District and School Technology Plan

by
Katie Cangelosi Kurt Hargis

Preface ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Mission ........................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Vision .............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Students: ............................................................................................................................................................... 4 Teachers and Administrators: ...................................................................................................................... 4 School Board, Executive Staff, & Support Staff:...................................................................................... 5 Parents and Community: ................................................................................................................................ 5 Goals and Action Steps Summary ..................................................................................................................... 6 Goal 1: All educators and learners will benefit from technology-rich environments that support student achievement and produce life long learners able to succeed in an information society................................................................................................................................................ 6 Goal 2: All board members, administrators and support staff will conduct business in an effective and efficient manner in order to best support the districts core business of Teaching and Learning. .................................................................................................................................... 6 Goal 1 and Action Steps ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Action Steps 1: Strengthen Leadership .................................................................................................... 7 Action Step 2: Improve Teacher Training ............................................................................................... 9 Action Step 3: Support E-Learning and Virtual Schools ............................................................... 11 Action Step 4: Encourage Improved Access and Technology Usage ...................................... 13 Goal 2 and Action Steps ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Action Step 1: Provide Professional Development Opportunities ......................................... 15 APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................................................... 16 NEEDS ASSESSMENT SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 16 APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................................................... 17 System Review Assurance ................................................................................................................................ 17 APPENDIX C................................................................................................................................................................ 18 School Review Assurance ................................................................................................................................. 18 Glossary........................................................................................................................................................................ 19

Preface

This plan consists of two significant goals and numerous action steps. This district and the schools will constantly monitor and tweak the plan in order to continuously improve and meet the needs of the districts stakeholders. The goals are: 1. all of educators and learners will benefit from technology-rich environments that support student achievement and produce life long learners able to succeed in an information society and 2. all of the board members, administrators and support staff will conduct business in an effective and efficient manner in order to best support the districts core business of Teaching and Learning. It is our view that technology is wonderful educational tool that can have a massive impact on our students lives. Sustained by a firm commitment of the Board, administrators, teachers, community leaders, parents, and students, implementation of this plan will serve as a road map to improve education for students now and in the future.

Mission
The districts technology mission is to provide superior technology and support to facilitate successful learning processes in order to increase student achievement.

Vision
TechKnowledge: Learning for life facilitated by superior technologies.
Students:
Will have access to connected technologies to analyze, process, and disseminate multi-media information. Will utilize digital content to focus on real-life activities, allowing for greater levels of collaboration, inquiry, analysis, and creativity in local and distant classrooms for a real world audience. Will utilize electronic systems in order to effectively communicate with administrators, teachers, specialists, parents, and fellow students.

Teachers and Administrators:

Will have access to connected technologies to analyze and disseminate multimedia information. Will utilize technology and digital content to develop interdisciplinary and cross grade level real life activities allowing for greater levels of collaboration, inquiry, analysis and creativity in local and distant classrooms for a real world audience. Will utilize electronic systems to effectively communicate with students, specialists, parents, fellow teachers and administrators. Will have the resources needed to electronically archive, retrieve, analyze, and produce reports by accessing student, fiscal, standard grade reporting, and authentic assessment data. Will be given appropriate staff development opportunities to support and build the effective use of information technologies in order to produce seamlessly integrated technology lessons.

School Board, Executive Staff, & Support Staff:

Will have access to superior hardware, software and professional staff development opportunities to establish and maintain effective and efficient information systems. Will utilize electronic systems in order to effectively communicate with students, specialists, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community

Parents and Community:

Parents will be actively involved in defining educational objectives, setting individual student learning plans and able to view results via privacy protected web tools. Community members will be involved in defining educational objectives and informed of results and district level interventions via privacy protected web tools.

Goals and Action Steps Summary

Goal 1: All educators and learners will benefit from technology-rich environments that support student achievement and produce life long learners able to succeed in an information society.
Action Step 1: Strengthen Leadership Action Step 2: Improve Teacher Training Action Step 3: Support E-Learning and Virtual Schools Action Step 4: Encourage Improved Access and Technology Usage

Goal 2: All board members, administrators and support staff will conduct business in an effective and efficient manner in order to best support the districts core business of Teaching and Learning.
Action Step 1: Provide Professional Development Opportunities

Goal 1 and Action Steps

Goal 1: All educators and learners will benefit from technology-rich environments that support student achievement and produce life long learners able to succeed in an information society.

Action Steps 1: Strengthen Leadership

Leaders at all levels will support systemic change through transformational leadership while monitoring effective use of instructional technology which supports standardsbased school improvement efforts. Current Status: The district leadership attends in-service, that provides updates, pertinent information and offers a variety of sessions, spotlighting exemplary programs. All educational administrators/leaders routinely model appropriate use of technology resources to support administrative and instructional functions. All educational administrators/leaders include components of effective technology integration in the development of school improvement plans. All educational administrators/leaders support, evaluate, coordinate, and modify their district and school technology plans and/or school improvement plan annually to ensure alignment with overall federal, state and district educational technology and accountability goals. An indicator that monitors and evaluates not only the use of classroom technology but curriculum integration with technology is part of required observations, evaluations, and walk-throughs.

Benchmarks, Target year 2020: All newly appointed educational administrators/leaders will participate in ongoing professional development designed to develop/strengthen leadership skills and provide support. All educational administrators/leaders will use a variety of emerging technologies (i.e., e-mail, voice technologies, and school and district intranet) as primary sources of communication. All educational administrators/leaders will be technology proficient according to state adopted standards found in the International Society for Technology in Educations National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A). Educational administrators/leaders and curriculum specialists will integrate educational technology into the state-mandated Comprehensive Curriculum or locally adopted curriculum.

Strategies: Provide funding and technical support for leaders at all levels to enable participation in ongoing professional development activities such as, but not limited to: LEADTECH, TechTools for Administrators, and Educational Leader Induction. Provide funding and technical support for leaders at all levels to participate in leadership conferences. Conduct a technology needs assessment of each school and establish a plan for technology professional development for leaders/aspiring leaders.

Action Step 2: Improve Teacher Training

Teachers will participate in effective professional development to ensure that technology and other educational resources available in schools are being used to enhance student learning. Current Status: Online K-12 database resources and accompanying professional development on using these resources are available. Assistive Technology Regional Centers provide educators with training and support for addressing increased accessibility for all students through technology. Online lesson plan resources and lesson planning tools focused on integration of technology into the curricula, including the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, are accessible statewide through Making Connections. The district curriculum and professional development opportunities are accessible through the District Intranet. A Teacher Facilitator of Technology is available to train, model, and assist teachers at the elementary and middle schools at least one day a week. The district provides professional development initiatives to teachers to improve technology integration and troubleshooting skills. A technology strand is included in teacher/administrator job description and evaluations in line with Louisiana Components of Effective Teaching.

Benchmarks, target year 2020: All teachers will engage in professional development activities offered locally or through regional TLTCs that demonstrate how to integrate technology into the Comprehensive Curriculum or the locally adopted curriculum. All teachers will engage in professional development that includes both online and face-to-face local and state developed professional development opportunities. All teachers will participate in professional learning communities that facilitate the integration of technology into student learning. All new teachers will participate in ongoing professional development designed to facilitate the integration of technology into instruction and support the establishment of highly qualified teachers in Louisiana. All teachers will be proficient in the use of technology to enhance student learning by 2020. All teachers will be trained by the schools staff development trainer in resources designed to allow students to safely and effectively conduct research using technology. All teachers will know how to use data to personalize/individualize instruction.

Strategies: Allocate sufficient funds and resources for professional development and technology support personnel. Provide opportunities for teachers to enhance their educational technology knowledge and skills by developing and providing access to professional development programs, funding stipends and substitutes, and providing travel assistance. Provide technical troubleshooting training for teachers to promote selfreliance. Require all teachers complete appropriate technology integration training(s) to become technology proficient by 2020. Provide teachers with access to appropriate software and hardware in order to integrate technology into daily instruction to facilitate and enhance student learning. Include components of effective technology integration in the development of lesson plans. Recommend that school technology subcommittees have representation on the school improvement team. Participate in professional organizations (i.e., LACUE, NECC, ISTE, CoSN) by providing financial assistance to staff. Incorporate Universal Design for Learning strategies emphasizing accessible technology/ curriculum into professional development initiatives. Utilize state provided and/or district developed evaluation instruments for determining teacher, technology proficiencies.

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Action Step 3: Support E-Learning and Virtual Schools

The districts students will be given a wide range of opportunities to participate in elearning and anywhere, anytime virtual learning opportunities. Current Status: The Louisiana Virtual High School (LVS) provides on-line classes for students and schools across the state, during regular school hours. Online professional development courses are offered through state agencies, schools and universities for faculty and staff.

Benchmarks, Target Year 2020: All of the districts high school students will be given the opportunity, virtually without restrictions, to participate in e-learning and anywhere, anytime virtual programs/schools, that are state certified. The district will make available high quality teachers to deliver virtual classes specifically to meet the needs of all high school students. Virtual school curriculum will be developed, stored on-line and made available to all of the districts virtual school teachers and students. The district will provide high quality teachers to deliver professional development, virtual classes specifically to meet the goals of the districts teachers and support staff.

Strategies: District and school administrators, teachers, and students will be informed, through various means, of the opportunities provided for them by the district and state. Collaboration with district policymakers will take place to evaluate the current policy and develop new policy that will facilitate e-learning and virtual school learning opportunities. Funding sources will be identified specifically for the purpose of providing a sufficient level of resources dedicated toward e-learning and virtual school opportunities. The district will provide high quality professional development for training personnel in using and creating e-learning opportunities and resources

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Teachers and principals will be encouraged to participate in state initatives that provide e-learning experiences. After hours access will be provided to technology resources not otherwise available from home.

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Action Step 4: Encourage Improved Access and Technology Usage

The district will empower teachers and staff to transform learning through improved access and usage of integrated, interoperable data systems that are current and well maintained. Current Status: The majority of the districts hardware technologies are on a 3 year obsolescence cycle and software/services on a 7 year obsolescence cycle. Large screen devices are installed in approximately 10% of the classrooms. A hardware and software procurement process was put into place in 2006 in order to assure that the technologies and services purchased are standardsbased and meet the districts educational goals. The current status of technology support according to ISTEs Technology Support Index is integrated. The majority, of the districts data systems, are SIF compliant but are not interoperable.

Benchmarks, Target Year 2020: All of the districts hardware technologies, excluding CTED classes, will be placed on a 5 year obsolescence cycle and and all of the districts non CTED software/services on a 5 year cycle. CTED computer labs will be evaluated on a yearly basis to make sure our students are trained with most up to date technology being used by local and national businesses. Every classroom in the district will contain a large screen device. Instructional, administrative and support services systems will be reliable, intuitive, and integrate with other productivity tools. The status of technology support according to ISTEs Technology Support Index will be exemplary. District-wide systems of communication will be established and maintained in order to improve the communications of student information to parents.

Strategies: Funding sources will be identified specifically for the purpose of replacing obsolete hardware on a 3 year cycle and software/services on a 5 year cycle. Funding sources will be identified specifically for the purpose of acquiring large screen devices. Schools Interoperability Framework hardware, software and services will be acquired to leverage the capabilities of inoperability between disparate applications. Technology support improvements will be made in the areas identified as rating below the exemplary level in the ISTE Technology Support Index. 13

Move toward web-based student information systems that communicate more effectively with parents and provide them with access to information relative to student learning and classroom activities. Recommend school/teacher web pages that could include but not limited to homework, weekly content focus of instruction, parent resources to help support curriculum, student products, and other appropriate information.

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Goal 2 and Action Steps

Goal 2: All board members, administrators and support staff will conduct business in an effective and efficient manner in order to best support the districts core business of Teaching and Learning.

Action Step 1: Provide Professional Development Opportunities

All of the districts School Board Members, administrators, and support staff will participate in technology related professional development opportunities. Current Status: Professional development is available during the work day Training for this group of employees is typically offered through classes taught in the Central Office Technology Learning Center, during regular office hours. A survey tool is used as an assessment in order to determine what classes should be taught. On-line professional development (tutorials/e-seminars) is not available to all of the stakeholders in this group of employees. Every administrative and support service department utilizes technology to conduct administrative operations with varying degrees of effectiveness and efficiency.

Benchmarks, Target Year 2020: Various delivery methods, locations, and times for receiving professional development will be provided (i. e. group instruction in the C.O./schools, one on one in an office or classroom, or on-line via tutorials/e-seminars). All administrative and support service departments will utilize technology with measurable degrees of effectiveness and efficiency. All School Board Members, administrators, and support staff will engage in coordinated and multi-faceted, interactive professional development.

Strategies: Funding sources will be identified specifically for the purpose of providing the technology and services for multi-faceted professional development opportunities. An online technology proficiency survey will be conducted in order to determine which professional development opportunities are needed. A plan will be developed and carried out to provide coordinated and multi- faceted, interactive professional development, including on-line tutorials and e- seminars. The technology staff will coordinate efforts with supervisors/directors so that staff members can job shadow individuals who model effective technology usage and efficiency carrying out tasks.

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APPENDIX A
NEEDS ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

Systems Strengths Strong financial backing and overall commitment toward technology goals Professional development is geared toward technology integration All of the technology functions report through the same organizational unit Student multi-media computer ratio better than the national average Clearly defined, research based software and hardware selection process Multiple venues of technical support for all stakeholders Students learn technology skills connected to real world situations Students leverage technology to best meet their own learning goals

Systems Challenges Continued replacement of obsolete technology Funding of the purchase of large screen devices for all classrooms NCLB technology proficiency by Grade 8 Implementation of technology grade level expectations To improve administrator and teacher technology accountability To upgrade technology or have access to new technologies for swift business recovery To improve classroom related communications with parents To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of support service operations

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APPENDIX B System Review Assurance

By signing this form, you confirm that your School Board reviewed and approved the system technology plan for 2013-2020. This signed form is to be included with the system technology plan at the time of its submission to the State Department of Education.

WE HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS 14TH DAY OF MARCH 2013 THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED AND
APPROVED THE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY PLAN

_________________________________ Superintendent

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APPENDIX C School Review Assurance

By signing this form, you confirm that you were issued a copy of the system technology plan for 2013-2020.

WE HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS 29TH DAY OF MARCH 2013 THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED AND ARE
FAMILIAR WITH THE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR THIS DISTRICT.

W E UNDERSTAND THAT

OUR SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN SHOULD MIRROR THE SYSTEMS PLAN AND SHOULD BE ON FILE WITH THE SYSTEM.

Principal

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Glossary
Educational Leader Induction - The Louisiana Educational Leaders Induction program, a Louisiana Department of Education initiative, has been designed to build the administrative, instructional, and professional knowledge and skills of newly appointed administrators. Electronic Registration On-line (ERO) - Electronic Registration On-line is the districts professional development management system which keeps track of workshops taught and participant information. INTECH - An intense, research-based, content rich, hands-on, 56-hour staff development program for educators. An adaptation of the Georgia InTech model, it provides teachers with many examples of effective technology-based strategies that support and enhance curriculum and that can serve as catalysts for fundamental change in overall teaching and learning processes. International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) - A nonprofit professional organization with a worldwide membership of leaders in educational technology dedicated to promoting appropriate uses of information technology to support and improve learning, teaching, and administration in K12 education and teacher education. K-12 Online Database Resources - Free, unlimited access to quality information resources via the Internet offered to all of Louisianas public and non-public schools through the Louisiana Department of Education. This project was funded with State Classroom-Based Technology Grant funds. This database includes reference resources of the GALE Group and World Book, Inc. LEADTECH - Technology professional development training designed for superintendents and principals. This project is administered by the Louisiana Center for Educational Technology and is funded by the Gates Foundation. Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum - The Louisiana Department of Education has provided this Comprehensive Curriculum to every district in the state. The curriculum is aligned with state content standards, as defined by grade-level expectations, and organized into coherent, time-bound units with sample activities and classroom assessments to guide teaching and learning. Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) - Provides both visionary leadership that seeks to identify educational and related needs of people and quality services that meet the needs and enhance the quality of life for all in Louisiana.

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Louisiana Virtual High School (LVS) The Louisiana Department of Education in partnership with The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts provides Louisiana high school students access to standards-based high school courses delivered by Louisiana teachers. Students in LVS courses utilize the web, e-mail, and other online and offline resources to complete a rich course of study in a multitude of courses. Making Connections - Through the creation of an electronic resource center, Louisiana teachers access "a one stop shop" for instructional materials that enhance teaching, learning, and technology opportunities in Louisianas K-12 schools. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) - The No Child Left Behind Act is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965(ESEA). It requires states to meet state standards of academic proficiency for students in reading and math in grades three through eight including minority, low-income, disabled, limitedEnglish-proficient and other traditionally low-performing student groups. National Education Technology Standards (NETS) - The primary goal of the ISTE NETS Project is to enable stakeholders in PreK-12 education to develop national standards for educational uses of technology that facilitate school improvement in the United States. Schools Interoperability Framework - Is the K - 12th grade specification for modeling educational data and a service oriented architecture specification for sharing that information between software applications. Teacher Facilitator of Technology (TFOT) - A certified teacher who provides on-site support and professional development for teachers integrating technology into the curriculum. Technology Site Coordinator (TSC) - A certified teacher who provides technical support to users concerning physical plant preparation, installation of hardware and software, initial startup, and maintenance of new and upgraded projects. Teaching and Learning Training Centers (TLTC) Training centers located regionally around the state and designed to offer technology training and support to the districts within each region. They serve as extensions of the Division of Leadership and Technology. Technology Tools for Administration A professional development initiative designed to enable educational leaders to utilize technology for instructional leadership tasks. This training is designed to align with the Standards for School Principals in Louisiana and the NETS (National Education Technology Standards) for Administrators.

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Wide Area Network (WAN) - The districts network which encompasses the entire parish. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) - A curriculum which includes alternatives to make it accessible and appropriate for individuals with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts.

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