Strategies for Improving Academic Achievement and Teacher Effectiveness
 
 
One of the goals of Title II, Part D of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), is to assist every student in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that every student is technologically literate by the time the student finishes the eighth grade, regardless of the student's race, ethnicity, gender, family income, geographic location, or disability. In most states, educational technology directors have the final responsibility for ensuring that their students meet this goal. SETDA (State Educational Technology Directors Association) is the principal association representing the state directors for educational technology. SETDA's goal is to improve student achievement through technology. Since enactment of No Child Left Behind, SETDA has agreed on common language and definitions to assist states as they comply with the federal guidelines. As part of the technology vision, the Technology Committee voted to adopt the SETDA definition of technological literacy. NCLB and SETDA advocate that students should be technologically literate by the end of grade eight. Access this link for a contextual framework and criteria for recognizing a technologically literate eighth grader. Reaching this goal will mean a renewed committment to equity and access K-12, and the funding to provide it.

Technological literacy is the ability to responsibly use appropriate technology to communicate,
solve problems, and access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information to improve learning
in all subject areas and to acquire lifelong knowledge and skills in the 21st century.
SETDA Toolkit Resources

Research shows that teachers who use technology are more likely to have students who use technology. To increase student use and access, a major focus in MSAD 5 will be teacher training. Title 11D Ed Tch funds requires at least 25% be used for ongoing, sustained, and intensive high-quality professional development. MSAD 5 will attempt to allocate the following percentages for staff development from the total technology budget: 7% in 2006-07, 15% in 2007-08, and 25% in 2008-09.

The prerequisites to effective technology integration are ubiquitous and reliable equity, access and support for technology. Minimum computer specifications, common desktop applications, and equitable distribution of resources will be implemented over the next year. The MLTI one-to-one experience will be the laboratory for observing how technology changes teaching and learning. Effective practices will be documented and duplicated throughout other grade levels.
Goals
Develop a technology curriculum across the district that address the NETS for students.

Develop MSAD 5 Technology Standards K-12; collect research-based, best practice resources linked to MSAD 5 Web site; monitor/evaluate the MLTI for expansion to the high school.

All staff will have access to an email account for communication. Students 7 & 8 have in-district email. Students in 9-12 have email accounts.

Create a student technology support program (Gen Y) aligned to district and state technology standards and goals; students, teachers, secretaries, and adminisrrators will use models, simulations, Internet resources and productivity tools,such as spreadsheets, databases, and presentation software to solve problems and make decisions; service learning will be expanded.

Students produce projects containing a data analysis component using productivity tools; teachers use technology tools to assist in the collection and analysis of data in order to inform instruction/modify instructional strategies to meet student needs.

Provide digital information literacy training, and digital research/evaluation training to all staff/library media personnel.

Create an effective training program, including online knowledge base with resources and tutorials for access by all users.

Increase technology inservices to increase technology integration skills K-12.

Allocate increased funds for teacher training in the area of technology; schedule common staff development time for districtwide teacher training in the area of technology; allocate stipend funding for a technology leader in each of the K-5 buildings.

Provide infrastructure and equipment necessary to support the MLTI; provide a minimum of one networked multimedia computer with print capabilities per classroom.

Provide common desktop applications for all users; provide grade appropriate software.

Create technology minimum proficiency skills survey/needs assessment, skills list, assessment, timeline for compliance for each level of staff.
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