The superintendent is the head of the district and therefore accountable for the decisions and actions of the district. Our superintendent believes that technology integration by both teachers and students is critical for success of the students. This is evident in his decisions and goals in the area of technology. He supports technology learning opportunities for both teachers and students.
There are several associate superintendents for various areas such as facilities and planning, human resources and business services that serve under the district superintendent. Technology and school services is one of these areas with an associate superintendent who helps implement the goals of the district superintendent. Also included in this area are curriculum leaders for both elementary and secondary schools, academic coaches for various content areas such as math and science and administrators and teachers. TEKS objectives, TAKS scores, information gained from STaR chart surveys plays a key role in defining goals in the area of technology. Those in the area of curriculum and instruction work together with those in the area of technology to develop the goals of the district. District coordinators along with the curriculum leaders and academic coaches share district goals and information with the individual campuses. Those in each content area work with technology to provide valuable information and training in the area of technology and implementing it into the various content areas. Campus needs are addressed for both materials and resources as well as training. On the campus level, the principal, director of instruction as well as technology support work with teachers to ensure that materials and resources are available as well as training so that teachers are able to integrate technology in the classroom.
Principals along with the director of instruction and technology team meet to address concerns regarding technology on the campus and develop strategies to help teachers incorporate technology in the classroom. The District Action Plan addresses technology at all levels and in all content areas. The principals, academic coaches and coordinators are responsible for implementing the goals outlined by the district. The District Action Plan also incorporates technology goals for teachers to use technology in the classroom to support instruction. The district supports the use of technology by both teachers and students. The district goals are then incorporated into the Campus Improvement Plan (CIP) where technology is listed as an important strategy to support and promote student success and increase achievement.
On my campus, technology is expected to be used by all teachers. Technology is designed to support the different learning styles of students. This is vital in the area of special education, especially in my area of deaf education. Technology provides the visual representation that is needed by deaf students to understand key concepts and develop vocabulary. My campus uses such things as smart boards, COWS and software to provide the opportunity for students to become active participants in a lesson and increase understanding and achievement.
My action plan addresses technology use in a self contained special education setting – specifically in the area of deaf education and the connection to increased TAKS scores. It is my goal to develop a plan that involves incorporating technology in the classroom and providing the needed professional development to reach this goal. The goal is to use technology to provide differentiated instruction in order to improve student achievement. The Campus Improvement Plan includes those who will support the goals of the plan.
The goal of the CIP in the area of special education is to ensure the students’ competence reaches or exceeds grade-level standards in all content areas and increasing proficiency on all TAKS (Campbell CIP, 2008-2009). Special education teachers, academic achievement specialists and intervention teams along with campus administration will support the goals of the action plan. Strategies that are data driven will be evaluated and specific interventions will be set in place. The action plan will address a specific item in the Campus Improvement Plan – fill the gaps in the area of Math and Language and increasing background knowledge and vocabulary instruction. Those students who have been identified as ‘at risk’ will attend pull outs beginning in January for 12 weeks. Students will attend 1 pull out (a PE class) each week that will focus on Math and Language (Reading) designed at increasing vocabulary and background knowledge. The students who have been identified as ‘at risk’ are those students who in previous years have not passed TAKS. The goal of the pull out aligns with the goals outlined in the Campus Improvement Plan in the area of special education – to increase the percentage of special education students demonstrating proficiency on all TAKS Performance Assessments by double digits.
1. Three (3)Retired Teachers in the content areas along with interpreters will be used for the pull out beginning the 2nd week in January.
- The teachers will work with students on specific objectives using such technology support as smart boards and COWS (computers on wheels station) along with software designed to increase vocabulary in the core contents.
- Academic coaches will work with the teachers and provide training on specific TAKS strategies using differentiated instruction and incorporating technology to support instruction in the classroom for both teachers and students.
2. Teacher Training: Support the pull out with classroom strategies.
- Smart board: Activities and games will be provided to teachers in addition to training using the activities and equipment. These activities will be created by the team as well as the academic coaches in the content areas. The technology support staff on campus will provide training for teachers on the use of the equipment in the classroom.
- Video Camera: In the area of deaf education, academic helping teachers and the technology coach with the assistance of the teachers will provide study guides for content areas that emphasizes the vocabulary. These CD study guides can then be ‘checked out’ by the students to be used at home as well as teachers to use in class.
- Computer Software: TAKS tutorials and vocabulary development in content areas will provide continual practice to students in the classroom. These will support what is covered during the pull out sessions.
3. Teacher and Student Evaluation
- Retired Teachers will monitor and assess the weekly activities of the students and monitor weekly the development of vocabulary and core concepts of students. Practice test scores will be evaluated and specific objectives will be identified for future pull out sessions.
- Modifications: Based on going evaluation of students in the pull out, modifications will be made in the pull out setting. Evaluations will also guide what changes and modifications need to be made to resources used in the classroom.
Data will be collected to help identify specific objectives that need to be addressed. The Campus Improvement Plan will then use that information to implement a program to increase achievement on those objectives. Technology plays a crucial role accomplishing the goals of the district and campus. Currently on my campus, administrators are doing mega monitoring in all classrooms to assess the use of technology along with other strategies and its effectiveness in improving student achievement. Administrators can then determine which teachers are successfully implementing technology in instruction and areas in need of continual training. In the district appraisal system, technology use in the classroom is one area that is evaluated. Administrators communicate to the teachers the district goals in the area of technology and how it is evaluated and used in the classroom. Staff development is provided at both the campus and district level on the uses of technology in the classroom and its effectiveness on student achievement. Staff development is based on the goals and objectives outlined in both the District Plan and Campus Improvement Plan as well as student data.
2008-2009 Campus improvement plan for campbell middle school. (2008). Retrieved
(December 3, 2009) from http://schools.cfisd.net/campbell/index.stm
Profile: overview of cypress-fairbanks independent school district. (2009). Retrieved
(December 3, 2009) from http://www.cfisd.net/aboutour/profile01.pdf
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