Educational Plan for the Future
Urban Elementary School
Hardware City, CT
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Part of Hartford County
13 square miles
Population:
Founded 1850 as a town
Industry and manufacturing
Immigrants
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Title 1 in need of improvement
No Child Left Behind
Under restructuring
Demographics:
10,224 students enrolled
7,854 students eligible for free and reduced lunch
ESL : 44.2%
394 homeless
Mission Statement
to provide a rigorous and relevant, high-quality, researchbased, data-driven education that meets the intellectual,
physical, moral, and social developmental needs of every
child.
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PowerSchool
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iPads
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Learning analytics
DRA testing
Learning tool for special needs students
PC
Game-based learning
 Keyboarding
 Online research
 Communication with parents
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Open Course Ware
Educational materials Freely available from
institutions, organizations, and educators around
the world (Iiyoshi and Kumar, 2008).
Consumption of Multiple Technologies by Young People
Multi-tasking relationship with new technology and
own multiple technological devices (Becta, 2008).
Laptops, Mobile Phones, MP3 players, Game
Consoles, and Mobile Game Players
Parental Encouragement of Children’s Educational Use of Computers
in the Home
Becta, Sept. 2008. Analysis of Emerging Trends Affecting the Use of
Technology in Education Research to Support the Delivery and
Development of Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 2008–
14 Web. 22 Nov. 2012. http://www.becta.org.uk/
Iiyoshi, Toru, and M. S. Vijay. Kumar. Opening up Education: The
Collective Advancement of Education through Open Technology, Open
Content, and Open Knowledge. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2008. Print.
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January 2013, Budget Cuts Go Into Effect
Educational Effects: (NEA, 2012)
If Title I Grants are cut,
Then 1.7 million students lose services and
15,000 educational jobs are lost.
If School Improvement Grants are cut by $44 million,
Then 67,000 students in the neediest schools are hurt.
In Connecticut alone these cuts will affect 20,000
students.
National Education Association (2012). Impact of
Sequestration on Federal Education Programs - State-byState. Retrieved from
www.nea.org
SCANNING
Technique used to identify trends and
inform scenario building
Data:
based
Observational and Research-
Include: Local learners and stakeholder
input.
Identify: Emerging issues and perceived
value of programs.
Faculty and Staff: keep reading,
listening, observing and researching.
Observe indicators of change.
SCENARIO
Different paths that lead to possible
futures.
Advantages:
Two to four scenarios.
Fosters strategic thinking and
learning.
Provides initiatives.
Gives direction.
Framework for shared vision of
education.
Disadvantages:
Finding efficient futurist methodology
Measurement effectiveness
One scenario
Time
1. Scan and Monitor the Environment
2. Analyze Internal and External Assumptions
3. Create Scenarios Around Emerging Issues
4. Develop list of Forecasts with Each Scenario
5. Write Issue Brief
6. Assign Issue Briefs with Scenarios to Program
Champion
7. Assign teams the Annual Responsibility of
Continual Futuring to Inform Planning, Direction,
Funding, Staffing, Partnerships, and Programs
Trend data from 1986 to 2008
 White/Non-Hispanic enrollment down 14%
 Non-White enrollment up 14%
African American show no growth
Hispanic enrollment doubled
 Nineteen of 20 largest schools are now
majority minority. (The majority of those
enrolling are
minorities.)
 Homeschooling
Since 1970 there has been a 7-12% increase
70% of those homeschooled are white
23 % of those homeschooled are non-white
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Chronic Absenteeism: defined as missing 10%
of the school year.
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Connecticut children are:
Truant if they have four unexcused absences in a
month or 10 or more unexcused absences in a year.
Chronic Absenteeism if they have 20 or more
unexcused absences (10% of school days) in one
school year.
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More prevalent among:
High poverty students
 Schools where 50% or more students receive free or
reduced price lunches
 Individuals who qualify for free or reduced priced
lunches
 Students with disabilities
 Schools in cities and towns
 Non-White students, particularly American Indians,
African Americans and Hispanics
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OPPORTUNITIES
1. Increasing attendance will
increase school funding.
2. Decreasing absenteeism will
decrease high school dropouts.
3. Increase in homeschooling
will decrease class sizes and the
cost of education.
4. Develop family-schoolcommunity relationships
through improved
communication and the use of
technology, decreases
absenteeism and increase
attendance.
5. Provide alternative education
initiatives for truants: in-school ,
homeschool and technology.
CHALLENGES
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Changing what going to
school means.
Increasing the number of
non-white homeschooled
students.
Building relationships
with parents who already
mistrust teachers and
schools.
Keeping existing
technology in working
order
Upgrading technology
and training for same.
Track absences and tardies using learning
analytics software.
Change the definition of school to include
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Online learning and
Hybrid learning
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Learn from home on the computer using Open Course
Ware created by the school district teachers.
Include videos, game-based learning, lessons, tutoring,
and supplemental materials.
Quizzes and tests could be given at the school on
specified days.
And Face to face learning.
3. Increase Homeschooling:
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Reduces class sizes
Reduces cost of education
Reduces Absenteeism
4. Begin creating an Open Courseware Database
in the district.
5. Creatye and provide alternative educational
initiatives for chronic truants.
Remember that teaching is not a competition. It is
done through collaboration and teamwork.
If school district would create open education
resource websites, then teachers could create and
share Best practice lesson plans based on the
Common Core State Standards. These steps would
assist parents that home school their children and
students and parents looking for help with
homework. Wouldn’t it be great if an absent student
could access the lessons for the day, videos and
supplemental work and come to school the next day
ready to start without skipping a beat.
Becta, Sept. 2008. Analysis of Emerging Trends Affecting the Use of Technology in Education Research to Support
the Delivery and Development of Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 2008–14 Web. 22 Nov. 2012.
http://www.becta.org.uk/
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(CERC) Economic Research, Marketing Services & Business Development in CT. Retrieved from
http://www.cerc.com/TownProfiles/Customer-Images/newbritain.pdf
Connecticut State Department of Education. (2010). Strategic School Profile 2009-10. Connecticut State Department of
Education - CEDaR. Retrieved from http://sdeportal.ct.gov/Cedar/WEB/ResearchandReports/SSPReports.aspx
Connecticut State Department Of Education. (2011). Connecticut Public School Districts Not Making Adequate
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http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2662&Q=333592
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