Technology Plan: 2007 - 2010
Southern
Berkshire Regional School District
Sheffield Massachusetts
Technology
Plan
2007-2010
1. The district’s technology plan contains a realistic and clearly stated set of goals and strategies that align with the district-wide school improvement plan, the elementary and high school improvement plan(s), and the Massachusetts recommended technology plan guidelines. We are committed to achieving this vision by the end of the school year 2009-2010.
The Southern Berkshire Regional School District is committed to providing students and staff members with the necessary technology tools in order to achieve the District’s Mission and Expectations for Student Learning. We recognize that Technology and all that is implied, does not stand alone as a curriculum area. Technology is integrated throughout our organization at every level and every area. Our environment is one that requires staff and students to be engaged in utilizing the available tools of Technology to improve their teaching and learning. In order to support the District’s Mission and Expectations for Student Learning the Technology Team will implement the following broad objectives over the 2007-2010 time frame:
a. Students will have access to the Tools of Technology at every grade level and at every school, with a goal of 1:1 this is to include handhelds, laptops and desktops
b. All schools and classrooms will have unlimited access to the Internet and to the District’s server base
c. All students and staff will have unlimited access to our e-learning portal OPENVES. All students and staff will have access to the MASSONE portal as well.
2. The district has a technology team with representatives from a variety of stakeholder groups. The technology team has the support of the district leadership team.
a. The District Technology team is comprised of teacher and administrative representatives
b. The District Technology team will meet throughout the school year
c. The District Administrative leadership team will review Technology developments on a monthly basis at their Administrative Council meetings in an effort to provide direction and assistance to the Technology team
3. Budget
a. The district has a budget for its local technology plan with line items for technology in its operational budget.
1. The District will create a budget that supports the Technology plan as outlined for the 2007-2010 time frame
2. The District will provide for a Technology upgrade cycle that reflects real world advances in Technology, replacing desktops every three years utilizing refurbished desktops/laptops.
b. The budget includes staffing, hardware, software, professional development, support, as well as contracted services for higher level server applications.
1.
The District will provide adequate staffing that is in agreement
with the Department of Education Guidelines
c. The district leverages the use of federal, state, and private resources.
1. The District will apply for all available Massachusetts Department of Education grants-appropriate to the Southern Berkshire Regional School District-in addition the District will apply for all available e-rate funds – erate funds will be used to supplant hardware and software needs and to reduce the overall cost associated with the basic phone service and the Internet access provided throughout the District
2. The District will apply for appropriate private grants as they become available and are in agreement with our Mission and Expectations for Student Learning
4. Evaluation
a. The district evaluates the effectiveness of technology resources toward attainment of educational goals on a regular basis. Prior to purchasing, the district assesses the products and services that are needed to improve teaching and learning by working with the building principals and their staff, as well as the Central Office staff.
The District will evaluate the major aspects of Technology resources on a yearly basis, to include:
1. Online resources and Media/Library resources
2. Internet provider systems
3. Student Information systems
4. Student health information systems
5. Business office accounting systems
6. SPED information systems
7. School security/access systems inc automated calling system Alert Now
8. School internal broadcast information systems inc Telephony, voice mail systems, and video distribution
9. Server level software systems-including archival and tape/disk backup
b. The district’s technology plan includes an evaluation process that enables the district to monitor its progress in achieving its technology goals and to make mid-course corrections in response to new developments and opportunities as they arise.
The District will administer evaluations of their technology services-both formal and informal- to all stakeholders to include:
1. Teachers
2. Students
3. Administrators
4. Support staff
5. Parents
6. Community members
The District will evaluate the hardware and software needs at all levels and reapportion resources as needed -District wide
Benchmark 2
2. Technology Integration
1. Teacher and Student Use of Technology
a.
Outside the Classroom
At least 95% of teachers use technology everyday, including some of the
following areas: lesson planning, administrative tasks, communications, and
collaboration. Teachers share information about technology with their
colleagues.
Teachers will use the available Technology on a daily basis to:
1. Access the Inter and Intranet home pages for general announcements and schedules
2. Send and receive email
3. Post responses or initiate postings in discussion forums, as appropriate to their level, in a portal environment - blog or wiki
4. Retrieve, as necessary, curriculum maps and guides
5. Engage in online professional development through the OPENVES portal (Annenberg and others) including MASSONE
b.
Within the Classroom
At least 85% of teachers use technology appropriately with students each week, to include the following areas: research, multimedia, simulations, data interpretation, communications, and collaboration.
Teachers will use the available Technology with their students in the classroom and in the lab setting to:
1. Create, write, save and print word processed documents
2. Engage in content-grade level-specific learning activities in OPENVES and other resources-including MASSONE and VHS resources
3. Engage in the various applications-Web based and Desktop based appropriate to their level
c. At least 85% of students from grades 5 to 8 show proficiency in all the Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards for Grades 5 to 8.
1. The Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards will be implemented at the Gr. 5-6 level and at the Gr. 7-8 level as defined in each level(s) curriculum
2. Students at the Grade 8 level will be assessed at the midway point of their respective Technology “Specials” areas
d.
At least 90% of teachers are working to meet the proficiency
level in technology, and by the school year 2009-2010, 60% of teachers will have
reached the proficiency level as defined by the Massachusetts Technology
Self-Assessment Tool (TSAT)
A. All teachers will complete a TSAT or ISTE online self assessment to establish a 2007-08 baseline
B. Teachers will create their Professional Development plan taking special note of their Technology needs as identified in their self assessment
C. Teachers will take the self-assessment on a yearly basis
4. The district has a CIPA -compliant Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) regarding Internet use.
A. The District has an AUP for students and staff
B. The District student and staff AUP are posted on the SBRSD home page
2. Staffing
a. The district has a full-time equivalent (FTE) district-level technology director/coordinator.
1. The District Technology Coordinator/Director has several shared responsibilities-Instructional technology-maintenance and Repair-Data management and network management
2. The District recognizes the need to increasing support in the following areas-Classroom based instructional technology-District level data management
b. The district provides one FTE instructional technology teacher per 40-80 instructional staff.
1. The District has instructional support for classroom integration reaching the 40:1 level utilizing a .5 technology Integration Specialists position, the District Technology Coordinator/Director as well as student interns
c. The district has one FTE person dedicated to data management and assessment.
1. The District will have the equivalent of .5 FTE whose responsibility will include the day-to-day management of District and School level data as well as assistance from the District Technology Coordinator/Director
Benchmark 3
3. Technology Professional Development
1. By the end of the school year 2009-2010, at least 85% of district staff will have participated in 45 hours of high-quality technology professional development covering technology skills and the integration of technology into instruction.
a. The District will provide Technology Professional Development to all staff utilizing the following formats:
A. Graduate level Technology courses
B. Online –OPENVES, VHS ,MASSONE
C. One to one instruction
D. In-service days
E. After school, evenings, weekends and summer workshops
2. The Technology Professional Development opportunities will be offered in the following categories
A. Developing Technology
B. Proficient Technology
C. Advance Technology
3. Technology professional development is sustained and ongoing and includes coaching, modeling best practices, district-based mentoring, and study groups. The professional development includes concepts of universal design and scientifically based, researched models.
A. The Technology Professional Development will be sustained on a yearly basis with a dedicated allocation-financial and staffing, from the District professional Development budget
B. The Technology Professional Development will include coaching, modeling of best practices, mentoring and level or discipline study groups
C. Technology Professional Development activities will always include universal design when working on a particular related topic
4. Professional development planning includes an assessment of district and teachers’ needs. The assessment is based on the competencies listed in the Massachusetts Technology Self-Assessment Tool created by the Department of Education.
A. An assessment of teachers’ needs will be made annually in order to plan each year’s Technology Professional Development
B. Individual teachers Professional Development Plan will address their needs associated with their Technology Competencies
Benchmark 4
4. Accessibility of Technology
1. Students per Instructional Computer
1. The district has an average ratio of fewer than five students per high-capacity, Internet-connected computer (two to one on level b). The district will work with stakeholders to review the capacity of the computers on an annual basis. (The ultimate goal is to have a one-to-one, high-capacity, Internet-connected computer ratio.)
A. The District has a computer ratio of nearly 2:1 for type “a” computers-access to a LAN/WAN/Internet
B. The District will have a ratio of 1:1 for type “a” computers-access to a LAN/WAN/Internet by 2009-10. This will include handhelds, tablets, slates and PDAs
2. The district considers students’ access to portable and/or handheld electronic devices appropriate to their grade level.
A. Students at all levels will have access to handhelds and PDAs
B. The District will pilot the introduction of PDAs and related applications to selected classes at the upper elementary grades through the high school grades
3. The district has established a computer replacement cycle of six years or less.
A. The District will replace desktop computers at the staff and student level within a four-year replacement cycle
B. The District will replace desktop computers at the administration level within a two-year cycle
2. Technical Support
1. The district makes a commitment to provide timely in-classroom technical support with clear information on how to access the support, so that technical problems will not cause major disruptions to curriculum delivery.
A. The District will maintain a 24/7 helpdesk
B. The District will maintain a helpdesk that provides live telephone or pager responses for emergencies
C. The District will establish Tech Coach at each building and or wing/level to assist with the tech support by the end of 2009-2010
2. The district provides a FTE network administrator.
A. The District will provide the equivalents of an FTE network administrator-through Coaches, partially designated staff and contracted services
3. The district provides at least one FTE person to support 100-200 computers. Technical support can be provided by dedicated staff or contracted services.
A. The District will provide one FTE /100 computers using present staff levels and student Interns
Benchmark 5
5. Infrastructure for Connectivity
1. Internet Access
1. The district provides connectivity to the Internet in all classrooms in all schools including wireless connectivity, if appropriate.
A. The District provides 100% connectivity to the Internet from all classrooms in all buildings
B. The District will create wireless access on the New Marlborough and Mt Everett/UME Campuses
C. The district will provide wireless access on the Mt Everett/UME Campus
2. The district provides bandwidth of at least 10/100 MB to each classroom.
A. The District provides 10/100 MB access at the New Marlborough, and Mt Everett/UME Campuses.
B. The District will upgrade the wiring in the “one room” schools and add bandwidth when it becomes available
2. Networking (LAN/WAN)
1. The district provides a minimum 10/100 MB Cat 5 switched network and/or 802.11b/g wireless network.
A. The District provides a switched network at the New Marlborough, Mt Everett/UME Campuses
B. The District will replace the CAT 3 wiring-where feasible or provide upgraded wireless access to meet the higher bandwidth needs
2. The district provides services for secure file sharing, backups, scheduling, email, and web publishing, either internally or through contracted services.
A. The District has a secure Novell Network comprised of several servers, firewalls etc
B. Email is provided to all staff and students at all levels
C. The District provides for the web publishing of student and staff work, especially in the area of homework posting
3. E-Learning Environments
1. The district encourages the development and use of innovative strategies for delivering specialized courses through the use of technology.
A. The District uses OPENVES for Distance Learning and Online Professional Development; we also use MASSONE and VHS
B. The District encourages students and staff to make full use of the many opportunities for learning provided via the web.
2. The district deploys IP-based connections for access to web-based and/or interactive video learning on the local, state, regional, national, and international level.
A. The District has two Videoconferencing units capable of IP transmission-one unit is located on the New Marlborough campus, the other unit is on the Mt Everett/UME campus
3. Classroom applications of e-learning include courses, cultural projects, virtual field trips, etc.
A. The District has the capacity through hardware, software and bandwidth to provide for any e-learning course that is available or may become available
B. The District publishes updated lists of e-learning opportunities on a monthly basis
C. The District will provide for advanced e-learning courses, seminars and presentations for all levels where appropriate
Benchmark 6
6. Access to the Internet outside the School Day
1. The district maintains an up-to-date web site that includes information for parents.
A. The District has an updated District web site at www.sbrsd.org
B. The District web site includes a variety of information pertinent to all schools and levels
2. The district works with community groups to ensure that students and staff have access to the Internet outside of the school day.
A. The District provides a listing of all outside access points for students
B. The District allows students access to their computers prior to and after school, including evenings
C. The District will provide community based access when requested
3. The district web site includes an up-to-date list of places where students and staff can access the Internet after school hours.
A. The District maintains an updated listing of access points within our community
B. The District website is updated daily