Wk 4

Week 4 Assignment, Part 1

The Executive Administrator of Technology is ultimately responsible for implementing technology throughout the district but is supported directly by the Superintendent's Cabinet. This committee considers tactical planning issues such as detail scope, schedule, budget, and precedence, of slated technology implementation projects The Superintendent's Cabinet also directs the Executive Administrator of Technology to survey the district to gather the instructional technological needs of t he students and teachers for the future. An Executive Administrator of Technology, reporting to the Assistant Superintendent for the Division of Business Operations, heads the Technology department. This department, employing approximately 136 staff members, includes an Educational Technology Group and an Information Technology Group, each headed by a Project Director. Community Partnerships include a variety of programs such as Business Education Scholastic Team (BEST) – a partnership between the district and local businesses, which offers mentoring. Campus Improvement Teams – community members, along with teachers, administrators, and parents, work to develop unique plans to increase academic achievement and to improve the school environment. Community Education – the district offers classes ranging from water safety to swing dancing to technology-skill development. School-to-Careers Initiative – a partnership between the district and local business and industries to ensure that students are able to explore a variety of career options.

Week 4 Assignment, Part 2

OBJECTIVE:
Provide online instructional resources in order to offer Credit Recovery, Initial Credit and Dual Credit opportunities to secondary students.

LRPT category:
Teaching and Learning

Strategies:
Provide rigorous online instruction offering initial credit and credit recovery to at risk, dual credit or fast track students. To do this the district will set in place an evaluation and implementation of an on-line curriculum that provides initial credit and move our current credit recovery curriculum to an online environment providing students from the Garland ISD with an online credit recovery solution.

Person(s) Responsible:
Campus Administrators, Technology Department and Secondary Operations

Evidence of Need:
In the StaR Chart category of Infrastructure for Technology distance learning capacity, we had our greatest weakness all three years observed. Currently, we don’t have distance-learning support except for teachers opting to attach assignments to their online grade book and this needs to change to offer alternative options for those students taking on adult roles in the home, wanting to graduate early, &/or wanting alternative options for credit recovery or dual credit.

What Will Be Accomplished:
At risk students will be enabled to complete their high school education. The district will have a lower drop out rate and less over-age students in the traditional school settings. The creation of a dual credit program where students can receive both high school and college credits by using instructional technology solutions so that the district will see more students earning college credit while enrolled in high school giving them more avenues for success.

What Will Be Used to Train Teachers for Implementation:
Podcasts via online and in learning groups offered during staff development, conference periods the week following and as needed for a refresher/update along the way.
Ongoing Evaluation:
A Blog site will be implemented for teachers and students to comment on how the online courses are going and changes needed. The Building Principal will use these in his report and to implement changes as needed.

Week 4 Assignment, Part 3

Campuses will review technology programs, including the above mentioned action plan, annually to assess their implementation of engaged -learning practices using technology. By identifying areas that need further attention and the steps needed to achieve their goals, campus leaders formulate a plan to improve technology integration on their campus. Each campus and teacher will complete the TEA Technology STaR Chart each year and submit it to the GISD Technology Department. This data will then be charted to indicate the district standing across the state. Campus hardware and software inventories and teacher repair requests are examined annually to determine which hardware and software needs to be replaced that year. Each year, district hardware and software standards are reviewed. When necessary, items are thoroughly researched, acquired, and tested by Technology Department Personnel. If necessary, new BIDS for purchasing are developed. To acquire usage data, instructional software is run under a management system.

Currently, according to the StaR Chart, our campus falls short in the area of teaching and learning with technology with core teachers. Our campus needs to do a better job of developing and maintaining technology use and teaching these tools to the teachers that are used to the old ways of teaching. In the category of Infrastructure for Technology distance learning capacity, we had our greatest weakness all three years observed.

At the conclusion of each staff development course for the above mentioned plan, evaluation sheets will be collected and analyzed by the Professional Development Department to ensure course offerings, presentation modality, and content meet the identified needs.