Technology Plan Review

A review of the North Thurston Public Schools technology plan

What is your district's vision or mission statement? Five years from now, would a visitor coming to your school see technology supporting learning and teaching? Would there be an improvement from today?

There are no mission or vision statements included in the technology plan. However, the general mission and vision statements for the school district are as follows: Mission The mission of North Thurston Public Schools is to provide every student the academic and life skills necessary to succeed in a diverse world. In partnership with the community, the District will provide leadership and commitment to support innovative, high-quality education. Vision The vision of the North Thurston Public Schools is to provide an educationally excellent, safe and invigorating community in which to learn, work and grow. Student centered instruction, with clearly identified results, is the top priority. All students are valued individuals who can learn. They possess a strong sense of self-worth gained through success in a wide variety of experiences and with a wide range of people. Upon graduation, students will be able to communicate effectively, think critically and creatively and make informed choices. The community takes pride in the innovative, responsive educational system resulting from the involvement and leadership of parents, the public, staff and the School Board. Diversity is recognized and each person is treated with respect and dignity. The mission and vision statements do not specifically mention long-range improvements in technological support of teaching and learning. However, the word innovation is used in both statements, and certainly high quality innovations in teaching would include the use of relevant technology. Furthermore, while the district technology plan is short on specifics, it does call for continued updates of computers in the schools, as well as training in such areas as Web 2.0 tools and technology high-yield strategies.

Has the district established levels of proficiency in technology by grade levels? If so, are these proficiencies woven into the academic curriculum? Are they taught in separate standalone technology lessons/classes?

In the technology plan the only grade level for which objectives are specifically mentioned is 8th grade. It is unclear why 8th grade was chosen as a targeted grade level. The plan states: Five percent of our 8th grade students will move from tier on [sic] to tier 2 and five percent will move from tier 2 to 3 each spring as measured by a self-assessment tool. Furthermore, the plan indicates that the skills at which 8th graders should become proficient are:

Use of database and encyclopedia resources Use of presentation software Use of Web 2.0 tools

At the building level, various schools and departments have more specific goals for grade-level technology proficiencies. For example, at Timberline High School, all 9th grade students enroll in a basic communications technology class. The objectives for this class are: Using Windowsbased technology and Office XP software, students will gain/improve essential computer and communication skills. With access to the Internet, students will develop the skill of applying information to applications such as outlines, reports, and a PowerPoint slide show. While these goals are more specific than those in the districts plan, one might still question the lack of innovation and relevance in spending an entire semester learning Microsoft Office.

What are some of the classroom management strategies that work with the amount of technology actually available in the classrooms?

Classroom management strategies are not indicated in the technology plan. However, various schools in the district have developed policies to manage the technology in their buildings. For example, at Timberline High School, students must have their ID card to check laptops out of the school library; students may use these laptops on their own while in the library, but must be under the direction of a teacher to take a laptop out of the library. Teachers make policies regarding cell phone use for their own classrooms. In my (Dans) classroom, students know that they are generally allowed to use cell phones for academic purposes (research, dictionary/thesaurus, calculator, Evernote, etc.) but if the students are unsure if its allowed, they should always ask.

Does the district have an inventory system or does one need to be developed to track the type and age of hardware?

Although not mentioned in the technology plan, all computers, monitors and peripherals in the district are bar-coded and inventoried in a database. The system does seem to provide sound data to district technology staff; teachers who have contacted district technology personnel with troubleshooting issues are able to get instant help by referring to the bar code on the computer or peripheral.

Are assistive technologies available to students with special needs as well as to other students, such as English language learners, who might benefit from the use of those devices and software?

Students with special needs and ESL students are not specifically addressed in the technology plan. However, on the districts website, there is a wealth of information concerning assistive technology:

Assistive Technology Welcome to the Assistive Technology Webpages. These pages are meant to give a brief overview of Assistive Technology and Augmentative Communication, and hardware and software we are using throughout North Thurston Public Schools.

The Staff Their are two staff members who work in the area of Assistive Technology, Karen Foreman and Trudy Leverenz.

What is Assistive Technology? Assistive Technology (AT) is hardware, software, and strategies that can be used to increase a student's ability to access and participate more fully in their educational curriculum. It is an accommodation to help a student compensate for areas they have difficulty in. There is AT available for students with reading, writing, math, communication, and motor difficulties. There is a wide range of technology available from the extremely low tech hardware such as daily schedules and pencil grips to high tech computer software and communication devices.

What replacement cycle has been built into the plan? Will adequate funding be set aside for replacements?

This is one area where the district does well, although it may not be reflected in the technology plan. The plan does refer to periodic upgrades in stating intent to refresh existing student computers using the HSPE/MSP roll out schedule to prioritize installs. The HSPE and MSP are state-mandated standardized tests the state has a plan to administer online by 2013. In response, the district has aligned their upgrade schedule with the states rollout of online testing.

In practice, this means computers and software are generally upgraded every 5-7 years. The upgrades are accounted for in the district budgeting, and regular upgrades seem to be a district priority.

How does the tech plan address technology proficiencies and information literacy skills?

The district focuses on a state-wide comprehensive assessment program to dictate a roll out schedule of technology installs best addressing technology proficiencies as well as information literacy skills pertinent to all separate grade levels. The districts tech plan projects that through the use of non-specific technology in the classroom, students will be able to access information efficiently and effectively. In regards to communication, the tech plan highlights the use of databases, encyclopedia resources, and Web 2.0 tools as an effort to ensure students have the ability to communicate effectively and creatively.

How will the school district know whether implementation of this plan has made a positive impact on teaching and learning?

Self-assessment tools are used to demonstrate student ability to move through separate tiers of technology and information literacy competencies. The tech plan solely places active reflection of technology implementation on the shoulders of teachers and administrators, through the creation of needs assessment surveys with the intent to assess progress annually. No mention is made as to specific guidelines of assessment. Assumption expressed in the tech plan as to improved test scores implies success of technology integration within the district.

Does the plan address a time frame by which the district proposes to implement the various components of the plan?

Yes, the districts tech plan outlines a 2010-2013 time frame in which full implementation of the overall plan is expected. The plan also outlines a Fall/Spring timeline for self-assessment (both students and teachers) in regards to movement through tiers of progress.

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Do you think this plan has addressed issues such as equity for all students? Please explain your thinking.

Although the tech plan makes a point of intention to enable students at every grade level to meet the performance indicators for accessing information as well as technology use in communicating effectively, more distinct emphasis is focused on preparing 5% of 8th graders for advancement between tiers (measured by self-assessment tools) each spring. The non-specific goals for each grade level, in addition to the lack of goals for the remaining 8th graders shows a lack of equity for all students within the district. In addition the tech plan does not align with the districts vision stating all students are valued individuals who can learn by displaying openly in the tech plan a lack of expectation for 100% of the student body.

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Does this plan provide tools to help lower the achievement gap? Please explain your thinking.

Overall, the basic tech plan of the district is perceived as the following: The state will begin administering standardized tests online by the year 2013; so, in order to prepare our students for completing online testing successfully, technology must be integrated into our curriculum, and in turn, the students ability to access resources broadening knowledge base as well as overall communication skills will improve. Basically, through technology integration, the students will be able to take part in online testing, and hopefully their test scores will also improve. Yes, the tech plan provides an overall view of tools to lower the achievement gap, yet the tools are unspecific to grade level, and the plan is loose, at best.

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If you could recommend some improvements to your district's technology team regarding this plan, what would they be and why?

First of all, specific plans for technology integration in the classroom need to be addressed at every grade level throughout the district. Although I applaud the district in its attempt at implementing a tech use plan, too much emphasis is placed on technology in relation to improving standardized test scores, and not enough focus on preparing students for real world application of 21st Century skills. The tech plan should read as a foundation of technology implementation in the classroom, one which teachers can build on and adapt as they see fit within their curriculum. The current plan puts narrow focus on the advancement of technology based abilities for far too narrow a percentage of students (5% of 8th graders). Also, the use of yearly self-assessment does not lend the tech use plan to enough hard review. The administration is relied on for designing a needs assessment survey, which may be in better hands created by an unbiased outside party. Overall, the tech plan sticks to general traditional methods of technology integration...give students/teachers access to technology (computers), and hope their test scores improve. Success of technology integration requires vision in regards to trends and nontraditional methods in relation to flexibility and long-term technology proficiencies and information literacy skills.

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