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FRIT 8132: Administration of Technology Resources

Technology Plan Update

Fall 2009


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Introduction

Forsyth County is located just north of Atlanta in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The county educates over 33,600 students.

There are currently 4, 159 staff members with full time employment. The county has 35 schools; 19 elementary schools, 9 middle schools, and 5

high schools. There is also 1 alternative high school and 1 alternative middle school. The county prides itself on being on the cutting edge where

technology is concerned. The educators are constantly reminded that the technology should be used facilitate enrichment opportunities and

enhance student achievement.

Strengths & Weaknesses

The Forsyth County Three±Year Technology Plan is overall a good plan. The areas in which it is lacking are the specifics. The county

could do a better job demonstrating how the technology is actually used within the schools. Additionally, by extending the document to have a

section that shows how the technology can be used, it can help teachers to use the plan and execute quality lessons to help support the goals and

objectives of the Technology Plan as well as their own standards within the classroom. This would help the criteria of Program Integration,

Curriculum Integration, and Standards. I think this document could be so much more powerful if it was a working document. Currently, Forsyth

County Schools has a wonderful website that is user friendly and informative. Staff member, parents, and students utilize the website daily. If the

Technology Plan were an extension of the website that evolved as the technology changed, goals were met, and program integration increased, the

plan would be communicated better and function as a working document that could assist the educators in creating technology enriched learning

opportunities.

Changes & Improvements

I.c Vision for Technology Plan: This area contains the mission and the vision for a three year plan within the county. The vision and the

mission are clearly defined, but this area is lacking a section on broad ± based support, and needs assessment. The names and titles of

the individuals who played a role in creating this document should be cited, as well as the contribution they made. I think this is

important to help provide the document with credibility. I inquired with the head of the technology department who helped to create

the document and she informed me that teachers, administrators, support staff, and even a board member helped to create the plan, but

without asking, it may have been assumed that only the head of technology created it, which would not make it credible for a staff

member who doesn¶t see this person within the buildings.

Currently the Action Plan section is included in Communication and Marketing section. I feel it would be more valuable to the plan to

place it in this section. Additionally, it would be beneficial to place a needs assessment in this area so that the reader can see the

driving force behind the creation of the plan. The existing plan states that ³walk throughs´ were being completed to assess the current

use of technology. A summary of the findings of this data would be needed in order to improve this portion of the plan.

II.c Current Reality: This section does a good job of providing an overview of the technology that is currently available to students and staff

throughout the county. This section is written as a long narrative and needs to be broken down to be more specific. Currently it has

two subtopics of Access to Technology and Technology Use. There needs to be more subtopics such as Facilities, Model Classroom

Configurations, Maintenance/Support, Program Integration, Curriculum Integration, and Standards. By adding these areas, the plan

can be more comprehensive and truly reflect the amount of technology and usage within the classrooms of Forsyth County. It would

be beneficial to the educators for this section to provide a link to additional lesson plans that can be used with the various software
 applications. Through the creation of a web based working document, the standards section could be linked to the ISTE website to

provide current technology standards.

III.c Goals and Benchmarks: This section was created in the form of a table which made it easy to read. The goals and objectives are very

thorough with specific tools for collecting data to be used for evaluation. Additionally, the funding needed is provided a long with the

projected time line for such funding. Although there is no need to add anything additional to this section, I feel this should be a

working document and a section (or link in a web site) should be added so that the stake holders of the county can see the progress that

is being made throughout the three year plan.

IV.cCommunication and Marketing: This section provides a narrative for the Multi Year plan along with the program integration. Through

rearranging the plan, the topics mentioned in this section would actually be incorporated in other sections, and there would be no need

for this area. However, the topic of communication is much needed. As an educator in this county, I was not aware that such a plan

existed; therefore it is a necessity that there is better communication about this plan. I feel in order to make this a working document, it

would be better to have this document be a website that links to various pages instead of a PDF file that is embedded in the overall

Forsyth County website.

V.c Professional Development: This section states that Forsyth Counties Professional Development Plan is an embedded plan in which

professional development days are committed to training so that teachers can then use the training in a realistic setting. Although this

is true, the Technology Plan needs to reflect how this is used to support the program/ curriculum integration plan. As an extension to

the plan, a table could be added that shares in what areas teachers are currently being trained. Through this data, new teachers would
 be aware of areas in which they need additional training. Also, parents would be aware of the technology that will be integrated in the

classrooms.

VI.cAcceptable Use Policy: This section is included in the appendix and could be included in the overall plan. It is very specific and every

faculty member and student is instructed on the Acceptable Use Policy. A better use of this section would be specifically for policies.

The current Technology Plan doesn¶t include a Copyright Plan or Gifts and Disposal Plans. These documents are provided within the

Media Center Policies, but many teachers and students are not aware of the policies as they relate to technology.

The above sections display the current Forsyth County Three Year Technology Plan. Although the plan was approved by the State of

Georgia during the recent IE2 plan, it is important to note that there are several components that are lacking. Several of these have already

been mentioned above, but additionally, the plan is lacking any information on School Pilot Projects or Educational Research and there is no

information concerning the software agreements.

Xutcomes:

By making the improvements to the plan, the document can become a working document that is more specific, and able to be used by the

stake holders of the county. The county has worked very hard to provide the educators, students, and parents with a technology rich learning

environment. The current plan is vague and does not exemplify the facilities or programs that currently exist. The greatest change that could be

made in order to make this into a working document is to actually turn the document into a website that can provide the educator with updated

information and guides to follow to ensure that the technology is being used to the fullest extent.
Opdated Technology Plan

I.c Action Plan

A.c Needs All certified staff members took part in a technology survey to assess the needs of Forsyth County
Assessment Schools in relation to all aspects of technology. The survey can be seen in Appendix A (Johnson, 2004).
Data collected from the survey is available as part of the plan.
The Technology Plan Team conducted surveys and walk throughs in each school within the county to
collect data to help drive the creation of the Technology Plan.
.c Support The Forsyth County Technology Plan was created by a team of professionals. Jill Hobson, the Director
Personnel of Instructional Technology, along with teachers and administrators from various schools throughout the
county, and members of the Board of Education with the supervision of the current Superintendent,
Buster Evans, led the creation of the document.
C.c hission Forsyth County Schools will maximize technology to positively impact student achievement and system
level initiatives. Technology will be utilized by students and adults to produce quality work and to create
an environment where there is excellence in student academic performance and where adults support the
understanding that all work is related to creating a school district that is safe, caring and responsive to
stakeholder needs. The school district will display a belief that technology is imperative to the work of
students and adults and will provide the resources necessary for an effective and efficient operation to
achieve results.
ý.c ]ision —c Improve the teaching and learning processes through technology integration
—c Increase student achievement even as rapid change impacts the system
—c Support differentiation for all students
—c Combine technology integration with curriculum standards
—c Empower teachers to use technology resources to meet student needs
—c Support data driven decisions
—c Recruit, maintain, enhance, and nurture a highly qualified work force
—c Increase community involvement to enhance educational programs
—c Improve internal and external communication
 —c Pursue and effectively incorporate multiple alternate resources
—c Implement new technologies to improve the work of the school district
II.c Current Technology and Standards

A.c Facilities The district currently supports 17,946 Windows based computers. All schools are connected to the wide
area network with a gig Ethernet connection with a 100 MB download and upload bandwidth speed (339
MB aggregate) connection to the Internet. Every high school and middle school has at least one
computer lab with 30 modern computers and every school has access to seven to twelve mobile laptop
labs that consist of ten modern laptop computers and a network printer. Every school also has at least ten
stand alone laptops that can be designated for student checkout. Every school has a wireless network
connection throughout the building. Every teacher has an email account and storage space on the Storage
Area Network.

.c hodel Every classroom in the district has four modern computers connected to the Internet. Each permanent
Classrooms classroom is outfitted with an interactive whiteboard, mounted projector, and sound system.
C.c haintenanc Every school has a building level Instructional Technology Specialist who acts as the local school
e & Support technology coordinator, providing instructional resources to help teachers integrate technology into
instruction, thereby enhancing teaching and learning. They oversee the use of multimedia equipment
such as scanners and digital cameras as well as instructional equipment such as student response systems,
digital microscopes and document cameras; provide technology support for the computers in the school
as well as manage access to software, the Internet and other network resources such as video streaming.
ý.c Program All teachers and administrators are provided equal access to technology and technology services at the
Integration school level. The hardware, software applications, and training are provided equally to every school.
Teachers have access to the student information system, an electronic grade book integrated into the SIS
package, productivity applications and instructional software. Applications have been developed as add-
ons to the student information system which aggregate and disaggregate achievement and at-risk
indicators at the administrative and teacher levels. Teachers are required to post grades to the Internet for
parental access. Teachers also publish homework and class information to their teacher website or
maintain an ANGEL course, which is the learning management system that allows for asynchronous
learning.
Ò.c Curriculum Teachers have a wide variety of software applications to assist in the teaching and learning of students to
Integration increase the creation of engaging lessons that impact student achievement. The Microsoft Office
Professional suite or Open Office is installed on every classroom desktop and teacher laptop. Additional
 district supported software includes Inspiration, Kidspiration, Pixie 2, the Macromedia web design suite,
Google Earth and Sketchup, ActivStudio, Windows Movie Maker and Photostory. Fulltime teachers
have a notebook computer with email and Internet access.
Teachers have access to a wide variety of software and Internet resources, which includes:
—c NetTrekker, a online student friendly search engine where resources are aligned to standard;
—c Safari Montage and United Streaming, video streaming databases that can be searched by
standard, grade level or subject area;
—c uestia, an online database of scanned in books, magazines, journals, newspapers and other
artifacts ± this is available at the high school level;
—c BrainPOP, each concept area contains an animated movie, an interactive quiz, an experiment, a
comic strip, a how-to hands on application, a timeline and a printable Activity Page ± this is
available at the elementary and middle school levels
—c Digital Textbooks, connected to textbook publisher resources that allow for textbooks to be
accessed via the Internet.

Appendix B provides teachers with

F.c Standards In conjunction with the program integration and curriculum integration, Forsyth County Schools will
utilize the National Education Technology Standards
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2
008.htm

III.cŠoals & enchmarks

Forsyth County Schools has a 14 year history of strategic planning in the district. This technology plan
reflects the current strategic plan as approved by the Board of Education.
Šoal #1:
Increase all student achievement while expanding educational opportunities
enchmarks Òvaluation hethod
Ensure a high performing culture Data on Professional learning for all employees, Perception survey data (internal and external
Foster innovative practice Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data, ACT data, SAT data, Criterion referenced test (CRCT)
scores, HSGT scores, EOCT scores, Writing scores, ACCESS scores, GAA scores, AP
enrollment and exams data
Develop core competencies # of extracurricular activities (GA411) and student involvement, Student health survey
Discipline data, HS graduation follow up, Assessment of 21st century skills, Usage of digital
resources, Level of technology use (Engage Me), Student advisement data
Design opportunities for success
Strategies
Maintain the learning management
system
(ANGEL) to provide an infrastructure
for the
instructional framework of our school
system.
Provide digital content (Atomic
Learning,
BrainPOP, ExploreLearning,
netTrekker, Safari Montage and
SoundzAbound) to
support the instructional framework of
our school system.
Maintain the benchmark assessment
system
(Edusoft) to support the balanced
assessment program.
Teachers will successfully complete
the
online learning endorsement offered
within the school district.
Receive a 42% discount through Erate
funding on Telecommunications
services
Receive a 42% discount through Erate
funding on Internet Access.
Receive Internet connectivity via the
GaDOE STATE Network
Focus on professional learning to
support a
1:1 learning environment.
Career credentialing data, Dropout rate, Completion rate, Retention rate, Graduation rate,
Career pathway participation, Participation in dual enrollment, Enrollment in virtual classes,
Forsyth Academy data
Funding Source/Amount Person Responsible
Pending availability of funds, $240,000 annually from Director of Instructional
general operating funds Technology and Associate
Superintendent for Academics
and Accountability
Pending availability of funds, $275,000 from general Dir. of Instr. Tech. & Assoc.
operating funds Super. for Academics &
Accountability
Pending availability of funds, $230,000 from general Dir. of Instr. Tech. & Assoc.
operating funds Super. for Academics &
Accountability
Pending availability of funds, $5000 from Title IIA Director of Instructional
annually Technology and Director of
Professional Learning
Pending availability of funds, $140,000 annually from Chief Technology and
general operating funds Information Officer
Pending availability of funds, $540,000 annually from Chief Technology and
general operating funds Information Officer
State e-Rate Funding Chief Technology and
Information Officer
Pending availability of funds, regular budget - Chief Technology and
$1,001,330 for classroom computer lease annually (3 Information Officer and Director of
year lease) Pending availability of funds, regular budget Educational Technology and
- $1,000,000 for lease of teacher notebooks annually (3 Director of Instructional
year lease) Pending availability of funds, regular budget Technology
- $446,148 for lease of Tech & Career prep, computer
lab, and administrative desktop computers annually (3
year lease)
Šoal #1:
Increase all student achievement while expanding educational opportunities
enchmarks
Ensure a high performing culture
Increase academic rigor for all
Foster innovative practice
Develop core competencies
Design opportunities for success
Strategies
Implement UMPCs for each school
Utilize data analysis tools with
academic, attendance, and effective
data is available to all stakeholders and
data is updated within 2 weeks of
receipt.
Šoal #2: Recruit, develop and retain a highly qualified workforce.
enchmarks
Create and maintain an atmosphere of
respect among stakeholders.
Foster a culture of opportunity
Build system capacity to support
schools
Provide progressive and relevant
professional development
Òvaluation hethod
Data on Professional learning for all employees, Perception survey data (internal and external)
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data, ACT data, SAT data, Criterion referenced test (CRCT)
scores, HSGT scores, EOCT scores, Writing scores, ACCESS scores, GAA scores, AP
enrollment and exams data
Facilities and technology usage, Staff utilization data, Master schedule data, Budget/financial
data, IE2 annual report data, # of opportunities to recognize and communicate innovative
practices
# of extracurricular activities (GA411) and student involvement, Student health survey
Discipline data, HS graduation follow up, Assessment of 21st century skills, Usage of digital
resources, Level of technology use (Engage Me), Student advisement data
Career credentialing data, Drop out rate, Completion rate, Retention rate, Graduation rate,
Career pathway participation, Participation in dual enrollment, Enrollment in virtual classes,
Forsyth Academy data
Funding Source/Amount Person Responsible
Pending BOE approval and costs at the time of Director of Educational
purchase, SPLOST 2005 funds Technology
Pending availability of funds, regular budget - $25,000 Director of Information Systems
annually
Òvaluation hethod
# of recognitions for system employees at building, departmental, system and community
levels; Perception survey data (internal and external); Staff exit survey data; Analysis of
competitive benefits, salaries and work conditions
# of certified staff participating in preparation opportunities; Leadership Academy; # of
classified staff participating in staff development opportunities
% surveyed favorable on measures of self-efficacy; % H; % of teachers and staff retained;
Review of equitable system-wide distribution of effective teachers
% of new employees provided induction support; # of certified and classified staff completing
training programs and/or adding licenses; Rate of effectiveness of professional learning

Continue to build upon leadership
development and support
Strategies
Teachers will successfully complete
the online learning endorsement
offered within the school district.
Maintain public web site through easy
to use content management system
(Schoolwires).
Maintain the learning management
system (ANGEL) to provide an
infrastructure for the instructional
framework of our school system.
Maintain the benchmark assessment
system (Edusoft) to support the
balanced assessment program.
Maintain high quality technical
maintenance of school system's public
web site
Recruit and retain the highest quality
instructional technology specialists
through systemic mentoring (over 70%
of current ITS have less than 5 years
experience in the role)
Provide ongoing professional learning
in order to build capacity for
transformational uses of instructional
technology (ANGEL, Interactive
Whiteboards, STARS)
Šoal #3: Enhance educational programs through increased community involvement.
enchmarks
Provide and increase opportunities for Community service participation data
delivery models and programs
% of leaders provided induction support; # of participants enrolled in multi-tier Leadership
Academy; # of staff completing training for next level of responsibility
Funding Source/Amount Person Responsible
Pending availability of funds, $5000 from Director of Instructional
Title IIA annually Technology and
Director of Professional Learning
Pending availability of funds, $53,000 annually from Director of Instructional
general operating funds Technology
Pending availability of funds, $240,000 annually from Director of Instructional
general operating funds Technology and
Associate Superintendent for
Academics and
Accountability
Pending availability of funds, $230,000 from Dir. of Instr. Tech. & Assoc.
general operating funds Super. for
Academics & Accountability
Pending availability of funds, $17,000 from Director of Instructional
general operating funds Technology
Pending availability of funds, $20,300 from Director of Instructional
general operating funds Technology
Pending availability of funds, $60,000 from Director of Instructional
general operating funds Technology
Òvaluation hethod
students, staff, schools and district to
serve the external community
Educate and engage the community to
work in tandem with FCS
Communicate and recognize the
quality of involvement
Strategies
Maintain public web site through easy
to use content management system
(Schoolwires).
Maintain high quality technical
maintenance of school system's public
web site
Šoal #4: Communicate effectively both internally and externally.
enchmarks
Develop, maintain and enhance
collaboration and relationships with
stakeholders
Improve internal communication
Use district technology to engage and
educate students, staff, parents and
community
Make decision-making throughout the
district more transparent
Strategies
Maintain public web site through easy
to use content management system
(Schoolwires).
Maintain the learning management
system
(ANGEL) to provide an infrastructure
Mentor and volunteer data; # of collaboration with colleges and universities; # of
meetings/initiatives with local, state and federal officials; Partners in Education data (see goal
#5); LSC and PTA/O involvement data; Workforce development data
# of community involvement opportunities communicated; FC Educational Foundation data;
Perception survey data (internal and external); Recognition data; Results of initiatives
Funding Source/Amount Person Responsible
Pending availability of funds, $53,000 annually from Director of Instructional
general operating funds Technology
Pending availability of funds, $17,000 from general Director of Instructional
operating funds Technology
Òvaluation hethod
Perception survey data (internal and external); Community involvement data (see goal #3);
eBoard strategic plan module usage; # of community partnerships (see goal #5); # of
meetings/initiatives with local, state and federal officials; # of student transfers to home/private
school; Communications audit data
Perception survey data; Staff retention rate; Process audit
Perception survey data; User engagement data; eBoard strategic plan module; usage eBoard
BOE meeting module usage; % of usage and customer satisfaction of electronic
communication
Perception survey data; eBoard BOE meeting module usage; decision making audit (BOE and
administrative levels)
Funding Source/Amount Person Responsible
Pending availability of funds, $53,000 annually from Director of Instructional
general operating funds Technology
Pending availability of funds, $240,000 annually from Director of Instructional
general operating funds Technology and Associate
Superintendent for Academics and
for the Accountability
instructional framework of our school
system.

Provide digital content (Atomic Pending availability of funds, $275,000 from general Dir. of Instr. Tech. & Assoc.
Learning, BrainPOP, operating funds Super. For Academics &
ExploreLearning, netTrekker, Safari Accountability
Montage and SoundzAbound) to
support the instructional framework of
our school system.

Maintain the benchmark assessment Pending availability of funds, $230,000 from Dir. of Instr. Tech. & Assoc.
system general operating funds Super. for
(Edusoft) to support the balanced Academics & Accountability
assessment program.

Use TRIM to digitally store all student Pending availability of funds, regular budget - Director of Information Systems
records. $25,000

Šoal #5: Pursue and secure alternate funding and resources while maximizing operational efficiency.
enchmarks Òvaluation hethod
Pursue additional funding # of applications submitted; % of grant resources compared to total budget; # of additional funding
from all applicable sources. sources obtained; # of partnership with local municipalities

Increase receipt of resources # of business partnerships; % of overall growth of business and private partnerships
through private partnerships
with the business community
and other stakeholders.
Pursue and successfully Contract approved by state BOE; % of flexibility options exercised
implement district flexibility
through the IE2 academic
contract with the Georgia
Department of Education.
Maximize operational KW hrs consumed by school; % of facility inspection reports meeting standards; % of work orders which
efficiency in all areas of the took over 10 days to complete; construction cost per square foot; % of projects completed within budget;
system. % of projects completed on time; Average life cycle of fleet

Strategies Funding Source/Amount Person Responsible

Hire additional Technical Pending Budget Approval, Regular Budget Chief Technology and Information
Support Specialists $864,000 Officer and
 to free up ITS for more Chief Human Resources Officer
direct instructional support.
Maintain public web site Pending availability of funds, $53,000 annually from general Director of Instructional
through easy to use content operating funds Technology
management system
(Schoolwires).
Maintain the learning Pending availability of funds, $240,000 annually from general Director of Instructional
management system operating funds Technology and Associate
(ANGEL) to provide an Superintendent for Academics and
infrastructure for the Accountability
instructional framework of
our school system.
Provide digital content Pending availability of funds, $275,000 from Dir. of Instr. Tech. & Assoc.
(Atomic Learning, general operating funds Super. for
BrainPOP, ExploreLearning, Academics & Accountability
netTrekker, Safari Montage
and SoundzAbound) to
support the instructional
framework of our school
system.
Maintain the benchmark Pending availability of funds, $230,000 from Dir. of Instr. Tech. & Assoc.
assessment system general operating funds Super. for
(Edusoft) to support the Academics & Accountability
balanced assessment
program.
I].cProfessional ýevelopment

Forsyth County Schools adheres to a job-embedded approach for high quality professional learning,
implemented on district-wide Early Release Days, to help standards-based practices become a reality in
all Forsyth County classrooms.

The Forsyth County Schools Board of Education has adopted the National Staff Development Council's
standards for Professional Learning.
Schools submit a professional learning plan each year aligned to their school improvement goals and
these plans are reviewed by Curriculum, Title 1, Professional Learning, Technology, Special Education
and ESOL personnel to ensure fit with district as well as school goals. View the 2007-2008 plans at
http://tinyurl.com/fcss-pl.

Additionally, Technology based staff development is offered throughout the year.

—c 2008 ± 2009 school year offered ACTIV studio training through webinars
 —c 2009-2010 school year offers ANGEL training through Webinars.

].c Policies
A.c Appropriat Policy Level: ýescriptor Code: Rescinds Code
e Ose oard Policy IFŠA
Policies July 1998

ýescriptor Term: Òffective ýate:

Acceptable Ose of Forsyth August 2001
County Schools
Computers and Network
Resources

It is the belief of the Forsyth County Board of Education that the use of technology for the purpose of information acquisition, retrieval,
manipulation, distribution and storage is an important part of preparing children to live in the 21st century. The Board further believes
that a ³technology rich´ classroom can significantly enhance both the teaching and learning process. This technology includes computer
hardware, software, local and wide area networks and access to the Internet. Due to the complex nature of these systems and the
magnitude of information available via the Internet, the Forsyth County Board of Education believes guidelines regarding acceptable use
are warranted in order to serve the educational needs of students.

It shall be the policy of the Forsyth County Board of Education that the school system shall have in continuous operation, with respect to
any computers belonging to the school having access to the Internet:
1. A qualifying ³technology protection measure,´ as that term is defined in Section 1703(b)(1) of the
Children¶s Internet Protection Act of 2000; and
2. Procedures or guidelines developed by the superintendent, administrators and/or other appropriate personnel which provide for
monitoring the online activities of users and the use of the chosen technology protection measure to protect against access through such
computers to visual depictions that are (i) obscene, (ii) child pornography, or (iii) harmful to minors, as those terms are defined in Section
1703(b)(1) and (2) of the Children¶s Internet Protection Act of 2000. Such procedures or guidelines shall be designed to:
Provide for monitoring the online activities of users to prevent, to the extent practicable, access by
minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet and the World Wide Web;
Promote the safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms
of direct electronic communications;
Prevent unauthorized access, including so-called ³hacking,´ and other unauthorized activities by
minors online;
Prevent the unauthorized disclosure, use and dissemination of personal identification information
regarding minors; and
Restrict minors¶ access to materials ³harmful to minors,´ as that term is defined in Section 1703(b)
(2) of the Children¶s Internet Protection Act of 2000.

Policy Level: ýescriptor Code: Rescinds Code

oard Policy IFŠA
July 1998
 ýescriptor Term: Òffective ýate:
Acceptable Ose of Forsyth County Schools August 2001
Computers and Network Resources

The district¶s technology resources are provided for educational purposes that promote and are consistent with the instructional goals of
the Forsyth County School System. Use of computers and network resources outside the scope of this educational purpose is strictly
prohibited. Students and employees accessing network services or any school computer shall comply with the district¶s acceptable use
guidelines. The district reserves the right to monitor, access, and disclose the contents of any user¶s files, activities, or communications.

It must also be understood that the Internet is a global, fluid community, which remains largely unregulated. While it is an extremely
valuable tool for educational research, there are sections that are not commensurate with community, school, or family standards. It is the
belief of the Board that the Internet¶s advantages far outweigh its disadvantages. The Forsyth County Board of Education will, through its
administrative staff, provide an Internet screening system which blocks access to a large percentage of inappropriate sites. It should not
be assumed, however, that users are completely prevented from accessing inappropriate materials or from sending or receiving
objectionable communications.

Additionally, access to the Internet and computer resources is a privilege, not a right. Therefore, users violating the Forsyth County
Board of Education¶s acceptable use policy shall be subject to revocation of these privileges and potential disciplinary action.

Forsyth County Please read the following carefully. Violations of the Acceptable Use Guidelines may cause a student¶s
Schools access privileges to be revoked, disciplinary action and/or appropriate legal action may be taken.
Student Acceptable
Ose Šuidelines
Any student who utilizes the computer lab(s) or any computer equipment at the school must be aware of
certain policies for use of the equipment and/or facilities. Procedures are in place for the protection
of students and equipment. Students will be held accountable for any violation of the following policies
(as would be the case for any classroom disciplinary matter). A student and his/her parents will be
responsible for damages and will be liable for costs incurred for service or repair.

Students are only allowed to utilize the computers and network to retrieve information and run specific
software applications as directed by their teacher. Students are not permitted to explore the configuration
of the computer, operating system or network, run programs not on the menu, or attempt to do anything
they are not specifically authorized to do.

Students are responsible for ensuring that any computers or computing devices, diskettes, CDs, memory
sticks, USB flash drives, or other forms of storage media that they bring in from outside the school are
virus free and do not contain any unauthorized or inappropriate files. Students may not bring personal
computers or hand-held computing devices and connect them to the school network or Internet
connection (including connecting to wireless access points).
Safety Issues:
1. Any on-line communication should always be at the direction and with the supervision of a teacher.
2. Never provide last name, address, telephone number, or school name online.
3. Never respond to, and always report to the teacher or parent, any messages that make you feel
uncomfortable or that are from an unknown origin.
4. Never send a photo of yourself or anyone else.
5. Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone you met on-line.
6. Never open attachments or files from unknown senders.
7. Always report to a teacher any inappropriate sites that you observe being accessed by another user or
that you browse to accidentally.
Examples of prohibited conduct include but are not limited to the following:
A. Accessing, sending, creating or posting materials or communications that are:
1. Damaging to another person¶s reputation,
2. Abusive,
3. Obscene,
4. Sexually oriented,
5. Threatening or demeaning to another person,
6. Contrary to the school¶s policy on harassment,
7. Harassing, or
8. Illegal
B. Using the network for financial gain or advertising.
C. Posting or plagiarizing work created by another person without their consent.
D. Posting anonymous or forging electronic mail messages.
E. Attempting to read, alter, delete, or copy the electronic mail messages of other system users.
F. Giving out personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, driver¶s license or social security
numbers, bankcard or checking account information.
G. Using the school¶s computer hardware or network for any illegal activity such as copying or
downloading copyrighted software, music or images, or violation of copyright laws.
H. Downloading, installing, or using games, music files, public domain, shareware or any other
unauthorized program on any school¶s computer or computer system.
I. Purposely bringing on premises or infecting any school computer or network with a Virus, Trojan, or
program designed to damage, alter, destroy or provide access to unauthorized data or information.
J. Gaining access or attempting to access unauthorized or restricted network resources or the data and
documents of another person.
K. Using or attempting to use the password or account of another person or utilizing a computer while
logged on under another user¶s account.
L. Using the school¶s computers or network while access privileges have been suspended.
M. Using the school¶s computer hardware, network, or Internet link in a manner that is inconsistent with
a teacher¶s directions and generally accepted network etiquette.
N. Altering or attempting to alter the configuration of a computer, network electronics, the operating
system, or any of the software.
O. Attempting to vandalize, disconnect or disassemble any network or computer component.
P. Utilizing the computers and network to retrieve information or run software applications not assigned
by their teacher or inconsistent with school policy.
. Providing another student with user account information or passwords.
R. Connecting to or installing any computer hardware, components, or software which are not school
system property to or in the district¶s technology resources without prior approval of the district
technology supervisory personnel. Students are permitted to connect to the district network via the secure
wireless connection provided by the school system, but all access must be in accordance with this
Acceptable Use Policy. Students are NOT permitted to use their own computing devices to access the
Internet via personal Wi-Fi accounts or by any manner other than connecting through the secure wireless
connection provided by the school system.
S. Bringing on premises any computer, disk or storage device that contains a software application or
utility that could be used to alter the configuration of the operating system or network equipment, scan or
probe the network, or provide access to unauthorized areas or data.
T. Downloading or accessing via e-mail or file sharing, any software or programs not specifically
authorized by Technology personnel.
U. Bypassing or attempting to circumvent network security, virus protection, network filtering, or
policies.
V. Possessing or accessing information on school property related to ³Hacking´, or altering, or bypassing
network security or policies.
W. Participating on message boards without teacher direction, or in live chat using but not limited to
AIM, Yahoo, or MSN Messenger.
X. Students should follow the guidelines below when performing Internet searches.
Òlementary:
Students in grades K-5 may visit sites pre-selected by a teacher. Searches may only be done with
 Nettrekker (http://school.nettrekker.com) and must be done with teacher supervision.
hiddle:
Students in grades 6-8 may only perform unsupervised Internet searches using Nettrekker
(http://school.nettrekker.com). A search using any other search engine must be conducted with teacher
supervision.
High:
If students in grades 9-12 use any search engines other than a child-friendly search engine, they must use
the advanced search page of internet search engines in order to develop more reliable, useful, and
relevant search results.
Òmployee Please read the following carefully. Violations of the Acceptable Use Guidelines may cause an
Acceptable Ose employee's access privileges to be revoked, School Board disciplinary action and/or appropriate legal
Šuidelines:
action may be taken, up to and including employment termination.
Additional items that employees need to be aware of:
A. Staff must be aware that students have access to the Internet from all of the school system's
computers. Teachers must use good judgment and closely supervise their student's use of the Internet.
The School System uses filtering software to help prevent student access to inappropriate web sites.
However, it is impossible to block access to all objectionable material. If a student decides to behave in
an irresponsible manner, they may be able to access sites that contain materials that are inappropriate for
children or are not commensurate with community standards of decency. They should not be permitted to
access sites unrelated to their assignment and should not be allowed to access game or other sites that
could infect the computer with ³Spyware´.
B. Teachers should follow the guidelines below when allowing or directing students to do Internet
searches.
Elementary:
Students in grades K-5 may visit sites pre-selected by a teacher. Searches may only be done with child-
friendly Internet search engines (see for examples) and must be done with teacher supervision.
Middle:
Students in grades 6-8 may only perform unsupervised Internet searches using child-friendly search
engines (see for examples). A search using any other search engine must be conducted with teacher
supervision.
High:
If students in grades 9-12 use any search engines other than a child-friendly search engine, they must use
the advanced search page of internet search engines in order to develop more reliable, useful, and
relevant search results (see for examples).
C. Any individual who is issued a password is required to keep it private and is not permitted to share it
with anyone for any reason.
D. Never allow a student to log in with a staff member's user name and password. They will tell their
friends what the password is and they will log in under the teacher name and look at private documents
including e-mail and grades.
E. Be careful when entering your user name and password or changing your password. Students will try
to look over your shoulder and steal this information.
F. Never allow a student to use a computer unless they are logged on under their own name (K-2 students
may use a generic ³classroom account´ created by the school ITS).
G. Enforce the Acceptable Use Guidelines while supervising students. For example, students should not
have access to a DOS prompt or other software applications not accessible through the student menu. It
is the employee's responsibility to notify the administration and the Instructional Technology Specialist
of any violation of the Acceptable Use Policy.
H. Do not allow students to go to computer labs unsupervised (if the school site has labs).
I. Treat student user names and passwords with confidentiality. Do not post a list of user names and
passwords where all students can see them.
J. Users are responsible for the appropriate storage and backup of their data.
K. The system requires employees to change passwords every 14 days. Some examples of passwords not
to use: names of pets, birth date, children's names, street address, school mascots, favorite car, sports
team, actor or movie. Make sure any written password information is stored in a secure location. Do not
leave passwords lying on your desk or in an unlocked drawer.
L. Short-term substitute teachers are not to take students to the computer lab nor allow students to use the
computers in the classrooms. (Long term substitute teachers may be qualified to use computers/labs by
the building ITS after they receive appropriate orientation including review of the Acceptable Use
Policy.)
M. Email accounts are provided to employees for professional purposes. Email accounts should not be
used for personal gain or personal business activities; broadcasting of unsolicited messages is prohibited.
Examples of such broadcasts include chain letters, mail bombs, virus hoaxes, Spam mail (spreading
email or postings without good purpose), and executable files. These types of email often contain viruses
and can cause excessive network traffic or computing load. All employees must request permission from
the building administrator before sending any messages to an entire school staff.
N. Employees must abide by the Forsyth County Schools Web Site Posting guidelines when posting any
 materials to the web.
O. Employees are not permitted to connect or install any computer hardware, components, or software,
which are not school system property to or in the district's technology resources without prior approval
of the district technology supervisory personnel.
Forsyth County I. Student Information, Work, and Pictures:
Schools Computers 1. Web pages hosted from Forsyth County School District's web server may contain a reference to a
and Network
Resources Web Site
student. This includes references to students in photographs or in text.
Posting 2. The following student information is acceptable to include in conjunction with text or photograph,
Šuidelines unless parent(s) request that no information on their child be posted on the school's web page*.
—c Copyright 3. A student's photograph or exemplary classroom projects may be posted, but the school system is
included careful not to associate a student¶s full name in such a way that it can be identified with a photograph of
a student.
II. On Copyright
1. Unauthorized use of copyrighted material is prohibited. All copyrighted material must be properly
cited using standard citation information. Giving credit (web address or active link) to a company or
individual (celebrity, for instance) that has created text, a graphic, etc. for a school page may be allowed,
assuming the site is not blocked by the web filtering hardware and software.
III. Prohibited Content/Items
1. Personal communications information about staff and parent volunteers: non-district email addresses,
non-district mailing address, and non-district phone numbers except as approved by the building
principal and the parent volunteer whose information is to be released.
Example: PTSO/PTA/Booster Organization officer/contact requests to have their personal email address
listed in the appropriate area on the school's page(s) and principal approves the request.
2. Student personal contact information of any kind
3. Links to staff, volunteers or student¶s ³personal´ home pages that are on remote, non-district web
servers (not hosted on Forsyth County School¶s equipment)
4. Links to "non-official" Forsyth County Schools related sites that are hosted on remote, nondistrict web
servers - Examples: athletic booster pages, PTA pages, etc. This prohibition includes teacher-created
classroom pages or online services that may inform parents and visitors
of the school district¶s site or classroom activities. The school system will provide hosting services for
school-related web postings of booster club organizations, PTA groups, teachers, etc. following the same
protocol and guidelines presented in this document.
5. Counters: If a school wants a Web page counter on its site, it must be an "invisible" counter.
 Tracking information on the use of a school¶s web site and individual sections can be obtained from
Coordinator of Online Learning.
IV. Compliance with FCS Acceptable Use Guidelines
All material posted to the Forsyth County Schools website must adhere to all provisions set forth in the
Acceptable Use Guidelines. Items from these documents, which are relevant to information posted on the
web, are:
No information/materials may be posted that is:
· Damaging to another person¶s reputation, Abusive,
· Obscene,
· Sexually oriented,
· Threatening or demeaning to another person¶s gender or race,
· Contrary to the school¶s policy on harassment
· Harassing
· Illegal
Pages created/information posted on Forsyth County Schools web sites:
· MUST NOT use the network for financial gain or advertising.
· MUST NOT contain plagiarized work created by another person without his/her consent
· MUST NOT contain personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, driver¶s license or social
security numbers, bank card or checking account information about any student or staff member.
· MUST NOT provide any user account information or passwords. If students participate in the creation
and/or maintenance of web pages, they MUST be logged onto the network with their own USER IDs and
PASSWORDS. Under NO circumstances are students to be given another student¶s or employee¶s login
information.
V. Educational Appropriate Postings
Material posted to the school¶s web site and associated teacher web pages must be educationally sound
and appropriate as determined by the school or district administrators.
· ß Parent permission is granted on the enrollment data form and is cross-referenced in the student
information system.

Šifts and ýisposal The Board of Education may accept any bequest, gift of money or property on behalf of the school
district. Gifts must be deemed suitable for a purpose by the Board of Education and be used in an
appropriate manner. However, it is the policy of the Board of Education to discourage all gifts which
may directly or indirectly impair the Board of Education¶s commitment to providing equal educational
opportunities to the students of the District.

Organizations desiring to raise money in support of school programs or services must first obtain
approval by the school principal or designee, or in the case of district-wide efforts, the approval of the
Superintendent or designee, prior to scheduling any activity.

To be acceptable, a gift must satisfy the following criteria:

1.c have a purpose consistent with those of the school district

2.c be offered by a donor acceptable to the Board of Education
3.c will not add to staff load
4.c will not begin a program which the Board of Education would be unwilling to take over when the
gift or grant funds are exhausted
5.c would not bring undesirable or hidden costs to the school district
6.c will place no restrictions on the school program
7.c will not be inappropriate or harmful to the best education of students
8.c will not imply endorsement of any business or product
9.c will not be in conflict with any provision of the school code or public law.

All gifts, grants and bequests shall become school district property. (IUSD, 2005)

Schools within the Forsyth County School District, as well as the Forsyth County School District itself,
may choose to accept gifts and unsolicited donations of software only if all of the following requirements
are met:

1.c the software is received in its original packaging;

2.c the software is unopened;
3.c the software is accompanied by its original licensing agreement;
4.c the software has been recommended and approved for use in the instructional program of the
Forsyth County School District as provided in these administrative procedures.
 ]I.cSchool Pilot Projects and Òducational Research

Promethean ACTI] Forsyth County was one of the first large counties to install Promethean ACTIV boards in every
oard, Software, classroom grades Pre K ± 12 (including special area, and support curriculum classrooms). During the
and ACTI] votes
first years of piloting the program, Forsyth County participated with Dr. Robert Marzano to research the
impact that the boards, software, and hand held votes had on learning within our Title I schools. The
research is available through the following link.
http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.17627

Forsyth County school chose to get involved with this form of technology after much research and hands
on experiences at technology conferences. Higgins, Beauchamp, and Miller (2007) collected evidence
from the research that had been conducted to write an article in Learning, Media and Technology. Their
findings provide consistent research that demonstrates that interactive whiteboards are able to produce
attractive and creative lessons that capture and hold the students¶ attention. Additionally, the findings
throughout research support that there is a connection between the interactive boards and motivation
which helps to improve academic and social behaviors.
CINCH As of October 2009, various teachers throughout the county are piloting a product created by McGraw
hathematics Hill called CINCH Mathematics. This curriculum ranges from kindergarten to 6th grade instructional
level. The program provides teachers with immediate data that can be used to form further instructional
lessons. McGraw Hill sees that this product is a ³digital solution that enhances
instruction.´(PRNewswire, 2009). With the recent implementation of Standards Based grading and
Reporting, this particular program will allow teachers to teach the standards through hands on approach
while providing a data driven formative assessment.

Hotchalk Math states that ³CINCH mathematics harnesses the power of the digital interactive
whiteboard to engage students and make math instruction easier´ (CINCH Mathematics, 2009).
]II.c Software Agreements

The software agreements can be seen on the Forsyth County Website.

http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/129410616215017890/blank/browse.asp?a=383&BMDRN=200
0&BCOB=0&c=109249&129410616215017890Nav=|&NodeID=5920
Appendix A: Òvaluation Tool

Primary level of instructional

Location: School¶s name Primary job function: Šender: Age:
responsibility:
Current level of
Òstablished Infrastructure Priority to be given in 2009-11 long range plan
satisfaction
4-High to 1 -Low 4-High to 1 -Low
1.c Adequate and reliable Internet access to the district

2.c Adequate and reliable Internet access to all buildings

3.c Adequate and reliable Internet access to all classrooms, media

centers and labs

4.c Adequate wireless network access

5.c Firewall security for networks

6.c User verification through log-in and activity logging

7.c District-wide spam (junk e-mail) filtering software

8.c District-wide Internet filtering software

9.c Adequate workstations for staff and student use

10.c Adequate peripheral technologies (printers, scanners, projectors,

cameras) for staff and student use
 11.c Efficient maintenance, repair and replacement procedures

12.c Adequate and reliable telephone access to all classrooms and

offices

13.c Adequate and reliable ACTIV board access

14.c Written and thorough technology use policies

15.c Adequate technical support for networks, computer equipment

and applications

16.c Adequate leadership and management related to technology

planning, budgeting, and policy-making

Priority to be given in 2009-11

Òffective Administration (administrators and office staff) Current level of satisfaction
long range plan
4-High to 1 -Low 4-High to 1 -Low
17.c Student information system that can be accessed by administration that includes
attendance, grading, discipline, health, and scheduling modules that shares data
efficiently with other systems.

18.c Student information system that can be accessed by teaching staff

19.c Student information system that can be accessed by parents

20.c Systems specific to the management of finance, transportation, personnel/payroll, lunch

programs, special education, building systems, security, etc.

21.c Portable communication devices for administrative uses (Cell phones, PDAs, etc.)

22.c On-line (web-based) district information

 23.c On-line (web-based) building information

24.c On-line (web-based) department and classroom information

25.c Interactive communications tools for administration (IM, electronic mailing lists,
groupware, share calendars and email directories)

26.c Electronic means of communication with school staff by parents, students, and the
community

27.c Established technology competencies and training opportunities for school

administration and office staff

28.c Adopted policies and written guidelines on Internet use, safety, plagiarism,
selection/reconsideration, copyright, etc.

29.c Understanding of policy and ethical practices regarding technology use by

administration and office staff

Priority to be given in 2009-11

Òxtensive Resources Current level of satisfaction
long range plan
4-High to 1 -Low 4-High to 1 -Low
30.c Sufficient access to workstations for students to complete assigned work

31.c Internet access

32.c Access to adequate on-line reference materials including encyclopedias

33.c Access to adequate digital image, sound and video resources

34.c Access to curriculum and teacher support materials

35.c Access to a wide variety of computerized productivity programs appropriate to student

 ability level such as Open Office, Inspiration, Kidspiration, Pixie 2, the Macromedia
web design suite, Google Earth and Sketchup, ActivStudio, Windows Movie Maker and
Photostory.
Priority to be given in 2009-11
Ònhanced Teaching Current level of satisfaction
long range plan
4-High to 1 -Low 4-High to 1 -Low
36.c Formal training opportunities for developing technology skills

37.c On-going mentoring, trouble-shooting and assistance for staff when developing
technology skills

38.c Technology skill evaluation as a part of teacher evaluations

39.c Training in electronic gradebook use

40.c Training in student information system use for grade reporting and attendance

41.c Training in creating on-line information for parents, students and the community

Appendix : Software Integrationc

Lesson Plans to be used with PIXIE

http://www.tech4learning.com/userfiles/file/pdfs/Pixie/Pixie_Makes_It_Possible.pdf

Lesson Plans to be used with Inspiration

http://www.inspiration.com/Examples/Inspiration

Lesson Plans to be used with Kidspiration

 http://www.inspiration.com/Examples/kidspiration

Lesson Plans to be used with Google Earth

http://gelessons.com/lessons

Lesson Plans to be used with Sketchup

http://www.sd53.bc.ca/gifted/strategies/sketchup/sketchuplesson%20plans.pdf

Lesson Plans to be used with ACTIVStudio

http://www.prometheanplanet.com

Lesson Plans to be used with Windows Movie Maker

http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=movie+maker&rating=3

References:

CINCH mathematics. (2009) „
halk Math. Retreived November 30, 2009 from http://www.hotchalkmath.com/tool?et=72

Higgins, S., Beauchamp, G., Miller, D. (2007, September). Reviewing the literature on interactive whiteboards. Learning, Media and

echnologies, 32 (3) 213-223. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

Irvine Unified School District. (2005) Board policy: Gifts, grants and bequests. Retrieved November 17, 2009 from

http://www.iusd.org/board_of_education/board_policy/policies/3290.htm .

Johnson, Doug (2004, April 13). Staff survey for long range technology planning. Webjunction, Retrieved November 19, 2009, from

http://www.webjunction.org/techplan-evaluation/_/articles/content/432794?_OCLC_ARTICLES_getContentFromWJ=true .
McGraw Hill education announces two new cutting-edge digital-based supported by five technology partnerships. (2009, June). PRNewswire.

Retrieved November 30, 2009 from http://sev.prnewswire.com/education/20090629/NY3791029062009-1.html .