North Platte Public School District

North Platte Public School District Student Learning, Student Achievement, Student Success District Technology Plan 2014-2019

Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 District Description 4 Technology Definition 4 Technology Vision and Mission 4 Mission Statement 5 Vision Statement 5 Priorities 5 Goals 5 AdvancEd Goals 6 Overall Goals 6 Technology Planning Process 7 Professional Development Opportunities 9 Infrastructure, Equipment and Software Access 9 Library Resource Centers 10 Criteria for Obsolescence 10 Computer Life Cycle 10 End of Life Technology Equipment 11 Grant Acquired Technology 11 Objectives for 2014-2019 11 Implementation Timeframe 12 Technical Support and Management of the System 12 Financial Plan and Projected Technology Expenditures 13 Overall Plan Evaluation 14 Appendices Building Technology Plan 15 Building Requisition 18 2 P a g e

Executive Summary This technology plan is the current best representation of the District s vision, goals, and objectives for instructional technology. As such, it is a living document that will always be under revision and adjustment. It is flexible, but specific enough to act as a guide in decision making and budgeting funds. It is the intention of the North Platte Technology Committee to allocate and spend funds with specific goals and objectives in mind. This five-year plan, with its associated timelines and priorities, provides guidance. The recommendations contained in this technology plan are intended to provide direction for the Board of Education, Superintendent, Associate Superintendent, directors, principals, building technology committees, teachers, support staff, parents, and students in planning for technology initiatives. Building on the existing infrastructure, the plan outlines steps needed to achieve the next level of implementation. This plan for the use of technology is designed to have a significant impact on the delivery of education in the District. Through these supports, and with the current plan, the District continues to deepen teachers and administrators understandings of the uses of technology to support learning. This technology plan continues to outline three recommendations for the 2014-2019 school year: 1. Develop direct support for professional development for technology. Increase the impact of the training programs by providing more on-site training through peer training, co-teaching, and mentoring. 2. Continue the connection with the International Society for Technology Education/National Education Technology Standards (ISTE/NETS) for students, teachers, and administrators. Provide additional opportunities and in-house professional development for teachers to create lessons and units that incorporate technology and share those learning experiences via Google Drive, grade level, team, department, and faculty meetings. 3. Focus on further implementing the instructional technology vision and proposed design. Continue to strengthen the technology support for new equipment, and provide the network management tools to manage help desk requests, as well as maintenance and troubleshooting. 4. Focus on additional purchases to move closer to the instructional technology vision and proposed design including a five-year technology deployment. Continue to strengthen the technology support for existing and projected equipment purchases, and provide the network management tools to manage help desk requests, as well as maintenance and troubleshooting. 3 P a g e

District Description The North Platte Public School District serves approximately 4,200 students in grades PK-12 and provides preschool and early childhood services for children younger than kindergarten. The District includes 10 elementary buildings, two middle schools, and one high school. Technology Definition The North Platte School District uses technology in both its instructional program and in the administration and management of the district. Technology is defined as the hardware tools, software applications, and virtual environments used to perform tasks more efficiently and provide the employees with ways to create opportunities originally not possible. In education, the focus is on utilizing the most appropriate technology and applications to support and supplement quality teaching and learning to improve student achievement. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to: Computers Mobile devices Digital cameras Interactive white boards and interactive projectors Video technologies Audio recording tools Student response systems Inter and intra-district network routers and servers Internet access and email servers Equipment to access telephone and voice services Technology Vision and Mission The North Platte Public School District is committed to providing students with a technology rich learning environment through inter-disciplinary curricula and multi-media integration. The North Platte Public School District will incorporate technology as a natural part of education through an integrated, comprehensive framework to govern acquisition, application, and evaluation of technological resources to ensure that all students will have the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to be productive citizens in an information-driven, global society. Consistent with the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Students, students will become: Capable information seekers and life-long learners Information seekers, analyzers and evaluators Problem solvers, critical thinkers, and decision makers Creative and effective users of productivity tools Communicators, collaborators, publishers and producers Informed, responsible and contributing citizens 4 P a g e

By using technology and facilitating students use of technology, teachers will: Improve instructional strategies to increase student achievement regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, learning styles or abilities Accurately and efficiently assess, monitor and communicate students progress to parents and other education personnel Continuously improve professional skills through staff development Share resources and skills with colleagues By using technology and facilitating the use of technology as a tool, administrators will: Promote the use of technology as an instructional and administrative tool Provide, solicit and seek adequate funding for maintenance, support, training and equipment Demonstrate vision and leadership for the use of technology in raising student achievement and staff productivity Provide immediate and easy access to data sources for instructional and administrative decision making Integrate technology into procedures and manuals Mission Statement (why we exist) Student Learning, Student Achievement, Student Success Vision Statement (what we want to be) Culture of Excellence Priorities (our focus) Continuous Student Success High Performing Personnel Clear, Accurate, Responsive, Transparent Communication Positive Parent and Community Partnerships Effective and Efficient Use of Resources Safe Learning and Working Environment Goals (broad areas of concentration) Cultivate a learning community where students are engaged in their learning, committed to excellence and supported to achieve their fullest potential. Develop a comprehensive professional development plan to support staff based on the collaborative work of: aligning curriculum, designing formative assessments and improving instruction. Provide accurate and timely communication to all stakeholders. Manage finances in order to sustain educational programs while maintaining and improving safety, security, accessibility, usability and value of our school facilities within budget limitations. 5 P a g e

AdvancEd Recommendations Implement instructional strategies throughout the district that ensure active student engagement and the development of 21st Century skills, including opportunities for student collaboration, self-reflection, critical thinking, and the use of technology. Examine the North Platte Public School District Technology Plan goals and implement an action plan to ensure student use of digital tools to increase active student engagement and learning. Overall Goals If our students are to meet the challenges of the future, we must empower learners to function effectively in their present and predictable environment. This will require complete and total restructuring of our educational environment in order to provide the essentials teachers and learners need for success in an information-oriented society. Restructuring of traditional teaching methods is necessary, but by itself, it is a partial and inadequate solution. Curriculum, organizational patterns, even facilities must also be restructured. To restructure and reshape our educational system, we must be prepared to take advantage of those technologies that are rapidly becoming an integral component of success in our information-oriented society. Therefore, as educators, we must identify, implement, utilize, and prepare others to utilize those technologies that are rapidly becoming necessary and essential for enhancing teaching and learning in the world of today and tomorrow. This technology plan is intended to coincide with all North Platte Public School District educational initiatives and support our District's mission, vision, priorities, and goals. The plan is developed from the strong belief, supported by research, that technology can significantly enhance the learning environment and improve teaching and learning. Further, technology is seen as a critical component of our efforts to adequately prepare our students. Technology is seen as a critical component effort to adequately prepare our students. Students need to master many skills to compete successfully in the 21st century. North Platte Public School District plans to move beyond the basic competency in core subjects and begin to merge college, career, and citizen ready skills into the existing curricula. Students need to have learning and innovation skills, which include creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. Students need to possess information, media, and technology skills, which include informational, media, communication (ICT) literacies. Students also need life and career skills that exemplify flexibility, adaptability, initiative, self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills productivity, accountability, leadership, and responsibility. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum will be enhanced with expanded technology. The following goals are set by the district and buildings will determine strategies, individuals responsible, timelines, professional development, and hardware/software. 6 P a g e

Goal 1: Student Achievement: All students will experience a quality, standardsbased technology-infused education that maximizes learning and encourages connectivity, productivity and efficiency. Goal 2: Effective Teaching and Learning Practices: The staff will readily access the technology needed to promote skills for effective and efficient enhancement of student learning along with their own personal and professional growth. Goal 3: Access to Information Resources and Learning Tools: All staff and students will have access to the learning tools and information resources necessary to search, evaluate, analyze, manage, manipulate, communicate and construct information and knowledge in the teaching and learning environment. Figure 1: North Platte Public School District Technology Goals Academic Excellence Fiscal Sustainability Organizational Development Technology Planning Process This technology plan was created through members of the District Technology Committee. Members attended meetings, NETA, and Google Summits to explore possibilities for the district. In order to provide a technology program that will continue to support and enhance the educational and administrative programs in our district, the committee developed a five-year plan. 7 P a g e

Clarity survey was administered district wide May 2013 and February 2014. The survey resulted in the identification areas that are integral to the successful accomplishment of the current technology mission. These areas are reflected in the diagram in figure 2. Administration established a vision and corresponding implementation plan for the next phase of technology training and acquisition that includes objectives for each area. Figure 2: North Platte Public School District Strategies, Standards, and Evaluation Process Professional Development Curriculum and Technology Integration Technology Plan Student Achievement Evaluation Financial Capacity and Planning This planning document reflects the vision for technology implementation in each critical area. For each area, the vision process will establish expectations, measures of implementation, and existing or emerging technologies to support the goals and proposed timeline. Some examples of the questions that will be addressed as part of the vision and planning process include: How will school-based teaching and learning needs be identified and targeted? What are the expectations for the impact of classroom technology use on student performance indicators? How will proposed lesson plans that incorporate technology be linked to district, state, and national content standards? How will schools assess student performance when technology use is a component of that performance? 8 P a g e

North Platte Public Schools recognizes that as they continue planning during the next technology implementation phase, they will provide support across schools in the following areas: Standardization of hardware, including research on platform for scaling up, future needs, and operating system version control Creating the vision and policies to be used by schools and departments to determine how technology will be distributed to instructional areas Creating and implementing policies pertaining to electronic records retention and user ID termination Creating and testing a data disaster recovery plan for the local area networks that outlines policy and procedure in case of a data emergency/disaster Implementing and tracking the priorities for technology leases and purchases Matching computer resources to curricular needs Providing professional development for instructional and non-instructional staff Professional Development Opportunities 2014-2019 Providing a well-defined professional development program for all teachers, administrators, and school related professionals will be an ongoing process during the 2014-2019 school years. Based on annual survey results, North Platte Public Schools will provide a variety of professional development courses. Infrastructure, Equipment, and Software Access As part of the overall capital construction project and investment in technology, the North Platte Public School District has implemented high-speed local area networks in each school building and connectivity between schools and the district office. Our infrastructure is the foundation for the following: Google Apps for Education Online curriculum Shared printers and applications Streaming video Web hosting (public web site) Manage servers for financial and student applications Teacher and student access to the software necessary to support the full range of curriculum and instruction Teacher and student access to a wide range of specialized peripherals such as Smart Boards, Epson Bright Links, Digital Media Projectors, large format printers for CAD, color printers, digital tablets for drawing, scanners, digital cameras, probes (science measurement devices), document cameras, and music keyboard(midi) interfaces Web-based resources Student and teacher access to information via the web provides a full range of textual, audio, and visual resources Using search tools and browsers Parents and other community members access to information Assistive technology for special needs students 9 P a g e

High volume digital copier/printers accessible from anywhere in the network Teacher and student color and monochrome print documents Network provides support for both instructional and administrative applications Help Desk support is available for any technical issues pertaining to hardware, software or connectivity on our network Resources to increase communication with the parents and community Library Resource Centers Library resource centers continue to play a critical role in our schools. They are hubs for engaged learning, exploration, and access to information resources, as well as the starting point for student collaboration and communication. Each library has student computers, a screen and projector, internet access, and electronic resources. The library provides access to a wide range of online encyclopedias, reference materials, and video resources. As with all district computers, internet access is available through the district network. Students and teachers have access to local, regional, state, national and international library resources from any workstation in the District. NPPSD maintains a library automation and circulation management system. Users, with internet availability, can access the library collection database and a variety of online articles, magazines, historical documents, online encyclopedias, and streamed video. Criteria for Equipment Obsolescence The North Platte Public School District understands the rapid rate of change and advancement in the areas of hardware. In response to this change, the District must manage its technology assets in a manner consistent with both fiscal prudence and the need to provide technologically appropriate systems to students and staff. The goals of the technology replacement plan are to: 1. Assure that appropriate technology is available to support the mission, vision, priorities, and goals 2. Assure that each faculty member has a computer of sufficient capability to fulfill his/her responsibilities 3. Provide for the cost effective and timely purchasing and installation of new equipment 4. Expedite the disposal of old equipment Computer Life Cycle The useful service life of a typical desktop workstation is approximately five to six years. Administration recognizes our fiscal responsibility to purchase and maintain quality equipment. End of Life Technology Equipment The Technology Department will maintain all technology equipment until it is ineffective. This process will continue until the equipment is no longer capable of functioning or the 10 P a g e

cost to upgrade or repair becomes too great. The technology equipment considered to be at the end of life cycle will be handled according to board policy. Grant Acquired Technology Staff members who seek grant funding for additional technology must follow district protocol. Before an application is submitted, a staff member must submit a request to building principal, Assistant Superintendent and Technology Director for approval. The approval form will require staff member to describe how grant funded technology aligns with district and school goals. The requested equipment must be from the list of approved devices shared by Technology Department. Technology acquired through grants remain the property of the school district when employee resigns or retires from North Platte Public Schools. Technology acquired through grants may move with employee to another assignment within the district if no building funds were used to purchase devices. Objectives for 2014-2019 Increase Access to Technology for All Students and All Teachers During the 2014-2015 school year, district technology will continue to disseminate, track, and monitor equipment to ensure equitable access of equipment to all students and teachers within each building. The District Technology Use Policies are shared with all staff and students. Respective policies help to facilitate increased and equitable access to technology for all students and all teachers, as well as to carry out the goals of this technology plan. Continue and Expand Curriculum Integration and Professional Development All staff will continue to engage in professional development initiatives and programs. Staff members will receive training for curriculum based programs during implementation and throughout curriculum cycle. The focus of technology and curriculum integration is to improve student achievement. Professional Development opportunities will be adjusted annually to meet the needs of staff members. Green Plan to Manage Excess Inventory The Technology Department explored the various options available and developed a method to manage antiquated equipment that needs to be removed as mandated in policy. Update Policies and Procedures The North Platte Public School District wishes to provide unencumbered access to the Internet and other information resources. It was necessary to implement policies and procedures to ensure equitable access, to protect District equipment and the network and to comply with government regulations, such as the Children s Internet Protection Act. The policies, which will continue to be reviewed and revised annually, include: Hardware standardization and procurement procedures Support requirements for system and technical training needs Internet firewall and filtering Security and confidentiality Web information policies for electronic public dissemination of information Copyright guidelines 11 P a g e

Disposal of equipment and software Electronic Records Retention Policy e-mail Archiving Data Disaster Recovery Procedures Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for Students/Staff (Appendix M) Implement Electronic Records Retention & Data Disaster Recovery Procedure North Platte Public Schools will develop a disaster recovery plan that will help recover as quickly and effectively as possible from any disaster or emergency which interrupts information systems and business operations. Records have been contracted to be digitized for student and staff files. Implementation Timeframe--School Years 2014-219 Professional Development Continue to implement Internet Safety Curriculum including Digital Citizenship as required by E-Rate Provide professional development initiatives for interactive whiteboards Continue to provide curriculum driven, technology rich activities that align with goals and support curricular areas Continue to use technology as a tool to accommodate student learning styles and ability levels Continue to use technology for research, problem solving and communication by locating, evaluating, collecting and processing information about teaching and learning from a variety of resources Continue to implement free web-based resources Provide professional development in the use of existing and new hardware/software Implement a technology showcase of best practices, software, and programs Equipment To make continuous system improvements and to support timely replacement of instructional hardware and software based on needs and costs Continue ongoing replacement strategies for servers and network equipment Upgrade printers as needed Evaluate software for instructional uses and explore new products as they emerge Technical Support and Management of the System The success of the North Platte Public School District Technology Plan requires adequate educational and technical staffing, as well as a structured approach for providing assistance to staff when needed. This support function includes modeling the use of technology tools and curriculum specific software in classrooms with individual teachers and small groups, as well as searching out specialized software and web resources for teachers to use in support of their lessons. The support function also includes mentoring teachers (and identifying other mentors within a building) to help teachers explore the best practices. 12 P a g e

The information technology (IT) staff must continue to address the critical issues related to system maintenance. In addition to providing help desk support, IT staff must address general maintenance, monitoring, and upgrading of system and application software Technical support will be put in place for system components that uses the network to remotely diagnose and fix problems from a site. Appropriate security and monitoring systems will be put in place to protect technology assets and to ensure appropriate and effective use. It is critical that teachers be able to plan on the network and system components as dependable instructional resources. Technical support staff must also identify common problems across teachers and schools that might warrant special training. As a part of the technical support structure, all teachers should receive training in fundamental problem identification and troubleshooting. Financial Plan and Projected Technology Expenditures The North Platte Public School District continues to refine budgeting and funding plans on an annual basis. Various funding sources are allocated for technology. General funds support the above day-to-day operations, including computers, photocopiers, phones, and cell phones. The North Platte Public School District also participates in a program to reduce its costs for telecommunications. The E-Rate Program is a federal program that subsidizes the district s telecommunications services. E-rate funds are used to reduce the costs of local and long distance services and Internet connectivity. School Year Annual Budget for Technology Teacher Replacement (Depreciation) Student Technology Budget Per Student Share based on 2013-2014 LFE 2014-2015 260,000 52,000 208,000 $51.50 (4032) 2015-2016 260,000 52,000 208,000 2016-2017 260,000 52,000 208,000 2017-2018 260,000 52,000 208,000 2018-2019 260,000 52,000 208,000 The technology department will issue a list of approved devices for purchase in March of each year. Schools will be able to allocate their district technology budget as well as their own building funds and other resources for annual technology acquisition within the parameters listed below: Annual device requisition must be no more than 25% of district allocation for nontesting compatible devices. Schools may defer technology purchasing for one year in order to build technology depreciation for future purchases. Requisitions that exceed district allocation are limited to 25% of building depreciation fund. 13 P a g e

Overall Plan Evaluation The implementation of this technology plan is reviewed at least annually, but may be updated at any time during the year. Administrators and teachers at both the district and building levels will evaluate the technology implementation process in the following manner: District Evaluation Provide ongoing training for technical support staff Develop a unified technology plan Coordinate technology support to assure standard practice in dealing with problems The technology plan is a working document that will be evaluated on an ongoing basis Building Evaluation Number of teachers and staff members engaging in professional development activities Observations by administrators of lessons integrating technology into instruction Use of parent communication tools Use of Interactive whiteboards, projectors, and document cameras The following types of tasks will be completed to indicate the degree of implementation: o Annual review of the technology plan and related updates o Survey buildings to determine technology support needs o Research comparable districts to determine patterns and models of technical support Integrate technology into the curriculum to improve learning and teaching and promote students responsibility for their own learning will be key considerations Continually assess the impact of this plan on student performance and the level of student professional growth Teacher s observations of students computer skills including word processing and proficiency with Internet use Evaluate the level of technological proficiency gained by students, teachers, and administrators Document usage of technology within the curriculum Assess the students technological needs Develop a diverse process to formally and informally evaluate the impact of technology on student achievement 14 P a g e

(This school plan will be completed on a Google Shared Template.) Name of School Principal Technology Plan 2014-2015 Building Goals: According to Clarity Survey, identify strengths and gaps as collected in survey. Score (Include Category) Strength(s) Gaps(s) Classroom Access Skills Environment When developing strategies to support Technology Goals, consider the following questions: How will school-based teaching and learning needs be identified and targeted? What are the expectations for the impact of classroom technology use on student performance indicators? How will proposed lesson plans that incorporate technology be linked to district, state, and national content standards? How will schools assess student performance when technology use is a component of that performance? 15 P a g e

Technology Goals Goal 1: Student Achievement: All students will experience a quality, standardsbased technology-infused education that maximizes learning and encourages connectivity, productivity and efficiency as aligned with four PLC questions: What do we want students to know and learn? How will we know if they have learned it? What will we do if they don t learn? What will we do if they already know it? Strategy Individual(s) Responsible Timeline Professional Development Hardware/ Software Evaluation for Goal 1: How was student achievement increase? Goal 2: Effective Teaching and Learning Practices: The staff will readily access the technology needed to promote skills for effective and efficient enhancement of student learning along with their own personal and professional growth. Strategy Individual(s) Responsible Timeline Professional Development Hardware/ Software 16 P a g e

Evaluation for Goal 2: How did this impact effective teaching and learning practices? Goal 3: Access to Information Resources and Learning Tools: All staff and students will have access to the learning tools and information resources necessary to search, evaluate, analyze, manage, manipulate, communicate and construct information and knowledge in the teaching and learning environment. Strategy Individual(s) Responsible Timeline Professional Development Hardware/ Software Evaluation for Goal 3: What evidence renders evidence of increased usage by staff and students? 17 P a g e

(This requisition form will be completed on a Google Shared Template.) Name of School Principal Technology Requisition 2014-2015 District Technology Allocation for 2014-2015 ($51.50 x 2013-2014 LFE): Hardware Request: Quantity Description (must be from district list) Estimated Price Funds to be used (If using more than one fund, breakdown allocation.) Aligned to Building Goal and Strategy Total Hardware Request (A): Fund Budget Code Total District Allocation 18 P a g e

Software Request: Name (what type of license - # or site) Description (must be preapproved by Technology Director and DLT if new purchase) Estimated Price Funds to be used (If using more than one fund, breakdown allocation.) Aligned to Building Goal and Strategy Total Software Request (B): Fund Budget Code Total Total Technology Request for 2014-2015 (A+B): 19 P a g e