Temple ISD has a total of 16 campuses with a total student enrollment of 9,041 students. The district is identified as 86% economically disadvantaged. The district’s technology expenditures for the plan covering 2011 through 2014 is $7,615,975.93 divided as follows:
Teaching and Learning - $2,971.868.04
Educator Preparation and Development - $1,168,500.00
Leadership, Administration, and Support - $1,005,603.12
Infrastructure for Technology - $2,470,004.77
The technology expenditure per pupil is $842.38. One hundred percent of campuses and classrooms have direct connections to the internet. All campuses are required to complete the STaR Chart.
The Technology Planning Committee is composed of members of the Curriculum and Instruction Team, Campus Technology Liaisons, District Instructional Technology Specialists, Parent Advisory Committee, and Community Advisory Committee.
The district’s mission statement is “to prepare students to be life-long learners who are productive in 21st century college and work life. The district’s goals include providing kid-friendly, clean, and safe schools and facilities; providing opportunities for all students to succeed and belong; providing collaboration and communication; acting as a unified team of shareholders to ensure student engagement and learning; and ensuring cost-effectiveness in providing high quality programs.
The district conducted a needs assessment which used a variety of instruments to determine its needs, including Campus STaR Charts, SBEC Teacher Technology Competency Self-Assessments, analysis of instrastructure, hardware, and software. In summary, student needs were identified as the need for consistent and equitable access to technology resources, including instruction in technology-integrated curriculum, network connectivity, software, and hardware. Teacher needs included professional development and support in technology skill development, technology resources including network connectivity, software, and hardware, and accountability for integrating technology into their curriculum. Administrator needs were professional development and support for the effective use of technology and support of the teachers and students, resources to make technology an integral part of administrative and instructional systems, and accountability for providing teachers time to learn how to integrate technology into their classrooms.
The technology plan goals support the district’s mission statement and goals, and address the needs assessments in the areas of: professional development for teachers, administrators, and staff that supports student learning, data-based decision making, and communication; providing and supporting the technology necessary to facilitate the learning process; providing and supporting high quality equipment and infrastructure that is educationally sound and cost effective; and use of a comprehensive planning and monitoring process to ensure that the technology used in the district is adequate, cost effective, and in compliance with federal and state regulations.
Objectives supporting Goal 1, relating to technology professional development, included annual new teacher technology training; annual update training in software and hardware for all teachers, funding and support for attending state and national technology conferences such as TCEA, NECC, and TXDLA; advanced training for instructional technology specialists and liaisons; advanced training for administrators through Boot Camp; district-wide technology course offerings; required professional development for state-mandated initiatives such as internet safety and cyberbullying; and use of the district’s self-assessment tool.
Objectives supporting Goal 2, relating to support of the curriculum prescribed by the Technology Applications TEKS, included use of state resources such as Learning.com along with locally developed curriculum; providing the necessary resources for integration; use of Eduphoria’s Aware to manage assessments; developing and maintaining scope and sequence, curriculum resources, and lesson plans using Eduphoria’s Forethought; use of Eduphoria’s PDAS evaluation instrument to monitor teacher performance; use of Skyward’s online services for student attendance and grading; maintaining software licensing for instruction, productivity, and data management; providing and supporting online courses; providing software and services for credit recovery; providing software and services for English Language Learners and their families; provide online database and instructional programs with 24/7 access; maintaining a parent portal; utilizing video conferencing units; expanding library digital services; and providing a content management system for district, campus, and teacher websites.
Objectives supporting Goal 3, relating to infrastructure and equipment, include replacement of computers and printers at campuses on a four-year rotation; pursuit of grant opportunities; providing safe and secure broadband access; full implantation of wireless overlay across the district; upgrading the phone system; maintaining network and server software; implementation of file/e-mail archiving to meet records retention requirements; and providing content filtering processes that comply with the Child Internet Protection Act.
Objectives support Goal 4, relating to the planning and monitoring to ensure effective use of technology in the district, include use of campus liaisons to ensure technology integration; support of district goals with appropriate technology solutions; involvement of all stakeholders in the planning and monitoring process; requirement for all teachers, librarians, and principals to complete STaR charts; following e-rate compliance procedures for all e-rate funded services and equipment; and maintaining and updating the district technology plan.
For budget year 2011, $3,323,328 was allotted for technology, with $1,345,673coming from e-rate funds. E-rate funds covered expenses in the areas of telecommunications, internet access, and equipment. The district’s general funds covered materials and supplies, maintenance, and staff development.
The district provides professional development “exchange days” for teachers to attend technology professional development on their own time after school or during the summer break. These hours are exchanged for time off during the Thanksgiving holidays. The technology budget provides for three full-time instructional technology specialists, and campus liaisons who are teachers. The liaisons conduct one after-school workshop per month and serve as technology resources for teachers on their campuses. The instructional technology specialists conduct workshops and model best practices in classrooms with the students and teachers.
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