Wales District Technology Plan

2007 - 2010

District Information

Wales Elementary School

41 Main St.

Wales, MA 01081

LEA Code 306

Superintendent of Schools: Daniel G. Durgin

District Technology Director:  Gregory Rossow

Wales Elementary School Principal:  Richard R. Zinkus

Wales Elementary School Technology Specialist & 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.

Wales is a rural community of 1,300 people with a rich historical New England heritage offering a beautiful and wholesome setting in south central Massachusetts. This small community is characterized by many natural amenities including scenic Lake George, Brimfield State Forest and the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary.

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, Wales maintains its own local elementary school for grades PK-6 but joins the towns of Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, and Sturbridge for grades 7-12. Current student enrollment is about 175.

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 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 changing society
• To stimulate curiosity and develop critical 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 2005/2006. 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:

School

Technology Self Assessment Tool (TSAT)

Early Technology – 64%

Developing Technology – 12%

Proficient – 0%

Advanced – 24%

Teacher Technology Use Survey

Use of Technology for Professional Activities:

Daily – 76%

Once a Week – 19%

Once a Month – 0%

Never/Rarely – 5%

Use of Technology with Students:

Daily – 13%

Once a Week – 44%

Once a Month – 12%

Never/Rarely – 31%

Goals             

Ø      Tantasqua/Union 61 Shared Goals

o       Upgrade, or replace, all school WAN connections to 1.5 Mbs speed, or better – completed FY05. (Updated 12/06)

o       Improve network security  - Through various mediums, security is tightening.  This includes updated centralized Antivirus, Group policies, spam filter, updated firewall. -ongoing.

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 - ongoing.

o       Utilize computer-based assessment tools for math and reading – implemented Star Math and Star Reading - ongoing.

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

o       Provide ongoing technology professional development for teaching staff at the school and District level.

o       Coordinate licensing for commonly used software – Norton antivirus, MS Office, United Streaming, World Book Online - ongoing.

o       Utilize alternative means of funding – local PTF has contributed money for technology needs - ongoing.

o       Utilize alternative methods of technology procurement such as freeware and donations – we are using freeware and donated equipment - ongoing.

o       Upgrade and replace Internet equipment that is underperforming or more than five years old necessary for adequate and reliable Internet access. - ongoing.

o       Continue to improve the centralized accounting and human resources system for increased efficiency and cost-effective operation. – ongoing Also, update accounting/hr system for access from remote schools via Microsoft Terminal Server.  This will allow for streamlined purchasing.

o       Upgrade the district web server for increased efficiency, cost-effective operation and network security. –ongoing Install hardware based spam filter (completed 8/06)

o       Upgrade RAM on school computers to improve functionality for students and staff.

o       Update OS on school computers to improve functionality for students and staff. -ongoing

o       Replace old under functioning and nonfunctioning computer with new high performing machines.

o       Repair, replace and update internal wiring to improve speed and performance for students and staff.

o       Update uninterruptable power hardware to accommodate increased equipment

o       Purchase peripheral equipment and accessories to enhance student access and learning.

o       Purchase and install secured wireless internet access to improve access for students and staff.

o       Purchase portable computers (laptops and rolling machines with large monitors) to improve access and functionality for students and staff.

o       Provide additional District level technical expertise to school-based personnel.

o       Purchase, learn and utilize Connect Ed for attendance and communication purposes. This will drastically improve the frequency, accuracy, timeliness and effectiveness of communication throughout our expanded school community while facilitating increased productivity in our administration and administrative staff. Completed implementation 8/06 – ongoing enhancement

Ø      Materials and Services to be procured through the ERATE Program

o       Upgrade the district mail server to Microsoft Exchange. Completed 8/06

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). (Modified 12/06)  VPN connections were streamlined and reconfigured for use with the new Sonicwall. All content filtering for the District tunnels through the firewall.

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

o       Implement a more robust email system using Microsoft Exchange Server. Obtain all necessary hardware, software necessary for implementation (Completed 8/06)

o       Purchase and implement a more robust firewall and content filtering system. Obtain all necessary hardware, software necessary for implementation. (Completed 12/06)  Sonicwall Pro3060 with premium content filter. (CIPA compliant)

o       Purchase additional and replacement computers and peripheral equipment.

o       Purchase hardware, software and supplies needed for maintenance, repair and upgrading of current equipment.

o       Purchase additional and replacement software for classroom, staff, security and administrative purposes.

Professional Development

Ø      After-school technology professional development continued in the 2005-2006 school year. The format that was based on the TSAT and individual teacher needs assessments was not budgeted for the 2006-2007 school year.

Ø      Coaching and mentoring is offered by building-based technology staff on an on-going basis exposing the teaching staff to new applications of technology and increasing utilization and integration of technology throughout the school. - ongoing

Ø      District technologists will continue to meet regularly in a collaborative manner to troubleshoot and be an ongoing source of technical support to each other- ongoing

Ø      The district will continue to provide opportunities for professional development through workshops, institutes and during district-wide professional development time- ongoing

Ø      The district will provide increased time and access to the District Technology Director and staff to support school-based personnel  in improving skill sets.

Needs Assessment

Ø      Current Status

o       Telecommunications and Internet – T1 throughout the District and Union.  

o       Wales Elementary School is using a multimedia system and fourteen Pentium IV computers through a grant four years ago.  Six years ago, the community purchased Twenty-three new Pentium III computers and a new Pentium III server.  We are in the process of increasing RAM on all of  these machines and are phasing out and replacing much older Pentium II, Celeron, Macintosh and Apple multimedia, laptops and computers acquired through purchases and donations over a much longer period of time. 

o       Wales is in the process of upgrading the OS of all school PCs from Windows 2000 Professional to Windows XP Professional and phasing out all machines that cannot be upgraded to support the current OS. 

o       Wales currently has a large amount of quality older single-user educational programs.  These are valuable assets to our staff and students, but limited in effectiveness due to lack of access to multiple users.  Microsoft Office Professional 97, 2000 or XP are installed on all computers, are available to all staff and students and are used daily as our primary word processing, publishing, data, spreadsheet, charting and presentation software.  We are in the process of upgrading all school PC Office software to Microsoft Office Professional 2007.

o       All computers throughout the school are networked to the server where student and staff folders are located work is saved, and a limited number of shared programs are available for multiple users.  We are in the process of purchasing and installing additional server-based software for use by students and staff.

o       Wales is in the process of changing student and staff computer and server login procedures, profiles and permissions to provide improved access and security.

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, improve network perimeter security.  Review current ISP services and determine the most cost effective and reliable solution.- ongoing.

o       Upgrading of hardware, software and supplies through new purchases to replace old material.

o       Wales Elementary School is in need of new computers to replace much older, unreliable, and limited existing computers in our classrooms; and to increase their numbers and therefore access to technology.  Upgrading peripheral equipment such as printers, video cameras, scanners is a priority.  Additional hardware to reach current standards and provide access to special needs students is needed.  These would include but are not limited to laptop computers, portable word processors, wireless equipment, and assistive technology.  Finally replacement equipment and supplies are needed to provide maintenance and repair capability. 

o       Educational software accessible to multiple students on the network to support the framework and curriculum are our top priority.  They will need to spiral skills, provide access to special needs students, and be intuitive and adjustable to meet the needs of all students at their point of need.  Software used across grade/age levels is most valuable.  Specialized software for use by students with special needs such as Kurzweil, at the recommendation of their classroom teachers and specialist, are required. Operating Systems, antivirus, and Office software needs to be continually evaluated and upgraded.

Budget

Evaluation

Ø      Evaluation Process

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