EDUC+8843

Actual names of personnel and school have been removed. Technology Integration Performance Improvement Intervention April Carpenter EDUC 8843/7103: Leading and Managing Educational Technology Dr. Rita Conrad  rita.conrad@waldenu.edu

Walden University February 20, 2012

** Executive Summary **

Clear Creek School Elementary School is in a forward moving position with technological resources. Currently, there is a lack of development for new staff regarding technology processes and usage. As a result, teachers are not maximizing technology usage and integration as they could. The deficiency carries over into lack of integration into curricular areas and lack of technological utilization for the students, increasing the digital divide. The solution that I am advocating for this proposal is to employ a part-time consultant that will guide the growth of the school staff and ensuring that the development efforts stay on course. The intervention adds the National Educational Technology Standards, which will aid the teachers in development, and implementing integrated technology strategies for the students. The intervention will meet the goals of developing the 54% of certified classroom teachers integrating technology on a daily basis and move CCES to the forefront as a technologically integrated school. Teachers that receive a SMART Board package in their classes can now apply the strategies that they have learned creating a more unified team of collaborators. Students will make e-portfolios. Based on the Technology Integration Analysis Survey results, addressing the environmental matters will provide teachers with the means for pushing towards success in their integration efforts. This will provide students the opportunity to increase their performance in reading and math with targeted software, collaborative assignments, and project based learning. The intervention will cost $49,835.34 for this school to implement. The benefits are administrators and staff members will receive training to be developed in the areas of technology. Confidence of the administrators and staff members will roll over to affect the students in their reading, math, science and social studies learning environments. The students will be prepared to show greater gains on the End of Grade Tests.

** Technology Integration Performance Improvement Intervention ** Clear Creek School ** Elementary School ** ** Problem Summary **

Clear Creek School Elementary School is in a forward moving position with technological resources. The school hosts a computer lab with 30 student computers. All classrooms have 3 computers and all 3 - 5 classrooms are equipped with hard mounted SMART Boards. According to the CMS School Improvement Plan Clear Creek 2010-12 (2011), the vision and mission for the school does not include technology as a resource for school improvement. Currently, there is a lack of orientation and evaluation for new staff regarding technology processes and usage. As a result, teachers are not maximizing technology usage and integration as they could. The deficiency carries over into lack of integration into curricular areas and lack of technological utilization for the students, increasing the digital divide.

** Background of Organization ** Clear Creek School, in Charlotte, North Carolina, was founded in 1925 as a 1 room school for black students on "the top of the hill". In 2004, a new school was built and named Clear Creek Elementary School with Mrs. Joan Smith as the principal (Pickens, 2007). The following public relations materials and reports concerning this organization are: (a) CMS Strategic Plan 2014: Teaching Our Way to the Top, (b) CMS School Improvement Plan Report for Clear Creek (c) School Progress Report Clear Creek ES 2009 – 2010, (d) North Carolina School Report Card - Clear Creek ES. Additional information from the staff concerning their technology usage will be useful to plan an appropriate intervention. This information will be collected via observations and surveys. See Appendix A - Technology Integration Analysis Survey. The target time of completion is May 2012 with projected implementation July 2012.

** Stakeholders and Decision-Makers ** The school partnerships are vital to the academic success of the school and community. Included in business partnerships are several local churches, Providence Day School, Robinson Presbyterian Church, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Chick-Fil-A, and Independence High School’s Dream Team. The individuals that will be affected by the plan are 3 administrators, 48 teachers, 15 teacher assistants, and 9 support staff members.

The decision makers on the school leadership team consists of the principal; assistant principal; dean of students; 7 teacher representatives; and 4 parents (CMS School Improvement Plan Clear Creek 2010-12, 2011). The individuals in the organization that make the decisions to implement the plan once it is developed and can provide insights into the proposed intervention for the performance problems are the principal, assistant principal, dean of students, media specialist and the technology associate.

** Performance Gap: Cause Analysis. **

** Actual Performance. ** 46% (20) of all certified teachers integrate technology on a daily basis.

** Desired Performance. ** 100% of all certified teachers will integrate technology daily.

** Performance Gap. ** 54% (23) of certified teachers do not integrate technology on a daily basis.

**Cause Analysis**. Walk through observations and an electronic survey to employees was employed. An analysis of the primary hindering factors revealed systemic challenges that have resulted in lack of information related to expectations, feedback, training aids, and mentorship coaching. The expectations regarding implementation in the classroom have not been clarified for the teachers. Teachers would like to know more on what is considered an effective amount of time that they are integrating and students are utilizing technology. Receiving feedback on those expectations will affirm the teachers on their effectiveness, as they are attempting this unfamiliar tasking. Feedback concerning the teacher’s attempt with technology is an issue. Teachers want to know that their strategy selections are effective usages of technology in the classroom. Teachers would like to receive feedback on the level of rigor required to solidify the instructed concepts. Training aids are not in place to guide a teacher on when and how to integrate technology. Teachers have been to district training classes and received training with online Atomic Learning modules. Atomic Learning is an online Professional Development learning platform that utilizes numerous technological training modules to aid the educator in advancing with 21st Century Learning (Atomic Learning, 2012). Teacher mentors are essential for developing the first year and beyond teachers; however, there are no technology integration mentors. Mentors should be trained in technology integration, enabling a transfer of training to the mentee teacher. An analysis of the secondary hindering factors revealed lack of confidence relating to application of the knowledge and skills previously acquired through Atomic Learning training modules and the district classroom training. Teachers prefer to have a trainer stand in front of them to teach how to use and integrate technology. Simply viewing online modules and a few days in a classroom is not desirable for them.

** Organizational History and Background ** ** Goals. ** The analysis of the school data highlights the focus upon the following outcomes: ** Objectives. **  **History.** Clear CreekElementary School is an urban school in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District. The clientele of the school are the parents and 728 kindergarten through fifth grade students. Approximately 82% of students are economically disadvantaged. According to the CMS School Improvement Plan J. H. Gunn 2010-12 (2011) 71.3 % of the students are at or above grade level in math, 56.4 % of the students are at or above grade level in reading and 54.1 % of the students are at or above grade level in science. As annotated on the North Carolina School Report Card J H Gunn 2010 - 2011 (2011), the school did not make Adequate Yearly Progress.
 * • Increase student performance in reading by 5% as measured by End of Grade (EOG) reading test scores and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) summative assessments by integrating technology as a resource.
 * • Increase student performance in math by 5% as measured by EOG math test scores and CMS summative assessments by integrating technology as a resource.
 * • Increase parent participation by 2% as measured by the number of registered volunteers as compared to data from the previous year utilizing technology (CMS School Improvement Plan Clear Creek 2010-12, 2011).
 * • Differentiate instruction for students experiencing target deficit reading skills
 * • Differentiate math instruction, using Investigations.
 * • Data meetings will be held weekly to implement the data wise improvement process to analyze data and inform instruction (CMS School Improvement Plan Clear Creek2010-12, 2011).

** Mission and Vision. ** The mission and vision of Clear Creekis to prepare students to be 21st century lifelong learners who demonstrate civic consciousness and contribute to the global economy.

** Three Intervention Strategies ** Investing in the technological development of the staff at Clear Creek will yield increases in integrated instructional strategies and motivation for students that are accustomed to using varying forms of technological devices outside of the school environment. Three interventions have been developed to aid in moving the school forward. The low-end intervention is targeted to beginning improvement from within the organization. The cost of the low-end intervention will not exceed $5000.00. The middle-end intervention is designed to provide a greater increase in the understanding and application of integrated technologies in the classroom curriculum. The cost of the middle-end intervention will not exceed $25,000. The high-end intervention is designed to provide additional motivation, through exposure to successful practices that are displayed at the annual International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference. The cost of the high-end intervention will not exceed $50,000.

** Low-end intervention. ** The low-end intervention suggests the school administrators develop a policy for technology usage that is detailed to the point of alignment with the teacher evaluation system. The administrators present the expectations to the staff and provide a Technology Usage Expectations Guidebook for each teacher that includes a Technology Usage Evaluation Checklist developed for usage by evaluators. The Administrators will provide teachers with monthly feedback concerning their technology integration efforts. A Technology Training Guide developed by the technologist is developed to assist new, returning, and substitute staff members in using available technology resources. Selected mentors (6), the media specialist, and the technology specialist receive one day of off-site training in technology integration strategies. This training should prepare the mentors to be the grade level point of contact for ensuring technology integration strategies are being implemented on the grade level and special area teams. The administrators should recognize teachers that receive training from the district classroom training or Atomic Learning Online Technology Training Modules for their accomplishments. These teachers should be required to conduct a training lesson for their grade level team no later than 2 weeks after training completion. This will aid in training transfer to the school.

** Middle-end intervention. ** The middle-end intervention includes the elements addressed in the low-end intervention as well. The middle-end intervention suggests the school administrators receive quarterly staff development off site on leading and facilitating technological advancement for the organization aligned with the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Administrators (NETS-A). Selected mentors (6), the media specialist, and the technology specialist should receive quarterly training 2 - 4 days off site on the emerging technologies and the innovative uses of technology, geared towards improving the achievement levels of the Clear Creek student. This training will be aligned with the ISTE NETS for Teachers (NETS-T). All K-2 classrooms will be provided with hard mounted SMART Boards and laptops to ensure equitable access and opportunities for integration in the classroom. All students should be required to complete and maintain e-portfolios as a required graduation project. All teachers should be required to keep an online e-portfolio with all technology integration strategies and artifacts saved to the Clear Creek server. Technological Professional Development by outside consultants demonstrating various strategies for integration based on the competency levels of the staff should be scheduled. This training should be aligned with teacher workdays and four designated Saturdays.

** High-end intervention. ** The high-end intervention includes the elements addressed in the middle end intervention as well. The high-end intervention suggests the school administrators, selected mentors (6), the media specialist, and the technology specialist will spend 4 days at the ISTE conference to gather strategies on successful technology integration in other school districts. A second technology teacher will be hired to provide onsite teacher technical support in the classroom. All students in grades 4 and 5 will be issued laptops for assignments to complete at home. A technology rich Resource Center will be established to complement the school’s technology rich learning environment. This resource center will be staffed with 10 additional computers and will be accessible for the parents of the students. Classes will be offered by the Resource Center Advisor to aid parents in developing their technology proficiency.

** Justification for Intervention Strategy ** Based on the feedback received from the team members, the middle-end intervention strategy is the one selected for this proposal. The low-end intervention is a start to the school improvement. It brings forth alignment of expectations with the teacher evaluation system. The technology guidebooks will aid the teachers in proceeding with using and maintaining their technological devices. Trainings off site will aid staff members in gaining exposure to best practices in the local area. Although effective, this intervention is limited to benefiting the staff members. The low-end intervention was rejected because it was not sufficient enough to provide performance improvement for the staff and students. It provides knowledge; however, the needed motivation and performance levels cannot be reached.

The middle-end intervention employs a consultant that will be instrumental in guiding the growth of the school staff and ensuring that the development efforts stay on course. This intervention adds knowledge and understanding regarding the NETS-A and NETS-T Standards. Operating with the NETS standards will aid the teachers in development and implementing integrated technology strategies for the students. Providing technology upgrades to all K-2 classrooms will enable the teachers that received training to utilize their knowledge.

The high-end intervention provides motivation for the team that will attend the ISTE Conference. The staff will gather numerous strategies that will aid in the school’s integration efforts and increasing the achievement levels in the core subjects of the school’s vision and mission. A second technology teacher will be beneficial in supporting the teachers with individualized training in the classroom and in staffing the resource center. Providing all 4th and 5th grade students with laptops will be instrumental in closing the digital divide. A limitation of this intervention is the number of parents that may want to use the resource center. Ten computers may not be enough. Issuing laptops to students may present a problem with safety and access. The high-end intervention was rejected because of the cost factor. Sustaining the resource center and the computers necessary to provide parents training, would run above the budgetary limitations.

The middle-end intervention will meet the goals of developing the 54% of certified classroom teachers integrating technology on a daily basis and move Clear Creek to the forefront as a technologically integrated school. Teachers that receive a SMART Board package in their classes can now apply the strategies that they have learned creating a more unified team of collaborators. Students will be guided in making their e-portfolios. Based on the Technology Integration Analysis Survey (Appendix B) results, addressing the environmental matters will provide teachers with the means for pushing towards success in their integration efforts. This will provide students the opportunity to increase their performance in reading and math with targeted software, collaborative assignments, and project based learning.

** The Manager’s Many Roles ** **Project management techniques:** As the project manager for this intervention, my role at the start of the intervention is to establish ground rules with the clients (Januszewski & Molenda, 2008). The consultant and I will collaborate on a plan for the development of the staff using the NETS-A and NETS-T. We will develop a timeline for developing technology guidebooks for the staff and scheduling four off site training events. Additionally, my role is to manage the project and ensure that resources are allocated on an as need basis, productivity is increased and the project will be successful for Clear CreekElementary School (Januszewski & Molenda, 2008). I will coordinate a plan with FSI International to install the technology upgrades to all K2 classrooms.

** Resource management techniques: ** Resources will be tracked in the Microsoft Project Management software system. Resources needed for the intervention include: paper, pencils, pens.
 * • Funding for the number of hours the consultant will work per day, per week.
 * • Funding for the number of hours the hardware installers will work per day.
 * • SMART Boards, laptops, and peripherals for 16 K - 2 classrooms.
 * • A computer lab with 30 computers for training sessions.
 * • Funding for off-site training sessions.
 * • Instructional manuals, copy machine, binding materials, blank CDs for recording,

** Delivery system management techniques: ** The medium for the delivery of the intervention strategy will be through a series of training methods, designed to reach all staff addressing three primary domains - auditory, kinesthetic, and visual processing. The training methods are: ** Information management techniques: ** The information related to this intervention strategy will be stored, accessed, and processed in Microsoft Project 2010. A back up folder will be established on the Clear CreekVirtual Server.
 * • Lecture will be used to introduce, illustrate, review, and summarize the course materials. It will also be utilized to teach principles and theory of technology integration.
 * • Demonstration will be utilized to show the correct steps for using the software and the SMART Board components.
 * • Discussion will be used to share strategies on technology integration best practices and methods of student engagement. Discussion is also used to cause active participation amongst seasoned and unseasoned teachers.
 * • Demonstration – Performance strategies will be employed by the consultant. The four phases in this method are explanation, demonstration, performance, and evaluation. This method allows the consultant to observe and evaluate the teachers as they perform the tasks shortening the amount of time for training.
 * • The consultant will employ coaching for the teachers that need more assistance grasping and applying technological strategies.

** The Manager as Change Agent ** The manager functioning as a change agent in the organization must be one that will openly communicate and guide the change using participative and directive change strategies; however, being balanced proactively and reactively (Rogers, 2003). Interviewing and soliciting feedback from the staff will aid in determining performance gaps. Determining the driving forces and restraining forces in the organization will aid in formulating solutions (Chevalier (2007). The manager must be proactive when taking calculated risks and diagnosing challenges (Rogers, 2003).  Financial and Budget Information. The tentative budget for this project is $50,000.00. A conscious effort will be made to ensure that a quality project is concluded on time and under the designated budget. Supporting documentation concerning resources require d, quantity, cost, personnel affected and courses needed to facilitate the intervention are included in Appendix G.

** Technical Information. ** The technical information for the Technology Guidebooks will be a consolidation of the various department policies and practices for the district and local practices for the school. The HP Mini laptops will be used to connect to the SmartBoards. They will be purchased in bulk from HP through the district purchasing program.

**Project Assessment. **  Level 3 and Level 4 evaluations will be conducted to ensure that training transfer occurs when the employees return to the classroom environment. Performance evaluations will be conducted based on the Hawthorne Effect, the concept that employees perform better when they know they are being observed (Chevalier, 2007). The purpose of the formative evaluation is check the student’s understanding during instruction and adjust lesson plans where needed. Popham defines formative assessment as a “process used by instructors and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students achievement of intended instructional outcomes (2008, p. 5). The project objectives will be evaluated to obtain feedback from the course facilitator to measure what the employee is actually utilizing in the classroom. The employee’s formative evaluation will be administered after training, to access the end product that will be submitted to the Instructional Technology Wiki. The formative evaluation is included in Appendix E. Summative assessments are used to determine the effectiveness of already completed instructional activities (Popham, 2008, p.4). Summative assessments will be sent to the supervisors of the employees to be completed at 120 days after training has been completed. The summative evaluation is included in Appendix F.

** References ** Atomic Learning. (2012). In Atomic learning – Education: professional development, technology integration and software training and support solutions - atomic learning. Retrieved from [] / Chevalier, R. D. (2007). A manager’s guide to improving workplace performance. New York, NY: American Management Association. Chief Information Office - Accountability. (2009). CMS quality review final report - CC Elementary. Retrieved from REMOVED Chief Information Office - Accountability. (2011). CMS school improvement plan 2010-12. Retrieved from REMOVED CMS School Improvement Plan Report for CCES (2011). Retrieved from REMOVED CMS Strategic Plan 2014. (2010). CMS strategic plan 2014: teaching our  way to the top. Retrieved from <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__ http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/LearningZones/Documents/Strategic%20Plan%202014%20document.pdf __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">CC Elementary School. (2010). School progress report 2009-2010 - CC Elementary school. Retrieved from REMOVED <span style="color: #00000d; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Januszewski, A., & Molenda, M. (2008). Educational technology: A definition with commentary. New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Taylor & Frances Group. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">N. C. Report Cards. (2011). North Carolina School Report Card CC 2010 - 2011. Retrieved from <span style="color: #00000d; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pickens, L. (2007). CC History. Personal communication, December 15, 2011 from ABC, CCES School Administrator. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Popham, W. J. (2008). Transformative assessment. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rogers, E.M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations, Fifth Edition. New York: Free Press. <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">School Progress Report CC ES 2009 - 2010 (2009). Retrieved from <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"> REMOVED


 * Appendix A – Technology Integration Analysis Survey Results **
 * Appendix B - Technology Integration Analysis & Recommendations **
 * Appendix C - Technology Integration Analysis Worksheet for Key Personnel **
 * Appendix D: Formative Evaluation Instrument **
 * Appendix E: Summative Evaluation Instrument **
 * Appendix F: Budget **