Education Consultant: Cyndi Chancery Planning & Set-Up

Outcomes How can we set the foundation for a successful program? Do we have a shared understanding of goals and team expectations? What are our measurable objectives? Do we have a plan for implementation and effective use? How do we prepare our account for users? What tasks lie ahead for data management?

Implementation Management You should have received: Implementation Manager contact information PLATO Support Services access System Requirements Plug-In Test Account URL and login information: LCSD13 PLATO Account ID:

Program Goals Need Targeted Students Success Indicators Student Needs Credit Recovery Credit Accrual Credit Acceleration Supplemental Mainstream Alternative Settings

Product Overview How can the curriculum be implemented? What is the instructional architecture? What are the learning activities? Assessments? How do teachers monitor and support learning? How is final grade calculated?

Product Overview PLATO ® Courses PLATO ® Test Packs with Prescriptions

PLATO ® Courses Online, full-semester curriculum Rigorous alternative to traditional classroom courses Aligned to national standards Exemptive, end-of-unit, and end-of-semester assessments Easy customization to meet local standards and pacing guides

How can I use it? Credit recovery programs targeted to student individual achievement reporting options for time on task and objectives achieved Alternative School Settings homebound students suspensions Mainstream high school classes full semester courses from start to finish includes online and offline activities for all learning needs no wasted time for accelerated learners Other remedial programs summer school

Course Structure Semester-long subject-area courses Topic-level sections (1-4 per Course) Modules contain learning activities Exemptive; determine previous knowledge Assess major objectives covered throughout the term Objective-level lesson Assess topic-level mastery

Webtivities Print-based, paper-and- pencil activities requiring Internet access Supplemental Activities Offline Activities Print-based, self-contained paper-and- pencil activities

Testing Scenarios Assessment options include: a.Unit Pretests b.Mastery Tests c.Unit Posttests d.End-of-Semester Tests Online Testing Marks exemptions and mastery automatically Paper/pencil Testing Teacher records and maintains grades using Answer Keys and workbook

PLATO ® Test Packs with Prescriptions Fixed Benchmark Tests Developed around state or national standards Include two or three comparable tests with the same testing categories Are cumulative Provide insight into student strengths, needs, and progress Point to areas that require remediation

Assessment Options in PLATO Test Packs State-Specific Fixed Benchmark Tests National Cumulative Fixed Benchmark Tests Reports Assessment Reports Instruction Reports

Monitoring Progress and Achievement Instruction Reports Assessment Reports

Grading Scenarios Manual Calculation Calculates final grade based on pre- determined weights. Automated Calculation Calculates final grade based on pre- determined weights.

Roles & Responsibilities Who is responsible for determining and authorizing changes in curriculum? Who is responsible for determining grading policy? Who has the ultimate authority to grant credits to a student? Are teachers credentialed in the subject are they will support? What preparations need to be made before instruction starts?

Roles and Responsibilities Principal and Director(s) This is the leadership team that made the decision to purchase and implement PLATO. These team members are ultimately responsible for communicating program goals, providing implementation resources, and gaining commitment by program staff. Program Coordinator This person is responsible for overall logistical implementation of the program, including professional development, technical management, and instruction. The Program Coordinator may also assume the role of Site Coordinator. Site Coordinator This person is responsible for managing the implementation at the site level. Responsibilities are parallel to those of the Program Coordinator. Technology Director This person is responsible for addressing hardware needs and technology setup for PLATO, including system configuration, and technical management and guidance for participating sites. May also have the role of Systems Administrator, performing account and user management functions.

Roles and Responsibilities TeacherThis person implements the program at a specific site and provides regular guidance to support student learning. The person(s) taking on this role makes instructional decisions for learning path implementation, reviews student placement decisions, and monitors student progress throughout the program. The Lead Teacher(s) assume the roles of the Classroom Instructor described in the pages that follow. Instructional Assistant This person provides additional assistance guiding and supervising student learning during program hours. Refer to the role of Instructional Assistant in the pages that follow.

Program Targets Who will the program serve? How (or why) were targeted students identified? How many students will be enrolled in the program? Are students identifiable prior to the start of term? What core subject areas are needed? What is the average number of courses a student will take? What method for enrolling students will be followed?

Instructional Strategies What are the instructional times? How many Courses can a student take at the same time (e.g., morning period and afternoon period)? On average, how many workstations are in each group setting? How many hours a day will students have time on task? Will changes be made to the curriculum? What are the course requirements? What is the grading criteria?

Timeline Session TitleDate Participants Strategy, Planning & Set Up 2/3/09 2/4/09 Program Coordinator, Administrative Leadership, Lead Teachers, Technology Directors Professional Development: Orientation 2/11/09 2/12/09 2/13/09 Program Coordinator, Lead Teacher, Classroom Instructors, Instructional Assistants 8:30 – 3:30 Professional Development: Integration Program Coordinator, Lead Teacher, Classroom Instructors, Instructional Assistants Monitor & SupportProgram Coordinator, Lead Teacher, Classroom Instructors, Instructional Assistants

Account Overview-PLE Account Login: LCSD13 PLATO Name: Password:

Set-Up Tasks Who will perform these tasks? Batch Enroll Users (beginning of year) Create Users individually (throughout term) Create Classes individually (throughout term) Populate Classes

Naming Conventions How will students be grouped for instruction? How do you want to review reports? What will you use as a consistent naming convention to identify student groups? How will you differentiate between each years classes? (e.g. Teacher, Period, Subject, Year)

Support and Self-ServiceTraining Support Center Administrator Quick Start Guide Tutorials Technical Support