Office of Knowledge, Information & Data Services (KIDS)

Transcription

1 Office of Knowledge, Information & Data Services (KIDS) 2011 District Technology Readiness Survey Highlights Version January 31, 2011

2 Technology Readiness Survey Executive Summary Dwindling education budgets and increased pressure to advance student achievement are forcing many school districts to look for innovative ways to cut costs and improve the daily educational experience for students and teachers. The Technology Readiness Survey (TRS) reveals multiple opportunities for schools and districts to use modern technologies to save money as well as enrich and expand next-generation teaching and learning. Access to modern instructional devices Student, teacher and administrator access to modern technology is a critical component for supporting nextgeneration learners, next-generation professionals and next-generation schools and districts. Currently, there are 2.68 students for every one instructional device in Kentucky schools; the goal is one-toone. Teachers enjoy a 0.85 to 1 ratio. While the numbers would seem to indicate students and teachers have good access to instructional devices, challenges still exist. The majority of district-owned instructional devices are found in large-scale lab environments particularly at the secondary (middle school, high school and alternative school) level. This creates difficulties in scheduling access, wastes valuable instructional time when students move to and from computer labs and severely limits the authentic use of technology in daily instruction. Data from the most recent TRS indicate that an average of 83 percent of student instructional devices meet or exceed the minimum standard (5-years old or newer) -- up from 53 percent in This is primarily due to the infusion of $50 million by the Kentucky Legislature for the Instructional Device Upgrade (IDU) initiative in However, with the rapid change in technology, it is projected that, before long, devices purchased through the IDU will become obsolete. Starting in the school year, many district-owned instructional devices will begin to age to the point that they will no longer be able to access and run modern instructional programs and other technology tools. In subsequent years, we will likely see the percentage of districtowned devices meeting the standard decline -- with a sharp decrease predicted in the school year. Desktop virtualization Desktop computers have continued to become more powerful and adept at multitasking. Often, the full value of these machines is not realized when a single student sits in front of a computer in a lab working on basic educational tasks such as document creation, Internet research or other functions. Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 2

3 In the past two years, the TRS shows a rather small and slow adoption of a technology known as desktop virtualization, which is often accomplished by connecting multiple monitors and keyboards and mice to one computer via specialized adaptors or virtualization cards 1. Four to six students are then able to concurrently tap into the processing power of a single computer. Since desktop virtualization means only a handful of actual computers are needed in a lab, costs are reduced, allowing more funds to be used for computer access within the traditional classroom through mobile wireless carts or one-toone computing initiatives where students carry an instructional device with them at all times. Desktop Virtualization Next-generation mobile devices According to a recent article, New Technology Could Offer Savings, Educational Boon (Education Week, January 13, 2011) 2, the use of mobile devices, especially through leveraging the widespread ownership of smart phones and other hand-held devices, can assist with achieving the goal of one-to-one computing access without large financial investments in traditional desktops or laptops. Kentucky schools report students and staff are bringing a large number -- almost 54,000 of personallyowned mobile devices to school each day, including slates such as ipads; e-readers like Kindles; hand-held wireless devices including ipod Touch and MP3 players; and smart phones such as iphone, Droid and Windows Mobile. For the most part, students and staff are required to power down these devices during the school day. However, these devices could be used for a variety of instructional purposes -- to access resources such as e-textbooks on a Kindle, conduct formative assessments using hand-held wireless devices as individual responders or for access to cloud computing resources. It is essential that districts support access to modern technology by permitting students and staff to use these personally-owned devices for instructional purposes during the school day. High-speed Internet connections and cloud computing 1 N-Computing: 2 New Technology Could Offer Savings, Educational Boon (Education Week, January 13, 2011) Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 3

4 Where once the available technology only supported school-based services such as , curriculum, assessment programs and more, the availability of Web-based instructional resources is exploding thanks to high-speed Internet connections and cloud-based computing. Having applications such as websites, blogs, curriculum resources, online assessment packages, etc. hosted at a location other than the local school (e.g. somewhere on the internet ) can bring additional learning opportunities to our schools. Since 2007, the Kentucky Education Network (KEN) has provided school districts a high-speed data connection to the Internet. In order to take full advantage of KEN, many districts have installed high-speed fiber-type connections to all of their schools. Currently, more than 90 percent of all Kentucky public schools are connected by fiber. These high-speed connections allow districts to use cloud computing services such as (Live@edu), video conferencing (Skype) and collaboration tools (social networking services and soon Office 365). So, school districts should no longer consider only services and applications that must be installed, maintained and supported locally. Rather, they should be looking to technology service providers who can take responsibility for providing instructional opportunities through cloud-based computing. Districts can use the cloud for more than traditional services such as hosting websites, file storage and other activities and also should look to cloud computing for e-curriculum opportunities. Teachers and students can pursue everything from online coursework, to formative and summative assessment, to the use of collaboration tools in a cloud-based environment. Always-on, anywhere, anytime learning opportunities Education need not be limited to what occurs at school during traditional 50-minute class periods. The use of mobile computing devices, high-speed Internet connections and cloud computing opens the door for alwayson, anywhere, anytime learning opportunities for students. Approximately two-thirds of Kentucky students now have high-speed Internet access at home which allows for continued learning opportunities outside of the normal school day. Live@edu and future Office 365 offerings provide access to productivity tools such as word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. This can reduce the overall costs associated with productivity tools, such as license fees, as well as make them available to all students and staff within the school district from any location at any time of the day or night. The use of e-curriculum can provide engaging and interactive learning and assessment experiences in a classroom or elsewhere. Initiatives are currently underway that would use e-curriculum to take education beyond the traditional school day, particularly during inclement weather that impacts rural areas of Kentucky. To continue to sustain these learning opportunities requires continued funding of the Kentucky Education Network and financial support for establishing high-speed Internet connections in the remaining 10 percent of Kentucky public schools. Also, continuing to expand access to high-speed Internet within communities that currently do not have such access is equally important. The Broadband Initiatives Program 3 will help by investing $330 million into broadband infrastructure within Kentucky communities. 3 Broadband Initiatives Program Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 4

5 While the majority of students have high-speed Internet access at home, approximately 200,000 K-12 students do not. Educators must continue to lobby for and support efforts to provide high-speed access throughout the state so that students and teachers can take advantage of authentic and engaging learning opportunities anywhere and anytime through cloud computing services. Web 2.0 Tools Currently, fewer than 50 percent of Kentucky school districts encourage or support student use of Web 2.0 tools such as Skype and Facebook, even though many students and teachers use these tools outside the classroom on a regular basis. Using Web 2.0 tools for authentic learning and collaboration is essential to improving student engagement, preparing students with 21st-century skills and achieving college and career readiness for all Kentucky students. Conclusion Without a doubt, technology plays an important role in providing equal and improved learning opportunities for all students in the Commonwealth. Schools and districts must take advantage of current and future technologies to save money and support next-generation education in Kentucky. Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 5

6 Highlights/Key Points of 2011 District Technology Readiness Survey The Kentucky Technology Readiness Survey provides a snapshot of technology infrastructures throughout Kentucky schools and districts. Data for the survey is gathered from districts in December of each year. All data collected in December 2010 for the current District Technology Readiness Survey is available for download from the Technology Readiness Survey Web site. This report and supporting data can be located and downloaded at: / The following summary highlights some of the technology trends in Kentucky as reflected in the latest survey: The infusion of $50M in funding from the General Assembly for the Instructional Device Upgrade Project during FY06 and FY07 resulted in an ongoing increase to the number of devices which meet or exceed minimum standards to the point that 83% of student devices currently qualify. However, without continued funding methods being available for refreshing student instructional devices districts will begin to see this number decrease at first slowly in calendar year 2012 and then rapidly decreasing through Refer to Section 2, Total Number of Instructional Devices for data. Kentucky schools report a total of 218,982 student instructional devices -- desktops, laptops and tablets, a 2 percent increase from last year. Elementary schools added 6,200 student instructional devices in 2010, a 7 percent increase, bringing the total number of instructional devices in elementary schools to 100,335. Secondary schools removed 2,700 student instructional devices in Refer to Section 2, Total Number of Instructional Devices for data. Almost one-third of instructional devices are mobile, which is defined as laptops or tablets. While this is a modest percentage of all devices, the number of mobile devices has increased significantly over the past several years (approximately 18% in 2007; 23% in 2008; 25% in 2009, 31% in 2010). This tends to reflect the growing recognition of ease of access as a key component of always on, anywhere and anytime learning. Refer to Section 2, Total Number of Instructional Devices that are Laptops/Tablets for data. More students have computers (78 percent) and Internet access (72 percent) at home. These percentages are up 3 percent from Of those students who have Internet access at home, approximately 77 percent have broadband (high-speed) access such as cable modem or DSL (usually provided by the local telephone company). Refer to Section 1, Home Access for Students for data. Approximately 47 percent of districts allow students to bring personally owned instructional devices --laptops, tablets, mobile devices to school. Almost 70 percent of districts allow teachers and 72 percent allow administrators to bring personally owned instructional devices to school. This presents unique policy challenges at the local level in order to allow for expanded access to these devices for instructional and work purposes. Refer to Section 4, Personally Owned Computing Devices for data. More schools are expanding computing access through desktop virtualization. Nearly 3,500 hardware-based desktop virtualized cards (N-Computing, Fiddlehead, MiniFrame devices) have been deployed in Kentucky schools, an 11 percent increase from last year. These cards allow multiple keyboards/monitors to share a single computer, allowing multiple students to use one computer at the same time. Schools can maximize investments in current desktop devices through virtualization with longer refresh cycles and a reduction of both operating and support costs. (There are 2,351 desktop virtualization cards in elementary schools; 1,182 in secondary schools, which include middle schools, high schools and alternative schools). Refer to Section 1, Desktop Virtualization for data. Most districts have been slow to adopt the latest versions of the Microsoft productivity suite (Office 2010) and the latest desktop operating system (Windows 7). Only 10 percent of all instructional devices running Microsoft Office utilize the latest version (Office 2010). Only 10.5 percent of all instructional devices using a Windows operating system run Windows 7. Refer to Section 3, Instructional Device Software for data. Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 6

7 Districts are taking advantage of video based communications. Over half of all districts use desktop-based communications like WebEx, Elluminate and others while 78 percent of districts use web-based options such as ichat and Skype. Refer to Section 9, Video Conferencing/Web 2.0 Collaboration/On-line Assessment for data. The majority of districts (80 percent) have implemented technology skills for students as defined in the Program of Studies; 69 percent of districts assess students technology skills. Refer to Section 5, Student, Instruction and Leadership Technology Skills for data. 81 percent of districts have defined and implemented technology skills and knowledge assessments as part of the district evaluation plan for teachers. Refer to Section 5, Student, Instruction and Leadership Technology Skills for data. Districts have adopted the nine elements of Digital Citizenship in varying degrees either through curriculum or an Acceptable Use Policy for students and staff. The most widely embraced element is Digital Access, adopted by 91 percent of districts. Refer to Section 5, Digital Citizenship for data. Thanks to investment by districts and KDE, the number of schools connected by fiber (large Internet highways) to the Internet has increased from 67 percent in 2006 to 91 percent in The increase enables schools to use more diverse Internet-based instructional and assessment opportunities for students. Refer to Section 6, Network Connectivity for data. It is estimated that, during the next two years, districts will replace approximately 38 percent of the telephone systems within school buildings. Of these schools, 81.5 percent, will choose to transition to VOIP (Voice Over IP) with their phone upgrade. This allows school districts to leverage their investment in fiber technology to reduce recurring costs. Refer to Section 7, Ease of Access to Telephonic Services for data. Since 2007, access to LCD projectors or other large-area viewing devices (i.e., plasma or LCD large-screen televisions) has increased to the point where 95.5 percent of all classrooms are able to display video or other electronic documents. Students no longer must use desktop monitors or small televisions for viewing instructional materials. School districts are investing in Intelligent/Smart Classroom technologies to further the educational experiences of students. Refer to Section 8, Intelligent Classrooms for data. Over 60 percent of all schools and districts encourage teachers and district staff to use Web 2.0 tools (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), yet only 43 percent of districts have a board of education policy addressing the issue. Only 11 percent of districts strictly prohibit the use of Web 2.0 by teachers and district staff. Refer to Section 9, Video Conferencing/Web 2.0 Collaboration/On-line Assessment for data. Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 7

8 Section 1: Student Instructional Devices/Home Access Student Instructional Device Numbers 218,982 total student instructional devices (desktops, laptops and tablets) in Kentucky s public schools. 1.9% increase since last year. Largest increase is among elementary schools 7.3% increase (approximately 6,842 devices added last year for a total of 100,335 instructional devices in elementary schools). There was a decrease among Secondary schools (Middle, HS, Alternative) of -2% for a total of 118,647 instructional devices in secondary schools. The student-to-workstation ratio improved to 2.68:1 (from 2.73:1 last year). In other words for every 2:68 students there is one Internet-connected instructional device (desktop, laptop, or tablet). Student Instructional Device Locations 61% are in elementary school classrooms (3% increase from 2009). 23% are in secondary school classrooms (2% percent decrease from 2009). 4,305 more instructional devices are located in classrooms compared to o 2009: 84,370 o 2010: 88,675 The percentage of devices that stay with students at the secondary level increased from 6% in 2009 to 7% in Home Access for Students 78% of students have computers at home. 66% of students have computers that are less than five years old. 72% of students have Internet access at home (11% dial up, 29% cable modem, 48% DSL, 5% satellite dish, 7% other). Home Access for Teachers 94% of teachers have computers at home. 73% of teachers have computers that are less than five years old. 100% of teachers have Internet access at home (6% dial-up, 31% cable modem, 54% DSL, 4% satellite dish, 5% other). Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 8

9 Section 2: Age, Mobility and Availability of School District Instructional Devices How modern are the instructional devices based on an online testing standard determined by the Kentucky Department of Education? *Minimum Standard for PC Platform: Desktop GHz, Laptop Celeron M 1.5 GHz: **Minimum Standard for Macintosh Platform: Desktop 1.66GHz, Laptop 1.33 GHz 249,503 out of 295,882 total workstation devices meet or exceed the minimum standards (10% increase from 2009). Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 9

10 What percentage of the instructional devices are laptops? 18% of all student instructional devices are laptops (up from 14% in 2009). 21% of all teacher instructional devices are laptops (up from 17% in 2009). What percentage of the instructional devices are Tablets? Less than 1% of all student instructional devices are tablets (no change from 2009). 12% of all teacher instructional devices are tablets (down from 13% in 2009). Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 10

11 Section 3: Instructional Device Software Operating Systems Microsoft (Windows 7, Vista, Pre-Windows XP [DOS, WIN 3.1, 95, ]): 91.7%. Mac (OS X, OS 9): 8.2%. Other (neither Windows or Mac e.g. Linux): 0.1%. Microsoft Windows OS 10% of all workstations have Windows 7. 3% of all workstations have Vista. 78% of all workstations have Windows XP. 1% of all workstations have Pre-Windows XP. Instructional Device Upgrade 25.5% of all instructional devices are planned for an upgrade to Windows 7 in the next 12 months. Student Microsoft Workstations 10.5% of all workstations have Windows 7. 3% of all workstations have Vista. 85.5% of all workstations have Windows XP. 1% of all workstations have Pre-Windows XP. Teacher Microsoft Workstations 12.5% of all workstations have Windows 7. 4% of all workstations have Vista. 83% of all workstations have Windows XP..5% of all workstations have Pre-Windows XP. Administrator Microsoft Workstations 14% of all workstations have Windows 7. 5% of all workstations have Vista. 80% of all workstations have Windows XP. 1% of all workstations have Pre-Windows XP. Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 11

12 Apple Workstations: 8% of all workstations throughout the state are Apple (approximately 24,275 total instructional devices in 2010, compared to 21,486 in 2009). Apple OS X 98% of all Apple OS devices are OS X. 98% of the Apple OS student workstations have OS X. 99.5% of the Apple OS teacher workstations have OS X. 96% of Apple OS administrator workstations have OS X. Apple OS 9 2% of all Apple OS devices are OS 9. 2% of the Apple OS student workstations have OS 9..5% of the Apple OS teacher workstations have OS 9. 4% of Apple OS administrator workstations have OS 9. Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 12

13 Productivity Software 90% of all instructional devices have Microsoft Office (Office 2010, Office 2007 or Office 2003 [or earlier]). o 10% of all instructional devices running Microsoft Office utilize Office o 47% of all instructional devices running Microsoft Office utilize Office o 43% of all instructional devices running Microsoft Office utilize Office 2003 or earlier. 5% of all instructional devices have Office for Mac (Office 2008, Office 2004 or earlier). 5% of all instructional devices have Open Office or other. Microsoft Office Application (Student) 9% of student instructional devices have Office % of student instructional devices have Office % of student instructional devices have Office 2003 or earlier. Microsoft Office Application (Teacher) 11% of teacher instructional devices have Office % of teacher instructional devices have Office % of teacher instructional devices have Office 2003 or earlier. Microsoft Office Application (Administrator) 11% of administrator instructional devices have Office % of administrator instructional devices have Office % of administrator instructional devices have Office 2003 or earlier. Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 13

14 Web-Based Productivity Tools 61% of districts utilize Web-based productivity tools (i.e. Office Online, Google Docs). 39% report no usage. 40% report minimum usage (1% - 5%). 18% report partial usage (6% - 50%). 3% report significant usage (>50%). Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 14

15 Section 4: Other Computing Devices Handheld Computer Systems (district-owned devices only) 1,728 smartphones (Windows Mobile, iphone, Droid, Blackberry, etc. which provide wireless , texting, internet access and other on-online services) in use, an increase of 197 devices from ,232 Slates (ipad, etc), 404 E-Readers (Kindle, etc.) and 5,979 handheld wireless devices are district owned. Personally Owned Devices Permitted by districts to be brought to school: 47% of districts allow students (increase of 9% from 2009). 70% of districts allow teachers (increase of 12% from 2009). 72% of districts allow administrators (increase of 12% from 2009). Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 15

16 Section 5: Technology Leadership Personnel Schools with a School Technology Coordinator (STC) 1,005 schools have an STC (down from 1,017 last year). $563 is the average stipend (up from $440 last year). Schools with a School Technology Leadership Program (STLP) 872 schools have an active Student Technology Leadership Program. Average STLP leader stipend is $305 (up from $285 since last year). Technology Skills 80% of districts have implemented the technology skills for students as defined in the Program of Studies (up 10% from last year). 69% of districts evaluate student technology skills (up 20% from last year). 80% of districts have defined and implemented technology skills and knowledge assessments as part of the district evaluation plan for teachers. Digital Citizenship The data below indicate the percentage of districts that have adopted the nine elements of Digital Citizenship as part of a technology culture through either curriculum or an Acceptable Use Policy for students and staff. Digital Access 91%, increase of 5% from 2009 Digital Commerce 53.5%, increase of 16% from 2009 Digital Communication 87%, increase of 1% from 2009 Digital Literacy/Education 81%, increase of 13% from 2009 Digital Etiquette 86%, increase of 6% from 2009 Digital Law 69%, increase of 9% from 2009 Digital Rights and Responsibilities 90%, increase of 37% from 2009 Digital Health and Wellness/Safety 65%, decrease of 23% from 2009 Digital Security/Self Protection 85%, increase of 7% from 2009 Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 16

17 Section 6: Network Connectivity 91% of schools are connected by fiber, down from 92% last year and 85% two years ago. 2% of schools are connected by wireless, up from.4% last year Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 17

18 Section 7: Ease of Access to Telephonic Services Ease of Access -- Telephonic Services 19% of schools have implemented a voice-over-internet phone system. Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 18

19 Section 8: Intelligent Classrooms In 2010, 38,684 projection devices were in use, up from 31,278 last year (approximately 91% of classrooms have access to permanently mounted or mobile projectors). The use of plasma/lcd wall-mounted TVs has increased to 2,048, 42 more than in % of classrooms have access to at least one of the following: interactive white boards, wireless slates, document cameras. Approximately 35.5% of classrooms have access to Individual Responder Systems (clicker type devices). Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 19

20 Section 9: Video Conferencing/Web 2.0 Collaboration/Online Assessment Video Conferencing 208 classroom-type systems (i.e., Tandberg, Polycom) are owned statewide by districts. Video-Based Communications Usage by Districts 61% utilize desktop-based products (WebEx, Adobe Connect, Elluminate, Tandberg MOVI), increase of 15% from % utilize Web-based products (ichat, SKYPE), increase of 22% from % utilize one-way video broadcast methods (webcast, podcast) increase of 12% from Web 2.0 Tools 43% of districts have a board of education policy on the use of Web 2.0 tools, increase of 22.5% from Web 2.0 Usage by Teachers and District Staff 11% strictly prohibit usage by teachers and district staff, decrease of 4% from % encourage/support usage by teachers and district staff, increase of 13% from % have no position on usage by teachers and district staff, decrease of 9% from Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 20

21 Web 2.0 Usage by Students 21.5% strictly prohibit usage by students, decrease of 6.5% from % encourage/support usage by students, increase of 7.5% from % have no position on usage by students, decrease of 1% from Online Assessment 90% of districts use instructional devices (desktops, laptops, netbooks) for formative testing purposes, increase of 14% from Approximately one in three districts uses at least one online formative assessment package (G-Made, GRADE, MAP, PAS). Version 2.0-1/31/2011 Page 21