Technology Plan for Socorro Consolidated School District

This technology plan for Socorro Consolidated Schools is equally a celebration of the past achievements of the District as well as our hopes for the future. SCS has been innovative, creative and visionary in utilizing the resources made available to us. We cannot, however, rest upon our laurels. There are still many great challenges that lay ahead of us in order for our students to have every chance to succeed in life.

This plan is designed to meet all Federal and State requirements and is aligned with the District’s Vision and Mission for student achievement. We strongly believe that the best use of technology is when it is placed in the student’s hands to produce, create, explain, analyze and demonstrate. This can only be accomplished by providing teachers with the necessary training, support and guidance while staying current with all emerging technologies.

PLAN TERM:  Begins:  December, 2008                Ends: November, 2011

Socorro Consolidated School District certifies that it (check all that apply):

 

        is compliant with the provisions of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

 

        will be CIPA compliant by ­­­_________.    Keep in mind that your district is not eligible for funding if they are not CIPA Compliant 

 

        will apply for E-rate discounts for the current fiscal Year

 

Date the plan was approved by the local School Board:    <insert date>

*the Board meeting minutes are attached to this plan

 

Approved by:

______________________________________________________________________

Signature of Superintendent or Authorized School Official                Date of Signature

 

   

Printed Name and Title:     

 

Cheryl Wilson, Ph.D./Superintendent                

 

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District Technology Coordinator/Contact

Name:   Vernon  Smith	Telephone #: 575-838-3134
Address:  P.O. Box 1157, Socorro, NM 87801	E-mail:  vsmith@socorro.k12.nm.us

VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS

 

Vision Statement

Our students will be prepared and motivated to enter a technology-embedded world as socially responsible, productive and highly qualified global citizens.

 

Mission Statement

The mission of Socorro Consolidated Schools is to create a technology rich learning environment that promotes technological and personal development of every student by:

• rigorous, relevant technology-rich curriculum delivered by technology-competent staff
• Using technology to promote and celebrate student diversity as a strength in our community
• Putting the most current technology into the hands of our students, and consistently staying current with the newest technologies
• Ensuring student access to broad, relevant technology experiences
• Involving our community in the educational process

 

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The SCSD TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

 

The Technology Committee represents all stakeholders in Socorro Consolidated Schools District.  The development of the technology plan and implementation of the plan enables parents, educators, students and community members to benefit from the investment in technology. All have representation on the committee.

 

Member	Title	Constituency Represented
Vernon Smith	Director of Technology	Administration
Jeffrey Miller	Administrative Services Coord.	Technology
Daniel Vigil	Technologist Level II	Technology
Tawsha Jacobs	Teacher (SMS)	Educators
Lindsey Montoya	Teacher (SMS)	Educators
Janice Armijo	Teacher (SHS)	Educators
Denise Contreras	Teacher (PV)	Educators
Janice Jaramillo	Teacher (PV)	Educators
Tami Hale	Parent	Community/Parents
Annabell Romero	Parent	Community/Parents
Reyna Gomez	Parent	Community/Parents
Peggy Lopez	Parent	Community/Parents
Emily Walker	College Student (Graduate)	Community/Students
Isaiah Acevedo	HS Student Council President	Students
Elizabeth Smoake	HS Student (senior)	Students

The Technology Committee collaborated on this plan through the use of a Wiki site at http;//socorrotechplan.pbwiki.com. Other staff was given “read only” access during the process. The Wiki was opened to public access on October 23, 2008, upon completion of the final editorial work.

This plan was approved by the Socorro Consolidated Schools Technology Committee by a unanimous vote on October 21-22, 2008

Certified by:

______________________________________  

Vernon Smith

Director of Technology

Socorro Consolidated Schools

October 23, 2008

 

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Strategies for Improving Academic Achievement and Teacher Effectiveness

Socorro Consolidated Schools will use technology funds:

1) The New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) website does not address academic standards for technology education. However, Socorro Consolidated Schools (SCS) designates standards set forth by The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and their local affiliate, New Mexico Society for Technology Education (NMSTE), as the best available benchmarks for K-12 education. ISTE developed the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for students, administrators, teachers and Technology Facilitators/Leaders; the application and promotion of these standards will help SCS achieve parity with leading school districts around the country.

Technology funding will be used in a variety of ways to improve academic achievement:

·         Maintaining and promoting the link to the New Mexico PED web page for the Educational Plan for Student Success (EPSS)

·         Continued links to New Mexico PED’s web page for Standards, Content, Benchmarks and Performance

·         Monitoring and responding to academic performance in order to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards for the assessment of student performance and the differentiation of instruction

·         Utilizing computer-based programs for the management of students and their performance

·         Continued support and management of Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) testing through Northwest Evaluation Association NWEA

·         Coordination of MAP short term assessment results with student academic software like Compass Learning, Plato and Renaissance Learning.

·         Utilization of tools deigned to expand the breadth and depth of instruction and student work in all content areas.

·         Integration of tools proven to enhance student engagement, such as Moodle, Blackboard, Wikis, blogs, screen casts and streaming audio/video.

·         Supporting networks that increase student access to knowledge, research, data, collaboration, and social learning environments (including synchronous and asynchronous communication).

·         Providing students access to advance placement and dual-credit courses with on-line components.

·         Provide students access to tools that allow them to create products, artifacts and performances that demonstrate their learning and understanding.

2) Socorro Consolidated Schools will work to improve the capacity of all teachers to integrate technology effectively into curriculum and instruction by:

·         Surveys and forums designed to identify teacher needs for classroom technology and technology education

·         Utilizing school-based professional development for technology applications

·         Using qualified technology personnel as coaches and demonstrators in classroom environments

·         Informing teachers of web-based sites such as Google Docs that encourage student and teacher use of technology

·         Promoting participation in developmental workshops, such as the webinars offered by Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA) from New Mexico State University

·         Promoting educational and learning opportunities that involve content areas and/or technology

·         Channeling technology-rich news and information through email, our web site and the Socorro Tech News blog

·         Providing guidance for the use of planning tools such as NTeQ to design technology-rich lessons

·         Sharing success stories of teachers who effectively integrate technology in their lessons.

• Developing Advanced Placement and Distance Learning courses through Innovative Digital Education and Learning (Ideal-NM)

Goals

In order to meet the educational needs of students, we will use advanced technology to support differentiated instruction that allows teachers to vigorously pursue student learning within the guidelines of New Mexico’s standards and curriculum. This requires us to create a high level of expectation for technology application in the classroom, specifically technology that is placed in the hands of students. This means that we must endeavor to develop educational technology skills in teachers that allow them to support and coach students in the use of technology. It’s equally important that instructional staff implement numerous advanced technologies to identify, manage, assess and report student achievement.  We must also solidify the infrastructure that supports these goals:

Our goals include:

• Link to EPSS - The district will continue to monitor appropriate competency standards that address EPSS goals. SCS will continue to enhance student achievement and academic abilities in the areas of language arts.
• Addressing instruction and academic performance to meet the Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO’s) as designated by AYP targets in order to meet full proficiency in all Socorro schools prior to School Years (SY) 2013-2014.
• Advancing the knowledge of technology and real world vocations in an effort to address economic and employability demands.
• Enhancing the end user’s technology experience through improved services such as increased bandwidth and the most current educational/productivity software

• Broadening the technological hardware available for student and educator use, including but not limited to televisions, DVD players, digital video camcorders, digital still cameras, audio recording equipment, television and radio feeds, Interactive White Boards (and the associated projectors), and digital media content

   

  Providing all relevant links for parents, students, educators and the community to relevant PED sites.

   

• Upgrading our network and existing servers to centralize, simplify and provide better security for the technology that is serving our schools.
• Upgrading all existing educator and student hardware to the "state-of-the-art" in educational technology,freeing manpower from a constant stream of repairs to work more closely with students and educators. 

Implementation Strategies

• Continuous review, discussion, critique and revision of the current technology expectations of SCS instructional staff
• Self-assessments and ongoing surveys of instructional personnel to measure their levels of technology competence
• Surveys of all stakeholders to assess and measure the status of our technology presence
• Designing and deploying web-based professional development programs to meet the needs of teachers
• Investigating and embedding new tools, strategies and instructional options to enhance the technology competence of instructional personnel
• Actively promoting and instillingthe ISTE standards for students, teachers and administrators
• Continue the working relationship with our Open Light Partnership and Ideal-NM for education, resources and networking

Technology Acquisitions/Funding Resources

• Operational budget and SB-9 Funds
• Federal program support (Title I, Title II – D, Title VIII, IDEA, EETT, etc.)
• E-rate (Priority 2 available again in 2009-2010)
• School Bond Issues
• Education for Technology Fund
• Community partnerships, local and other grants and foundations
• Recycling of end-of-life hardware

Technology Integration

• Innovative Classroom Practices
• More Student “hands-on” technology
• Improved student assignments that include technology applications with real world, authentic contexts
• Internet-based Professional Development
• Enhanced technology communications through email, our web site and blogs
• Implementation a technology mentoring program
• Classroom observation and mentoring by technology specialists
• University classes
• Technology workshops through RETA
• Technology workshops during school-based professional development
• Technology workshops
• Self-designed professional development plans by instructional staff, implemented on a voluntary basis after school hours
• Vendor specific workshops/conferences
• Maintain and upgrade technology infrastructure to support student achievement and staff professional development.

Steps to Increased Accessibility

According to the New Mexico Department of Education, the following chart reflects the performance of Socorro Consolidated Schools:

Chart 1: AYP Report for Socorro Consolidated Schools

Source: NM PED (AYP Status and Designations, 2008-2009)

School Name	AYP Status	NCLB Designation 2008-2009	Title 1?	Availability of Title 1 Services
Midway Elementary	Not Met	PROGRESSING	Yes	SCHOOL-WIDE
Parkview Elementary	Met	PROGRESSING	Yes	TARGETED
R. Sarracino Middle School	Not Met	CA	Yes	SCHOOL-WIDE
San Antonio Elementary	Met	PROGRESSING	Yes	SCHOOL-WIDE
Socorro High School	Not Met	RESTRUCTURING 1	Yes	TARGETED
Zimmerly Elementary School	Not Met	CA	Yes	SCHOOL-WIDE

The demographics of Socorro County provide critical insight to the educational and technological challenges of Socorro Consolidated Schools. Demographics consistently prove that Socorro County is the second poorest county in New Mexico. As demonstrated in Chart 1 (see next page), the median household income in 2004 was nearly 30% below state averages. It is no wonder that 2004 figures show that 23.6% of Socorro County’s inhabitants are living below poverty levels.

The issues of ethnicity and special needs further complicate educational achievement because of the need for higher levels of differentiated instruction. The poverty and isolation of the community complicates recruitment and hiring of experienced, licensed instructional personnel, making the process more difficult. Many Socorro's families are challenged to provide home technology (such as personal computers), and many students rely solely on SCS' for access to technology. Additionally, the availability of high-speed Internet service is extremely limited and often not affordable to the average family.

Chart 2: Demographics for Socorro, NM

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/35/35053.html)

People Quick Facts	Socorro County	New Mexico
Population, 2006 estimate	18,240	1,954,599
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006	0.9%	7.5%
Population, 2000	18,078	1,819,046
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2006	6.5%	7.3%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2006	24.9%	26.0%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2006	12.6%	12.4%
Female persons, percent, 2006	48.8%	50.6%
White persons, percent, 2006 (a)	83.0%	84.6%
Black persons, percent, 2006 (a)	1.0%	2.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2006 (a)	12.0%	9.8%
Asian persons, percent, 2006 (a)	1.9%	1.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2006 (a)	0.1%	0.1%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2006	2.1%	1.6%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2006 (b)	46.9%	44.0%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2006	38.1%	42.8%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over	58.5%	54.4%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000	6.4%	8.2%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000	42.3%	36.5%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000	72.1%	78.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000	19.4%	23.5%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000	3,591	338,430
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000	20.9	21.9
Housing units, 2006	8,263	850,095
Homeownership rate, 2000	71.1%	70.0%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000	8.6%	15.3%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000	$80,900	$108,100
Households, 2000	6,675	677,971
Persons per household, 2000	2.62	2.63
Median household income, 2004	$26,622	$37,838
Per capita money income, 1999	$12,826	$17,261
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004	23.6%	16.7%

These limitations and challenges place an immense burden on Socorro Consolidated Schools as the only source of technology opportunities for many of our students. In order for our students to compete against their peers from New Mexico and across the United States (whether it be for college entrance, scholarships or job opportunities), Socorro is expected to shoulder a burden not uncommon to other impoverished areas of the United States.

Socorro’s students need the same technology as students from wealthier, technology-rich school districts. Bearing in mind that impoverished students have limited access to technology (no access at home, only at school), it is valid to argue that SCS needs broader funding of technology to compensate for gaps and limitations imposed by the poverty of our community. For our students, technology offers an opportunity to escape poverty through the benefits of a college education or the acquisition of 21st-Century skills and competencies valued by employers of high school graduates.

Therefore, the following actions are recommended.

 

1)     In an effort to support the need for restructuring at Socorro High School (SHS), and the Corrective Action at Sarracino Middle School and Zimmerly Elementary School, the following steps are recommended:

 

·         Adding more “hands-on” technology for students

·         Technology-integrated instruction will be promoted and modeled

·         Expansion and increased support of the 21^st Century Vocational Labs at SHS and SMS

·         Expansion of computer labs to include the latest, state-of-the-art technology

·         Maintaining a “triple-boot system” that gives students access to three major operating systems (Windows, Macintosh, Linux)

·         Providing after-school access to computers in computer labs and libraries

·         Recycling older but usable computers into classroom pods for center activities

·         Continued use of results from mandated standardized assessments to drive computer learning modules like Compass, Renaissance Learning or any other short cycle assessments

·         Providing increased access to advanced learning tools like Plato

·         Offering technology-rich extra-curricular activities (Internet radio, school news programming, etc.) generated by students with instructor moderation

·         Development of Advanced Placement and Distance Learning courses through Ideal-NM using the Blackboard Learning Management Systems (LMS)

·         Developing student-based mentoring programs with online components

·         Providing more assistive technology (hardware and software) where needed

 

 

2)     In an effort to help teachers effectively integrate technology into curricula and instruction, the following steps are recommended:

• All the actions previously mentioned under item #2 of “Strategies for improving academic achievement and teacher effectiveness”
• Improved use of computer-based student management systems.
• Encouraging and supporting the use of teacher-generated blogs, wikis, web pages and other web-based options that offer students access to a class syllabus, lesson reviews, test preparation, assignment guidelines, rubrics and opportunities to make up missed classes
• Encouraging teachers to offer students access to web-based instruction that supports classroom learning
• Providing more training to teachers for planning “Generation Yes” lessons
• Observation and guidance designed to improve the differentiation of instruction  

Promotion of Curricula and Strategies that Promote Technology Integration

As previously discussed, the district has a plan that encourages teacher participation in a variety of professional development opportunities with the specific intent of showing teachers how to integrate technology with state-approved standards. Some examples are:

• Webinars through Regional Educational Technology Assistance – these webinars show teachers how to use applications (Moodle, Wikis, Podcasts, Blogs, Google Tools and more) in the classroom. These applications work for both instructional staff (great student engagement tools) and students (using technology to demonstrate learning and understanding).
• Professional development through our Open Light Partnership – this relationship allows us to attend four (4) technology-oriented workshops around the area in addition to scheduling four (4) personalized sessions for our district (at our location).
• Technology Blog –Socorro Tech News (http://socorrotech.wordpress.com) is a blog with weekly articles promoting various articles, strategies and suggestions to help teachers discover opportunities for integrating technology into the curricula.
• Promotion of ISTE standards – we need to consistently remind instructional personnel about the ISTE standards that guide the need for the integrating of technology in the classroom.
• Promotion of ISTE and NMSTE Educator resources (both web-delivered and print), including lesson plans, that promote sound technology integration.
• Utilization of Distance Learning and Blackboard course content through Ideal-NM
• Implementation of ISTE's Classroom Observation Tool (iCOT) by school principals to standardize the assessment of technology integration
• One-on-One Training – the Tech Department employs two licensed teachers who can provide personalized training and classroom assistance to instructional personnel.
• Web Site – our district web site provides additional opportunities to promote the integration of technology into the curricula.
• Success Stories – recognition and rewards for instructional staff and students who have achieved success with technology integration into the curricula promotes broader acceptance.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) recently announced that Congress passed, as part of S. 1492, an update to the Children's Internet Protection Act which requires schools participating in the E-Rate program to educate students regarding appropriate behavior on social networking and chat room sites and about cyber bullying (Sept. 30). ISTE and CoSN have advocated for this approach for many years, and Congress has now ratified that position. Education, not mandatory blocking and filtering, is the best way to protect and prepare America's students.

Both CoSN and ISTE believe that the Internet contains valuable content, collaboration and communication opportunities that can and do materially contribute to a student's academic growth and preparation for the workforce. However, SCS recognizes that students need to learn how to avoid inappropriate content and unwanted contacts from strangers while online. In our view, educating students on how to keep themselves safe while online is the best line of defense because no technological silver bullet has yet been devised that will guarantee that students are effectively protected. Therefore, we embrace wholeheartedly the thoughtful approach that S. 1492 takes, particularly the flexibility that it affords districts on determining how best to educate students about staying safe online.

Professional Development

As discussed throughout this document, our broad relationships with organizations like ISTE, NMSTE, GenYes, RETA and Open Light Partnership provide us with abundant resources either or free or at minimal costs. SCS has invested heavily in professional development days, and we hope to dedicate a larger portion of those sessions to technology.

One of the critical factors in our plan is allowing teachers to identify their professional development needs in the area of technology. This will let instructional staff self-assess their own strengths and weaknesses; they can then design personalized developmental plans (with coaching and guidance) using the broad resources available through SCS. However, we need to remember that some teachers will refuse to integrate at least some, if not all, of the supplied technologies. This remains an ongoing concern of the supporters of educational technology everywhere, not just in Socorro.

We have purchased software that will allow us to create an online series of technology-oriented professional development courses, specifically ones that will meet the most pressing needs of our instructional staff. This will supplement many of the other opportunities available to us from outside resources. 

Broadening the availability of student and teacher technologies is equally important. This will be accomplished by identifying appropriate web-based applications and software, promoting the availability of these tools through email and other sources, and then providing training that includes suggested strategies for implementation.

Technology Type and Costs

At this time, SCS has made considerable progress in some technology areas but is lacking in others. As part of Priority 2 E-Rate funding for 2008-2009, we have been able to achieve a substantial upgrade to our telecommunications systems. Our new Cisco Unity system provides IP phone service complete with voice mail and new phones. This will allow us to better serve the staff, parents and community. We have also completed a substantial re-wiring of many buildings, and we have a fiber optic network connecting most of our sites.

There are, however, a great many needs that still must be addressed:

1. Replacement of outdated hardware – many of administrator, student and teacher computers throughout the district need to be upgraded to our current preferred Apple work stations. We would need approximately 200 new computer setups to become current. The estimate cost would be about $200,000. This will get us back on track

2. Replacement of outdated servers – the equipment at the heart of our district’s network is disjointed and inefficient. We have substantial risks for the loss of data and potential security violations. Equally important is that we are running out of storage space and network speed. Management of our servers and the network is labor intensive at this time. An upgrade to a better server system that includes "Virtualization” would dramatically improve the user experience and protect our data. The estimate cost would be $100,000.

3. The availability of computers in the classroom is extremely limited. The vast majority of classrooms only have a teacher computer, and the opportunity for establishing pods with new computers is extremely costly (see item #4 that follows). While pods are a worthy objective, a more immediate solution would be portable laptop carts. Ideally, we would require sixteen (16) portable carts: one (1) each at Midway and San Antonio, three (3) each at Parkview and Zimmerly, and four (4) each at SHS and SMS. At the estimated cost of $10,000 each, an investment in laptop carts would cost $160,000. The requirement for laptop carts would also include the availability of wireless connections.

4. The next major step is to supply computer pods in every classroom. It is difficult to promote hands-on technology across the curriculum when the only access that students have to computers is in the labs, the libraries or even from a limited number of portable laptop carts. Using a ballpark figure of 120 classrooms district-wide, and using a minimum of four (4) computers as the basis for an acceptable pod, that represents 480 computers at an estimated cost of $480,000. Six (6) computers would be better at an estimated cost of $720,000. Either plan could be implemented over a period of years. This item necessitates improved servers and better network speeds. 

5. Rotation of hardware at end-of-life – the Superintendent’s mandate is that we retire all computers at the end of their sixth year of use. We have not followed this mandate as well as we should have. After this year, assuming that we receive the 200 computers requested in Item 1, we will need to replace about 100 per year (this number includes breakage). The annual cost in 2010 and 2011 will be about $100,000 each year.

6. Our main issue is the need for increased network speeds. The first two locations that need to be improved are Midway Elementary and San Antonio Elementary. They are each about 10 miles from town. Running fiber optic cable would be the best solution, but the cost would be about $5,000 per mile, or $50,000 for each location. Priority 1 E-Rate funding would cover the installation and leasing of radio equipment that would substantially increase the bandwidth to these locations. The estimated cost for installation would be about $50,000 with additional funds for the annual lease/service.

7. We need increased bandwidth from our present DS1 speed. This is necessary, especially at Socorro High School (SHS) and Sarracino Middle School (SMS), to improve the telephone service, Internet service and user experience. The more that we press teachers and students to use the Internet to publish, collaborate and deliver content, the greater the stress will be on our existing service. SCS will likely need at least three (3) additional T1 lines at an annual cost of about $10,000 per year each.

8. An alternative to the T1 lines would be the possibility of connecting to a high-speed connection (DS3) that is being negotiated with a concern in Albuquerque by New Mexico Tech. This will be a faster connection than the T1 lines and will probably be less costly. No estimates are available at this time.

9. In order to encourage more instructor involvement with technology, it would be valuable to assign laptops to teachers who are heavily invested in the integration of technology in their classrooms. This number may only be twenty or so to start with, but the number could grow. A Macintosh laptop costs about $1,500, so the initial investment would be about $30,000.

10. The district currently has no facilities to accommodate the use of cable TV services in the classroom, and the availability of televisions, VCR’s, DVD players and other such equipment is scarce. The cost of equipment is fairly basic but the question becomes one of scope. Should all classrooms be cable-ready? Just the Library/Media Centers?

11.       Staying current with improved and updated software means replacing items on a regular basis. We can surely expect another upgrade to Microsoft Office within the next three years, and the release of another operating system is possible. Additionally, we must be aware that improved educational and productivity software is always being released. We also need to maintain licenses on existing products and maintain certain features (spam filters, content filters and other operational software. These costs can be anticipated at an average of $30,000 per year with the exception of new Microsoft releases.

12.       Maintaining and Replacing Servers for Student Reporting Software – In order to meet the state mandates for STARS reports and other critical information, we will need to upgrade the servers that support these programs. The estimated cost should be approximately $15,000 per year.

13.       Maintaining present technology services – phone maintenance, equipment maintenance, service work and emergency repairs should continue to cost an average of $15,000 per year. This number could increase if the Cisco phones need to be added for new employees or if existing phones require replacement.

14.       Funding on-line and in-house professional development dedicated to specifically to technology integration (approximately $20,000 annually).

15.       Hiring a consultant specifically to handle management of the E-Rate process, freeing up district personnel from the burdensome and complicated task. This is becoming a popular trend among New Mexico school districts. The estimated cost would be $20,000 to $30,000 annually; however, this investment would pay for itself in time savings, increased funding, and the dedication of personnel to improved maintenance and service.

16.       Developing an Internet / low-frequency FM radio station at the high school would allow students to learn all aspects of radio broadcasting and production while providing an invaluable service to the school and community. Besides providing programming by students for students, it would be an invaluable resource for community news, announcements and involvement in education. Specific programming could be developed to serve the different and diverse elements of Socorro. The estimated cost for developing the program (software, hardware and space) would be about $30,000.

Coordination with other resources

As previously discussed, technology funding comes from a variety of sources:

• Operational budget and SB-9 Funds
• Federal program support (Title I, Title II – D, Title VIII, IDEA, EETT, etc.)
• E-rate (Priority 2 available again in 2009-2010)
• School Bond Issues
• Education for Technology Fund
• Community partnerships, local and other grants and foundations
• Recycling of end-of-life hardware

In addition, besides funds directly budgeted to Technology, additional funding can come from several sources:

• Open Light Partnership (for support, grants and professional development)
• Regional Educational Technology Assistance (professional development and networking)
• Free Blackboard Learning Management Systems and low-cost course content from Ideal-NM
• Departmental funding (such as Special Education)
• Individual School Budgets (for specialty software, equipment and professional development)
• Potential support from higher education institutions for dual-credit courses

Innovative Delivery Strategies

Socorro Consolidated Schools will develop and use the following innovative strategies for the delivery of specialized or rigorous courses and curricula through the use of technology:

• Encouraging educator participation in RETA webinars and on-site seminars that train K-12 educators on the use of technology in the classroom
• Deploying the professional development webinars offered by ISTE
• Developing in-house professional development plans to promote technology literacy and educational technology competencies
• Training and professional development involving the use of educational and productivity software in the classroom
• Encouraging teachers to develop their own web presence through the use of free web sites, wikis, blogs, or Moodle sites
• Encouraging the use of online technologies for the posting of assignments and the presentation of student outcomes
• Promoting the use of screen casts (video and/or audio) for classroom and distance-learning instruction by providing training and support
• Purchasing software like Adobe Presenter and Moodle for web-based learning (and providing training and support)
• Encouraging participation in dual-credit courses offered through local higher learning institutions
• Implementing ISTE's Classroom Observation Tool (iCOT) by school principals to standardize the assessment of technology integration
• Expecting participation in on-line advanced placement and distance learning courses offered through Ideal-NM
• Continued use of Plato Learning Systems for remedial course work

Parental Involvement

The relationship between Socorro Consolidated Schools, the parents of students and the community in general has always been critical to the educational process. This partnership is even more critical when it comes to Technology because students are expected to have access to state-of-the-art systems and software. Providing information to the parents and the community in general, as well as receiving feedback, are primary objectives that will help increase parental involvement. This will be accomplished by:

·         Re-designing the district web site that features links to pages specifically for:

o       Parents

o       Community

o       Students

·         Providing parental awareness of our new phone system that includes features like teacher voice mail and a 24-hour attendance line.

·         Making parents aware JMAC’s automatic “letter-writing” feature for unexcused absences

·         Providing parents up-to-the-minute access to student grades through JMAC

·         Providing more news and updates for parents and the community through the web site

·         Promotion of Socorro Tech News to parents and community resources

·         Promotion of student outcomes published to the Internet (or our web site)

·         Incorporation of technology briefs during open house nights at schools

·         Encouraging the creation Technology Awards for teachers

·         Investigating the possibility of a “Technology Awards Night” for students

·         Encouraging and helping teachers to develop their own web presence through the use of free web sites, wikis, blogs, or Moodle site, and making those sites available to parents (including screen casts)

·         Encouraging the use of online technologies for the posting of assignments and making those sites available to parents

·         Promoting email communication between parents and professional staff

Collaboration with Adult Literacy Service Providers

In 2001, Socorro Consolidated Schools (through Federal E-Rate funding and local mill levy bond funds) installed its fiber network connecting all school and administrative sites. The Adult Basic Education (ABE) program at SCS is one of the few that operates within the state of New Mexico. Our ABE program receives resources the same ways our K-12 school sites do. The ABE program is equipped with computerized curriculum delivery systems including Rosetta Stone.

Socorro Consolidated Schools maintains a close relationship with Literacy Volunteers of America, donating obsolete computer equipment which can be refurbished and donated to needy families.

Accountability Measures

Socorro’s plan is driven by high student expectations using national, state and local student performance standards to drive the plan. The intention is clearly to add to this mission and provide the opportunities for students to attain these standards. The “engaged learner model” which the district strives to implement, encompasses a framework that identifies seven variables that, when present in the classroom, indicate that effective teaching and learning are occurring:

• Children are engaged in authentic and multidisciplinary tasks
• Assessments are based on students’ performance of real tasks
• Students participate in interactive modes of instruction
• Students work collaboratively
• Students are grouped heterogeneously
• Teachers are facilitators in learning
• Students learn through exploration and hands-on activity

The engaged learner model expands this framework to eight categories of learning and instruction: vision of learning, tasks, assessment, instruction, learning context, grouping, teacher roles, and student roles. The achievement of our goals will be assessed though the following practices:

• Classroom observations
• Teacher Surveys
• Parent Surveys
• Student Surveys
• Measurement of the use of Web 2.0 should be defined for student outcomes
• Teacher participation in Technology-based professional development
• Requests for new software
• Requests for classroom support

Supporting Resources

• Software and Operating Systems
  • Vista Operating Systems
  • Mac OS-X Operating System
  • Linux Operating System
  • Microsoft Office 2007
  • Adobe Suite
  • Open Source
  • Blackboard Learning Management Systems from Ideal-NM
  • Macintosh productivity software
  • MAP Testing by NWEA
  • JMAC student management systems
  • STARS reporting
  • Compass Learning Odyssey
  • Renaissance Learning Products
  • Plato Learning Systems
  • Various Media Players and Encoders
  • General educational software
  • Teacher-selected applications

• Services
  • Email accounts for teachers
  • Voice mail system for professional staff
  • Internet and computer access for professional staff
  • Internet and computer access for students
  • School Dude building and technology management
  • Memberships and participation in educational technology associations
  • Technology support and training in the classroom
  • Technology News blog

• Professional Development and Educational Support
  • Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA)
  • Open Light Partnership
  • International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
  • New Mexico Society for Technology in Education (NMSTE)
  • Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)
  • Innovative Digital Education and Learning (Ideal-NM)
  • Generation Yes
  • NTeQ – Integrating Technology in the Classroom
  • Program-specific Training (JMAC, Compass, etc.)
  • Personal Planned Development programs
  • Local institutions of higher education
  • New Mexico Public Education Department
  • NCLB standards

• Equipment
  • Cisco Unity phone system
  • Computer Equipment
  • Video and Audio production equipment
  • Fiber optic network
  • In-house servers
  • Contract vendors