I.

INTRODUCTION

When I first read about this project and its requirements, I was excited and looked forward to finding a hi-need school in order to perform a technology maturity model benchmark. Initially I thought it would not be a problem to receive approval to perform a technology assessment within a hi-need school. However, after being informed by four different hi-need public schools that the county had to give permission for this project, I became a little discouraged because acquiring county approval would consume more time than I had. So I began to consider schools that were not considered hi-need and fortunately a school leader granted approval for a tour of the school facilities. For this project, the technology maturity benchmark was performed at an elementary school that is part of an independent public school district. II. SCHOOL BACKGROUND

City Schools of Delta is an independent public school district with a total enrollment of approximately 4000 students and operates a total of eight schools which includes: a. b. c. d. e. One - Early Childhood Learning Center (342 students) Four - K-3 primary schools (1367 students) One - 4th/5th grade Academy (571 students) One - Middle school (783 students) One - High school (925 students)

My maturity benchmark was performed at Jean-Ribault Elementary (one of the four K-3 primary schools). During the benchmark process, I was surprised at how the use of technology was integrated in many areas of the school. But after realizing that the schools in this district were all independent Charter Schools and there is a tuition cost of $5,000 per year, I understood why technology is widely used throughout the school. If parents can afford such tuition cost then the school district has obligations to ensure students are effectively prepared for 21 st century learning. The school district mission states that stakeholders supports the effective and appropriate integration and utilization of technology resources in challenging, engaging and authentic learning experiences, providing students with a tool to not only achieve curriculum objectives and state standards, but to also provide life skills. So in order to enable students to be successful in the next grade level or post-secondary endeavors in the 21st century, the schools technology department provides support and opportunities for all students and staff for effective utilization of technology to play an essential role in teaching and student learning. Therefore, all teachers, staff and students are expected to engage in the use of technology as part of the teaching and learning process.

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III.

MATURITY MODEL BENCHMARKS

ADMINISTRATIVE Policy: [Behavioral: Intelligent] [Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent] The technology department and other stakeholders created and approved an official policy on the appropriate use of technology which is supported at all levels within the school and district. An online version of the policy exists on the school-district technology website. Teachers, staff, students and parents must adhere to all guidelines states in the policy. Before accessing school-owned technology, teachers, staff, and students-parents must sign the formal policy which confirms they are in agreement regarding appropriate use of technology. If guidelines are not adhered to the use of technology may be revoked. Planning: [Behavioral: Intelligent] [Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent] Because the school-district believes in the integration of 21st century technology into the curriculum, technology planning is vital. Being a tuition-paid school, major projects are thoroughly discussed and analyzed by stakeholders at all levels. This is to ensure that technology plans are not in conflict with other projects within the school or district. Parents are also involved in some meetings. The school district has a 3-year technology plan that is continuously managed and updated. An online copy of the technology plan resides on the districts website. The technology plan is a 40-page document that details information from (technology use vision to system readiness/support). Budget: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] Whenever funding is needed for school or curriculum improvements, the school leader must communicate with the schooldistrict Finance Director. The Finance Director manages a yearly budget. An initial presentation is given to the Board of Education using basic assumptions about the upcoming year revenues, expenses etc. For the 2nd presentation to the Board, the Finance Director works with the school principal and administrators to gather information about school improvement plans and district goals (this may include technology enhancements). At the 3rd budget presentation, the board approves or disapproves the budget requests. A request to change the budget (after the school year begins) can be made due to unforeseen changes and needs. Administrative Information: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] In addition to teachers, the 5 administrative and front office staff cannot perform most daily tasks without the use of technology. The administrative staff has 24/7 access to the school and district LAN and WAN in order to use the internet along with various systems and applications. The admin staff also has 24/7 access to email, student information, grade books, and data warehousing for student assessments. Although some phone systems are considered outdated, the school is in the process of upgrading to VOIP.

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CURRICULAR Electronic Information: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] As part of the schools mission and technology plan, all staff (teachers, administrative), students and parents are very dependent on electronic resources. Email is used as a vital component of communication. Teachers have 24/7 access to teaching and learning resources on the LAN and WAN. The schools website has an application called Technology Ideas for K-3 which provides online resources for Reading, Math, Language Arts, Mouse & Keyboarding practice. Also, there is an Online Library Catalog application where teachers and students can search for books by author, title, year etc. These e-Books can be checked-out for a period of time. In addition, teachers and students have in-school access to an Accelerated Reader tool to encourage students to read and to ensure they understand what is being read along with a paid subscription online encyclopedia. This school uses technology to connect with all students. For those who may be struggling with reading, students have in-school online access to the Capstone Interactive Library. This online interactive library displays animated pictures of books that students can select and play. If played, an animated character reads the book to students and helps to pronounce words. All students can really benefit from this type of learning tool. And finally, to encourage parents to participate in their child s learning process, parents have online access to various learning resources provided by the school. There is a Parent Portal website along with a Helpful links for Families webpage. Assessment: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] Computerized assessments are mandatory for all staff and many students (particularly in grade 2nd 12th). Teachers use an online assessment system, called MAP (Measuring Academic Performance), to gauge where students are in different subjects. However, for K-1st graders, paper/manual assessments may be used in lieu of online assessments. Also the school has great resources and Infrastructure. Technological resources are available for most curricular areas (Reading, Math, & Language Arts). During this benchmark, I noticed the following: (Over half of all (K-3) classrooms are equipped with a Smart-board, each classroom is equipped with 2-3 desktop computers, a computer lab is available for teachers to train students on use of computers in a central place, and the media center has iPad/iPod carts for check-out). Curricular Integration: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] The mission of the school-district stipulates that technology is a great tool for learning. There is a high expectation of teachers to integrate technology into lesson plans. Therefore the school curriculum is very technology dependent and is incorporated in subjects such as reading, math and language arts. Including the use of smart-boards, there are a variety of online resources available to enhance teacher creativity and critical thinking skills. Teacher Use: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] All teachers use some form of technological resources for administration and curriculum. Teachers utilize online resources via school and district websites. The use of technology ranges from setting teacher/student goals, performing student/teacher assessments, preparation of lesson plans, recording and reviewing student performance, as well as online communication with parents and other staff. One thing I thought was very interesting is all teachers at this K-3 elementary school are required to create and maintain a webpage that includes a video of the teacher and class. At the beginning of each year, the video is a tool used to introduce the teacher and discuss the yearly curriculum. The teacher is expected to maintain their website throughout the year showing what the students have worked on. Student Use: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] All K-3 students are introduced to and utilize some form of technology as part of the learning process. This is part of the school and districts mission to integrated technology into the curriculum. Each classroom is equipped with 2-3 desktop computers in which students share access to these computers. Students also participate in classroom activities on smartboards. And other technological resources are available and accessible to all students in the media library and via the local area network. The school has a limited number of iPads and iPods for check-out, and students-parents have 24/7 online access to various learning resources. Also, the school provides a CompassLearning Odyssey web-based application where parents can review the class curriculum. This is a great tool parents can use to prepare their child for future lessons.

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SUPPORT FILTER Stakeholder Involvement [Behavioral: Islands] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] The behavioral category of the support filter is ranked as Islands because when initial technology planning initially takes place, only necessary personnel are involved (although other areas are aware of the planning process). As planning continues to progress other personnel becomes involved. At least 1 representative from each group that will be impacted by the technology plan is required to attend meetings to understand how future plans may or may not impact their work area. Administrative Support: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] For all technology planning and implementation projects, the school technology specialist has on-going discussions with principals, teachers and other stakeholders regarding project status. Some formal administration time is provided during technology planning stage. The technology specialist, principal and impacted staff meets to discuss project status along with concerns and issues. These internal school-level meetings are held before technology plans are presented to the Board for review and approval. Training: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] Teachers are expected to participate in training in order to properly use technology. Other staff and administrators are required to attend training that pertains to their work area. The onsite technology specialist is responsible for properly training teachers and staff on the use of new and existing technological resources. In additional to having onsite training, teachers have 24/7 online access to various training materials that is provided by the technology specialist. Technical & Infrastructure Support: [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent] Most staff utilizes formal and informal support to find help when problems are encountered with technological tools or resources. One teacher indicated that although a technology support specialist is onsite, she normally discuss issues encountered with a coworker who is very knowledgeable with technology. However, she does admit having onsite support is very beneficial especially during critical times throughout the year. The school has a full-time [Media Specialist/IT Specialists] and a full-time [Technology Specialist]. The technology specialist is responsible for full-time support of all technological issues and setup.

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CONNECTIVITY FILTER Local Area Networking [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] Teachers and staff use local area networks to access online resources, data and reporting via the school website. The district provides a hi-speed network, which includes wireless, at all schools. However, the network speed is faster at the central administrative office vs. the K-3 elementary schools. District Area Networking [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] Staff uses the district area networking to access resources and tools that are not available on the schools local area network. As of 2010, the wide area network included a frame relay with 9 MBS at central administrative office with 1.5 MBS to the K-3 elementary schools. The K-3 school is connected by T-1 lines to the central office. Internet Access [Behavioral: Islands] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] Many teachers and staff use the internet frequently for research purposes. However, due to the early grade level of K-3, use of the internet is limited but students due have online access to a variety of learning resources in the media library. For grades 4th 12th, the internet is used more frequently and integrated into the curriculum. Also, direct internet access is available at the School District and all 8 schools (in limited areas). Communication Systems [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] All staff uses E-mail for communicating and teachers are encouraged to work together and share ideas for learning purposes. However, email is not available to elementary school students but middle and high school students can be assigned a school email account. Elementary students-parents can communicate to school leaders via the district and school website or via personal email accounts.

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MATURITY BENCHMARKS SURVEY SHEET New Technologies [Behavioral: Integrated] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] Most staff members accept new technology. This may be due to the school district having high expectations that technology is integrated into the school curriculum. After new technological resources are thoroughly tested by the Technology team, the appropriate staff members are trained and the technology is usually implemented if it can be used to enhance the learning process. Comprehensive Technologies [Behavioral: Islands] [Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated] Most computers throughout the school district are new but some maybe old. For example: In 2010, the school district had a total of 1468 workstations (1155 workstations were modern, 176 workstations were non-modern computers). So today, although the majority of computer systems are up-to-date, some systems still need to be upgraded. Also, in 2010, the school district had some older phone systems and Centrex systems that needed updating. The school district has updated some of the old phone systems to a hybrid system allowing both digital and VOIP communication. The school-district is making a positive effort to remain abreast on and integrate the latest technological tools and resources.

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IV.

DEMOGRAPHICS - JEAN RIBAULT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Jean-Ribault Elementary School has the following onsite staff: 5-Administrative and Front Office Staff (Principal, Administrative Assistant, Instructional Coach, School Counselor, School Nurse), 403 K-3 students, 5- Kindergarten Teachers, 5-1st Grade Teachers with 3-Paraprofessionals, 4 2nd Grade Teachers with 1 Paraprofessional, 4-3rd Grade Teachers with 1 Paraprofessional, 9-Intervention Staff members, 5-Cafeteria and Custodial staff members, and 8-resource staff members including 1-Library Media/IT Specialist, 1-Library Media Clerk, and 1-Technology Specialist.

Student Demographic

103 Blacks 227 Whites 73 Others

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(5) Administrative Staff

Principal

Admin Assistant

Instructional Coach

School Counselor

School Nurse

(23) Teaching Staff

Kindergarten (5-Teachers)

1 Grade (5-Teachers) (3-Parapro)

st

2 Grade (4-Teachers) (1-Parapro)

nd

3 Grade (4-Teachers) (1-Parapro)

rd

(21) OTHER Staff

8-Intervention Staff

8-Resource Staff

5-Cafeteria & Custodial Staff

1-Technology Specialist

1-Library Media Clerk

1-Library Media / IT Specialist

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V.

SUMMARY

This school-district is a good role-model for other school leaders who have goals to integrate technology into their school curriculum. After performing a maturity benchmark survey at Jean Ribault Elementary, I place this educational institution in the Integrated technology maturity model. This rating may seem fairly high but there were several factors that led to this decision. For any school, the goal to integrate technology into curriculum must be supported by school leaders and pertinent stakeholders. The Board of Educators and other Stakeholders for Jean Ribault Elementary embraces the mission to support the effective and appropriate integration and utilization of technological resources in the curriculum to enhance the learning process. This type of leadership support seems to motivate teachers and staff to learn and incorporate technology into lesson plans. The school-district also has a 3-year technology plan that provides detail information regarding current and future technology goals. This plan is used to ensure school leaders remain abreast of the schools technological expectations, milestones and goals. In addition, Ribault Elementary has full-time technology and media resources to support and train teachers on the use of technology and how to best incorporate tools into the curriculum. This is definitely a benefit for the school because teachers and staff do not have to depend solely on self-training and development. Furthermore, school leaders, teachers, students and parents all have online access to various web-based resources. Teachers have online learning and training tools at their disposal, parents have online access to student information and curriculum, and students have online access to a gamut of learning applications. This is just some of the things I noticed during the technology maturity benchmark process. For these reasons, I believe the school-district and Jean Ribault Elementary is definitely preparing their students for the next grade level or post-secondary endeavors in the 21st century.

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