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AUSTIN ISD TECHNOLOGY PLAN REVIEW

Technology Plan Review: Austin ISD, TX

Brian Roska

Spring 2013

Submitted to: Professor Elisabeth Silver

2/24/2013

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Table of Contents

Austin ISD, TX Technology Plan ................................................................................................... 2 Question 1: Vision Statement ......................................................................................................... 3 Question 2: Levels of Proficiency................................................................................................... 3 Question 3: Management Strategies ............................................................................................... 4 Question 4: Inventory System ......................................................................................................... 4 Question 5: Assistive Technologies ................................................................................................ 5 Question 6: Replacement Cycle and Funding ................................................................................. 5 Question 7: Technology Literacy Skills ......................................................................................... 5 Question 8: Impact on Learning ..................................................................................................... 6 Question 9: Implementation Timeframe ......................................................................................... 7 Question 10: Equity ........................................................................................................................ 7 Question 11: Tools to Close the Achievement Gap ........................................................................ 7 Question 12: Recommended Improvements ................................................................................... 7 References: .................................................................................................................................... 10

Austin ISD, TX Technology Plan

Here you will find the link to the Austin ISD technology plan.

http://www.austinisd.org/sites/default/files/dept/technology/docs/aisd_ePlan_2010-2013_complete_plan_yr_13-1.pdf




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Question 1: Vision Statement

What is your district’s vision or mission statement? Five years from now, would a visitor

coming to your school see technology supporting learning and teaching? Would there be an

improvement from today?

When the plan was created the vision for the entire district found in the Strategic Plan stated“AISD will be nationally recognized as an outstanding school district, instilling a passion for

life-long learning in all students” (2012, p. 7). At that time there was no outlined vision for

technology. The first sentence in the body of the AISD plan states “the purpose of this document

is to articulate a vision and road map for Austin ISD Technology” (2010, p.2). It addressed this

concern in Strategy 3.1.3 when the district states it will “develop [an] AISD Strategic Vision for

Technology describing the future of technology integration in AISD, including addressing 508

accessibility standards.” (2010, p. 40). They have since met this objective and have their new

vision posted on the technology department’s website that states “ Every teacher, student, parent

and administrator will have online access to all relevant educational resources from anywhere

at any time” (Austin ISD, n.d.).

The current plan is a four year plan covering 2010 - 2013. According to the plan, the district

seems to be placing a large focus on supporting teaching and learning. Although the plan will

end this year, assuming the same aggressive focus will be placed on teaching and learning in the

next plan, five years from now one could only presume that a visitor would see teaching and

learning supported by a vast amount of technology. These types of learning situations are almost

surely to be a vast improvement on the classroom of today.

Question 2: Levels of ProficiencyHas the district established levels of proficiency in technology by

grade levels? If so, are these proficiencies woven into the academic

curriculum? Are they taught in separate stand-alone technology

lessons/classes?

Austin ISD follows the state standards for technology proficiency:

Specific attention is given to addressing student standards for technology as defined by

the Technology Applications Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), required in

the Texas Education Code, Section 28.002. The Technology Applications TEKS found in19 TAC Chapter 126 describe what students should know and be able to do using

technology. As a part of the enrichment curriculum, these TEKS are to be used as

guidelines for providing instruction. The goal of the Technology Applications TEKS is

for students to gain technology-based knowledge and skills and to apply them to all

curriculum areas at all grade levels. (2010, p. 3)

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The new version of Chapter 126 of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills is relatively new

being placed into implementation with the 2012-2013 school year. Under the provisions of the

new document districts within the state are given “the flexibility to offer technology applications

in a variety of settings” (1998). The current plan calls for teachers to “plan, organize, deliver and

evaluate instruction for all students that incorporates the effective use of technology for teaching

and integrating the Technology Applications TEKS into the curriculum” (2010, p. 7).

Question 3: Management Strategies

What are some of the classroom management strategies that work

with the amount of technology actually available in the classrooms?

The plan addresses classroom management under Objective 4.3 where it states it will “provide

teachers with relevant data, current technology and training, and online access to an array of

classroom resources to improve instruction and classroom management” (2010, p. 53). The plan

does not specifically mention any of those strategies and how they might better serve theteachers in the classroom. Management in a classroom with technology still consists of a teacher

that is prepared and engages students appropriately. The engagement comes from a teacher

knowing how to grab and maintain the attention of students. One possible way that can happen is

through differentiated technology integration. The plan helps teachers utilize different tactics

through Strategy 2.1.1 that tells how the district will “provide differentiated technology

integration professional development for core content teachers based on the AISD Technology

Applications Instructional Planning Guides” (2010, p. 31). While each individual teacher

ultimately defines the culture in his or her classroom, this plan attempts to support what teachers

are already doing.

Question 4: Inventory System

Does the district have an inventory system or does one need to

be developed to track the type and age of hardware?

The district plan does not describe any inventory system that covers technology within the

district. The only discussion of this is where Strategy 4.3.5 states that the district will “maintain a

plan to replace aging infrastructure and computers” (2010, p. 54). Currently, I was unable to find

out if there is a system that is used to complete this job, but with such an expansive district

technology department I can only presume the answer is yes. Technology inventory managementis listed as one of the services provided by the Office of Technology Project Management.

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Question 5: Assistive Technologies

Are assistive technologies available to students with special needs as well as to

other students, such as English language learners, who might benefit from the use

of those devices and software?

A review of this plan shows there is a good amount of focus on providing for learners who needassistive technologies and have accessibility issues due to disabilities. Two objectives, 1.8 and

1.9, specifically provide guidance for these areas. Objective 1.8 states the district will, “utilize

innovative strategies for the delivery of the foundation curriculum to meet the learning needs of

all students” (2010, p. 26) while one strategy used to meet this objective is 1.8.6 that tells how

the district will, “expand programs for the use of handheld devices (iPods) to enhance language

acquisition in English Language Learners and students with disabilities” (2010, p. 28). Objective

1.9 outlines that the district will “ensure accessibility for all students to 508-compliant

technology based instruction and adaptive/assistive devices as needed to provide equally

effective access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities” (2010, p. 29). There are

many strategies that are listed in the plan in order to meet these objectives and the expansive

nature of this section demonstrates the district’s commitment to these types of technologies.

Question 6: Replacement Cycle and Funding

What replacement cycle has been built into the plan? Will adequate funding be set aside

for replacements?

The district plan does not specify a particular cycle that will replace technology, but as stated

above Strategy 4.3.5 provides that the district will “maintain a plan to replace aging

infrastructure and computers” (2010, p. 54). Strategy 4.4.1 also details how the district will

“ensure technology is refreshed and remains supportable” (2010, p. 55). These strategies leave a

loose interpretation of a replacement cycle but do offer the opportunity to gain replacement

technologies at any time without having to wait for a specific time. The funding for replacements

and the plan in general is very good. Each of the objectives listed in the plan have individual

amounts budgeted with yearly amounts listed on pages 60 – 62. The budgeted amount for

objective 4.4 is one fifth of the total budget and is listed as $6,000,000 but the amount budgeted

per year for equipment is listed as $4,694,667. Equipment costs may not just cover replacements

or even classroom technologies at all so while the amount seems adequate, pinpointing the

amount specified for replacement is difficult.

Question 7: Technology Literacy Skills

How does the tech plan address technology proficiencies and information

literacy skills?

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The district has addressed technology proficiencies in Objective 4 which says it will, “develop

strategies to monitor and document progress of technology integration and to monitor and report

student proficiency to state and federal agencies” (2010, p. 21). There will also be technology

plans created and followed at the campus level that outline the teaching and implementation of

the TEKS Technology Applications as well as using an online curriculum called EasyTech.

According to the plan, these student technology proficiencies will be measured in two ways:

An online Technology Literacy Assessment is administered annually in May to all 5th

and 8th grade students. This assessment developed in a partnership with Learning.com

assesses technology proficiency. It is an interactive online assessment that includes

authentic software simulations as well as multiple choice items. Another source of

student data is the student exit survey given to 12th grade students. (2010, p. 4)

Question 8: Impact on Learning

How will the school district know whether implementation of thisplan has made a positive impact on teaching and learning?

The district has given the responsibility of evaluating the plan and its impact on teaching and

learning. The plan does not directly outline measuring teaching and learning, but does list its

evaluative criteria as the following:

-All teachers complete Teacher School Technology and Readiness (STaR) Chart annuallyto assess progress in meeting the goals of the technology plan.

-Campus STaR Charts provide data on campus progress in meeting the goals of the

technology plan.-Additional surveys of the staff conducted yearly in regards to their use of technology in

the classroom and District resources.

-Records of staff member participation in technology training monitored by sign-in sheetsand teacher professional development records.

-Integration of training into the classroom as measured by lesson plans and number andtype of technology and distance learning projects.

-Monitoring and documentation of community access to technology resources, andcampus information on the campus and District web site.

-Yearly inventory of hardware and software.-Technical support records to track progress on infrastructure. (2010, p. 62)

Directly assessing the impact a plan will make on teaching and learning is a daunting task. The

district has outlined many ways in which parts can be assessed, but if the plan is followed and all

objectives are met, there will be a positive impact on teaching and learning.

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task. I believe they have done a very solid job. They have given the district a foundation that will

be used when building and following site based technology plans. It seems that through this plan

they have created a vision and are on their way to following that vision and meeting the

objectives outlined in the plan. Throughout the document it mentions supporting teachers

through technology. Support is good and always welcome at the teacher level, but there could be

more specific examples of how that should occur. There is very little mention of teacher coaches/

mentors or how the teachers will learn to utilize new technologies that will be implemented.

Possibly outlining some of these ideas could make this already comprehensive plan complete.

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References:

Austin Independent School District. (2010, April). Austin ISD technology plan for e-rate year

2013 [PDF]. Retrieved from

http://www.austinisd.org/sites/default/files/dept/technology/docs/aisd_ePlan_2010-

2013_complete_plan_yr_13-1.pdf

Austin Independent School District. (Revised 2012). The power of us: The Austin independent

school district strategic plan 2010 – 2015 [PDF]. Retrieved from

http://www.austinisd.org/sites/default/files/dept/strategic_plan/docs/strategic_plan_2010_

2015_v062012.pdf

Austin Independent School District. (n.d.) Retrieved February 6, 2013 from

http://www.austinisd.org/technology

Texas Administrative Code. (September 26, 2011). Title 19, Part II Chapter 126. Texas essential

knowledge and skills for technology applications. Retrieved February 15, 2013 fromhttp://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter126/index.html




http://www.austinisd.org/sites/default/files/dept/strategic_plan/docs/strategic_plan_2010_2015_v062012.pdf





http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter126/index.html








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