Southern Berkshire Regional School District
Sheffield, Massachusetts
Technology Plan
Local Technology Plan Guidelines
(School Year 2011-2012 through 2014-2015)
Benchmark 1: Commitment to a Clear Vision and Implementation Strategies
A. The district's technology plan contains a clearly stated and reasonable set of goals and implementation strategies that align with the district-wide school improvement plan. The district is committed to achieving its vision by the end of the school year 2014-2015.
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.Technology does not stand alone as a curriculum area.Technology is integrated throughout our organization at every level and in 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 Department will implement the following broad objectives over the 2011-2015 timeframe:
1. Students will have access to technology tools at every grade level and at every school with a student-to-computer ratio of 1:1.This is to include desktops, laptops, netbooks, and tablets.
2. All schools and classrooms will have access to the Internet and to the District's server base at a network connection rate of 1 gigabit per second.
3. All students and staff will have access to business-class productivity tools.
4. All students and staff will have unlimited access to cloud-based solutions for communication and collaboration.
B. The district has a technology team with representatives from a variety of stakeholder groups, including school committee members, administrators, and teachers.The technology team has the full support of the school superintendent to implement the plan.
1. The District Technology Team is comprised of the technology coordinator, school committee members, and administrative representatives.Meetings are open to the public and all faculty and community members are welcome to have input.
2. The District Technology team will meet monthly throughout the school year.
3. The District Administrative Council will review technology developments on a monthly basis in an effort to provide direction and assistance to the technology team
C. Needs Assessment
1. The District assesses the technology products and services that will be needed to improve teaching and learning.
The District will use formal questionnaires and informal discussions at various stake holder meetings to gather this information when working on a long-range capital plan.
2. The technology plan includes an assessment of the services and products that are currently being used and that the district plans to acquire.
Software programs and online services currently in use will be reviewed through formal questionnaire.Programs to be acquired will be reviewed by the technology team in conjunction with budget discussions.
D. Budget
1. The district recognizes that technology plays a critical role in achieving its goals. The district has a budget that will ensure the implementation of its long-range technology plan.
The District will continue to develop a budget that accounts for technology expenditures in both operational and capital costs.Capital costs will revolve around upgrades to the physical facility and network, including wiring, servers, switches, and computers.The District will provide for a technology upgrade cycle that reflects real world advances in technology, replacing desktops every five years utilizing refurbished or leased desktops and laptops.The operational budget will be sufficient to afford the necessary instructional software and web-based services for 21st century teaching and learning
2. The budget includes staffing, infrastructure, hardware, software applications, professional development, support, and contracted services.
Line items in the operational budget spell out specific amounts for hardware, software licenses, staffing, and contracted services.Infrastructure costs are addressed through the district's capital budget.Professional development costs are addressed through the professional development budget in conjunction with the Instructional Technology Specialist position.
3. The district seeks funding for technology programs from federal, state, and private resources, as well as from academic departments that are supported by technology.The district explores ways that technology can reduce costs and create efficiencies in other areas of the district budget.
The District will apply for all available Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education grants appropriate to the Southern Berkshire Regional School District.The District will apply for appropriate private grants as they become available and are in agreement with our Mission and Expectations for Student Learning. In addition the District will apply for all available e-rate funds.Erate funds will be used to supplement hardware and software budgets by reducing the overall cost associated with the basic phone service and Internet access.The district will seek out volume purchasing/licensing opportunities through the local collaborative.The district will also seek ways to incorporate virtual learning and field trips to cut expenditures around travel.The district will promote digital information exchange between students and teachers to reduce paper usage.
4. For districts that plan to apply for E-rate reimbursement, the technology plan specifies how the district will pay for the non-discounted portion of their costs for the services procured through E-rate.
The erate application clearly states how the District will support the non-discounted portions of their technology budget. Those portions will be supported through the local budget and grant funds.
E. Evaluation
1. The district routinely consults with technology staff before purchasing technology items, to ensure that the items are appropriate, cost-effective, and sustainable.
The District evaluates the effectiveness of technology resources toward attainment of educational goals on a regular basis.The District will assess current technology programs and needs through formal questionnaire, including TSAT, and informal discussions with teaching staff and administration.When considering new technologies, the District will adopt a practice of performing a trial or pilot program of a particular technology prior to purchase.The District will evaluate the major aspects of technology resources on a yearly basis, to include:
1. Online and media/library resources
2. Office productivity tools including email
4. Internet provider systems
5. Student information systems
6. Student health information systems
7. Business office accounting systems
8. SPED information systems
9. School security/access systems including automated calling systems
10. School internal broadcast information systems including telephony, voice mail systems, and video distribution
11. Server level software systems-including archival and tape/disk backup
2. The district's technology plan includes an evaluation process that enables it to monitor its progress in achieving its 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:
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.
Benchmark 2: Technology Integration and Literacy
A. Technology Integration
1. Outside Teaching Time - At least 90% of teachers use technology every day, including some of the following areas: research, lesson planning, organization, administrative tasks, communications, and collaboration.Teachers explore evolving technologies and share information about technology uses with their colleagues.
It is the requirement of the District that all teachers use available technology on a daily basis to:
1. Access the inter and intranet homepages for general announcements and schedules
2. Send and receive email
3. Post classroom information to Edline
4. Take attendance in Gradequick Web
5. Post, retrieve, and edit, as necessary, online curriculum maps and lesson plans
2. For Teaching and Learning - At least 90% of teachers use technology appropriately with students every day to improve student learning of the curriculum.Activities include some of the following: research, multimedia, simulations, data analysis, communications, and collaboration.Teachers integrate evolving technologies that enhance student interest, inquiry, analysis, collaboration, and creativity.
It is the District's expectation that teachers will use the available technology with their students in the classroom and in the lab setting to:
1. Create, write, save, and print/present documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, and other multimedia projects.
2. Engage students in online research with proper evaluation and selection of resources.
3. Engage students in grade level-appropriate, content-specific learning activities through various web resources and learning portals.
B. Technology Literacy
1. At least 90% of eighth grade students show proficiency in all the Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards and Expectations for grade eight.
The Massachusetts Literacy Standards and Expections will be implemented at all grade levels, particularly in computer courses specifically designed for grades 5 through 8.Students at the Grade 8 level will receive both a formative and summative assessment of their technology literacy.
2. 100% of teachers are working to meet the proficiency level in technology, and by the school year 2014-2015, 90% of teachers will have mastered 90% of the skills in the Massachusetts Technology Self-Assessment Tool (TSAT).
All teachers will complete a TSAT on a yearly basis.Teachers will create their Professional Development Plan taking special note of their technology needs as identified in their self assessment.Results of the TSAT will also inform professional development offerings by the technology team.
C. Staffing
1. The district has a district-level technology director/coordinator.
The district has a full-time equivalent (FTE) district-level technology director/coordinator.The District Technology Coordinator in an administrator within the district.The District Technology Coordinator has several shared responsibilities, including data management and network management.
2. The district provides one FTE instructional technology specialist per 60-120 instructional staff to coach and model.
The District has a full-time equivalent (FTE) Instructional Technology Specialist for its approximately 80 classroom teachers.The specialist is available for coaching and modeling technology use in the labs.
3. The district has staff specifically dedicated to data management and assessment.
The District manages data and assessment both through the Technology Coordinator and the Curriculum Coordinator in conjunction with part-time assistance from a data specialist through the local collaborative.
Benchmark 3: Technology Professional Development
A. At the end of five years, at least 90% of district staff will have participated in high-quality, ongoing professional development that includes emerging technology issues, technology skills, universal design, and research-based models of technology integration.
The District will provide Technology Professional Development to all staff utilizing the following formats:
1. Graduate level technology courses
2. Online
3. One-to-one coaching
4. In-service days
5. After school
6. Summer workshops
B. Technology professional development is sustained and ongoing and includes coaching, modeling best practices, district-based mentoring, study groups, and online professional development.
The District will commit resources to a sustained technology professional development effort.Opportunities will be offered to all levels of users: early, developing, proficient, and advanced. Teachers at various levels will then form study/support groups.
C. 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.
An assessment of teachers' needs will be made annually in order to plan each year's Technology Professional Development through the use of the TSAT.
D. Administrators and teachers consider their own needs for technology professional development.
Individually, teachers will address their needs associated with their technology competencies through their local Professional Development Plan.
Benchmark 4: Accessibility of Technology
A. Hardware Access
1. By 2014-2015, the district has an average ratio of one high-capacity, Internet-connected computer for each student.(The Department will work with stakeholders on a regular basis to review and define high-capacity computers.)
The district has an average ratio of fewer than five students per high-capacity, Internet-connected computer. The district has a student-to-computer ratio of 2:1 when considering all classes of computers: types a, b, and c.The district will work with stakeholders to review the inventory and capacity of the district's computers on an annual basis with a goal of a one-to-one, high-capacity, Internet-connected student-to-computer ratio by 2014-2015.
2. The district provides students with emerging technologies appropriate to their grade level.
As a part of the technology team's on-going evaluation of resources, considerations will be made for new, emerging technologies.As in the past, blogs, wikis, and podcasts were integrated into the classroom, so will tablet devices and cloud-based collaboration.
3. The district maximizes access to the general education curriculum for all students, including students with disabilities, using universal design principles and assistive technology devices.
All technology, across every curriculum area, is available for all students.When assistive technology programs or devices are needed they are provided to the classrooms and/or students in close consultation with the Office of Student Services.
4. The district has procurement policies for information and instructional technologies that ensure usability, equivalent access, interoperability and SIF compliance.
The District has a policy that requires consultation of the Technology Coordinator on all technology purchases to ensure usability and compatibility with the current environment.
5. The district provides technology-rich classrooms, with access to devices such as digital projectors, electronic whiteboards, and student response systems.
It is the goal of the District that every classroom be equipped with an interactive projector and audio enhancement system by the year 2014-2015.Currently resources allow for only a few teachers to have projectors and interactive whiteboards, while others need to sign-out those resources from the technology department.
6. The district has established a computer replacement cycle of five years or less.
There are currently 400 computers across the District's network.The District has established a replacement cycle of five years, or 80 computers a year, for all desktops and laptops.
B. Internet Access
1. The district provides connectivity to the Internet for all computers in all classrooms in all schools, including wireless connectivity.
All classrooms and all computers throughout the District have Internet connection.The district currently provides a minimum 10/100 Mbps switched network and/or 802.11b/g wireless network at both the New Marlborough and Sheffield campuses.Portions of the Sheffield campus continue to use CAT 3 wiring.Is it the goal of the District to replace all CAT 3 with CAT 5e by the 2012 and to expand wireless to 802.11n.
2. The district provides an external Internet connection to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) of 10 Mbps per 1,000 students/staff.
The District has just over 1,000 users between students and staff.In 2011, the District will move to a fiber connection to the Internet at a connection speed of 20 Mbps.
3. The district provides bandwidth of at least 10/100/1 Gb to each classroom.At peak, the bandwidth at each computer is at least 100 kbps. The network card for each computer is at least 10/100/1 Gb.
The network currently supports connections of 10 and 100 Mb to each and every computer.It is the goal of the district in the coming year to move all computers to 100 Mb.By 2015 all desktops will be served with a 1 Gb connection.All new computer purchases are for computers with a Gb NIC.
C. Networking (LAN/WAN)
1. The district provides internal wide area network (WAN) connections from the district to each school between schools of at least 1 Gbps per 1,000 students/staff.
The District's WAN consists of the New Marlborough and Sheffield campuses.Currently the only connection available between the two is a T1 connection.It is the desire of the District to maximize this bandwidth as soon as other technologies become available.
2. The district provides access to servers for secure file sharing, backups, scheduling, email, and web publishing, either internally or through contracted services.
The District currently has a secure Novell Network comprised of several servers and firewalls.It is the current plan to migrate to a Windows network by mid-year 2011.The network provides secure file sharing and backups.Email will be provided to all staff and students through Microsoft's Live@Edu platform by mid-year 2011.The District provides web publishing of student and staff work, especially in the area of homework posting and classroom web pages through the Edline portal.
D. Access to the Internet Outside the School Day
1. The district provides access to its computer labs before and after school to ensure that students and staff have adequate access to the Internet outside of the school day.
The school provides access to labs after the school day through an after-school homework center at both the elementary and secondary levels.Labs are also available prior to the beginning of the school day.In addition, the district allows community-based access when requested.
2. The district disseminates an up-to-date list of places where students and staff can access the Internet after school hours.
The district posts on its website a list of "hot-spots" where students and staff can find Internet access after school hours throughout the 5 town district and neighboring towns as well.
E. Staffing
1. The district provides staff or contracted services to ensure that its network is functioning at all times.
The District provides an FTE Technology Coordinator in charge of the day-to-day network administration.Contracted services are used for high-end network functions and to ensure network optimization.
2. The district resolves technical problems within 24 hours, so that they do not cause major disruptions to curriculum delivery.
The district provides clear information about how to access technical support, which can be provided in person or remotely.The district's helpdesk is available by phone and e-mail.Primary contact is the Distric''s Desktop Support specialist.The vast majority of school calls and emails are answered within the school day, if not within the hour.
3. The district provides at least one FTE person to support 400 computers.Technical support can be provided by dedicated staff or contracted services.
The district currently has 400 PCs across five schools.The district employs 1 FTE Desktop Support Technician.
Benchmark 5: Virtual Learning and Communications
A. The district encourages the development and use of innovative strategies for delivering high-quality courses through the use of technology.
The District uses Edline as its main portal for teachers to post class information including documents and links along with discussion forums and online quizzes.Teachers and students also have access to Microsoft's Live@Edu platform for cloud-based communication, collaboration, and storage.In addition, Virtual High School (VHS) is offered for students who wish to take courses above what is available locally.Dual enrollment with the local community college can also take place online.
B. 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.
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 Sheffield campus.
C. Classroom applications of virtual learning include courses, collaborative projects, field trips, and discussions.
The District has the capacity through hardware, software, and bandwidth to provide for any e-learning course that is available or may become available.The District provides lists of e-learning opportunities available to staff and students.The District will provide for advanced e-learning courses, seminars, and presentations for all levels where appropriate.
D. The district maintains an up-to-date website that includes information for parents and community members.
The District has an updated web site at www.sbrsd.org.The District web site includes a variety of information pertinent to all schools and grade levels.In addition, the school uses mass email systems and calling systems to inform parents and community members of school news and events.
Benchmark 6: Safety, Security, and Data Retention
A. The district has a CIPA-compliant Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) regarding Internet and network use.The policy is updated as needed to help ensure safe and ethical use of resources by teachers and students.
The District has an AUP for both students and staff that is posted on the SBRSD homepage.The District employs a web content filter and monitors the Internet usage of students.
B. The district educates teachers and students about appropriate online behavior.Topics include cyberbullying, potential risks related to social networking sites and chat rooms, and strategies for dealing with these issues.
Classroom curriculum along with specific computer courses and school-wide assemblies all serve to educate students about Internet safety.Required computer courses for students in the grades 5-8 have specific curriculum related to cyberbullying and the dangers of social networking.
Teachers will be trained in a "Train the Trainer" Cyberbullying program, so that the course can be brought back for interested teachers to bring to their classes.The District has bullying policy in compliance with Massachusetts' state law.
C. The district has a plan to protect the security and confidentiality of personal information of its students and staff.
The district employs a network with tiered data access rights.Within critical software programs access rights are also tiered.The District staff receives training each year on data security including safe email procedures and the use of strong passwords.The network has a firewall and runs anti-virus software on all machines.Laptops have locks.Operating system updates are run regularly.Data backups are run each day and night.On a weekly basis those backups are stored in a fireproof vault.It is the goal of the District that by 2014-2015, with increased bandwidth, the district will use a secure off-site data backup and recovery service for data backup needs.The district enforces procedures that protect information in printed form as well through signatures to blotters to shredders.
D. The district complies with federal and state law, and local policies for archiving electronic communications produced by its staff and students.The district informs staff and students that any information distributed over the district or school network may be a public record.
The District provides archiving of all email for students and staff.The AUP signed by staff and students indicates that their communications may become part of a public record.
"Hot-Spots": Computer Access in Southern Berkshire County:
SHEFFIELD:
Town Library: Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat 10:00-5:00pm; Fri 10:00 - 8:00pm; Sun 2:00-5:00pm.
ALFORD
Alford Town Hall: Weekdays 8:00-3:00pm; Sat 8:00 - 12:00pm.
EGREMONT
Town Library: Mon, Tues & hurs 2:00-6:00pm; Sat 9:00-12:00pm.
NEW MARLBOROUGH
Town Library: Tues & Fri 1:30 - 7:30pm; Wed & Sat 10:00 - 5:30pm; Thurs 1:30 - 5:30pm. *Wi-fi available 24 -7
MONTEREY
Town Library: Mon 7:00-9:00pm, Tues 9:30am - 12:00pm, Wed 3 - 5pm, Thurs 4 - 6pm, Friday 5 - 7pm, Sat 9:30am - 12:30pm & 7 - 9pm. *Wi-fi available 24-7
GREAT BARRINGTON
Mason Library: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 10:00am-6:00pm; Thursday 12:00-8:00pm; Saturday 9:00-1:00pm.
Ramsdell Library: Monday-Friday 1:00PM-6:00PM; Saturday 9:00AM-1:00PM
