Promising Practices in Policy Making Michael Morris Chair, Educational Leadership Team (ELT)

I.Policy - What and why?

What is Policy?  Establishes a standard for performance.  Sets clear expectations for students, parents, teachers, and administrators.  Provides a framework for consistent actions regardless of district or school in a region or statewide.

Why is Policy Important?  Federal and state laws set a policy framework for use of technology in schools.  States and school districts are required to have technology plans.

II.Beyond Compliance

Beyond Compliance  To benefit from classroom instruction, students with disabilities need to be able to: 1.Operate a computer; 2.Participate in online discussions; 3.Access all information on a website; 4.Access curricula presented using multimedia.

Beyond Compliance  Technology policy and plans set standards for educational environments where usable, pervasive, and ubiquitous IT resources support teachers, students, and other educational professionals to reach academic goals and objectives.

Beyond Compliance  Kentucky law requires: “that is equivalent to the access provided individuals who are not disabled”.  All school districts to ensure that the information technology it uses will provide students with disabilities with access “that is equivalent to the access provided individuals who are not disabled”.

Beyond Compliance  Kentucky Assistive Technology Services Network (KATS) in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Education developed a multipart strategy to improve awareness, knowledge, policy development and implementation.

Beyond Compliance  Successful Strategies included: 1.Annual Survey of School Districts to:  Gauge awareness,  Identify policy and practice changes; 2.Development of sample language for IT accessibility policies related to:  Procurement and use to be used by individual school districts; 3.Development of web accessibility standards; 4.Implementation of training and technical assistance activities to:  Improve knowledge of the purchase and use of educational technology products that meet accessibility requirements.

Lessons Learned from III. Lessons Learned from Kentucky Experience

Lessons Learned  Power of collaboration at a state and local level.  Importance of leadership at district and state level.  Creation of a team with general and special educators and technology specialists to be charged with review of current plans and policies.

Lessons Learned  Importance of a team at local level to assess: 1.Teacher and student needs; 2.Web access policies; 3.Procurement policy regarding accessible IT; 4.Access policies related to online learning and educational software.

Lessons Learned  Importance of involvement and investment of decision makers to support: 1.Policy development; 2.Training and education for teachers and information technology (IT) specialists; 3.Policy implementation; 4.Allocation of resources; 5.Measurement of change;