Technology Plan

Administration and Support Services

The process of integrating technology represents systemic school reform. This challenge requires vision building, innovation, administrator commitment, skilled leadership, technical support services, and adequate funding. The planning for and implementation of technology is an on-going effort if schools are to see improved student learning, increased productivity, and more efficient operations.

The Texas Education Agency developed the Texas School Technology and Readiness (STaR) report around the four key areas of the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology: Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation and Development, Administration and Support Services, and Infrastructure for Technology. The STaR Chart is designed to help districts determine their progress toward meeting the goals of the Long-Range Plan for Technology as well as meeting the goals of the district. The STaR Chart is included in the appendix.

The Administration and Support Services rubric for assessing the district’s level of technology integration consists of the following focus areas:

L 1. Leadership and Vision

L 2. Planning

L 3. Instructional Support

L 4. Communication and Collaboration

L 5. Budget

L 6. Leadership and Support for Online Learning

Descriptors are provided within the rubric to identify the level of progress in each focus area. The levels of progress are described as:

· Early Tech

· Developing Tech

· Advanced Tech

· Target Tech

Moving Towards Target Tech in Administration and Support Services

The Target Tech levels of progress in Administration and Support Services include the following descriptors:

· Campus leadership promotes a shared vision with policies that encourage continuous innovation with technology leading to increased student achievement;

· Campus leadership team has a collaborative, technology-rich Campus Improvement Plan that is grounded in research and aligned with the district strategic plan that is focused on student success;

· Educational leaders and teacher cadres facilitate and support the use of technologies to enhance instructional methods that develop higher-level thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills;

· Campuses use a variety of media and formats, including telecommunications and the school website to communicate, interact, and collaborate with all education stakeholders;

· Campus discretionary funds and other resources are allocated to advance implementation of all the technology strategies to meet the goals and objectives outlined in the Campus Improvement Plan; and

· Online learning is facilitated and supported through professional development and integrated in to the Campus Improvement Plan and online for-credit courses are available to students as desired to meet their individual learning needs.

In support of these targets, substantial efforts are being made to provide a thorough suite of administrative tools, appropriate staffing and funding to support improved student learning, increased productivity, and more efficient operations.

Implementation and Integration Strategies

Goal: Provide a thorough suite of administrative tools, appropriate staffing and funding to support improved student learning, increased productivity, and more efficient operations.

Outcome I: Administrators have the capability to access data to make informed decisions to enhance all functions involved in the education process.

Outcome II: Student performance and staff communications are enhanced through inter/intra-district communications.

Outcome III: Administrators and teachers have the capability to effectively communicate with the community

Outcome IV: Sufficient funds are allocated to support the technology infrastructure, including hardware, software, staffing, professional development, support services, and facilities.

Outcome V: The technology plan is continuously evaluated and updated.

Administration and Support Services Implementation Time Line

	2008-2009	2009-20010	2010-2011	2011-2012
Leadership and Vision:
Campus leadership promotes a shared vision with policies that encourage continuous innovation with technology leading to increased student achievement
Planning:
Campuses have a technology-rich Campus Improvement Plan
Campuses have a collaborative technology-rich Campus Improvement Plan
Instructional Support:
Create campus technology liaisons to disseminate and support the integration and use of technology in contnt areas.
Create campus teacher cadres that stimulate, nurture, and support technology utilization to maximixe teaching and learning
Increase the District-level support staff to adequately support the District’s information processing needs
Communication and Collaboration
Information tools and systems are used to manage student information
Information tools and systems are used to communicate with parents
Budget:
Secure funding for the replacement of outdated equipment
Secure funding for the installation of new equipment for growth
Leadership and Support for Online Learning
Online learning is encouraged and supported
Provide online for-credit courses
Online learning is facilitated and supported

Strategies for Administration and Support Services Implementation

Issues of support and maintenance for existing and evolving technologies require systematic school reform. The success of technology will be determined by the vision building, administrator commitment, skilled leadership, and a budget that addresses the real costs of technology, both initial and ongoing. This vision will be accomplished through the following strategies.

· The vision building is an on-going process comprised of professional development, mentoring, and modeling. To support the vision, the Technology Plan will be reviewed annually through a collaboration of stakeholders and modified as required.

· Access to data for decision-making support for administrators and teachers is provided through a web-based student information system. Individual student data is also available to parents through this web-based viewer.

· All students and staff have electronic mail and collaborative software to facilitate communication. On-line resources are available through a robust infrastructure.

· Funds are allocated for the Technology Plan through the operational budget, state technology allotment funds, Coca-Cola Technology funds, E-Rate funds, and school bonds.

· Campus technology liaisons for both instruction and infrastructure support are allocated to each campus. This phased implementation begins with a teaching unit at each secondary campus and a teaching unit shared between two elementary campuses. As funding is allocated, a dedicated instructional technology support person will be allocated for each campus along with a technical support person.

Administration and Support Services

Performance Objective 4: By the year 2005, 100% of the campuses will have the technological resources for the integration of technology to support productive systems for learning and administration.

Activity	Responsibility	Resources	Timeline	Formative Evaluation
1. Leadership and Vision: District and campus leadership promote a shared vision with policies that encourage continuous innovation with technology leading to increased student achievement	Asst. Supt. for Tech., Principals, Site-based Teams,	Operational		Campus Technology Plan STaR Chart (L 1)
2. Planning: Campus technology plan aligns with District plan; teachers and administrators have a vision for technology use for direct instruction and student use; administrators use technology tools for planning; and the campus plan addresses Technology Application TEKS and higher-order teaching and learning. The campus technology plan is focused on student success; is based on needs, research, proven teaching and learning principles; and administrators use technology tools for planning and decision-making	Asst. Supt. for Tech., Principals, Site-based Teams, Inst. Tech. Coord.	Operational		Repair requests Total cost of ownership STaR Chart (L 2)
3. Instructional Support: Create campus technology liaisons to disseminate and support the integration and use of technology in contnt areas. Create campus teacher cadres that stimulate, nurture, and support technology utilization to maximixe teaching and learning Increase the District-level support staff to adequately support the District’s information processing needs	Budget	Operational		Allocated Staff Positions STaR Chart (L 3)
4. Communication and Collaboration: Information tools and systems are used to manage student information