Robert Haviland
Technology Coordinator
Network Administrator

Elaine Dean
Technology Specialist

Jonathan Gibson
Technology Specialist

Public Law 107-110, designated as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, is comprised of several components, one of which is Title II, Part D, Enhancing Education Through Technology: Ed. Tech. Funding is dependant upon the development of a Technology Plan to meet the requirements of the law. That which follows is a summary of the process and the constituent components of the plan’s content.

The following individuals served as the Technology Plan Approval Review Committee.

Wayne Thomasson, School Board Chair
Jackie Deitmen, School Board Vice Chair
Steve Turner, Owner, WNKX, Community Advisory Member
Jerry W. Nash, Ph.D., Superintendent
Darlon Smith, Director of K - 8 Curriculum
Greg McCord, Director of 9 - 12 curriculum
Marcy Tidwell, Assistant Principal, East Hickman Intermediate School
Robert Haviland, Technology Coordinator
Elaine Dean, Technology Specialist
Jonathan Gibson, Technology Specialist
Teresa Sawyer, EIS Coordinator, Central Office
Tabby Prince, Librarian, Hickman County Middle School
Patricia Ortiz, Computer Lab Instructor, East Hickman Middle School
Shirley Coates, Educational Technology Instructor, Hickman County High School
Deborah Anderson, Librarian, Centerville Elementary
Amy Dunn, Business Manager, Centerville Intermediate School
Judy Sheridan, EIS Operator, East Hickman Elementary School
Kendra Roberts, Senior, Hickman County High School
Megan Plunkett, Senior, Hickman County High School
Betty Holland, Finance Director, Hickman County Government

In the Master Plan For Tennessee Schools: Preparing For the 21st Century, the State Board of Education addresses Technology:

Goal:
Technology will be used to improve student learning and analyze data.

Current Status:
Tennessee has made a major commitment to implement a statewide education network capable of providing students, teachers and administrators easy access to appropriate resources. A 1,650 school network online provides reliable and secure Internet access on a common platform. The recent focus has been for teachers to develop performance competency in using technology. Federal competitive grants funded a pilot project which produced schools now poised to mentor others in using technology in everyday teaching and learning.

Strategies
1. Implement the planned information system for teacher licensure to facilitate applications and documentation and to improve supply and demand analysis. Align data bases to track students from Pre-K through college. Improve implementation of the education information system to efficiently interface data requirements of local school systems to those of state and federal reporting requirements. Improve the capacity to share more information with students, parents, and constituency

Implementation: Three-year phase in.
Cost. $300,000 in FY 2004.

2. Focus technology resources to improve student learning.

a. Use technology in developmentally appropriate ways to promote active learning and individualize instruction. b. Use technology to identify gaps in student learning and analyze assessment data. c. Develop content-appropriate technology learning expectations and appropriately aligned technology resources in core content curriculum standards. d. Use assistive technology to ensure all students have access to the general curriculum.

Implementation: FY 2003 and ongoing.
Cost: Existing budget and BEP

3. Provide all students with access to technology resources in the classroom and the opportunity to use them to improve learning in all subject areas.

a. Ensure adequate student to Internet-capable computer ratios and appropriate technology resources are available in every school. b. Provide technical assistance and support for networking in schools.

Implementation: FY 2003 and ongoing.
Cost: Existing budget and BEP.

4. Advance student technology literacy to ensure that all students are prepared for high skilled, high wage jobs and to support lifelong earning.

a. Ensure that all students demonstrate technology literacy by the end of the 8th grade. b. Develop authentic assessment instruments embedded within core content areas to determine the progress of student technology literacy.

Implementation: FY 2003 and ongoing.
Cost: Existing budget and BEP.

5. Support opportunities for teachers and administrators to develop competence in using technology to meet instructional goals. Ensure that all teachers use technology for instruction, consistent with Board standards and federal requirements.

Implementation: FY 2003 and ongoing.
Cost: Existing budget.

6. Obtain or develop online instruction to meet individual student and teacher learning needs and course requirements. Use technology to provide ongoing professional growth opportunities.

Implementation: FY2003 and ongoing.
Cost: Existing budget.

• Improved information system for teacher licensure and teacher supply and demand analysis.

• Increase in percentage of students demonstrating technology literacy and using technology resources by the end of the 8th grade.

• Increase in the number of classrooms in which all students are able to work from modern computers networked to the Internet.

• Increase in number of technology literate teachers and administrators who use technology resources and strategies to incorporate current technology in the instructional program.

• Increased interoperability of the education information system among school systems, the State Department of Education, and higher education.

The Hickman County Board of Education has adopted policies which direct and facilitate the use of technology in the schools’ learning environment. These policies have been implemented through the adoption of budgets which fund technology adequately.

The Board’s Five Year Plan emphasizes the role of technology:

The primary mission of Hickman County Schools is to provide learning environments which encourage and enable each student to develop to his/her potential, and to become a responsible and contributing member of society.

Student Learning and Instructional Program

To improve student learning and instructional programs

The use of technology as a learning tool will be expanded throughout the school system.

The development of a comprehensive technology plan requires multiple components fused into a coherent and workable guide. As a small rural school system, it is crucial that the plan be cost efficient and practical, yet, forward thinking. The following process elements were utilized to formulate the plan's content.

The core draft of the plan was developed by a select committee of the total committee under the direction of the Title II D administrator. The draft was then submitted for review by the whole committee. The draft was then revised to incorporate the approved changes which yielded the official plan.

During the summer of 2002, principals of each school completed the STaR Chart. An analysis revealed that schools throughout the county, on average, were functioning at a middle to high developing level of progress.

In the fall of 2002, teachers, staff and administrators completed a comprehensive assessment. The telecommunications assessment addressed technology from five core areas: hardware, software, training, usage and support.

The assessment indicated that hardware and software were adequate to somewhat lacking. The use of technology and the training for using technology showed a need in all areas. Support was deemed crucial, but unrealistic expectations were prevalent.

Thus, the telecommunications assessment indicated a perception of need for all areas, but the greatest need being the training and execution of incorporation of technology into the classroom effectively.

The telecommunications assessment will be repeated in the fall of 2003. The 2002 telecommunications assessment provided the necessary data to formulate this plan.

The Hickman County Board of Education is responsible for developing policy under which the school system operates. The Superintendent of Schools is their employee, and he is responsible for seeing that policy is carried out. The Superintendent has many employees who are responsible for implementing the policies of the Board. In the area of Technology, the Assistant Superintendent supervises the Technology Department. The Technology Department is headed by a Technology Coordinator and two Technology Specialists. Other parties, who have responsibilities in technology related areas are listed at appropriate places in this plan document.

The content of the plan is composed of many elements. These elements serve as a guide to the Board, Superintendent and Technology Staff for the continued development of technology in the Hickman County School System.

Technology exists in the Hickman County School System to facilitate current and future student learning, and to provide necessary support for the administration and management of student learning.

Goals and Strategies

Goal 1

All students will be educated in learning environments that have access to educational technology which is used to support improved student academic achievement by meeting the high challenging state academic standards.

Objective 1

The student to computer ratio in all schools, and especially in poverty schools, will be at least less than ten (10) students per computer with a refresh cycle established for every five (5) years by 2005.

Strategy 1

Beginning with the 2003 - 2004 school year, computer hardware will be acquired to ramp up to meet the objective of Goal 1. E-Rate and other available funds will be expended to accomplish the goal.

Goal 2

All students will demonstrate technology literacy by the end of the eighth grade.

Objective 2

The percentage of students, across all grade levels, demonstrating grade appropriate literacy in technology, as measured by quantitative and qualitative assessment, will increase by ten (10) percent each year.

Strategy 2

An evaluative instrument will be developed by a select committee of practitioners. The benchmarks established will be communicated to instructional personnel for incorporation into the curriculum.

Goal 3

All students will be taught by teachers qualified to use technology for instruction.

Objective 3

All instructional personnel (teachers, administrators, instructional assistants) will become proficient in instructional technology.

Strategy 3

Group training and individual mentoring will be provided to instructional personnel in an on-going and sustained manner during the period of this plan.

Supplemental Strategies for Success

Strategy 4

Any Ed Tech funds will be utilized to improve the capacity of all teachers to integrate technology effectively into curriculum and instruction. This effort, if applied for, will be implemented through assessment (STaR chart), professional development activities, and certification through ISTE standards.

Strategy 5

Any E-Rate funding will be directed toward improving the academic achievement, and technology literacy of all students. This will be implemented through the purchase of computer hardware (computers) which will lower the student - computer ratio in classrooms, which in turn will provide more opportunities and access to technology as it relates to achievement and technology literacy.

Strategy 6

The Hickman County School System will utilize information technology and telecommunications to improve education services. Central to this will be an effort to upgrade school libraries into technological / telecommunications centers. Each school library will have multiple Internet access with cutting edge learning tools.

Strategy 7

The Hickman County School System will encourage the development and use of innovative strategies for the delivery of specialized curricula through the use of technology by assembling a group of stakeholders (teachers, administrators, parents, community bodies) to research, propose and implement through pilot projects, specialized curricula.

Strategy 8

The school system will explore the use of incentive grants to facilitate the implementation of research based programs and methods, to improve student achievement and promote technology literacy as it relates to the integration of technology into curriculum and instruction.

For a technology plan to work, it must have the backing of those individuals who lead the school system. From the Board of Education, which provides the guidance and funding, to the Superintendent, who must support the concept, to middle management and to school based administrators, who must implement the plan, there must be a coherent and cohesive voice which articulates the vision and energizes the mission.

From that point, it is the leadership of the instructional staff which moves an idea into reality. In education, technology is no different than any other change. It takes everyone to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.

To meet the goals and objectives, opportunities will be provided for teachers, administrators and staff to develop competency in using technology. Staff development and peer collaboration will be utilized. The focus will be on providing the tools to incorporate technology into the curriculum. These opportunities will be provided on multiple formats and at varied sites and times.

Specifically, opportunities will be provided during the school year and during the summer break. Formats will be on a continuum from one to one to large group sessions.

The Technology Department, in collaboration with the adult literacy service provider in the county, will assess telecommunications needs of the adult literacy service provider, provide technical assistance, and purchase necessary components to utilize educational technology in adult literacy services.

The adult literacy service provider will be attached to the system's network in all of its locations. Thus, the adult literacy service provider will have access to all educational resources available on the web, and to licensed software residing on the server.

The adult literacy service provider will have access to all services and information from the Technology Department as do each school site.

The integration of technology into the curriculum and teaching is a challenging process. The Hickman County School System seeks to meet the challenge through a multi-faceted approach.

Review of research in the ERIC Database and journals such as the Journal of Research on Technology in Education reveal the positive affects of technology upon instruction, achievement and teacher attributes when implemented in the right context. Research will be utilized to promote positive outcomes of the process, which have now been replicated in various sites.

State standards for Instructional Technology will be shared with all instructional personnel. Opportunities for professional development will be provided. Instructional data which is generated will be evaluated to access improvements in student academic achievement.

The timeline for this integration is as follows:

2003 - 2004 : Initial effort of integration socialization of instructional personnel.

2004 - 2005 : Continued training and pilot projects integrating technology into the classroom.

2005 - 2006 : Majority of instructional personnel to have integrated technology into the curricula and their teaching strategies.

To that end, each classroom has at least one internet connection. Middle Schools and the High School have multiple computer labs. Middle school and high school libraries have been retrofitted to become technology resource centers. Beginning with the 2001-2002 textbook adoptions, each teacher, in the designated subject area, is supplied with a computer, monitor, cart and connection for incorporating technology into the curriculum.

Currently, all classrooms, instructional areas and administrative offices are networked with Internet availability. All networks are an 100/1000 switched network. Each school has a T-1 line. We are in the process of securing a second T-1 line to the LEA and high school. Wireless applications have been introduced into the system.

Any Ed Tech funds will have, as a priority, helping students in high poverty and high needs schools or, if applicable, schools identified for improvement or corrective action under section 1116 of Title I.

Although the current status is encouraging for a small poor rural school system, as technology changes, the school system will need to keep current as much as possible. Bandwidth, increasing the number of computers to keep pace with a growing student population, and integrating new technology will be a priority.

Parental Involvement

Technology will be used to promote involvement and increase communication by :

(1) Exposing students early in their education to be computer literate.
(2) Encouraging students to lead parents to computer literacy.

Parents will be informed of the technology used in schools by means of open an house at each school at the beginning of the school year, through parent teacher conferences, and technology department communications which are sent home with each student.

Presently, the Hickman County School System uses both PC and Apple computers with PCs being the primary platform for administration and instruction and Apple being used for select disciplines.

It is the belief of the school system that students should be exposed to varying and new technology as it exists or is developed. To that end, the system has developed a systematic plan for the continual migration to new and better technology.

With the ability to utilize technology to the maximum extent possible, the issue of security must be addressed. Although creativity and exploring limits have their place in the educational environment, every effort will be made to protect the personal information of each individual. Any found to be in violation of this policy will be punished to the maximum extent including having technology privileges revoked.

The Hickman County School System does not discriminate in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices on the basis of race, sex, national origin, religion, creed, age, marital status, or disability as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All necessary accommodations are made for equitable participation by constituents without regard to race, gender, disability, economic status, or special needs as required by Section 427 of the General Education Provision Act & P. L. 107-110 - No Child Left Behind.

Technology and technology services has and will continue to comply with these laws and the spirit behind these laws.

The Hickman County School System provides an ongoing, sustained professional development program. The program seeks to increase teacher computer literacy, teacher Internet literacy, curriculum integration, and teaching strategies utilizing technology.

Models and best practices are utilized from research literature and site successes. Delivery methods utilized include group lab instruction, peer tutoring, and one to one mentoring. Personnel utilized are technology department, staff computer instructors, curriculum specialists, and high self-motivated computer literate students and staff. Specifically, structured in-service training of three to six hours, small group instruction of two to three hours, and as requested, on site mentoring for various time frames are available to foster professional development.

Professional development is sustained and ongoing with the following programs and strategies:

1. Technology Integration: Technology integration is defined as technology literate teachers who instruct students in subject matter content, utilizing technology to instill and reinforce the concepts and skills of the discipline on the instructional continuum.
   
   Integration techniques are modeled by trainees to computer literate instructors. Actual live demonstrations are provided as reinforcement by trainers in the trainer's classroom.
    
2. Computer Literacy: A continuum of classes and mentoring are provided continuously during the year. Classes range from beginning level to intermediate levels.
    
3. Library Training: Media personnel have regular meetings during the school year to continuously assess current information technology, and to explore new systems. Training focuses on the improvement of Internet literacy, information services, and information technology.
    
4. Curriculum Development: Training will be formulated to foster the development of technology based curriculum and implementation of the integration. These trainers will be under the direction of the curriculum supervisors.
    
5. Inservice Training: Ongoing classes for intermediate to advanced levels are provided. Classes are sequential and are presented in three hour blocks. Topics include web site design, advanced software, and advanced computer topics.

For the 2003 - 2004 school year the Technology Department Budget is two hundred fifty thousand dollars. Each succeeding year the budget is anticipated to grow in line with student population and state and federal mandates.

Any Ed Tech funds will be allocated toward professional development exclusively. E-Rate funds will be expended for desktop / laptop purchases for labs, media centers, individual classrooms or specialized settings needing interoperability capabilities. Costs are estimated for three years to be approximately $200,000.00.

Coordination of activities funded through the Ed Tech program with technology-related activities supported with funds from other sources will be a collaboration between the Director of Staff Development and the Director of the Ed Tech program. Regular meetings will be held between the two to coordinate activities, and to provide instructional staff with learning opportunities which are non-duplicated by different funding sources.

Supporting resources, such as repair services, software acquisition, printing and other electronically delivered learning materials will be coordinated in the Technology Department. Services will consist of network upgrades, computer repair and technical assistance. Software to be implemented will be Fast ForWord and Plato. Printers to be purchased will be laser and a color copier / printer.

Policies for the Hickman County Board of Education are located on the system’s web site. Technology specific policies are:

4.506 - Use of the Internet
4.5061 - Web Pages

These policies are reviewed annually and more often if necessary. Technology policies and procedures are reviewed periodically in technology staff meetings.

The Technology Plan is evaluated annually prior to and during budget hearings in April of each year. Goals are monitored by the Curriculum Director, Technology Coordinator and Principals. This group then comes a consensus of progress and reports to the Superintendent of Schools and the Board of Education their findings. This allows for adjustments to be made and opportunities to be seized.

Progress will be monitored and effectiveness will be evaluated in the following areas: integrating technology into the classrooms, increasing the effectiveness of teachers, and student achievement in reaching the challenging State academic standards. The process that will be followed is tracking of State and locally produced data which will incorporate TVAAS data, Testmate Clarity, teacher value added scores, and student test data which reflects the State's challenging academic standards. This process will be coordinated in the Curriculum Director's office and disseminated to responsible parties. Teachers and administrators will be kept abreast of their progress.

Technology Certification

The Hickman County Board of Education certifies they have funds budgeted and approved to meet its financial obligation to pay for the non-discounted portion of requested services and for other components in the technology plan for the current funding year.

The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) Compliance (E-Rate and Ed Tech)

The Hickman County School System certifies that USAC requirements for CIPA compliance has been met.

The CIPA requirements in the ESEA do not apply because no funds made available under the program are being used to purchase computers to access the Internet, or to pay for district access to the Internet, or to pay for district costs associated with accessing the Internet, for elementary and secondary schools that do not receive E-Rate services under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

This plan may be viewed at http://www.hickman.k12.tn.us/techplan

© 1999, 2003 Hickman County Board of Education
All rights reserved, Page last updated October 28, 2004