Dallas Independent School District Technology Plan Ronald R. Pugh ET8011 May 15, 2011

Purpose Dallas Independent School District has prepared this District Technology Plan to articulate a common vision for technology in the district and identify the strategies that will help use technology to promote student achievement of rigorous curriculum standards and the development of critical thinking skills that are essential for academic and workplace success.

Mission Statement The DISD Department of Technology exists to assist the various educational community members to accomplish the mission of the school district: The Dallas Independent School District, with an unyielding commitment to excellence, will provide an exceptional academic program that recognizes the unique potential of each student and integrates the intellectual, social, cultural and physical aspects of learning. This program will empower each student to become an eager life-long learner committed to academic excellence, integrity, responsible citizenship and service to others.

Vision Statement The mission of the technology department at the Dallas Independent School District is to support the use of current technology as a seamless tool to promote a rigorous curriculum with technology embedded throughout the content areas, support student achievement and enhance life-long learning which extends beyond the traditional boundaries of the learning environment in an effort to produce successful and capable members of an ever-changing society.

Needs Assessment DISD utilizes different methods to assess the current status of instructional technology. One measure is the Texas School Technology and Readiness Assessment (STaR Chart) which is conducted by the district annually. This submission is comprised of Campus STaR Chart data which is an aggregate average of each of the campuses’ Teacher STaR Chart data.

DISD Filtering complies with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) DISD requires all schools and libraries to enforce a policy on Internet Safety and training on acceptable use of the district network filtering system for Internet access is based on pass-through filtering technology Pass-through filtering requires all requests for Web pages to pass through a firewall Internet control point All responses are logged for reporting purposes

Telecommunications Services all students and staff members in the school district have access to the Internet through a direct connection High speed LANs are in place on every campus Voice-over IP connections are in place between campuses

Accessibility Teachers and administrators use technology to make administrative tasks more efficient through the use of electronic gradebook, , student management system, online staff development registration system, online district financial services system, online curriculum documents, e-groups for parents, and the district and campus websites.

Accessibility All students have hands-on experiences with computers through access to computer labs at each campus and some computers in every classroom. Technology is a part of the curriculum and is used as a tool for research, information acquisition, problem solving, and communication.

Goals and Objectives Goal 1: Ensure quality teaching and learning experiences for students, staff, and the community through the use of innovative technology resources.

Goals and Objectives Objective 1.1: Design authentic learning opportunities using technology. Objective 1.2: Promote the process by which individuals and groups increase instructional effectiveness through the use of innovative technology. Objective 1.3: Provide effective support for all stakeholders utilizing technology to enhance teaching and learning.

Goals and Objectives Objective 1.4: Design authentic, ongoing assessment that drives instruction and provides effective and timely feedback. Objective 1.5: Enrich educational opportunities for teachers, students and community members by providing enhanced resources, communication, and adult literacy.

Goals and Objectives Goal 2: Ensure sustained educator preparation and development in the use of technology that is standards-based, meaningful and engaging.

Goals and Objectives Objective 2.1: Enhance professional development opportunities that promote teacher collaboration, leadership opportunities, and training support in best practices. Objective 2.2: Create a collaborative environment that nurtures small, personalized and sustainable learning communities for students and staff.

Goals and Objectives Objective 2.3: Increase the effective use of technology as a tool to design, deliver, and evaluate meaningful and engaging learning experiences for students.

Goals and Objectives Goal 3: Build a strong foundation of leadership, administration and services that support exception teaching and learning through the integration of technology.

Goals and Objectives Objective 3.1: Empower leadership among staff, students, and community to develop a clear vision of integration of technology in all teaching and learning. Objective 3.2: Provide hardware/software necessary to support the learning environment for students.

Goals and Objectives Goal 4: Ensure a progressive, stable and robust infrastructure for technology that supports the educational vision of the Dallas Independent School District.

Goals and Objectives Objective 4.1: Provide a physical support structure that optimizes the use of technology. Objective 4.2: Establish effective policies and procedures for accessibility to district technology.

2010 Educational Technology Plan All the information given is in compliance with the 2010 Educational Technology Plan

References 1.J. Judah (personal communication, May 13, 2011) 2.Suenoir. (14, November 2010). 5 min. Arne Duncan talks about the 2010 National Technology Plan. Retrieved May 14, 2011 from