Eett Sargent Application Narrative

Identification of Focus: Goal Areas 1 and 2 In May of 2006, the Sargent School Technology Committee reviewed the school district’s Educational Technology and Information Literacy Plan and completed revisions based on the district’s interest in developing a one-to-one computing environment for all enrolled students. The school district is exploring funding streams to underwrite the costs of this 1:1 computing initiative, and has committed $100,000 of general fund budget toward the purchase of computers for the 2007-2008 school year. The district Technology Committee is committed to developing a funding stream from private and foundation sources as its priority goal in support of this initiative. A second goal priority of the committee is focused on the recognized need for increased levels of professional development directed toward supporting teachers’ effective utilization of these new technology resources. In particular, the committee is placing an emphasis on how technology resources can be used to accelerate our students’ acquisition of technology and information literacy skills, and increase their level of proficiency in mathematics. The committee’s third goal priority reflects the district’s on-going efforts to developing common assessments for all courses and grades, with an emphasis on higher-order thinking competencies that include development of students’ ability to identify topics and problems of interest, to gather information, to analyze information, to think critically, to explore possible solutions to problems, to work collaboratively, and to synthesize and share information with others. As the district continues it’s on-going efforts to secure alternate streams of funding intended to support the acquisition of technology resources for students -- it is our hope that funding from this grant can be utilized to support the costs of both the professional development initiatives needed to ensure adequate teacher preparation for the challenges associated with creating a one-to-one computing environment, and the costs associated with developing and disseminating “best teaching practices,” and the common assessments we will use to monitor our progress in achieving technological proficiency for our students. Project Abstract: Goal Areas 1 and 2 Sargent School District Re-33J is committed to these goals, and to undertaking the initiatives needed to fully implement and sustain a technology initiative that effectively supports enhanced student learning. Academic improvement will be measured by a comprehensive assessment plan that includes measures from the Colorado Student Assessment Program, but also includes quality common assessments developed by teachers. A central component in this initiative is the district’s plan to fully implement a one-to-one computing environment by the end of the 2009-2010 school year. It also includes plans to implement an intense program of professional development that ensures that all members of the district’s faculty will achieve measurable proficiency in the application of technology-based instructional resources within their core teaching areas, utilizing problem-solving and projectbased instructional models. Identification of Needs: Goal Areas 1 and 2 Sargent School District Re-33J has demonstrated a capacity for improving student achievement, as evidenced by consistent overall progress in raising district CSAP performances over the last five years. However, a significant gap in performance between our students’ reading achievement, and their mathematics achievement, continues to exist, and is cause for concern. A review of the district’s spring, 2006 CSAP data for reading, mathematics, and science reflects the significance of the discrepancies in student performance across these content areas. As mathematics content becomes more rigorous in the upper grades, our students performance on the mathematics CSAP weakens in comparison to their reading performance. Our goal is to increase our students’ mathematics performance on CSAP to a level where it is more consistent with their reading performance, while simultaneously increasing the percentage of students who score proficient or advanced in both content areas.

Grade 3 Grade 4

CSAP Reading 78% 77%

CSAP Proficient and Advanced CSAP Mathematics 73% 81%

CSAP Science

Grade 5 77% 66% 54% Grade 6 77% 63% Grade 7 74% 44% 74% Grade 8 69% 43% Grade 9 87% 46% Grade 10 79% 33% 74% We believe that “problem-based” and “project-based” learning models that incorporate the authentic application of technology resources hold the promise of accelerating student achievement not only in mathematics, but also in their acquisition of essential technology and information literacy skills. These learning models provide students with the opportunity to apply the “real world” strategies of making observations, creating hypotheses, conducting investigations, collecting information, defining issues, evaluating their thinking, developing potential solutions, and making informed decisions. Embedded within each of these strategies, there is the potential for meaningful application of a vast array of technology resources and related skills. It is our hope that the interface between these “thinking strategies” and applied technologies will accelerate our students’ understanding of critical mathematics concepts and skills, and will develop a practical understanding of how technology resources can be meaningfully applied in solving real world problems. A second significant area of need is reflected in our teaching faculty’s self-assessed level of knowledge and application of Colorado Department of Education defined “Technology Competencies for Teachers.” During the spring of 2006 and 2007, district faculty members were asked to self-assess their personal level of mastery on each of the thirteen modules that comprise this set of competencies. Each module is comprised of technology skill sets the department of education has defined as essential for teacher technology competence. CDE Technology Competencies of Teachers Module

Skill-Set Strand

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Computer Operation Set-Up, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting Word Processing and Desk-Top Publishing Spreadsheets and Graphing Databases Networking Telecommunications Media Communication and Integration Curriculum Integration Design and Management Child Development, Learning, and Diversity Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues Building Level Technical Support

Percent Proficient*† 75% 33% 20% 18% 13% 29% 4% 7% 27% 29% 18% 71% 7%

*Self-Assessment n = 45 †Percent of teachers rating themselves as proficient on all skills within the module. A summary of results from this self-assessment reveals that while teachers rate themselves as “proficient” in applying basic computer skills, their level of confidence in their abilities on more advanced technology skill-sets

does not indicate a readiness to support implementation of a one-to-one computing environment. This is particularly true for skill sets that have a strong relationship with “best practices” in mathematics and technology instruction. Our plan includes provisions for accelerated professional development with all faculty members during the summer of 2007. In total, this data reflects the need for professional development opportunities directed toward improving teachers’ general level of proficiency in applying technology skill-sets, and the importance of increasing their understanding of the importance of these skills for students – particularly as they can be employed to support higher levels of achievement in both the core content area of mathematics, and in acquiring essential technology skills. We view the planned professional development activities as a venue for collaboration and dissemination of instructional units and accompanying assessment resources. A third area of need can be identified, which is an outgrowth of both the district’s rural location, and the socioeconomic status of its students. The San Luis Valley reports an aggregate poverty rate of 68% (free and reduced lunch), and the Sargent School District has experienced an increase in the percentage of students on free and reduced lunch status from 30% to 44% over the last five years. For many of our students, their only access to technology resources occurs within the school setting. Again, it is hoped that increasing this accessibility through a one-to-one computing initiative will greatly enhance students’ learning opportunities, particularly with a planned 24/7 level of access for upper level students. This will result in students achieving mastery of essential technology benchmarks at each grade level. The school district’s Technology Committee is currently reviewing our established grade level proficiencies, and technology curricula from other districts as part of a district-wide effort to establish credible grade level benchmarks and to ensure greater alignment of these expectations across grade levels. We will develop benchmark assessments for each targeted proficiency in grades 5, 8, and 10 -- which will be used to assess the effectiveness of our instructional program in supporting students’ acquisition of essential technology and information literacy competencies. Program Description: Goal Areas 1 and 2 Our district technology committees plan to collaborate with Gateway, Knowledge Networking Solutions (KNS) and DyKnow to implement a one-to-one computing initiative. This model is based on a well-defined collaborative structure, and employs a research-based methodology. Although we are only in the initial planning phase of this partnership at the time of this grant, we have communicated extensively by email, fax and phone in arriving at a preliminary plan for implementation. A webinar was attended by the district’s technology committee members, board of education members, superintendent, building principals, members of the district’s Academic Improvement committee, hosted by our commercial partners: Gateway, Knowledge Networking Solution, and DyKnow.com . These preliminary plans include the following components: Year One: 1.

District supports the vision for 1:1 Computing which is outlined in our ET-IL Plan

2.

District recognizes that improving our students’ acquisition of technology and information literacy skills and improving students’ mathematics proficiency as priorities.

3.

District believes differentiated instruction is important to academic improvement and excellence which can be achieved using integrated, research-based technology strategies.

4.

Our initial step was assessing current district technologies available to support the vision for 1:1 computing.

5.

The next step was to create a road-map for implementation with strategies and actions for each goal and objective.

6.

Determine start-up costs and annual budget for 1:1 Computing based on district priorities, resources and district-level plan requirements.

7.

Determine required technical and academic support requirements and resources.

8.

Technology Integration Specialists will serve the fellow teachers in a Train-the-Educator model. Our four teachers who will serve as “lead teachers” are highly credentialed Master teachers who have demonstrated leadership potential experience leading initiatives in our district.

9.

Develop website for grant with link to Sargent District Website. (Professionally designed and regular updating by Keen Design).

1 0 . Purchase tablet notebooks and accompanying software for faculty. 1 1 . Provide two days of professional development for teachers – Using Tablet Notebook (all faculty) and Use of One-Note for secondary faculty during the summer of 2007.

12. Send superintendent, principals, and lead teachers to 2007 Technology in Colorado conference June 18-22 to extend problem-based learning methods.

1 3 . Purchase and deliver KNS’s TITLE, Phase I and Phase II (Technology Integration for Teaching and

Learning in Education) for teachers and learn Problem-based Learning focusing on Blooms Taxonomy thinking model. (3 days of training)

1 4 . Present KNS course TITLE III for principals and lead teachers. Establish roles as Technology Integration Specialists. Learn evaluation methods for problem-based learning. (3 days training)

1 5 . Teachers develop problem-based lessons. Lessons will be built to remediate weaknesses of performance

as indicated by common technology assessments and CSAP Math. Technology Integration Specialists will collaborate with teachers during lesson planning.

1 6 . Purchase On-going Mentor Support – allow KNS consultant to work with each Technology Integration Specialists via email, voice mail, virtual session, on-site visits to help them with colleagues.

17. Implement evaluation as outlined in implementation road-map. 18. Analyze effectiveness of professional development using teacher surveys and problem-based lesson rubrics. Year Two:

1.

Purchase and train entire staff for DyKnow software. (Software to enable classroom management monitoring and increased student/teacher interaction – 1 Day.)

2.

Faculty does pre-self-assessment for technology skills and professional development plan is individualized for each teacher which will be implemented with online courses.

3.

Pre-test for given for each problem-based lesson.

4.

Purchase of student computers, utilizing the district’s $100,000 allocation and available matching funds from community and foundation donors.

5.

Teachers continue KNS’s professional development modules for project-based and problem-based learning models. (2 Days)

6.

Teachers implement lessons in classrooms with lead teacher observation. Teachers reflect on lessons and develop appropriate remediation for students.

7.

Technology Integration Specialists are provided one fourth of their assigned duty time for coaching and mentoring duties.

8.

Technology Integration Specialists each work with a cadre of teachers in problem-based learning lesson design, implementation, and revision.

9.

Each teacher will implement two problem-based lessons during the year using collaboration with Technology Integration Specialists. Lessons validated for their effectiveness will be posted on our website

10. Post-test for each problem-based lesson to determine if target of 80% proficiency is met. 11. Post-test for faculty on self-assessment of skills to determine if target of 80% proficiency on all established learner outcomes is met.

Goals/Milestones: Goal Areas 1 and 2 Goal #1: Pre- and Post- Assessments of proficiency will be developed for each professional development module, with an immediate target of 80% proficiency on all established learner outcomes. Results from these measures will be obtained prior to, and at the culmination of each professional development module. Results from these assessments will be reviewed by the coaching staff and building administrators, and will be used to plan both the content of the professional development, and the coaching initiatives that will immediately follow the professional development. Milestones: 1.) Completion of Professional Development Days 1-2 by June 29, 2007. 2.) Completion of Professional Development Days 3-5 by August 28, 2007 3.) Coaching assignments and Individual Professional Development Plans completed with all staff members by September 28, 2007. 4.) Professional Development on Project-Based and Problem-Based Learning Models completed on November 19-20, 2007 and January 14, 2008. Goal #2: Each participating staff member will develop, implement, publish, and post two comprehensive problembased, or project-based instructional units. These units will each include outcomes that accurately reflect core content area specific Colorado Model Content Standards and appropriate grade level benchmarks, higher-order thinking skills outcomes, and technology skill-set targets. These instructional units will be evaluated for their effectiveness on the basis of student achievement results from the common assessments, with an immediate target of 80% of all students demonstrating proficiency on each of the specified achievement outcomes embedded within each unit. The teacher-developer, coaches, and building administrator will review these common assessment results and make recommendations regarding possible improvements and revisions needed based on the assessment data. A differentiated program of instruction will provide additional instruction and support for students who do not achieve proficiency on the specified outcomes. Milestones: 1.) Completion of Instructional Unit #1 Design by October 12, 2007. 2.) Implementation of Instructional Unit #1 by November 16, 2007. 3.) Evaluation of Instructional Unit #1 by December 19, 2007. 4.) Posting of Instructional Unit #1 Design by January 18, 2008. 5.) Completion of Instructional Unit #2 Design by February 15, 2008. 6.) Implementation of Instructional Unit #2 by March 21, 2008. 7.) Evaluation of Instructional Unit #2 by April 18, 2008. 8.) Posting of Instructional Unit #2 by May 16, 2008. Goal #3: A “body of evidence” comprised of instructional unit assessment results, CSAP results, and survey results from students, teachers, and parents will be used to arrive at a composite evaluation of the effectiveness of this

initiative. Our focus will be directed toward producing student achievement results that validate the effectiveness of the initiative. We are setting benchmark goals of a minimum of 80% of our students demonstrating proficiency in the application of technology and information literacy skills as defined by the benchmarks established grade level targets – and 65% of our students achieving grade level proficiency in mathematics as measured by the Colorado Student Assessment Program. Milestones: 1.) The Sargent School District Technology Committee establishes benchmarks for Technology and Information Literacy proficiencies for grades 5, 8, and 10 by June 30, 2007. 2.) Common assessments for every established grade level benchmark are developed by August 30, 2007. 3.) Analyses of CSAP Assessment frameworks and results for Grades 3-10 completed by August 30, 2007. 4.) Common assessments for both technology and information literacy and mathematics administered from August 27, 2007 to May 24, 2008. 5.) Analysis of assessment results completed by teachers, technology integration specialists, and building administrators, Building Leadership Teams, Superintendent, and Board of Education. Critical Elements: Goal Areas 1 and 2 1.

Clearly defined achievement targets for Technology and Information Literacy and Mathematics achievement.

2.

Professional Development that emphasizes acquisition of essential Technology and Information Literacy Skills by all staff, and the application of these skills within the context of providing students with authentic problem-solving and project-based learning opportunities.

3.

Application of a data-driven model of instruction that emphasizes achievement of proficiency on Colorado Model Content Standards and CDE-defined Technology Competencies.

4.

Evidence of the Sargent School District’s commitment to completing a time-phased three-year implementation of a one-to-one computing initiative over the next three years.

5.

Professional Development that emphasizes use of Problem-Solving and Project-Based Learning models of instruction.

6.

Dissemination of Model Lessons and Common assessments via the district’s website, and registration with various search engines.

Projects/Artifacts: Goal Areas 1 and 2 1.

Curriculum guides articulating established grade level benchmarks for Technology and Information Literacy and matching common assessment resources.

2.

Problem-Based and/or Project-Based Instructional Units that include Colorado Model Content Standard’sBased, Technology and Information Literacy, and Higher-Order Thinking Skills outcomes.

3.

A comprehensive body of assessment data, and analyses, which reflects articulated student achievement and professional development outcomes. This will include student portfolios of completed projects.

4.

A district web-site that provides access to instructional unit designs, supporting resources, common assessments, and links to relevant web-based resources -- and registration of the district’s website with key search engines to facilitate access to these resources by others.

Evaluation: Goal Areas 1 and 2 A timeline outlining the “milestones” embedded in each goal area will be developed to guide implementation. Preand Post- assessments will be developed for all professional development modules, and this data will be utilized by the Technology Integration Specialists and Administrators to evaluate the overall effectiveness of these training components, and to develop specific plans for providing support to staff members who will need extended opportunities in order to achieve the goal of developing proficiency on each of the specified teacher competencies. An extensive body of student achievement data will be collected for both technology and information literacy benchmarks and mathematics benchmarks across all grade levels. Data from common assessments from each instructional unit will be analyzed to determine if students are achieving proficiency on identified achievement targets, and extended and differentiated instructional opportunities will be provided to ensure that all students are provided with adequate instructional time and support. A review of assessment data from each instructional unit will also be used to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the unit, and to make revisions in content and in the design of the assessments used. The content of each instructional unit will be refined on the basis of the data obtained. It is hoped that multiple forms of both instructional materials and assessments will be developed as teachers provide extended learning opportunities to students in an effort to ensure that all achieve proficiency on the identified benchmarks. Another major component of the evaluation process is the development and dissemination of ready-to-use instructional units and valid and reliable common assessments. We will employ a peer-review process to ensure that all instructional units posted on the website reflect incorporation of standards-based structures, best practices as defined by the body of research currently available on problem-based and project-based learning models, and evidence of high levels of student achievement on specified learning targets as measured by the units common assessments. Dissemination, Reporting, and Monitoring: Goal Areas 1 and 2 The body of student achievement data that will become available through implementation of this initiative will be consistently reported to key stakeholders in summary reports. Summary data reporting the percent of students achieving proficiency will be reported for each specified achievement target within an instructional unit. To arrive at a realization of the goals embedded within this grant, each instructional unit and professional development module will be analyzed for its effectiveness, and summary data will be reported. Formative assessment data will be utilized by teachers to inform their instruction within each unit, and refinements and revisions will be made to ensure that they are achieving their intended purpose. Again, we would like to emphasize that we will utilize a peer-review process to ensure that all instructional units posted on the website reflect incorporation of standards-based structures, best practices as defined by the body of research currently available on problem-based and project-based learning models, and evidence of high levels of student achievement on specified learning targets as measured by the units common assessments. The Technology Integration Specialists and various professional development modules will provide teachers with on-going support as they develop instructional units that embody these essential components. Sargent School District is currently consulting with a private web-designer in planning improvements for the district’s existing website. Our intent is to provide immediate access to all developed instructional units and common assessments that have passed a peer review process, and have produced student achievement results that indicate they are viable teaching resources. We will refine website titles to include key words that will facilitate access by those who are completing a web search, and we will register our site with search engines that will further facilitate access. The peer review process will provide a system for teachers to share their successful technology practices, their instructional units, and the insights they have gained. We are also exploring development of a district

blog hosted by the Technology Integration Specialists that will provide additional on-going support to all teacher participants. Budget Narrative: Goal Areas 1 and 2 This request for funding emphasizes the key role members of the Sargent faculty will assume in completing the implementation of one-to-one computing initiative. Consequently, our submitted budget reflects the associated costs of providing teachers with access to the technology resources they will need to have to prior to implementation of the district’s ET/IL Plan (Tablet notebooks: $65,700 or 28% of request). The majority (50%) of this request is focused on providing faculty members with essential professional development opportunities. This includes the actual costs of contracting for these services with Knowledge Networking Solutions, Inc. for eight specific days of professional development that will occur between June 1, 2007 and January, 2008 (KNS: $48,000), and utilizing four members of our teaching faculty as Technology Implementation Specialists (coaches) -- as a means of providing the remaining 41 members of the faculty with support following each professional development module, and to assist in the process of developing and refining instructional units and assessments (Technology Integration Specialists Salaries and Benefits for one fourth time: $50,200). These costs are associated with our efforts to evaluate and disseminate elements of the program (22% of request). We will be providing a stipend for each noncontracted day of professional development in the amount of $200.00 per day (Professional Development Stipends: $72,000). We would like to emphasize that the Sargent School District is allocating a total of $130,000 for computer and SMART board purchases for the 2007-2008 school year, $50,000 for a Technology Coordinator position that will be new to the district, half of the costs of providing professional development days ($36,000 of the $72,000), and $3,000 for website enhancements which will support dissemination. Our request is for a total of $231,550 and is matched by a district allocation of $216,000. The district’s allocation will be a yearly allocation over the three years the initiative will take to complete.