Week+6+Technology

=TECHNOLOGY PLAN =

**Administrative Leadership Team Challenge:**
Identify what types of technology resources are necessary to effectively implement your intervention or strategy. Develop a technology plan that addresses the following areas: a description of the technology initiative, the person responsible, the connection to instruction, technology support needs, professional development, budgeting, evaluation, and community involvement.
 * **Describe the Technology Initiative** || The technology initiative that is supporting our intervention is use of Scantron's [|Achievement Series] and [|Performance Series] in every classroom, by every teacher, and with/for every student. This teacher productivity tool will promote alignment of standards and assessments, and provide a user-friendly and efficient method for collecting and analyzing real-time benchmark data. This data may be exported to other data-based decisions making tools currently used by the teachers at our school, including INFORM and Excel. The purpose of data-based decision making is to help teachers make instructional decisions. Using this technology, teachers can create assessments that align with state and national standards, check student mastery of standards, and track progress. The following flow chart captures the process associated with the Achievement Series:

(Stacy B.) || At this time, our intervention is focusing on use of the Achievement Series, although the county has provided the Performance Series for Math and Reading. The latter is being used for benchmarks at specific times in the year and are somehwhat more standardized benchmarks that will provide information for progress toward our goal; the former allows for teacher created tests aligned with standards which will not only provide benchmark data needed, but will increase teacher's familiarity with standards, as well as their capacity to better align the writte, taught, and tested curriculum. (Stacy B.) ||
 * **Identify Responsible Stakeholders** || All instructional staff and school instructional leadership are responsible for learning how to use the technology to promote data-based decision making. Additionally, we have identified a Scan Rep to help co-plan and implement professional development, trouble-shoot technological issues, and serve as a liaison with Central Office personnel. (Stacy B.) ||
 * **Specify How It Connects to Instruction** || Teachers should be using the Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum to determine the goals and objectives their lessons should be based on. Teachers at APS are not very familiar with or comfortable with the VSC standards and how to implement them accordingly to help their students be successful and perform on state tests on a comparable level to peers in the county and state. The Scantron Acheivement Series software will help teachers become more comfortable with learning and using the VSC standards and basisng their assessments around them. In turn, through data analysis of the assessments, teachers will then be able to identify which standard students continue to struggle with and therefore can plan future lessons using data based decisions. (Jenn) ||
 * **Identify Technology Support Needs** || A Scan Rep has been identified, and this position is critical to the use of the technology to support this intervention. This individual is paid at the county level, and attends monthly informational meetings; the substitute coverage for this is provided from county funds. This individual serves not only as a liason between Central Office and School, but as a primary support person for the teachers as they learn how to use the software and hardware. The person in this position is a full time teacher in the school; the Scan Rep position is beyond the normal contract. Additionally, we may need to access personnel in The Office of Technology and Information Services as well as personnel in The Office of Accountability as we learn how to Scantron, INFORM, and Excel can be used together to create functional, fluid reporting systems. As needed, we may need to access the school based IT Specialist, whom we share with the neighboring high school. This individual has administrative access to installing software on the network and troubleshooting. (Stacy B.) ||
 * **Identify Professional Development Required** || Teachers will need to be trained on how to use the software to create assessments, how to administer tests online if they choose to do that, how to retrieve and organize the data generated from the assessments, and how to use the data to plan future lessons. (Jenn). ||
 * **Budgetary Considerations** || For this technology to work, the school has been provided with a [|scanner], web-based access to the software utilized, and a stipend for a Scan Rep. Additional costs include use of paper and copiers for pen/paper tests, and/or desktop or laptop computers for on-line assessments. Since teachers would use these materials for assessment anyway, this is not an additional cost; the purpose of the technology is to help teachers assess more efficiently and effectively. Although the software, hardware, contracts, and positions related to the technology for our intervention are paid at the county level, we should keep the per-student cost in mind, especially if we find this to be highly effective at the school level in the long term; it's not uncommon for programs to begin as county expenses during pilots, and then be absorbed by the school budget. As technology goes, this is a fairly inexpensive tool  This is a general breakdown of the cost for Achievement Series & Performance Series:
 * $10.20 per student - Achievement Series & 2 subjects of Performance Series (Math and Reading)
 * $8.00 per student - Achievement Series & 1 subject of Performance Series
 * $4.00 per student - Achievement Series only
 * $4.00 per student - Performance Series Reading or Math Only
 * $1.00 per student - Performance Series Lexile (for Reading)
 * **Methods for Evaluation of Efficacy** || Technology survey: Do teachers have the the technical skills and ongoing support needed to effectively use the Scantron Achievement Series to design assessments? Walkthroughs, the clinical supervision process, and students' increasing achievement scores! (Stacey) ||
 * **Methods for Community Involvement** || Share with parents and community members Scantron Achievement Series (when presenting on the intervention). Include parents in celebrations of students who are making significant progress on standards-based assessments, utilize parent volunteers to run scantron machine and make copies of assessments. (Stacey)

We will ensure that students and parents receive updates on progress toward standards by providing computer generated reports to accompany report cards. (Stacy B.) ||

Administrative Team Minutes for Technology Planning
Attendance: Jennifer Barton, Principal Stacey Pearl, Technology Coordinator Stacy Bryan, Scan Rep/Teacher

//Note: The questions below are provided to guide our team discussion. We are not expected to answer every question.//


 * Background, Demographics, Philosophy**
 * //How does your school currently use technology?// 
 * Technology is typically used by teachers as a productivity tool; teachers are beginning to use technology as a means for delivering information. A minority of the teachers are comfortable using technology in student centered learning activities, although the technology is available. One intervention, Read 180, has a technology based component; teachers of Read 180 are using computers and software with fidelity to implement the intervention. (Stacy B.)
 * //How can you involve parents and community members in training and implementation?  //
 * //Organize a team (that includes parents, students and community members) to develop the Technology Plan. (Stacey) //
 * //How can you communicate your technology plans to your students, teachers, and parents?  //
 * //This needs to begin with being included in the School Improvement Plan, and continue with being posted and readily available on the school website. (Stacy B.) //
 * //How can you use technology to implement your school’s vision?//
 * //Create a technology plan that is directly connected to APA's goals and expectations of teachers. Create a professional development plan that focuses on training and providing follow up support to teachers that focuses on teachers using technology as an instrument for instruction. Use data (from surveys) to effectively plan and implement professional development. Link technology integration to the clinical supervision process (Stacey-- Ideas taken from Integrating Technology to Maximize Learning) //
 * Curriculum Integration**
 * //How do you want to use technology to meet your instructional goal?//<span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">The main focus of our intervention is use of the software Scantron Acheivement Series. This software will help teachers create and administer assessments as well as keep, organize, and track data//.// (Jenn) We also want teachers to use technology to provide accommodations to students and to help with organizational skills such as brainstorming, note taking, creating presentations for performance based assessments, etc. (Jenn) <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">We want teachers to use technology to deliver rigorous lessons that meet all students' needs so that all students access instruction and master the standards .<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> (Stacey)
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Like this:


 * //How will technology be used to provide and support a challenging curriculum through engaging instructional practices?//<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Teachers can use technology for strategy instruction, such as summarizing and notetaking. Teachers can also use technology to create engaging, //<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> inquiry based learning experiences that require students to apply concepts and skills to real world scenarios/challenges. (Stacey-- Ideas taken from Increasing Student Achievement with Technology) //
 * //What level of technology integration needs to be achieved to reach your instructional goal? <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Teachers need to be able to fluently use the Scantron Achievement Series software to both construct assessments and to organize data. (Stacey) //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Teachers need to be able to use technology to develop meaningful and engaging lessons that meet the needs of all students. (Stacey) //

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">As you can see, there are different options available. For Performance Series, students can test multiple times during the year and the cost is not affected. For Achievement Series, it is a license per student and a student could take an assessment in AS in any content area at no additional cost.
 * Professional Development**[[image:http://sa-health.wdfiles.com/local--files/model-for-improvement/PDSA_01.jpg width="232" height="215" align="right"]]
 * //How will you find out what skills your staff and students currently have and what skills they will need to fulfill your plan's objectives?// <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">We could create and distribute a tech survey to all staff to determine the needs//. (Jenn)//
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">It's all about PLCs and the PDSA cycle:
 * //What professional development and training needs to take place in your school before, during, and after implementation?// <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">Teachers need to be trained on how to use the Scantron Achievement Series. They also need ongoing support and training as they become more familiar with the program and use it on a more consistent basis. (Jenn)
 * //How will you use technology to provide professional development, training, and ongoing technical support, and to support teachers as they integrate technology into the curriculum? <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The Technology Plan team, along with the Administrative Leadership Team and Scantron Rep, can create a training schedule throughout the year to address both using the Scantron Achievement Series and integrating technology in instruction. During PD, teacher-leaders can model how they have integrating technology into lessons. The Scantron Achievement Rep can offer workshops to PLCs and 1:1 support when needed. Clearly, teachers will need more support in the beginning phase. As new teachers are hired, she/he will also have to provide training to ensure all new staff have the knowledge and skills to use the program. Consider using the media specialist as resource for PLCs and PD. (Stacey) //
 * Hardware, Infrastructure, Tech Support, Software**
 * //What technology does your school currently have?// <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">(I got this one!~ Stacy B.)
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">HARDWARE: Every classroom comes complete with a teacher work station, a student work station, a sound system, and an LCD projector. Teachers in each area of the building are networked to a local printer, but also have access to any printer in the building, including several color printers and a poster printer. Read 180 classes have 6-8 additional student work stations. Math teachers all have document cameras. They also have graphing calculators, and class sets of regular calculators. There are ten Promethean Interactive White Boards mounted to classroom walls; these were provided to technology innovators, and there are plans to put boards in all classes. There are two sets of ActiVote devices for use with the boards. Every teacher has an overhead projector, and each interdisciplinary team has a TV/DVD/VCR combo to share. (There is no cable TV in the school, and no school channel for whole school viewing; a traditional, and somewhat dated, PA system is used for morning announcements.) There are two mobile labs with 16 laptops each; they have wireless access and a printer. The mobile labs may be use separately. There is one stationary PC lab for teacher use; it has 30 computers and a color printer. A second stationary lab is used for a Computer Literacy class as part of student's Unified Arts Rotation. There is one scanner. There are five digital cameras, two digital video recorders, and two Flip Cameras. There are several laptops and projectors that are portable and able to be used in non-traditional settings, like the pod areas. The PE department has a Discovery Cart. Each classroom has a telephone that dials classroom to classroom, and to an outside line. We have a Scantron Scanner.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">INFRASTRUCTURE: The school is networked with adequate access to high speed internet. Only the mobile labs are able to access wireless internet.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">TECH SUPPORT: There is a person assigned to the middle and high school to support technology in addition to a computer teacher. Additionally, teachers have access to a help desk for technology at any time of the school day.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">//SOFTWARE: To support this particular intervention, we have access to the web-based program for Achievement Series and Performance Series.// We also have web-based access to INFORM, which is a database of assessments and interventions. We have Microsoft Excel and Access for downloading information from AS, AP, and INFORM so that data can be further manipulated. If you can think of other specific software that we'd need for the purpose of the intervention, please let me know. We have a fairly significant inventory, but much of it is not related to this particular intervention-- which revolves around aligning the written, taught, and tested curriculum and making data-based decisions about instruction.
 * //What technology is available to your students in school and at home?//
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Please see above for examples of school-based technology available. //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">At home, students have access to data-bases, Gizmos, and Everyday Math games if they have a compute with access to the internet. They can also access Edline with internet access, which may allow them to access teacher made/selected/identified and posted instructional support materials. //
 * //Who will provide technical support for your school?//
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">For this particular intervention, and the technology that applies to it, we have a school based Scan Rep, the school's IT person, and the staff at the Help Desk, as well as staff from the Office of Accountability and the Office of Technology Integration and Support (OTIS). //
 * //Who will be responsible for providing technical assistance and support?// <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">The designated Scan Rep and the school's current IT person (Jenn)
 * //How will you build technical support capacity within your staff so that equipment will be maintained and kept reliable?//
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Teachers will be trained in use of the software and hardware, and the Scan Rep will oversee equipment maintenance for technology related to this intervention. //
 * //What are your contingencies for providing just-in-time services when the technology breaks down?//
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Although assessments on AS and PS can be give on-line, they may also be given in paper-pencil versions. If the scanner breaks down, we could visit a neighboring school to borrow theirs, or sent the tests to the Office of Accountability until the scanner is repaired. //
 * //What level of networking will be required to support your vision of learning? <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Achievement Preparatory may want to send teachers and staff to visit other schools who are using the Scantron Achievement Series program effectively as well as have outside colleagues visit our school. This level of networking and collaboration may facilitate Achievement Prep's growth with using the program effectively. (Stacey) //
 * //What hardware specifications are needed to support your vision of learning?//
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Scantron Scanner, computer(s) in every classroom //
 * //How will you deal with obsolescence, maintenance, and amortization?//
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">There is a maintenance contract for the scanners provided by the county at this time. Since this is a systemwide initiative, plans are currently in place to replace the scanners routinely-- currently after 5 years. The software is web-based and updated by Scantron; when new versions are available, we automatically have access. Scantron maintains the database of standards aligned with state and national agencies. //
 * //How will you make use of existing technology?//
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Most technology for this intervention is in place already, and teachers will use it as needed. We may need to re-examine the use of labs-- both stationary and mobile. Do we really want labs only to be signed out for assessments? I'm thinking we should encourage use of labs for instructional purposes, and give paper-pencil tests more often-- which is how students are assessed on the MSA. //
 * //What software is required to support your vision of learning?//<span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">Scantron Achievement Series (Jenn)
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">INFORM (information database)
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> Excel and/or Access.
 * Funding/Budget**
 * //How can you creatively use your community partnerships to get the things that you need? <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">At the moment, we do not need community partners to provide technology for this intervention, but we may wish to tap into those resources as teachers begin to identify how to respond to the data in the classroom. //
 * //What parts of your technology plan can you implement quickly, and what needs more time? <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Teaching staff how to use the Scantron Achievement Series and machine should hopefully happen in a smooth, quick process. Teachers integrating technology into instruction will take longer. (Stacey) //
 * //What are the budget and scheduling considerations for implementing new technology into your school? <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Currently, the county is picking up the cost, but we may want to consider the potential that the cost may eventually be handed over to the schools. //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">This is a general breakdown of the cost for Achievement Series & Performance Series:
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">$10.20 per student - Achievement Series & 2 subjects of Performance Series (Math and Reading)
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">$8.00 per student - Achievement Series & 1 subject of Performance Series
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">$4.00 per student - Achievement Series only
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">$4.00 per student - Performance Series Reading or Math Only
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">$1.00 per student - Performance Series Lexile (for Reading)
 * //How will software be reviewed and purchased?// <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">The software we need to implement our intervention has already been purchased. (Jenn).
 * Monitoring and Evaluation**


 * //How and when will you evaluate the impact your technology plan has on student performance? <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">o //<span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">ngoing, throughout the year, through the use of "data meetings" within PLCs (Jenn) <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">There may not be direct measures that tell us if this technology is making a difference for students because it is designed to make a difference for teachers so that they can make a difference for students through diagnostic and prescriptive teaching. We can certainly collect perception data from teachers related to use of the software. Likewise, we can examine benchmark data for standards to see if students are improving, which would possibly speak to the instructional decisions made as a result of the data. It may be hard to find a direct correlation though.
 * //Who will be responsible for collecting ongoing data to assess the effectiveness of the plan and its implementation? <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The ILT can use the technology survey (pre and post school year) to measure effectiveness from both staff and student perspective. (Stacey) //
 * //What windows of opportunity exist for reviewing the technology plan? (For example, the plan might be reviewed during curriculum review cycles.)//
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">The technology plan would be reviewed as part of the pre-school PD. Also, it would be embedded and integrated in the overall action plan for this intervention. A more comprehensive instructiona technology plan may have to be developed as teachers begin to develop capacity to respond to the the data, perhaps as part of reteaching. Also, as teachers begin to see that some of their current practices may not be reaching children the first time around, and they begin to see the need for differentiation, having a Tech Plan will be critical. //
 * //How will accountability for implementation be assessed? <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Walkthroughs, the clinical supervision process (Stacey) //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">ILT participation in PLCs as equal and contributing members //
 * //How will you assess the level of technological proficiency gained by students, teachers, and staff? <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Teacher surveys about how often they use the technology, the impact it has had on their professional practice, and their perception of their proficiency. This is not technology specifically for student use, although the on-line testing option can be used with students. <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">f //
 * //How will you use technology to evaluate teaching and learning?// <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">
 * //<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Walkthroughs, the clinical supervision process (Stacey) //
 * //What is the key indicator of success for each component of the plan? <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> //
 * //<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Students achieve our instructional goal. (Stacey) //
 * //How will you analyze the effectiveness of disbursement decisions in light of implementation priorities?//
 * //<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">All decisions will be made in light of our vision and our goals-- and the decision to provide a technology tool that would not only inform teachers, but help them to do a critical instructional job aligns very well. //
 * //How will you analyze implementation decisions to accommodate for changes as a result of new information and technologies?//
 * //What organizational mechanism will you create that allows changes in the implementation of the technology plan and in the plan itself?//