Baltimore City Public Schools. Information Technology Plan East North Avenue Baltimore, Maryland

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1 Baltimore City Public Schools Information Technology Plan East North Avenue Baltimore, Maryland

2 Table of Contents Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 3 INTRODUCTION... 4 ABOUT CITY SCHOOLS... 5 NEEDS ASSESSMENT... 9 VISION OBJECTIVES, RATIONALE, KEY EFFORTS, AND INITIATIVES PROGRESS TO DATE EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT BUDGET ENSURE ADEQUATE FUNDING APPENDIX A: ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES APPENDIX B: CITY SCHOOLS SYSTEMIC REFORM EFFORTS APPENDIX C: ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (DRAFT REVISION)

3 In today's world, technology is an essential tool. It offers teachers new ways to enrich their students' learning experiences. It offers students the ability to connect to learning opportunities anywhere, anytime. Technology empowers teachers like never before to support their personal mission of providing the best possible education to their students. US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan November 9,

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) recognizes that technology empowers students to take more control of their learning. Access to emerging technologies, curriculum resources, content experts and communication tools enable them to participate in the learning process in a way that promotes active, creative, knowledgeable, and ethical participation in our globally networked society. With the continuation of the upgrade of the Wide Area Network and the integration of 21 st Century technologies and tools, City Schools will maintain a universally accessible, communications enabled network encompassing all of its schools and connecting them with each other, the district office, and with global resources. With this network in place, it will become possible to design and implement effective, cost-efficient management systems and practices to improve the support of instruction. The integration of technology into curriculum, instructional delivery, professional development and administration are critical to the success of the City Schools instructional program. The following technology driven strategies will help improve student achievement and establish effective management systems in the support of quality instruction. 1. Integrate the use of technology tools and digital content to engage students in daily instruction. 2. Ensure that staff is highly skilled and capable of effectively using technology tools and digital content. 3. Improve the readiness and service levels of existing infrastructures, including all networks, mission critical application systems, and technical support systems in order to sustain and enhance school administrative functions and system wide operational processes. 4. Provide universal access to high performance technology tools. 5. Improve the instructional uses of technology through research and evaluation. The Technology Plan is a direct outgrowth of the National Education Technology Plan, Maryland Plan for Technology and the City Schools Master Plan. This updated technology plan is a detailed, allencompassing document designed to ensure that all areas of the Baltimore City Public Schools act in concert for the betterment of the system and to achieve significant, measurable improvements in the performance of our students. 3

5 INTRODUCTION Technological advances have had an on-going and direct impact on the lives of the students and their families. Today s technologies, however, have the greatest potential for impact, as they have made the world a smaller, more competitive, and demanding place in which to live. Jobs that will rely on the skills promulgated by these new technologies will require students to be creative, analytical and critical thinkers. In addition, it is important for all educators to understand that technology has had an impact on the learning styles of today s Net Generation students. According to studies, the differences between previous students and the millennial students include: They are intuitive visual communicators. They are better able to integrate visual spatial skills. They learn better by discovery than being told. They can shift their attention easily from one thing to another. They have a fast response time and demand fast turnaround time as well. Most importantly, technology is now so embedded in the lives of students that they think not in terms of what technologies they use, but in terms of the activity technology enables. Students indicate that they want instructors who are comfortable enough with technology to use it much as they would a textbook. Surveys also show that they are more than ready to embrace technology in education. Today s students have grown up using digital technology. Surveys show that, of young people aged 12-17: Over 50% have their own blog or contribute to another blog or website Over 50% download music 90% use the internet to search for information for class assignments 80% are given internet assignments to complete at school 60% are using online dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauruses Over 70% say that having access to the internet helps them earn better grades & be stronger students Given this knowledge, this plan is driven by the needs of today s generation of students. Creating learning spaces that are rich with educational content, connected to a multitude of resources, and which offer students opportunities to use technologies in new and exciting ways will ensure that Baltimore City Public Schools students will become responsible citizens who can actively contribute to not just the local and regional community, but to the global one as well. 4

6 ABOUT CITY SCHOOLS We have great kids in Baltimore City with great potential. And they all deserve great schools. We are working to transform Baltimore City Public Schools into an entire system of great schools. Our school communities must be responsible to our kids, and great schools happen when everyone in the school, the system and beyond takes that responsibility to heart. To be great, schools must have: great principals; great teachers in every classroom; instruction that reaches all kids, with their many different needs; the freedom to create a unique learning community; and involved parents and communities. City Schools is governed by a city-state partnership. The Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners has 10 members (including a student member with partial voting rights); is jointly appointed by the mayor of Baltimore and Maryland s governor; and sets and oversees policy and implementation of regulations for the school system, and approves all major appointments. City Schools CEO Andrés A. Alonso reports to the Board. The challenge is simple and huge. But together, City Schools and its families, communities and partners will create great school options for all children in Baltimore City. More City Schools students arrived at kindergarten last fall after completing pre-k and more arrived at school fully readyǁ to learn, according to the Maryland State Department of Education s 2011 Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) report. In , 4,448 children entering kindergarten were fully ready to learn. This number represents 67 percent of students assessed under the MMSR, and reflects an increase of 18 percent from (when 3,773 students were fully ready) and 32.5 percent over a three-year period. The number of students coming from City Schools pre-k fully ready to learn in kindergarten is up 24 percent since last year 5 CITY SCHOOLS AT A GLANCE Student Enrollment: 83,800 42,830 students in grades pre-k 5 (includes 4,712 pre-k students) 16,659 students in grades ,311 students in grades Student Demographics 86.6 percent African American; 7.8 percent White; 3.9 percent Latino; 1.1 percent Asian or Pacific Islander; 0.4 percent American Indian or Alaska Native 83.9 percent low income (based on Free or Reduced Price Meal eligibility) 3.2 percent English Language Learner Schools and Programs in : elementary schools 70 elementary/middle schools 14 middle schools 14 middle/high schools 31 high schools 6 special education schools 9 programs (not schools) Of these, 29 are charter schools and 13 are Transformation Schools Employees: 11,273 10,281 school-based; 992 central

7 2,916 children in versus 2,349 in and 61 percent over three years. These 2,916 children represent 73 percent of the total 4,103 kindergarteners who attended pre-k in the prior year. This percentage represents a gain of 8.9 points over three years, from to With City Schools aggressive expansion of pre-k seats (50 percent growth in three years, from 3,200 seats in to 4,800 in ) and rising pre-k enrollment, school system officials expect gains in school readiness among City Schools kindergarteners to continue. City Schools students again made solid gains in 2010 on the Stanford Achievement Test 10, the standardized test City Schools uses to measure reading and mathematics performance in the 1st and 2nd grades. Students achieved their highest scores yet in both grades and subjects, and scored above the 50th national percentile across the board with percentile rankings reaching into the 60s in both grades for math. The 2010 results mark six straight years of Stanford gains, and point up two additional measures that offer promise for sustained growth in years to come. City Schools students with disabilities exceeded general education students progress on the Stanford in 2010 and have significantly narrowed the historic achievement gap with general education students in the last two years. Every year since 2004, 1st-grade students who went through pre-k prior to enrolling in elementary school scored higher on both the Stanford reading and math tests than students without pre-k experience and year after year, these pre-k students have maintained that edge into 2nd grade. Three years into a major transformation, Baltimore City Public Schools Maryland School Assessment (MSA) results show continued progress in student achievement and, while more measured than the record gains of the last two years, reflect a deepening foundation for academic growth over the long term. These results show a doubling in the number of students not just meeting, but exceeding state standards over the last three years; sustained, three-year growth in the middle grades that exceeds elementary gains; persistent growth across student groups; and a stark achievement gap between students with strong and poor attendance. Student performance in reading remained stable in and at the district s highest level ever: 72.4 percent of students scored proficient or advanced on the reading MSA in Student performance in math continued its steady climb of recent years, also representing a district record: 66.3 percent scored proficient or advanced on the math MSA, compared to 63.5 percent in

8 The percentage of students exceeding state standards has more than doubled in the last three years: In , 119 percent more students scored advanced on the reading MSA than in , and 115 percent more students scored advanced on the math MSA than in Growth in the middle grades, traditionally City schools lowest-performing level, is sustained and strong up 45 percent in reading and 71 percent in math in the last three years. There was growth across some of City Schools largest student subgroups: Students with disabilities, Hispanic students and Limited English Proficient students all made gains in both reading and math, while African American students held steady in reading and also made gains in math. The MSA results underscore the critical role attendance plays in student achievement: 75.2 percent of students who attended school regularly last year scored proficient or advanced on the reading MSA, compared to just 59.6 percent of students who were chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 20 of the year's 180 school days. A similar achievement gap was exhibited between students who attended school regularly and students who were truant, meaning they had 20 or more unexcused absences; and between students who were never suspended and those who had one or more suspensions. For the third straight year in , City Schools posted its best-ever dropout and graduation rates, driven largely by the district s ability to reduce dropouts by more than half in the last three years. In , 1,481 fewer students dropped out of school than in , when 2,579 students dropped out a threeyear reduction of 57 percent. City Schools dropout rate is 4.1 percent, down from 6.2 percent in and 9.4 percent in , a three-year decline of 56 percent. Its graduation rate is 66 percent, up from 62.7 percent in and 60.1 percent in , a three year increase of 10 percent. When those students who dropped out of school and returned and graduated are factored in, this rate goes up to 70.2 percent. The unduplicated rate increased from 66.6 percent in to 70.2 percent last year. A disaggregation of dropout and graduation rates by student subgroup shows growth at a deeper level. The dropout rate for African American students (4 percent), who comprise 88 percent of the student population, decreased by 58 percent over three years, and for the first time in it was lower than the district average (4.1 percent). Over the same period, the graduation rate for African American students (65.9 percent) increased 10.4 percent, a growth rate that exceeds that of the district. Students with disabilities showed similar growth: their dropout rate declined 41 percent in the last three years, and their graduation rate grew 19 percent during that time. 7

9 City Schools students passed more High School Assessments (HSAs) than in past years and took more Advanced Placement courses and exams. Students passed 13,902 HSAs across four subject areas (Algebra, English, Government and Biology) in This is up from 13,398 tests in , the first year that students in Maryland were required to meet the HSA requirement in order to graduate, and 10,392 tests in an increase of 34 percent in three years. The number of HSAs passed by students with disabilities has more than quadrupled in the last three years; the number passed by English Language Learner students has doubled; the number passed by low-income students has nearly doubled; and the number passed by African American students is up by more than one-third. More City Schools students are also preparing for college, due to greater access to AP offerings in the last three years. The number of high schools that offer AP courses increased from 13 in to 30 in , as did the total number of AP courses, from 58 in to 122 in And City Schools students are taking more AP classes and exams: 2,487 students enrolled in AP courses and took 2,148 AP exams in , compared to 1,188 students enrolled in AP courses who took 1,208 exams in City Schools is continually creating new and better school options for students, so that no matter where students live, they can attend a school that meets their interests and needs. Many elementary and middle schools are zoned geographically, though increasingly, they are becoming schools of choice. Charter schools and Transformation Schools (combined middle-high schools with a theme and college and/or career prep focus), for example, have lottery admissions. All high schools are citywide schools. In , 97 percent of all 8th-graders chose their high school for In , choice was extended to middle school students for In , City Schools opened six new Transformation Schools (combined middle-high schools, three of which target over-age and under-credited students), two new charter schools and one contract school. In , it opened three new Transformation Schools and two new charter schools. Two years ago City Schools launched Expanding Great Options, an initiative to expand and relocate those school programs that are working for students and to close those that aren t. With approval of the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, it closed and relocated nine schools in In , the Board approved closing another five low-performing schools and turning around eight. The district s recommendations include turning around four schools and closing one. 8

10 NEEDS ASSESSMENT Research shows that socio economic status is positively correlated to student achievement. Therefore it is important to note that approximately 83.9% of the students in City Schools participate in free and reducedprice meals (FARMS) programs. The percentage of special education students by level is as follows: 13.8% of elementary students, 18.7% of middle schools students, and 16.6% of high school students In comparing students with disabilities with regular education students, City Schools results are lower than statewide peers. In examining the gap between the High School Assessment (HSA) performance of City Schools students overall and the subgroup identified as receiving services due to a disability, there is a variance of about 40 percent. For example, while overall at grade three in the area of reading, 68.8 percent were proficient; 47.7 percent for students with disabilities were proficient. The percent of students with disabilities who are proficient in reading and in mathematics decreases with each increasing grade level. This disparity is even greater at the high school level. High School Assessment data shows that students with disabilities far underscored their general education counterparts. The chart illustrates the gap between the City Schools average scores and scores for those with disabilities. Student Population Algebra Biology Government English 2 All Special Education Students with disabilities at the elementary level did reach Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in all categories; however those in the middle grades met AYP in the area of Participation alone, while those in high school solely met AYP in Reading. Additionally, there is a growing disparity in the graduation rates of students with identified special education needs as opposed to those in the general education program. The chart below identifies the graduation rates for the last four years. It is important to note that the graduation rate of students receiving special education services has remained relatively stable, however, it is dramatically lower than the graduation rate of those students in the general education population. The graduation rate of the general education population has increased slightly over the last four years, while that of the special education population has shown an increase. Baltimore City Public Schools Graduation Rates Year Special Education Students General Education Students

11 Given that the data shows a growing gap between the achievements of students in special education programs versus those in the general education programs, it is evident that more must be done to address the needs of all learners. By providing resources that meet the Universal Design for Learning standards, City Schools will be better able to recognize and address individual learning differences in order to provide better educational opportunities for all students. The City Schools graduation rate is currently 66%, while the dropout rate is 4.01%. This marks the third straight year of City Schools best-ever dropout and graduation rates. The attendance rate in elementary school is 93.6%, in middle school is 93.2% and in high school is 82.6%. The MSDE 2010 Report Card also reports that the total cost per City Schools pupil was $14,302. The local wealth per pupil in the community was $241,651 which is $218,831 below Maryland s average. Technology plays a vital role in meeting the needs of the broad range of abilities, disabilities, cultural backgrounds and ethnic populations represented in the urban school district. To guarantee an environment of achievement and learning, the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners supports access by students and employees to information resources that are applicable to the tasks associated with their obligations and duties in the classroom and workplace, respectively. To ensure that technology, indeed, serves a predominant function in the lives and work habits of students and employees, this Information Technology Plan provides an action plan for the integration of technology into the curriculum, instruction and the workplace. The Technology Acceptable Use Policy governs the specific behavior of operations associated with the Internet, Intranet, and Web sites while the Information Technology Resources Policy establishes criteria for decision-making under a given set of circumstances within the framework of City Schools objectives, goals, and philosophies. The District continues to support the information literacy programs by providing technical assistance, recruitment and retention of certified school librarians; professional development opportunities, including mentors and cohorts for school library media certification; and identified funding for library resources. The efforts supported schools in promoting Information Literacy and to assist school libraries in meeting the MSDE standards for school libraries. Library and Media Services worked with curriculum specialist, teachers and librarians in identifying resources that support the City Schools curriculum. With the reorganization of schools the number and needs of school libraries has changed. There are now shared campus libraries that need to be transformed to meet the new demands. A cohort has been formed with the College of Notre Dame for the certification of school librarians. 10

12 VISION Student learning is at the focus and highest priority of all we do in the Baltimore City Public Schools. State-of-the-art instructional technologies combined with effective and appropriate teaching strategies will ensure that students are engaged, motivated and participating in dynamic and challenging learning activities. It is the system s intent to enable all students to become independent, competent, and creative thinkers, as well as effective communicators and problem solvers, thereby readying them for the world beyond the K12 classroom. This updated technology plan includes goals, objectives, and key efforts for addressing how technology will be integrated into curriculum, instruction, administration and high quality professional development in alignment with the action steps of the National Education Technology Plan, the objectives of the Maryland Plan for Technology in Education and local technology plans. In alignment with State and National Technology Goals, Baltimore City Public School s Technology Plan Goals are as follows: Improved Student Learning through the Integration of the Most Appropriate and Effective Technology and Digital Content Professional Development to Improve Staff s Knowledge and Skills to Integrate Technology into Instruction Use of Technology for Administrative Productivity and Efficiency Equitable Access to Technologies Among All Stakeholders Improvement of Instructional Uses of Technology through Evaluation and Research Vision Accelerating the academic achievement of all students, in partnership with the entire community to ensure that students have the attitudes, skills, and proficiencies needed to succeed in college and in the 21st century global workforce. Mission To accelerate student progress through effective implementation of the Master Plan, focusing on quality instruction, managing systems efficiently, and sustaining a culture of excellence. 11

13 Goal 1: Improved Student Learning through the OBJECTIVES, RATIONALE, KEY EFFORTS, AND INITIATIVES Integration of the Most Appropriate and Effective Technology and Digital Content Rationale: While the act of learning is something that will never change, the tools and resources used by both the instructor and the learner have and will continue to evolve over time. Other evolutions include the types of activities that most actively engage the learners. With today s digital environment, students live a media rich, connected and mobile lifestyle, and they are just as often producers of content as they are consumers. Given this, it is no surprise that students have an expectation that the learning space will mirror this digital environment. There is a disconnect, however, between what students expect and what schools deliver. Baltimore City recognizes the weight of this disconnect and acknowledges that the connection between technology engagement, and achievement is vital to the overall success of the district. Progress has been made in the past 10 years in integrating technology-based activities into subject matter teaching, but in most cases, this is not an everyday occurrence in academic classes. Research suggests that this is also true in Maryland classrooms, especially for tasks requiring higher levels of thinking and performance, and for students in poverty. Research also shows a disparity in technology integration in high-poverty classrooms. In the past five years there has been significant growth in organized online instruction (elearning), making it possible for students at all levels to receive high quality supplemental instruction personalized to their needs. City Schools are utilizing these services provided through the Teacher Student Support System (TSS) to expand opportunities and choices for students and professional development for teachers. Growth in the use of the TSS has been exponential during this time period, indicating an increased interest in e-learning and online information and resource management. As of the last iteration of this document in 2007, 15,474 distinct users accessed the TSS on a regular basis. This has grown to 27,606 active users in SY10-11, an increase of 56%. The ongoing addition of resource and learning objects will ensure that this growth will continue. The advent of online assessments makes this tool even more critical. The ongoing creation and implementation of resources that provide activities and strategies that mirror the types of items found on the 12

14 assessments will maximize student interaction with the online testing environment. This will remove the online testing environment as a barrier to student success. Curriculum design is vital for successful integration. Teachers must reconsider their methods and curricula in order to effectively integrate technology to improve student learning. They must factor in the needs and situations of learners and their ability to make use of technology. A move away from reliance on textbooks to the use of multimedia or online information (digital content) offers many advantages, including cost savings, increased efficiency, improved accessibility, and enhancing learning opportunities in a format that engages today s web-savvy students. Key Efforts: Technology has changed the way people live and work within the global society. Having a foundation of technology skills is imperative, as students will be expected to apply these skills within daily life. Therefore, the importance of the integration of state and national instructional technology standards into the instructional program is a priority for the Baltimore City Public Schools. The Information Technology Department (ITD) has been working closely with the Office of the Chief Academic Officer to initiate several significant projects to ensure that all City School Stakeholders integrate the use of technology tools and digital content to engage students in daily instruction. These include the ongoing creation of additional resources and tools that are linked to curriculum documents and housed in the district's content management system, the Teacher Student Support System (TSS), and the creation of TSS Master Courses that provide a level set of instructional materials available to every student and parent. To date, ITD staff has utilized content provided by the Teaching and Learning Office to develop and push Master Courses for US History, American Government, Algebra I, Mathematics grades 1-8, Literacy grades 1-8, Science grades 1-8, and Social Studies grades 1-8. These courses are updated and re-pushed as content and resources are revised. Additionally, the Course Synchronization tool will allow teachers to manage content within their own courses. Teachers can post content into one of their courses and then use the course synch tool to copy selected content into all of their courses. This will enable the teacher to fully customize all of their courses in a minimal amount of time. ITD continues to work with the City Schools Office of Teaching and Learning to develop and deliver learning objects, courses and curriculum to the classroom through web-based tools. The continued expansion and customization of the TSS has enabled the district to centralize all of these digital resources into one location so that teachers can simply log in to the system and be granted access. Some of those resources are embedded into the City Schools curriculum guides, which are aligned to the Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC). ITD provides ongoing training, professional development and facilitation for all City 13

15 Schools Departments to assist in uploading and posting curriculum documentation and activities for easy accessibility by staff in the school district. Additionally, ITD continues to work collaboratively with curriculum writers and developers to locate, assess, and align online videos, websites, and other instructional resources to the curriculum. City Schools continues to utilize the Blackboard Content Collection and course management tools to make these resources available to all staff. This system is a learning object repository that provides the ability for the system to store all content materials that are available electronically in order to share them systemically, providing access to all stakeholders. Using the TSS and all of the instructional resources, teachers have the ability to create hybrid learning environments in which students can access course materials and assignments outside of the school day from any location, providing 24/7 access to instructional opportunities. With the ability of the district to create "Master Courses", these hybrid courses can be pre-populated with curriculum material that supports City School s curriculum and the Maryland VSC which are correlated to the Common Core Standards. Moreover, these courses are consistent throughout the district, providing a baseline of content for each grade level for every class. In addition to resources created by the Office of Teaching and Learning, teachers and students have access to Web 2.0 tools that are available through the TSS. The blog, wiki, podcasting and e-portfolio tools that are included in each course give students opportunities to communicate and collaborate via the web in an environment that is secure. As with much of the TSS, however, these tools are able to be configured to allow students and staff to share these rich activities with those outside of the class. City Schools will utilize new and existing technologies to provide greater opportunities for online testing. Data Link can be used along with other online tests and testing preparation applications in labs and with mobile computing carts to provide opportunities for all students to engage with assessments online in order to build the skills necessary to ensure that the use of technology is not a barrier to success as Maryland s high stakes assessments begin to be administered online in The district has also begun a full implementation of several tools that ensure teachers are able to monitor and track student achievement in order to make effective decisions about classroom instruction. Data Link, a benchmark and assessment tool will provide teachers with the resources necessary to administer online assessments at both the classroom and district level. The application s inherent standards mapping tools will ensure that teachers are not only providing opportunities for students to gain comfort with the skills necessary to participate in online testing, but will ensure that teacher designed assessments and resources are directly aligned to adopted standards. The data analysis tools available within the application will provide teachers the ability to make instructional decisions that are based upon students progress toward successful mastery of standards based skills. 14

16 PowerTeacher Gradebook (PTG) is an online grade reporting tool that teachers can access 24/7 from any location with Internet connectivity. Teachers input grades and assignment activities, and can group and categorize these assignments as well as the students for ease of analysis. In addition, ITD is working to support the integration of curriculum standards into the PTG application in order to enable teachers to map classroom assignments and activities to standards in order to enhance instructional planning. ITD has been supporting the implementation of this tool and its integration with the Student Management System (SMS) and Parent Portal applications. ITD has also provided teachers with professional development in both faceto-face and online modes. In conjunction with providing teachers digital resources created by the district, City Schools is collaborating with various districts to provide teachers state-wide the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from a Learning Object Repository (LOR) that will contain instructional learning objects and assets that are tagged with metadata in order to make them easily searchable. The objects will be vetted to ensure quality and will be available via the web for easy and consistent accessibility. The customization of the Teacher Student Support System is a continual cycle that is based on district identified needs and priorities. To date, the implementation of the application and all of the associated tools and resources has been exceedingly successful. In addition, all stakeholders are aware that additional features and uses will be introduced to teachers during the upcoming school years. 15

17 Target Recommended Activity Responsible Parties Milestones Ensure schools are aware of online course opportunities for students. City Schools will also begin the development of Teaching and home grown online courses for students. Learning 1.1 Digital content will be available before, during and after school to support teaching and learning. 1.2 Digital content will be integrated into all instruction, as appropriate, to support teaching and learning. Provide every student with access to e-learning (virtual high school, online courses, e-communities, online instruction for credit recovery and accelerated and AP courses, online instructional resources). Provide every student, parent and teacher with online educational content and related resources available 24/7 via the Teacher Student Support (TSS) System. Provide course offerings for all students for the ability to choose computer science and technology completer programs that reflect the current needs of business and industry. Provide access for students and staff to distance learning technologies, web-based courses, and interactive video to access digital content. Assign IT Staff to serve as a liaison to The Office of Teaching and Learning in order to ensure the instructional and information technologies and resources are included in all curriculum guides. Create Technology Curriculum Specialist position to be responsible for creating technology resources and integrating them into the City Schools curriculum guides. Create electronic communities on TSS to examine the curriculum and then identify digital resources to support the integration of technology into the instructional program Teaching and Learning Teaching and Learning; Office of Family and Community Engagement Teaching and Learning; Office of Career and Technology Education ITD Teaching and Learning Office of the Chief Academic Officer; Human Capital Teaching and Learning ITD and the Office of Teaching and Learning will monitor enrollment in online courses. Create online courses using City Schools curriculum. House and deliver courses on the TSS. ITD and the Office of Teaching and Learning will monitor enrollments. Courses will be made available. Course enrollment and progress will be made available from the course provider so that student work and scores can be analyzed. ITD and the Office of Teaching and Learning will ensure that educational content is available and kept current for all grade levels and content areas. Parent resources will be available and current in order to ensure that parents have the resources necessary to support the instructional process. Courses will be made available. Course enrollment and progress will be made available from the course provider so that student work and scores can be analyzed. All resources will be published and made available in the TSS. An oversight committee will ensure the timeliness and appropriateness of these resources Liaison will attend Office of Teaching and Learning staff meetings and provide support for instructional programs and the integration of technology into the curriculum documents. The CAO s office will develop a job description and submit to Human Capital. Position will be posted and candidates interviewed and selected by the Office of Teaching and Learning personnel with the support of the ITD Liaison. ITD will collaborate with the Office of Teaching and Learning to form an oversight committee that will review the resources to ensure appropriateness. Maintain and update Master Courses for each grade level and content area. These courses will contain curriculum and related resources for each course and will then be copied into 16 Teaching and Learning Collaborate with Teaching and Learning to obtain the content for the courses. Monitor usage using system administration tools.

18 Target Recommended Activity Responsible Parties Milestones individual teacher courses to provide a baseline of content and 1.3 Students and staff will have expanded access to curricula and support related to Maryland standards through online courses, content, collaboration, and support. resources for every class. Information Literacy and technology literacy curriculum will be aligned with Common Core Standards and content area standards Customize and configure the Teacher Student Support System (TSS) to provide additional functionality and features to support instruction. Collaborate with the Office of the Chief Academic Officer to support an application that will provide an online assessment and planning tool. Office of Teaching and Learning Library Media Services Teaching and Learning Teaching and Learning Quarterly reports to Teaching and Learning Team Directors will be provided. ITD and the Office of the Chief Academic Officer will monitor progress. Curriculum guides and related resources housed in Content Collection. ITD and the Office of the Chief Academic Officer will monitor progress. Application customized and piloted in specific schools. Provide access to all curriculum areas by ensuring that all grade level and content areas publish, maintain, and update digital curricula within the TSS Master Course. Teaching and Learning ITD and the Office of the Chief Academic Officer will monitor progress. Curriculum guides published online using the TSS Content Collection 1.4 All students will have access to instructional resources that incorporate universal design. 1.5 Provide coordinated access to information and resources through collaboration with and linkages to other portal providers. Continue to select and evaluate digital library and classroom library resources. Provide multiple modes of content delivery in order to support the needs of diverse learners. Provide the appropriate support to maintain the integrity of the delivery system for the digital delivery of the Voluntary State Curriculum and the Common Core State Standards. Continue to implement a Library Resource Management System that includes a centralized data source for all information resources accessible by all District schools. Office of Teaching and Learning Library Media Services Teaching and Learning ITD; Network Support Team Library Media Services Teaching and Learning Team and the Curriculum Team. Evaluation and selection committees will be formed. All digital content and materials housed in school libraries will be evaluated for the appropriate use and placement. ITD and the Office of Special Education will monitor progress. Publication of the digital curriculum and related resources in the TSS Content Collection. Utilize system administration tools to monitor the TSS and its functionality as well as data about usage. Document system outages and problems as well as corrective actions. Document help desk support calls. Each school with a school librarian will have a page that parents and students can use. Continue to utilize the Student Management System (SMS), Maryland IEP, Encounter Tracker (ET), electronic Prevention Plan (EPP), and Compensatory Services (ecomp) applications to track data related to students with disabilities, Related Services providers, and student demographics and attendance Special Education; Related Services Database reports generated regularly to track compliance with Special Education mandates. Database reports generated regularly to track attendance and grade information. 17

19 Target Recommended Activity Responsible Parties Milestones Continue the implementation of the PowerTeacher Gradebook application in order to provide teachers with 24/7 access to grading tools and to provide parents with the ability to view student progress. Office of the Chief Academic Officer; Communications Support the Office of the Chief Academic Officer to ensure gradebook configurations are correct. Collaborate with the Office of Communications to ensure directions are provided to parents about access online student data. Monitor usage via 1.6 All students will demonstrate mastery of technology literacy by the end of eighth grade as specified in the: Maryland Student Technology Literacy Standards; Technology Education State Curriculum School Library Media State Curriculum. Common Core State Standards Continue the implementation of the student benchmark assessment tool in order to enable teachers to quickly access district-made benchmark assessments and to obtain near-real time results of these assessments. Implement a student assessment tool with dashboard views that will inform instruction, with data being aggregated from Data Link, the data warehouse, and the Oracle Business Enterprise Reporting (OBIEE) tools. Provide access to and information about the Maryland Student Technology Literacy Standards and Cybersecurity, Cybersafety and Cyberethics (C3) to all schools via systemic professional development and on the TSS. Provide support to teachers and administrators via the Technology Leaders program as they integrate and incorporate the Maryland Student Technology Literacy and C3Standards into planning, instruction, and assessment. Provide support to schools as they establish school-based technology integration goals and timelines via the Technology Leaders (Tech Leaders) program monthly professional development meetings. Office of the Chief Academic Officer; ITD; Research and Accountability Office Office of the Chief Academic Officer; ITD Office of Teaching and Learning Library Media Services; ITD Teacher Student Support System Office of Teaching and Learning Library Media Services; ITD Teacher Student Support System ITD Teacher Student Support System; Office of Teaching and Learning system administration tools. Support the Office of the Chief Academic Officer to provide support for the tool. Monitor usage via system administration tools. Support the Office of the Chief Academic Officer to identify systems needed for data analysis and to configure the user interface tools appropriately. Monitor usage via system administration tools. ITD will monitor access to the TL8 and C3 courses on TSS. Collaborate with the Office of Teaching and Learning to provide professional development for teachers on how to access and use the courses. Support the Office of Teaching and Learning to provide professional development for teachers on how to access and use the courses. Monitor and analyze requests for support. Provide information to schools via the monthly Technology Leaders meetings. Meet with Tech Leaders monthly to discuss needs and to provide support. Embed technology instructional resources and activities into regular curriculum guides. ITD Teacher Student Support System; Office of Teaching and Learning Curriculum guides and related resources housed in Content Collection and in Office of Teaching and Learning organization on TSS. 18

20 Rationale: The Digital Divide has been a topic of debate and Goal 2: conversation for several years. Initially, the disparity between Professional Development to populations that had ample access to technology and those with little Improve Staff s Knowledge and Skills to access were of great concern to many in the field of education. Integrate Technology Currently, however, the topic of this debate has changed. Given that into Instruction many districts have seen a boost in technology purchases, the initial Digital Divide has been decreased tremendously. Now, though, the divide lies between those that not only have access, but have a firm understanding of how to use the technologies effectively and appropriately and those that do not. In today's schools, the facilitator of the students' academic journey toward those goals is the classroom teacher, thus making strong, job-embedded, standards-based professional development a vital component of teacher development and tenure. Research indicates that teachers, not technology, are the key to unlocking student potential and fostering achievement. A teacher s training in, knowledge of, and attitude toward technology and related skills are central to effective technology integration. Technology is the tool whose master greatly shapes the outcome. In the hands of a poorly trained master, technology is ineffectual, a blunt instrument or worse. Studies found that the greater the professional development of the teacher, the more likely he or she is to use computers and the Web in the classroom and a constructivist (i.e., hands-on research, interaction, and student-directed learning) approach to instruction. On-going technology-related instructional support that is immediately accessible within the school is also an important component of on-going professional development. In support of the findings of current research, City Schools teachers will be provided ongoing, research-based, best practices professional development in the effective and meaningful use of technology to enhance learning. As important as teacher use and modeling of technology is, it is as important for school leaders to demonstrate a strong understanding of the use of technology for both instructional and administrative uses. Administrators will be provided ongoing professional development and support in the effective use of technology in instruction, technology resource management, and data and information management as it relates to the daily operations of the school. Key Efforts: City Schools recognizes the importance of continuously providing job-embedded professional development to not only instructional staff in the school and classroom setting, but to all employees. However, budget shortfalls have prevented the district from meeting the Maryland State Department of

21 Education s target of one instructional technology infusion specialist for every 100 instructional and administrative staff member. Instead, the district has launched several initiatives to ensure that all staff members have an awareness and understanding of student, teacher, and administrator technology standards. The district has addressed the need for high-quality, ongoing technology professional development by creating and offering numerous opportunities for ongoing learning via online and hybrid courses; webinar sessions via Bridgit; and online communities. The district also provides instructional technology professional development at the school level. The Technology Leader (Tech Leaders) program provides schools the opportunity to designate a staff member to attend monthly professional development activities on a variety of topics related to technology use at the school and classroom level. Principals designate a staff member who can be released from classroom duties once a month to attend technology workshops. The purpose of these workshops is to ensure that designated Technology Leaders have the skills and knowledge necessary to disseminate this information to teachers and staff effectively so as to enhance classroom instruction and personal productivity, thereby providing a positive impact on student achievement. ITD offers these Tech Leaders monthly scheduled technology training activities using a train-thetrainer approach. This enables Tech Leaders to collaborate and communicate with peers on a continuous basis. Additionally, ITD creates and posts all training documents and resources needed for Tech Leaders in the TSS. Tech Leaders utilize these resources as they provide professional development to staff at schools so that a consistent message about the use and integration of instructional and operational technologies is shared district-wide. As the teacher contract provides incentives for professional development, the Tech Leaders or other school staff can use this time to provide job-embedded and just-in-time professional development related to instructional technology as part of a continuous professional learning cycle. Included in these resources will be an agenda that can be customized for each school and unique situation, other applicable handouts, presentations, and online activities. These resources can be used to either provide the initial training or as a follow-up to a previous training, as determined by the individual school. Since technology changes rapidly, ITD continues to research new technologies and best practices that can be integrated into daily instruction. TSS will continue to work with the Tech Leaders to identify appropriate strategies for integrating these emerging technologies in a way that is safe and appropriate, as well as in ways that are aligned to good instructional practice. Topics of these meetings are broad and cover a large number of systemic initiatives. In addition, feedback is garnered from schools to identify topics of importance to include in the program. One vital topic is the Mariposa Program s Cyber Bullying and Internet Safety. This is an online course that was developed for teachers to use with students to help ensure an understanding of what is considered 20