Lawrence Public Schools

Lawrence Public Schools Jeffrey C. Riley, Superintendent/Receiver Lawrence Public Schools TECHNOLOGY PLAN 2012-2015 Lawrence Public Schools Phone: 978.975.5905 x25690 Office of Instructional Technology and Media Fax: 978.975.3072 255 Essex Street Lawrence, Massachusetts 01841 1

Lawrence Public Schools District Profile Name Type Grades Arlington Elementary School Elementary K - 4 Arlington Middle School Middle 5-8 Breen School Early Childhood PreK - K Bruce School Elementary/ Middle 2-8 Community Day Arlington Elementary Early Childhood K - 1 Frost Elementary School Elementary K - 4 Frost Middle School Middle 5-8 Guilmette Elementary School Elementary 1-4 Guilmette Middle School Middle 5-8 Hennessey School Early Childhood PreK - 1 High School Learning Center/ALC ABE,ELL/High School 9 - Adult Adult Learning Center Adult High School Learning Center 9-12 Lawlor School Early Childhood K Lawrence High School Campus High School 9-12 Business, Management and Finance 9-12 Health and Human Services 9-12 Humanities and Leadership Development 9-12 International 9-12 Mathematics, Science & Technology 9-12 Performing and Fine Arts 9-12 Leahy School Elementary K - 5 Leonard School Middle 6-8 North Common Educational Complex Elementary, Middle and High School 1-12 Oliver School 1-8 School for Exceptional Studies 1-12 Parthum Elementary School Elementary K - 4 Parthum Middle School Middle 5-8 Phoenix Academy Lawrence High School 9-12 Rollins Early Childhood PreK - K South Lawrence East Elementary School Elementary 1-4 South Lawrence East 5th Grade Academy Middle 5 South Lawrence East Middle School Middle 6-8 Tarbox School Elementary K - 5 Up Academy Lawrence Middle 6 Wetherbee School Elem./MS 1-8 2

Table of Contents: Vision Statement Page 4 Beliefs: Page 4 Benchmark 1 Page 4 Commitment to a Clear Vision and Implementation Strategies A. Technology Plan Goals B. Technology Team C. Needs Assessment D. Budget E. Evaluation Benchmark 2 Page 7 Technology Integration and Literacy A. Technology Integration B. Technology Literacy C. Staffing Benchmark 3 Page 8 Technology Professional Development Benchmark 4 Page 9 Accessibility of Technology A. Hardware Access B. Internet Access C. Networking (LAN/WAN) D. Access to Internet Outside of the School Day E. Staffing Benchmark 5 Page 10 Virtual Learning and Communications Benchmark 6 Page 11 Safety, Security, and Data Retention 3

Vision Statement Lawrence Public Schools district will provide all staff and students access to the tools, hardware, software, and training needed to enhance the quality of teaching and learning. Our schools will provide students and staff with the 21st century skills necessary to be productive citizens in a technological global society. Lawrence Public Schools will provide for lifelong learning by fostering staff and students who are responsible for their own learning; skilled in accessing and processing information, confident in using technological tools, able to solve complex problems alone or collaboratively, capable of being creative and innovative, and able to communicate locally, nationally, and globally. Educators will have access to tools which they can use so that all students will successfully master the content and skills necessary to graduate and to become productive citizens in our ever changing technological global community. We will provide a standards-based, rigorous instructional program focused on academic achievement and the development of 21st century skills accompanied by a comprehensive system of supports. Success will be monitored and assessed regularly as to ensure accountability to all stakeholders. Beliefs: Skillful use of technology supports the development of process skills such as flexibility, adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration which are essential to success in our rapidly changing information age. Technology allows us to better serve the diverse learning needs of our students and supports Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Technology can extend the boundaries of the traditional school and provide access to all stakeholders. Benchmark 1 Commitment to a Clear Vision and Implementation Strategies A. Technology Plan Goals A long range plan for technology relies on a balance of needs and wants with a practical awareness of resources available to achieve those needs and wants. With this in mind, Lawrence Public Schools will address the technical needs of students and staff for the next three years in ways that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Goal One: For the next three years, Lawrence Public Schools will continue to meet with the Technology Planning Committee striving to maintain equal representation of teachers and administrators in various positions from across the school district and include when possible, members of the community and school committee. Each year the district will continue to revisit the plan and make adjustments when necessary so that the budget is an accurate reflection of our ability to meet the objectives of the plan. Through the use of feedback provided by fellow staff members and the community, the district will gather data in an effort to inform our decisions as it plans for years ahead. If adjustments to the plan are needed for the following school year, these adjustments will be completed no later than April of each school year. Goal Two: After completing a major technology initiative of supplying every classroom across the district with interactive whiteboard equipment, document cameras, slate tablets and access to student response systems, the district has begun the effort to properly train, support and enhance teachers in their use of 4

these products. This training has been on a per request basis with some district-wide training in which the trainer sessions are offered at various times and locations during the implementation process. Lawrence Public Schools will continue to support teachers and their daily use of this equipment by ensuring that all equipment remains in perfect working order as available through the service contract. Using formal and informal data collection such as feedback from principals, teachers and students, Teacher Self- Assessment Tool (TSAT), and observations and discussions, the district will continue to roll out a schedule of training and support that meets the needs of each school individually. A supply of additional replacement hardware will be kept on hand to allow for uninterrupted teacher use, fidelity and maintenance. The hope is that all equipment can be relied upon when planning to integrate into daily lessons. Goal Three: Lawrence Public Schools will utilize staff identified as possessing strong instructional technology practices and leverage to help at the school and district level in order to facilitate sufficient training and support through collaboration. By looking at the state s Technology Self-Assessment Data and formal and informal observations, administration will help to bolster the support of technology integration by supplying the schools with the necessary training (weekly) either through in-house or district level staff. When necessary, additional training provided by consultants will be supplied. Goal Four: As technologies grow and develop, so does the need for the infrastructure. With the greater demand for additional hardware and software, so comes a greater strain on the network s infrastructure. In an effort to maintain a 21 st century working environment, access to the internet needs to be ubiquitous and dependable. Our plan over the next three years is to increase access to Wi-Fi in all schools wherever possible to 100%. In order to accomplish this successfully there is an ever growing need district-wide to increase our bandwidth. In order to provide an efficient intra and internet access for all staff, we will strive to increase bandwidth by at least 50% during the 2013-2014 school years. This increase in bandwidth will help the district to be ready for the online test created by The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) by 2015. Goal Five: The district will maintain a computer hardware refresh cycle, when budget allows, of no more than 5 years. As part of a yearly review of all technology equipment, computers in labs will be refreshed or replaced with newer equipment every three years and all other computers will be refreshed or replaced every five years. In order to minimize disruption, the replacement will be done during off hours when possible. Every faculty member district-wide will have access to interactive whiteboard equipment, document cameras, slate tablets and student response systems. Each classroom will have at least three computers per classroom. Much of this equipment is currently in place and will be maintained over the next five years in accordance with the product s warranty. The equipment and bandwidth should all be sufficiently ready for PARCC testing by 2015. The district will have to look at creative scheduling in order to ensure everyone can get access to a PC during the testing window. Goal Six: Lawrence Public Schools will work to establish a more active partnership among schools, business, home and the community. The district will seek out donations and connections to help defray the cost of educational technology through meetings with community members. In the 2013-2014 school years the district will seek out additional business support with interested community and business partners. B. Technology Team The Technology Planning Committee (TPC) will consist of equal representation across the school district. This committee is tasked with the job of assessing the software and hardware needs district wide that are essential to helping improve teaching and learning. The TPC also meets annually to discuss formal and informal assessments of services and products currently used and to plan for the acquisition of new 5

products. When a district software acquisition has come to the end of its shelf life, the TPC may make a recommendation to no longer purchase said product if it is determined to be no longer useful. Technology Planning Committee Name: Position: Brian Bates High School Teacher Dawnmarie Reardon Elementary School SPED Teacher Donna Maksian High School Librarian Elizabeth Winters Elementary School Teacher Genevieve Bleiler Middle School Life Skills SPED Teacher *Greg Limperis Supervisor of Instructional Technology and Media Priscilla Camarda Middle School Teacher Timothy McCarron High School Principal *Chair C. Needs Assessment Yearly, the Technology Planning Committee (TPC) in conjunction with the IS&T department evaluate and assess technology products and services. Upon recommendations from the Technology Planning Committee, the Supervisor of Instructional Technology and Media in conjunction with the Director of Technology discuss the feasibility and need to adjust the budget in order to meet the needs of educators district-wide. Members of the Technology Planning Committee, informally surveyed staff across the district for their technology concerns and needs. Through this process, the Committee identified the following instructional technology needs: There are classrooms throughout the LPS District which do not have computers in them or easily accessible to them. A school-by-school survey of computer hardware needs should be completed to identify those classrooms with the highest level of need. Training and technical support is a high area of need in all schools. Teachers who have access to computers, laptops, ipads and Mimios, identified training and technical support as a high area of need. The TPC recommends staffing Technology Facilitators in each school to be a point of technical training and support for teachers. Greater bandwidth in schools to meet the current needs of teachers and allow for future growth as content requiring additional bandwidth is used district-wide. This would require at least a doubling of bandwidth in most schools. One-to-one access within schools through the distribution of tablets, e-readers and or laptops. The teachers are open to a reconfiguration of computer access in their classrooms if it could result in carts available on a regular basis that would provide them that one-to-one desired access. A plan to establish efficient printing capabilities and access for all teachers. The process of reconfiguring access to instructional software has begun. We have looked to better align technology software offerings to suit the needs of each individual school. This may result in the removal of some software access not currently used in order to better appropriate funds for access to desired instructional technology content. Some schools have begun piloting Successmaker by Pearson, Mimio Read and Mimio Sprouts by Mimio,and TenMarks Math by TenMarks. 6

D. Budget The Technology Planning Committee in conjunction with the LPS IT Department plan around a combined budget that helps achieve our technology goals. This budget helps ensure the implementation of LPS long range plan. Lawrence Public Schools technology budget consists of two departments: an Instructional Technology Department and IS&T Department. The Instructional Technology Department s budget covers software implementation, instructional technology professional development when associated with software implementation, operational costs, contracted services, and salary. The IS&T Department s budget covers hardware costs, infrastructure, contracted services, tech support, operational costs, and salary. The budget consists of funding from federal, state and private resources. Our district is also eligible for 89% E-Rate reimbursement. The balance that is not covered by this E-rate reimbursement is covered through the IS&T or Instructional Technology budget process. When needed, the budget is adjusted in order to meet these needs. Lawrence Public Schools continues to reduce costs through efficiencies such as using digital resources to lower the cost of printing. Online forms, digital calendars and central printing are some additional ways the district is currently attempting to decrease costs. E. Evaluation The district at monthly Technology Planning meetings evaluates the ability to meet the goals set forth in the technology plan. During these meetings, the district reviews the effectiveness of the current technology in place and uses this information in order to ensure the items purchased are appropriate, costeffective and sustainable. Any program that is piloted is only done so with a plan in place to ensure that it can remain sustainable. If problems arise, the Technology Planning Committee works to make midcourse changes in the tech plan in order to ensure the achievement of goals set in place. Benchmark 2 Technology Integration and Literacy A. Technology Integration 1. Outside Teaching Time - Thanks to the infusion of interactive whiteboards, document cameras, slate tablets, and student response systems over the past few years, at least 90% of all LPS teachers use technology daily for research, lesson planning, organization, administrative tasks, communication and or collaboration. Teachers are constantly sharing and planning with each other ways to best integrate the technology available to them in their daily teaching. 2. For Teaching and Learning - Teachers also use technology appropriately with students as a way to enhance the curriculum. Teachers utilize the hardware and software for research, multimedia, simulations, data analysis, communication and collaboration. This integration of technology has resulted in enhanced student interest, inquiry, creativity and collaboration during the learning process. B. Technology Literacy 7

1. The Lawrence Public School District continues to work towards 100% student technology proficiency levels set forth by the Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards and Expectations. 2. By 2014-2015 Teachers will have self-assessed their own skills using the Massachusetts Technology Self-Assessment Tool (TSAT) to meet the goals set in the district technology plan. C. Staffing 1. Lawrence Public Schools currently has one Director of Technology and a Supervisor of Instructional Technology and Media. 2. The district is currently evaluating the need for additional instructional technology support in schools lacking technology teachers and or technology facilitators. In some situations teachers do not have immediate access (other than through the Supervisor of Instructional Technology and Media) to someone who can support and model proper technology integration. In this instance, the district is currently relying on teachers strong in instructional technology usage to give immediate support to other teachers when possible. 3. In addition to district level technicians and a network administrator, the district provides one FTE employee dedicated towards data management and assessment. Benchmark 3 Technology Professional Development A. In alignment with the district turnaround plan in place, professional development will be supplied as needs arise and requested by individual schools. Central office staff will work to support schools in an effort to offer high-quality, ongoing PD that includes exposure and training to emerging technology issues and skills. Training will be based on research which supports universal design for learning. B. Wherever possible, the district will provide ongoing mentoring, modeling, and coaching through whole school workshops, team level meetings, one on one support, and online professional development. C. Planning for this professional development will be based on feedback from teachers, principals, and the Massachusetts TSAT. Benchmark 4 Accessibility of Technology A. Hardware Access 1. Currently, the district has a ratio of approximately 1 high-capacity internet connected computer for every four students. The ultimate goal of the district is to move to a one-to-one high capacity internet connected computer. As the budget allows, Lawrence Public Schools will work towards purchasing an average of one high-capacity, internet connected computer for each student. Due to current budgetary limitations, this reality is a struggle for the district. In order to be prepared for PARCC the district will look at trying to meet this goal by the 2014-2015 school year. 8

2. Through the use of assistive technology devices, the district provides students with appropriate hardware such as ipads, and other assistive technology in an effort meet every child s needs. The technology provided is evaluated for its appropriateness based on each child s grade level. 3. All purchases for informational technology are ensured to align with policies that ensure usability, interoperability and SIF compliance. When SIF compliance is not available, alternative offerings are evaluated. 4. All classrooms, where possible, have been provided with technology rich devices such as digital projectors, interactive whiteboards, and, student response systems. All computers within district are on a five year or less replacement cycle. B. Internet Access 1. District wide, all classrooms have internet connectivity. By the end of the 2014-2015 school years, all schools will also be outfitted with wireless connectivity as well. 2. The district at this point is not able to provide an external internet connection to our Internet Service Provider (ISP) of speeds equal to or exceeding 100Mbps. Pending e-rate funding and budgetary constraints, the district will work to increase connectivity at the elementary and middle schools from 12 Mbps and our High School from 50 Mbps to 100Mbps by 2014-2015. 3. Currently only the high school has bandwidth of 10/100/1GB to each classroom. At peak, the bandwidth at each classroom is at least 100 kbps. The network card for each computer district wide is a 10/100/1GB card. The district will be increasing bandwidth to each classroom pending funding. C. Networking (LAN/WAN) 1. In about six of the main buildings across the district, there is an internal wide area network connection from the district to each school between schools of at least 1 Gbps per 1000 students/staff. In the remainder of our buildings, planning is in place to improve this connection. Pending funding, by 2014-2015 these issues will be resolved. 2. Internally, our district provides access to servers for secure file sharing, backups, scheduling, email and web publishing. The district has recently migrated its email server from Lotus notes over to a dedicated Microsoft Exchange server. D. Access to Internet Outside of the School Day 1. All staff has access to the internet within the school building outside of the normal school day. Before and after school, all staff and in some locations students have access to computer labs for additional access opportunities. The decision to open up lab access is held on a school by school basis pending staffing and funding. 2. Students and staff are informed of public library internet access available to them. The creation of an internet access list is something the district will look to add as it acquires knowledge of locations across the city within traveling distance to each student s school. 9

E. Staffing 1. Lawrence Public Schools provides 6 full time technicians in the IS&T department that ensure the network is functioning at all times. The ratio of technicians to full time staff is about 1:250. 2. The IS&T department is able to address most technology problems or request within a 24-48 hour time frame With this level of support coupled with software and hardware put in place. Access to the IS&T department can either happen by emailing the department directly or by calling the help desk phone number. This information can be found on the district website for all teachers. 3. The ratio of Technicians to computers is about 1:400. Benchmark 5 Virtual Learning and Communications A. Lawrence Public Schools encourages the use of innovative strategies for delivering high-quality lessons with the help of instructional technology. B. Through the use of resources such as Discovery Education, YouTube for Schools, Compass Learning s Odyssey Math, ETS s Critereon, Carnegie Learning s: Bridge to Algebra, Custom Guide s Online Learning, Rosetta Stone, and Nettrekker, educators can access content via the world wide web at anytime and anyplace that they have internet connectivity. C. Through district provided Moodle courses, Virtual High School, Video Conferencing and Virtual Field Trips, educators and students are able to collaborate on projects, take online courses, travel to inaccessible locations and carry on distant discussions. D. The district has begun an update to the district website that now includes additional information for parents, students and community members. This website is kept up-to-date by a district provided web developer who adds content as needed daily. The district is looking at additional ways to engage the parents, teachers and students at the school level as well. The district has begun exploring ways to make the Lawrence Public School website more collaborative and engaging for visitors by providing additional school level information. Benchmark 6 Safety, Security, and Data Retention A. The district provides an up-to-date CIPA-compliant Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) which can be found on the district s website. The AUP can be accessed at https://www.lawrence.k12.ma.us/files/policies/revised%20aup%202012.pdf the policy is updated as needed in order to ensure a safe and ethical use of technology resources by all students and staff. B. Through professional development and classroom lessons, staff members and students are educated about appropriate online behavior. Topics discussed include, cyberbullying, risks related to social networking websites and chat rooms. During these sessions, strategies for dealing with these issues are also discussed. The resource recommended for teachers and parents is http://www.netsmartz.org/parents. 10

C. In an effort to protect the security of staff within our district, all current staff members are given their own individual account login with a username and password. Upon staff login, they are given a secured network storage space where private files and information can be saved. Students information is always transferred from our LMS via secured network connections. D. All student and staff networked information is backed-up nightly to ensure proper archiving of all electronic communications. According to the district Acceptable Use Policy, which all students and staff agree to, information distributed over the district or school network may be a public record. 11