Running head: CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY PLAN

School Technology Plan

Ashley Chapin, Cara Reddoch, Craige Roberts, Leah Shaw

University of Maryland University College

SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 2

Description of School, Staff, and Existing Technology

Rosa L. Parks Elementary is located in the city of Hyattsville, MD, just one mile from the

Washington, DC border. Currently, there are a total of 688 students enrolled in grades Pre-K

through six. It is one of the 75 Title 1 schools within the Prince George’s County Public Schools

(PGCPS) system. As a Title 1 school, Rosa L. Parks receives added federal funding for

“instructional support, professional development, technology support, and parent involvement

initiatives” (Prince George’s County Public Schools, 2017). This funding is aimed specifically at

helping students that are in the most need of support within the county, those that come from

low-income households. Refer to Table 1 below for pertinent demographic breakdowns of the

student population by grade level, ethnicity, and special services received.

Table 1. Student Demographics

Demographic Number of % of
Students Population
Grade Level Pre-Kindergarten 30 4%
Kindergarten 88 13%
First 95 14%
Second 85 12%
Third 95 14%
Fourth 95 14%
Fifth 110 16%
Sixth 90 13%
Ethnicity Hispanic 581 85%
Black 89 13%
White 10 1.5%
Two or more races 5 .73%
Pacific Islander 3 .44%
Services FARM 599 87%
ESOL Services 391 57%
SPED Services 32 4.65%

Each year, the administrative team in conjunction with the county and Title 1 office

allocates a sizeable portion of annual funding to technology and device maintenance within the

building. Technology initiatives are designed to benefit the teachers and students by facilitating
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 3

growth in the classroom. Thirty-five classrooms in the building are equipped with three to five

desktop computers, an LCD projector, an Interwrite Board, and a document camera. These

devices are considered standard tools for instruction school wide. Moreover, there are a

respectable number of personal technology devices—iPods, iPads, and Chromebooks—found in

classrooms throughout the building for students to utilize during instruction.

There are four iPod cabinets at Rosa L. Parks. All cabinets have thirty iPods inside and

are used in Kindergarten homerooms. Two iPad carts with twenty devices each are shared

between the first and second grade teachers. Chromebooks are utilized exclusively in third

through sixth grades. In 2012, a Title 1 district initiative called the Third Grade Mobile 1:1

Program rolled out across the county. The program was designed to provide thirty-unit

Chromebook carts to all third grade Title 1 elementary schools. This initiative came at a pivotal

time where state and county standardized testing was transitioning to a wholly computer-based

model. To meet this new need in the remaining intermediate classrooms, Rosa L. Parks gradually

purchased three additional Chromebook carts. Currently, the four total Chromebook carts are

shared between grade level homerooms and the testing department. When carts are not being

utilized for testing, grade level teachers rotate their designated cart amongst homerooms so that

all students get to utilize devices throughout the fiscal year.

The plan is designed for instructional staff members who interact directly with students

and impact learning in classrooms. Out of seventy-six staff members, fifty-three fall into this

category. Data on all staff members was compiled via anecdotal notes and personal interviews

conducted with secretaries, administration members, instructional lead teachers, and grade level

chairs. See Table 2 for an instructional staff demographic breakdown by approximate age ranges

as well as technology use by teachers and students in the respective grade levels/classrooms.
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 4

Table 2. Staff Demographics

Demographic Number of % of
Teachers Population
Staff Age Range < 35 31 58%
> 40 13 25%
> 50 9 17%
Teacher Technology Use very little 4 7%
mild 12 23%
moderate 19 35%
much 12 23%
N/A 6 12%
Student Technology Use little if any 8 15%
mild 24 45%
moderate 11 21%
much 4 7%
N/A 6 12%

School Achievement Data and Statement of Needs

Elementary students at all levels of instruction struggle with the development of basic

reading/literacy and mathematics skills development. Basic reading/literacy skills include but are

not limited to: close reading, phonemic awareness and phonics, increasing vocabulary and word

knowledge, improving reading comprehension, and developing reading fluency. Basic

mathematics skills include but are not limited to: basic recall of facts, place value, fractions and

decimals, logical reasoning, and problem solving. Mastery of the aforementioned skills over time

is necessary if students are to foster successful academic careers as well as meet college and

career readiness standards. Standardized summative assessment data has indicated that students

exhibit deficiencies in both content areas.

Three times per year, all students in grades kindergarten through second are administered

the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). The DRA is designed to measure the

instructional reading level of students. It is administered individually to students by homeroom

teachers. Data amassed from the October 2017 assessment for students at Rosa L. Parks
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 5

Elementary can be found in Table 3 below. Across all three grade levels, well over 50% of

students tested scored below grade level on the first DRA. Based on these figures, there is an

apparent lapse in phonemic awareness, word recognition, phonics, comprehension, oral fluency,

and much more from kindergarten through second grade.

Table 3. October 2017 DRA Data Capture

Grade Below Grade Level On Grade Level Above Grade Level

Kindergarten 77% N/A 23%

First 77% 15% 8%

Second 53% 23% 24%

At the end of the academic year, all students in grades three through twelve in states that

support the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are administered the PARCC end-of-the-year

assessment. The PARCC end-of-the-year assessment is designed to measure student learning in

reading, writing, and mathematics. Data amassed from the 2016-2017 assessment for students at

Rosa L. Parks Elementary can be found in Table 4 below. Across all four grade levels, less than

30% of students scored proficient on the PARCC end-of-year assessment. These results are well

below the state average in both content areas. Based on these figures, there is a clear and

widespread deficiency where basic skills development in reading and mathematics are

concerned, particularly in relation to critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills

that are needed for career and college readiness.

Table 4. Grade Level Proficiency for PARCC 2016-2017

Grade Math Math Reading Reading

% Proficient State Average % Proficient State Average

Third 29% 44% 11% 38%

Fourth 8% 37% 13% 40%

SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 6

Fifth 15% 37% 17% 39%

Sixth 19% 33% 28% 37%

Students in grades kindergarten through six need to develop fundamental background

knowledge and be granted continual opportunities for skill advancement in reading/literacy and

mathematics in order to enhance their total academic journeys in classrooms throughout the

building, and technology will help them attain and sustain such skills. As 21st-century learners, it

is imperative that all students be prepared to employ technology in ways that can both enhance

their abilities and concurrently enrich their overall learning experience. Technology can help the

students at Rosa L. Parks learn to become creators of content knowledge in the classroom. The

plan will focus on embedding websites and applications as well as software into instruction in an

effort to improve basic reading/literacy and mathematics skills.

Vision Statement

At Rosa L. Parks Elementary, we believe technology can provide opportunities for all

students to unlock their full potential to be lifelong learners. In all classrooms, students will

employ technology in ways that advance fundamental skill development and encourage active

exploration in reading/literacy and mathematics. We believe worthwhile learning occurs when

curriculum-based software programs, websites, and applications that provide meaningful and

memorable learning opportunities for students are incorporated regularly into instruction.

Technology will impact learning and improve student achievement, moving them towards having

success on standardized assessments, across the grade levels in both reading/literacy and

mathematics.
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 7

Goals, Objectives, and Evaluation Methods

Table 5 below displays the school technology plan goals, objectives, and evaluation

methods, which focus on the development of reading/literacy and mathematics skills.

Table 5. Goals, Objectives, and Evaluation Methods

Goals Objectives Evaluation Methods

Students will use technology
to practice reading skills in all
classrooms at least twice a
week.
The technology use will
enhance the learning
experiences of all students,
including those with special
needs and those receiving
ESOL services.
Given access to specific
reading software/applications
and websites (C), students (A)
will improve reading skills (B)
by at least 15% throughout the
school year (D).
To determine if the objective
is met, instructional staff will
track student progress for a
designated set of
reading/literacy skills using
formative and summative
assessments as well as
anecdotal notes.
The formative and summative
assessments created will be
varied by student output to
allow for multiple methods to
demonstrate learning:
(1) performance-based;
(2) paper- and/or online-
based quizzes/tests.

Anecdotal observational notes

will be kept on all students.
The overall levels of
participation with technology
tools and academic progress
will be monitored closely.

Teacher lesson plans will

indicate the specific
technology being integrated
along with how it was
implemented.

Students will use technology
to practice math skills in all
classrooms at least twice a
week.
Given access to specific
mathematics websites and
software/applications (C),
students (A) will improve
mathematics skills (B) by at
To determine if the objective
as met, instructional staff will
track student progress for a
designated set of
reading/literacy skills using
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 8

The technology use will
enhance the learning
experiences of all students,
including those with special
needs and those receiving
ESOL services.
least 15% throughout the
school year (D).
formative and summative
assessments as well as
anecdotal notes.
The formative and summative
assessments created will be
varied by student output to
allow for multiple methods to
demonstrate learning:
(3) performance-based;
(4) paper- and/or online-
based quizzes/tests.

Anecdotal observational notes

will be kept on all students.
The overall levels of
participation with technology
tools and academic progress
will be monitored closely.

Teacher lesson plans will

indicate the specific
technology being integrated
along with how it was
implemented.

Budget and Rationale

Students will use classroom desktops, Chromebooks, iPods, and iPads to practice reading

and math skills in the classroom. The iPads will enhance the learning experience for all students

to include ESL and SPED. The apps assigned will have a performance module so the student can

demonstrate to the teacher they understood what they were to do and demonstrate their ability to

perform the task for the teacher using a summative grade. Students will be given an iPad that has

math apps; the students will be given a percentage of questions they must answer prior to them

working the problems. Once the students think they have mastered the word problems they are

working they must demonstrate that mastery to the teacher for a grade.

Table 6. Budget and Purpose/Rationale

SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 9

Hardware

Material and Vendor Unit Price Quantity Total Price Purpose/Rationale

Apple iPads $303 60 $18,180 Although the iPads are more

costly than other tablets, they
are Apple compatible and can
be used with already existing
Apps purchased by the
school. In the end, the
features that are built into the
iPad in this area will cut
down on the cost of
purchasing an abundance of
assistive technologies and
licensing agreements.

Security/Charging Cart $200 2 $400 Two mobile security/charging

carts will be purchased to
house all newly purchased
iPads when they are not in
use. These tri-use carts
provide storage, security
protection, and charging
capabilities to ensure the
devices are kept in pristine
condition.

Cases for iPads $10 60 $600 Cushion cases will protect the
schools investment so that the
iPads are maintained and in
working order from year to
year. Replacement costs will
be lowered as a result.

Software/Program

Waterford Early Learning $0 1 site $0 The Waterford Early

- Grades K-2 license Learning software is provided
- Title 1 Initiative to all Title 1 schools in
PGCPS. The software is
designed to improve the
foundational reading skills
and thereby raise student
achievement in grades
kindergarten through second
(PGCPS, 2017). The
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 10

Waterford Early Learning

software specifically helps
students “entering school
lacking background
knowledge in the mechanics
of how sounds, words and
text are related to become
strong, independent readers”
(PGCPS, 2017).

MyON $0 1 site $0 The MyON software is

- Grades K-5 license provided to all Title 1 schools
- Title 1 Initiative in PGCPS. The software is “a
personalized literacy program
that provides access to an
integrated collection of over
1700 digital books with
reading supports, customized
to a student’s interest and
reading abilities” (PGCPS,
2017). Under teacher
direction, students utilize the
software to improve their
development of basic reading
skills. MyON systematically
“develops an individual
profile for each student based
on his or her interests and
reading ability, and generates
a recommended book list”
(PGCPS, 2017). Moreover,
students can access this
personal library at home via
an Internet connection.

Vocabulary.com $0 1 site $0 Vocabulary.com is provided

- Grades 5-8 license to all Title 1 schools in
- Title 1 Initiative PGCPS. It permits “students
to access online vocabulary
strategies and materials”
(PGCPS, 2017). This
program creates an interactive
space for students that
combines “the dictionary with
an adaptive learning game
that helps students master
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 11

new words” (PGCPS, 2017).

Furthermore, it monitors
student progress in real time,
which is a wonderful
formative assessment tool for
students and teachers alike.

ExploreLearning Reflex $3,295 1 site $9,885 Reflex is an online, game-

- Grades 2-5 per year license for 3 years based program purchased by
- School purchase the school to improve student
learning in mathematics. The
program is designed to assist
“students of all ability levels
to develop fluency with their
basic facts in addition,
subtraction, multiplication
and division”
(ExploreLearning). Reflex is
inherently adaptive and
differentiated as it
“continuously monitors each
student's performance to
create the optimal experience
for every child”
(ExploreLearning).

Professional Development Training

Chromebooks $0 15 to 20 $0 The Office of Talent and

teachers Development will come to
Rosa L. Parks to present a
workshop regarding
Chromebooks. All staff
members that teach students
in grades 3 through 6 in any
capacity using Chromebooks
will attend this county
provided device training. The
required training will address
basic operating knowledge.

iPads $0 10 to 15 $0 The Office of Talent and

teachers Development will come to
Rosa L. Parks to present a
workshop regarding iPads.
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 12

All instructional staff

members that teach first and
second grade students using
iPads in any capacity will
attend this county provided
device training. The required
training will address basic
operating knowledge and
applications.

G Suite $0 All staff $0 The Office of Talent and

members Development will come to
Rosa L. Parks to present
several workshops regarding
the G Suite for education.
The workshops will cover
basic operating skills for
Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets,
Forms, Hangouts, Sites,
Classroom, etc. This
information is particularly
important for teachers in
grades third through sixth as
students in those classrooms
have direct access to those
Google tools via the
Chromebooks.

Waterford Early Learning $0 7 staff $0 The Waterford Sub-Training

members Team attends the Waterford
A sub-training team software workshop, which is
made up of reading sponsored the PGCPS Title 1
specialists, grade level Department. Members of this
chairs, and a select group team will become the point
of ESOL teachers are persons in charge of teaching
trained to use Waterford and supporting instructional
software. staff members in their
These staff members respective grade levels and/or
collectively are the specialist areas in regards to
Waterford Sub-training the content learned at the
Team for the building. Waterford workshop.

MyON $0 10 staff $0 The MyON Sub-Training

members Team attends the Waterford
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 13

A sub-training team software workshop, which is

made up of reading sponsored the PGCPS Title 1
specialists, grade level Department. Members of this
chairs, and ESOL team will become the point
teachers are trained to use persons in charge of teaching
MyON software. These and supporting instructional
staff members staff members in their
collectively make up the respective grade levels and/or
MyON Sub-training Team specialist areas in regards to
for the building. the content learned at the
MyON workshop.

Vocabulary.com $0 10 staff $0 The Vocabulary.com Sub-

members Training Team attends the
A sub-training team Waterford software
made up of reading workshop, which is
specialists, grade level sponsored the PGCPS Title 1
chairs, and ESOL Department. Members of this
teachers are trained to use team will become the point
Vocabulary.com persons in charge of teaching
program. and supporting instructional
These staff members staff members in their
collectively make up the respective grade levels and/or
Vocabulary.com Sub- specialist areas in regards to
training Team for the the content learned at the
building. Vocabulary.com workshop.

ExploreLearning Reflex $0 All staff $0 All instructional staff

All math specialists and
teachers as well as ESOL
teachers are trained to use
the ExploreLearning
Reflex program.
members members from grades two
that teach through 5 that teach math in
math any capacity will watch a 90-
minute training webinar. The
webinar is included as part of
the site license purchase.

Grand Total Budget $29,065

Professional Development Plan

The creation of a technology integration professional development plan lays out long-

term goals and discrete skills a school’s instructional staff wish to master in order to meet student

learning outcomes throughout the building. When enacted, the plan will agreeably influence a
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 14

teacher’s overall performance and also increase student achievement in the classroom. The

professional development plan that has been developed and shared below focuses on enhancing

content knowledge and pedagogical skill for all instructional staff members.

The improvement of content knowledge and pedagogical skill can be achieved by

participating in activities that promote exploration and mastery of devices as well as content

related websites, apps, and software that are used at Rosa L. Parks Elementary. It is important for

instructional staff members to be given the time and opportunities to study the hardware,

software, and applications as well as conduct research on it and the field, attend professional

development opportunities and webinars, and interact with other teachers that utilize the same

technology tools in their classrooms.

Group trainings held during monthly staff meetings, which are held in the multipurpose

room and media center, will be the main focus of the plan. Topics related to the following

hardware, software, and applications will be concentrated on: Chromebooks, G Suite for

Education, iPads, Apple Apps for reading/literacy and mathematics, Waterford Software, MyOn

Software, Vocabulary.com, and ExploreLearning Reflex. Offering whole-school trainings that

are designed to assist staff members in developing a certain level of proficiency with the

aforementioned technology areas is the most practicable way to make improvements on how

technology is currently being integrated in and out of all classrooms at Rosa L. Parks. In addition

to the in-house training opportunities, teachers will be encouraged to attend relevant technology

conferences and county provided workshops off-campus when offered. Assistive technology

professional development sessions will be offered on an as needed basis.

Moreover, in-house monthly training sessions and/or off-campus workshops that the staff

members take part in will be recorded in a professional development log again through a Google
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 15

Form survey. The form will ask instructional staff members to evaluate the overall usefulness of

the experience in their classrooms. The form responses will help determine if a session and/or

activity was valuable by reflecting upon the theses points: (1) content learned, (2) ability to

effectively apply and integrate the new knowledge and/or skill, (3) likeability/relatability of

content, and (4) its potential impact on student learning. If an experience was worthwhile, it is

likely that it will be included within and subsequently change how instruction is done in

classrooms throughout the building.

Finally, instructional staff members school-wide will be expected to individually research

two new technology resources per month, which has been dubbed personal development in the

implementation timeline. Resources can include software, websites, and/or applications that

pertain to developing and practicing basic skills in reading/literacy and mathematics. At least one

resource must be investigated and/or downloaded onto personal devices; from there, the resource

should be rated on its potential to teach aspects of the curriculum and enhancing student learning.

All responses will be collected with a Google Form survey and compiled into a Google

Spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will be shared on the staff support site so that instructional staff

can visit and utilize its contents with ease.

Plan Implementation Timeline

Table 7 below contains the school technology plan implementation timeline. The plan

spans three years—2018 to 2020—and is broken up into summer, fall, winter and spring

semesters. The first year of the plan is the most comprehensive, as it sets the tone for the years

that follow. The second year is dedicated to solidifying classroom desktops, Chromebooks, and

iPads as instructional tools in classrooms throughout the building. The third year is concerned

with sustaining the use of these resources for years to come.

SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 16

Table 7. Plan Implementation Timeline

First Year – Begin Implementation
Spring 2018 ● A technology training team made up of at least ten educators from the
building, one from each grade level and a few from the different
specialist areas, will be assembled before the end of the school year.
Training team members were selected based on an overall willingness
to act as both representatives and ambassadors for technology in the
building. They are effectively the point persons in charge of helping
instruct and support instructional staff members in their respective
grade levels and/or specialist areas.
● The training team meets with the administration team to propose and
request that new technology devices be purchased for the upcoming
fiscal year--two more class sets of iPads.
Summer 2018 ● The administrative team meets over the summer to review the
school/Title 1 budget. A sizable portion of the annual funding is
allocated for the purchase of new technology for classroom use,
specifically two iPad carts with 30 devices in each.
○ Ideally, all items will be bought outright; however, in the event
that they are not, purchases may span across the three year plan
to obtain them.
● The technology training team meets a few times over the summer to
prepare and plan out professional development opportunities for the
instructional staff. These opportunities will begin in the fall of 2018 and
are aimed at preparing the staff and thereby students to utilize both new
and existing devices as well as software and applications.
○ The training team compiles a list of existing devices as well as
software, websites, and applications that should already be used
in classrooms. Workshops for all of the items on this list will be
offered during the first year of the plan:
■ Devices: Dell Desktops, Chromebooks, iPads
■ Software, websites, and/or applications: Waterford,
MyON, Vocabulary.com, ExploreLearning Reflex, G
Suite for Education, iPod/iPad apps that target reading
and mathematics skill development
Fall 2018 ● Sixty iPads and cases along with two iPad charging/security carts are
ordered.
● The training team meets to create sub-training teams that fall under the
larger umbrella. These sub-training teams will be dedicated specifically
to investigate and provide trainings for the list of existing device as well
as software, websites, and applications listed in the Summer 2018
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 17

section above.
● The training team and sub-teams begin to develop a support site to
house workshop opportunities that will take place during monthly staff
meetings and/or two hour early dismissal in-service professional
development days per the plan created over the summer.
● During the September staff meeting, the administration and training
team make a presentation to the Rosa L. Parks instructional staff to
address the start of the three year technology training plan for the
school. Within the remarks, the plan’s vision will be shared and an
announcement made about the new iPads arriving soon. Moreover,
personal, or individual, staff development expectations will be
explained:
○ Personal development expectations:
■ Teacher attends at least one professional development
session offered during monthly staff meetings; topic to
be determined based on offerings from the training team
support site.
■ Teacher researches at least two new software, websites,
and/or applications for use in the classroom and tries out
at least one every month.
● Each will be evaluated using the Google Form
questionnaire described in the Professional
Development Plan section.
● Technology training workshops for instructional staff will begin to roll
out by the October staff meeting.
○ All teachers are expected to complete their first round of
personal development before Winter Break.
● The training team creates lessons plans that focus on proper use of
classroom desktops, Chromebooks, and iPads.
○ Lessons created will help establish classroom policies and
procedures to ensure that students take care of the devices from
the very start.
○ A series of device rules and consequences based upon the
PGCPS acceptable use policy must be created, shared, and
understood by all students so that they know what is expected of
them when they use the tablets as well as access websites and
applications.
○ ISTE Standards for educators and students will also be shared.
● Teachers in classrooms across the building start to execute the set(s) of
proper use lesson plans for any devices their students use.
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 18

● Students across the building start utilizing the existing technology

devices available to practice reading and mathematics skills at least two
times per week:
○ All classrooms use the five desktop computers.
○ Kindergarten also uses iPods.
○ First and second grades also share original iPads.
○ Third through sixth grades also use Chromebooks.
● Instructional staff members attend two more training workshops, one in
November and one in December, and submit their first two rounds of
personal development via a Google Form survey before Winter Break.
■ All personal development will be inherently compiled in
a Google Spreadsheet, which the entire instructional staff
can view and reference for classroom incorporation.
Winter 2019 ● New iPads, cases, and charging/security cabinets are delivered.
○ The technology training team creates an inventory of the device
and a system for classroom/student use.
● New iPads are assigned to first and second grade classrooms so that
there are more devices to share amongst the homerooms.
○ All iPads are issued a number, and students are assigned to
utilize a specific number each time in an effort to track
appropriate use and misuse.
○ An iPad cart sharing schedule is designed and implemented:
■ First grade homerooms share all four carts on the first
and third weeks of every month.
■ Second grade homerooms share all four carts on the
second and fourth weeks of every month.
● Teachers in classrooms with the new iPads executes the set of proper
use lesson plans that were made by the training team in the fall.
● First and second grade start using the original and new iPads more
frequently--least three times a week, every other week--during lessons
to interact with reading and mathematics resources.
○ Teacher administers formative and summative assessments to
evaluate the level of success students have using the resources,
what content is learned, and whether they can apply new
knowledge gained.
● Students across the building continue utilizing the new and existing
technology devices available to practice reading and mathematics skills
at least two times per week:
○ All classrooms use the five desktop computers.
○ Kindergarten also uses iPods.
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 19

○ First and second grades also share original iPads.

○ Third through sixth grades also use Chromebooks.
● Instructional staff members attend three more training workshops
(January, February, and March) and submit three more rounds of
personal development via a Google Form survey before Spring Break.
Spring 2019 ● Students continue to use new and existing devices as well as software,
websites, and applications to improve basic skills in reading/literacy
and mathematics.
● Instructional staff members attend two more training workshops, one in
April and one in May, and submit their sixth and final round of personal
development via a Google Form survey before Summer Break.
● Training team creates the first annual plan report, which contains a
summary of all in-house trainings conducted, resources collected, and
outside professional developments attended, before Summer Break.
Second Year – Add New Resources and Continue with Established Resources
Summer 2019 ● The administrative team meets over the summer to review the status of
the school technology plan, with attention to potential need for
additional funding as well as overall first year implementation success.
○ The first annual yearly report is presented.
● The technology training team that was formed in the spring of 2018,
perhaps with a few more members in its second year, meets a few times
over the summer to prepare and plan out professional development
opportunities for fiscal year 2019-2020. These opportunities will begin
in the fall of 2019 and are aimed at preparing the staff and thereby
students to utilize both new and existing devices as well as software and
applications.
○ The training team compiles a list of existing devices as well as
software, websites, and applications that should already be used
in classrooms. Workshops for all of the items on this list will be
offered during the second year of the plan:
■ Devices: Dell Desktops, Chromebooks, iPads
● Same as first year.
■ Software, websites, and/or applications: Waterford,
MyON, Vocabulary.com, ExploreLearning Reflex, G
Suite for Education, iPod/iPad apps that target reading
and mathematics skill development
● Same as first year, with the addition of more
iPod/iPad apps for the primary grade levels and
more websites for intermediate grade levels.
● New resources for the second year of training
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 20

will be taken from the personal development

Google Spreadsheet.
Fall 2019 ● Students continue to use classroom desktops, iPads, and/or
---------------- Chromebooks once a day, depending upon grade level, in order to
Winter 2020 interact with specific reading and/or mathematics software, websites,
---------------- and applications.
Spring 2020 ○ Teacher continues to administer formative and summative
assessments to evaluate the level of success students have using
the resources, what content is learned, and whether they can
apply new knowledge gained.
● Instructional staff members attend eight training workshops and submit
their eight rounds of personal development via a Google Form survey
throughout the school year.
● Training team creates the second annual plan report, which contains a
summary of all in-house trainings conducted, resources collected, and
outside professional developments attended, before Summer Break.

Third Year – Add Some New Resources; Mainly, Continue and Maintain Implementation
Summer 2020 ● The administrative team meets over the summer to review the status of
the school technology plan, with attention to potential need for
additional funding as well as overall second year implementation
success.
○ The second annual yearly report is presented.
● The technology training team meets a few times over the summer to
prepare and plan out professional development opportunities for fiscal
year 2020-2021. These opportunities will begin in the fall of 2020 and
are aimed at preparing the staff and thereby students to utilize existing
devices as well as software and applications.
○ The training team compiles a list of existing devices as well as
software, websites, and applications that should already be used
in classrooms. Workshops for all of the items on this list will be
offered during the third year of the plan:
■ Devices: Dell Desktops, Chromebooks, iPads
● Same as first and second year.
■ Software, websites, and/or applications: Waterford,
MyON, Vocabulary.com, ExploreLearning Reflex, G
Suite for Education, iPod/iPad apps that target reading
and mathematics skill development
● Same as first year, with the addition of more
iPod/iPad apps for the primary grade levels and
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 21

more websites for intermediate grade levels.

● New resources for the third year of training will
be taken from the personal development Google
Spreadsheet.
Fall 2020 ● Students continue to use classroom desktops, iPads, and/or
---------------- Chromebooks once a day, depending upon grade level, in order to
Winter 2021 interact with specific reading and/or mathematics software, websites,
---------------- and applications.
Spring 2021 ○ Teacher continues to administer formative and summative
assessments to evaluate the level of success students have using
the resources, what content is learned, and whether they can
apply new knowledge gained.
● Instructional staff members attend eight training workshops and submit
their eight rounds of personal development via a Google Form survey
throughout the school year.
● Training team creates the third plan report, which contains a summary
of all in-house trainings conducted, resources collected, and outside
professional developments attended, before Summer Break.

Evaluation Methods

The overarching purpose of the Rosa L. Parks School Technology Plan is to provide

much needed professional development and support for teachers, instructing them on how to

properly utilize technology devices as well as software, websites, and applications that are used

county-wide. It must be understood that eventually students will benefit from the technology a

school has to offer if teachers in the building can create opportunities for them to use it. In order

to evaluate the success of the plan in achieving the established goals and objectives, a

combination of observations, interviews, and surveys will be conducted.

The first and most direct way to evaluate the effectiveness of sessions is to make pointed

observations on instructional staff members use and manipulation of devices as well as

software/programs at the end of trainings and then in the classroom. Observing teachers using

the tools and reviewing their lesson plans to check for technology integration are the ultimate
SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 22

indicators as to whether he/she understood the content. Moreover, taking the time to observe

students as they engage with the tools is important. Analyzing anecdotal notes collected via

student discussions, participation, formative assessment results, quarterly grade reports,

curriculum-specific summative assessments, PARCC, etc. will be very telling.

Another way to collect evaluation data is to send out separate surveys after the

completion of each workshop for teachers to fill out. Surveys formatted as Google Forms will be

used to bring together opinions, takeaways, and ultimate reactions to the Google tools.

Administrators and the Training Teams will review them to assess the success of professional

development and possible topics for the future. Furthermore, surveys will also be utilized to

monitor requests for and concerns about equipment as well as the necessity for follow-up

sessions. Some instructional staff members may require additional assistance from members of

the Training Teams to refresh their working knowledge on devices and/or software/programs so

that they can implement the technology efficiently. The responses collected will help determine

quality of and need for additional equipment and illuminate possible needs for additional PD.

The third way data will be collected is through personal interviews and casual

conversations. A voluntary focus group made up of instructional staff, Training Team, and

administration members will meet informally, over coffee and snacks perhaps, a day or two after

staff wide professional development sessions are over and monthly each semester to discuss the

extent of and transfer of learning into the work and classroom environments. This group will be

dubbed the the Technology Plan Committee and their main purpose will be to evaluate the

school’s collective progress toward achieving the plan’s vision, goals, and objectives. The

Committee will create a annual report to present its findings.

SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PLAN 23

References

ExploreLearning (n.d.) About explorelearning. Retrieved from

https://www.reflexmath.com/about

PGCPS (2017). Title 1 district initiatives. Retrieved from

http://www1.pgcps.org/title1/index.aspx?id=190752