Important changes to DSST tech systems

In pursuit of Big Goal #5, which positions us for future growth, we’ve been taking a hard look at our tech systems to figure out what’s working, what’s not, and where we can make things better. Two big opportunities stood out:

1. We need a stronger, student-facing Learning Management System (LMS).
2. We’re juggling two productivity platforms, Google Workspace and Office 365, and that’s creating overlap and confusion.

Here’s the plan:

By the 2027-28 school year,

• We will move to Canvas as our LMS. The DSST version of Canvas is branded as Cortex. Many of you are likely already familiar with Cortex, which we use for staff learning.
• We’re consolidating to Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) as our only productivity platform and saying goodbye to Google Workspace.

Why are we doing this?
It’s all about preparing our students for college and careers. Colleges use full-featured LMS platforms like Canvas, not Google Classroom. By making this switch, we’ll give students the experience they need before they step onto campus.

And when it comes to productivity tools, Microsoft Office is the global standard, both for universities and industry - especially in large organizations and STEM fields. Time is a precious resource, and more streamlined technology gives us more of it.

When these systems are fully implemented, DSST’s tech systems will all work better together, making us a much more efficient network and preparing our students for the future.

When is this happening?

• Canvas will be fully rolled out across all schools by July 2027.
• The shift to Microsoft 365 will also be complete by July 2027.

Between now and then, our Home Office teams will be working hard to create best practices, training, and resources to make this transition smooth. For the next six months, all of this work is at the Home Office. You’ll start to see some of it, but not until the 2026-27 school year. Here is the broad timeline:

We’ll keep you updated every step of the way. And feel free to check this Helix page any time to see updates.

What does this mean for you right now?

• To reiterate, no action is needed, and no change is happening for any staff in the 2025-26 school year.
• You already have access to Microsoft 365. Feel free to start exploring! Microsoft has a bunch of video resources that might help. We’ll be producing our own training materials down the line.
• We are looking for participants for focus groups to get feedback on how to make these shifts successful. If interested, please fill out this form.

We know this is a big change, so we are giving ourselves a long runway. We also recognize that you may have many questions, both now and as we move through the process. Rest assured, we will be here to support you throughout this shift. We will also be soliciting input in many ways over the coming months. Please keep an eye out for those opportunities.

Thank you for your partnership,

Kirk Anderson

Vice President of Technology Strategy & Support