Greenfield Center School
Technology Plan
July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2011

Click here to download a PDF copy of the tech plan

Click here to download a Microsoft Word copy of the tech plan

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Section 1: Background Information	Section 2: Vision and Mission Statements
Section 3: Overview of the Technology Planning Process	Section 4: Technology Assessment
Section 5: Technology Goals and Objectives	Section 6: Academic Objectives
Section 7: Technology Professional Development	Section 8: Hardware, Software and Network Stability
Section 9: Future Technologies (Projected Budget)	Section 10: Evaluation Process

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Section 10: Evaluation Process

Our school Technology Plan is a dynamic and flexible document that changes to meet the needs of students, teachers, staff and administrators. We evaluate the effectiveness of our technology program on a regular basis to monitor progress toward attainment of educational goals and modify initiatives as needed. For example, we distribute an evaluation form to participants at all professional development trainings for feedback on the relevance, usefulness and effectiveness of training for classroom instruction and ideas for follow-up trainings.

The Executive Director of the school regularly meets with teachers and staff to review the progress the school has made in using technology to support teaching and learning and to plan next steps. They discuss what's working, determine what needs more attention, and consider new directions in response to changes in curriculum requirements, emerging technology, policy mandates, and financial circumstances.

In addition, the school’s Technology Coordinator consults with teachers, staff and administrators at the school to determine building-level hardware, software and professional development needs. These consultations are ongoing. They take place throughout the year at Technology Committee meetings, informal meetings with teachers and staff, and through email communication. Discussions center on technology skills being taught at each grade level, the curriculum in place to meet National Educational Technology and Massachusetts DOE benchmark standards, and the assessments in place to determine the level of student technology skills. Performance measures include assessments of student technology proficiency on completed projects and informal observations of student technology skills.

Finally, in regular consultation with the Executive Director, the GCS Technology Coordinator keeps an updated inventory of school hardware and software, ensures that all maintenance and support contracts with technology vendors are renewed and/or updated, and stays alert to changing infrastructure needs.

Evaluation Process: Action Plan

This technology plan has identified four broad technology initiatives, each with its own action plan:

• Technology Goals
• Academic Objectives
• Technology Professional Development
• Hardware, Software and Network Stability

Every action plan has associated Key Actions, Performance Indicators and Timelines for expected completion. Meeting the specified timelines for completion will be one way to monitor progress toward meeting our technology goals. If necessary, we are prepared to make mid-course corrections in response to new developments and opportunities.

By June 30, 2011, we expect Center School teachers to use technology every day in at least one or more of the following areas:

• Lesson planning
• Administrative tasks
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Teaching

We also expect that 85% of our MUPS, MIDDLES, UPPER MIDDLES and UPPERS teachers will require their students to use technology weekly for tasks such as:  

• Writing
• Research
• Data interpretation
• Communications
• Collaboration

To ensure the success of these two outcomes, we are making every effort to have at least 85% of our teachers:

• Participate in high-quality technology professional development or one-on-one mentoring covering technology skills and the integration of technology into instruction

Moreover, Greenfield Center School will develop monitoring and evaluation guidelines to assess the effectiveness of new hardware and software introduced in the school. Evaluations will gauge:

1. Teachers’ knowledge and use of technology, and
2. Students’ knowledge and use of technology.

The additional assessment tools will include surveys, open forums, and school curriculum – both before and after technology implementation. Our goal is to measure the effectiveness of:

1. Students’ use of multimedia for learning
2. Teachers’ use of software programs to enhance learning
3. A curriculum which integrates computers and the Internet

We will employ several procedures to evaluate the improvement of teachers’ capacities to use technology to enhance teaching and learning. We intend to distribute a questionnaire asking teachers to describe their students’ computer-based activities. We will also have them describe plans for future computer-based activities. Their comments will help us assess their comfort level with technology and give us an idea of their level of technology mastery. We plan to devise a list of technology goals and expectations for every grade level. Once we compile such a list, we can systematically evaluate how many objectives have been completed.

A formal evaluation of student and teacher technology access, skills, knowledge and attitudes will be conducted at the end of each school year to provide concrete data on plan effectiveness. This assessment will help us answer the following questions:

• Which technology objectives have been met?
• Has technology enabled us to attain the curriculum standard for all students in all areas concerned?
• What objectives remain unmet and what can we do to reach them?
• In light of current information, what changes in objectives, priorities and implementation strategies are required?

Timely answers to these questions will enable us to identify, review, and address implementation issues as they arise and help us determine if our technology objectives are being met. Ongoing evaluation will allow us to adjust the plan to include new technology and eliminate outdated hardware and software.

The results of our formal end-of-year evaluation and informal assessments by the Technology Coordinator, Executive Director, and teachers will help shape any changes or adjustments in the plan. Center School teachers, staff, and administrators will share their reactions to these evaluations, make suggestions, and recommend plan changes. Each annual evaluation will serve as the basis for an action plan the following year.

Process for Reporting to Stakeholders

A summary of our formal end-of-year evaluation will be published and distributed to all stakeholders. This summary will guide our review of the school year and will be used to formulate possible adjustments to the plan in future years. Ongoing discussions will take place throughout the year at staff meetings, where teachers will be able to air any concerns and make contributions to the plan.

Process and Timeline for Ongoing, Long-term Planning

Evaluation and adjustments to this three-year plan will be ongoing.

Page last updates: February 20, 2008