Ridgefield Public Schools 3-year technology plan school year 2015-16

Committee members Annette Farelli Kathleen Payerle Cynthia Reardon Ken Fugowski Darla Ferdinand Mandie Stewart Dawn Mazzola Mike Lennox Edward Valdez Nancy Arcuri Floro Villanueva Nicole Broschard Frank Romano Pete Mastrangelo Jamie Rifkowitz Stavros Nikas Jeff Silberman Steve Lacatena Jennifer Dippold Tim Yang John Coviello Vito Fabiano Kara Doviak Yeri Lopez

Meeting dates June 1 September 29 October 20 November 15 December 1 Committee Plan Approval December 15

Technology Planning Process Clarify the vision for technology Review the 2013 – 2016 plan Identify current and future technology needs Create goals and objectives to address those issues Devise plans for staff and student training and budgeting

Clarify the vision

Vision statement It is our intention that this vision will remain constant over the course of our plan and that it will guide the day-to-day and year-to-year implementation of technology across RPS. Vision Statement Ridgefield Public Schools looks to ensure that technology is progressive, reliable, and available for all students, families, faculty, and staff. The District looks to: Provide learners with ability to access, organize, and evaluate global information Meet the curricular needs of all learners Refine critical thinking, encourage problem solving skills, and foster creativity Provide a medium for expression and communication Collect, assess, and share student data and performance information Improve operations and administrative work Provide skills, responsibilities, and proficiencies that ensure college and career readiness Provide community support and build a stronger, more transparent home-school connection

2013-2016 Plan

Goals of the Past 3-year Plan Goal 1: Students will attain the educational technology and information literacy skills that will assist them in succeeding in the workplace of the 21st century. Goal 2: Educators will attain the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively use educational technology and integrate it into the learning process. This will assist students in achieving the benchmarks within the Core Curriculum Content Standards and Common Core Standards. Goal 3: Students, teachers and administrators will have access to educational technology in all learning environments, including classrooms, media centers, schools, and other educational settings. Goal 4: New Jersey school districts will establish and maintain the technology infrastructure necessary for students successfully participate in PARCC and for educators to access electronic information and to communicate freely via technology.  

Goals Continued Goal 5: Ridgefield School District will be able to establish and maintain the infrastructure necessary for all students, administrators and staff to safely access digital information on demand and to communicate virtually for the VHS partnership. Goal 6: Ridgefield will expand the technology staff in order to better accommodate the growing need of set up, maintenance, and reporting required for our large special education magnet program. It is crucial that the district invests time and training in assistive technologies to enable all of our students to learn in student centered environments and receive individualized, differentiated instruction.   Goal 7: Continue to enhance parent communication through our new student data base, Genesis, with the parent portal capabilities.

Current Needs

Current Needs Increase the availability of technology to staff and students Train all stakeholders in the use of new technologies Develop an evergreen plan to replace and renew existing technology Increase technology personnel to assist with expanding technology tools and network Expand the use of technology to all instructional areas; including ELL, G&T, and special needs Develop universal technology procedures for all staff and students

2016-2019 Technology Plan

Goals for 2016-2019 By June of 2019: Goal 1: RPS staff and students will deliver quarterly parent technology training sessions Goal 2: RPS will achieve 100% participation in using the Genesis Parent Portal Goal 3: RPS will have 100% district staff using Google Classroom as a tool for communication and instruction Goal 4: RPS will achieve 100% WiFi coverage in all school buildings by adding access points  Goal 5: RPS staff and students will have access to technology anytime, anywhere by increasing the number of computer carts and creating an evergreen program for existing technology and equipment

Goals for 2016-2019 cont. By June of 2019: Goal 6: RPS will expand the technology department staff by 4 people, 2 for the classroom and 2 technicians Goal 7: RPS will provide students and teachers with tiered instruction in specific technology hardware, applications, and cloud based software Goal 8: Teachers will demonstrate the use of technology resources to support instructional strategies that address the needs of all students, including special education, ELL, and G&T Goal 9: RPS will enhance student learning and success with technological programs while determining which programs best meet student needs in each content area Goal 10: RPS will provide universal technology procedures to all staff and students

Professional Learning Activities Goal Initial Activities Follow-up Activities (as appropriate) 1,3,5 Provide PD for teacher leaders in each school who will be leading and turn keying the information for colleagues Continue to provide training to teacher leaders as new programs and technologies arrive. 2 Retrain all essential staff assigned to use the Genesis parent portal to provide consistency in data entering. Annual refresher trainings 4 Send technicians and coordinator to trainings in order to remain current on new technologies related to education 5 Training of staff on the use of the Chromebooks and maintenance of the carts Annual cart maintenance and refresher trainings 7 Provide PD for staff on the effective execution of instruction to incorporate and utilize technology resources in a digital age Annual trainings on new technologies and programs 8 Provide PD for all staff in all areas on the use of technology resources to differentiate instruction and individualize education for students. 9 Train teachers in the blended learning classrooms on the technologies being used with students Annual refresher trainings and trainings on new technologies Provide students with training on any blended learning programs that they will be using to drive their personal instruction Annual student trainings in September of each school year 10 Provide staff with annual training during the opening of school on universal technology procedures  

Budgeting Goal Activity Funding Source Amount 4 Increase wireless access for Bergen Blvd. and Shaler Schools over a two year period District – capital reserve $13,000 17/18 school year $6,500 18/19 school year 5 Purchase of additional classroom carts and implementation of an evergreen plan for technology District – building budgets Lease Chromebooks to ensure the technology is infused into future budgeting $1,875 lease of computers $3,575 lease of computers w/ cart 6 Increase technology department staffing District $3,000 additional summer technician 4,5,6 See above Grant funding Explore grant funding to assist in upgrading technology, staffing, and creating an evergreen plan

QUESTIONS

THANK YOU!