TECHNOLOGY PLAN ANALYSIS:
DOVER CITY SCHOOLS
James Graves
VISION AND MISSION
 Vision: Dover City Schools…Addressing Tomorrow’s Challenges
Today
 Mission: Educating all students to their fullest potential to
become productive and responsible citizens through the
coordination of parents, teachers, and community
GOALS
 Implement technology standards in all grade levels
 Revise course of studies to include technology standards
 Integrate technology into curriculum daily in English/Language Arts,
Fine Arts, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and
Technology-specific courses
 Update classroom, computer lab and cart computers
 Purchase chromebooks, chromeboxes, SMART Boards, and iPads
 Hire technology assistant for elementary buildings
 Modify district webpage to provide access points for teachers,
staf f, administrators, parents, and students
 Develop a credit recovery program to allow students to take
online class to fulfill required credits
 Look into staffing, equipment, and software issues
 Further distance learning initiatives through the expansion of
classes
CONNECTION TO
OHIO’S TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS
 Curriculum alignment through curriculum grade level and
department meetings two times per year
 Involvement of all teachers in curriculum alignment process
 Ongoing technology professional development
 ½ day sessions to increase teacher knowledge of standards,
benchmarks, and indicators at each grade level and vertically across
grade levels
 Use of achievement testing data for teachers and
administrators to make data -driven curriculum decisions and
changes
 Arrangement for access to additional hardware for staf f and
students including laptop computers, SMART Boards, iPads,
Chromebooks, and Chromeboxes
 Supply distance learning equipment for classroom use to benefit
students’ abilities to access content and develop technology skills
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
 Monitor curriculum alignment with achievement test data and
item analysis information
 Short-cycle assessments will allow teachers to monitor and adjust
curriculum as needed
 Common planning time, team time, and departmental meetings
for teachers to compare standards and teaching strategies
 Curriculum adjustments made as needed
 Release time to visit exemplary teachers’ classrooms
 Technology progress will be monitored in each building and
through the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP)
 CIP committee will collect, analyze, and make decisions based on data
received from building and district level surveys
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN CONT.
 Curriculum alignment and revision activities scheduled on a
semester basis
 Discussion includes technology curriculum
 Technology -specific professional development and
technology integration training are provided
 Teachers complete evaluation for feedback
 Data is used to plan next session(s)
 District funds and outside grants are provided to attend
technology classes and workshops
COMMUNICATION METHODS
 Monthly technology newsletters
 Offer practical tips to teachers, parents, and students on using
technology effectively and troubleshooting problems
 Email communication
 School email accounts are used to communicate concerns,
suggestions, and problems between students/staff members and
the technology department
 Staf f and administrative meetings
 Technology Coordinator works with the administration team in a
two-way communication method to enhance and maintain effective
technology department
DESIGN OF INFRASTRUCTURE
 Three pairs of fiber loop
1. Data communications—connects all buildings to central server
2. Video conferencing—language courses in middle and high school for
distance learning
3. IP Phone System—Cat5 wiring system
 LAN and wireless internet connections in all buildings
 Microsoft Server system for all buildings
 Google Classroom for Google Mail, Documents, Drive, etc.
 Mapped drives for students and staff
DESIGN OF INFRASTRUCTURE CONT.
 Google Chromebooks, Chromeboxes, Apple iPads, and
SmartBoards in all buildings
 1:3 computer to student ratio
 Transition to 1:1 computer to student ratio by 2017
 OME-RESA ProgressBook
 Includes DASL, CentralAdmin, DataMap, GradeBook, and
SpecialServices
 VLAN troubleshooting system
 Trouble tickets resolved through technology office
 Lightspeed Rocket Internet Filtering Software
 Used for investigations of AUP violations
SUPPORT
 Technology coordinator, two full -time technology assistants, and
one part-time technology assistant
 ESC contract for support of distance learning programs
 Agreements with ITC site (OME -RESA) for ProgressBook, DASL,
EMIS, phone notification system, internet filter, and financial
services
 Trouble ticket help system on district webpage
 Staff submits support request online leading to resolution of problem
 Remote management software to resolve issues and install updates
from the technology office
SUPPORT CONT.
 Technology committee meets twice a year to review technology
needs
 Curriculum drives the selection of all software
 Software requirements drive hardware needs
 Staf f is surveyed once a year to determine needs
 Technology coordinator reviews technology needs with building
principal, curriculum director, and teacher
 District’s five year plan to update all essential equipment
 Evaluate all technology needs and prioritize them each year
 Attendance at eTech Ohio state conference provides PD funds
for advancement of technology department
 Building the Team, Build the Budget, and TATC (Tuscarawas
County) committees meet several times a year
 Evaluate district goals and needs to develop action plan
BUDGET
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Network/Telecommunications Services: $21 ,987
Hardware: $192,400
Student Data Administrative Systems: $18,400
Software: $15,000
Security: $9,200
Technology Staf fing/Support: $191 ,520
Professional Development: $4,751
Consumables: $32,080
Total Budget: $485,338
DOES THE TECHNOLOGY PLAN REFLECT
CURRENT PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES IN THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT?
 Support and Budget sections of the Technology Plan do not
reflect teaching staf f’s belief in the importance of educational
technology professional development
 Minimal provision for district-wide educational technology PD
 Implementation of technology standards and technology
curriculum alignment demonstrations support of providing 21 st
century learning opportunities in the Vision/Mission, Goals, and
Implementation Plan sections
 Transition to 1:1 Learning Initiative in Technology Plan aligns
with teachers’ belief in the value of district -owned technology
STRENGTHS
 Technology department’s support of preparing students for
the 21 st century global workplace in the Vision/Mission,
Goals, Connection to Standards, and Implementation Plan
sections
 Provision of communication between technology
department, administration, teachers, students, parents,
and community through monthly newsletters, email, staf f
meetings, administrative meetings, and community
meetings
 Trouble ticket system accomplished Goals and
Implementation Plan sections to achieve ef ficiency for
troubleshooting educational technology in the Support and
Infrastructure sections
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Need to arrange for necessary training and resources that
enables teachers to use educational technology to
significantly impact student learning through modifying the
Support and Budget sections
 Hire additional technology assistant for elementary buildings
to align Support and Budget sections with Goals and
Implementation Plan sections
 During Building the Team, Build the Budget, and TATC
committee meetings, members must analyze, evaluate, and
revise the present AUP and BYOD policy to enable teachers
and students to ef fectively use technology in the classroom
PLAN OF ACTION
 Recommendation for the improvement of the district's AUP to
include both the monitoring of online activities and education of
students in regards to educational technology (Federal
Communications Commission, 2014)
 Provision of technology professional development that focuses
not only on new instructional skills, but also on teacher beliefs
about instruction to shift towards a teacher -as-facilitator and
learner-centered classroom environment (Sutton, N., 2015)
 Re-evaluation of present BYOD policy to eliminate distractions
that personal technology creates and enable teachers and
students to engage in contemplative computing by mindfully
using information technologies in an educational setting until
the 1:1 Learning Initiative is achieved (Pang, A., 2013)
 Formation of an educational technology task force to implement
a 1:1 Learning Initiative that fosters technological, pedagogical
and organizational innovation by 2017 ( Balanskat et. al, 2013)
REFERENCES
 Federal Communications Commission (2014). Children’s
internet protection act . Retrieved from
https://www.fcc.gov/guides/childrens -internet-protection-act
 Institute for Prospective Technologies Studies. (2013).
Over view and analysis of 1:1 learning initiatives in Europe .
Luxembourg: Balanskat, A., Bannister, D., Hertz, B., Sigillò, E. &
Vuorikari, R. Retrieved from
http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=6199
 Pang, A. (2013). The distraction addiction: Getting the
information you need and the communication you want without
enraging your family, annoying your colleagues, and destroying
your soul. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company
 Sutton, N. (2015). What the research says about 1:1 . Retrieved
from http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/what -research-saysabout-11