Running head: TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENT PLAN 1

Technology Improvement Plan

Ginger Daniel

Coastal Carolina University

EDIT 760, Section D1

July 10, 2020

Introduction

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has created a set of

standards for education leaders to help guide them in digital learning. These standards provide a

framework to help education leaders “empower teachers and make student learning possible”

(ISTE, 2020). The ISTE standards for education leaders include: 1) Equity and Citizenship

Advocate, 2) Visionary Planner, 3) Empowering Leader, 4) Systems Designer, and 5) Connected

Learner (ISTE, 2020). Each standard has four to five indicators. The Florence 1 Schools School

District (F1S) and Moore Middle School were examined to see how well they followed the

guidelines outlined by the ISTE standards for education leaders. Based on the findings detailed

in the Current Conditions Synthesis Report, there are areas that the district and school can

improved upon to better meet the ISTE standards. This paper will outline the areas of

improvement needed and discuss: solutions, resources needed, training needed, point person to

be assigned, a timeframe for improvement, and how success will be viewed and measured.

Over Arching Issues - Communication

One over-arching issue for the district and school is that of communication. First, based

on indicator 2a, the district needs to improve on developing a shared vision on how technology

will be used. At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, there was some overlap in what the

district and school administrators purchased as computer-based learning for students. Better

communication needs to be addressed to improve adherence to indicator 2c in regards to making

course corrections. Despite cost, the district, schools, and teachers, need to be able to

communicate what programs or software are not effective and be flexible in removing them from

the curriculum.
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Solution

Communication can be improved by developing a shared vision on how technology will

be used. This vision should be presented to all stakeholders and discussed so that everyone is

aware of the goal and the steps to successfully reach it. This could be accomplished through a

video or slideshow presentation and handout or poster to be posted in teacher meeting rooms and

classrooms.

Resources

▪ Superintendent, School Administrators and Technology Department Personnel – to create

detailed vision for the use of technology within the district and schools

▪ Personnel to create video or slideshow presentation

▪ Personnel to present video or slideshow

▪ Personnel to create poster and/or handout

▪ Printer or printing company to create posters and/or handouts

Point Person and Timeframe

The person assigned to be the point person could be one of the school administrators or

someone with a position in the district level technology department. The timeframe would

include time to meet and detail wording of the shared vision and time to create the presentations

and handouts. This could all be done one to two weeks before the start of school. Once all

mediums are created and ready to be presented, the presentation of the shared vision could be

given during the first week teachers and staff return to begin the school year.

Measures of Success

Successful implementation of a shared vision can be measured by a survey to see if all

stakeholders are aware of the vision details and steps that have been outlined to achieve the goal
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of the vision. It can also be determined successful if decisions on curriculum and technology are

based on the details outlined in the shared vision.

Over Arching Issues - Training

The second issue that the school district and school need to focus on improving is in

regards to teacher and staff training. Improvement could be made on Indicator 3b by building

the competency of educators through more training. The district could also improve on

addressing Indicator 3d – “Support educators in using technology to advance learning that meets

the diverse learning, cultural, and social-emotional needs of individual students.” (ISTE, 2020).

F1S could improve in its adherence to Indicator 5b, “Participate regularly in online professional

learning networks to collaboratively learn with and mentor other professionals.” (ISTE, 2020).

Solution

Teachers are not presented with the ISTE Standards directly. The district could improve

upon this by offering a professional development session on the standards and presenting

teachers with a print out of the standards to refer to when designing their lessons and

incorporating technology.

Assistive technology is available for students in the district, but many teachers are not

trained on how to request and use this technology. This could be remedied by offering a training

and reference list of what assistive technology the district has available and how to request the

technology for a student.

Although the district offers training and classes in technology, more training should be

required instead of offered on a voluntary basis. Because of the changing education system and

the use of more and more technology, teachers need to be required to train in systems that they

are expected to use.

Resources

▪ Professional Development Leaders: Assistive Technology Coach, Technology

Department Personnel – create and lead presentations

▪ Personnel to create handouts or electronic documents listing: available assistive

technology, guidelines on how to request assistive technology, ISTE standards

▪ Instructors for teacher/staff training

▪ Technology and space for teacher/staff training

▪ Incentive for teacher/staff training – recertification hours, college level course credit, etc.

Point Person and Timeframe

The persons assigned as the point person would be one of the assistive technology

coaches and the district level technology trainers. The timeframe for creating the presentation

for the ISTE standards and assistive technology guidelines would require no more than two

weeks to develop presentations, handout materials, and schedule presentation times at each

school. The timeframe for teacher training would be ongoing and require development of

courses and actual training time. This would be ongoing throughout the school year and

summer.

Measures of Success

Successful implementation would be determined by teachers using the ISTE

standards when developing learning objects and curriculum using technology. Assistive

technology requests and use would determine success of teachers being aware of and using the

available technologies. Success of teacher training would be determined by enrollment and

successful completion rate of the courses by teachers.

Over Arching Issues - Infrastructure

The third improvement needed is based on Indicator 4b: “Ensure that resources for supporting

the effective use of technology for learning are sufficient and scalable to meet future demand.”

(ISTE, 2020). As eLearning has become a necessity in public school, one problem the district

faces is providing wifi services for students when they are at home. Also, as technology use

continues to be added to the school day, infrastructure to support additional devices and users

will need to be planned for and put into place.

Solution

To support students who do not have wifi at their homes, the district could allocate funds

to purchase hot spots for student use at home. These devices could be checked out to students

just as their Chrome books are checked out to them. To support added technologies and users

within the school building, the technology department would need to continually monitor

infrastructure including bandwidth and storage. These structures would need to be expanded as

more devices and users are added to the network.

Resources

▪ Superintendent and School Board – obtain and allocate funds for the purchase of hot

spots and for the expansion of bandwidth and storage for the network

▪ Personnel (media specialist or technology coach) – check in and out of hot spot devices

▪ Technology Department personnel – monitor and expand network infrastructure

Point Person and Timeframe

As noted in resources, the point person for each need would be different. The

Superintendent and School Board would both be responsible for allocating funds for the

purchase of hot spots and other needed infrastructure. Media specialist and technology coaches

are usually assigned the task of checking in and out technology materials to students. Lastly, the
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head of the technology department would be the point person for monitoring and expanding

bandwidth and storage capabilities of the network. The timeframe for accomplishing these

improvements would be on going throughout the year as student needs arise, money is allocated

or grants are written, and expansion of the network is determined to be necessary.

Measures of Success

Successful implementation would be determined by whether the district is able to

purchase enough hot spots to support student learning at home. This would be measured by the

availability of hot spots for each student who needs one and the successful completion rate of

work assigned at home requiring wifi access. Expansion of the network would be determined

successful if all users are able to access technologies and all technologies are able to run properly

given the infrastructure available.

Over Arching Issues - Funding

Monetary resources are necessary to support all the other over arching issues. Funds

must be allocated for training, consultant fees, and materials. Resources also need to be planned

to support the ongoing growth of educational technology. Technology personnel must be hired,

the network must be improved and expanded, and devices will need to be given maintenance or

be replaced. Since the district is one-to-one, funds must be allocated because devices will

eventually be damaged and need to be replaced over time.

Solution

Funds will need to be requested by the technology department. Allocation is determined

by the Superintendent and must be approved by the School Board. Grants can also be written to

help obtain funding for student resources.

Resources
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▪ Superintendent and School Board – obtain and allocate funds

▪ Personnel – district level or school level personnel to write grants for funding hot spots

for students

▪ School Administration – allocate funds for printing posters/handouts for teachers

▪ Technology Department personnel – monitor and request needed funding for

infrastructure improvement and teacher/staff training

▪ Human Resources and Professional Development Personnel – obtain recertification or

college level course credit for teacher training incentives

Point Person and Timeframe

As noted in resources, the point person for each need would be different. The

Superintendent and School Board would both be responsible for the allocation of funds. School

and district personnel can be used to write grants. School administration would allocate funds

for printouts needed by teachers. The head of the technology department would be the point

person for monitoring need and requesting funds for infrastructure improvement and

teacher/staff trainings. Human Resources and Professional Development Personnel would be in

charge of obtaining recertification or college level course credit for teacher training incentives.

The timeframe for accomplishing these improvements would be on going throughout the year as

student needs arise, money is allocated or grants are written, and expansion of the network is

determined to be necessary.

Measures of Success

Successful implementation would be determined by whether the district is able

fund all necessary improvements through funds allocated by the School Board and by funds

obtained through grant writing.

Conclusion

F1S and Moore Middle School have worked to meet the guidelines established by the

ISTE standards for education leaders. Both the district and the school have met most of the

indicators outlined under each standard. After examination, there are four issues that the district

and school could work to improve the implementation of the ISTE standards. These include:

communication, training, infrastructure and funding.

This paper has detailed each area that needs improvement including: solutions,

resources, point person(s), timeframe, and measures of success. Open communication can help

to create a unified vision for the district and school. Training on the ISTE standards, programs

purchased for student and teacher use, and the district’s learning management system would all

help to improve teacher and student success. Infrastructure is a necessity to support the new

demands of the classroom. Students and teachers are using technology and wifi more and more

each day. It needs to be monitored and expanded when necessary. Lastly, funding is an issue

that touches all aspects of education. Funding must be in place for all the resources, training,

personnel, equipment, etc., that is required to support a technology rich learning environment.
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References

Fegely, A. & Tao, D. (2020). ISTE standards for education leaders – (www.iste.org)

[PowerPoint slides].

https://moodle.coastal.edu/pluginfile.php/660365/mod_book/chapter/53503/Standard%20

2.pptx?time=1591720754328

Fegely, A. & Tao, D. (2020). ISTE standards for education leaders – (www.iste.org)

[PowerPoint slides].

https://moodle.coastal.edu/pluginfile.php/660360/mod_book/chapter/53502/Standard%20

3.pptx

Fegely, A. & Tao, D. (2020). ISTE standards for education leaders – (www.iste.org)

[PowerPoint slides].

https://moodle.coastal.edu/pluginfile.php/660373/mod_book/chapter/53505/Standard%20

4.pptx

Fegely, A. & Tao, D. (2020). ISTE standards for education leaders – (www.iste.org)

[PowerPoint slides].

https://moodle.coastal.edu/pluginfile.php/660369/mod_book/chapter/53504/Standard%20

5.pptx

International Society for Technology in Education. (2020). ISTE standards for education

leaders.

https://www.iste.org/standards/for-education-leaders