St. Tammany Parish School Boardstpsb.org/sbpolicies/pages/STPSBTechPlan2014.pdf · St. Tammany Parish School Board Technology Plan 4 St. Tammany Parish School Board

St. Tammany Parish School Board

Technology Plan

April 19, 2007

St. Tammany Parish School Board Technology Plan 2

St. Tammany Parish School Board Technology Plan

SCHOOL BOARD and SUPERINTENDENT

Name Title Gayle Sloan Superintendent Neal Hennegan District 1 Elizabeth Heintz District 2 Michael Dirmann District 3 Jack Loup District 4 Charles Harrell District 5 Donald Villere District 6 Sorola “Jody” Palmer District 7 Daniel Zechenelly District 8 Carmen Johnson District 9 Ronald Bettencourtt District 10 Bob Womack District 11 James “Ronnie” Panks, Sr. District 12 John Lamarque District 13 Ray Alfred District 14 Mary Bellisario District 15



TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERARCHING GOAL: ALL LOUISIANA EDUCATORS AND LEARNERS WILL BENEFIT FROM TECHNOLOGY-RICH ENVIRONMENTS THAT SUPPORT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND PRODUCE LIFE LONG LEARNERS ABLE TO SUCCEED IN AN INFORMATION SOCIETY.

Action Step 1: Strengthen Leadership

Action Step 2: Improve Teacher Training

Action Step 3: Support E-Learning and Virtual Schools

Action Step 4: Encourage Improved Access and Technology Usage

Appendices • Appendix A: Needs Assessment Data • Appendix B: System Assurance (signed by Superintendent and Board) • Appendix C: School Review Assurance (signed by Superintendent and

Principals) • Appendix D: Technology Plan Development Team Members (listed by name and

occupation) • Appendix E: E-Rate budget • Appendix F: E-Rate criteria (5 essential elements)



INTRODUCTION / OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW The St. Tammany Parish School Board’s instructional technology program is well established and securely funded. It has been very successful over the last several years of its existence. Numerous sources of business, district, federal, and state funding such as BellSouth Mini Grants, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Northern Life Insurance Company Programs, St. Tammany Parish School Board General Fund, School PTA, 8(g), Title I, Title II, Title V, Learning Intensive Networking Communities for Success (LINCS), US Department of Education (USDE), 21st Century Community Learning Centers, USDE Fund for the Improvement of Education, Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT), Technology Improvement Grant (TIG), and E-Rate are available to support instructional technology in St. Tammany. Other resources include satellite technology training labs located throughout the district and a state-of-the-art, 23,000 sq. ft. Instructional Technology Center complete with computer training labs, technology rich model classroom, professional development center, distance learning classroom (satellite, Internet, cable TV, and compressed video conferencing), television station, and conference center. Each year, the St. Tammany Parish School Board’s Instructional Technology Training Program, which is one of the most extensive and comprehensive in the State, offers numerous instructional technology classes to its teachers, administrators, and school staffs. This program has trained thousands of teachers for tens of thousands of contact hours. In St. Tammany Parish Public Schools, the ratio of students to computers was 19 to 1 at the beginning of the 1997-1998 school year. At the end of the 2005-2006 school year, the ratio was 4 to 1. Classroom observations clearly show that technology integration into the curriculum has begun and in many classrooms is at an advanced stage. Classroom observations also indicate that fundamental change in the teaching and learning processes is taking place. There is movement away from teacher-centered instruction characterized by hands-off and passive learning, memorization and recall of facts and figures, and reliance on textbooks and paper-and-pencil tests towards a student-centered classroom characterized by interactive, cooperative, hands-on, active learning, and the integration of instructional technology and alternative assessment into the curriculum. Teacher surveys indicate that teachers are very enthusiastic about using instructional technology in their classrooms. Teachers also report that they want more hardware, software, and job-embedded professional development.


The infusion of instructional technology and teacher training into district schools has been associated with widespread and significant increases in student achievement. Over the last six years, District Performance Scores were always among the highest in the State of Louisiana. LEAP test scores are consistently ranked among the highest in the State of Louisiana. IOWA and ACT scores are consistently ranked above the national average. PLANNING PROCESS A 15 member committee composed of parents, teachers, principals, central office administrators, university faculty, LDE regional education service center staff, and community representatives was convened on February 15, 2007. This committee was charged with revising the district technology plan. The team met face to face and communicated via email to consider changes and additions to the current technology plan. The plan was reviewed by the St. Tammany Parish School Board’s Committee as a Whole on March 22, 2007. The technology plan was then brought before the St. Tammany Parish School Board on April 19, 2007, for approval. VISION The St. Tammany Parish School Board's vision is to provide an exemplary school system, widely respected for high standards and first-rate performance and outstanding student achievement. In this System, public schools are valued and supported and a strong partnership exists between educators, students, families, and the community to help ensure that: • students have safe, caring environments for learning; • students are positively challenged, enriched, and inspired;

• students learn to be self-motivated and life-long learners, prepared for life's pursuits; and

• students learn to be responsible and contributing members of a global society. To develop responsible life-long learners who are able to achieve and excel in a global society of continuing technological advancement, the St. Tammany Parish School Board shall invest in state-of-the-art equipment and services, ensure teacher and staff development opportunities, and continuously maintain and upgrade its instructional technology base. STATEMENT OF BELIEFS We believe that:

o public education is an investment in the future of our country and is the foundation for an informed democratic society;


o high standards of performance and continuous improvement are essential for high-quality education;

o knowledge of basic skills and critical thinking form the foundation for life-long learning;

o excellence in education and accountability for student success are best achieved through cooperative vision and effort of students, families, educators, and community;

o all students can learn to their potential given appropriate expectations, challenging curricula, and high-quality instruction that addresses the individual learning styles, developmental levels, and backgrounds of students;

o school curricula should be engaging, challenging, and responsive to the changing needs of society;

o technology skills are essential for enhancing communication, broadening sources of information, and functioning in a technology-rich society;

o a safe and caring school environment that supports the well-being and positive self-worth of students is fundamental to a high-quality education;

o teaching citizenship and modeling respect and ethical behavior are important to help students become productive, responsible members of our technology based society;

o the School District must attract and retain exemplary employees and must provide ongoing professional development that meets the needs of students, staff, and community;

o open, ongoing communication is necessary to build trust and cooperation; o the school must address the intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and creative

needs of students; o a carefully planned developmental curriculum that is constantly evaluated,

updated, and uniformly implemented is essential; o learning opportunities reach beyond the classroom and the school and result

from local school/parental/community involvement; o learning activities are designed to meet the individual needs of the learner; o individual abilities and interests of students are valued, and the curriculum

reinforces positive self-concept and self-worth of students; o the classroom teacher is the single most important factor influencing learning in

the school setting; o the role of the classroom teacher is to provide appropriate tasks and experiences

that enable students to learn at a pace that allows daily successes; o a firm foundation in the basic skills subjects is the basis for a sound educational

program; o ancillary school services provide support to the teacher and the students; and o the education of children is a shared responsibility of school, parent, and

community;


MISSION The mission of the St. Tammany Parish School Board is to provide a high-quality education for students, resulting in life-long learners and graduates who are prepared to solve today's problems and meet tomorrow's challenges. Action Step 1: Strengthen Leadership Leaders at all levels will support systemic change through transformational leadership while monitoring effective use of instructional technology that supports standards-based school improvement efforts. Current Status: • There exists a strong partnership among the Instructional Technology Center,

Information Technology Department, and the school technology liaisons. • There is a building level technology contact person or technology liaison to help

facilitate interactions between the school and the community, including local colleges, and universities.

• A strong internship program exists in the high school School-to-Work programs. • Twenty-one principals, 15 assistant principals and four central office

administrators have completed the LEADTech program. • A technology liaison and/or technology facilitator serve as members of the

School Improvement Committee. • Educational administrators and principals routinely conduct classroom

observations to ensure that teachers are effectively integrating instructional technology into the classroom curriculum.

Benchmarks, Target year 2014: 1. Educational administrators/leaders will be technology proficient according to state

adopted standards found in the International Society for Technology in Education’s National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETSA).

2. Educational administrators/leaders will be encouraged to participate in leadership professional development offered by the Louisiana Department of Education.

3. Educational administrators/leaders will use technology to effectively monitor and evaluate teachers (e.g. SnapShots / Walk-Throughs using Tablet PCs).

4. All newly appointed educational administrators/leaders will participate in ongoing professional development designed to develop/strengthen leadership skills and provide support during the first years of service.

5. Educational administrators/leaders will routinely model appropriate use of technology resources to support administrative and instructional functions.

6. Educational administrators/leaders will use a variety of emerging technologies (e.g., e-mail, voice technologies, compressed video conferencing, Podcasts, TV broadcasts, video streaming, and school and district Intranet) as primary sources of communication.


7. Educational administrators/leaders will support, evaluate, coordinate, and modify their district and school technology plans and/or school improvement plan annually to ensure alignment with overall federal, state and district educational technology and accountability goals.

8. Educational administrators/leaders will include components of effective technology integration in the development of school improvement plans.

9. Districts and schools will use innovative restructuring and reallocation of existing budgets to purchase needed technology and provide access to high quality professional development opportunities.

10. Educational administrators/leaders and curriculum specialists will integrate educational technology into the state-mandated Comprehensive Curriculum or the locally adopted Guaranteed Curriculum.

11. St. Tammany Parish School Board educational administrators and principals shall provide opportunities for continuous professional development and ongoing systematic mentoring to support use of technology in teaching and learning.

12. St. Tammany Parish School Board educational administrators and principals shall routinely monitor teacher lesson plans to ensure that they are technology rich and standards based.

Evaluation Strategies and Timeline:

Evaluation Strategy Frequency Timeline State Technology Survey Annual May State Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment Annual May Parish / School Technology Surveys Annual April – July Reports to LA Dept. of Education or other state agencies

Ongoing January - December

Parish Technology Plan associated with grant and/or E-Rate applications

Annual

District- and school-level monitoring of School Improvement Plans as they relate to educational technology leadership

Annual Spring

Appropriate state and system reports (e.g., NCLB consolidated monitoring reports)

Annual June-July

Budget Reports (federal and/or state grants) Annual Fall, Spring Designate a building level technology contact person or technology liaison to help facilitate interactions between the school and the community, including local colleges and universities

Annual Fall, Spring

Continue to develop technology related intern-ship opportunities in the School to Work programs

Annual Fall, Spring

Develop parental and volunteer programs that assist with technology use in schools and also reinforce students’ understanding of the need for technological literacy in all aspects of life

Annual Fall, Spring


Strategies:

• Leaders at all levels will model technology integration. • Establish and maintain district-wide systems of communication that support the

effective use of electronic communication. • Provide funding and technical support for leaders at all levels to enable

participation in ongoing professional development activities such as, but not limited to: LEADTech, TechTools for Administrators, Educational Leader Induction, and LA LEADS.

• Provide each teacher and administrator with an up-to-date computer, software and appropriate training to ensure their effective use.

• Conduct a technology needs assessment of each school and establish a plan for technology professional development for leaders/aspiring leaders.

• Provide for a plan to systematically update equipment which keeps pace with the changing world of technology.

• Monitor and evaluate not only the use of classroom technology but curriculum integration with technology on required observation, evaluation or walk-through district forms.

• Continue implementation and improvement of technology-based applications for maintaining and reporting student grades, attendance records, scheduling, and other necessary record keeping.

• Continue to provide web-based lesson plans to communicate more effectively with parents and provide them with access to information relative to student learning and classroom activities.

• Recommend school web pages include homework assignments, weekly content focus of instruction, parent resources to help support curriculum, student products, and other appropriate information.

• Seek all possible alternative sources of funding through strategic partnering with other programs at the district/school level.

• Provide leadership in the implementation of the Parish’s Instructional Technology Plan, facilitate and assess the integration of instructional technology into the curriculum, raise funding for instructional technology through grant writing and corporate solicitations.

• Develop parental and volunteer programs that not only assist with technology use in schools but also reinforce students’ understanding of the need for technological literacy in all aspects of life.

• Continue to promote and expand local and statewide technology initiatives. • Expand leadership initiatives and guidance to support the assessment,

acquisition and implementation of assistive technology. • Establish partnerships with various education entities to ensure that initiatives

and policies maximize the effective use of educational technology. • Develop initiatives and policies that promote technology as integral to the

teaching and learning process and to the acquisition of necessary life skills and competencies in PK-12 schools.


Action Step 2: Improve Teacher Training Teachers will participate in effective professional development to ensure that technology and other educational resources available in schools are being used to enhance student learning. Current Status: • St. Tammany Parish School Board educational administrators and principals who

design operational and instructional budgets provide funding for professional development, equipment, network infrastructure, including the Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet access, and maintenance from the following sources:

Source of Funding Dollar Amount Information Technology - General Fund $4,053,845 Instructional Technology - General Fund $773,934 21st Century Community Learning Center $100,000 Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center $115,944 EETT / TIG (Technology Improvement Grant) $65,127 Math & Science Partnerships $300,000 Energy Conservation $361,541 Title I $1,393,386 Title II $2,092,543 LINCs $79,902 E-Rate $725,000 TOTAL $10,061,222

• Over the last nine years, thousands of teachers for a total of tens of thousands of

contact hours have been through job-embedded professional development. • The infusion of instructional technology and teacher training has been associated

with widespread and significant increases in student achievement. • District Performance Scores are among the highest in the State of Louisiana. • LEAP test scores are consistently ranked among the highest in the State of

Louisiana. • IOWA and ACT scores are consistently ranked above the national average. • Teachers, librarians, administrators, staff, resource helping teachers, computer

lab instructors, technology coordinators, and technology trainers, inside and outside the school system, conduct on-going, hands-on inservice workshops at a centrally located instructional technology training center, local school computer labs, and technology rich classrooms.

• The St. Tammany Parish School Board maintains the centrally located Instructional Technology Center. The 23,000 square foot training facility has three Windows computer labs, a technology rich classroom, a professional development center, a distance-learning classroom with compressed video conferencing, a video production studio, and a large conference center.


• Educators in the St. Tammany Parish Public School System are trained in software that uses technology to perform administrative tasks efficiently: e.g. digital records, electronic grade books, attendance, planning.

• Training is supported with annually budgeted funds, release time during the school day, peer observations, coaching, stipends, workshops held during the evenings, weekends, holidays, and summer, online training, webinars, video streaming, compressed video conferencing, distance-learning, instructional technology share fairs, and new teacher/staff orientations.

• Educators in the St. Tammany Parish Public School System engage in professional development that includes group instruction, one-on-one, face-to-face, and online experiences.

• Appropriate support for the assessment, acquisition and implementation of assistive technology as outlined in the LA Pupil Appraisal Handbook, Bulletin 1508 is provided by at least one assistive technology specialist and/or augmentative communication specialist for the St. Tammany Parish Public School System.

• The St. Tammany Parish School Board employs an appropriate number of curriculum certified Instructional Technology Liaisons and Instructional Technology Facilitators who serve as the contacts for district technology initiatives. School-based responsibilities include, but are not be limited to, such activities as helping teachers integrate technology rich, standards based lesson plans into the classroom curriculum; auditing school computers to ensure that each software title has the necessary license documentation; collecting and maintaining records of school software licenses and inventories, loading purchased software, providing basic computer troubleshooting, and facilitating the writing and implementation of the school technology plan.

• Assessment of instructional technology training and use is ongoing and utilized to improve instructional practices, student learning and achievement, and staff productivity in schools.

• St. Tammany Parish School Board teachers, principals, and administrators participate in national and state technology professional organizations to ensure state-of-the-art knowledge and skills.

• St. Tammany Parish School Board teachers, principals, and administrators participate in professional development programs provided through the district, Regional Teaching, Learning, and Technology Centers (TLTCs) and the Louisiana Division of Leadership and Technology.

• LINCs funding in eight schools provides Whole Faculty Study Groups that meet monthly for professional development.

• The Math and Science Partnerships provide training for teachers in grades 6-8 emphasizing the integration of technology into the science and math curriculum.

• The Energy Conservation Program uses instructional technology to teach student about energy conservation and ecology. It also uses technology to conserve energy.


• St. Tammany Parish School Board offers the following Blackboard courses to foster Professional Development and facilitate communication between the central office, teachers and schools:

Name/Description Active organizations

CEC-TI Covington Ed. Center - Title I

CO-Admin Central Office - Administration

CO-BA Central Office - Business Affairs

CO-CI Central Office - Curriculum & Instruction

CO-HR Central Office - Human Resources

CO-IT Central Office - Information Technology

CO-ITC Central Office - Instructional Technology

CO-SUPT Central Office - Superintendent

EIS Early Intervening Services Team

GT-STP The Gifted Grapevine

JE-CI Jefferson East - JETS

RHT Resource Helping Teachers' Organization

TAP Talented Arts Program

adminassoc STPSB Administrators Association

BKST-LG When Kids Can't Read - Book Study

CEC-TIa Title I Literacy Forum

CI Continuous Improvement

CLC Covington Learning Community

Dept SACS

FLC Fontainebleau Learning Community

INT-K6-BLAN INTECH K-6 (Blanchard)

ITC-BBF Blackboard for Facilitators

ITC-BBT Blackboard for Teachers

ITC-CTC Classroom Technology Connection (not active)

ITC-INS Inspiration (not active)

ITC-LIB The Librarian's Corner

ITC-LILI Information Literacy

ITC-WB Word Beyond the Basics (not active)

ITC-WML Wireless Mobile Labs - "How Do They Compute?"

LIT-CA Leading For Learning with Literacy (Arabie)


LIT-CC Leading For Learning with Literacy (Cheri)

LIT-DB Leading For Learning with Literacy (Barnes)

LIT-DS Leading For Learning with Literacy (DSharp)

LIT-JM Leading For Learning with Literacy (Matte)

LIT-MG Leading For Learning with Literacy

LIT-PS Leading For Learning with Literacy (PSharpe)

LIT-SK Leading For Learning with Literacy (Kuhlmann)

LIT-TM Leading For Learning with Literacy (Meyer)

LIT-TW Leading and Learning with Literacy (Wahl)

MLC Mandeville Learning Community

NLC Northshore Learning Community

PLC Pearl River Learning Community

PTechF Principals' Technology Forum

SaLC Salmen Learning Community

SHS-WOW SHS WOW Training

SLC Slidell Learning Community

TLTC-INT-7-12 INTECH 7-12 (Swartz)

TLTC-INT-K6 INTECH K-6 (Swartz)

ProExp Proficiency Express (Swartz)

Benchmarks, target year 2014: 1. Teachers will engage in professional development activities offered locally or

through regional TLTCs that demonstrate how to integrate technology into the Comprehensive Curriculum or the locally adopted Guaranteed Curriculum.

2. Teachers will engage in professional development that includes both online and face-to-face local and state developed professional development opportunities.

3. Teachers will participate in professional learning communities that facilitate the integration of technology into student learning.

4. New teachers will participate in ongoing professional development designed to facilitate the integration of technology into instruction and support the establishment of highly qualified teachers in Louisiana.

5. Teachers will be proficient in the use of technology to enhance student learning by 2014.

6. Teachers will be trained in resources designed to allow students to safely and effectively conduct research using technology.

7. Teachers will know how to use data to personalize/individualize instruction. 8. Pre-service teachers will participate in technology integrated courses designed to

model best practices in integrating technology into the Comprehensive Curriculum


or locally adopted Guaranteed Curriculum. 9. PK-12 teachers will receive instructional technology support on an on-going basis

from a school/district technology facilitator. 10. Appropriate support for the assessment, acquisition and implementation of

Assistive Technology as outlined in the LA Pupil Appraisal Handbook, Bulletin 1508 will be provided by at least one Assistive Technology Specialist and/or Augmentative Communication Specialist for each district.

11. Teachers will be trained in software that uses technology to perform administrative tasks efficiently. (e.g., digital records, electronic grade books, IEP Maker, attendance, planning.)


Evaluation Strategy Frequency Timeline State Technology Survey Annual May State Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment Annual May System/School Technology Surveys Annual April-July Appropriate state and system reports to state agencies

Annual Fall, Spring

System/School Technology Plan associated with grants and/or E-Rate applications

Annual

Evaluations and/or sign in sheets showing participation in teacher professional development opportunities

Ongoing Fall, Spring, Summer

District- and school-level monitoring of professional development plans as they relate to educational technology leadership

Annual Fall, Spring

Teacher Professional Development Portfolios Annual Fall, Spring Classroom Observations Annual Fall, Spring Teacher attendance and presentations at conferences


Offer Louisiana INTECH, INTECH 2, LEADTech, Making Connections, Blackboard, Online Comprehensive Curriculum, and Proficiency Express Training for teachers and administrators

Annual Fall, Spring, Summer

Offer support in the area of assistive technology at school level


Collaborate with universities to offer Educational Technology Facilitation and Educational Technology Leadership Certification


Maintain a close relationship with the regional Teaching and Learning Technology Centers (TLTC's), and Regional Educational Service Center (RESC)


Provide opportunities for teachers to enhance their educational technology knowledge and



skills by developing professional development programs, funding substitutes, and providing travel assistance Strategies: • Allocate sufficient funds and resources for professional development and

technology support personnel. • Provide opportunities for all teachers to enhance their educational technology

knowledge and skills by developing and providing access to professional development programs, funding stipends and substitutes, and providing travel assistance.

• Provide professional development opportunities in the area of assistive technology.

• Utilize email as the official source of communication. • Encourage teachers to learn and use correct technology vocabulary. • Encourage all teachers to complete appropriate technology integration training(s)

to be technology proficient by 2014. • Provide teachers with access to appropriate software and hardware in order to

integrate technology into daily instruction to facilitate and enhance student learning.

• Include components of effective technology integration in the development of lesson plans.

• Add a technology strand to teacher/administrator evaluations in line with Louisiana Components of Effective Teaching so that technology becomes a seamless part of daily classroom teaching and learning.

• Recommend monthly grade-level meetings that include activities that address the integration of technology into the curriculum.

• Send regular email messages about sound educational websites, technology lesson plans and resources, and instructional tools.

• Provide access to various levels of technology lesson plans and instructional resources (beginner to advanced) within the school and district.

• Provide access to school-based Technology Integration Specialists to assist faculty with job-embedded staff development opportunities and needs, classroom modeling, and development of technology integrated curriculum.

• Provide technical troubleshooting training for teachers. • Recommend a Technology Liaison serve as a member of the school

improvement committee. • Recommend and support participation in professional organizations (e.g.

LACUE, NECC, ISTE, CoSN) by providing available financial assistance to staff. • Incorporate Universal Design for Learning strategies emphasizing accessible

technology/ curriculum into professional development initiatives. • Utilize state provided tools and evaluation instruments for determining teacher,

technology proficiencies. • Encourage the use of Making Connections resources and provide associated

professional development opportunities.


• Provide professional development opportunities in the use of the LA K-12 online Databases, LEADTech, and LA INTECH.

• Comply with all software licensing and copyright laws. • Foster technology integration into the curriculum by encouraging all schools to

have a full-time Instructional Technology Facilitator onsite when funding is available.

• Continue to provide professional development through the use of Blackboard, video streaming, Podcasting, and video conferencing.

• Provide teachers professional development using i-Safe strategies in education and empower students to make their Internet experiences safe and responsible.

Action Step 3: Support eLearning and Virtual Schools In the past five years there has been significant growth in organized online instruction (eLearning) and “virtual” schools, making it possible for students at all levels to receive high quality supplemental courses or full courses of instruction personalized to their needs. Traditional schools are turning to these services to expand opportunities and choices for students and professional development for teachers. Current Status: 1. Funds from E-Rate are used for telecommunications – telephone system, Centrex,

and long distance services, which are accessible to administrators, teachers, and students.

2. High speed, broadband Internet access is available to administrators, teachers, and students to increase learning and test scores.

3. E-Rate funds are used to contract with local carriers for the WAN. 4. The infrastructure to run our LANs is constantly maintained and improved. 5. Blackboard is used for numerous online courses and to facilitate communication

between administrators, schools, and teachers. 6. The Guaranteed Curriculum and Comprehensive Curriculum are available 24/7 to

teachers. 7. Twenty-one principals, 15 assistant principals, and four administrators have

completed the LEADTech program. 8. At least 150 students are enrolled in the Back-on-Track program, a web-based

dropout intervention initiative. 9. Talented and gifted students are participating in an online video conferencing

course with students in other parishes. 10. Our caching servers are currently caching over five million hits per hour. 11. All schools and offices have a UPS to protect the proxy servers. Benchmarks, Target Year, 2014: 1. The Louisiana Virtual School (LVS) will expand enrollment as needed each year to

meet the curriculum needs of students. 2. The LVS will remain available to schools as an effective channel for equal access


to educational programs. 3. The LVS will continue to provide for the needs of both students and teachers

through an array of curriculum and online staff development programs that support the educational goals of schools/districts.

4. Continue to use Blackboard to facilitate communication among administrators, schools, and teachers.

5. Continue to support the LANs (at 1000 megabits) and WAN (at 100 megabits) and upgrade them whenever possible.

6. Continue to upgrade the routers, switches, proxy servers, and expand wireless access in offices and schools.


Evaluation Strategy Frequency Timeline Enrollment and course offerings numbers Annual Fall, Spring, Summer Carnegie Units awarded for LVS course offerings


Provide opportunities for educators and students to participate in the Louisiana Virtual School and State Distance Learning Network (SDLN).


Provide leadership and support for the E-Rate application


Strategies: • Inform district and school administrators, teachers, and students of eLearning

opportunities provided for them by the district and state. • Allocate available federal, state and local funds and resources for eLearning. • Offer students the opportunity to take eLearning courses during the summer

school sessions. • Disseminate LVS information and promote the enrollment of students in the

Louisiana Virtual School. • Offer low-income students the opportunity to have AP exam fees reimbursed

through the Advanced Placement Test Fee Reimbursement Program. • Collaborate with legislators, State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

(SBESE) members, Board of Regents members and other policymakers to identify and secure funds to support eLearning.

• Create eLearning opportunities that support goals and benchmarks provided by the state, district, and local levels.

• Allocate available funds and resources for high quality professional development and technology support personnel for training personnel in using and creating eLearning opportunities and resources.

• Encourage the adoption of textbooks that include the textbook on CD and online. • Encourage teachers and principals to participate in state initiatives that provide

eLearning experiences.


• Provide after-hours access to technology resources. • Collaborate with district policymakers, legislators, and community members to

secure annual funds to support eLearning. • Offer incentives to teachers and administrators who complete eLearning classes

and/or workshops. • Provide high school students with the opportunity to complete one online learning

experience prior to graduation. Action Step 4: Encourage Improved Access and Technology Usage Most public schools, colleges and universities now have access to high-speed, high-capacity hardware, software, and broadband communications. However, improved access, usage and integrated, interoperable data systems that are current and well-maintained could empower educators to transform teaching. Current Status: • The St. Tammany Parish School Board provides LANs at each school, a WAN at

100 megabits or better, which includes all schools, provides Internet and phone access to all schools, and facilitates school to home communications.

• The St. Tammany Parish School Board shall construct new buildings and retrofit older buildings (as needed) with the use of instructional technology in mind. (Advancements in wireless telecommunications are monitored as an alternative network possibility.)

• Instructional spaces, faculty offices, and administrative offices in the St. Tammany Parish Public School System have multimedia computers with printing access and Internet connectivity.

• St. Tammany Parish School Board teachers and students have access to a variety of electronic resources such as digital and video cameras, scanners, graphing calculators, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, and science probes.

• The St. Tammany Parish School Board annually adopts a Technology Acceptable Use Policy. The policy addresses online safety, Fair Use, intellectual properties, and privacy issues. Every school in the parish complies with the district’s Instructional Technology Student Use Policy and Web Site Development Policy for safe, ethical, and legal use of computers, other instructional technology equipment, and Internet resources.

• The St. Tammany Parish School Board meets the provisions of the Child Internet Protection Act.

• The St. Tammany Parish School Board continues to provide and expand its LANs and Internet access to parish schools. The St. Tammany Parish School Board provides filtering, blocking, or other technologies and activities that are designed to protect students from harmful materials that may be accessed on the Internet.

• The St. Tammany Parish School Board provides technical infrastructure (equipment and personnel) to support the effective use of instructional


technologies. • The St. Tammany Parish School Board monitors an established district and

school level reporting system for data collections related to the effectiveness of technology initiatives.

Benchmarks, Target Year 2014: 1. All students, teachers and administrators will continue to have access to

computers and appropriate connectivity in educational settings. 2. Every school and administrative office will continue to have network capabilities

available to the end user for data management, online and technology-based assessments, eLearning, and accessing high-quality digital content.

3. Appropriate assistive/adaptive technology will be available to address the unique requirements of persons with special needs.

4. Students will use software packages including a productivity package, virus protection, and other types that promote open-ended reasoning and higher-order thinking skills.

5. Every student, administrator, and teacher will receive high-quality technical support to manage and maintain computer networks and plan for future needs.

6. Every school will adopt the parish Technology Acceptable Use Policy. The policy will address online safety, Fair Use, intellectual property, and privacy issues.

7. Recurring funding for technology will be in place (as long as funds are available.) 8. Budgets will be restructured appropriately to reveal cost savings and monies will

be reallocated to maximize technology resources. 9. The parish will continue to seek recurring funding sources to support schools in

implementing their technology plans and also encourage strategic convergence of funds.

10. Students will use age appropriate technology to conduct research, to solve problems, to analyze data, to collaborate, and to communicate with experts and peers.

11. Educators will continue to have an email account and capabilities of accessing the World Wide Web/Internet.

12. K-8 schools will continue to have a technology liaison to act as the primary technology contact.

13. High schools will continue to have para-technicians full time onsite. 14. Video broadcasting will improve communications between schools, teachers, and

the community. 15. Encourage the use of computers at public libraries for those students and parents

who don’t have a computer at home. 16. Encourage schools to have extended hours for parents and students who don’t

have a computer at home to access computers at the schools. 17. Explore the possibility of having a phone system to automatically call parents when

students are absent. 18. Explore the possibility of parents having access to their child’s grades through an

automated phone system.



Evaluation Strategy Frequency Timeline Monitor bandwidth utilization of schools Annual Spring School and Parish Technology Survey Report Data

Annual Spring, Summer

Parish technology plan updates Annual Spring Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment Annual Spring Human resource records of IT personnel Annual Spring Appropriate state and system reports such as NCLB consolidated monitoring reports

Annual Spring, Summer

Student teacher and supervising teacher electronic portfolios

Annual End of Semester

Classroom observations and evaluations by administration/principals

Annual Fall, Spring

Promote leadership opportunities for students such as CISCO certification, Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3) in the areas of Living Online, Key Applications, and Computer Fundamentals, Computer Associates certification, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification, Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) certification and A+ certification, etc.

Annual Fall, Spring

Meet with schools to disseminate the Acceptable Use Policy and explain how it should be implemented

Annual Fall

Strategies: • Maximize use of local funding such as property tax and sales tax. • Participate in State Contract purchasing opportunities that support schools

systems. • Continue to budget line items for technology bandwidth and infrastructure where

necessary and appropriate. • Collaborate with other local and state educational entities for purchasing power

by establishing a clearinghouse for local bids that can be accessed by schools and systems.

• Participate in E-Rate to maximize the funds available for technology. • Seek federal, state and corporate grant funding for technology where available. • Encourage monitoring of bandwidth utilization for district and school network

environments. • Continue to expand the computer education courses of study for students. • Use data from both administrative and instructional systems to understand

relationships between decisions, allocation of resources and student achievement.


• Identify places in the community (“points of access”) where students and staff can gain access to the Internet after school hours.

• Create a directory of agencies/resources (business, non-profit) that provide information related to assistive technology.

• Continue to work with Channel 13 and other local media outlets to make coverage of educational technology a priority.

• Continue to promote, develop and maintain district/school websites. • Develop materials in print, video, and electronic formats to inform stakeholders of

public awareness opportunities and resources and to solicit information from them regarding the impact of technology on improved student performance.

• The Energy Conservation Program uses instructional technology to teach students about energy conservation and ecology. It also uses technology to conserve energy.

• Continue to encourage teachers to maintain web sites for homework, lesson plans, and other course information.

• Utilize a video streaming server for archival content of Education St. Tammany Channel 13 broadcasts and for Podcasting.


APPENDIX A St. Tammany Parish School Board

NEEDS ASSESSMENT DATA SUMMARY

Strengths In Need of Improvement Instructional Technology Training Center and Satellite Computer Training Labs Instructional technology funding Instructional technology professional development training program Instructional technology support for teachers Community and parental support for instructional technology Supervisory and central office support for instructional technology Promotion of state technology initiatives and regional leadership Student learning and achievement

Principal leadership and support of instructional technology at school building level Just-in-time technical support Follow-up visits to classrooms of training participants Upgrading of instructional technology equipment and software in classrooms on regular basis Provision of adequate instructional technology supplies and materials to classroom teachers (ink, paper, disks, etc.) in every classroom in all schools High level of consistency of instructional technology integration across district in all classrooms Number of teachers and principals participating in INTECH and LEADTech training Frequency of observation and evaluation of teachers for use of instructional technology in the classroom curriculum Increase in the number of student and teacher portfolios of instructional technology projects Increase in the number of students participating in the Louisiana Virtual Schools courses Remote access to control computers to solve software problems. Training teachers to do basic technology troubleshooting


APPENDIX B St. Tammany Parish School Board System Review Assurance

By signing this form, you confirm that your school board reviewed and approved the system technology plan for 2007-2014. This signed form is to be included with the system technology plan at the time of its submission to the State Department of Education. WE HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ____19TH____ DAY OF ___APRIL____, 2007, THAT WE

HAVE REVIEWED AND APPROVED THE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR ST. TAMMANY PARISH.

_________________________________________ GAYLE SLOAN, SUPERINTENDENT _________________________________________ NEAL HENNEGAN, SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT


APPENDIX C St. Tammany Parish School Board School Review Assurance

By signing this form, you confirm that you were issued a copy of the system technology plan for 2007-2014. WE HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ___19TH___ DAY OF ___APRIL____, 2007, THAT WE HAVE

REVIEWED AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR ST. TAMMANY PARISH

SCHOOL BOARD. WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN SHOULD MIRROR THE

SYSTEM’S PLAN AND SHOULD BE ON FILE WITH THE SYSTEM.

___________________________________________ GAYLE SLOAN, SUPERINTENDENT

Principal Name Signature School Name

(SEE ATTACHMENTS)


APPENDIX D St. Tammany Parish School Board

TECHNOLOGY PLAN DEVELOPMENT TEAM MEMBERS

List the names and occupations of team members serving on your system’s Technology Plan Development Team. Dates of Meetings: _______February 15th, 2007_________________

NAME OCCUPATION Gayle Sloan Superintendent Neal Hennegan St. Tammany Parish School Board (STPSB) President Margo Guilott Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Louis Boullion STPSB Director of Information Technology John Swang Supervisor of Instructional Technology Inkie Landry Instructional Technology Coordinator Sandy Swartz TLTC Coordinator Region 2 Jean Krieger Principal, Woodlake Elementary School Glen Walden Assistant Principal, Salmen High School Michele Terrebonne Teacher, Mandeville Elementary School Bonnie Bernstein Teacher, Covington High School Willie Boyd Teacher, Northshore High School Lynn Delahaye LDE Region II Education Service Center Elaine DeSmith Parent, St. Tammany Parish School System, Computer

Software Consultant Edith Slaton SLU John Fulwiler SLU


APPENDIX E St. Tammany Parish School Board

E-Rate budget The Analysis Sheet was prepared in accordance with Section 54.508(b) of the FCC's Rules and Regulations, Chapter 1 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations. SYSTEM: St. Tammany Parish School Board FUNDING YEAR: 2007 Prepared by: John I. Swang, Ph.D Date: 1-7-2007 Specific E-Rate Service(s) Requested: ISP, NIML, Local and Long Distance POTS, & CENTREX E2T2 Goal(s) which are addressed by the service (either reference to a location within the plan or a brief narrative description): All St. Tammany Parish School Board educators and learners will benefit from technology-rich environments that support student achievement and produce life long learners able to succeed in an information society. Evaluation Activity for the service (either reference to a location within the plan or a brief narrative description): Student evaluation activities include the I-LEAP, LEAP, GEE, and Student Technology Proficiency Survey. Teacher evaluation activity include PGP Annual Reviews, SnapShot Classroom Observations, and Teacher Technology Proficiency Survey. Current level/amount of service:

Level after E-Rate request is filled:

Budgeted$ for system’s share (for each charge involved in the service):

Planned budget source or line item for each amount:

Long Distance: 362 Lines


$2,160 General Fund

ISP: 2DS3 (18 to 90 MEG)


$36,344 General Fund

NIML: 10 mbps & 200 mbps


$243,233 General Fund

POTS: 1150 Phones POTS: 1150 Phones $79,139 General Fund CENTREX: 362 NARS CENTREX: 362 NARS $50,112 General Fund NON-ELIGIBLE REQUIREMENTS TO MEET GOALS Hardware required:

Current level:

New required: Budgeted $:

Source of funds:

Computers & Peripherals; Network Equipment

$95,000 $155,000 $250,000 General Fund


Software required:

Current level:


Source of funds:

Educational & Productivity

$105,000 $30,000 $135,000 General Fund

Professional development required:

Current level:


Source of funds:

Integration of Technology

$604,950

$91,000

$695,000 General Fund, Title 1, Title 2, Title 3

Retrofitting required Budgeted

$: Source of funds:

Network Equipment $100,000 General Fund Maintenance required:

Current level:

Location of serviced items:

Budgeted $:

Source of funds:

Computer Technicians

$650,000 Throughout District $650,000 General Fund

Total amount budgeted for Non-Eligible Requirements: $1,830.000


APPENDIX F St. Tammany Parish

Critical E-Rate Components to Technology Plan

Address the five critical e-rate components shown below. This should be reflective of your Form 470 and 471 and must be submitted every year as proof of

having a written plan prior to submitting the Form 470 and/or 471.

E-RATE CRITERIA FOR THE TECHNOLOGY PLAN

To qualify as an approved Technology Plan for a Universal Service discount, the plan must meet the following five criteria that are core elements of successful school technology initiatives:

1. The plan must establish clear goals and a realistic strategy for using telecommunications and information technology to improve education or library services;

2. The plan must have a professional development strategy to ensure that staff know how to use these new technologies to improve education or library services;

3. The plan must include an assessment of the telecommunication services, hardware, software, and other services that will be needed to improve education or library services;

4. The plan must provide for a sufficient budget to acquire and support the non-discounted elements of the plan: the hardware, software, professional development, and other services that will be needed to implement the strategy; and

5. The plan must include an evaluation process that enables the school to monitor progress toward the specified goals and make mid-course corrections in response to new developments and opportunities as they arise.


E-Rate Technology Plan Component System: St. Tammany Parish School Board

Funding Year: 2007-2008 Updated: 1-7-2007

Telecomm-unications Services

and Internet Access

Goals and Strategies

Professional Development

Budget E-Rate

(Our share: 62%)

Assessment Evaluation


Provide high speed, broadband Internet access to administrators, teachers, and students to increase learning and test scores.

Provide professional development in the use and integration of instructional technology to all administrators and teachers.

Revenues will come from the district’s annual operating budgets and assistance from E-Rate. The district will pay all ineligible costs and the non-discount share of approximately $36,344

Assessment of instructional technology training and use is ongoing and utilized to improve instructional practices, student learning and achievement, and staff productivity in schools.

Utilize state provided tools and evaluation instruments for determining teacher, technology proficiencies.


Provide high speed, broadband Internet access to administrators, teachers, and students to increase learning and test scores.





POTS: 1150 Phones

Establish and maintain district-wide systems of communication that support the effective use of electronic communication.

Provide professional development in the use and integration of instructional technology to all administrators

Revenues will come from the district’s annual operating budgets and assistance from E-Rate. The district will pay all ineligible

Assessment of instructional technology training and use is ongoing and utilized to improve



and teachers. costs and the non-discount share of approximately $79,139

instructional practices, student learning and achievement, and staff productivity in schools.

CENTREX: 362 NARS












Documents

St. Tammany Parish School Boardstpsb.org/sbpolicies/pages/STPSBTechPlan2014.pdf · St. Tammany Parish School Board Technology Plan 4 St. Tammany Parish School Board