EDUCATOR DEVELOPMENT AND STAFF PREPARATION (POLICY)

·   All staff and faculty continuously complete surveys to determine the level and needs for services and staff development (Surveys). All faculty are mentored by Instructional Technologist in research-based strategies, differentiated instruction, technologies, applications, and integration techniques for effective use in the classroom.  QuickStarts are supplied by the District Website to assist teachers in trouble-shooting the most common technology problems.

·   Identification of priorities for professional development activities will be established by site-base committees, TSR reports, teacher surveys, and the administration.

·   All staff and faculty will assist in the planning for and use of improvement techniques in the district.

·   Best practices will be modeled for teachers to increase their knowledge and assist in collaboration.

·   Professional development is provided in integration of “best practices”, G/T instruction,  modification techniques, and technology integration  into teaching and learning.

·   The PDAS provides input for helping the administration to adjust professional development activities to assist in teacher professional growth and accountability. However, the district has passed modifications to the PDAS to include technology integration accountability.

·   The district provides incentives and support for educators to develop model practices using enrichment and enhancement techniques.  All teachers who reach Tier 2 are given a new laptops and those who reach Tier 3 have their way paid to the Texas Computer Education Association Conference in Austin each year.

·   Opportunities for rural area teachers and community members to become engaged in distance learning through district technologies is provided through SUPERNet's connectivity to NETNet (Northeast Texas Network of Colleges and Libraries).

ACCOUNTABILITY, NCLB, and SSI

All teachers and students K-12 maintain an electronic portfolio on the district network to document mastery of the Technology Competencies, special programs TEKS, and for productivity.  A cohort of teachers (Pre-K through 12th grades)  in 2003_04 are piloting for the SUPERNet TARGET grant's Virtual School by creating lessons, demonstrations, streaming videos, simulations, and assessments on both the district ClassServer and the consortium ClassServer at the head-end.  All Arp core teachers create benchmarks on the ClassServer for online management of student progress.  The district has purchased online curriculum and assessments for assisting students who are in need of acceleration and skills development in all core subject areas --software packages include i_Station, TDS3.com, LightSpan, TPRI mClass, Certiport, AR, STAR, TAG-IT, AEIS-IT, EDUTest and Tracks. All teachers have a minimum of 5 computers in their classrooms to enhance individualized student instruction. Data is collected and analyzed by the department chairs on all students in the district utilizing online student management systems. 

The district has implemented a 3 TIER initiative to accelerate instruction based on the analysis of student data collected after each benchmark and summative evaluation (TAKS).  Department chairs and principles disaggregate data for all student populations to insure that formative evaluations drive the instruction to the benefit of all students.  This process is assisted by the district's online student management systems.

DISTRICT TECHNICAL SUPPORT

STAFFING WORKSHEET

DISTRICT BUY-IN

Maintaining a viable, fast, effective, reliable, and efficient infrastructure has become a priority for the district.  Arp ISD has prepared this Long-Range Technology Plan to articulate a common vision for technology in the district and identify the strategies that will help us use advanced technology to improve the academic achievement of all students, to provide alternative instructional strategies for engaging all types of learners, to provide enhanced resources 24-7 for all stakeholders, to assist students in the development of high-skills in technology, research, critical thinking, and communication, to afford all students of rigorous curriculum standards, college-level articulated and dual credit courses, certifications, and SCANS (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) curriculum essential for academic and workplace success and to build the capacity of all teachers to integrate technology effectively into teaching and learning.
 

DISTRICT DIGITAL RESOURCES

Arp Independent School District has partnered with Microsoft, INTEL, SEDL (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory), The University of Texas Health Science Center, Tyler Junior College (TJC),  Region VII ESC, and Texas State Technical College (TSTC) to provide outstanding resources for teachers and students.  Currently we have 28 hours of technical courses articulated with TJC and TSTC.  Next year TSTC has agreed to provide Arp High School students with an interactive college credit CAD course over ITV at no cost to the students.

Arp High School will be moving to a new facility this June where each classroom will have 10 drops.  There will be three computer labs with 30 drops each.  The high school will include a wireless network (802.11g) for laptop users to have access over the entire campus.  All teachers in Arp schools currently have laptops and these will be fitted with wireless  NICs.  In addition, the Arp Schools are recipients of a federal grant that will allow all teachers, students and community members to have access to super-fast (60 Mb) wireless network with a 30 mile range to provide access to the Arp network from home.  All Arp students are offered through our Acceptable Use Policy (see AUP for all AGES) full Internet Services through a remote access server.  This dial-in access allows students to have available all their on-line resources, network folders, filtered email, MS Office suite, Macromedia Suite, ClassServer, and online library resources.   Students have access to technologies on demand and learn multi-modal communication and research techniques appropriate for each grade level.  Students read and collect data, organize data by charting, collecting images, or graphs, and displaying their findings by learning to create multimedia and/or Web sites for global interactive projects.

DISTRICT PROGRAMS AND TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION INTO THE CURRICULUM

Older students mentor younger students and multi-age groups are formed to challenges younger readers, as with Arp’s Dr. Seuss Day.  Reading and literacy are priorities in all three Arp schools for all learners.

GIFTED & TALENTED:  The G/T program for elementary is a pull-out program designed to service students special needs for higher-order thinking and enrichment through project-based curriculum. All GT teachers integrate regular classroom subject matter with enriched project-based curriculum for individualized student portfolios.  The Gifted & Talented program on the Junior High campus involves specialized classes in reading, technology, language, and math.  Arp Junior High offers G/T students their own classes 6-8^th grade in Reading and Interdisciplinary Studies and high school credit for Spanish I, Algebra I, and Business Computer Information Systems I. The G/T Reading class is designed to offer gifted students the opportunity to read extensively while using a project-based curriculum and technology.

The High School G/T program offers students Social Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies classes for Grades 9^th & 10^th.  Advanced Placement courses are offered in Math, Science, and Language Arts.  Articulated credit courses (concurrent credit) are also offered in Business, Technology, and Science, credit by exam, and concurrent courses are offered through Tyler Junior College and Texas State Technical College.  Dual credit courses are also offered for G/T students who wish to take college courses for both high school and college credit.  Accelerated graduations are facilitated with these courses.

SPECIAL EDUCATION:

The Special education program at Arp ISD allows students to be serviced in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).  Students on the elementary campus are serviced through resource rooms, reading, speech, and dyslexia screening pull out classes. Technology plays an important role in special education to provide drill and practice and creatively integrate writing into all areas of the curriculum   New software packages allow special needs students to create writing compositions on grade level.  The Arp Junior High utilizes inclusion with special services in the resource room.  High School also utilizes the resource room.  All rooms utilize technology tools, ClassServer, and have Internet access.

TECH PREP & CAREERS:

Arp schools include careers curriculum K-12 with Careers Investigations beginning in the junior high, coherent sequence of courses in the junior high and high school for technology, science, language arts, math, and vocational.  Arp High School offers job shadowing, mentorships in Independent Study at the senior level, articulated, dual, and concurrent courses with Tyler Junior College and Texas State Technical College.  Students are able to complete MOUS certifications and A+ certifications 8-12 grades.

DRUG FREE & CHARACTER TRAINING:

Arp Elementary uses “Right Choices” curriculum for discipline management and Character Counts! for character training.  Arp Junior High and High Schools use SCANS --Six Skills for Life-Long Learning and Character Counts! curricula for discipline management and character training. The district grading procedures require that 1/5 of a student's grade be comprised of SCAN skills (teamwork, time management, resource management, project management, peer tutoring, technology skills, etc.)  All students participate by creating electronic portfolio artifacts that reflect or teach the six pillars of character. 

TEACHING AND LEARNING AND CLASSROOM ACCESS

·      All classrooms utilize 4 MAT and/or differentiated instruction lesson planning to service all types of learners.  This will insure that all types of learners will have the opportunity to be successful, gain enrichments, and be given reteach and re-evaluation opportunities, if necessary.

·      The district follows the state mandated initiative to implement a 3 to 1 computer to student ratio on each campus.

·      All classrooms will have 5 drops for LAN, WAN, and Internet access to equitably shared resources.

·      All classroom curricula integrate real-world applications and technology tools to assist all types of learners toward successful student progress.

·      Global Interactive Telecommunications Projects will be planned and implemented in each grade with the assistance of the high school Web masters to service and mentor the projects.  

·      Teachers meet student’s needs through individualized growth plans, tutorials, modifications, distance learning, Internet collaboration, and fostering the development and integration of rigorous project-based TEKS.

·      Student-centered curriculum and objective-based assessments give students clear goals so that they can internally monitor their own success.

·      Accountability is developed through student-centered, student-directed project-based activities that demonstrate student knowledge and skills acquisition.

·      Proficiencies are be monitored through pre and post testing, assessments, and measures as reflected in the analysis of the district’s AEIS and national standards.

·      Expectations for technology proficiencies by students in kindergarten through grade 12 include computer-related skills that meet standards for each high school graduate by the year 2001 (TEC 32.001).

·      Standardized electronic instructional planning format enables the sharing of instructional approaches efficiently.

·      Business partnerships provide instructional products and services to reduce costs for instructional materials.

·      Developing and enhancing curriculum materials takes place with teacher and student generated multimedia productions.

·      The district identifies, communicates, and rewards best practices of technology integration into teaching and learning.

·      The district fosters innovation in using technology to assess, document, and report student progress

·      The district provides adult extended learning services through grants and parent-teacher organization.

·      The district collaborates with the Regional Service Center, local colleges and university (CPDT), to assist teachers, pre-service teachers, and administrators in gaining current skills in technology applications and continuing education opportunities.

COLLABORATION & SUPPORT SERVICES 

·        Teachers serve as managers of instruction and facilitators for skills acquisition.  They are assisted in maximizing classroom time by automation of grades and attendance,  accountability data (AEIS), progress reports, scheduling, lesson planning, collaboration tools, parent contact, student data (PEIMS),  discipline and TEA information, and current research through technology-based data systems in the district.

·        All staff and support personnel have the availability of technical assistance programs to promote efficiencies in non-instructional support services.

·        The administration utilizes improved information systems for the efficient and effective communication through technology.

·        The administration promotes technical resources and assistance to local personnel by effectively planning for school improvement.

·        The administration actively promotes the integration of support services with other community services where appropriate (crisis management, weather services, police and EMS service are all digitally accessible through the Arp network).

·        The administration supports and maintains a pool of expertise for supporting the schools, the district, and individual staff in the integration of technology into instructional management, administration, and classroom instruction.

·        The administration expands community access to school information through technology (RAS and wireless access).

 STUDENT EQUITABLE ACCESS

·        Students acquire technology application skills (TA TEKS) beginning in Kindergarten and advancee in skills and productivity to graduation.

·        Students have access to library resources (TLC), electronic multimedia, application software, email, virtual classes, ITV courses, and online college courses through Internet connectivity K-12 grades.

·        Students are able to acquire dual-credit, advanced-level, concurrent, credit by exam, and college credit through articulations, dual enrollment, and distance learning networks connected to colleges and universities.

·        Students gain higher-order thinking skills through utilization of current technologies, hands-on, and real-world applications in creative problem solving, simulation, and robotics.

·        Feedback to students for academic progress is available to students through tutorials, activity periods, and through technology for the purpose of student-centered planning and goal setting.

·        All students are taught and sign the Acceptable Use Policies for Arp ISD. 

·        Facilities integrate handicap access into all building entrances and exits.  All students with writing difficulty are given keyboarding software to use at home and computers when necessary.  Students with dyslexia or dysgraphia are given laptops or computers to check out for home use along with typing tutors.  Special needs students are given technologies appropriate to help level the playing field for success. 

LIBRARY & RESOURCE GOALS:

The Arp schools libraries are fully automated and members of TLI .  The Library’s resources are networked into all research areas, classrooms, and labs for access on demand by all students.  Upgrading of the reading resources for elementary campus has taken place through the TEA ‘98 Reading Academies Grant.  Successive grants from TEA will also be sought by the Junior High and High School campuses.

Circulation, TLI, media, collections, magazines, archives, and research materials are available to all students through the Arp ISD network and circulation database.  Continued extension of library hours will be maintained during the period of the TEA ‘98 grant cycle.

EARLY CHILDHOOD:

Arp schools now offers a Head Start program through the elementary campus using Pre-K and Region VII resources.  An aide for Pre-K and a bookkeeper will be utilized, and additional resources and materials will be made available to carry out this program.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT:

Parents are utilized on each campus’ sitebase improvement committees, as volunteers, and supporters.  Arp schools will continue to encourage parental support through our G/T program, PTO, band and athletic supporters, NHS, and through TigerVision community access channel and the Arp Web site..