions toward achieving year 2000 compliance. The CDCI
  Project Office developed a checklist to be submitted
  monthly by each school division, beginning October 15. It
  has come to my attention that very few school divisions
  have filed their "Y2K"checklists. There is an urgent need
  for your cooperation in this matter.

  To assist Virginia school divisions in this area, the
  Department of Education has established a Year 2000
  newsgroup and website which are accessible through
  Virginia's PEN. The purpose of the newsgroup is to
  facilitate the sharing of important year 2000 information
  among school divisions and to announce activities of
  interest to all school divisions. In addition, the
  following outreach activities have occurred:

  June 12, 1998    Superintendent's Memo No. 89 alerted
                   school superintendents to the two-day
                   workshop planned specifically to address
                   the needs of school divisions.

  June 29-30       Two-day workshop was held.


  September-October:  Deputy Secretary of Education Cheri
  Yecke presented the School Division Year 2000 Checklist to
  six of the eight regional superintendents groups. Deputy
  Superintendent Richard Layman addressed the remaining two
  groups.

  Regions two and seven have made arrangements to meet with
  Scott Fairholm of the CDCI Project Office. Mr. Fairholm
  also will make a presention at the Educational Technology
  Leadership Conference in Roanoke on Thursday, December 10.
  In addition, there is an opportunity on Monday, December 7,
  to participate in a teleconference with USDOE which may be
  helpful to you. Registration information is attached.

  The next reporting date for School Division Year 2000
  Checklists is December 15. From that point forward,
  checklists should be submitted monthly. A copy of the
  checklist and instructions are attached. I strongly
  encourage you to support the efforts of your technology
  staff to achieve year 2000 compliance and to keep the
  Department of Education up to date on your progress. 

  Checklists should be sent to:

                     Diane Eddleton  
         Office of Management Information Systems
                      P.O. Box 2120  
                 Richmond, VA 23218-2120  

  Checklists also may be faxed to Mrs. Eddleton at (804)
  371-8978. Should you have any questions, you may contact
  the Office of M.I.S. at (804) 225-2099.  Cheri Yecke,
  Deputy Secretary of Education, may be reached at (804) 786-1151.
  The CDCI Project Office number for Scott Fairholm is
  (804) 786-1434.

  The newsgroup va-pen.yr2000 may be reached via the PEN text
  interface or by following the Year 2000 link from
  www.pen.k12.va.us. We encourage your participation in this
  forum.

  PDS/mwc

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