The Council Rock School District endeavors to Make a ...



Council Rock School District

Schools of Excellence in Technology Outline

Respectfully submitted by:

Larry Kling

Supervisor of Instructional Technology

Council Rock School District

Suzanne Loftus

Technology Coach

Council Rock School District February 21, 2008

Table of Contents

Excellence in Teaching and Learning

• Hiring Practices

• District Curriculum Best Practices

• District Curriculum Programs

Culture of Continuous Professional Development

• Supervision and Evaluation Plan

• Staff Development Department

Leadership for Results

• Leadership Program

• Getting To One Technology Mentor Grant

Engaging the Community

• CR web site

• Public Access Channel

• SAGE – Senior Adults for Greater Education

• Community Service

Facilities and Financial Resources

• Computer Leasing

• Computer software and database support

• Typical elementary school and secondary school technology resources

Educational and Informational Resources

• Integrated Curriculum

• Technology Competencies for Teachers and Students K-12

• 6th Grade Performance Assessment

• 7th Grade Portfolio Assessment

• Graduation Project with a required technology component

• Citrix allows educational resources to be available 24/7

• Paperless school board meetings

The Council Rock School District strives to Make a Difference in each students life through Council Rocks Blueprint for Excellence and Six High-Leverage Practices – the strategic priorities the district will pursue to achieve our goal. They define the capabilities we need, must develop, and must implement well in order to achieve desired results. The six high-leverage practices are:

1. • Excellence in Teaching & Learning

2. • Culture of Continuous Professional Learning

3. • Leadership for Results

4. • Engaging the Community

5. • Facilities & Financial Resources

6. • Educational & Informational Technology

Each of the high level practices will be discussed in more detail throughout this outline. Examples will be listed as to how technology is helping to implement this change in practice. Together, they provide a common framework for planning, implementing, communicating, monitoring, and reporting across all CRSD units and with the district’s stakeholders.

Table of Contents Link

Excellence in Teaching & Learning - Council Rock focuses on the core mission of the Council Rock School District. It identifies district priorities in areas such as: district standards and benchmarks, curriculum, balanced system of assessments, instructional core competencies, instructional materials and resources, and interventions for students to accelerate or remediate learning.

• The hiring of a Council Rock teacher is considered by the district the most important decision that the district will ever make.

o An average of 50 candidates interviewed for each job.

o District administrators have watched district filmed mock interviews and discussed at length what to look for in an interview. This has allowed for interview benchmarking.

o All prospective teachers use technology to create an essay “on-site” during the interview process.

o All essays are independently scored and listed in a database with the interview scores.

o Second interviews are scheduled for prospective teachers who have achieved certain benchmarks.

o This technology driven process has resulted in excellent new teacher hires.

• All district curriculums are benchmarked to state standards, national standards and best practices.

o Council Rock endeavors to be: “..recognized among the Top 5% of districts in the USA, as measured by objective, credible, and relevant benchmarks.”

▪ Goal of our strategic plan

▪ Even though we may not get there, the striving to reach this goal, will move the district far beyond where we may have been and it has been worth the effort.

▪ Establishment of an online database, available to our constituents, listing our benchmarks. See “Metrics of Excellence”

o All district curriculums are considered living documents.

▪ District curriculums are constantly updated to meet today’s needs. Example: Inclusion of 21st Century Teaching and Learning Skills

▪ District curriculums are benchmarked to all state standards, national standards and best practices

• PA state standards and benchmarks

o Available to all teachers through an online database called Performance Tracker.

o In-district grade level tests, aligned to standards, are given in the area of Math, Science, RELA and Social Studies. This allows us to monitor student progress before the PSSA event and helps us determine if curriculum changes are required.

o All in-district test results are available to all professional staff members in our online database called, Performance Tracker.

o Curriculum Best Practices

▪ District Curriculum coordinators constantly provide to teachers and administrators information on curriculum best practices for their curriculum area.

• This is accomplished through:

o Filming of district teachers exhibiting a curriculum best practice.

▪ Teachers and administrators then discuss and reflect on what they have observed.

▪ This includes the best practice use of integrated technology

▪ This best practice also allows administrators to agree on the best practices they will be looking for when observing teachers.

• District Curriculum Coordinators support and enhance their curriculums with technology tools making their classrooms a rich and vibrant environment.

o RELA -Reading English Language Arts tools include:

▪ Performance Tracker – PSSA scores and district test results available online to the desktop at school or at home through a secure login. K-12

▪ SRI – Student Reading Inventory – K-12

▪ Read 180 – Server based - for the challenged reader - 9-12

▪ Earobics – Web based for the challenged reader - K-12

▪ Study Island – PSSA writing preparation - 3-12

▪ Criterion – Educational Testing Service writing program for immediate feedback on writing prompts – 9-12

▪ Blogging activities – K-12

▪ Podcasting – K-12

▪ PhotoStory – Digital Story Telling – K-12

▪ MovieMaker – Video Story Telling

▪ Streamed Video to the desktop

• Discovery Education Streaming (United Streaming)

• Safari Montage

▪ Internet 2 – Distance learning opportunities available through Magpie – experts, authors, virtual field trips, etc.

o Science

▪ Performance Tracker – PSSA scores and district test results available online to the desktop at school or at home through a secure login. - K-12

▪ Interactive real-time technology probes – Examples: temperature, light, heat, motion, etc.

▪ Science simulation software

▪ Digital weather stations

▪ “Teacher in Space” program, collaboration with NASA

▪ Science collaborations with:

• Churchville Nature Center

• Franklin Institute

• Academy of Natural Sciences

▪ Science Fair

▪ Go Green initiative – district wide – environmental awareness

▪ Streamed Video to the desktop

• Discovery Education Streaming (United Streaming)

• Safari Montage

▪ Internet 2 – Distance learning opportunities available through Magpie – Science experts, authors, virtual field trips, electronic missions with NASA, electron microscope, etc.

o Social Studies

▪ Performance Tracker – PSSA scores and district test results available online to the desktop at school or at home through a secure login. - K-12

▪ Historical newspapers database – primary resources

▪ On-line question banks integrated with textbooks

▪ CPS Systems – Classroom Performance Systems – Student interactive response pads.

▪ POWER Library – Pennsylvania Online World of Electronic Resources

▪ Timeliner Software

▪ Streamed Video to the desktop

• Discovery Education Streaming (United Streaming)

• Safari Montage

▪ Internet 2 – Distance learning opportunities available through Magpie – historical experts, authors, virtual field trips, etc.

▪ Shared historical image database

o Math

▪ Performance Tracker – PSSA scores and district test results available online to the desktop at school or at home through a secure login. - K-12

▪ Texas Instrument SmartView software for TI graphing calculators, projects interactive TI graphing calculator display - 9-12

▪ Geometer’s Sketchpad – Geometry – 9-12

▪ On screen manipulatives – K-12

▪ Streamed Video to the desktop

• Discovery Education Streaming (United Streaming)

• Safari Montage

▪ Internet 2 – Distance learning opportunities available through Magpie – math experts, authors, virtual field trips, etc.

• A high level of teaching rigor by staff and a demanding curriculum, supported by technology, have resulted in students who learn and schools that work.

o 27 National Merit Semi-Finalists in 2007 – See Metrics of Excellence

o High PSSA Scores – See Metrics of Excellence

o High attendance rate – See Metrics of Excellence

o High SAT scores – See Metrics of Excellence

Table of Contents Link

Culture of Continuous Professional Learning – Council Rock recognizes that “good enough never is.” Its focus is on the continuous improvement of educational practices through professional development for new and veteran staff, professional collaboration, and professional accountability. This high-leverage practice is about promoting continuous learning as an ethic throughout CRSD.

▪ Council Rock has redesigned the district Supervision and Evaluation Plan to better support a culture of continuous Professional Learning. The plan includes 5 styles of Evaluation. Teachers must cycle through the various styles.

o Traditional Administrator Observation

o Video Taped Observations

o Enhanced Staff Induction Program – Veteran teachers are included in the 2nd and 3rd years of required new teacher induction. This allows for a dialogue among veteran and new teachers.

o Leaving Your Island – A teacher writes their own Supervision and Evaluation Plan for an area of concentration outside of their comfort zone.

o Collegial Colleagues – A group of teachers study and reflect on teacher practice.

▪ Establishment of a district Staff Development Department to promote, support, monitor and enhance staff development initiatives both at the school and district level. The staff development department consists of:

o Two district staff developers responsible for the state mandated teacher induction program. The state mandates two years of teacher induction. However, Council Rock requires three years. Teachers may receive college credit for the first year of induction through Holy Family College.

o Supervisor of Instructional Technology - Responsible for district wide technology programs including technology staff development at the school and district level.

▪ Technology Coach – Responsible for all Classrooms For The Future staff development training for two high schools and the district alternative school. Council Rock is in their 2nd year of the Classrooms For The Future grant.

• 84 teachers are presently involved in the Classrooms For the Future grant.

• 68 core 4 classrooms have been enhanced with Classrooms For the Future tools and materials.

▪ Every school district provides staff development. However, Council Rock has seen a significant increase in the number of school and district sponsored workshops and a significant increase in the number of staff members who are facilitating school and district workshops since the inception of the Technology Mentor Program.

o 41 Technology Mentors volunteers (full time teachers). Each school has a team of mentors.

o Providing school or district technology integration workshops before, during or after school.

o Number of technology related workshops offered has risen from 41 in the 05-06 school year to 86 in the 06-07 school year.

o Number of district staff presenting technology workshops has risen from 13 in the 05-06 school year to 47 in the 06-07 school year.

o Number of individuals enrolled in technology workshops has risen from 553 in the 05-06 school year to 1089 in the 06-07 school year.

o Total hours attending technology workshops has risen from 1106 in the 05-06 school year to 2353 in the 06-07 school year.

o Average class size in technology workshops has dropped from 22 in the 05-06 school year to 14 in the 06-07 school year. This has allowed for more personalized training and practice.

o District wide in-service days are also used to provide technology training:

▪ Technology Day

• Organized, hosted and presented by our high schools each year. This day is a mini-technology conference with an opening speaker and a series of technology workshops for teachers to attend.

▪ Professional Development In-Service Day

• 61 workshops were presented on various topics. The majority of these workshops used some aspect of technology.

• 58 of the workshops were presented by Council Rock staff members.

▪ Technology workshops and training is not just for the professional staff. Technology touches all aspects of our school district and training is provided

o Technology mentors provide training, support and help to all district staff members. This includes: secretarial, maintenance, hall monitors, bus drivers and more.

o All Council Rock staff are welcome at any and all school or district provided technology workshops.

o Specialized technology training is also provided:

▪ SchoolDude – Maintenance work order tracking system.

▪ Heating and Air Conditioning training on computerized monitoring systems

o An all day district wide in-service day is held each year just for support staff.

Table of Contents Link

Leadership for Results – Council Rock addresses factors that ensure stewardship of the vision for teaching and learning, including: development and monitoring of key performance indicators for the school system; building leadership capacity at all levels; results-focused planning and goal-setting; and creating an environment that fosters trust, continuous improvement, and accountability.

▪ Developing Council Rock’s next group of leaders is an important mission in maintaining the quality of education provided to our community. To accomplish this goal Council Rock has:

o Created a new principal induction program similar to the state mandated new teacher induction plan. Many of the components of this program cover the student information system, Performance Tracker, Global Communications System, e-mail system, logging into files from home, etc.

o Creation of a principal colleagues system for principals.

▪ Council Rock was awarded a Pennsylvania Getting To One (GTO) grant for the establishment of a Technology Mentor Program at each of their schools. Council Rock is in the 2nd year of this two year grant. The GTO grant has allowed Council Rock to develop a technology leadership team at each school building. Technology Mentor Program results:

o Establishment of a Technology Mentor team at each school building responsible for designing each year the technology staff development goals for their staff. Team members consist of:

▪ Building Principal

▪ Two Technology Mentors at the elementary and middle school buildings

▪ Four Technology Mentors at the high school building

Table of Contents Link

Engaging the Community - Council Rock highlights the importance of building and sustaining strong relationships with parents, community, taxpayers, businesses, and higher education.

▪ Council Rock constantly engages the community through various district programs and community giving.

o Community outreach:

▪ District and individual teacher websites

• Council Rock considers their websites as an informational and teaching tool.

o All schools have a paid webmaster.

o Council Rock uses the SchoolWires web design system for all district and building sites. This allows for a unified design and ease of travel from one website to another.

o Principals are responsible for seeing that their building website is up-to-date and accurate.

o All teachers are expected to have a classroom website and use the site as a teaching tool.

▪ TV- Public Access Channel

• Council Rock provides district information and district TV programming to the Council Rock community. This is accomplished through:

o Channel 28 for Comcast subscribers

o Channel 44 for Verizon subscribers

• The programming provided is a combination of informational digital screens, taped programming and live programming.

o Live programming

▪ All school board meetings

▪ Career night

▪ College night

▪ Various sports events

▪ Graduation

o Taped programming

▪ All school board meetings

▪ Programming produced by each school

▪ Graduation

▪ Graduation Awards Night

o Informational Digital Screens

▪ Information on all school buildings and events

▪ District information and events

▪ Emergency information

▪ Special events

▪ Council Rock’s high school Library Media Centers are open to the public two evenings a week.

• The Council Rock High School North Library Media Center remains open on Tuesday evenings until 9PM. This allows students and the community to use our library facilities. Facility use includes the 120 computers, video editing equipment, specialized printers, etc. located in the CRHSN Library Media Center.

• The Council Rock High School South Library Media Center remains open on Thursday evenings until 9PM. This allows students and the community to use our library facilities. Facility use includes the 120 computers, video editing equipment, specialized printers, etc. located in the CRHSS Library Media Center.

▪ SAGE – Senior Adults for Greater Education

• SAGE brings our district senior citizens back into our schools. SAGE volunteers help in classrooms throughout the district at every level. They give one hour or more per week. Volunteering can also take the form of an occasional experience; helping students with an oral history project, helping with a veteran’s history project, speaking at career days as well as assemblies, and others.

• SAGE members have the opportunity to participate in intergenerational activities in the schools such as a spelling bee, choir, a Thanksgiving Feast, and more. Members receive a newsletter telling of all the events and activities in which they are encouraged to participate.

• Membership is free and SAGE members also receive a district Gold Card which allows them to attend all district sponsored events for free.

▪ Council Rock believes in giving back to the community. Each school year the Council Rock School District chooses a community charity to support and sponsor. Schools and students hold fundraisers, dress down days, walks, coin collections, etc. in support of the charity. This is a way for our staff and students to be involved in our community of giving.

• Autistic Awareness – This school year Council Rock is working with the NeighborHeart Foundation. This organization helps families with students and adults who have autism.

• Alex’s Lemonade Stand – Last school year Council Rock worked with Alex’s Lemonade Stand to promote and raise funds for cancer research.

• Hurricane Katrina – Council Rock raised money for hurricane Katrina victims during the 05-06 school year.

• March of Dimes – Council Rock students and staff participate in the Walk America walkathon.

o Technology Advisory Council – The Technology Advisory Council, chaired bit the Director of Information Technology, is composed of school board members, parents, district staff members and the Supervisor of Instructional Technology. The purpose of the council is to:

▪ Give direction to the district on technology issues.

▪ Help the district develop their technology vision.

▪ Provide support in the community for technology initiatives.

o E-Friday Folders – E-Friday folders are available on each of our school websites. The purpose of the E-Friday folder is to provide a paperless way of delivering to all district parents information that would normally go home as a printed handout with a student.

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Facilities & Financial Resources – Council Rock addresses the deployment of people, facilities, time, and material resources in ways that advance accomplishment of the districts priorities: setting rigorous standards for the district’s business and maintenance operations; and providing support systems that are responsive to the needs of schools and district personnel.

▪ The Council Rock School Board has provided the financial resources to put into place technology tools in the classrooms, business offices, computer labs, etc and provide the technology personnel to support this equipment.

o The Council Rock School board has approved a computer lease for the last 4 years. This has allowed:

▪ The district to create a computer inventory cycle of 5 years thereby keeping the computer equipment up-to-date in classrooms, computer labs, offices, etc.

▪ To increase the number of computers available in the district from 3000 to 4500 over the last four years.

▪ To significantly increase the number of computer laptop carts available to teachers in all buildings - K-12.

▪ To enhance the district’s wireless network which covers all school buildings - K-12.

▪ Keep network servers up-to-date in the district network operations center.

o The Council Rock School Board has supported the technology line item budget. This has provided for:

▪ A significant increase in the number of curriculum based software titles, both server and web based, are now available to students and teachers.

▪ Microsoft Office products are now leased allowing Council Rock to offer the Microsoft Office Suite to all district employees for home installation on one computer. This allows all employees to utilize the same version of Microsoft Office Suite products.

▪ District Intranet site using Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server

▪ Performance Tracker purchase for data warehousing of student testing data and alignment to state and national standards.

▪ On-line web based workshop enrollment and tracking system called OTS – Online Training System.

▪ BigWebDesk - for input and tracking of all technology related work requests.

▪ Web based Elementary Report Card for data entry of elementary grades anytime anywhere.

▪ Enhanced Student Information System which allows for the grading, attendance, scheduling, parent portal, etc.

▪ Unified Library Catalog called Destiny which allows the search and retrieval library materials from any school library in the district.

▪ High speed gigabit network connecting all school buildings. Internet 2 connects the district to 56 high speed network worldwide.

o The Council Rock School Board has provided for the additional hiring of technology personnel as we have grown in technology complexity and the number of technology tools has grown.

▪ Technology Organizational Chart

• Director of Information Technology

o Network Administrator

o 2 – Data Processing Personnel

▪ All district databases

o 1 – Communications Specialist

▪ District Websites

▪ Public Access Channels

o 1 – Technology Repair Specialist

o 1 – Secretary

o 5 – District Technology Technicians

o 10 – District Technology Aides

o The Council Rock School Board has supported the deployment of computer labs, laptop carts, and classroom computers throughout the district.

▪ Typical Elementary School

• 2 – Computer Labs with 30 computers

o 1 – located in the Library Media Center

o 1 - Open lab for teacher sign up

• 2 – laptop carts of 15 computer each

• Desktop teacher computer in every classroom

• In the process of putting in ceiling mounted digital projectors and interactive whiteboards.

• See Council Rock Technology Design Standards

▪ Typical Middle School

• 2 – Computer Labs with 30 computers

o 1 – located in the Library Media Center

o 1 - Open lab for teacher sign up

• 2 – laptop carts of 15 computer each

• Desktop teacher computer in every classroom

• In the process of putting in ceiling mounted digital projectors and interactive whiteboards.

• See Council Rock Technology Design Standards

▪ Typical High School

• 14 – Computer Labs with 30 computers

o 3 – located in the Library Media Center

o Most computer labs are specific to curriculum content area.

▪ RELA writing lab

▪ Industrial Technology labs

▪ Music composition cabs

▪ Art cab

▪ Business Education cabs

• Laptop Carts

o 3 laptop carts per core four curriculum area

o All special education classrooms have a laptop cart of 12 laptops

• Desktop or laptop teacher computer in every classroom

• In the process of putting in ceiling mounted digital projectors and interactive whiteboards. Presently have 66 classrooms outfitted with this technology.

• See Council Rock Technology Design Standards

Table of Contents Link

Educational & Informational Technology – Council Rock addresses ways in which the district’s technology infrastructure can be used to enhance teaching and learning, internal and external communications, and management decision making.

▪ Council Rock has integrated technology throughout their curriculum, defining technology as a tool to enhance learning and not a separate curriculum. Council Rock has accomplished this by:

o Creating defined student technology competencies at each grade level - K-12. The expectations indicate at which grade level the student should be proficient.

o Providing two Microsoft Office Suite courses, in 7th and 8th grade, to ensure that students are accomplished in the use of this technology tool as they enter their high school years.

o Providing technology elective courses at the high school level for students who want to focus on specialized technology training. Examples: Web Page Design, Multimedia Design, Computer Programming, etc.

o Council Rock School District is a test site for Microsoft products. Council Rock students who wish to be certified in a Microsoft product can take the exam as part of their business classes.

o Council Rock’s Industrial Technology students participate in area robotics competitions.

▪ Council Rock assesses the technology skills being developed at various grade levels. Data from the various elementary, middle and high school project assessments is used to reflect upon and refine Council Rock’s technology programs. This is accomplished by:

o District defined student technology competencies, aligned with the National Education Technology Standards - K-12.

o 6th grade EPA (Elementary Performance Assessment)

▪ 6th grade students develop a research question with the help of their teacher.

▪ 6th grade students spend two days in the library researching their question and developing an oral and graphic presentation, without teacher help.

▪ Technology is a key component in the EPA project.

▪ 6th graders present their research to a committee through an oral and graphical presentation.

▪ 6th grade students receive feedback on their presentation and a grade for this project.

o 8th grade E-Portfolios

▪ Middle level students 7th and 8th grade keep on-line digital portfolios of their best work during their middle years.

▪ Each 8th grader presents a sampling of their best work to a committee of teachers emphasizing the growth in their learning over the middle years time period.

▪ Students are given feedback on their work and the project is graded.

o Graduation Project

▪ All Council Rock students are required to complete a graduation project during their high school years.

▪ Technology is a key component of the graduation project.

▪ Students present their graduation projects to a team of teachers who assess the work.

▪ All graduation projects are graded and logged in a district graduation project database..

▪ Council Rock believes that all employees and students should have district logins and space on district servers. Communication and learning are greatly enhanced among employees and students by providing access to a common set of tools and programs. This is accomplished by:

o Providing district login accounts, e-mail and server space to all district employees.

o Providing district login accounts and server space to all students beginning in 3rd grade.

o Providing district generic login accounts and shared server space to all students in grade K-2.

▪ Council Rock believes that technology files and common programs should be available to all employees and students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is accomplished by:

o Providing student and employee web based access to a secure Citrix environment which allows access to an individuals file storage area, access to the Microsoft Office Suite, selected district databases and printing at home. The programs and access rights are determined by the individuals login account. This determines whether they receive an elementary desktop, a secondary desktop or an administrator desktop. Students and employees can work when it is most convenient to them.

▪ Council Rock is using their technology resources to provide paperless school board meetings. This is accomplished by:

o Providing a laptop computer to each school board member for web based access at home or during board meetings.

o Creating a web accessible secure login site on the district’s SharePoint Server for school board documents. Advantages:

▪ Completely searchable

▪ Creates an historical record of board issues

▪ Common file folder organization by board topic

▪ Instant updating of files

▪ Accessible from anywhere at anytime

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