Private School- Mike Morrow, Week 7

Needs Assessment

The goals and priorities of the Technology department of The John Cooper School are not visibly connected to the school’s instructional education goals and there is not a formal process or mechanism for ensuring this alignment. There is no long-term technology plan in use, and there is no longer a school committee to discuss technology integration with the curriculum.  Therefore, while the technology department currently works well as an infrastructure service provider, it lacks a way of measuring progress toward meeting the evolving needs of its constituent users:  the staff, faculty, students, and parents.  

The NAIS’ Principles of Good Practice for Technology Use and the TEA’s Long-Term Technology Plan (Texas Education Agency, 2011) both define four similar categories for educational technology objectives:  Teaching and Learning; Professional Development; Leadership; and Infrastructure. The ISTE NETS for Administrators and for Teacher’s list similar objectives although categorized a little differently (ISTE, 2009). 

In order to progress further towards the NAIS Principles of Good Practice for Technology Use, the school needs:

1.   To make its teachers more comfortable with using and modeling technology for instruction (as reflected in their responses to the Shannon and Cooper Technology Profile questionnaire); and

2.   To make more computing devices available to students in-class, more often (classrooms only average two computers for student use). 

These needs can be addressed with the following goals:

1.   The school’s leaders will define and communicate expectations and objectives for the faculty’s incorporation of technology in their instruction to evolve teaching and learning;

2.   The leaders will commit to the faculty’s professional development in instructional technology skills and strategies; and

3.   The technology department will align its spending and activities for infrastructure evolution with the above defined educational goals. 

1.   Classify instructional technology objectives in a proper domain (technology, management, funding), and 2. Identify the major steps required for each goal.

Goal 1:  The school’s leaders will define and communicate expectations and objectives for the faculty’s incorporation of technology in their instruction to evolve teaching and learning. 

Management objective 1.1:

Adopt and initiate a plan for The John Cooper School to demonstrably transform the school to a digital-age model of teaching and learning where teachers embrace technologies that promote:

·         Project-based, student-centered learning;

·         The acquisition of problem-solving skills; and

·         The development of media and information literacy (NAIS, 2012). 

Steps:

1.   By the end of April, 2012 the Principals of the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools along with the Director of Technology will document a set of Long Term Instructional Technology goals that recognize that the single most important factor in technology integration is the teacher, and that specifies clear expectations for the use of Instructional Technology by the faculty for Teaching and Learning in terms of:

A.   Patterns of classroom use of technology

B.   Access to and frequency of use of technology in the classroom by teachers and students

C.   Modeling digital-age work and learning behaviors

D.  Promoting digital responsibility and citizenship (ISTE, 2009).

2.   By the end of April, 2012 at least one of the Principals and the Technology Director will authorize a pilot program for the Fall 2012 semester that demonstrates evolving teaching and learning through the faculty’s incorporation of technology in their instruction.  The pilot should focus on one group of teachers (for example, a grade level) and require that they demonstrate through a class-based project an improved familiarity and comfort with instructional technology tools and learner-centered, instructional techniques. 

3.   By the end of September 2012, a rubric for the demonstration projects will be defined and communicated to the group of pilot program teachers.

4.   By the end of September 2012, a “Digital-Age Instruction” Steering Committee will be formed consisting of the principals of each of the schools (lower, middle, and upper), the Director of Technology, and the Teaching and Learning Facilitator (see Management objective 2.1 below).  This committee will meet monthly to review plans, assess progress, and discuss issues with the program to evolve Teaching and Learning. 

Goal 2:  The school’s leaders will commit to the faculty’s professional development in instructional technology skills and strategies. 

Management objective 2.1:

Designate a Teaching and Learning facilitator to work with the pilot group faculty to:

·         Provide as-needed training and mentoring in technology tools and instructional strategies;

·         Foster collaboration among the pilot faculty;

·         Identify available external resources (software, activities, digital media, and training) for pilot group use;

·         Collect program metrics and document lessons learned during the pilot. 

Steps:

1.   By the end of April, 2012, the school leaders will have included the provision for a faculty/staff position addition to fulfill this role on at least a part-time basis (i.e., could be half-time teaching, half-time facilitating).

2.   By at least the end of June, 2012, the position will be filled. 

Management objective 2.2:

Utilize lessons learned from the pilot program to grow the evolution of digital-age teaching and learning both vertically and horizontally from the pilot group through targeted professional development activities. 

    Steps:

1.   By end of March 2013, provide detail plans and requirements for evolving teaching and learning vertically in the Fall, 2013 semester for the students of the pilot program.

2.   By end of March 2013, provide detail plans and requirements for evolving teaching and learning horizontally in the Fall, 2013 semester all across the pilot program grade level.

3.   In the Fall, 2013 semester utilize the Teaching and Learning facilitator full-time to provide professional development to teachers coming into the program. 

Technology objective 2.3:

The Technology department will provide the pilot program faculty members with mobile computing devices (laptops, iPads, or tablets) during the summer of 2012 so that they can begin their professional development activities. 

Steps:

1.   Prior to the start of the Fall semester the Technology department will make these devices available to the designated pilot project faculty (and the Teaching and Learning facilitator) so that they can become familiar with the device, comfortable in using it, and can begin planning their pilot demonstration projects. 

Funding objective 2.4:

Include a funding provision in the 2012-2013 budget for the Teaching and Learning facilitator (either half- or full-time) and a suitable budget for acquiring external professional development resources. 

Steps:

1.   By the end of April, 2012, the school leaders will have included the provision for a faculty/staff position addition to fulfill this role on at least a part-time basis (i.e., could be half-time teaching, half-time facilitating).

2.   By the end of April, 2012, the school leaders will have included the budget for acquiring external professional development resources for the pilot program.   

Goal 3:  The technology department will align its spending and activities for infrastructure evolution with the above defined educational goals. 

Technology objective 3.1:

The Technology department will acquire a sufficient number of mobile computing devices (laptops, iPads, or tablets) for the pilot program to have 1 mobile device always available for each student and faculty member in the pilot. 

Steps:

1.   In its 2012 hardware purchase order (between April and June), the Technology department will order a sufficient number of mobile computing devices (laptops, iPads, or tablets) to meet the objectives of the professional development pilot program.

2.   During the summer of 2012, the Technology department will make the necessary infrastructure improvements to support the pilot program’s use of mobile computing devices.

3.   At the start of the Fall, 2012 semester, the Technology department will have the mobile computing devices available and ready for distribution to the students of the pilot program. 

Funding objective 3.2:

The Technology department with concurrence from the school Principals will adjust the acquisition and replacement of all school computers so as to allow for the purchase of a sufficient number of mobile computing devices to support the objectives of the pilot program.

Steps: 

1.   As part of its 2012 hardware purchase order, the Technology department will adjust its computer acquisition and replacement plans to accommodate the required number of mobile devices. 

Technology objective 3.3:

The Technology department will develop procedures and measures to demonstrate the alignment of its spending and activities with the educational goals of the school.

Steps:

1.   By the end of May, 2012 the Technology department will develop a faculty self-assessment tool modeled after the TEA STaR Chart (Texas Education Agency, 2006) to be used for measuring on-going progress towards the long-term goals for Teaching and Learning, Professional Development, and Technology Support.  This tool will be used by the pilot project faculty before and after the pilot, and by the full faculty on at least an annual basis.

2.   Starting in May, 2012, the Technology department will prepare a “State of the School’s Technology” report at the end of each semester for internal publication to the school faculty and staff to describe recent progress and upcoming plans for supporting the instructional technology needs of the school’s staff, faculty, students, and parents. 

3.   Develop assessment instruments to test the goals for the technology plan. Describe the desired instrument/s under each goal. 

Goal 1:  The school’s leaders will define and communicate expectations and objectives for the faculty’s incorporation of technology in their instruction to evolve teaching and learning.

Assessment Tools:

·         The faculty self-assessment tool described in Technology Objective 3.3, Step 1 will be modeled after the TEA STaR Chart and have a section on Teaching and Learning.  Applicable focus areas are Patterns of Classroom Use; Frequency/Design of Instructional Setting Using Digital Content; and Content Area Connections.  Levels of progress would be similar to and described like Early Tech; Developing Tech; Advanced Tech; and Target Tech.

·         The “Digital-Age Instruction” Steering Committee described in Management Objective 1.1, Step 4 will be responsible for the on-going assessment of the progress and effectiveness of the steps toward this goal.  

Goal 2:  The school’s leaders will commit to the faculty’s professional development in instructional technology skills and strategies.

Assessment Tools:

·         The faculty self-assessment tool described in Technology Objective 3.3, Step 1 will be modeled after the TEA STaR Chart and have a section on Professional Development.  Applicable focus areas are Professional Development Experiences; Models of Professional Development; Level of Participation; and Understanding and Patterns of Use.  Levels of progress would be similar to and described like Early Tech; Developing Tech; Advanced Tech; and Target Tech.

·         As part of the “Digital-Age Instruction” Steering Committee described in Management Objective 1.1, Step 4 the Teaching and Learning facilitator will report on Professional development progress and needs. 

Goal 3:  The technology department will align its spending and activities for infrastructure evolution with the above defined educational goals.

Assessment Tools:

·         As part of the “Digital-Age Instruction” Steering Committee described in Management Objective 1.1, Step 4 the Teaching and Learning facilitator will report on Technology issues within the classrooms.  The Technology Director will report on progress and plans for infrastructure improvements and mobile computing device provisioning.

3.   As described in Technology Objective 3.3, Step 2 the Technology department will prepare a “State of the School’s Technology” report at the end of each semester for internal publication to the school faculty and staff to describe recent progress and upcoming plans for supporting the instructional technology needs of the school’s staff, faculty, students, and parents.

References:

ISTE. (2009). The national educational technology standards (NETS-A) and performance indicators for administrators. Retrieved January 6, 2012, from ISTE.NETS: http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Administrators_2009_EN.sflb.ashx

NAIS. (2012). Principles of Good Practice. Retrieved February 20, 2012, from National Association of INdependent Schools: http://www.nais.org/files/PDFs/NAIS_PGP2011_5jan12.pdf

Texas Education Agency. (2006).  School technology and Readiness:  A teacher tool for planning and self-assessing.  Retrieved February 23, 2012, from http://starchart.epsilen.com/docs/TxTSC.pdf

Texas Education Agency. (2011, August). Long range plan for technology,2006-2020. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from tea.state.tx.us: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665.