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Perry County School System
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**The following is an electronic copy of the Technology Plan that was submitted for approval to the No Child Left Behind and E-Rate programs for years 2004-2007. The Technology Plan for Perry County Schools is currently under review for approval for the 2007-2010 school years.
PERRY COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM
3-YEAR TECHNOLOGY PLAN 2004-2007
DAVID R. RHODES, DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS KEN COOLEY, TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR LESLIE M. HOBBS, TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT
The approval of the Perry County School System Technology Plan includes any additions or revisions as required by the TN State Department of Education and/or the Federal government.
Signed: _____________________ Date: ___________
PERRY COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM 3-YEAR TECHNOLOGY PLAN 2004-2007
David R. Rhodes, Director of Schools Ken Cooley, Technology Coordinator Leslie M. Hobbs, Technology Assistant
The Perry County Schools strive to prepare all students to achieve high levels of performance, and equip them to lead productive lives as good citizens who value and appreciate the importance of continual learning.
VISION, BELIEFS, AND RATIONALE
INTRODUCTION
The Perry County School System believes that “student achievement is the bottom line.” It is our belief that with computer technology use in the classroom environment, student learning is vastly improved. This plan begins with a vision for student learning, a statement of beliefs, and a rationale for creating and continuing to build networked learning environments. It then continues with a description of district and technological goals, as well as current technology available. This plan also includes staff, parent, and community development. This plan conveys steps in using technology more productively and in weaving it thoroughly into daily learning and teaching.
Vision
In the Perry County School System, our vision is to create schools that are learning centered, results focused, and designed to provide knowledge, skills and attitudes that will meet the demands of the future. All students and teachers will access, utilize, and integrate information technology as a tool for effective classroom instruction and improved student learning.
Beliefs
ü It is critical that all students have access to information via technology as a basis for continued learning. ü Students should be able to use a wide variety of technological tools to enhance their future success as both students and workers. ü To process and manage information through the skillful use of technology is essential for all learners, including educators. ü Process skills such as flexibility, adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration are essential within our rapidly changing information age; therefore, successful use of technology helps develop these skills. ü Diverse learning styles of students are better served by the use of technology. ü Increased use of technology within today’s classroom helps to prepare students for the workplace of today and tomorrow. ü Schools must prepare students to be continual learners who take responsibility for their own learning, skilled in processing information, confident in use of technological tools, capable of solving complex problems alone or collaboratively, capable of being creative and innovative, and capable of communication locally, nationally, and globally.
Rationale for Technology Plan
The three-year technology plan is designed to provide guidance and direction to system wide technological improvement. It is designed to be a work in progress, flexible to meet changes that will occur on an annual basis, offers a guideline for creating our future and the opportunity to achieve a higher level of student achievement, educator performance, technology integration within the learning environment, and community support. Achieving higher levels of student performance for ALL students is the bottom line.
GOALS
Education within the Perry County School System is guided by our strategic plan, which lists the following goals:
District Strategic Plan Goals
ü Ninety percent of the students in Perry County will meet or exceed state mandated levels of performance as specified by the SDE (i.e. norm-referenced TCAP, criterion referenced tests, Gateway, etc.). ü Every child will be taught by a qualified, certified teacher in a school with qualified, certified administrators and appropriately trained staff. ü All schools will provide a safe, disciplined, orderly, and nurturing environment for teaching and learning. ü All students and teachers will access, utilize, and integrate information technology as a tool for effective classroom instruction and improved student learning. ü Inform and involve the parents, business representatives, and community members in the improvement of the Perry County Schools. ü Students, teachers, and staff will be provided with a clean, safe working environment that meets or exceeds current building codes and accommodates future needs for enhancing programs. ü The organizational structure of the Perry County Schools will support the implementation, monitoring, and annual review of the Strategic Plan inclusive of an annual report to all stakeholders.
Current technology within the Perry County School System includes:
ü All classrooms, district wide (4 schools) are networked and connected to the Internet. ü Perry County High School has library automation. ü All elementary and secondary schools use electronic report cards. ü All elementary and secondary classrooms have a teacher workstation installed.
Technological Goals
ü The secondary vocational computer labs will be evaluated annually. (Time Line: 2004-2005) ü Equipment and software will be updated to stay current with changing technology. (Time Line: High School-2004-2005; Middle School-2005-2006; Elementary Schools-2006-2007) ü Technology labs will be evaluated annually; equipment and software updated to stay current with changing technology. (Time Line: 2005-2006) ü Other classroom equipment will be evaluated annually and updated to stay current with changing technology. (Time Line: 2006-2007) ü Develop a system-wide technology committee to serve in an advisory capacity to the administration on technology needs of the district and assist in the selection of software to instructional programs. (Time Line: 2004-2005) ü Upgrade operating software. (Time Line: High School-2004-2005; Middle School 2005-2006; Elementary Schools-2006-2007) ü Match specific software to curriculum and adopt/purchase software that matches textbooks. (Time Line: 2005-2006) ü Upgrade Lobelville Elementary Internet connection to full T1 line. (Time Line: 2005-2006) ü Add second T1 connection to Perry County High School for a total of 2 T1 lines. (Time Line: 2004-2005) ü Provide portable technology labs in grades 9-12. (Time Line: 2005-2006) ü Provide portable technology labs in grades 5-8. (Time Line: 2006-2007) ü Setup district-wide e-mail server and Internet server to provide a well-developed communication channel for educators, students, parents, and the overall community. (Time Line: 2005-2006) ü Develop after-hour technology classes for parents and community members. (Time Line: 2005-2006) ü Train one educator per school to act as a “school based” TC at each school. (Time Line: 2006-2007)
STAFF DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
A thriving learning community focuses on improving learning for all youth and adult members. Staff members must be engaged in powerful learning experiences so that they may in turn create equally powerful learning experiences for children.
Professional/Technical on-going in-service training will be provided to teachers/staff in the following areas:
ü Operating Systems (Win 95/98/2000/XP). ü Networked Application Software (AR, STAR, etc.). ü Teacher Application Software (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). ü Subject focused software and applications (Training provided as needed, and with purchase of new software). ü Internet and e-mail training, as needed. ü Basic computer/technology operation training, as needed.
Opportunities will be provided for teachers and staff to attend technological training, staff development, and professional development conferences and workshops. Training will be made available on an equitable basis to all staff in the LEA. Professional development will provide training for interaction of technology in the classroom. The training will integrate effective use of technology in the classroom, and will be ongoing and sustained.
To better ensure technological success within the learning environment, a minimum of one educator/staff member will be trained to be a school based “TC” at each school.
To better increase the opportunity for success with the Perry County School System’s staff development strategies, teachers and staff will use a self-assessment form. This form will gauge a teacher or staff member’s proficiency within a particular area. This too allows the Technology Department to pinpoint an area of technology in which the teacher or staff member may require further, intensive professional development. (See appendices at end of report)
NETWORKING AND TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES
Perry County School System will provide continued maintenance and service to technology throughout the district. The district currently utilizes a county tap connected to the state network with a T1 line. We work closely with the provided state contractor to ensure that our Internet services continue to reach and surpass goals set by our technology plan. This state contract also provides a protection measure against access by adults and minors to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or otherwise harmful to minors as determined by CIPA requirements. By continually evaluating both networking and telecommunication services, Perry County Schools will be able to continue setting goals and then working toward the fulfillment of those goals.
With the upgrade of Lobelville Elementary from a 256K line to a T1 line and upgrading to a second T1 line at Perry County High School, we will be able to provide the bandwidth required to implement distance learning opportunities to not only our students and teachers but also will provide the opportunity for community members to utilize our network and telecommunication services.
Perry County School System will use our district and school web sites to inform parents and community members of upcoming events and technologies being used within our school system, Perry County School System will also coordinate with the Adult Education program within our community to offer after-hour training classes to parents and community members. It is our belief that a parent can better reinforce instruction received at school, by understanding that instruction and practicing it at home.
Existing Technology And Internet Connection:
ü All schools networked with Internet using Pentium-class machines. ü Three schools are connected by T1 line to county tap. ü Lobelville Elementary connected with 256K line to county tap. ü County tap connected to state network with T1 line.
Goals:
ü Linden Middle School, Linden Elementary School and Lobelville Elementary School upgraded to 10/100 Ethernet connection. (Time Line: 2004-2005) ü All networks to be upgraded to most current level of hardware and network software. (Time Line: 2005-2006)
LONG-TERM FUNDING STRATEGY AND 3-YEAR BUDGET
The Perry County School System is committed to a long-term financial plan, which provides students and teachers with suitable technology to support learning, and at the same time, protects the community’s investment. The challenges presented by the need to make technology available to our students are multifaceted. This includes initial purchase price of equipment, the infrastructure to connect each school to the district and every student and staff member to the Internet. The Perry County School System must meet the challenge of developing a comprehensive plan to upgrade and replace both software and hardware as required by obsolescence and growth. Replacement and upgrading are intended to insure that our staff and students have access to the current software products they need to achieve a higher level of continued learning. In consideration of Ed Tech funds and E-Rate discounts, it has been determined that 25% of Ed Tech funds will be used toward staff development, with the remaining 75% used to purchase software and hardware to integrate student skills into curriculum and effective use of technology within schools that are deemed to meet the determined focus group criteria. E-Rate discounts are used by the Perry County School System to assist in providing telecommunication services to each school. Budget figures do not represent either staff development or staffing costs. The Perry County School System will coordinate all funding sources for tech activities by creating a Technology Committee and by having pertinent personnel meet on a regular basis. The Perry County School System will continue to evaluate all possible sources of financial support to fund our technology plan.
Current Budget:
ü New Equipment $20,000.00 ü Wiring/Upgrades 10,000.00 ü Maintenance 5,000.00 ü Operating Software $20,000.00
3-Year Budget Projections (excluding unforeseeable expenses)
The Perry County School System 3-year Technology Budget projection encompasses all categories of the current budget figures. The projected budget for our 3-year plan totals to $205,000.00.
On-Going Maintenance and Support
The Perry County School System is dedicated to providing excellent maintenance and support through the Technology Department. The School System has increased the technical support staff to two people, providing a range of services including equipment repair, network design, network administration, application support and database coordination.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
The Perry County School System will collect data in order to improve services, learning, and teaching on a yearly basis. The Perry County School System Technology Advisory Committee will meet on a monthly basis to research and develop self-assessment methods for students to better determine skill development. The district and schools will collect assessment information on an annual basis in order to continually improve students’ learning opportunities, system hardware/software and to pinpoint any areas that may need improvement. By determining integration needs and specific strategies, student performance will be improved by implementing technology integration into daily classroom activities. To determine the success of technology integration and strategies, and teacher effectiveness there will be a monitoring of test score improvement, job retention, scholarship/grant awards, and a series of reviews on a bi-yearly time scale by the Technology Advisory Committee to be reported to the Director of Schools and the Board of Education members.
The system technology committee will assess their implementation of engaging learning practices in conjunction with high performance technology. They will identify areas that need further attention and work and identify the most important steps that can be taken to meet their goals.
The LEA, through the TSIP process, has identified strengths and weaknesses of curriculum and teaching strategies. As a result of this, state academic standards and achievement will be targeted through state curriculum standards and through review of TCAP results to improve standards. The LEA will access reviews through the Internet, teaching journals, E-Tote, the STAR survey and teacher surveys to identify recent research regarding the use of technology in the classroom and to identify needed areas of improvement throughout the school system.
Perry County School System will have 40% of our teachers will be integrating technology effectively by 2005. By 2006, 50% of our teachers will be integrating technology effectively within the classroom, and by 2007, 60% of our teachers will be integrating technology effectively within the classroom.
Evaluation
The System Technology Team which consists of the Technology Coordinator, Technology Assistant, Principals, Supervisors, and the Director of Schools will meet periodically to establish technology goals, technology updates, implementation schedules, training, and evaluate the levels of teaching that integrate technology.
The School Technology Team will be established in each school with educators and staff members. Each School Technology Team will develop school site plans and make recommendations and/or requests to the System Technology Team, as well as, to the Technology Advisory Committee.
The Technology Advisory Committee will consist of a minimum of two educators from each school within the district, the Technology Coordinator, the Technology Assistant, and the Media Specialist from Perry County High School. This team will work closely with community and business members to determine technology needs within the school, areas for improvement within technology integration, evaluate and make suggestions to the System Technology Team for new software programs that relate to curricula. This Advisory Committee will also determine the process for providing programs geared to technological education for parents and other adults within the community at large.
Suggestions by these team/committee members will be presented to the Director of Schools and/or the Board of Education for approval. If the presented plan is approved, the team/committee members will meet to determine the implementation of the plan. Once the plan for implementation is determined, the Technology Department will proceed with the implementation process.
The Technology Advisory Committee will also meet to evaluate the Perry County School System’s Technology Policies and Procedures. This process will consist of determining if any changes are needed within the Acceptable Use Policy, drafting such changes and presenting these policy changes as needed.
CONCLUSION
The Perry County School System is dedicated to reaching a higher level of education by increasing access of technology to all students and teachers. It is our belief that by drafting both district and technological plans, we will be better suited to implement these goals, evaluate the success of changes made to curricula by integrating technology, develop needs assessment strategies, and provide a continuous improvement and growth in our students education. By developing a Technology Advisory Committee, we hope to increase not only communication within our school system, but also with the community at large. By drafting a technology plan, we can annually evaluate the standards and assess the goals within the technology plan. By constantly evaluating and adapting our technology plan, we will be capable of providing an ever-changing environment for students to achieve a much higher level of learning.
Technology Budget Perry County School System 2004-2007 (Future year’s funding is pending and final amounts/costs are approximate)
Appendix A
Technology Skills and Application Inventory
Name ___________________ Date ______________
100-Basic Computer Operations
Proficient Need Training
___ ___ Identify the basic components of a computer ___ ___ Properly turn on and shut down a computer ___ ___ Identify ports on a computer & how to connect external devices ___ ___ Make new folders, name them and place them in preferred locations ___ ___ Throw unwanted files in the trash and empty the trash ___ ___ Open a file ___ ___ Choose a printer ___ ___ Rename a file ___ & |