Brimfield District Technology Plan

2003-2006

 

District Information

 

Brimfield School District

22 Wales Rd.

Brimfield, MA 01010

LEA Code: 043

Superintendent of Schools: Kathleen Reynolds, PhD

Contact Person:

 

Background  

The Tantasqua Regional School District and School Union #61 are located in south central Massachusetts. The district is comprised of five towns including Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales. Each of the five towns has its own elementary school and K-6 school district under the jurisdiction of School Union #61.

 

Nestled in the hills of central Massachusetts, Brimfield is a community with a feel for its past. Driving down main street, (Route 20) one is aware of the colonial flavor of the area. Incorporated in 1731, Brimfield has retained a rural quality. The town common, with its Marquis Converse Memorial fountain, has been Brimfield’s most constant feature. This fountain has been utilized by townsfolk for many community functions, thus drawing the people closer together.

 

Three times a year, the population swells sevenfold when the Brimfield Antique Show comes to town. People from all over the world converge on Brimfield to buy, sell and exchange antiques and collectibles. Even the Smithsonian Institute has come to study this phenomenon.

 

As a member of School Union #61, Brimfield maintains its own local elementary school for grades K-6 but joins the towns of Brimfield, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales for grades 7-12. Current student enrollment is about 350.

 

Brimfield Elementary School is committed to providing a supportive, mutually respectful environment that enables students to develop to their full potential. The school program promotes educational and social equity, with an emphasis on heterogeneous student grouping and diversified teaching methods and materials to meet the needs of all students. To accomplish this, the school district has the following goals:

 

• To provide a safe and healthy environment for the well-being of all those in school
• To refine and sustain a school climate that supports mutual respect and builds a sense of citizenship and community responsibility
• To promote intellectual growth and lifelong learning for students and staff that will prepare them to meet the challenges of a complex and ever changing society
• To stimulate curiosity and develop critical and higher order thinking skills in all areas of teaching and learning
• To actively help students develop the self-esteem and skills necessary to learn, grow and overcome any obstacles

 

Technology Mission Statement

The technology mission of Tantasqua Regional School District and School Union #61 is to provide equitable access for all students and staff to technological resources. These resources promote critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills required for students to become lifelong learners and productive citizens in a technologically complex, multicultural and global environment.

 

Technology Vision Statement

Our purpose is to provide the students in our schools with the tools and knowledge base to succeed in an ever changing world. It is our objective is to continue implementing the Massachusetts Recommended PreK-12 Instructional Technology Standards in order to provide these necessary skills to our student population. Ongoing technology professional development serves as a vehicle to enable teachers to enhance their classroom environments.

 

Technology is a vital source of information and communication linking school, home, community and the world. It provides us with the impetus and the means to enrich our schools in the following ways:

Ø      Access local and global information

Ø      Provide effective and efficient communication

Ø      Streamline administrative tasks

Ø      Actively engage students in learning, both individually and in groups

Ø      Enable students to access the curriculum

Ø      Collect and analyze data

Ø      Manage assessment data

Ø      Provide differentiated instruction

Ø      Offer individualized instruction

Ø      Enable assistive technology

 

Technology enables teachers to modify their classroom environments to meet the challenges of today’s world and has become an essential tool for teaching and learning.

 

Current Status

 

This section provides information on the status of the school district as of school year 2003/2004. Three methods of data collection were used based on the Massachusetts DOE Teacher Self Assessment Tool (TSAT), Teacher Technology Use Survey and a survey of students to determine grade 5-8 technology mastery levels. Results are as follows:

 

 

Technology Self Assessment Tool (TSAT)

Early Technology – 0%

Developing Technology – 45%

Proficient – 39%

Advanced – 16%

 

Teacher Technology Use Survey

Use of Technology for Professional Activities:

Daily – 50%

Once a Week – 30%

Once a Month – 10%

Never/Rarely – 10%

 

Use of Technology with Students:

Daily – 25%

Once a Week – 30%

Once a Month – 35%

Never/Rarely – 10%

 

Goals             

Ø      Tantasqua/Union 61 Shared Goals

o       Upgrade, or replace, all school WAN connections to T1 speed, or better – completed FY05

o       Improve network security

o       Expand and improve the district-wide web site, including teacher pages, school committee information, building use information and other information useful to the member communities

o       Implement computer-based assessment tools for math and reading

o       Provide increased and ongoing professional development for administrative staff responsible for DOE reporting

o       Provide increased and ongoing technology professional development for teaching staff

o       Coordinate licensing for commonly used software

o       Explore alternative means of funding

o       Explore alternative methods of technology procurement such as freeware and donations

o       Upgrade and replace Internet equipment that is more than five years old that is necessary for adequate and reliable Internet access. This was completed in the first quarter of FY06.

o       Continue to improve the centralized accounting and human resources system for increased efficiency and cost-effective operation

o       Upgrade the district web and mail server for increased efficiency, cost-effective operation and network security

Ø      Materials and Services to be procured through the ERATE Program

o       Upgrade WAN Internet access lines to T1 or better bandwidth at the following locations:

§         Three 56k Point-to-Point Leased lines at Brookfield, Holland and Wales. This was completed in FY05 (Modified 09/20/05).

o       Upgrade existing Internet routers which are five years old and are necessary for Internet connectivity including four BayNetworks ARN Routers and eight CSU/DSU. Completed first quarter FY06 (Modified 09/20/05).

o       Upgrade the district web/mail server

o       Replace existing T1 point-to-point leased line between Brimfield and Fiskdale with a more cost-effective solution. Completed first quarter FY06 (Modified 09/20/05).

o       Continue existing Internet access services that provide sufficient bandwidth to four locations – Brimfield, Sturbridge, Tantasqua HS/Tech Division and Tantasqua JRHS. Migrate all Internet access and WAN services from leased point-to-point circuits to cable network. This was completed in the first quarter of FY06 (Modified 09.20.05).

o       Research the feasibility of contracting a new Internet Service Provider. Determine course of action (Modified 09.20.05).

o       Implement a more robust email system using Microsoft Exchange Server. Obtain all necessary hardware, software and consulting services necessary for implementation (Modified 09.20.05).

o       Purchase and implement a more robust firewall and content filtering system. Obtain all necessary hardware, software and consulting services necessary for implementation (Modified 09.20.05).

 

Ø      District and School specific goals – principals, instructional technology coordinators, and library media specialists.

o       2003-2006 Goals: To

§         1. continue building an exemplary library/media program in alignment with the state standards.

§         2. continue to maintain current hardware and software to meet the needs of the students through the curriculum, using the Massachusetts Department of Education's Local Technology Plan Benchmark Standards.

§         3. maintain the High School Tech Team for continued hardware and operating system support throughout the building.

§         4. add on to the school web site, additional web pages created by specialists and classroom teachers.

§         5. purchase new networked computers  for each

classroom.

 

Ø      In FY05, Replaced computers in 29 classrooms, two administrative settings and in the school kitchen.  Completed upgrades of older computers to Windows 98.  Replaced the LAN backbone with CAT6 cable.  Replaced all hubs with switches in the LAN.

 

Ø      Goals for FY06 are to maximize the use of the new position of computer maintenance/technician and IT specialist to ensure that all computers on the LAN are working efficiently.  Implement all new software that focuses on writing, literacy and accessibility tools.  Connecting technology to other areas of the curriculum including science, social science and math.  To network six laser printers for use by teachers from their classrooms for efficiency.  The computer maintenance/technician, with the technology coordinator, will oversee the work by A+ students from Tantasqua Technology High School.

 

 

Professional Development

 

Ø      After-school technology professional development will be offered as of September 2004. The format is based on individual teacher needs to better enable them to integrate technology into their daily professional and teaching activities.

Ø      Coaching and mentoring is offered by building-based technology staff on an on-going basis.

 

Total professional development hours for Brimfield Elementary School was 124 hours. 90% of staff received some type of formal technology professional development. On-going professional development, including coaching, mentoring and institutes reached 90% of staff.183% of staff took an online course. 95% of staff received any type of technology professional development in the past year. Categories for technology professional development included 50% computer applications, 50% for integrating technology into the curriculum.

 

Needs Assessment

 

Ø      Current Status

o       Telecommunications and Internet – One school has a 56K WAN connection into the central Internet Portal. These lines are scheduled to be upgraded to T1, or better, bandwidth in the summer of 2004.  Currently we have a firewall in place, including an Internet filter. As of FY05, all WAN connections have been upgraded to T1 or better. A direct fiber link was implemented between the HS and JRHS in August 2005.

o       Hardware – At Brimfield, T1 line was installed in 2003.  Pentium I and II PCs for classroom/teacher and lab use, Alphasmarts in use, scanners, digital cameras

o       Software – At Brimfield, using Win95 & 98, Inspiration, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works, Boardmaker, Write Aloud, Winnebago, problem solving software

 

Ø      Needs over three years including current fiscal year

o       Telecommunications and Internet – Upgrade three 56K WAN connections to T1, or better, bandwidth (completed FY05). Replace routers that are over five years old, replace a long distance phone line for Internet access with a more cost-effective solution (completed FY05), improve network perimeter security by adding a second layer of spam filtering in addition to current content filtering, firewall and email spam filtering functions. Review current ISP services and determine the most cost effective and reliable solution.

o       backbone with CAT6 cable, upgrade of all switches to 10/100 and replacement of server.  In 2004 replacement of lab computers, 25 total.  In 2005, replacement of classroom/teacher computers needed, replacement of printers in classrooms and lab. In 2006 rewiring between switches and classroom drops and addition of multi-computer drops in the classrooms, upgrade of scanners, and potential move to broadband WAN connection

o       Software needs – At Brimfield, in 2004 all LAN connected computers upgraded to Win98, server running Server 2003, Odyssey administrative software upgrade installed, SNAP medical records software installed, Open Office being used in the computer lab.  In 2005, classroom/teacher computers platform needs to be replaced with upgrades to WindowsXP, upgrades of lab software as needed.  In 2006, to purchase of a “writing lab” on a cart and upgrade of lab software as needed.

 

Budget

           

FY05 - Actual	Administrative Technology	Instructional Technology	Technology Professional Development	Maintenance and Support	Networking	Total
Salaries	$14,460.00	$70,753.00	$786.00	$21,472.00		$107,471.00
Contracted Services					$1,742.00	$1,742.00
Hardware						$0.00
Software		$1,691.00				$1,691.00
Capital Expenditures						$0.00
Supplies		$1,799.00				$1,799.00
Other Expenditures						$0.00
Total	$14,460.00	$74,243.00	$786.00	$21,472.00	$1,742.00	$112,703.00
FY06 - Budgeted	Administrative Technology	Instructional Technology	Technology Professional Development	Maintenance and Support	Networking	Total
Salaries	$14,673.00	$75,854.00				$90,527.00
Contracted Services				$5,000.00	$4,500.00	$9,500.00
Hardware				$23,480.00		$23,480.00
Software				$5,500.00		$5,500.00
Capital Expenditures						$0.00
Supplies		$2,000.00				$2,000.00
Other Expenditures						$0.00
Total	$14,673.00	$77,854.00	$0.00	$33,980.00	$4,500.00	$131,007.00
FY07 - Projected	Administrative Technology	Instructional Technology	Technology Professional Development	Maintenance and Support	Networking	Total
Salaries	$15,113.00	$78,130.00				$93,243.00
Contracted Services				$5,150.00	$4,635.00