TECHNOLOGY PLAN

July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2011

 

Approval of the South Carroll County Special School District’s Technology Plan includes any additions and revisions required by the Tennessee Department of Education.

Approved by Board of Education on Dec. 17, 2007

_________________________________________                          __________________

Signature of Superintendent                                                               Date

_________________________________________                          __________________

Signature of Board of Education Chairperson                                   Date

South Carroll County Special School District
Three-Year Technology Plan
2008-2011

PROFILE

Introduction:

South Carroll is a small school district located in southeast Carroll County of rural West Tennessee. Clarksburg School, the only school in the district, is located in the city limits of Clarksburg. The school building also houses the board offices of South Carroll County Special School District.  The school received accreditation for the second time from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in the spring of 2007.

The school consists of grades PreK – 12. According to the South Carroll Report Card the school served 397 students in the 2006-2007 school year.  The demographics listed 93.3% as white, 4.6% as African American,  .2% as Asian/Pacific Islanders,.5% as Native American/Alaskan, and 1.4% as Hispanic.  The student population included 19.1% with disabilities, 40.1% as economically disadvantaged, and 10.8% as Title I.

Presently, Clarksburg School has an instructional staff composed of 35 certified personnel which includes school director, supervisor of instruction, principal, assistant principal, two school counselors, two librarians/teachers, 22 regular education teachers, two special education teachers, two vocational education teachers, and a Title I teacher.  The school has a support staff of 26 including (but not limited to) seven educational assistants for the regular/special education curriculums, one part-time technology coordinator, and two one-half time technology coaches.  Highly qualified teachers teach all courses with the exception of one teacher teaching one course.  One hundred percent of the paraprofessionals (educational assistants) are highly qualified.

1. Technology

All rooms and offices in the building are connected to a LAN by a 10/100 Mb Cat 5 switched network, and  54  Mb wireless access points are accessible throughout the building. Multiple applications are available through the use of Novell NetWare 6.0 and a Windows 2003 server.  Internet is accessible on all teacher and student stations.  A subscription to netTrekker provides faculty and students with links to sites  that have been pre-screened.  The Discovery Learning Channel provides a free subscription to Video Streaming.  Email is provided to all teachers and support staff.  Symantec AntiVirus software is installed school-wide.  Approximately 32% of computers are high capacity, 61% are medium capacity and 7% are low capacity. Both libraries are automated and use the Athena Automated Library System. The high school library contains seven computer stations for students. One computer lab (12 computers) and one mobile computer lab (13 laptops) are available for student instruction.   A half-time computer lab contains 24 student stations.  All of the classrooms contain a teacher station and 1-10 student stations.

Eighty percent of the classrooms are equipped for multimedia instruction with one mobile multimedia station. In 2000, the school purchased a program called Lightspan.. In Lightspan, students use Sony Playstations to work on reading and math skills. Each classroom in grades 1-5 is equipped with five Lightspan stations.  The Lightspan lab is equipped with 15 stations. Grades 3-8 attend the Lightspan lab 45 minutes each week.  In 2007, the school purchased computer programs called ThinkLink and Study Island gaining access to the ThinkLink and Study Island Networks online.  Both programs offer assessment, standards-based content, instructional tools/resources, and professional development.

Presently, the school is a member of the Carroll County Consortium that is participating in a program endorsed as a pilot program in August of 2005 by the state of Tennessee.   Each school can access  (25 licenses) PLATO online (Grades 5-12) which also offers assessment, standards-based content, instructional tools/resources, and professional development.

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South Carroll County Special School District
Three-Year Technology Plan
2008-2011

Other programs used for CAI include Accelerated Math modules [Pre-Algebra, Algebra I (Grades 1-5].  Accelerated Reading is used at all grade levels. STAR Early Literacy is used in the PreK-2, STAR Literacy for grades 3-5 and STAR Math for Title I.  The Accelerated Math (Grades 1-5) and STAR Literacy and Math are used to support student achievement through the Title I program.

2. Technology Planning Team

A technology planning committee consisting of representatives from all school stakeholder groups was assigned the task of reviewing and revising the previous district technology plan written in school year 2005.

Committee Members:

Diana Collins, Director	Deborah Barger, School Counselor
Amber Halter, Student	Barbara Jordan, Community
Terri Johnson, Community	Brenda Epperson, Librarian
Gail Walker, Supervisor of Instruction	Ronnie Breeden, Board Member
Sarah Orr, Technology Coordinator	Patsy Smith, Parent
Steve Stigall, Vocational	Trey Crews, Principal
Doug Jones, Tech. Coach	Kim Jones, Tech. Coach

Teachers, parents, students, and community leaders were surveyed in 2007 concerning technology issues for the Tennessee Comprehensive Systemwide Planning Process (TCSPP).  At a stakeholders meeting on November 16, 2007, the technology strengths and areas of need were identified and discussed.  In addition, a StaR Chart in the TESS survey was completed on December 4, 2007.  It measured the current technology status and progress in the system.

Summary of StaR Chart Results

Teaching and Learning	Advanced
Educator Preparation and Development	Advanced
Administration and Support Services	Advanced
Infrastructure for Technology	Developing

After analyzing and reviewing the data, the technology planning committee established technology goals, devised strategies, and developed a technology action plan for improvement.  After the action plan was drafted and approved by the committee, it was presented to the South Carroll Board of Education for approval.

3. Assessment Results

 

Areas of Strength

The stakeholders agreed that 100% of the students have access to a variety of resources to help them succeed in their learning including technology and media centers. They also agreed that the computer lab and the mobile laptop computer lab would provide more access to Internet resources. 
1.       In the area of finding and using information, the stakeholders agreed that most of the elementary, middle school, and high school students were confident of their ability to identify, gather, evaluate and apply information using technology.

2.       Internet sites are actively monitored and inappropriate sites are blocked.

3.       Cyber bullying and other safety issues are addressed continually.

4.       All classrooms and labs have wireless access.

5.       Students taking the dual credit classes (English & Algebra) taught by professors from Jackson State Community College (on our campus) are using technology.

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South Carroll County Special School District
Three-Year Technology Plan
2008-2011

6.       Technology is also being used in the vocational articulation classes being offered by Jackson State Community Collage TECH-PREP program.

Areas of Need

1.       An additional T1 line for Internet access.

2.      Address the needs in all areas of the StaR chart.

3.      Encourage all teachers to use technology resources as a part of the instructional process.

4.       Multimedia workstations for every teacher and every classroom equipped with a minimum of three student workstations.

5.       Continue to include technology training for the teachers and staff in in-service and staff development programs.

6.        Provide Email Archiving.

  4. Technology Vision

            Community Members

1.       Who are aware of the technology needs of the school and how the district is working to provide those needs.

2.       Who feel welcomed and encouraged to participate in activities that provide information concerning the improvement and development of the use of technology as a learning tool.

Staff Members

1.       Who are confident and competent in using technology as learning and teaching tools.

2.       Who realize the importance of technology as a learning tool and are willing to participate in organized improvement and development activities that will improve student learning.

Students

1.       Who are competent in the use of technology as well as being able to adjust to future technological changes.

2.       Who recognize that technology is a tool of the future that they will be using to improve their life and that of the community.

3.       Who practice Internet safety.

5. Collaboration Among Educators

 

The technology plan will be shared with all of the educational staff and their role in its implementation will be identified. During each school year, the educational staff will be given the opportunity to help evaluate the effectiveness of the plan. Each year the librarians, technology coordinator, supervisor of instruction, guidance counselor and principals will meet with the director of schools to discuss specific technology issues related to the school technology needs.

 

6. Collaboration with Parents and Community Partners

 

Parents and community representatives serve on all district leadership teams as well as the technology plan team. Input from these representatives is considered for developing and implementing the technology plan. A school newsletter, mailed quarterly, informs parents and the community of technology programs being implemented in the school including the school’s website and the ThinkLink Network website.  Parents are encouraged to view classroom technology by visiting the computer and Lightspan labs during Open House, Parent Orientation Nights, and Parent-Teacher Conferences.  These activities are announced in the quarterly newsletter mailed to parents and on a lighted marquee sign outside the building.  Brochures are available in the lobby of the building for students and parents at all times describing vocational courses, the credit recovery program, and the report card data.

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South Carroll County Special School District
Three-Year Technology Plan
2008-2011

7. Collaboration with Adult Literacy Service Providers

 

The Carroll County Board of Education provides adult literacy classes and testing at the Carroll County Vocational Center located in Huntingdon, Tennessee, the county seat of Carroll County. The vocational center serves students in all five of the special school districts in Carroll County including South Carroll.

Since the vocational center is less than ten miles form South Carroll, certain services are consolidated rather than duplicated. At the request of the vocational school’s administrator, South Carroll provides students, parents and community members with information concerning the programs through announcements at various school activities and in bulletins located in the lobby of the building. South Carroll’s administrators address any request of the vocational center immediately. The school counselor also keeps informed concerning the programs available for adults throughout the area.

8. Curricula and Teaching That Integrate Technology

Various school representatives attend workshops that provide information on integrating technology in the classroom. When they return to the school, information is shared with the educational staff during faculty meetings and during planned in-service. Training, as needed, is continuously provided for the following programs: Accelerated Reader, PLATO, ThinkLink, Lightspan, Accelerated Math, STAR, Microsoft Office, etc.

Our staff will be researching and reviewing relevant research on integrating technology into the classroom to improve student achievement and also to improve teacher quality.  Teachers will address skills aligned to the Tennessee Instructional Technology Standards each year during classroom technology instruction.

9. Increasing Accessibility

Additional hardware, software and multimedia equipment will be added, thereby increasing accessibility to technology by students and teachers.  (Funds will be used based on need, since there are no high-poverty schools in the district.).

10. Interoperability

All hardware and software systems will be compatible with one another from the standpoint of operating systems and network compatibility.

11. Equity

Since all grades at South Carroll are housed in one building, inequities generally do not exist. South Carroll has strived, however, to insure equity at different levels of instruction--elementary, middle school, and high school. At the present time, each classroom is connected to the LAN, has wireless access and has a teacher computer station. In addition, libraries are automated, all grades have access to Accelerated Reader, and all grades share the computer labs and have access to multimedia equipment

 

12. Evaluation Measures

 

The success of the district’s technology goals will be measured by the following:

1.       Student test score success rates.

2.      Increase in the number of computers with Internet access.

3.      Increase in student use of computers measured by average number of hours per student per week.

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South Carroll County Special School District
Three-Year Technology Plan
2008-2011

4.      Increase in number of teachers and administrators trained in the use of technology.

5.      The degree of technology classroom use by both teachers and students.

13. Leadership

The implementation of the technology plan is the major responsibility of the technology coordinator.  The following staff members provide additional support.

Director of Schools	Provides budgetary support and consultation regarding district’s TCSPP as it relates to technology.
Supervisor of Instruction	Provides support for curriculum, instruction, and federal projects.  She serves on the technology committee.
Principal	Provides support for implementing technology in grades 6-12 as it relates to the school’s TCSPP and serves on the technology committee.
Assistant Principal	Provides support for implementing technology in grades PK-5 as it relates to the school’s TCSPP and serves on the technology committee.
Teachers	Provide input as to the technology plan implementation in their classrooms and selected representatives serve on the technology committee.
Community/Parent/Student	Provides input for the technology plan and selected representatives serve on the technology committee.

14. Review of Policies and Procedures

The school system is in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) as outlined by USAC (E-rate) and Ed Tech legislation

The committee for this plan has reviewed the following policies and procedures.

 Descriptor Code                                                                Policy Title

(Student Handbook)	South Carroll Acceptable Use Policy for Students
(Teacher Handbook)	South Carroll Acceptable Use Policy for Staff
4.406	Acceptable Use of the Internet
6.312	Use of Personal Communication Devices
4.404	Use of Copyrighted Materials
1.805	Use of Electronic Mail (Board Members & Staff)
4.407	Web Pages

 

15. Action Plan

The following action plan (pages 7-10) includes goals and strategies that will be used to improve the academic achievement and technology literacy of all students and to improve the capacity of all teachers to integrate technology effectively into curriculum and instruction.

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