Bryan County School System

Transcription

1 Bryan County School System Pembroke, Georgia Three-Year Plan July 1, June 30, 2015 Superintendent Dr. Paul Brooksher Director of Lori Warren (912) Lwarren@bryan.k12.ga.us 0

2 Table of Contents I. Vision for Use... 2 II. Current Reality... 3 Data Sources... 3 Instructional Use... 4 Elementary Schools... 4 Middle Schools... 6 High Schools... 7 Instructional Gap Analysis... 8 Administrative Use... 9 Administrative Gap Analysis Parent/Community Uses of Parent/Community Gap Analysis Goals, Benchmarks and Strategies III. Communication and Marketing IV. Professional Development V. 8th Grade Literacy VI. Appendices Appendix A Acceptable Use Policy/Procedure Use of Electronic Communication Systems Internet Use Policy Internet Use Agreement Authorization Form Internet Safety Policy CIPA Documentation Electronic Communications Between Employees and Students CyberBullying Internal Tech Policies Retention and Disposal Procedures Supervision and Monitoring Appendix B- Committee Members

3 I. Vision for Use The mission of the Bryan County School System staff is to continually strive to enhance student learning through the integration of new and emerging technologies with curricular objectives as defined by the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards and the School Keys to Quality. Central to student academic achievement is the effective integration of technology through timely support, continuously improving infrastructure, and innovative training. The vision for Bryan County Schools is to educate students through incessant learning and infusion of technology within the total curriculum to be prepared, knowledgeable adults, ready and adaptable to continuous change of real world technology in the 21st Century. permits students to develop essential higher order thinking skills in a life-long learning model of education. Bryan County Schools will help students gather, manipulate, and present data using technology as the medium to help students become problem solvers and critical thinkers in our ever-changing global community. It is imperative that education remains relevant to the age in which we live. The school system will support technology professional development, updated technology equipment, and technology instructional materials in order to enhance instructional goals., if used as a visual medium, can captivate and hold students' interest, and thus can improve academic achievement. The vision of the Bryan County School System for technology use includes the desire to implement the following vision statements that will impact or improve our school system: Provide 21 st Century standardized equipment and resources in all academic classrooms. Continue to maintain, and support the network infrastructure to assure access for all employees and students to enhance their knowledge and technology proficiencies. Provide technology resource teachers and technology professional development at all schools to help support teacher integration of technology with the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. Engage in continuous evaluation of instructional practices and technology integration to monitor student and teacher technology literacy in accordance with National Educational Literacy standards. Use technology, possibly through the school websites to provide an avenue of communication to encourage a stronger link between the school system and parents, students, business members and the community. Provide the community current, web-based information of overall student requirements, performance, and achievement. Provide administrative personnel web-based software that will allow easy data collection and distribution to school personnel. Provide a web-based grade book and parent portal to school personnel and parents to access student 2

4 information such as grades and attendance. Maintain a centralized website designed to give easy access to individual and school system information, system requirements, performance, and achievement. Provide equal opportunities and assistive technologies to students with special needs. Provide software to track students for Response to Intervention (RTI) purposes Provide and maintain a data driven warehouse that will track achievement data and have an analysis tool The integration of technology into the curriculum as an instructional tool provides the emphasis for this technology plan. As the district works toward providing students with an integrated curriculum relevant to their needs, technology becomes an essential component in instruction. Believing that, uniform technology integration standards will be implemented across all grade levels of the Bryan County School System to ensure that students progress from beginning levels to more sophisticated levels of technology use by the end of their school careers. Teachers will integrate technology on a daily basis with an increased focus on student uses of technology to promote higher order thinking skills and performance based assessments. Teachers will ensure that students have met the grade appropriate benchmarks through the utilization of available technologies. is used in all schools to enhance classroom instruction and meet the needs of all learners and learning styles. Teachers utilize technology to deliver instructional content. In the future, we hope to see more student uses of technology. As the focus moves from teacher centered to student centered technology uses, we envision more hands-on, real world technology applications. Students will use interactive devices such as whiteboards, instant student response systems, scientific probes, laptops, tablets, and calculators to conduct experiments, present information, manage data, and demonstrate understanding of higher level concepts. II. CURRENT REALITY Data Sources According to the technology survey sent to the Georgia Department of Education, Bryan County has 2,645 total desktops and 11 mobile labs for student use connected to the Internet. There are 19 tablets for administrative use, which connect to the Internet. The operating system on the computers is Windows 7 and Windows XP. The Bryan County School District utilizes the following data sources to collect valuable data for informed technology-planning decisions. Annual budget for technology which identifies: related purchases, training, and support expenditures Annual technology inventory submitted to the State Department of Education 3

5 Annual school technology inventory including software and hardware Annual 8 th grade computer literacy assessment to evaluate literacy of computer technology School surveys done yearly by technology resource teachers in each school to determine the amount of technology professional development needed Periodic teacher webpage update and check for accurate and current information Data taken from school system based assessments (benchmarks throughout the school year) Instructional Use The Bryan County School System is the only school district in the United States which is totally bisected by a military installation. The northern area of the county, including Pembroke, Ellabell, and the surrounding communities, is served by four schools - Lanier Primary School (K-2), Bryan County Elementary School (3-5), Bryan County Middle School (6-8), and Bryan County High School (9-12). The district's central office is also located in the northern end of the county. The Richmond Hill community is located in the southern end of the county. It is served by five schools - Richmond Hill Primary School (K-l), Richmond Hill Elementary School (2-3), George Washington Carver Elementary School (4-5), Richmond Hill Middle School (6-8), and Richmond Hill High School (9-12). The division of the system by Ft. Stewart means the system must duplicate expensive services such as, transportation (two repair facilities), psychological services, and others. This unique geographic make-up of the district necessitates the maintenance of a robust high-speed Wide Area Network (WAN). Each school has a certified full time technology resource teacher who assists the teachers and students with training and use of new hardware and software and testing programs. These resource teachers assist the classroom teachers by modeling the effective use of the technology resources in the lab or in their classroom and help them incorporate technology into the daily curriculum. All technology resource teachers have correlated the National Educational Standards and Georgia Performance Standards into their school's grade levels and have shown their teachers how to design and create materials which will help their students understand, master concepts, and succeed in school. They also help administer and disseminate info from district assessments. Elementary Schools All elementary or primary schools in Bryan County, except for George Washington Carver, Bryan County Elementary and Richmond Hill Elementary have one computer lab. George Washington Carver has three computer labs and one wireless lab, Bryan County Elementary School has two computer labs, and Richmond Hill Elementary 4

6 has four computer labs. Most classrooms are equipped with televisions and video streaming service is available in all classrooms. All elementary schools have 100% of their classrooms equipped with high speed Internet connections. All have interactive whiteboards and/or wireless slates, a LCD or DLP projector, a teacher computer, audio enhancement devices, and at least two student computers. Each elementary school also has digital cameras, digital microscopes, document cameras, student response systems, and video cameras. Richmond Hill Elementary School has flip cameras that they use as well. In addition to the stationary labs in these schools, Carver Elementary School has a mobile lab for classroom teachers to check out and use with student as well as ebook devices for student use. Instructional software varies from school to school based upon student need. Lanier Primary School has a Smart Table. These materials are used in the lab environment for whole group instruction or are networked in the classroom and are used individually. Interdepartmental software varies and is based on curriculum need and funding. The following software programs are available, but are not limited to: Harcourt Math Orchard Lexia Primary/Early Reading Accelerated Reader Accelerated Math MacMillian/McGraw-Hill Literature/English Series Smart Start English Reading Blaster Graph Club Star Math Star Reading Kid Pix Story Book Weaver Kidspiration/Inspiration Jumpstart Typing Print Shop Steck Vaughn Reading Cornerstone Language Scholastic Keys Timeliner Mathosaurus Smart Notebook/Interwrite/Mimeo Study Dog PK-2 A to Zap Enchanted Learning Movie Maker ExamView Turning Point Microsoft Office CPS PhotoStory United Streaming 5

7 Subscription Based Websites: Brain Pop Enchanted Learning Sampson s Classroom EdHelper IXL Education City First in Math ComicLife MobiMath Study Island StarFall More FlipBoom-Allstar GRASP Pearson Inform Middle Schools Bryan County Middle School has three stationary computer labs, two instructional and one vocational. They also share three wireless labs with Bryan County High School. Bryan County Middle School also utilizes digital microscopes and scientific probeware in math and science classrooms. Richmond Hill Middle School has two stationary computer labs, both are instructional. They have four wireless labs. Each middle school classroom is equipped with televisions and video streaming service is available. All middle schools have 100% of their classrooms equipped with high speed Internet connections. All classrooms have interactive whiteboards and/or wireless slates, an LCD or DLP projector, document cameras, audio enhancement devices, a teacher computer, and at least two student computers. Some have digital microscopes, EBook readers, and flip cameras. Most academic teachers in each school have a student response system (Turning Point). The following software programs are available, but are not limited to: Orchard Compass Learning Galileo ExamView Pro Accelerated Reader Print Shop EEV Inspiration InterWrite Software Turning Point Software Microsoft Products Mavis Beacon Math Blasters PhotoStory Movie Maker United Streaming STAR Math STAR Reading 6

8 Study Island Timeliner Tinkerplots Geometer s Sketchpad Subscription Based Websites: BrainPOP Ed Helper Study Island Sonday Pearson Inform GRASP MAP High Schools Bryan County High School has five stationary computer labs, one instructional and four vocational. Richmond Hill High School has nine stationary computer labs, four instructional and five vocational. They also have two instructional tablet labs for mathematics. All educational classrooms have 100% of their classrooms equipped with high speed Internet connections and video streaming service is available. All regular education classrooms have interactive whiteboards and/or wireless slates, a projector, and a teacher computer. In addition to the stationary labs, Bryan County High shares three mobile labs with Bryan County Middle School while Richmond Hill High has three for classroom teachers to use. Instructional software varies from school to school based upon student need. These materials are used in the lab environment for whole group instruction or are networked in the classroom and are used individually. Interdepartmental software varies and is based on curriculum need and funding. The following software programs are available, but are not limited to: Accelerated Math Inspiration Orchard ComicLife InterWrite Turning Point/CPS Microsoft Office Exam View Pro MicroType Microsoft PhotoStory ULEAD Galileo United Streaming USA Test Prep Google SketchUp Movie Maker West Point Bridge Builder Maple Math A+ Credit Recovery Failure Free Reading 7

9 Subscription Based Websites: Mobi Math GRASP SONDAY Virtual School Compass Testing Quia Instructional Gap Analysis As revealed by the Annual District Inventory Survey, the student to computer ratio is 2.95 students per each Internet connected computer. This data includes mobile lab computers in rolling carts that are available for classroom checkout. These mobile labs are available in one of the elementary schools and in both of the middle and high schools Our use of single network student logins in the middle and high schools has created some hesitance in checking out regular mobile labs for a few of these schools. This is due to students not logging out properly on one machine causing connectivity issues when trying to log on to another machine. These issues cause some teachers to be reluctant to use the laptops, but they are currently being addressed by purchasing new batteries for the mobile labs, new computer laptops, and student and teacher training with network logins. The current reality of instructional technology uses in the Bryan County classrooms is that elementary and middle schools are 95% outfitted with 21 st century classroom tools including computers, projectors, classroom response systems, interactive whiteboards, or wireless slates. Another 21 st century classroom tool needed to complete these classrooms would be an audio enhancement component. The high schools are 80% outfitted with some 21 st century classroom tools. Most classrooms in the high school have projectors and wireless slates, most classrooms are equipped with the student response systems and some of our classrooms have audio enhancement systems in place. All schools are working on equipping each classroom with Elmo document cameras. Also the uses of ipads in all classrooms are being considered for future implementation beginning with our high and middle schools. Closing the achievement gap between our regular education and special education students remains a top priority of the Bryan County Schools. We have made great strides in accomplishing this goal and seek to continue these gains in the next three years. The district utilizes curriculum mapping (vertical and horizontal), diagnostic software, disaggregated data, differentiated instruction, and inclusion to address our gap in achievement and to help utilize technology integration in the classroom more effectively. The strategies were developed in a collaboration of 8

10 special education and regular education teachers and were designed to address specific academic targets and maintain equitable technology access. One way to track students who are struggling in school but have not been identified with special learning disabilities is through the RTI (Response to Intervention) process. Response to Intervention refers to a process that emphasizes how well students respond to changes in instruction. Monitoring and measuring student progress in response to the instruction and interventions can be kept in the SEMS Tracker component of our special education management software. Administrative Use Administrative applications are installed and supported at the district level. These applications are available to all schools and include student information management, food services, personnel information, employee attendance and applications, district finances, and purchasing. All teachers and administrators access web based data through a high speed data connection. Schools connect through a 1G fiber backbone that delivers 100 Mbps to the desktop. School personnel are provided web based e mail accounts to promote better communication between the schools, staff, and parents. Power School is Bryan County s student information system which is a web based student information system to manage student data. This information is housed on two servers and a load balancer at the central office. Student data is entered by student information systems (SIS) operators at the individual school sites and because Power School is SIF compliant, information may be easily transferred to all other programs within our system. Currently, information is transferred from Power School to our Special Education Management Software (SEMS) special education program daily. Teachers use the Power Teacher grade book which is a component of Power School. They may access their grade books anytime and anywhere there is network access. Student demographics and schedules are populated in the grade books as part of the web based total integration SIS. Special education teachers use the web-based Special Education Management Software (SEMS). This software is designed to manage data on special education students and electronically generate and document required paperwork such as Individual Education Plans. 9

11 All principals and assistant principals were issued an ipad 2 for administrative use in teacher evaluations, student data retrieval and student security access in case of an emergency. Many administrators are collecting school-wide data through the use of focus walks on these handheld devices. Schools are able to collect data directly through webbased forms, as well as analyze and store data. Using a variety of reports, including cross-tabulations and comparisons allow administrators to make informed decisions on the appropriate professional development opportunities for teachers and staff. Administrative Gap Analysis The Bryan County School System has updated many administrative desktops, servers, and software programs including our student information software which was updated in RHHS, RHMS and BCMS servers were purchased in 2010, BCHS was purchased in 2011and our elementary school servers were purchased in May of Because of our county makeup, we do a full backup of each side of the county on the opposite side and the data is overwritten every 20 days. A full backup tape is pulled once a month and is stored in a fireproof vault. Our financial management and human resource program, Munis is now hosted and storage is in multiple locations and backups are stored offsite. Bryan County purchased Microsoft Exchange 2007 and currently uses the journaling component to take a snap shot of all s for thirty days. After the thirty days the s are erased and the process begins again. We also use our Microsoft Exchange to limit the size of everyone s mail box to 250 MB. In the future this archiving of s may have to increase using Microsoft Exchange 2007 or archival software may have to be purchased. Other components of Microsoft Exchange could be utilized more efficiently by administrators and teachers. Currently one high school utilizes the calendar component effectively, but other schools within the system do not use all the components as they should. More training in this area would provide administrators and teachers a better understanding of all available features. Our student information system, Power School has a built in bulletin which can be sent automatically to parents and teachers by the administration. At this time we are not utilizing this component of Power School. More training on the use of this bulletin will be given to administrators so communication between them and teachers could be more effective. 10

12 Parent/Community Uses of Bryan County Schools utilize e mail, teacher and school websites, and newsletters to promote better communication between schools, staff, parents and community members. Parents have the opportunity to stay abreast of student performance through Power School, our new student information system. This program allows parents access to automatic updates being sent to them daily, weekly, monthly or updates sent to them immediately at the time the parent connects to the program. Now students and parents are able to track progress through the parent portal portion of Power School and through a Power School iphone or Android app. By using any computer or smart phone with Internet access, students and parents have the opportunity to view scores on their child s last quiz taken, view overall progress and see which assignments are coming due. Parents may also sign up for the Notify Me service through our school and district websites. Information can be sent out via or text message to parents in case of emergency or an urgent message. Some, but not all schools also have a school messenger service which calls the student s home to relay overall messages from the schools. Parent/Community Gap Analysis Although websites are in place at the system, school, and classroom level, communication continues to be limited due to the fact that the classroom websites are not always kept current. Most schools have directives that WebPages must be updated every week. Some schools, but not all schools in Bryan County, have an automated phone system in place that contacts the student s home phone when they are absent, tardy, or for other school related messages. We are still continuing to look at different programs to be county wide which would allow us to automate phone messages, but at this time have not committed to one program. Another gap in Bryan County would be that some families may still not have Internet access at their homes. This lack of access could cause a disadvantage for some students when assigned projects are required by the teachers who require computer access or the internet in our school system. We are fortunate to have two county public libraries where students and parents may go if they need to access the Internet. 11

13 Goals, Benchmarks and Strategies Access to Goal 1: To maintain and support the network infrastructure in order to provide all students and staff in the Bryan County School System access to current and emerging technologies. Strategies: Benchmark Evaluation Method Funding Source/ Estimated Person Responsible To increase access to current and emerging technologies in order to enhance instruction. There will be a 10% increase in upgrading of current technologies. There will be a 10% increase in new or updated tablets in each school. Conduct an annual spring technology equipment inventory each year. Assess teacher use of the various technologies each year. Amount Local Funds $300, School Allotted Title 1 Director of Resource Teachers, Principals To provide LAN/WAN and wireless access for all technology applications. All schools will have high speed access to online resources through the use of BOE owned fiber and leased fiber lines and some wireless access. 8 th Grade Literacy Test Annual technology inventory Local Funds $300, Director of Wireless equipment will be installed as funding becomes available. 12

14 Access to Goal 1 Continued: To maintain and support the network infrastructure in order to provide all students and staff in the Bryan County School System access to current and emerging technologies. Strategies: Benchmark Evaluation Method E-rate applications will be filed to apply for reimbursement of partial rates for leased lines, web hosting, and the district s phone system payment. E-rate applications will be filed annually for any eligible services. Annual budget Funding Source/ Estimated Amount Local Funds $300, Person Responsible Director of, Superintendent To provide appropriate assistive technology as stated in the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) of the special needs students. 100% of students with special needs will be provided with assistive technology as stated in the IEPs. An inventory of hardware and software will be conducted annually by the special education department Collect baseline and comparative data of assistive technology or emerging technology use with special needs students. Cost would be determined by need of individual students and IEP requirements. Director of Special Education, Director of, Principals 13

15 Access to Goal 1 Continued: To maintain and support the network infrastructure in order to provide all students and staff in the Bryan County School System access to current and emerging technologies. Strategies: Benchmark Evaluation Method Funding Source/ Estimated Amount Person Responsible Increase the number of wireless tablet labs in the district for all schools based on need. Increase the number of standalone labs to the Primary and Middle schools Analyze the student/computer ratio at each school and purchase additional mobile labs or tablet labs based on need. Purchase Orders State Inventory Assess teacher use of the mobile labs or interest in tablet labs Local School Funds based on availability $300, Resource Teacher, Director of, Principals 14

16 Instructional Uses of Goal 2: To continue providing professional development and role modeling in the effective use and integration of technologies to enhance Common Core Georgia Performance Standards-based teaching and learning. Strategies Benchmark Evaluation Method To increase the number of Enhanced Classrooms in which technology tools are an integral part of the curriculum. At least 95% of classrooms in our system will be equipped with interactive white boards, slates, projectors, document cameras, and audio enhancement devices. Teachers in Enhanced classrooms will complete at least 20 hours of technology training Annual Hardware Inventory Classroom Observations CRCT student achievement test given annually in the Spring GRASP and district benchmark assessment tests Class logs showing teacher participation in the training Funding Source/ Estimated Amount Local Funding $300, School Allocated Title 1 Funding $ Special Education Funds (if needed) $ Title I Funding for North Bryan County Person Responsible Director of, Resource Teachers, Principals Goal 3: To integrate technology in the Common Core Standards-based curriculum and assess students technology literacy. Strategies Benchmark Evaluation Method Person Responsible Specific student technology competency goals as required by Georgia Standards will be incorporated into the curriculum at all grade levels. Students will reach ageappropriate technology literacy levels by the end of eighth grade. Annual 8th Grade Proficiency Assessment Funding Source/ Estimated Amount N/A Director of, Principals 15

17 Administrative Uses of Goal 4: Administrators will demonstrate efficient use of technology and establish an ongoing process of assessing technology to improve instructional planning. Strategies Benchmark Evaluation Method Funding Source/ Estimated Person Responsible Administrative personnel will support and participate in professional development in the implementation and integration of the latest administrative and instructional technologies. 100% of administrators will be offered training in the effective use of current administrative and instructional technologies Class logs showing administrators participation in technology classes annually Amount N/A Director of / Principals, Resource Teachers Evaluation practices will address the effective use of educational technology for student achievement of the CCGPS standards. 50% of our schools will evaluate the effective integration of technology in the classroom. Classroom Observations Collect baseline and comparative data of effective technology use when teaching CCGPS standards. N/A Principals, Resource Teachers Curriculum Resource Teachers Administrative personnel will observe and document technology use as integrated in teacher lesson planning and technology planning. 70% of teachers will include technology in their weekly lesson plans. Weekly evaluation of lesson plans N/A Principals 16

18 Administrative Uses of Goal 4: Administrators will demonstrate efficient use of technology and establish an ongoing process of assessing technology to improve instructional planning. Strategies Benchmark Evaluation Method Funding Source/ Estimated Person Responsible Administrators will communicate effectively with all audiences through the use of technology. 40% of administrators will use technology to create and enhance communication and multi-media presentations. Local evaluation daily usage reports Amount Local Funds $300, Director of, Principals, Central Office Administrators Superintendent Administrators will establish technology integration standards, and become informed decision makers on technology issues. All administrators will ensure school web sites are current and up to date. 100% of School Improvement Plans and System Improvement Plans will include goals addressing the integration of technology. Annual survey of administrators and teachers to determine usage Annual evaluation of Improvement Plans N/A Superintendent, School Administrators, System Level Curriculum Personnel Director of School administrators will use available technology to organize, analyze, and interpret student data in an effort to determine areas of instructional need. 100% of schools will use technology to disaggregate data. CRCT Scores, School Level Data Reports, GHST Scores, etc. N/A System Level Curriculum Director, Curriculum Resource Teachers, School Administrators 17

19 Administrative Uses of Goal 4: Administrators will demonstrate efficient use of technology and establish an ongoing process of assessing technology to improve instructional planning. Strategies Benchmark Evaluation Method Funding Source/ Estimated Person Responsible Administrators will endorse and promote the integration of technology into the curriculum throughout all areas of instruction to enhance learning opportunities for all students. 100% of administrators will provide their staff with a minimum of 10 hours of professional development on new and emerging technologies and assist the integration of technology into the curriculum by Class logs showing staff participation in technology training annually Classroom Observations CRCT Scores, Data Reports, GHST Scores, etc. Amount N/A Director of, School Administrators, Resource Teachers To develop a Committee, including school administrators and technology resource teachers, to increase technology integration in the classroom. 100% of schools will have designated representatives who will meet and collaborate with instructional technology resource teachers quarterly or as needed. Committee Attendance logs N/A Director of, School Administrators, Resource Teachers 18

20 Parent/Community Uses of Goal 5: To use technology as a means to increase communication between the school system parents, and the community. Strategies Benchmark Evaluation Method Resource Teachers and Principals will provide information during after school hours to parents in order for them to increase their knowledge of available technology in the school system. E-rate applications for both school system and district website hosting will be completed in order to provide a stronger home/school connection. The parents and students will be given usernames and passwords to access the parent/student portion of Power School to have access to student assignments, attendance and grade information and have reports generated and sent to them. The district will provide the Online Assessment 100% of schools will invite parents to a Parent/Teacher or Back to School night to increase awareness of the technology currently available in their school including the parent portal portion of Power School and the Notify Me service. At least 90% of classroom teachers will publish a classroom website. 100% of all parents will have a username and password generated and available at their child s school for pickup and use. 100% of schools will have access to OAS, District Parent sign in sheets School websites will be monitored every nine weeks. Power School usage log Online Assessment reports, student and teacher data Funding Source/ Estimated Amount N/A 2, after e- rate funding for district and school level website hosting Local Funds $300, N/A Person Responsible Resource Teachers, Principals, Director Superintendent, Director of, Principals Director of, School Principal Resource Teachers, 19

21 System (OAS), district benchmarks, and GRASP testing and MAP testing in order to improve students test taking skills. Students and Parents can access OAS at home with an individual login and password. Benchmarks, and GRASP testing. reports generated from GRASP, and Data Warehouse software CRCT student achievement test given annually in the Spring, Benchmark testing given three times a year, GRASP testing given two to four times a year, MAP testing will be given twice a year Principals 20

22 System Readiness (staff technical competencies/attitudes) Goal 6: To continue to enhance, maintain, and support the network infrastructure to ensure access for all employees and students to meet educational needs. Strategies Benchmark Evaluation Method To provide essential tools to enhance learning in the 21 st century. 100% of teachers have access to modern desktop computers or laptops. DOE Hardware Inventory annually Funding Source/ Estimated Amount Local Funds $300, Person Responsible Superintendent, Director of, School Administrators Every grade level and/or academic department will have access to a standard lab with a replacement cycle for every computer of 5 years to ensure that technology integration is possible. DOE Hardware Inventory annually Local Funds $300, To improve connectivity to networks (including wireless) for communication and collaboration as well as phone line connection. Provide 100 megabyte connection to every desktop Begin planning and implementing wireless connectivity within our school buildings. DOE Hardware Inventory annually Local Funds $300, Superintendent, Director of, Technical Support People E rate applications will be filed annually to apply for discounted rates for leased lines and the district's phone system. 21

23 System Readiness (staff technical competencies/attitudes) Goal 6: To continue to enhance, maintain, and support the network infrastructure to ensure access for all employees and students to meet educational needs. Strategies Benchmark Evaluation Method Funding Source/ Estimated Amount Person Responsible To maintain the security of network and Internet access through annual Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) procedure updates. 100% of the Bryan County School system users will be informed of revision of AUP Signed AUP forms annually N/A Superintendent Director of Principals To provide professional development opportunities that will enable technology resource teachers and technical support specialists to redeliver new and innovative technology initiatives and maintain and enhance network infrastructure. 100% of technology resource teachers and technicians will receive 10 or more hours of training. Class logs showing class participation annually Local Funds $300, Superintendent, Director of 22

24 III. Communication and Marketing Communication Role in Helping Students Achieve A strong bond between the community and the school system is essential to student success. To ensure student success, Bryan County is committed to maintaining frequent and meaningful communication between the school system and community members. Bryan County is dedicated to providing two way, open ended communication between community members and the school system. To ensure proper communication, Bryan County shares information with the community through the use of school and system report cards and progress reports that document student achievement on standardized tests and course grades. Parents can access standardized test information via the Internet to find out how the county as a whole and the individual schools are performing. This same information is provided in the school system newspaper, Good News about Bryan County Schools, and the local newspaper The Bryan County News. These two publications also feature articles that update the community on how students and teachers are utilizing technology in the classroom and feature information on how parents can offer input into the county s technology planning efforts. The local newspaper, The Bryan County News, allows the school district the opportunity to feature articles written by staff members about activities in the district. Parental input is sought annually with the county s official Parent Survey. This survey is sent home with every student in the county and is also featured in electronic format on the county website. Results from this survey are used to update the technology plan as well as other county level and school level plans. Parents are kept abreast of school level and county level information in a myriad of ways including: Weekly teacher newsletters, mass mailings, 4 ½ weeks progress reports, report cards, Power School parent portal, information found on the county and school level websites, and the Notify Me service which sends or text messaging and notifies parents of upcoming or important events. Parents and community members are invited to attend quarterly PTSO meetings to receive information about technology integration, student achievement, and school business. All schools host Open House events where parents learn about the curriculum and technology resources within the 23

25 school. Most schools also hold a Back to School Night in which parents can attend classes to learn about the technology that is present in each school, how this technology helps student achievement, and additional information about what their children experience at school on a daily basis. Power School, the county s student information system, gives parents and students a username and password which allows them access to student grades and assignments. It also allows students to register online for their next year s upcoming classes. A district level website, maintained by the Director, provides information to the community about the Bryan County Schools. Each school maintains their websites and through a third party webhosting company. Each school website is maintained by the school s Resource Teacher and provides information about school activities and technology integration. Parents and community members currently can access faculty members by phone or by links provided on each school s website and through the parent portal of Power School. Market Role in Helping Students Achieve Parents are provided with home access to the Online Assessment System (OAS) website in which their children can take practice standardized tests to help prepare them for state tests. Students and parents also have access to subscription based websites that certain schools have purchased to help enhance student achievement. Through the school report card, school website, newspaper articles, weekly newsletters, mass mailings, school level meetings, and Power School parent portal, the school system is able to present to parents and community members how student achievement is enhanced through technology. The State s Longitudinal Data System is also available showing student achievement on all state mandated tests. Integration/Coordination with Long-Range Planning Initiatives In order to facilitate communication, to enhance academic achievement, and to assist in the effective integration of technology into the curriculum, the district technology team interacts with various departments, committees, and services prior to monthly planning sessions. Including school system staff and community members in the 24

26 development of school and system technology plans increases the likelihood that these groups will have a stake in the advancement of technology in Bryan County and provide support and ideas for continued growth. By involving members of the community, system staff members can be assured that the system is doing its best to prepare students to function in a technological world. Community members, business representatives, and parents serve on each school s School Council. The School Councils meet quarterly at each individual school and are open to the public for input. School Council members offer their input directly to the school Principal. Long-range planning includes initiatives that incorporate media, Title I, and Special Education through the daily utilization of programs such as Accelerated Reader, Star Math and Reading, Lexia, Orchard, and SEMS (Special Education Management Software). The media centers oversee the implementation of the Accelerated Reader Program. The Study Island program for basic skills remediation is one software program used by Title I students and the SEMS program is used by teachers to manage and document the needs of special education students. IV. Professional Development The district Professional Development Plan aligns with the prioritized student needs as it addresses research-based instructional strategies at all levels, while allowing the professional growth of individual staff members. Available technology local funds and other professional development funds are used to ensure that professional development funds are spent appropriately. All professional learning must be linked to the Professional Development Plan and approved by the Professional Development Coordinator, the Assistant Superintendent. The concentrations for these courses will be differentiated instruction; standards based education, inclusion, and technology integration. Each course or training offered is researched-based utilizing empirical methods of systematically improving student achievement. The Bryan County School District complies with the Principles of Effectiveness by selecting and implementing scientifically and/or evidence-based practices and products targeting assessed needs. Fidelity of program implementation is also reviewed each year by student pre- and post test results, classroom observations, 8 th grade literacy tests, and standardized tests. 25

27 Each of our schools has a certified Resource Teacher who offers courses based on a needs assessment given to the instructional staff during the school year. Funding for technology equipment, software, and training comes from a variety of sources including local technology funds, Title I program funding, and special education funding. Courses Offered Internet Safety/CyberBullying Orientation to the Computer Lab and Components SMARTboard Turning Point Emerging Technologies (Using Vernier Probeware) Internet Learning Tools (Rubistar, Brain POP, Discover Streaming, Google Earth) Photostory Teacher Webpages Power Teacher/Power School Windows Movie Maker Outlook Basic and Contacts Microsoft Office Overview/Basic Differences Georgia Online Assessment System USA Test Prep Quia School Pad/Qumo Pad Basics Web Design ELMO Document Camera Training Creating Lapbooks (2 sessions) Digital Microscope PC Tablet Kidpix Activities Targeted Audience Faculty and Students Students and Teachers All Departments All Departments Teachers and Students All Departments All Departments All Departments All Departments Teachers All Departments All Departments Teachers Teachers Teachers Teachers All Departments All Departments All Departments All Departments All Departments Teachers and Students 26

28 V. 8 th Grade Literacy According to results from the state 8 th grade proficiency assessment, 72% of Bryan County 8 th grade students achieved mastery/competency on the 8 th grade technology literacy skills. Although all students in the elementary grades attend the computer lab on a weekly basis and work in diverse programs, their knowledge of technology varies due to the lack of a standardized technology curriculum countywide. Each school is fortunate to have a certified technology resource teacher on campus who works with students and teachers, but because of the individuality of schools and software programs within the schools, the information students learn varies. In an effort to improve the technology proficiency levels of our students by the eighth grade, the elementary technology resource teachers will assist in the creation of a county wide standardized technology curriculum that focuses on the National Educational Standards for Students (NETS-S) as defined by the International Society for in Education (ISTE). 27

29 APPENDIX A Acceptable use policies/procedures: Board Policy Electronic Communications Descriptor Code: IFBGA Bryan County Board of Education recognizes that the extensive use of computers in all areas of today's technological society has created a need to provide students and employees the opportunity to use computers in support of the teaching and learning process and to facilitate the operations of the district. Electronic media, such as the Internet, offers a variety of resources for students, teachers, administrators, and staff. The Internet provides resources and tools that promote educational excellence, expand avenues for research, and increase the sources of information used to fulfill system objectives. The intent of this policy is to ensure that all uses of the Bryan County Schools Internet connection are for the support of education or district operations and are consistent with the goals and educational philosophy of the school system. All Internet users must sign the Internet Use Authorization Form. Student users must also have a parent or guardian sign the Parent or Guardian Authorization, and the teacher must sign the Sponsoring Teacher Authorization. The Bryan County Board of Education believes that students, teachers, administrators, and staff should have access to the Internet and other forms of electronic media in accordance with the following guidelines. 1. Measures must be in place to protect against access, by adults and minors, to inappropriate matter on the Internet and World Wide Web. This includes visual depictions that are: (1) obscene, (2) pornographic or with respect to the use of computers, (3) harmful to minors. 2. Processes must be in place to monitor and identify unauthorized access, including "hacking" activities, and other unlawful activities by minors and adults using the Bryan County School System computer network. 3. Guidelines regarding the unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors must be communicated to all computer users signing the Internet Use Authorization Form. 4. Activities that ensure the installation, maintenance, and ongoing monitoring of a firewall and filtering software must be in place to facilitate Internet safety and security for all computer users accessing the Internet or World Wide Web through the Bryan County School System computer technology network. 5. The Internet Use Authorization Form must address Internet Guidelines and must include the use of electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communication. Any violation of this policy and/or rules may result in the loss of school-provided access to the Internet. Additional disciplinary action may be determined in keeping with existing procedures and practices regarding inappropriate language or behavior. When and where applicable, law enforcement agencies may be involved. 28

30 Bryan County School System Internet Use Agreement All of the Bryan County Board of Education district's Internet service users are subject to the following rules and regulations: I. ACCEPTABLE USE Access to the Internet through the district's network is provided for educational purposes and research consistent with the school system's educational mission and goals. Transmission of any material in violation of any U.S. regulations, state regulations, or Bryan County Board of Education policy is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to: copyrighted materials, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret. Use for commercial activities or product advertisement is not acceptable. Use for political lobbying is prohibited. II. PRIVILEGES The use of the school system's Internet is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use may result in the cancellation of those privileges. Each school's administrative staff will determine what is inappropriate. An administrator, faculty member, or staff member of the Bryan County Board of Education may request the denial, revocation, or suspension of a specific user's privileges. III. INTERNET GUIDELINES The user is expected to abide by the following guidelines. These include (but are not limited to) the following: 1. Primary use of the Internet is for educational or work-related purposes. Illegal activities are strictly prohibited. 2. The following uses of the Internet are prohibited: Submitting, publishing, or displaying profanity, vulgarities, or defamatory language. Publishing intentionally inaccurate information, or inappropriate language is prohibited. 3. Disclosure of personal information of any person such as personal address, phone number, or any unauthorized disclosure, use and dissemination of personal information is prohibited. 4. Electronic mail ( ) is not private, and inappropriate or illegal messages will be reported to the authorities. 5. Use of the Internet in such a way that one disrupts the use of the network by other users is prohibited. 6. Users are prohibited from engaging in chat rooms, non-educational games, and the monopoly of resource time and materials. 7. Users should be aware that all communications and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be subject to copyright law. The user is responsible for checking for copyrighted or licensing agreements. 8. Users are to provide credit for all material used in research. Data received through the Internet is subject to the same rules of documentation as traditional information. 9. Copying or downloading software illegally from network sources, disks, or CD ROMs to another computer is prohibited. 10. Users must honor the policies of other networks when accessing them through a connection on the Bryan County Board of Education network. IV. VANDALISM 29