Bremen City School System

Bremen, Georgia

Three-Year Technology Plan

July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2009

Submitted to ETTC and the State DOE for approval – May 15, 2006

Superintendent

Dr. Stanley McCain

Tech Coordinator

Vanessa Brown

770-537-5508

Vanessa.brown@bremencs.com

ETTC State University of West Georgia

Curtis R. Cearley

678-839-6096

ccearley@westga.edu

Please, indicate on which page(s) of the submitted plan the following components, if they are included, can be found. Required components are marked with an X in the left-hand column. Other components are only recommended. Since the plan does not have to be written in a specific format, this information will be especially helpful to reviewers. Technology planning components will not be reviewed without an index.

	Technology Plan Component	Link(s) or Page number(s)
INTRODUCTORY MATERIALS:
X	Index form	Page 2
§	Reviews of previous plan	Review
§	Executive summaries	Summary
PLANNING PROCESS:
X	Involvement and responsibility for planning	Planning
X	Integration/Coordination with other planning initiatives	Planning
STUDENT NEEDS:
§ X	Student academic needs	Needs
X	Academic needs of special populations	Needs
X	Student technology literacy needs	Needs
§ X	District mission and/or vision statement	Needs
§ X	District goals and performance objectives for student achievement and tech literacy	Needs
§	Current status of other educational variables	Needs
EXTERNAL SCAN:
§	Emerging technologies	n/a
	Recent research/Best-practices	n/a
	Developments in the field	n/a
	Needs of community and business	n/a
TECHNOLOGY MISSION AND VISION:
X	System’s technology mission statement (Can be integrated into system mission. If so, reference same page.)	Mission and Vision
X	System’s vision for technology use	Mission and Vision
CURRENT REALITY:
X	§ Access to technology	Reality
	§ Instructional uses of technology	Reality
	Administrative uses of technology	Reality
	§ Parent/Community uses of technology	Reality
	System readiness for technology	Reality
	System support for technology	Reality
GAP Analysis:
X	Access to Technology	Gap
	§ Instructional uses of technology	Gap
	Administrative uses of technology	Gap
	§ Parent/Community uses of technology	Gap
	System readiness for technology	Gap
	System support for technology	Gap

		Technology Plan Component	Link(s) or Page number(s)
Goals and Benchmarks:
X	Goals:		Goals
X	Access to Technology		Devices, Technology, Resource, SurveyStudents, IEP/SED, AssistiveTech
X	Instructional uses of technology		Software, Prof. Learning, eLearn,WebPages, InfoSourceOnline, InfoSourceBuildIt, PresentationMedia, SoftwareLicenses
X	Administrative uses of technology		Bulletin, Laptops
X	Parent/Community uses of technology		Web Sites, Survey
X	System readiness for technology		Tech Support, Standard Practices, Hardware, Disaster Recovery, Login Server, Math Lab Upgrade Computers HS Tech Lab
X	Benchmarks to accompany each goal		Goals
X	Evaluation plan		Goals
Action Plan:
X	Strategies		Action
X	Professional development strategies		Action
X	Strategies promoting research-based, best-practice uses of technology		Action
X	Technology access strategies		Action
X	Equitable access strategies		Action
X	Parent involvement strategies		Action
X	Technical support strategies		Action
X	Strategic Alignment to Goals		Action
X	Timeline		Action
X	Responsibility lists		Action
X	Budget information		Action
COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING PLAN
X	Share progress/evaluation results		Marketing
X	Encourage broader stakeholder involvement		Marketing
X	Market role of technology in helping students achieve QCC		Marketing
Appendices
X	Acceptable use policies		Appendix
X	Interoperability and redeployment procedures		Appendix
X	CIPA Compliance		Appendix
	Board Minutes and Consent Agendas for Internet Safety Guidelines		Appendix
	Appendix A – Policies and Procedures		Appendix
	Appendix B – Student Use of Technology		Appendix B
	Appendix C – Implementation of Technology		AppendixC
	Appendix D – LoTI Results		AppendixD
	Appendix E – District Profile		AppendixE
	Appendix F – BCS Strategic Plan		Appendix F
	Appendix F – BCS Strategic Plan Technology Section		Tech
	Appendix G – SACS – Standard 8 - Communications		Appendix G
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS TO REVIEWERS (optional):

Bremen City School System

Comprehensive School System Technology Plan

2006

INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL

A. Review of Previous Plan

Our previous three-year technology plan contained the following goals:

GOALS	STATUS TO DATE
Improve student attendance grades, and test scores through implementation of integrated data management system.	Installed and implemented PowerSchool – an integrated student information system.
Increase implementation of technology integration standards for all students through upgrading labs, adding a lab and increasing number and quality of computers in the classroom and media centers.	Each school has a computer lab available for use by classroom teachers. Every computer is on a 5 year life replacement plan. Older computers that still function effectively are used as additional workstations in classrooms.
Improve communication among all stakeholders in the student learning process through email, voice mail, and video conferencing and insure the safety and security of this information.	Email is the primary means for faculty and staff communications with administrators and parents. Implemented Linux filter and firewall to decrease and eliminate successful attacks on the network. Implemented Sophos Anti-virus and Anti-Spam software. E-L
All teachers will have access to technology training through a variety of sources. These methods will include:
a. Instructor led, on-site classroom instruction during planning periods, after school, and summer classes.	Due to constraints on coordinator’s time because of multiple duties as well as teacher time constraints few classes have been offered and/or attended.
b. Instructor led off-site classroom instruction during the school year, during summer and after school.	Teachers participate in some training but because of the concentration on learning focused schools most training has been in this area.
c. On-line instructor led classes available 24/7/365.	Some training has taken place but a workable and effective solution has not been found.

B. Executive Summary

Over a period of several years, many stakeholders have been involved in the process of developing this technology plan. The system Technology Committee meets annually and school technology committees meet annually. During fall 2005 through spring 2006, the technology director attended sessions at West Georgia ETTC to develop the technology plan. The technology director has met with the school councils at each school, students, each member of the three schools faculty, the staff development director/curriculum director, special education director, Bremen City Schools Board of Education, and the mayor of Bremen to get their input and to share in the process of developing the plan. The strategic plan for Bremen City Schools and the School Improvement Plan were both used as guiding documents for this plan.

Disaggregated data based on local, state, and national assessments was used to determine specific academic needs. Surveys to determine use of technology in the classroom were completed by students in grades two through twelve. Certified personnel completed the LoTi during the spring of 2005. Based upon these surveys, each school is on average at Level One on the LoTi scale (see Appendix B and Charts 1, 2, and 3). District Mission, Vision, Goals, and Performance Objectives were used when interpreting this data and setting our Technology Goals. Information about attendance, discipline, retention, school completion, and trend data were linked to collected data assessments and used to determine goals and strategies.

Research supports the goals of technology integration, more computers in the classroom, effective data management, and successful professional development. Information was obtained from current literature (1998-2002) and from the participation of Bremen City Schools’ administration in the Max Thompson Learning Focused Schools training.

Based upon the planning process, assimilation of data, and current research, a technology department mission and technology use vision was developed. The Bremen City Schools Vision describes the learning community which will be developed over the next three years. There will be a seamless flow of communication among administrators, faculty and staff, students, parents, and the community. There will be the technology tools available to meet the needs of each student and “No child will be left behind.” In conjunction with our School Improvement Plan and Strategic Plan, the Technology Plan will have a positive impact on student achievement and their preparation for a successful life beyond public education.

Bremen City Schools’ current reality shows that we have the basic infrastructure to accomplish our vision. Computers have been consistently updated and the numbers have increased so that we are now reporting 3.48 students per computer. There is a wide area network to which all schools and administrative offices are connected. Our goal is to use the technology in the most effective manner possible. Teacher technology training has played an important role at each school with all instructors at Jones Elementary, Bremen High School and Sewell Middle completing technology certification. Through budget, SPLOST, and grants Bremen City Schools will continue to support the integration of technology into the curriculum.

The gap analysis shows that in order to attain the technology vision, Bremen City Schools will continue to increase the number of modern computers in the classroom, maintain the computer replacement plan in the labs, increase the number of projection devices in the classrooms and insure that professional development is available for all faculty and staff.

The goals for 2006-2009 are as follows:

Ø Continually update the technology plan to meet the ever-changing needs of students and school personnel.

ª Develop a professional and staff training plan.

ª Hire an additional technology specialist with primary job responsibilities being maintenance and repair of servers, networks, and workstations.

ª Annually survey students to determine use and availability of technology outside of the school environment to determine needed strategies for serving all students through technology.

ª Review current software and software needs by grade level/department.

ª Increase the number and quality of display devices for classroom use.

ª Improve web sites to better serve students, teachers, administrators, and the community.

ª Purchase computers on wheels (COWS) for each physical wing of Bremen High School and Sewell Middle School.

ª Implement wireless networks with access points in classrooms where multiple student computers will be used.

Ø Maintain management strategies to ensure network and technology stability and efficiency.

ª Implement standard practices to make best use of the current network and upgrade as needed to address deteriorating infrastructure.

ª Develop a hardware replacement plan and inventory control plan.

ª Develop a disaster recovery plan for computers and servers on the network.

Ø Develop effective online resources for all students.

ª Continue the implementation of e-learning.

ª Implement and update teacher, student, and area web pages for class information, assignments, projects, etc. to better prepare students for post-secondary training and careers.

ª Implement software for district-wide access to be used for bulletin boards, single focus discussion groups, live debates and discussions.

ª Implement a technology resource center for student on-site use and technology for student’s off-site use.

PLANNING PROCESS

A. Involvement and responsibility for technology planning

Technology Committees are selected at each school every year. The membership is comprised of classroom teachers for each grade level or department, technology specialists, media specialists, SED classroom teachers, and administration. At this time there are no ESOL teachers or students in the system. When this program is in place, an ESOL consulting teacher will serve on the school technology committee. Several facilities and personnel are shared at the high school and middle school as they are on the same campus. The media specialist serves both schools.

Technology Committees at each school are comprised of the following:

BHS TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

Math Teacher

Social Studies Teacher

Science Teacher

Language Art Teachers

SED Teacher

Vocational Teacher

SMS TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

Media Specialist

6^th Grade teacher

7^th Grade teacher

8^th Grade teacher

SED Teacher

JES TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

PreK Teacher

Kindergarten Teacher

1^st Grade Teacher

2^nd Grade Teacher

3^rd Grade Teacher

4^th Grade Teacher

5^th Grade Teacher

Media Specialist

Computer Lab Teacher

SED Teacher

The technology committees are currently meeting annually and will begin the 2006-2007 school year meeting quarterly. Input from these committees consists of suggestions for goals, vision, and mission; feedback on existing technology; and needs for adjusting/adapting technology for the school population. Agendas and minutes are maintained by the technology coordinator. The school improvement plan is reviewed at the beginning of each semester with summary of progress at the end of the year. The school system goal is to develop a school improvement plan which will integrate all tech plan criteria. This plan has been developed through the cooperation of the technology director, staff development director, curriculum director, and the grants director for Bremen City Schools. As well as input from Technology Committee SED members, a planning meeting was held with the SED Director/Title I Director/Special Programs Director. In a small school system, collaboration is an easy and beneficial thing to do!

The technology coordinator and professional learning director met with each certified personnel in order to determine face to face what individual needs were for each classroom and area. The summary of the meetings by school were:

Bremen High School

“The common theme is once again projectors and/or a means to project from one computer to the classroom. Teachers would like more student computers but they have no room to place them in their classrooms. The computer lab as a solution is not viable because of scheduling and maintenance issues. The only solution that currently presents itself is to have a paraprofessional available for computer lab assistance as well as technology aid”.

Sewell Middle School

“The middle school would like to be able to project from their computer. There were also many concerns about the computer lab and its operation. Many of these concerns had to do with the computers working on a regular basis and the need for repair. The only solution we could come up with is for a paraprofessional to be assigned to the computer lab for its maintenance and as a help for teachers using the lab.”

Jones Elementary School

“Elementary school teachers indicate that they would integrate technology more if they could project to the entire classroom rather than gathering around a computer. When asked about more computers in the classroom they said that would be wonderful but they have no room to add more than 2.

Specific training is needed by grade level. It was indicated that it would be beneficial if they were able to send specific training areas to me and I met with them by grade level to address those needs.

In the lower grades there are some concerns about AR and the computer lab usage. Kindergarten would like more access to the computer lab. First grade uses the computer lab quite a bit because computers in their classrooms will not work with AR.”

The technology coordinator met with the school councils at each school during 2005 to give an update on technology and to elicit suggestions for future plans. Current school councils are composed of the following members:

Bremen High School Duane McManus, Principal
Teachers- Susan Clayton & Beth Roop
Parents- Sharon Folds & Lisa Loveridge

H. A. Jones Elementary Dr. Mike Campbell, Principal
Teachers- Jo Fortner & Carol Jackson
Parents- Dino Santelli & Leigh Ann Ayers
Business Members- Joseph Entrekin & Patrick Eller

Sewell Middle School David Clay, Principal
Teachers- Karen Bar, & Pam Williams
Parents-Leesa Copeland & Pat Johnson
Business Members- Ray Johnson & Michael Wade

Parents were also members of the Strategic Plan teams and developed the technology section of the Strategic Plan. As part of the SACS annual review in which technology use is addressed, parents are part of the SACS School Improvement team.

As a result of a meeting with the Mayor of Bremen, the City will be forming a technology committee to plan city technology and to search for ways to collaborate with the school system to provide technology for community use.

There are no private schools in the Bremen City Schools District.

Creating a technology plan for three years is an ongoing process which involves formal meetings, collaborative, and consortiums as described above but has also included discussions with the regional library director, RESA staff, and ETTC staff. Our common goal of educating children continues to bind our entire community.

B. Coordination with other long-range planning initiatives

In April 2004, the second strategic plan for Bremen City Schools was completed and presented to the schools and community. This plan is the culmination of a year long process which involved faculty, staff, parents, business, industry, post-secondary representatives, the school board, administration, and the community. Technology was the first area addressed in this strategic plan and benefited from the planning process. Technology was updated in January 2006. The first district goal for technology is to continually update the technology plan to meet the needs of students and school personnel. The broad goal was then broken down into specific objectives which included designing a professional and staff training plan to provide needed review and implementation skills for all staff, hire additional technology personnel, survey students to determine use and availability of technology outside of the school environment, review current software and software needs, increase display devices for classroom use, improve communication with all stakeholders through the student information system and web sites, allocate funding to install additional computers in labs and laptop and projectors on mobile carts. The second district goal for technology is to maintain management strategies to ensure network and technology stability and efficiency. Specific objectives include conducting a network management survey and implement standard practices, use best practice strategies and develop a hardware replacement plan and inventory control plan, develop a disaster recovery plan. The third district goal is to develop effective online resources for all students. Specific objectives include continuing to implement e-learning, improve teacher web pages, implement software for district-wide access to be used for bulletin boards, single focus discussion groups, live debates and discussions, etc., and implement a technology resource center for student on-site use and technology for student off-site use. Specific timelines were set for the accomplishment of these goals and objectives. The Strategic Plan is the starting point for all planning in the system, not only for Technology but also for Curriculum, Personnel, Climate, Facilities, and Funding.

Technology is a component of any planning process as it has become an integral part of the daily process of educating students. The School Improvement Plan is developed through a group effort which includes the Staff Development, Curriculum, Grants, and Technology Director as well as contributions from instructional personnel, administration, and the community. The School Improvement Plan is the guiding document for any goals/objectives developed and met for Bremen City Schools.

STUDENT NEEDS

A. Student Academic Needs

As part of our overall School Improvement Plan Bremen City Schools has become a participant in the Learning Focused School Model for School Improvement. One of the key components is using disaggregated data based on local, state, and national assessments to target specific student needs. In looking at the disaggregation of the data and examining subsets within categories we find the following specific academic needs. Reading and mathematics at all grade levels K-8

Writing composition and English mechanics in grades 1-12

Spelling in grades 1-12

Word attack skills (sounds, phonics, beginning sounds, syllabication) in grades K-2

Social Studies and Science in grades 4-8, high school courses

Increase number of students participating in the dual seal diploma programs

Expanded vocational opportunities

Math computation in grades 1-8

Increase reading and math SAT scores

As scores have been analyzed, principals have offered explanations for the sudden drop from FY03 to FY04 as being primarily economic. The biggest budget cut year that BHS/BCS has seen was FY04 which meant that many academic areas were minimally covered. The high school had three Language Arts teachers, three and one third Math teachers, two and two thirds Science teachers and three and one third Social Studies teachers. Budget cuts meant that an English teacher who retired was not replaced and a Physical Education teacher was not replaced. Social Studies teachers were used to cover middle school PE. During this time enrollment began to increase and the staff was fragmented. This was also prior to the EOCT coming on-line which is now making believers out of students and staff on the importance of doing well in core classes.

From the technological aspect, these needs could be addressed through:

· additional staff development regarding the use of existing software

· purchase of additional software for specific areas of need to include an assessment component for ascertaining progress

· more use of performance/portfolio assessment where students use technology for research, development of project, and presentation of project using PowerPoint, video clips, virtual field trips, etc.

· use of cohort groups for instructors to share ideas and present accomplishments among each other to further skills and interest in integrating technology into the curriculum.

B. Student Technology Literacy Needs

As teachers receive more training on how to integrate technology into their classrooms and lesson plans, students are becoming more technology literate. Based on surveys to determine use of technology in the classroom, students are using technology to improve reading skills at the elementary and middle school levels through the use of STAR assessment and AR. Many computer skills are taught in the elementary school computer lab. Computer instruction is a part of the CAMP rotation in which all students participate. Students go to computer, art, music, or physical education as a regular part of their school day. Each grade level focuses on different skills based upon classroom activities. Teachers have developed their own web sites to communicate with parents and students alike. Several classes engage in research based on the focus in the classroom at that time. The media center maintains the school web site and is a center for technology based research and learning.

Sewell Middle School and Jones Elementary faculty has been very proactive in implementing technology into their classrooms and lessons. There is a computer lab with 30 computers that is used by middle school and high school teachers for many projects. Word processing skills are used extensively to improve writing skills. This lab is available all day for teachers to use for large group instruction. Several teachers have developed web lessons to enhance instruction in social studies and science. All language arts and reading teachers use STAR assessment to assess reading skills, AR to enhance reading skills, and Perfect Copy to improve writing and grammar skills. Sewell Middle School faculty has maintained individual web sites for several years to communicate with students and parents. Email is used to communicate with parents about projects, student achievement and homework assignments.

At Bremen High School, the math classes make use of the TI navigator during classroom instruction. The instructor has presented the use of the Navigator to college classes, technology coordinators and the entire faculty. The social studies and language arts classrooms have at least two computers per classroom and make extensive use of the media center for research and communication. The newspaper staff has recently moved to a community based year round newspaper using four student computers to assemble and produce the newspaper. Two specialized classes are taught at the high school by the media specialist with cooperation from the language arts instructors. The Video Production class is taught annually with the outcome being the daily broadcast for student information. The Web Design class is taught annually with the primary goal being to improve and update the web pages for Bremen School System, Bremen High School, and Sewell Middle School as well as to assist teachers with their individual web pages.

Based upon our assessment, each school is on average at Level One on the LoTi scale. (See Appendix B) Increased access to modern computers and training for teachers are needed to improve the integration of technology into our classrooms. The student assessments show typical age appropriate skills. To increase these skill levels, teachers will have to take a more aggressive approach to using technology in their classrooms. They can not rely on students receiving this training during computer class time. Every classroom teacher has been given a copy of their grade level technology standards. They are also being encouraged to complete further technology training. A program of technology professional development will be developed to encourage further training.

Currently there is no quantifiable data with regard to student technology literacy. Technology committees will evaluate and choose an instrument, tool, or survey as suggested at the web site http://www.gatechlit.org/ provided by Georgia Department of Education Office of Instructional Technology. These instruments will be evaluated by the Technology Training Director and recommendations will be made to each school committee who will then report choice to the system technology committee for a recommendation.

The results of this measurement will be reported on an annual basis. This documentation will be collected and reviewed beginning in the 2006-2007 school year. The following information will be collected and reported:

1. Method of assessment used by the school district to determine mastery/competency.

2. Number of students assessed on 8th Grade Tech Literacy skills.

3. Number of students who achieved mastery/competency on 8th Grade Tech Literacy skills.

4. Number of students who were NOT assessed on 8th Grade Tech Literacy skills.

As each school year ends, school technology committees will reconvene to determine target areas for identified deficiencies.

C. District Mission, Vision, Goals and Performance Objectives

See Appendix F – Strategic Plan

D. Current status of other educational variables

As part of the Learning Focus Schools Model, the schools in Bremen City will examine three comprehensive focus or goal areas each year. The first is Achievement and Learning, discussed under Student Academic Needs. The second is Safe, Orderly, and Inviting Schools. Under this area we address behavior, discipline, extracurricular activities for students, and attendance. In looking at these areas, we find that a particular area that needs improvement is attendance. We have far too many students that are absent more than ten days during the school year. Particular emphasis on this area will be placed as a priority over the next three years. We find that the areas of behavior, participation in both academic and outside activities, and school completion rates are at a good level, but still need to be continually maintained and improved where possible. Retention rate for our school falls within the acceptable range. We will need to be diligent that our rate does not increase as CRCT requirements come into actuality.

The third area is Parent and Community Involvement. Under this area we look at opportunities for parents and members of the community to become involved in and aware of the school and student performance. We find that we have exceptional participation by parents at parent conferences held each semester and at guidance sessions at Bremen High School and Sewell Middle School. The formation of School Councils at all of the schools in Bremen has increased awareness among parents and community members. There is ample opportunity for participation in volunteer activities at Jones Elementary and Sewell Middle. The response by parents and community members to our mentor program has also been a plus. We will continue to find opportunities to expand programs for parent involvement. The use of websites, email, and newsletters will continue for overall communication.

TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT MISSION AND VISION

A. Technology Department Mission Statement

Technology is a vital component in today’s classroom. Bremen City Schools will strive to provide the hardware, software, and connectivity to insure that every classroom will have the tools needed to integrate technology into regular classroom activities. Georgia’s Technology Integration Standards will be used to achieve the integration of technology into the classroom. Bremen City Schools will provide training opportunities for all faculty and staff so that technology becomes an integral part of planning and instruction. Bremen City Schools will provide the tools necessary to communicate with administration, faculty, staff, students, parents, and the community.

B. Technology Use Vision

Bremen City Schools is committed to the use of current technology in the classrooms and administrative offices. Acquisition of technology is focused on the replacement of out-date computers and expanding the number of computers in the classroom as well as providing facilities and technology for instructors to use with an entire class. We desire for our students the best of both worlds – lab use and classroom use of computers. Lab use is primarily for group instruction and projects. In-class stations are used for technology integration by the teacher and for individual student use on current class projects.

Bremen City Schools has implemented a data management system that combines the electronic management components of our school system. This system contains a student information system, grade book, food service, and community link method. Our scenario of the management system sees the classroom teacher beginning the lesson planning process with the QCC standard to be taught and accessing specific student test data on that standard. Once the class test data has been analyzed, the teacher can then plan a lesson which is specific to their level of accomplishment and build on it rather than a lesson which is generic for the entire population. IEPs are readily accessible from the SED management system so that appropriate adaptations can be made for students with disabilities. The classroom teacher begins the class by taking attendance on the computer which is accessible to administration and parents in real-time. Evaluation is completed and grades entered into the grade book in real-time and are also accessible to administration and parents. As students go to the lunchroom, they use their student ID code as they get their lunch. This information is then available to the Food Service director so that accurate student information, inventory, and ordering information are readily available. Administrators have access to real time information on students’ attendance, grades, and discipline. The registrar and counselor are able to complete scheduling and counseling for all students in an efficient manner with all information linked in one data management system. The circulation software at Bremen High School/Sewell Middle School and Jones Elementary is housed on one server so that student information related to AR testing and books read is available across the system. The Data Management System, PowerSchool, has been implemented and proved a success with greater communication with parents and the community. Unfortunately we have not found a working IEP software package that will work in conjunction with PowerSchool to make the planning process seamless. As funds are available, SED will move to a web based IEP solution so that IEP’s are available from any workstation to improve the implementation and access to the stakeholders involved..

The system WAN has been completed and upgraded to allow for greater communication among faculty, staff, students, and parents. System-wide email has been implemented and has become and integral part of the communication process in all schools with administrators primarily communicating announcements, notes, etc. through email. System Calendars, Substitute Calendars, and upgrades to certain applications are also included in the public folders for access by all personnel. Student email is still in the planning process with concerns being addressed before implementation. The implementation will begin with high school seniors and then work down through the high school and successful implementation is achieved.

Computer labs at Jones Elementary, Sewell Middle School and Bremen High School have been updated within the last three years. The computer lab at Sewell Middle School and Jones Elementary School were updated in 2002 and are due to be updated again in 2007. The SMS lab is shared with the high school for group instruction and project completion. A shared Technology lab was built as part of an addition to Sewell Middle school and is used by both the middle school and the high school. The lab is being expanded Summer 2006 to meet the requirements for a high school technology lab. All computers will be updated and additional computers and modules will be purchased to meet the needs of the high school technology component. As part of the primary school addition to Jones Elementary, a computer lab containing 22 computers was built in 2002 for use by kindergarten and first grade students. This lab will be maintained for classroom use while kindergarten and first grade students will have computer instruction with their classroom teachers and staff.

Since research shows that students improve scores and skills better when computers are in the classroom, the system will increase the number of computers in the classroom as well as the peripherals to best utilize these computers. We will continue to replace out-dated computers and make the best use of these computers in other areas. Large screen TVs have been made available to Language Art teachers at Bremen High School. These TVs can be connected to the teacher computer or a laptop for classroom presentations. Smartboards have been installed in four classrooms – one at Jones Elementary and three at Bremen High School. Presentation projectors have been purchased as funds are available and placed on carts with a laptop for checkout from the media centers. As part of the professional development plan for teachers, incentives will be offered which will include a presentation board when the instructor has completed the full course plan. A presentation board will be placed in a regular high school classroom the summer of 2006.

Staff Development will be provided for all employees, certified and non-certified. The system will develop a staff development plan that will include teacher led instruction, online courses, and access to off site instruction. All employees will be expected to meet competencies as outlined in the system Technology Competency Model. Staff Development is a continuous concern as teachers are required to complete training in Learning Focused Schools, GPS, as well as other initiatives. We are currently doing hot spot training for short periods of time either during planning times, faculty meetings, or individually.

In conjunction with our School Improvement Plan and Strategic Plan, the Technology Plan will have a positive impact on student achievement and their preparation for a successful life beyond public education.

CURRENT REALITY

A. Access to Technology

As new computers are purchased for classroom use, the older computers remain in the classroom for limited student use or these computers are placed in another location where there is a greater need. Each classroom has a minimum of two computers to allow greater access to information through the network and internet. The district’s students per computer are 3.48 as compared with the state number of 4.07 as shown in the Technology Inventory Survey of December 2002. Internet access is provided in all classrooms. The WAN is completed with Bremen High School and Sewell Middle School connected through fiber to the central office where internet access is provided through three T-1 lines. Jones Elementary is located approximately one mile from the Central Office across two railroad tracks. This school is connected and we have moved many of our administrative tasks to a paperless environment with requests, announcements, financial statements, etc. transmitted electronically within our system LAN. This connection has provided faster internet access for Jones Elementary and their increasing number of network users.

Every Sewell Middle School classroom has at least two computers connected to the network for teacher and student use. Every classroom has at least four network drops. A math lab for remedial math students has been implemented with 16 computers currently and increasing to 24-28 the summer of 2006. Bremen High School classrooms have at least one modern computer. The vocational department has two labs with 30 computers in one lab and 24 computers in the other lab to provide computer/technology instruction. Each classroom is equipped with printers, scanners, digital cameras, and Smartboards. The Home Economics classroom is equipped with six computers. The science classrooms have at least two computers and one classroom has six computers, each connected to the network. Each math classroom has at least one modern computer. There is a computer lab equipped with 30 computers for scheduled use by the middle school and high school.

Jones Elementary has two computer labs. The computer lab in the 2-5 building is staffed by a certified teacher who provides technology instruction for all students grades K-5. The computer lab in the K-1 building is available for teachers to schedule its use either by entire classroom or individual students who need additional time for AR testing.

Our commitment to students includes assuring that the students with disabilities are also served. Students with disabilities have the same access to any technology within the school system as well as adaptive devices when the use of technology is hindered by a specific disability.

Bremen City Schools will continue to investigate software and on-line resources and make these resources available for use in the classroom, media centers, and computers labs. Faculty, staff, technology director, administration, and local technology training centers and RESAs conduct an ongoing study of software availability and usefulness in our classrooms.

B. Technology Use

Bremen City Schools is committed to community involvement. Each of the individual schools (Bremen High School, Sewell Middle School, and Jones Elementary) has their own web page which is linked to the system web page. Bremen City Schools also has a web page with links to each of the schools. Bremen City Schools ensures the security and safety of our students in the classroom through Acceptable Use Policies, filtering software, firewall, and a proxy server and router.

Students at all three schools, Jones Elementary, Sewell Middle, and Bremen High, completed a student use of technology survey. Results are shown in Appendix B, Charts 1, 2, and 3. Based on the results of this survey, we can see that we are doing a very good job in basic computer use, file management, word processing, graphics, email, research, tech presentation, internet and responsible use at Sewell Middle School. This indicates that most students are using these technology skills in the classroom and at home and it also indicates that we are at an overall Level Three Integration. The areas such as spreadsheet, database, desktop publishing, and video production are scored at Level One. This indicates that the integration of technology has improved tremendously since our last report but we need to find ways to increase the number of students who have exposure to these specialized areas. The implementation of the technology lab has had a definite impact on student use of technology.

Bremen High School Survey results indicate that great improvements have been made in all areas except for spreadsheet, database, and video production. Again these areas are more specialized and the majority of the students would not be enrolled in classes that use these applications. Our goal is to integrate these applications into the regular curriculum.

Jones Elementary Survey results show that most students are at Levels one and two which is to be expected at that grade level. But the results show that we have actually decreased the levels in the number of students responding positively. We had hoped to increase our student’s level of use of technology with the addition of computer labs and instruction in a separate computer lab. Because of the increase in the number of students they are actually getting less time in computer instruction because of scheduling. Classroom teachers are going to have to integrate technology in their classrooms and not rely on the computer instruction provided in the lab.

To improve use of technology in the classroom, a 10 hour course for paraprofessionals has been taught in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. This course covered word processing, web page design, email, power point, excel, internet evaluation and will hopefully prove beneficial to the classroom teachers as they integrate technology in their classrooms.

C. System Readiness

Each classroom has been provided with a copy of the Technology Integration Standards for their grade level. Technology Committees are identifying system minimum proficiency standards of technology for all personnel (certified and non-certified). A plan is being developed to include training (instructor-led, online, and off-site) and incentives to complete this training.

The main focus for the last several years has been on Learning Focused Schools training. Teachers are now beginning to see the importance of the integrating technology in their classrooms but need tech training support in order to accomplish this. Most teachers feel comfortable with technology as evidenced by their PCU scores on the LoTI. Our goal will be to increase the training and support for the classroom.

Jones Elementary PTO has donated 41 computers for student use to the JES classrooms. There are plans to donate even more next year to the remedial and after school labs. This increase in computers in the classrooms at JES should provide teachers with the equipment they need to improve their use of technology in the classrooms.

D. System Support

The technology training director will continue to search for alternative means of receiving technology training for teachers. Every teacher completes the Profiler survey for basic skills on an annual basis. (See Appendix A) Every teacher has also completed the LoTI and will continue to do this annually as long as this is available. Technology training will be offered online through InfoSource beginning during the 2006-2007 school year. The technology director will offering training and classroom support as an additional coordinator will be hired for technology repairs/maintenance in July 2006.

GAP ANALYSIS

Every classroom currently has at least two computers but actual analysis shows that some classrooms have older less useful computers. Every classroom does not contain a method of using the computer for large group instruction. There are projectors, scan converters, and large screen TVs available in the media centers. Computer labs are available but are for a specific purpose and limited time is available for individual instructors to schedule whole group instruction. When instructors do schedule the lab, much preparation and upgrading is necessary to make the lab ready for the instruction. Even with the efforts of the technology department, some activities are not possible in our current labs. To achieve our vision of classroom integrated technology this hardware must be available in the classroom and labs.

Every teacher in the district completed the Integrating Technology in Profiler from HPRTEC. The District results show these technology areas where teachers feel the least competency:

1. Troubleshooting and Maintenance

2. Internet and Telecommunications (creating a web page)

3. Multimedia

4. Tool applications (database)

5. Tool applications (spreadsheet)

6. Internet and Telecommunications (download and decompress files)

7. Multimedia (scan a document)

8. Maintenance (create and maintain backups)

These areas will be addressed as part of the professional development plan and competencies.

Every teacher in the district has completed the LoTI. The recommended goals from these results are in Appendix D.

Bremen City Schools has one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. The most recent technology inventory shows 3.48 students per computer system-wide. Jones Elementary has 3.96 students per computer, Sewell Middle School has 3.48 students per computer, and Bremen High School has 3.01 students per computer.

Our small school system is continuously searching for ways to offer students a wide variety of learning and exploring activities. We have cooperative students at West Central Technical College in the area of technology and also students jointly enrolled at the University of West Georgia. Through e-learning and cooperative programs with local post-secondary institutions our students have many opportunities to receive the training they need. Students are also enrolled in advanced video production and web design through the media center at BHS. These students have proven invaluable in the design and production of our system and school web sites and morning newscasts.

The yearbook staff and newspaper staff have both become very technology savvy as they produce very professional presentations and publications. Support for these programs should be increased.

GOALS AND BENCHMARKS