Planning Ahead for Technology in GISD

More school districts are realizing the importance of technology integration. In today's economy, however, a lack of funding for updated telecommunication tools can be a great barrier for districts across the state and nation. Luckily, there are resources available for schools.


One excellent option is the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund. Administered by the Universal Service Administrators and directed by the FCC, the program gives discounts to eligible entities towards telecommunication services, internal connectivity, and Internet access. To apply for these discounts, schools must create and submit a comprehensive technology plan with five elements, including future goals, strategies, and evaluation methods.


Accessing my district's website, I was easily able to find my district's technology plan. Garland ISD's 45-page plan was written in 2010 and covers three years of short-term goals from 2010-2013. From the executive summary of the plan, Dr. Culwell describes the district's overall goal is "to find cost effective creative ways to use new and emerging technologies to meet our district objectives." In the document, eight major goals, each with multiple objectives and strategies, are stated. These goals are:

• Increase effectiveness and productivity of administrators, faculty, and staff by automating existing manual processes and procedures
• Improve communications, learning, & flexibility for students, parents/guardians, community members and district personnel.
• Enable broader access to District Technology Resources within the district and GISD community.
• Provide additional and new technology tools for educators, students, and staff to enhance effective classroom learning.
• Enhance the home/school connection by providing communication between school, classroom, parents, and community.
• Increase time on task for students and all district personnel by providing efficient networking and convenient remote access.
• Provide all users with effective, reliable, and secure technology solutions.
• Maintain and enhance users' efficiency by keeping technology systems (equipment and software) up to date.

(Garland ISD Technology, 2010)


The strategic plan will be assessed yearly, while more specific monitoring and evaluation is done by the Technology Department on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. Inventories of hardware and software are to be completed annually, and every teacher at each school is required to complete the STAR chart each year. When implementing new programs or equipment, the district uses a limited number of schools as pilot locations to determine whether these products are appropriate, cost-efficient, and effective before rolling them out district-wide.


Over the three-year period, Garland ISD is asking E-Rate to cover 100% of Telecommunications and Internet Access costs of $600,000 per year. Almost all other expenses in the Technology Plan will be covered with local funds, with the exception of $100,000 of Title II funding for Staff Development.


This plan is extremely comprehensive and detailed, as there are at least 31 objectives and 64 specific strategies outlined. For this reason, I felt somewhat overwhelmed as I read through the document trying to pull out the most important information to summarize. From reviewing recent STAR charts from my campus, I know that professional development is a relatively high-needs area. I was surprised to see that the Educator Preparation and Development area was only referenced in one of the objectives and that it is the area that is slated to receive the least amount of funding in the plan's budget.


References
Overview of the schools and libraries program. (2010, July 14). Retrieved from http://www.usac.org/sl/about/overview-program.aspx


Garland isd technology plan. (2010, May 25). Retrieved from http://www.garlandisd.net/technology/documents/Garland ISD Technology Plan_ 2010 - 2013.pdf