July 2004 — SETDA
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Massachusetts: Systemic Planning & Appropriate Tools Lead Massachusetts School Districts Toward Full Integration of Technology, Increased Student Achievement
- Students log in to VES and download their math homework assignment from the VHD. After finishing the assignment, the students open their history class discussion forum to post a message about George Washington that they found in their history class folder. Next, students complete a PowerPoint file for the next day's science fair on climate change, uploading it to VES so that they can access it when they get to school.
- Teachers use the TLR tool to search resources on the 'Federalist Debates.' They choose two lessons from a list of high-quality results. Switching to the discussion forums, teachers share the lesson plan links with their colleagues. Teachers also post some questions and comments about how technology can be integrated into the lessons. Teachers also use the TSAT to identify their technology skills so that they can participate in technology professional development activities that will help them teach the lessons.
- Administrators log in to VES to post an announcement to the staff regarding the new Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test results. Based on the new data, administrators schedule curriculum meetings and invite their principals using the online calendar. To prepare for the meeting, administrators review the new math benchmarks developed in CLASP and approve changes authored by the curriculum team. Before leaving for the day, administrators upload the final draft of a grant proposal into the district administrators' folder so that their team can review it.
When VES was launched, Massachusetts realized that to use the new online tools effectively, school districts needed to build their technology infrastructure and prepare students, teachers and administrators to use the technology appropriately. Hence, in 2000, a set of guidelines for local technology planning was provided to assist schools in their efforts. The 'Local Technology Plan Benchmark Standards for the Year 2003' was a set of guidelines that school districts could use to create conditions for the effective use of technology. This document described the conditions that technology experts believe would maximize the impact of technology on learning.
In general, Massachusetts school districts have made steady progress in working toward the goals set forth in 2000. In order to help districts move forward and continue their efforts, the state's Education Department recently developed new guidelines. The Education Department collaborated with the state's Educational Technology Advisory Council (ETAC) and technology specialists throughout the state to create the 'Local Technology Plan Guidelines (School Year 2003-2004 through 2006-2007).' This document is based on the Massachusetts STaR (School Technology and Readiness) Chart), which was developed by ETAC.
These guidelines are not ends in themselves, but means to support the use of technology to improve teaching and learning. They illustrate the complex set of interactions of people, materials and dimensions that are involved in using technology effectively in schools. The Massachusetts Department of Education encourages school districts to use these guidelines to develop their long-range technology plans. Each year, districts are asked to submit data on the implementation of their technology plans to the Education Department for review so that they will get approval for their plans.
