TECHNOLOGY PLAN

COFFEE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM

2004-2005

 

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Coffee County School System Mission: 

In partnership with parents and the community, to foster literate, self-confident and responsible students

 

Technology Vision and Mission:

To develop and deliver high quality learning opportunities, to improve learning, enhance economic competitiveness, and strengthen citizen participation

 

Background Information (Needs Assessment/Process):

Coffee County School System’s administrators, educators, support staff, parents, community and business leaders designed a five-year strategic plan for Coffee County School System.  Schools, students, families, and communities engage in reinforcing partnerships to educate youth.  Diverse stakeholders were involved in developing and evaluating this plan.  Collaboration among the above listed groups was completed during an annual two-day planning retreat.  Also, department meetings, scheduled input during planning periods, school-level planning development and grade level meetings assure involvement and clear view of individual school level needs.

 

All school sites are SACS approved with goals and objectives in place, which are consistent with five-year strategic plan. The Director of Technology oversees the implementation of the Technology Plan utilizing allocated resources.  The Technology Trainer/Technician (Coach) and Tech Team (Representatives from each building) and the Contracted Technology Consultant all assist with the planning and implementation process.  Coffee County School Board and staff continue to review and update existing Board Approved Technology Policies and Procedures, which includes Coffee County School System’s Acceptable Use of the Internet, Student Internet Safety and Digital Copyright Policies and Procedures.

 

Goals and Strategies

1.       Build capacity for technology integration.

a.       Create a team composed of administrators, educators, and students to develop administrator standards. (Use ISTE as model)

                                                               i.      Provide ongoing professional development integrating technology use for current and future administrators.

1.      Training to support current and future administrations as set in five-year system plan.

2.      Assessment and renewal through director’s administrator evaluation.

                                                             ii.      Continually plan for future capacity and select applications, which are research-based for technology integration with accountability measures scheduled on a regular basis.

 

b.      Develop, implement, support, and measure the use of technology standards for teachers to ensure effective teaching and learning.   (Use ISTE as model)

                                                               i.      Create a team composed of administrators, educators, and students to develop teacher standards for technology. 

                                                             ii.      Increase the implementation of distance learning in the district MTSU Distance Learning Project and other available sources.

                                                            iii.      Provide ongoing, sustained and effective professional development for new and existing teachers in understanding, sustaining, providing equity in accessibility and implementing technology to improve student academic achievement and to increase teacher capacity for effective integration.

1.      Require training to support new teachers in the ISTE year 3 teacher standards.

2.      Provide training to support current teachers to assist with technology integration based on teacher standards.

3.      Continue Technology Learning Center support for staff development.

4.      Provide model appropriate embedded technology use in all professional development activities.

5.      Provide technology professional staff development activities in application to classroom use rather than as separate training.

 

c.       Develop, implement, support and measure the use of technology standards for teachers to ensure effective learning for students.

                                                               i.      Create a team composed of administrators, teachers, and students to develop student standards for technology including grade level benchmarks.

                                                             ii.      Identify, provide and implement best practice strategies aligned to the curriculum embedding technology as an instructional and assessment tool.

                                                            iii.      Provide ongoing, sustained and effective professional development for new and existing teachers in understanding, sustaining, and implementing technology to improve student academic achievement and teacher effectiveness.

                                                           iv.      Measure student academic growth as taught incorporating embedded technology through the results of local, state and federal testing initiatives as well as individual portfolio assessments.

 

d.      Continue to develop, expand and nurture partnerships and communication among the learning community through the Manchester/Coffee County Partnership for Tomorrow – Technology Learning Center.

                                                               i.      Develop a Student Technology Advisory Board as a supportive and innovation structure for technology planning and program development.

                                                             ii.      Create and maintain a technology support group through the Tech Teams representing each school site.  This purpose is to evaluate emerging technologies as compared with the current course offerings, software and hardware needs.

                                                            iii.      Continue developing partnerships with universities, community businesses and industries.

                                                           iv.      Develop, implement and maintain a more formal structure for planning, organizing and communicating district technology needs by departments and service areas. (Such as:  academic grade levels, subject areas, service areas – transportation, food services, maintenance, business and parent training)

 

e.       Provide, maintain and support tools and resources to support the mission, vision, and goals.

                                                               i.      Review, recommend and purchase software to support the Wide Area Network in a reasonable timeframe.

1.      Develop and maintain a centralized database of software tools in use throughout the district to support instruction.

2.      Develop and maintain a centralized database of hardware in use throughout the district to support instruction and service areas.

3.      Provide online structure to support technology technical needs on a timely basis.

4.      Develop online structure to support a dynamic curriculum.

5.      Develop and maintain streaming video modeling best practices of software integration.

6.      Implement professional level of Microsoft Office Suite to support database instruction.

                                                             ii.      Review, recommend and purchase hardware, telephones and district network including accessibility.

1.       Develop a plan to implement and maintain telephone system in each site with telephone access in each classroom setting.

2.      Maintain point to point WAN with the wireless WAN between all sites.

3.      Maintain and update current hardware inventory at all levels utilizing the Novell Suite.

 

2.       Provide and enable equitable information, media and research-based technology, and implement a literate learning community for all sites.

a.       Expand, revise, implement, support and measure effectiveness of a technology safety, ethics and implementation curriculum.

                                                               i.      Create a team of media specialists and teachers to revise, expand a curriculum guide for information media technology to include safety and ethics.

                                                             ii.      Embed the technology use curriculum into the subject content curriculum.

                                                            iii.      Provide the best practices in curriculum implementation on the website, available for all staff and parents.

 

b.      Develop and implement an 8th grade technology literacy curriculum and assessment tool.

 

c.       Re-evaluate, review and revise plan for relevant and time effective technology communication tools.

                                                               i.      Expand and maintain Tech Support in CCSS and increase technology in schools.

                                                             ii.      Evaluate, expand and improve district, school and teacher websites to meet the needs of the learning community.

1.      Update web site to meet  needs.

2.      Provide opportunity for 2-way communication and interactivity on the district web pages.

3.      Improve communications on the web site for community, school board and central office.

a.       Evaluate the web site continually for effectiveness in communication.

b.      Discuss with community, school board and central office persons to assess future needs.

c.       Redesign as needed to implement needs.

4.      Improve communication on the web site for educators.

a.       Review and revise updating web posting procedures.

b.      Provide training and ongoing support for educators in developing and maintaining classroom web pages.

c.       Maintain online and local resources to support instruction.

5.      Improve communications on the web site for students.

a.       Review and revise procedures, format and resources to reflect the need for student use.

b.      Maintain online and local resources to support instruction.

                                                            iii.      Evaluate and improve the use of software used to communicate with parents, teachers and students.

                                                           iv.       Provide training and procedures in effective and appropriate use of e-mail.

 

3.      Embed technology aligned with challenging state and federal standards with a timeline of how to integrate technology into daily curriculum instructing.

a.       Update, revise and maintain a data warehouse related to the student management system for collecting student data; analyzing school and student needs and trends; planning for district, school, and student needs; evaluating future needs.

 

b.      Extend, maintain and support programs to increase student understanding of content area instruction, diagnostic assistance and directed teacher planning.

 

c.       Evaluate, train, and implement the use of technology based diagnostic tools for daily and longer-term assessment of student instructional needs.

                                                               i.      Evaluate the appropriateness of software usage as to the effectiveness to instruction

                                                             ii.      Test the effectiveness of software use and hardware tools used in the instructional setting.

                                                            iii.      Evaluate software and software tools to support reading, math and other core subject.

 

d.      Provide ongoing, sustained, research-based, and effective professional development that supports student achievement gains.

 

e.       Create and evaluate effectiveness and use of model lessons and best practices in content curriculum using technology as an instructional tool.

                                                               i.      Create a team composed of classroom teachers and technology specialists to design and deliver model lessons and best practices embedding technology; utilize these model lessons to assist with effective professional development.

                                                             ii.      Create digitally video samples of model lessons to support instruction.

                                                            iii.      Evaluate and redesign model lessons as needed

                                                           iv.      Provide ongoing, sustained and effective professional development to support the online curriculum guide with state and federal technology standards embedded in the activities.

 

f.        Provide structure to support differentiation of instruction utilizing STAR Chart/E-TOTE Reports, local assessments and state mandated testing programs for evaluation.

                                                               i.      Support the needs of ELL students through technology.

                                                             ii.      Support the needs of Special Education students through technology and assistive technology.

                                                            iii.      Work in collaboration to support the needs of any student population utilizing technology as tools.

                                                           iv.      Implement classroom based software tool for assisting with the individual student needs.

 

g.       Provide ongoing, and effective professional development and support in the use of research based tools supporting student achievement.

                                                               i.      Provide ongoing professional development and support in the implementation of electronic graphic organizers supporting student achievement.

                                                             ii.      Provide ongoing and effective professional development and support in the use of video conferencing to support student achievement.

                                                            iii.      Provide ongoing and effective professional development and support in the use of video streaming to support student achievement.

                                                           iv.      Provide ongoing and effective professional development and support in the use of graphic calculators supporting student achievement.

                                                             v.      Provide continuing and effective support and professional development in the support of geometer’s sketchpad software for calculus, geometry and algebra supporting student achievement.

                                                           vi.      Provide ongoing professional development and support using PLATO and A+ Software to support student achievement and gateway interventions.

                                                          vii.      Provide ongoing professional development and support in the implementation of online subscriptions to student and teacher resources supporting student achievement.

 

h.       Review and revise as necessary the Adult High School Program and GED Preparation Program to provide technology training as requested.

                                                               i.      Maintain and support the use of technology instruction

                                                             ii.      Maintain and support instructional staff by providing ongoing and effective professional development