School Evaluation Summary

District Overview:
All students will graduate from high school having the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to achieve academically, prosper economically and contribute in a diverse global society. The Desert Valley School District is one of the largest school districts in the nation. Some vital information can be found bellow. Furthermore, in order to get students to become ready by exit, students need to be technologically literate. This is not only to get our student prepared academically for higher education but to get them ready for the 21st century work force requirements. This report will cover the maturity benchmarks regarding administrative, curricular, support, connectivity, and innovation elements.

Schools:
The district operates 357 schools: 217 Elementary schools 59 Middle schools 49 High schools 24 Alternative schools 8 Special schools

District Ethnic Demographics:

Hispanic/Latino Caucasian Black/African American Asian Multiracial Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander Native American 137,003 91,448 37,511 20,654 18,597 4,607 1,609 44.0% 29.4% 12.0% 6.6% 6.0% 1.5% 0.5%

District Enrolment:
2012-2013 enrollment 311,429 students 2011-2012 enrollment 308,447 students 2010-2011 enrollment 309,893 students 2009-2010 enrollment 309,476 students 2008-2009 enrollment 311,240 students

Reader Information:
From the fall of 2010 through the winter of 2011 a study was conducted in the Deseret Valley School District in order to better obtain information on schools technology philosophy, practices, and to document challenges. The national Speak Up Survey conducted by Project Tomorrow focused on the opinions and experiences of students, teachers, and school administrators. These groups/participants were surveyed by random samples of schools ranging in elementary, middle, and high school.

Stake holders were asked if they believe that graduating students are ready to thrive in the 21st century higher education or workforce. The results are as concluded bellow. As you can see, zero percent of policy leaders agreed with this statement and less than a third of any group agreed or strongly agreed.

Furthermore, the results bellow indicate that stakeholders indeed strongly agreed that in order for students to succeed in the real world, students need to be proficient with technology. These students should be able to access information, think critically, work collaboratively, and produce quality work while using technology.

The data shown bellow indicate the different technologies available to students in elementary, middle, and high schools across the Desert Valley School District.

The Speak Up survey also noted the top three uses of technology by school level. As you can see, playing educational games was use more frequently compared to completing writing assignments and for accessing information. At an elementary level playing learning games can be a great way to engage student learning, however, it should not be more common than completing writing assignments or conducting research.

Administrative Filter:
Policy: Behavioral: Resources/Infrastructure: Integrated integrated

The use of technology in my school is grade level appropriate and based on the technology available to the teachers. All data analysis, record keeping and required exams are done electronically. The Desert Valley School District has a 5 year technology plan that is district wide. It highlights the importance of technology usage in the classrooms and what are some recommendations to meet the vision of the plan along with action steps to help attain the districts goals.

Planning: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated

integrated

Teachers are required to use technology throughout the week. Daily allocated computer times in the pod, two one hour sessions of computer time in the lab a week, and technology available in the classroom such as lap tops, smart board, audio readers are provided to students. On Fridays, our administration has given the staff a 45 minute window to work on computer based learning projects. Also, all students must use I station daily. I station is a computer based language arts program.

Budget: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure Integrated Integrated

The school has a yearly allocated technology budget that is quite minimal. However, through grants, and federal funding our school has the technology available. Every classroom has a Smart board, Elmo, three desktops, three lap tops, a set of 35 responders, and audio readers. As one can see the technology is there however, the training and accessibility of this technology needs improving.

Administrative Information: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure Integrated Integrated

All teachers are required to have their students take monthly assessments to determine student growth. These assessments are all computer based with results available immediately. Star assessment and Launch Data is all electronic with multiple data views. Furthermore, some data such as I-station and Accelerated Reader must be looked at once a week. Again, this must be done electronically.

Curricular Filter:
Electronic information: Behavioral: Resources/Infrastructure: Integrated Stage Integrated State

My school is highly involved with technology. Administration uses it for communications, and data analysis. Teachers and support staff use it daily in creation of lessons via Curriculum Engine, record keeping, data analysis, communication with other staff and parents, and for curriculum resources. As mentioned above, students also use technologies for various educational purposes. The parents that are computer literate use it for communication with teacher and for checking parent link (program that allows parents to check student grades).

Assessment:

Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure:

Integrated Integrated

All students ranging from K-5th grade are required to take assessments online on a weekly and monthly schedule. These assessments are powered through I-Station, Star, and Launch. After the test, teachers and students are provided with multiple accurate reports on what level the child is at academically, what we can do to keep seeing growth from that child, standards and content the student needs improvement in, there are many other reports that can be generated by these assessment tools that make our school such an effective learning facility.

Curriculum Integration: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated Integrated

My school uses technology to support the curriculum. However, our district has made it very easy to have the curriculum available to us electronically via Curriculum Engine. Training has been in place for this program however, it still lacks teacher involvement throughout the district due to the fact that it is not very user friendly.

Teacher use: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent Intelligent

Teachers use technology on a daily basis to support what is being taught. Administration has made certain programs and assessments a mandatory element of our day to day tasks. Due to the fact that the technology is available to the teachers, our principal has made it very clear that to not use the technologies/devices provided is foolish and puts our students at a disadvantage.

Student use: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated Integrated

As mentioned previously, all students are required to use technology to meet I-station, and assessment requirements. Most students are using the technology to finalize or publish their work. Usually in the

same format, either Microsoft Word, or Power point. However, some teachers are having their students use these devices as an engagement strategy.

Support:
Stakeholder Involvement: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent Emergent

Stakeholders do not participate in the planning process and are rarely updated with implementations used.

Administrative Support Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent Emergent

Administration encourages the implementation of technology devices in the classroom however, no reinforcement, or support offered. Besides a few tests that must be done online, there are no consequences if technology is not used on a regular basis.

Training: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent Emergent

Training for devices such as smart boards have been offered to licensed personal in our district, however, seats are very limited and this professional development is only offered once a year. After gathering opinions from attendees, this PD is only for beginner smart board users. They covered powering on the device, set up, and calibrations.

Technical & Infrastructure Support: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Emergent Emergent

Due the lack of founding and workforce reduction, we are forced to share our IT with another school. Unfortunately, our school receives tech support two days out of the week by one individual. With over 45 teachers and 650 students, teachers are forced to solve issues themselves.

Connectivity:

Local Area Networking: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated Integrated

Administration, staff, and students use the wired and wireless connection on a daily basis. However, to what educational purpose these students are using the connectivity is unknown. Teachers mostly use it for communications, lesson planning, and data analysis.

District Area Networking (WAN) Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated Integrated

The Desert Valley School District provides district wide connectivity via wired and wireless connectivity.

Internet Access: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated Integrated

Internet is accessible throughout the school. Students and teachers use it on a daily basis for computer learning programs, recreational use (free time), and content enrichment, communication, data, and record keeping.

Communication System: Behavioral: Emergent

Resources/Infrastructure:

Emergent

Communications is available through interact (email) and Edmodo (profiles for both student and teacher). Although, the communication devices and portals are there its rare for students, parents and teachers to communicate using anything ells but email or notes.

Innovation Filter:
New Technologies Behavioral: Resources/Infrastructure: Island Island

Being that my school currently has a lot of technology devices; it Is hard to acquire new technologies. However, this year we did purchase new Ipads for our students.

Comprehensive Technologies: Behavioral: Resource/Infrastructure: integrated Integrated

Every classroom in the school is equipped with technologies including, desktops, laptops, elmo (projector), Smart board, Television, and audio readers.

Summary

In conclusion, after performing this survey, I got a better understanding of how my school/district is doing in reference to technology implementation and usage. I would have to rank my school at an integrated stage for various reasons. This school has various technologies in each classroom already in place. Thanks to federal funding and grants, we are lucky to use these devices to better educate our students. Also, connectivity is accessible throughout the district with very limited interruptions making these devices easier to utilize.

Furthermore, our school could use improvement on the regulation of technology usage. As of right now, there are only a few tasks that must be done online but none fall under instruction. Administration should make it mandatory to include some kind of technology device in lessons. Also, we need to have better access to technical support. It makes it very difficult having to resolve tech issues on our own. Luckily, our staff is more than willing to lend a helping hand wherever they can. Finally, because of all the great technology our school has to offer and the teachers that are so eager to learn the technology, Im confident that ranking my school at an integrated stage is highly appropriate. Like many other facilities, there is always room for improvement. Its up to the school and administration to be willing to make those changes in order to set themselves apart from other schools. I feel that my school is more than willing to make some changes. Now, its just up to the district to allocate some more founding to improve our areas of need.