2008 Progress Report on Long-Range Plan for Technology

The 2008 Progress Report on the Long-Range plan for technology shows that in the area of Teaching and Learning Texas Public Schools are progressing toward Target Tech according to the Texas STaR Chart. Twenty five percent of all campuses were at the Advanced Level while only 0.9% of campuses were at the Target Level. Trend data would indicate that there has been some improvement in the percentage of schools that are at the Advanced Level while other levels have remained the same of decreased by a small percentage. When analyzing the different focus areas it is revealed that in the area of Patterns of Classroom Use 74% are at the Developing Tech level. This shows that we need to expand on how we are using our technology in the classroom to improve student learning. We must attempt to incorporate technology into the use of higher level thinking skills. In Focus Area IV, Technology Applications; 70% of our campuses are rated at Developing Tech. We need to become more familiar with our TA TEKS and apply these to our teaching in the classroom. Focus area V, Student Mastery of Technology Applications also needs to improve more as we attempt to have a greater number of our students mastering the TA TEKS. I believe that we must attempt to move from more traditional styles of teaching toward more learner centered instructional styles that incorporate technology into our lessons. I know that many teachers find it hard to change the teaching styles that they have been using for years, but if we truly care about the future of our students then we must attempt to provide them with the best education that we can and that includes the up to date use of technology.
In the area of Educator Preparation and Development we see a great need to equip teachers with the tools and skills necessary to prepare our students to be successful in the modern world. We only saw very slight gains in the area of Educator Preparation and Development over the last few years. There needs to be more projects that are done on a regular basis that are technology based. We also need more schools that have consistent access to online resources and materials. More of our educators need to meet SBEC standards and our teachers need to be receiving more technology training through professional development opportunities. The data shows that fewer schools were at the Early Tech level which is a good sign but we must have more schools that are moving from Developing Tech to Advanced Tech.
The area of Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support is vital to the success of the school. We need strong leaders who are able to help integrate technology into our schools. These leaders must be able to not only build a solid infrastructure but sustain it as well. There were a few more schools at the Target Tech level in 2007-2008 than there were in 2006-2007. The largest increase that we saw was at the Advanced Tech level. I believe that we need to have a shared vision concerning technology in our schools and that we need to make sure that our faculty members all understand what that vision is. Our leadership is going to have to be willing to allocate the resources that are necessary for a solid technology infrastructure in our schools. We need to have well aligned technology plans that are understood by everyone and are supported by all stakeholders.
The area of Progress in the Infrastructure for Technology shows that we need to have access to the hardware and software that is needed to support student learning. We must also have access to high-speed internet and informational materials. More campuses achieved Target Tech and Advanced Tech levels in 2007-2008 than they did in 2006-2007. We need to continue to attempt to make gains in the technology that is available to our students and faculty members. Increased access to quality technology will improve student learning. We also need to have the proper tech support to keep our systems running smoothly and available on a consistent basis. If we are going to use technology regularly in our classrooms it needs to be dependable and function properly.