BOARD PRIORITY 1: City Schools will have quality curricula and instruction that provide rigor, engage students, raise the bar and deliver targeted interventions to increase learning. I. PURPOSE: The focus of Baltimore City Public Schools at this time in its reform work is to make sure that by the time students graduate high school, they are ready for whatever comes next, whether it s college, other post-secondary training or work. This work starts in the early grades and it spans implementing more rigorous curricula and assessments; improving instruction; supporting teaching and learning with modern, high-quality learning environments; and expanding extracurricular, early college and work experiences for all students. For this to happen, the district office and schools need to begin now making strategic and long-term investments to support these initiatives starting with classroom technology. The following guidance will help school leaders as they budget and plan for investments in instructional technology. It outlines the responsibilities for purchasing and supporting technology. II. GENERAL GUIDELINES: A. OVERVIEW OF CITY SCHOOLS TECHNOLOGY SERVICES Schools and the district are both responsible for making sure school buildings are equipped with the technology and infrastructure they need to ensure excellent teaching and learning in classrooms. Following is a chart outlining the types of services available in the district and who is responsible for maintaining, purchasing, and supporting them. Service Owner Description Internet- Maintenance and Support The (ITD) maintains this service on behalf of all schools. If your school has questions about Internet connectivity in your building, please contact the Service Support Center at ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us. Schools are responsible for the purchase and installation of wireless Internet access, but ITD will explore Wireless Internet Access- Installation Wireless Internet Access- Support Schools options with school leaders if needed. Parts and labor for installing wireless access in schools are the financial responsibility of schools. School Leaders can access this information on K12Buy.com and are encouraged to consult with ITD staff by contacting ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us. ITD will support wireless access once installed at no expense to the school. To request support, please contact ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us. FSF 147- TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS FY 15 PAGE 1
Wiring and Related Services- Installation Hardware and Software- Purchasing devices Hardware and Software- Supporting devices Schools Schools If schools require additional network drops in order for computers to access the Internet, schools are responsible for this cost. School leaders can contact the Service Support Center with requests for this service at ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us. Schools are responsible for purchasing hardware including computers, tablets, and interactive projectors. All hardware for schools should be purchased through K12Buy.com so that ITD can assure support for these devices that align to district standards. Please see this fact sheet for more information on available technology and processes for purchasing and ensuring support of technology. All nonstandard software purchases must be approved by ITD and the Office of Academics to ensure compatibility with enterprise software and approved hardware. ITD provides support for all approved hardware and software. Scanners Schools Schools are responsible for the procurement of scanners for Data Link assessments. Schools should replace their assessment scanners every 3 years or earlier if diagnosed with damaged components. Please request support at ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us if you have questions about scanners for Data Link assessments. Standard Imaging Email and Enterprise Services All school computers receive a standard image. This image includes software including Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, and Internet browsers. Sometimes when a computer is non-functioning, ITD will reimage the machine. There is no charge for re-imaging a computer. As always, if computers are not functioning properly, please request support at ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us. All staff members receive a network login that provides access to email and necessary enterprise systems including TSS, Employee Self Service, SMS, and eforms. ITD maintains and supports these services. FSF 147- TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS FY 15 PAGE 2
B. PLANNING FOR INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES should be used as a daily instructional tool to engage and motivate students and are participating in authentic tasks that replicate college and career readiness skills. As schools are planning for technology purchases, ITD recommends creating a School-based Plan. This 3-year plan should include a long term goal around technology integration, as well as an action plan. The action plan should delineate what equipment will be purchased and how it will help the school meet its goals. It should also include a professional development plan that provides a rigorous, ongoing set of activities that will ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills necessary to integrate technology into daily instruction. ITD s Office of Classroom Support Services can provide assistance, support, and guidance to schools leaders who wish to create a school technology plan. For support in this effort, please contact the Service Support Center at ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us. C. ONLINE TESTING In the coming years, most assessments will be administered to students online. Online testing has many benefits, students are able to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways that are not always possible on a paper assessment. Teachers can access and analyze data more efficiently and effectively to inform instruction. Using more comprehensive and timely data, schools are better positioned to support staff and students. Families can also learn about their student s progress more quickly. And with more effective ways to collect data, the district can identify best practices and interventions to share with schools. School Year 2014-2015 Assessments required to be administered online PARCC (Grades 3-11)* RISE (Grades 3 11) MSA Science Online (Grades 5 & 8) Start Strong Maryland (Pre-K) HSA English 10/Algebra retakes HSA Government HSA Biology KEA (Kindergarten)* * new in SY 14-15 FSF 147- TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS FY 15 PAGE 3
In addition, many district assessments are available for students to take online through Data Link. Participating in Data Link assessments allows students to practice online testing and teachers to receive test results more quickly and to analyze their students test results in greater detail. If school leaders have questions about how to deliver assessments through Data Link, please contact Sean Hall at SHHall@bcps.k12.md.us. *Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Assessment (PARCC) In the 2014-15 school year, the PARCC assessment will be administered online to all students in grades 3 to11. This assessment requires students to use technology successfully. PARCC is one example of an online assessment, but it should not be the only one students take throughout the year nor should PARCC be one of the few times a student uses technology. How should a school determine if it has enough computers to administer PARCC and other assessments online? Online testing windows are longer than pencil and paper windows. While sessions of a test must be administered on consecutive days, not all students need to take the test on the same day. School Testing Population For schools with 3 or fewer testing grades For schools with 4 or more testing grades PARCC Recommendation 2:1 ratio of students to devices in the largest testing grade. For example, a school testing three grades that has 120 students in their largest testing grade would need at least 60 computers. 1:1 ratio of students to devices in the largest testing grade. For example, a school that is testing four grades and has 120 students in the largest grade would need at least 120 devices. Please reference your PARCC readiness report for more information. If you need another copy of this report, please contact Nell Etheredge EGEtheredge@bcps.k12.md.us. *Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) In the 2014-2015 school year, the Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) will be administered to all kindergarten students using an online platform. This assessment is designed to utilize touch screen technology, because hands-on interaction is developmentally informed and best practice for young children. Full implementation of the KEA requires wireless Internet access for each kindergarten classroom, as well as one touch-enabled tablet device for each kindergarten teacher. FSF 147- TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS FY 15 PAGE 4
Schools that make, or already have made, an investment in wireless Internet access for kindergarten classrooms in time for the start of the 2014-2015 school year will be provided with one tablet per kindergarten teacher. Schools that are unable to make this investment in time for the 2014-2015 school year may administer the test using hard-wired laptop or desktop computers. However, these schools must plan to have both the wireless access and tablet device in place for their kindergarten classrooms in time for the 2015-2016 school year. School leaders with questions about purchases for the KEA are encouraged to contact Perry Gorgen at PTGorgen@bcps.k12.md.us. If Internet access at the school is unreliable, can online assessments still be administered? If your school is experiencing Internet difficulty, please request support by contacting the ITD Service Support Center immediately at ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us. If schools experience slow Internet connections or intermittent Internet service during an assessment, tests should not be affected. PARCC and other online assessments are proctor cached. This means tests are downloaded from the Pearson testing server to a secure "local" computer prior to starting a test session. Because test content exists on the local network, the demand for external (Internet) bandwidth for online testing is reduced. With proctor caching, if a school s Internet "goes down" during testing, students still have access to test content and can continue testing while technicians resolve the Internet connection issue. This way, students can continue the assessments without compromising results. III. INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY: Schools will have different technology needs and therefore make different investments that meet the needs of their buildings and student populations. For example, a school with available physical space should consider purchasing technology to create a hardwired lab; whereas, a school with limited space should consider establishing a mobile computing configuration. When planning for the investment, consider the following: 1. The ability for teachers to integrate the use of devices into instruction. 2. The location and set-up of devices for administering online assessment. 3. If the specifications of the device meet requirements for state-required assessments. All school leaders will receive a PARCC Readiness Report. This report will detail the number of devices in school buildings that are needed in order to ensure that the PARCC assessment is implemented successfully. Please refer to this report in order to create or FSF 147- TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS FY 15 PAGE 5
revise your technology plan when creating your SY 14-15 budget. In order to make sure that the devices in which you invest meet the specifications for the state-required assessments, please refer to recommended device specifications below. ITD is available to support school leaders as they plan their investments. For assistance, please contact the Service Support Center at ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us. For specific questions about the content and delivery of online assessments, please contact Nell Etheredge at EGEtheredge@bcps.k12.md.us. What kinds of computers can schools use to administer assessments? If your computers have Windows XP, Windows 7, or Mac OS 10.5 you are able to test online. Computers can be desktops or laptops. Because testing puts the computer into lockdown mode and the content is already downloaded, the speed of the computer will not impact testing the same way it might impact instruction. Below is a list of technology guidelines specifically for the PARCC assessment. Please note that computers must have a functioning mouse, touchpad or touchscreen. Device Guidelines Desktop, Laptop, Netbook, and Thin Client/VDI Computers Operating System Minimum Specifications Recommended Specifications Windows Windows XP Service Pack 3 Windows 7 or newer Mac OS Mac OS 10.5 Mac OS 10.7 or newer Linux Ubuntu 9-10, Fedora 6 Ubuntu 11.10, Fedora 16 or newer Chrome OS Chrome OS 19 Chrome OS 19 or newer Memory 512 MB of RAM Internet Wired or wireless network Screen Size 9.5 inch screen size or larger Resolution 1024 x 768 resolution or better Mouse Mouse, touchpad, or touchscreen Keyboard Wired or wireless/bluetooth Headphones Required 1 GB RAM or greater Wired or wireless network 9.5 inch screen size or larger 1024 x 768 resolution or better Mouse, touchpad, or touchscreen Wired or wireless/bluetooth Required FSF 147- TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS FY 15 PAGE 6
Tablets Operating Minimum Specifications System Android Android 4.0 (512 MB RAM+) Apple ios ipad 2, ios 6 (512 MB RAM+) Windows Windows 8 (512 MB RAM +) Memory By operating system Internet Wired or wireless network Screen Size 9.5 inch screen size or larger Resolution 1024 x 768 resolution or better Mouse Mouse, touchpad, or touchscreen Keyboard Wired or wireless/bluetooth Headphones Required Recommended Specifications Android 4.0 or newer (1GB RAM+) ipad 2 or newer (512 MB RAM+) Windows 8 or newer (1 GB RAM+) By operating system Wired or wireless network 9.5 inch screen size or larger 1024 x 768 resolution or better Mouse, touchpad, or touchscreen Wired or wireless/bluetooth Required Are tablets allowed? Tablets can be used; however, ITD does not recommend testing with tablets in SY15. All tablets used for testing must have a hardwired keyboard. Additionally, the testing platform application for most online assessments is very new. ITD cannot ensure support for these applications or their requirements. For these reasons, ITD recommends that students test on computers rather than tablets. CONTACT INFORMATION: questions: Phone Number: PARCC testing questions Name of Contact Person: KEA testing questions: Name of Contact Person: Data Link questions: Name of Contact Person: ITD Service Support Center ITDSupport@bcps.k12.md.us Nell Etheredge, Student Assessment EGEtheredge@bcps.k12.md.us Perry Gorgen, Early Learning Programs PTGorgen@bcps.k12.md.us Sean Hall, Program Evaluation SHHall@bcps.k12.md.us FSF 147- TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS FY 15 PAGE 7