Technology

Technology Plan

The Brewster Central Schools Technology Plan

Technology Plan: Using Technology to Improve Learning for Every Child

Technology Mission Statement
Technology Vision Statement
Technology Strategy and Goals
Plan Summary and Planning Foundations
Brewster's Technology Goals with Specific Recommendations for Action
Hardware to Support the Plan
Technology Acquisitions for 2001-2002
Internet Acceptable Use Policy
Performance Indicators
Assessment Instrument

Technology Mission Statement
In support of the District Mission, the application of the tools of technology in the Brewster Central School District must:

• serve to enhance student learning and achievement across the curriculum
• foster authentic and applied learning and student independence in learning
• aid in the preparation of students for successful academic and vocational pursuits
• promote connections with the other communities of learners
• improve the district's ability to manage the business of learning.
• promote communication with parents and the community
• facilitate data collection and analysis

Technology Vision Statement
The goal of the Brewster Central School District is to create a system of education that will offer each and every student the opportunity to excel and to pursue activities that are important in developing their vocational and personal success. Fundamental to this plan is a vision of all children being engaged, through a blend of traditional and information technology resources, and of all professionals having access to the technology tools needed to function effectively in the workplace. By creating an information technology-rich environment, a community of learners will be equipped with the skills to succeed in an Information Age.

Technology Strategy and Goals

To achieve the District Mission of student oriented success and preparation, the Brewster Central School District will employ a seamless technology integration strategy so that the power of the available tools will improve the learning of every child.

To achieve this, the Brewster Public School System has established the following goals:

1. Develop a systems plan to support the role of technology throughout the dirict.
2. Design instructional strategies that model and support the integration of technology in instruction.
3. Plan and implement training to support users in the appropriate application of technology.
4. Establish a data warehouse that will allow the district to track student achievement and program effectiveness.
5. Ensure that all students obtain the key information skills and technological competencies that are required for success in an Information Age.

Plan Summary and Planning Foundations:
The Information Age is changing the way people live and learn and the nature of public schooling itself. This transformation represents the most dramatic series of changes to affect society and corporate and professional culture since the advent of modern transportation and telephone communication.

Since Brewster first engaged in a technology planning process, the district has made great strides in positioning itself for future success in an information rich environment. Even with this substantial progress, there is much work left to do and new challenges are being created all the time. We know that simply buying equipment is not enough. Research and experience indicate that a combination of successful conditions must be present to create learning environments conducive to the powerful uses of technology. These include:

• Vision and support with proactive leadership
• Educators skilled in the use of technology
• Clear content standards and associated assessments in every content area
• Student-centered approaches to learning
• Training and support
• Equity and free access
• Community support and partnerships.

The purpose of this plan is to ensure that the district is continually rethinking the status of these conditions within the learning environments so that its investment in technology will result in increased learning and achievement for all of the students in the Brewster Central School District.

To guide the process, a representative team worked together during the 2000-2001 school year to revise the previous technology plan. This committee included representation from teachers, administrators, Board of Education, parents, and the Superintendent of Schools. The team underwent a comprehensive self-assessment designed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of Brewster’s technology integration efforts. This reflection was based on 29 performance indicators (Bobowick/Costa) that isolate and examine the factors that lead to the successful use of technology in a classroom setting. The assessment team met together twice to reflect on, and then to score, the district’s performance on these indicators. It is the synthesis of these reflections, assessments, and the resulting data profile that form the foundation of the goals and recommendations portion of this Technology Plan.

Generating the Assessment Data Profile:
For each of the 29 indicators, (a copy of the entire assessment tool can be found in this plan) the concept was presented, a model was shown, questions were asked, and then the participants discussed their perceptions of the district’s performance relevant to the indicator. Once the discussion was complete, the group’s comments were recorded and each participant scored the item individually on their own score sheet. All participants were allowed to score to one decimal point past the whole number in their ratings.

The data (a total of 18 individual ratings for each indicator were submitted) was tabulated and then reported back to the participants. Scoring of this tool was completed on a 1-4 scale; 1 was the lowest score given, 4 the highest. These individual scores were then averaged to create the district score. While it is assumed that the only scale of importance is what Brewster’s future scores are and how they have improved over time, one can assume that scores below 2 are generally areas that deserve immediate and prolonged attention.

Findings:
In general, the assessment process itself and the data collected from it demonstrate that the initial stages of the technology revolution are indeed having an impact on the learning environments in all of the schools in Brewster. Participants from across the district were highly aware of both the importance and complex nature of the profound transformation that is occurring within their learning communities as a result of the Information Age.

Particularly evident in all of the professionals who undertook this assignment was the level of commitment and passion for improvement that they bring to this process. With personnel like this spread throughout the system, there is reason to be confident that substantial progress can be made toward addressing the specific issues raised by the assessment.

The most important strengths and weaknesses highlighted by the data are described below.

District Strengths:
The most important findings of district strength are in an area that is probably the key to future improvement – one of the district’s highest rated indicators was 5.3 Continuous Improvement which had a rating of 2.97. This high rating points to a strong and unified commitment to growth. The highest rated general area was Instruction, with a combined total of 2.70. This is a strong statement that the instructional foundations of engagement and student involvement are flourishing in the district and these are critical elements that must be present for technology to be used effectively.

These two areas are critically important to the future success of the district’s improvement of technology integration because without a commitment to growth and instructional quality, it is impossible to judge the effectiveness of the effort. These indicators suggest, along with related items like 1.5 Culture and Modeling – rating 2.51 and 2.4 Support – rating 2.75, that Brewster is well positioned for future gains in student achievement and technology integration.

It should also be noted that the district has made progress in installing infrastructure and acquiring hardware even since these indicators were scored. Networking capability is about to improve dramatically. This will have a positive impact, in very short order, on items like 2.2 Networks and Connectivity (1.73) and 2.5 Management (1.43).

Areas Where Growth is Needed:
There are three major areas of collective concern that the district needs to tackle to improve technology’s impact on student learning. The first of these are the “big picture” issues of vision, communication, and integration of systems thinking into technology planning and implementation. This perception is reflected in the district’s ratings in the areas of 1.1 Vision and Planning – rating 1.89 and 1.2 Systems Thinking – rating 1.77.

The second area of district weakness can be found in the areas of technology fluency and the use of these resources to improve professional practice. These concerns are reflected in the district’s scores in the areas of 1.6 Fluency and Literacy – rating 1.83 and 1.7 Professional Practice – rating 2.05.

The third area of concern is found in the area of assessment. These issues are reflected particularly in the assessment data and sharing categories – 4.2 Data Collection Process – rating 1.87, 4.3 Practical Use – rating 1.21, 4.4 Access to Assessment Data – rating 1.07. Suggested in these numbers is the need to make sure that the assessments used to measure student learning in the district is available and shared so that the results can drive instructional improvement and integration planning.

The goals set forth in this plan are designed to build on these strengths and address these weaknesses. Based on the data and the past success of the Brewster Central School District, when this plan’s recommendations are implemented, Brewster will be a district where technology serves to enhance student learning and achievement across the curriculum, foster authentic and applied learning and student independence in learning, aid in the preparation of students for successful academic and vocational pursuit, promote connections with the other communities of learners, and improve the district’s ability to manage the business of learning.

Brewster’s Technology Goals With Specific Recommendations for Action:

1. Develop a systems plan to support the role of technology throughout the district

Rationale/Approach:
At its core, the meaningful integration of technology represents a cultural shift for many from a belief in traditional tools and skills for learning to a new set from the Information Age. There is abundant evidence related to the study of organizational change (Senge/Peters) that suggests that at precisely the moment when pressure for change is at its peak, the organization’s cultural resistance to that change will inevitably rise up to meet it. It is for precisely these reasons, given the indicator scores in these areas, that a focused and thoughtful change strategy is necessary to advance the district’s technology goals for achievement.

Essentially this means that Brewster’s technology plan must go beyond just planning to purchase hardware and software. It must also account for the complex nature of a large public organization and plan for how all aspects of its operations must change if technology’s potential is to be realized.

To accomplish this goal, the Brewster Central School District shall:

a) Communicate and update technology goals and progress on a regular basis to the constituents throughout the district.

b) Require that all district initiatives and plans incorporate a facilitative role for technology.

Goal One Implementation Plan:

2. Design instructional strategies that model and support the integration of technology in instruction.

Rationale/Approach:

For some teachers to effectively integrate technologies into their curricula requires changes of huge magnitude in educational philosophy, classroom management, and curricular goals. It was once a common belief that if one simply taught teachers how to use computers and telecommunications and provided them with the necessary equipment, classroom teaching and learning would improve automatically.

Unfortunately, we know this process is not that simple. For the technologies to be used effectively, teachers must be comfortable with a problem-based approach to learning; they must be willing to accept students' progressing independently and at widely varying paces; and they must be flexible enough to change directions when technical glitches occur.

For some teachers, these practices are all second nature. Giving them access to technologies and telecommunications is akin to turning them loose in a bookstore, using vast resources on the Internet for example. More often, however, we are asking teachers to integrate new philosophies of education, curricular goals, classroom-management techniques, and new ideas about interdisciplinary and individualized education into their daily practice. Therefore, they need the system’s support. So, to aid in this transition, the most important starting point is the provision of an instructional and assessment foundation that anchors teachers while they navigate these new strategies. This will not only allow teachers to share best practice techniques and collaboratively improve the general quality of instruction in the district, but it will also provide the electronic infrastructure needed to track and demonstrate the impact that technology is having on student achievement.

The following graphic illustrates these important interconnections:

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The building of this seamlessly integrated environment will occur as a result of a Three Phase implementation process.

• Phase One: Build The Supervisory and Curricular Foundation
• Phase Two: Building Best Practice Models
• Phase Three: Systemic Integration

To accomplish this goal, the Brewster Central School District will be engaged in the following:

Phase One: Build the Supervisory and Curricular Foundation

A. Identify competencies and expectations for how technology will be used to enhance instruction.

B. Develop an in-depth staff development plan.

C. Communicate the competencies and staff development plans to the staff.

D. Train all administrators in technology skills, visioning, and effective evaluation of technology supported classroom practices.

E. Implement district-wide supervision and evaluation strategies that facilitate technology supported application of skills in all content areas.

F. Identify and electronically publishing priority learning goals in each content area.

G. Identify and electronically communicate the standards of performance for the priority learning goals.

Phase One Implementation Plan:

Phase Two: Building Best Practice Models

a) Develop a cadre of teachers at each school who understand and acquire the skills to develop concept-based, integrated curriculum units to support accelerated change.

b) Create Internet or Intranet stored data bases (formulated through district Technology Teams in conjunction with district curriculum development efforts) of hands-on, authentic technology tasks and projects, in a consistent format, that support all of the priority learning goals.

c) Provide professional development activities related to the work done through the Technology Teams to help teachers employ the model lessons learned in every classroom.

Phase Two Implementation Plan:

Phase Three: Systemic Integration

A. Set goals for every teacher to either employ the strategies created by the Technology Teams or to create their own.

B. Report evaluation, support, and progress to be reported based on these goals

C. Communicate and post results and student work to all constituents to improve performance.

D. Create extended opportunities for teachers and students to explore in-depth applications of technologies such as the Technology Summer Institute, Web clubs, etc.

 

3. Plan and implement training to support users in the appropriate applications of technology.

Training Rationale/Approach:
Educators proficient in the use of technology understand how it promotes the learning process. Training models need to reflect this fact. Fluent users have the skills needed to employ technology applications as a tool to augment instruction and student learning. Comprehensive training strategies that include coaching, just-in-time support, and modeling are critical to success. Training needs to be ongoing, sustained, and systematic.

To accomplish this goal, the Brewster Central School District will:

a) Develop a set of technology competencies and expectations for all teachers and administrators and set benchmarks for final acquisition of those competencies.

b) Offer systematic staff development programs or opportunities based on assessed educator needs and student needs.

c) Provide teachers with just-in-time training or technical assistance from a variety of sources.

d) Provide incentives for pioneering efforts to enhance the use of technology or for supporting peers in its use.

Support - Rationale/Approach:
Whether it is perception or reality, if the technology that a school has is not working as it should, or if there are multiple problems when it is used, technical support is all that stands between the organization and a complete digital stand still. To be effective, technical support needs to be on-site, individualized, just-in-time, and teacher-oriented. Teachers who are having trouble and are frustrated about wasted time are very unlikely to turn to further technology use for help. Moreover, a great deal of emotional support comes from a face to face interaction who uses clear, non-technical language, and who has the interpersonal social skills to make teachers feel comfortable about using technology.

To accomplish this goal, the Brewster Central School District will:

a) Create a student-based Technical Assistance Repair Facility (TARF) at Brewster High School

b) Provide adequate technical support personnel to support the needs of the system

c) Improve systems for keeping track of technical assistance problems. Requests, response and repair data will be tracked and analyzed (in conjunction with objective a).

 

4. Establish a data warehouse that will allow the district to track student achievement and program effectiveness.

Rationale/Approach:
For all of its potential benefits, perhaps the most significant contribution technology can make is the ease with which data can be stored and shared. If used properly, this information can have a profound effect on teaching and learning practice. In order for the potential to be realized however, two things must be accomplished: 1. an infrastructure capable of storing and transmitting the data must be present and 2. Systems must be in place that encourage the appropriate use of the data to improve performance. If these two structures are in place, continuous improvement is possible.

To accomplish this goal, the Brewster Central School District will:

a) Develop and implement a data warehouse (centralized, intranet accessible, data storage, analysis, and retrieval) to allow for the storage and retrieval of instructional resources, student assessment data, programs and curriculum, and other key indicators of district success.

b) Create a means to review curriculum development, professional development, goal setting, and evaluation for purposes of performance improvement

c) Offer parents opportunities to electronically access their child’s data, including, attendance, grades, homework, and other basic student information.

d) Create structures that ensure that the major systems in place in the district for curriculum development, professional development, goal setting, and evaluation are regularly reviewing and using the information in the data warehouse to improve their own performances.

Data Warehouse Implementation Plan:

5. Ensure that all students obtain the key technological skills and competencies that are required for success in an Information Age.

Rationale/Approach:
The best way to ensure that all students acquire the skills that they need to be successful participants in the Information Age is to set specific Technology Competency Standards that outline what we believe constitute a technologically literate student. The technology standards for Brewster students are based on the National Educational Technology Standards Project, an International Society for Technology in Education initiative funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Milken Exchange on Education Technology, and Apple Computer, Inc. With these standards now set, measurements for successful attainment will be created, teaching strategies will be aligned, and data will be collected and acted upon to ensure that every student acquires the desired skills.

These standards will be regularly reviewed to ensure that they are current and reflect the dramatic changes that take place in this field. Our present set of district Technology Standards has six major areas of focus with 14 specific competencies. (Changes will be made based on the Board’s approval and acceptance of the standards.)

1. Basic Technology Operations

• Demonstrates knowledge of common features, uses operations of software, including word processing, desktop publishing, databases, spreadsheets, and presentation software.
• Demonstrates knowledge of common features, uses and operates hardware and operating systems and can troubleshoot basis computer problems
  

2. Social, ethical and human issues

• Exhibits legal and ethical behaviors when using technology and understands the consequences of illegal/improper use.
• Demonstrates knowledge of current practices in the information technology field and the impact these practices have on society
• Understands the relationships among technology, society, the individual, and the world of work.
  

3. Use and Application of Technology Tools for Communication

• Uses telecommunications to collaborate, publish and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
• Uses a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences
  

4. Use and Application of Technology Tools for Research

• Uses technology tools to locate, evaluate, and communicate information from a variety of sources.
• Uses technology tools to process data and report results
  Evaluates and selects new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness to specific tasks
  

5. Use and Application of Technology Tools for Productivity

• Uses technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
• Uses technology tools to collaborate in preparing publications, producing creative works and using content-specific software and simulations.
  

6. Use and Application of Technology Tools for Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Uses technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions
• Employs technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.
  

To accomplish this goal, the Brewster Central School District will be:

a) Officially adopting in whole or part the National Educational Technology Standards and the new district Technology Standards for students. Key performance benchmarks and related assessments will be developed and implemented to evaluate student technology skills.

b) Integrating these assessments across the content areas.

c) Reviewing and updating the standards, assessments, and activities in this area.

Goal Five Implementation Plan:

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Plan Evaluation:
It is expected that the district Technology Team will review its progress on an annual basis. One of the purposes of assessment is to measure progress toward the attainment of district goals. The goals of the technology plan should be assessed each year, as tools are developed to measure progress in all areas. An annual report to the Board of Education will indicate the status of efforts to accomplish the various implementation strategies.

The following actions should guide the assessment process:

• The technology committee will re-score the assessment tool that served as the foundation for this plan.
• All teachers and administrators will complete an annual self-assessment instrument relative to their technology skills to show growth
• The degree of student success mastering the National Educational Technology Standards (NESTS) will be tracked annually.
• Student work will be reviewed and analyzed at the building level to insure to what degree higher-order thinking skills are used relative to technology.
• The results of the scoring, along with details of efforts undertaken and lessons learned, will be presented as an Annual Review of Progress to the Superintendent and the Board of Education.

Hardware to Support the Plan
The Brewster Central School District feels strongly that the technology plan is an instructional blueprint by design and hardware should support and supplement the plan. Computer hardware has been changing at an accelerated pace in recent years. There have been many exciting and dynamic innovations recently introduced such as faster and smaller computers, handhelds, terminal servers and network computers (Cytrix), applications available via the Internet to name just a few. It is the recommendation of the committee to review hardware needs annually, monitoring the plans progress, and provide the Brewster Board of Education with annual technology funding requests.

However, there is a minimum model the committee feels would be effective in the successful integration of technology in all buildings. The ideal instructional model in every building would be as follows:

• Multiple student computers per classroom (4-6)
• Teacher computers connected to a large display device (projector, TV)
• Multiple computers in all media centers
• Common computer areas such as hardwired labs or wireless labs
• Variety of accessories such as digital cameras, scanners, and printers
• All classrooms connected to the Internet

Current Status
At this juncture, the district is well on their way to realizing this model. At the end of the 2001-2002 budget year, all schools, K-8 will have at least one computer per classroom connected to the Internet. C.V. Starr has classroom display devices, and all schools have multiple computers in their Media Centers. Brewster High School has multiple computer labs, and will receive more hardware as the renovation progresses. Accessories are used throughout the district to enhance instruction as well.

Future Hardware Needs
The upcoming years will include building on the foundation currently established, and adding to it. A priority will be to add large display devices to classrooms, to insure that technology is being integrated into the daily teaching and learning routines. Additional classroom computers will be required in all buildings. Brewster High School will require substantial resources as the construction project progresses, including classroom computers, labs and/or clusters, Distance Learning facility, and equipping the new media center. An annual progress report will be presented to the Board of Education on the technology plan progress and to substantiate future funding requests.

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Technology Acquisitions, 2001-2002 School Year
The Brewster Central School District has committed substantial resources to fund the Technology program during the 2001-2002 year. This years technology acquisitions will have a dramatic effect in providing connectivity throughout the district. Technology has been included in every level to support the technology program.

This year, technology has been included to support various district initiatives, including the renovation of Brewster High School, JFK School, and Garden Street School. As the end of the 2002 school year, the wide area network will be complete and all buildings will be connected to the Internet. A mobile computer lab was included to support the revised schedule at Wells Middle School. The details are as follows:

Brewster Internet Acceptable Use Policy
The Brewster Central School District has actively pursued making advanced technologies and increased access to learning opportunities available to our students and staff. The Board believes that this computer technology will help propel today’s schools into the information age by allowing students and staff to access and use information sources from distant computers, communicate and share information with individuals or groups of other students and staff, and significantly expand their knowledge base. The Internet is a tool for life long learning and only begins to open the door to many new learning opportunities for students.

With access to computers and people many aspects of the world become available that may not be considered of educational value in the context of the school setting. The Brewster Central School District will take all available precautions to restrict access to controversial materials of questionable educational value. On a global network, however, it is impossible to control all materials that users may discover. The Board believes that the valuable information and interaction available on this worldwide network far outweighs the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with the educational goals of the Brewster Central School District.

CONDITIONS AND RULES FOR USE:

1. Acceptable Use

The purpose of the Internet is to facilitate communications in support of research and education by providing access to unique resources and opportunities for collaborative work. To remain eligible as a user, the use of the Internet must be in support of and consistent with the educational objectives of the Brewster Central School District. All users accessing the Internet through school district facilities must comply with any and all existing rules and acceptable use policies that are incorporated into this document.

Transmission of any material in violation of any United States or state regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighting material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret.

Use for commercial activities is not acceptable. Use for product advertisement or political lobbying is also prohibited.

2. Privilege

The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use, including any violation of these conditions and rules, may result in cancellation of the privilege. The Brewster Central School District, under this agreement, reserves the right to determine appropriate use and may deny, revoke, or suspend student Internet privileges for failure to follow the proper rules for Internet use, as outlined in the terms of this agreement.

Monitoring

The district reserves the right to review any material stored on its computer equipment and to monitor fileserver space in order to make determinations on whether specific uses of the network are inappropriate. The District has the right to review and monitor user-accounts and fileserver space, if there is reason to suspect that inappropriate or illegal activity is taking place.

Network Use

All users are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

All communications shall be conducted appropriately, including using proper language and etiquette at all times.

Users will not engage in activities that are prohibited under state or federal law.

Users will not reveal their personal address or phone numbers to anyone on the Internet.

Electronic mail (e-mail) is not guaranteed to be private. Messages relating to or in support of any illegal activities shall be reported to the proper authorities and may result in the loss of user privileges.

Students must get permission from their instructors before using the network or assessing any specific file or application.

Students shall not alter any program on the system.

No Warranties

The Brewster Central School District makes no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied for the Internet service it is providing. All users need to consider the source of any information they obtain, and consider how valid that information may be. The Brewster Central School District is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through the Internet.

Security

Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. Users that have passwords must not allow others to use their password. Users should also protect their password to ensure system security and their own privilege and ability to continue to use of the system.

Attempts to log on to the Internet as a system administrator may result in cancellation of user privileges.

Any user with a history of inappropriate computer usage may be denied access to the Internet by the district.

Vandalism and Harassment

Vandalism and harassment will result in cancellation of user privileges.

Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm, modify, and destroy data. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creating of computer viruses and destroying computer hardware.

Harassment is defined as the persistent annoyance of another user, or the interference of another user’s work. Harassment includes, but is not limited to, the sending of unwanted e-mail.

Perpetrators will be responsible for covering the cost to the district for damage incurred for vandalism.

Perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law.

Encounter of Controversial Material

Users may encounter material that is considered controversial and which students, parents, teachers, or administrators may consider inappropriate or offensive or of little educational value. It is the user’s responsibility not to initiate access to such material.

Any user violating these rules is subject to the loss of network privileges and any other district disciplinary options.

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Performance Indicators