Technology in the Boston Public Schools

Transcription

1 Technology in the Boston Public Schools Office of Instructional & Information Technology Type Date Here Melissa Dodd Type Presenter Name/Contact Here Chief Information Officer 1

2 BPS Technology Vision Why technology matters "Students who are college and career ready employ technology thoughtfully to enhance their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language use. They tailor their searches online to acquire useful information efficiently, and they integrate what they learn using technology with what they learn offline. They are familiar with the strengths and limitations of various technological tools and mediums and can select and use those best suited to their communication goals. - Common Core State Standards 2

3 BPS Technology Vision Why technology matters Technology enables educational innovation to prepare students for college & career success in the 21 st century. Providing access to customized technologies that empower students to engage in learning everywhere helps close access and achievement gaps. 3

4 Technology plays a key role in supporting the Acceleration Agenda Accelerate literacy and STEM skills Enable access to data to target student learning needs and assists with differentiation of instruction Enrich student experiences through the arts & digital media and extended learning & after-school programming Enhance communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking Students Teachers Technology Foundation for Learning Infrastructure Data 4

5 BPS Office of Instructional & Information Technology (OIIT) Mission: The mission of the Office of Instructional & Information Technology (OIIT) is to provide the technology foundation, vision, leadership, and support for the Boston Public Schools community in the use of technology as a tool to achieve its academic and operational goals to increase student performance and close the achievement gap. LINC IV: BPS Technology Plan OIIT s work is guided by the district s LINC IV Technology Plan. LINC IV is the district s strategic blueprint that maps how technology will support and accelerate academic achievement and graduation for. Building off of the achievements of LINC III, the plan leverages the laserlike focus of the three pillars for educational success Access, Information & Innovation to support the district s broader academic agenda and pathways to excellence to ensure that all students are college ready and success bound. 5

6 BPS Office of Instructional & Information Technology (OIIT) Vision: Over the next 24 months, OIIT envisions system-wide transformation that leverages technology to create student-centered spaces for engaging and personalized learning that is academically rigorous and aligned to the Common Core. With digital learning as a core component of our district s reform agenda, we will transform schools and equitably prepare BPS youth with access to the skills and knowledge needed for active global citizenship in the 21 st century. 6

7 OIIT overview SY12-13 Budget: $5.5 million (GSP) 64 Full-Time Employees: Locations: Court Street, Madison Park, Campbell Resource Center Unions represented: Guild, BASAS, BTU OIIT supports all technology in BPS schools and central offices. The major functional areas of work focus on: 1. Network & Infrastructure 6. School & User Support 2. Budget & Procurement 7. Library & Media Centers 3. Application Development 8. Program Management 4. Data & Information 9. TechBoston 5. Instructional & Assistive Technology 10. Telecommunications 7

8 Infographic: Technology in the BPS 8

9 Our technology efforts focus on four pillars Expand Equitable Access to Technology Strengthen & Integrate Systems to Accelerate Data-Driven Decision Making Empower 21 st Century Learning Engage Families & Community 9

10 Expand equity of access to technology Provide technology tools to support teaching and learning All classroom teachers have laptops for instructional use through Laptops for Learning (L4L) Teachers received orientation training with ongoing PD & support Upgrade school infrastructures to provide building-wide wireless Offer online professional development to support effective teaching Identify operational efficiencies to maximize limited resources Centralized technology purchasing in Spring 2012 saved over $330,000 Develop partnerships to expand access to technology & resources Focused on technology access, libraries, and student opportunities 10

11 Expand equity of access to technology Legend Red = Does Not Meet Foundation Yellow = Meets Foundation Green = Exceed Foundation Foundation = Computer/mobile lab less than 5 years old 58% Meet or Exceed Foundation 79% Meet or Exceed Foundation We have established a baseline foundation of technology tools for students by upgrading mobile laptop environments in 33 schools 11

12 Strengthen & integrate data systems to accelerate data-driven decision making BPS uses over 60 separate systems to collect and store data To make data available when and where it is needed, we must ensure that these systems are User-friendly Connected We are carrying out a multi-pronged strategy to meet these needs Upgrading core systems and retiring legacy systems Designing useful, thorough reporting & analytic tools Automating operational processes Bolstering application security to ensure student confidentiality Moving forward, we will create and implement centralized protocols for adopting systems 12

13 Strengthen & integrate data systems to accelerate data-driven decision making Student Information System (SIS) is a fully integrated system that lets schools collect & manage data while making data accessible to students and families Daily & period attendance etranscripts & online gradebook Scheduling Student & family portals Department, school, class, teacher web pages Data warehouse is a central repository for academic and operational data, allowing robust reporting & analysis for schools and the district Leading & lagging indicators Attendance reports & dashboards Assessment data: MCAS, DIBELS 13

14 Empower 21st century learning skills for students Supporting higher-order thinking by embedding technology in the curriculum In the last 2 years, over 1,000 teachers are infusing online content (e.g., blogs and wikis) to advance literacy, communication, problem-solving & collaboration Preparing students for digital citizenry Curriculum & resources on key elements of cyber safety made for kids, by kids BPS Cyber Safety Mentors have educated over 24,000 Boston youth since 2006 Strengthening information literacy through schoolbased library programs Meeting unique learning needs by differentiating instruction Includes use of assistive technologies to allow multiple means of representation, expression & engagement Examples: text-to-speech software, visual depiction software, online apps, ipads, audiobooks, e-books 14

15 Empower 21st century learning skills for students Promoting self-expression & creativity through Adobe Youth Voices 900 students learn multimedia software & develop digital media projects on real-world issues impacting youth May 31: Showcase, Burke High School Gaining real-world experience through the Tech Apprentice Program Annually, 100+ students participate in paid, technology-focused summer internships Supplements high school technology courses (which enroll 4,199 students each year) Learning STEM through Robotics 600 students across grades K-12 learn and use robotics principles through in-school and extended learning opportunities June 2: Robotics Olympics, Wentworth 15

16 Support struggling students with technology Online Credit Recovery Targets old and close students, age 18 or older, to support the goal of graduation for all Running in 18 schools, with 3 summer programs In : 441 students completed 1 or more online courses, 363 earned a diploma and graduated Critical role of case management services Positively impacts the district s graduation rate Failure is Not an Option Intervention strategy for 8 th and 9 th grade students with 2 quarter failures with a grade of in a content area Online digital curriculum & case management Piloted in 2 schools, now available in 12 16

17 Engage Families & Community with Technology Monitor student progress via SIS Portal Pre-register for schools online Learn technology skills in your child s school through Tech Goes Home Access city resources with One card: school ID, T pass, library & community center access Discover BPS schools Get the latest bus information on your phone 17

18 Technology Roadmap: Innovation on the horizon in the next three years Expand Equitable Access to Technology Continue to expand access for students through mobile devices & e-content Prepare for online PARCC assessments Strengthen & Integrate Systems Implement cloud-based & collaboration tools Create Personal Learning Environments Empower 21 st Century Learning Design digital literacy curriculum Implement blended & online models for extended learning opportunities & graduation requirement Unlock digital doors through social media Engage Families & Community Build out SIS portal as robust communication tool Redesign online school registration Promote district with coherent BPS web presence 18

19 Key Iniatives: Innovation on the horizon in the next three years to shift to digital learning (SY2012-SY2014) Expand Equitable Access to Technology Student Access to Technology (SATT) Digital content: textbooks, e-resources, BPS e-library Laptops for Learning & online PD School infrastructure upgrades Strengthen & Integrate Systems Student Information System (SIS) Cloud-based & collaboration suite Darwin & BPS Launchpad platform for data sharing Data analytics Empower 21 st Century Learning Digital literacy curriculum Tech courses: digital media, computer science, STEM Virtual school: Hub Online Blended & online learning Engage Families & Community SIS portal mobile app Online school registration School & district web presence Social media as a communication tool 19

20 Monitoring BPS and OIIT will adopt a proactive approach with regard to evaluating and monitoring the implementation of the LINC IV technology plan. Evaluation will help bring greater transparency to the district s technology initiatives and to the work of OIIT, while also helping the district to improve its processes, determine total cost of ownership, and measure its return on investment with regard to technology. LINC IV evaluation strategies serve both ongoing monitoring and summative assessment purposes. As a living document, ongoing monitoring of the LINC IV plan is essential to maintain its vitality and purpose as a strategic vision for technology in the Boston Public Schools. In addition to continuing existing evaluation strategies, OIIT will: Establish a Student Technology Council (STC) Establish a Principal Advisory Committee Establish forum for BPS educators to provide feedback and guide technology direction Conduct annual Principal Satisfaction Survey Conduct professional development feedback surveys Conduct customer experience surveys for OIIT technology support Strengthen Relationships with Boston School Committee Expand the Charter of the LINC IV Technology Advisory Committee 20

21 Evaluation Boston has long track-record of success with implementing coherent continuous improvement plans that incorporate transparent monitoring, measuring, and information-sharing. Evaluation tools leveraged by BPS include, but are not limited to: Total Cost of Ownership Evaluation To help identify total cost of ownership (TCO) with regard to existing and new technology initiatives, OIIT levearges the Consortium on School Networking (CoSN) s total cost of ownership formulas into our planning processes to help measure the cost and effectiveness of technology initiatives. CoSN and Gartner define TCO as a comprehensive set of methodologies, models, and tools to help organizations better measure and manage their IT investments (CoSN, 2003). TCO takes into consideration both direct and indirect costs associated with technology, including support, hardware, software, professional development, implementation costs, and program development and management. Project 24 Technology Readiness Survey Project 24 is an urgent call to action on the need for systemic planning around the effective use of technology and digital learning to achieve the goal of college and career readiness for all students. By June 2013, Boston will conduct the Project 24 Self-Assessment Survey as part of our digital learning strategy planning. We will use this as a guide and evaluation tool as we transition to a digital learning district over the next 24 months. 21

22 To Learn More: Melissa Dodd Chief Information Officer Boston Public Schools 22

23 Appendix: Recent recognitions Boston Public Schools recognized in T.H.E. Journal, a national K12 Educational Technology magazine, for technology innovation in large urban school districts (September 2011) Henderson Elementary highlighted in PBS News Hour for use of assistive technologies to support inclusion. (March 2012) amgradengaging_03-21.html Hurley K-8 and Boston Green Academy librarians received prestigious awards from Massachusetts School Library Association. (March 2012) BPS CIO profiled in COMPUTERWORLD, a national IT magazine (April 2012) /Melissa_P._Dodd Boston identified as leader in bullying prevention & cyber safety education TechBoston Academy recognized by President Obama for its innovative use of technology to engage students and achieve excellence Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School awarded Apple Distinguished school award twice only urban school to be recognized Tech Apprentice Program recognized as national model by NSF 23