School District of Grafton Information Technology Literacy Plan

Transcription

1 School District of Grafton Information Technology Literacy Plan July 1, 2008 July 1, 2011 Dr. Jeffrey Pechura Superintendent of Schools Board Approval Date: June 9,2008 Contact Person: Rick Seybold, Technology Coordinator

2 Executive Summary The School District of Grafton Information and Technology Plan was a collaborative effort of a variety of stakeholders in the Grafton Learning Community. The District is currently in a time of transition. The culture is changing to a data driven decision model in which every grade level and department has developed SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Results oriented Timebound) goals designed to improve student achievement. These goals were the driving force behind this plan. This plan is about building capacity across the District to integrate information and technology into the curriculum to help grade level teams and departments meet their SMART Goals. Hardware and software acquisition decisions support these goals. The plan calls for developing best practices such as higher order thinking skills, 21 st Century Thinking Skills ( and project based learning to prepare students for a changing workforce. To accomplish this, the District needs to move from isolated classroom planning to develop shared community of practices. The plan consists of four main action plans: Educator Proficiency, Effective Teaching & Learning, Access to Information & Technology, and Support Systems & Leadership. Actions support the following goals: Educator Proficiency Goal: The District will develop the capacity of the staff to integrate higher order thinking/21 st century skills into their teaching practices with a result of improved student achievement. Effective Teaching & Learning Goal: As a professional learning community, the District will develop processes for sharing best instructional practices with the end result to improve student achievement. Access to Information & Technology Resources Goal: The District needs to provide increased and equitable access to information technology resources to improve student achievement. Support Systems & Leadership Goal: The District will have the capacity and skills to use data in making informed decisions about instruction to improve student achievement. The District vision of improving student achievement is the center of this plan. Each action in the plan contributes to this vision by providing teachers, administrators, and students with the skills and resources needed to meet District initiatives. Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 1

3 All of the actions in support of District initiatives (SMART Goals, Curriculum Mapping, Professional Learning Communities, Building Leadership Teams, Standards Based Report Cards, NWEA MAP Testing) lead to the accomplishment of our plan objectives: By the end of the 2011 there will be continuous improvement in all areas of student achievement and in all other program areas and departments as evidenced by attainment of the annual SMART goals for the District (Appendix B). In order to meet these goals and objectives to maximize student achievement, the addition of a curriculum technology specialist would substantially improve the rate and quality of professional development and implementation of this plan. The committee recommends re evaluating staffing for information and technology each year to see if the addition of this position would be feasible. Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 2

4 Table of Contents Executive Summary... 1 District Mission:... 6 District Vision:... 6 Information Technology Vision:... 6 Information Technology Mission:... 6 Student Demographics:... 7 Research that Supports This Plan:... 7 Historical Implementation Timeline: Planning Process: Community Resources & Adult Literacy Providers: Needs Assessment/Current Status Analysis and Assessment of Progress Toward Previous Plans Goals: Analysis of Student Proficiency: Analysis of Educator Proficiency Analysis of Effective Teaching & Learning Practices Analysis of Access to Information & Technology Learning Tools Analysis of Support Systems & Leadership Goals & Objectives: Implementation Action Plans A. Educator Proficiency Action Plan B. Effective Teaching & Learning Practices Action Plan C. Access to Information Resources & Learning Tools Action Plan D. Support Systems & Leadership Action Plan Budget Summary E Rate Compliance Dissemination to Stakeholders Monitoring, Evaluation and Revision Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 3

5 Appendices Appendix A District Mission Appendix B District SMART Goals Appendix C Information Technology Literacy Planning Timeline Appendix D 2007 engauge Project Report Appendix E Information Technology Literacy Developed Plan October 2007 Appendix F Professional Development Survey Appendix G Acceptable Use Policy Appendix H Selection & Reconsideration of Media Center Materials Appendix I Interlibrary Loan Policy Appendix J Copyright Policy Appendix K Library Media Center Information Technology Curriculum Appendix L District Server Statistics Appendix M District Stand Alone Printers, Network Printers & Peripherals Appendix N Educational Software Inventory Appendix O Library Media Collection Analysis Appendix P Assistive Technology Policy Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 4

6 Introduction The School District of Grafton Information and Technology Plan was a collaborative effort of teachers, administrators, aides, support staff and community members. The effort was centered on large and small focus group discussions during the and school years. This was a similar process to prior year plans, but a new aspect of our current work has been the use of online discussions and document posting within the District Moodle server. The District SMART Goals also directed the future technology needs. Since the last technology plan was written in 2004, many changes have taken place at the District. Professional Learning Communities Transitioning from the 2003 Strategic Planning Process to a Professional Learning Communities model resulted in a new District Mission and Vision Curriculum Mapping Currently in a process of mapping all grades, all content areas in the District. SMART goals The District is the first year of implementing grade and department level SMART goals. Elementary Grading Practices Developing a standards based elementary report card and moving to a trimester system. Technology Improvements The 2000 referendum provided sufficient funding for the first half of the decade so that the hardware infrastructure is stable and able to expand. A consistent budget has been instituted during the past three years to maintain the current equipment and add additional labs, workstations and servers as needed. The current network consists of approximately 20 servers and over 900 workstations for the 2,400 end users. The IT Department added a part time administrative assistant during this time in order to fulfill the NCLB reporting requirements (WI WSLS system). A loss to the IT Department was the technology integrator being transitioned into a middle and high school business education teacher. The best course for future staffing needs to be determined. The network has tripled in size this decade but the IT Department has.5 less positions than seven years ago. Fortunately the network has been stable while adding new services or assignment of new job responsibilities every year. This is partially due to standardization of equipment, remote management, and increased end user proficiency. The latter reason may provide Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 5

7 an indication that future staffing may not be needed in "training, but how to improve in teaching and learning with technology. The IT Department will revisit the staffing issue annually during the course of this plan. The task to provide a stable, expandable network that supports teaching and learning of higher order thinking / 21 st century skills is a challenge, but not an impossibility within the realities of current school funding. The District has many strengths that can be leveraged to attain its goals. One of these strengths, and one that students of the District have benefited from, is the assignment of certified library media specialists in each building. These teachers have provided leadership in getting each of their staff and students to expand their information literacy skills. In addition to the specified Action Plans detailed, the hope is that this plan will also serve as a guide for how to utilize new or unanticipated technologies and provide rationale for funding priorities. District Mission: Our learning community exists to create experiences that maximize the individual growth of every student. (Appendix A) District Vision: Shared Commitment and a Standard of Excellence for Every Student Every Day. Information Technology Vision: The Grafton Learning Community is committed to providing progressive and sustainable technology systems and information resources in order to create learning experiences that maximize the growth of every individual. Learning will be comprehensive, in a manner that is both knowledge based and experiential. We will be information literate: able to locate, evaluate, and communicate information in all curricular areas. Information Technology Mission: The Grafton Learning Community will use our technology systems and resources to: Support the District s mission and vision in order to enhance the professional learning community through continuous improvement and best practice research. Improve student learning through District curricular initiatives, which support the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards and Information & Technology Literacy Standards. Ensure equal access to technology despite economic status, gender, race, or educational needs. Provide experiential learning opportunities to develop 21st Century Skills and use information effectively. Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 6

8 Integrate classroom learning and library media resources through collaboration and interdisciplinary learning. Support District facility improvements for efficiency, security, communication, and accessibility. Background The School District of Grafton is located in Grafton, Wisconsin. The community is over 100 years old. The early Grafton residents recognized the importance of education. In 1845, Grafton was one of three townships with schools in what was then the territory of Wisconsin. Today, Grafton (village and town) has a growing population of over 15,000 residents. Grafton boasts attractive, tree lined neighborhoods, a bustling commercial center, and a strong industrial base. Proximity to the Milwaukee metropolitan area provides many social and cultural opportunities while maintaining a small town feel. In addition to the Village of Grafton, the school District draws students from two surrounding townships and villages the Town of Grafton and the Town of Cedarburg as well as a small portion of the Village of Saukville. The District's educational facilities include one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools. Enrollment in the District is approximately 2,100 students, with 190 teachers and professional staff. Student Demographics: Number of Students % of students White % of students African American % of students Hispanic % of students Asian % of students Native American % of students receiving free and reduced lunch 2,078 94% 2% 2% 1% 0% 10% * school year statistics Research that Supports this Plan: The Grafton School District is in a time of transition. The District is moving to a datadriven culture in which data helps inform decisions about teaching and learning. This also impacts the use of information and technology in the District. The use of technology and information resources provides teachers with the opportunity to better meet the learning needs of individual students. Research suggests that students learn better when they are actively engaged in relevant, meaningful activities that bridge Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 7

9 the gap between conceptual and applied learning. Improving learning through technology requires not only technology, but the right combination of technology, teacher proficiencies, instructional design, and updated curriculum (NCREL, 2007, p. 20). Every grade level and department has created measurable SMART Goals. A copy is included in Appendix B. Using the Standards to map curriculum leads to higher academic achievement. Standards serve as rigorous goals for teaching and learning. Setting high standards enables students, parents, educators, and citizens to know what students should have learned at a given point in time. The absence of standards has consequences similar to lack of goals in any pursuit. Without clear goals, students may be unmotivated and confused. Contemporary society is placing immense academic demands on students. Clear statements about what students must know and be able to do are essential to ensure that our schools offer students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for success. Lesson planning should focus first on content and classroom strategies, then on ways in which technologies can enhance the lesson. Building lessons on a solid, research based foundation of effective strategies, adding appropriate technologies, and consistently applying those strategies should help ensure high quality instruction that has the potential of maximizing student achievement (Brabec, Fischer, & Pitler, 2004). In order to use information and technology effectively to support District SMART goals, new types of professional development are needed. Collaborative structures that aid teachers in creating communities of practice are needed. A community of practice is a group of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion. Their members inevitably share knowledge in free flowing, creative ways that foster new approaches to problems (Wenger & Snyder, 2000). Members of a community spend time together discussing and focusing on problems related to their work. Wenger & Snyder (2000) suggest that in the short term, this makes their work easier or more effective; in the long term, it helps build both their communities and their shared practices. What is true in other communities is true for teaching communities: the newcomer develops identity through meaningful activity in the community and gradually moves toward full participation (Bjorke, 2004). Teachers observe how other teachers make modifications, how those teachers manage time with students, and how teachers interact with the special education department. Teachers find that as they participate in communities that they informally create their knowledge and beliefs about the world influence and are influenced by that community and their beliefs and values (Jonassen, 2000). Teachers in a community influence each other's pedagogy, adoption of new strategies, and outlooks toward inclusion. A community adds value to the organization and to its members by solving problems quickly, transferring best practices, and developing professional skills. Members gain these benefits without much teaching, but instead as an incidental byproduct of productive activity, due to the strong motivational basis and richly supportive environment. Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 8

10 Creating communities of practice takes time and sustained interaction. It also takes development of teacher leaders. In a study conducted by Reil & Hank (2000), teacher leaders are more likely to: have made and continue to make higher investments in their own education promote knowledge construction rather than engage in direct instruction develop instructional practices, both with and without technology, that are theoretically tied to their constructivist philosophy use computer technology for teaching and learning integrate computer technology into their classrooms in ways that support meaningful thinking and involve collaborative project work and sharing of ideas with their peers Their position in the educational community mirrors students' positions in their classrooms. They use computers to help their students achieve the same level of respect and voice that these teachers have achieved within their professional educational community (Reil & Hank, 2000, p. 1). Communities of practice centered around information and technology don t just happen. Nardi & O Day (1999) talk about the need for mediators or people who build bridges across institutional boundaries and translate across disciplines. Common mediators in school districts include library media specialists and educational technology specialists. These people have expertise in making connections of how information and new technologies can be used in meaningful ways to support learning. Mary Ratzer, author of Student Achievement and School Libraries: Empirical Evidence from 15 State Studies , found that "quality school library programs correlate strongly with student achievement." The study showed that a library rich environment promoted student success. Reading scores improved up to 15% with access to and use of school libraries. Students also performed better on standardized tests and assessments. Important factors were professional school library media specialists who teach information problem solving skills and collaborate with classroom teachers, access to quality and varied information resources (print and electronic), and access to networked technology. However, for library media specialists and information technology consultants to be successful in their roles, they need unscheduled time to collaborate with staff. Also, their time focus has to be devoted to instruction and not to hardware support. Currently, the District does not have educational technology specialists to help staff with the infusion of technology into the curriculum. This position could be very helpful in helping grade level and department teams meet their SMART Goals. The plan calls for the District to re examine its staffing each year to see if a educational technology specialist position could be added. Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 9

11 References: Bjørke, S. Å. (2004). The concepts of Communities of Practice, Activity Theory and implications for Distributed Learning. Brabec, K., Fischer, K., & Pitler, H. (2004). Building better instruction: How technology supports nine research based strategies. Learning & Leading with Technology, 31. Jonassen, D. H. (2000). Computers as mindtools for schools: Engaging critical thinking. Upper Saddle River: Merrill. Nardi, B., & O'Day, V. (1999). Information Technologies: Using Technology with Heart. First Monday, 4(5). NCREL. (2007). engauge Online Results Recommendation. Ratzer, M. Student Achievement and School Libraries :Empirical Evidence from 15 State Studies Retrieved April 15, 2008, from achievement.html Reil, M., & Hank, B. (2000). The beliefs, practices, and computer use of teacher leaders: University of California, Irvine. Wenger, E. C., & Snyder, W. M. (2000). Communities of practice: the organizational frontier. Harvard Business Review, Jan Feb 2000, p Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 10

12 Historical Implementation Timeline: Prior to 1990, the District had Atari computers in assorted classrooms and a Radio Shack lab in the middle school and the high school for computer programming classes. The special education and high school art classrooms had Apple computers. In the 1980s, the District had two library media specialists and six library assistants. In the 1990s, the school board made the commitment to have a full time library media specialist in each school High School Library Media Center acquired IBM computer and stand alone with 4 CD ROMS to run WISCAT to begin retro conversion of collection in preparation for on line catalog Computer/printer in every K 5 classroom, including special education classrooms, with the ability to cluster/group computers by subject area/grade level Networked (LAN) and addition of computer/printer in every 6 8 classroom with the ability to cluster/group computers by subject area/grade level Full networked (LAN) Business Education Lab Computer Science Lab with printers in the high school InfoTrac (a computerized periodical full text service on CD ROM), Compton s Multimedia Encyclopedia on CD ROM and WISCAT available for use in the high school library media center Computers in some departments in the high school Computer lab in high school library media center Networked (LAN) technology lab in the middle school Networked (LAN) computer lab in the high school media center Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 11

13 Networked computer lab in middle school media center Networked (LAN) Tech Ed Lab in high school New servers, elementary computer labs Computer lab in each elementary media center Upgraded computers/business Education Lab in high school On line catalog in high school media center New server in the high school Modem access in high school science department and media center Additional hardware upgrades in all buildings Computers in elementary labs to accommodate all students in a class Upgrade server/cabling in middle school media center Upgrade computers in high school media center CD ROM server in high school media center Additional hardware upgrades in all buildings Referendum passed; some funds used for technology Upgraded computers in middle school technology lab Upgraded computer in high school publications lab New server in the middle school Modem access in elementary and middle school media centers Additional hardware upgrades in all buildings Adapted position description and named District library media director Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 12

14 Completed WAN voice, data and video infrastructure Upgraded Business Education Lab in high school Electronics added to WAN to connect all labs and business administration Additional hardware upgrades in all buildings Upgraded computers in high school library Automated middle school library catalogs New servers for high school and Kennedy Elementary Additional hardware upgrades in all buildings Purchase of licensed software to standardize District software productivity tools Referendum passed; some funds used for technology Additional computers in middle school computer lab Automation of elementary school libraries started Upgraded computers in high school library Additional hardware upgrades in all buildings Network color laser printers in elementary library labs All libraries automated with Follett New e mail/web server (transferred services from old server) Additional computers in high school library to accommodate full classes Additional computers in high school CAD lab Additional hardware upgrades in all buildings Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 13

15 New labs in all three elementary schools New CAD/visual arts labs at high school Financial records database upgraded New library lab added to the middle school New tech ed/face module labs curriculum and equipment purchased All new file servers Some new shelving, carpeting, furniture, and equipment added to the libraries as part of the referendum Second middle school lab created High school student records New high school lab (second floor lab) Awarded Ed Tech Grant New middle/high school student management system Upgraded and expanded high school library lab Elementary and middle school music MIDI labs added Library Media Specialists and District Integration Specialist meet monthly to discuss curriculum integration topics Elementary student records system Added new lab for the English department High school MIDI computer keyboard lab Family access/automated food service at the elementary family log in Recent approval of District technology curriculum Special ed records electronically available to complete integrated IEPs and student base District Information Technology Literacy Curriculum updated and approved by the School Board Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 14

16 Media carts for each building Building laptops purchased Replaced high school file server Began writing district wide common assessments to target technology curriculum benchmarks Library Media Specialists meet monthly to work on common goals Second middle school lab New Gradebook software E mail archive server IT Help Desk software New elementary keyboard software Additional webservers Zenworks computer management software Continue writing information and technology literacy common assessments Introduced elementary collaborative lessons: Power Point, scanners, digital cameras, author studies, 4th grade simple visual project, and 5th grade state project Develop record location to track technology proficiency assessments Library Media Specialists continue to meet monthly to work collaboratively Online grade book at high school and middle school open to parents and students New Curriculum Mapping software for teachers Replaced BusEd (MultiMedia) and CAD lab 2 Smartboards installed Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 15

17 Kindergarten mini labs Replaced e mail server Added second high school student server Wrote and implemented new fourth grade Microsoft Word lessons and common assessments Begin curriculum mapping project with Information and Technology Literacy units Created Excel spreadsheet to track 8th grade DPI Technology Literacy Requirements and recorded data from common assessments Added additional scanners to each elementary school Moodle implementation began Replaced Internet proxy server Added second high school staff server Mounted projectors in high school first floor classrooms Elementary Labs replaced Third middle school lab added for keyboarding and applications courses Replaced high school Library Lab Third grade classroom computers Increased elementary lab size to 30 and high school to 38 to accommodate larger class sizes and more teacher technology integrated lessons Increase monthly collaboration time of library media specialists to include K 12 vertical work and K 5 lesson and assessment work Wireless hand scanner added at elementary level to equalize scanning capabilities among schools In conjunction with the Parent Teacher Groups, brought in Caldecott Award winning author Eric Rohmann at all three elementary schools Planning Process: During the Spring of 2007, the District administered the engauge online survey to acquire needs assessment data for the plan. A copy of 2003 to 2007 project comparisons is included in Appendix D. Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 16

18 The following stakeholder groups participated in the online survey: District Technology Coordinators (3) District Administrators (1) Board Members (2) Building Administrators (2) Parents (71) Educators (57) Students (178) The staff was surveyed on their professional development needs within the Goal #1 Skills Assessment. Results are found in Appendix F. In June 2007, the District held a focus group of fifteen teachers to determine their needs and issues that need to be addressed in the new plan. In October, the Technology Workgroup met and discussed future needs of the District. During that month a Developed Technology Plan was created (Appendix E). Each grade level and team in the District has reviewed student achievement data and created SMART goals that they are working toward. These goals were also used in the planning process. A copy of the District SMART Goals is included in Appendix B. During the school year, the District created a planning committee made up of a cross section of stakeholders. The committee reviewed research and created the action plans. The committee also shared resources and discussed the plan asynchronously using Moodle. The following members made up the planning committee: Name: Position: Kristin Dillahunt* Elementary Music Teacher Aaron Hilts Assistant High School Principal Andrew Hudson 8 th Grade Science Teacher Jennifer Jakubowski Elementary Music Teacher Margaret Kuhn Elementary Library Media Specialist Scott Lazovik 2nd Grade Teacher Donna Marshall Special Education Aide Lori Mathias Middle and High School Business Education Teacher Nikki Mathews 7th Grade Science Teacher Scott Oftedahl Elementary Principal Dawn Repetti Director of Curriculum and Instruction Rick Seybold* District Technology Coordinator Peggy Siemers High School Library Media Specialist Lynn Slowiak Middle School Library Media Specialist Melissa Staude High School Science Teacher Linda Steffens Elementary Library Media Specialist Valerie Stuckens Elementary Library Media Specialist Erin Sumner High School Math Teacher Cindy Zozak 3 rd Grade Teacher *Community Members & Parents Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 17

19 Community Resources & Adult Literacy Providers: Community members were involved in the planning process for both the District Strategic Plan and the Information Technology Plan. There is continual and informal communication with community members. In addition, adult literacy classes are provided for the community. Pamphlets on offerings are distributed at the senior center, local newspapers, District web site, and District office. The District also works with the local library in coordinating training events for the community. Technology members serve on community organizations and work informally with the Village Police Chief on different technology and security issues. Local businesses are connected with the schools in a variety of ways. Teachers bring in representatives from local businesses and take field trips to local businesses. One elementary school has developed a formal program where every class is required to have a local community business partner. The elementary library programs had Caldecott winning author/illustrator Eric Rohmann visit each school in November 2007 to help celebrate National Children s Book Week. Thanks to the generous funding of our parent groups, Eric Rohmann spent a half day at each school, presenting separate programs to EC 2 students and grades 3 5 students. The high school automotive technology department has extensive community connections such as local community collaboration through AYES Automotive Youth Educational Systems. Interns are placed at automotive job sites throughout Ozaukee, Milwaukee and Washington counties in numerous automotive dealerships. The department routinely exchanges on technical assistance as well as technologies like software and computer interface equipment like vehicle scanners. ADAMM (Auto Dealers Association of Mega Milwaukee) and the WATDA (Wisconsin Auto & Truck Dealers Association) link the automotive department throughout the region and the state. The local NAPA and CarQuest stores both allow the department professional access to their inventory and on line ordering in the classroom. We use a variety of web sites from corporations for training also: Hunter Engineering, Snap on Industrial, and about 6 major automobile manufacturers allow us professional access to their electronic service information on the web through the AYES initiative. Our local dealers access us through the GHS auto web page. The District has competency checklists, business & education advisory council meeting minutes, as well as calendars of what the interns are doing in school while they are on the job at the dealers. Other community connections include: In spring of 2008, the high school technology engineering classes worked with local manufacturer Ram Tool to build and compete in state battlebot tournaments. Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 18

20 The high school web publishing class created a new website for the village library. ( ) The site design was given to the library and initial editing help was provided by the District. Each elementary library media specialist teacher completes a lesson at the end of 4 th and 5 th grade on how to connect to the local village library and check out materials online. An Internet safety program sponsored by Ozaukee Family Services visits each of the elementary schools and presents to different grade levels. Needs Assessment/Current Status Analysis and Assessment of Progress Toward Previous Information Technology Literacy Goals: Overview: The Technology Plan contained the following five goal objectives. Objective 1: By December 2007, 100% of staff will have shown growth on a locally developed assessment which measures both general and content specific technology skills. Objective 2: By December 2007, all of the indicators in the engauge condition Effective Teaching & Learning Practices will be in the Exploration Level. Objective 3: By December 2007, the mean score of the engauge condition Access will increase. Objective 4: By December 2007, the mean score of the indicator Community Connections will increase. Objective 5: By December 2007, the mean score of the condition Systems & Leadership will continue to improve These five objective goals fit into four areas of practice. 1) Educator Proficiency 2) Effective Teaching and Learning Practices 3) Access to Information and Learning Tools 4) Systems Support and Leadership. Grafton Information & Technology Literacy Plan 19