Technology Plan Evaluation

Technology Plan Evaluation

Jessica Hutcheson, Krisann Johnson, Krystle Leanza and Jessica Kirkland
Georgia Southern University

Technology Plan Evaluation

Technology Plan Resources

Title:

Resources:

Paragraph Description:

National Education
Technology Plan

National education
technology plan | office
of educational
technology. (n.d.).
Retrieved Februar, 2015,
from
http://tech.ed.gov/netp/

The NETP presents a model of learning powered by

technology, with goals and recommendations in
five essential areas: learning, assessment, teaching,
infrastructure, and productivity. The plan also
identifies far-reaching grand challenge R&D
problems that should be funded and coordinated at
a national level.

School Stories and

Approaches

Technology and
education reform. (n.d.).
Retrieved February,
2015, from
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs
/EdReformStudies/EdTe
ch/index.html

This resource, from the U.S. Department of

Education, summarizes the work of prominent
educational researcher, Barbara Means, on the role
of technology in education reform. This is "required
reading" for technology committees prior to
creating vision and goals.

ISTE Standards

ISTE standards. (2015).

Retrieved February,
2015, from
http://www.iste.org/stand
ards

It is important to recognize the technology

standards at each level in the school building. When
creating goals and objectives to assist a technology
plan, we must know what are overall idea.

Beaufort County School Hendricks, R., Robinson,

District Technology Plan C., & Rosswurm, J.
for 2013 2016.
(2013). Beaufort county
school district
technology plan for 2013
2016. Retrieved
February, 2015, from
http://ed.sc.gov/agency/p
rogramsservices/185/documents/
BeaufortCountyTechPlan
.pdf

Beaufort County School District created a

technology vision team to develop a comprehensive
three year technology plan. The plan built the
technology dimensions outlined by the South
Carolina Department of Education.

Appendix 5: technology
plan evaluation. (2015).
Retrieved February 15,
2015, from http://eratecentral.com/applicati
onTips/techPlan/techplan
-primer-appendix-5.asp

E-Rate Central is a program for schools and

libraries that simplify technology plans. It explains
how the plans must meet certain criteria that are
core elements of successful school and library
technology initiatives.

Feliciano, D., &

Lockamy, T. (2012).
District technology plan

The SCCPSS district technology plan provides an

outline of a districts technology plan. The resource
was used to analyze and understand what

Technology Plan
Evaluation- Courtesy of
NCRTEC

Savannah-Chatham Co.
Public Schools District
Technology Plan 2012-

Technology Plan Evaluation

2015

2012-2015. Retrieved
February, 2015, from
http://www.sccpss.com/
Documents/PDF/TechPla
n2012-2015.pdf

components go into creating a district plan. This

plan contains components such as professional
development, data about current technology use in
district, and goals/objectives. The plan provides
additional information that was used as a reference
to compare and contrast other districts plans.

California Department
of Education

Technology plans.
(2015). Retrieved
February, 2015, from
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls
/et/rs/

California Department of Education provides a

template for district technology plans. The template
includes key aspects that should be included in all
technology plans. This resource consists of set
criteria and guiding questions for school districts. It
prompts users for more information to include in
their plan.

Arkansas State
Department of
Education Technology
Guiding Questions and
Federal Requirements
for Arkansas School
Districts

2012-2015 technology
guiding questions and
federal Requirements for
arkansas school districts
and open enrollment
charter schools. (2010).
Retrieved February,
2015, from
http://www.arkansased.or
g/public/userfiles/Learni
ng_Services/Technology
_Initiatives/Tech_Planni
ng_Resources/20122015-TP-GuidingQuestions-Public-11.pdf

The Arkansas State Department of Education offers

the resources listed for school districts to utilize
while creating their district plan. The resource
includes necessary components to include in a
technology plan. It also adds a description of each
component that thoroughly explains the section. In
addition, the resources provides guiding questions
to prompt users. This resource can be helpful when
evaluating a technology plan because it describes
what each section of a typical technology plan
should be like.

Universal Service
Administrative
Company

Schools and libraries (erate). (2015). Retrieved

February, 2015, from
http://www.usac.org/sl/a
pplicants/step01/

The Universal Service Administrative Company

gives a brief description of a school technology
plan. The site lists basic information, and the items
to be included in the plan. The website also
includes other references such as information on
the review and approval process for the plans as
well. This website is useful to help users evaluate
what is in other technology plans across the board.

New Hampshire
Department of
Education-School
Technology Planning
Guide

Office of ed tech. (2012).

Retrieved February,
2015, from
http://www.nheon.org/oe
t/tpguide/

New Hampshire Department of Education provides

an Online School Technology Planning Guide. The
webpage also has resources and an outline for
technology plans. This is very useful to anyone
creating a technology plan for the first time. New
Hampshire includes policy and procedure resources
as well. These items can be used to evaluate current
technology plans.

10

Technology Plan Evaluation

Technology Plan Rubric

6 points

4 points

2 points

Goals

Goals are realistic, broad,

and measurable. They
clearly address the needs
for teaching and learning.
Goals addressed the
following questions:
Who? What? By when?
How much?

Goals are mostly equipment

based, and/or are broad and
measurable but are not
completely clear.

Goals are absent or seemed

to be only equipment based,
and/or are not measurable
or completely clear.

Professional
Development

Staff development is
addressed as an action
plan. It clearly describes
the current and needed
technology training. It
described the strategies,
recommendations, and
professional development
resources.

Staff development is a
general description of current
and needed technology
training. Provides few
strategies, recommendations,
and professional
development.

Staff development is absent

or only provides minimal
information on current
needs for technology
training.

An assessment of
telecommunication
services, hardware,
software, and other
services needed

An evaluation clearly
described the capabilities
of the services, hardware,
software used in the
learning environments.
The assessment is timely,
and tied to all goals.

An evaluation is described,
but is not completely clear,
and/or few links to the goals.

Evaluation is absent or the

links to the goals is not
apparent.

Accessibility of
technology resources
(Americans with
Disabilities Act)

In accordance with the

ADA, accessibility of
technology resources is
fully available to students
with barriers (disabilities).

In accordance with the

ADA, accessibility of
technology resources is
limited to students with
barriers (disabilities).

Accessibility of technology
resources is nonexistent to
students with barriers
(disabilities).

Technology Plan Evaluation

Budget

A budget for purchasing

technology with
specifications and
requirements is explicitly
stated and explained in
detail including, but not
limited to: funds allocated
for staff development,
tech support, computers,
printers, LCD projectors,
tablets/iPADS,
hardware/software,
internet access, and misc
expenses.

A budget for purchasing

technology with
specifications and
requirements is vaguely
stated including funds
allocated for staff
development, tech support,
computers, printers,
projectors, tablets/iPADS,
hardware/software, internet
access, and misc expenses.

A budget for purchasing

technology is not
nonexistent nor includes
any evidence of funds
allocated for staff
development, tech support,
computers, printers, LCD
projectors, tablets/iPADS,
hardware/software, internet
access, or misc expenses.

Ongoing Evaluation

An effective ongoing
evaluation is evident and
obliges planners to
reconsider and adapt
objectives, priorities, and
strategies as
implementation proceeds
as well as facilitate
making changes if certain
aspects of the plan are not
working.

An ongoing evaluation is
evident and obliges planners
to reconsider and adapt
objectives, priorities, and
strategies as implementation
proceeds but facilitates
making very few, if any
changes if certain aspects of
the plan are not working.

There is little to no
evidence of an effective
ongoing evaluation where
planners are obliged to
reconsider and adapt
objectives, priorities, and
strategies as implementation
proceeds.

Technology Plan Evaluation

The group decided to evaluate Douglas Countys Technology Plan. Here is the URL for the plan:
http://www.douglas.k12.ga.us/Download.asp?
L=2&LMID=&PN=Pages&DivisionID=1860&DepartmentID=1704&SubDepartmentID=&SubP=Level1
Page&Act=Download&T=3&I=9341

Goals

6 points

4 points

2 points

Goals are realistic,

broad, and
measurable. They
clearly address the
needs for teaching
and learning. Goals
addressed the

Goals are mostly

equipment based,
and/or are broad
and measurable
but are not
completely clear.

Goals are
absent or
seemed to be
only
equipment
based, and/or
are not

Grade: 4 points
Explanation:
The Douglas County technology
plan provides overall goals that
are broad, measurable and
addresses the needs. Each goal is
provides strategies, benchmarks,

Technology Plan Evaluation

following
questions: Who?
What? By when?
How much?

measurable
or
completely
clear.

evaluation method, funding

source/ amounts and person
responsible. The plan did not
provide specific by when dates
for achieving goals.

Professional
Development

Staff development
is addressed as an
action plan. It
clearly describes
the current and
needed technology
training. It
described the
strategies,
recommendations,
and professional
development
resources.

Staff development
is a general
description of
current and needed
technology
training. Provides
few strategies,
recommendations,
and professional
development.

Staff
development
is absent or
only provides
minimal
information
on current
needs for
technology
training.

Grade: 2 points
Explanation:
Professional development is
addressed as professional
learning in the Douglas County
technology plan.
It does not describe the current
needs of technology training or
recommendation for professional
development. The tools used for
learning is addressed.

An assessment of
telecommunication
services, hardware,
software, and other
services needed

An evaluation
clearly described
the capabilities of
the services,
hardware, software
used in the learning
environments. The
assessment is
timely, and tied to
all goals.

An evaluation is
described, but is
not completely
clear, and/or few
links to the goals.

Evaluation
is absent or
the links to
the goals is
not apparent.

Grade: 6 points
Explanation:
The Douglas County technology
plan provides evaluation
methods along with the terms of
collecting the data. Evaluation
methods determine the
capabilities of the services and
hardware. Each evaluation
method is clearly parallel and
tied with a particular goal.

Technology Plan Evaluation

Accessibility of
technology
resources
(Americans with
Disabilities Act)

In accordance with
the ADA,
accessibility of
technology
resources is fully
available to
students with
barriers
(disabilities).

In accordance
with the ADA,
accessibility of
technology
resources is
limited to students
with barriers
(disabilities).

Accessibility
of
technology
resources is
nonexistent
to students
with barriers
(disabilities).

Grade: 6 points
Explanation: The Douglas
County School System
Technology Plan clearly states
that all students have access to
the same technology. Students
who have disabilities also have
access to assistive technology
which provides them with
additional support. Douglas
County employs certified
teachers to identify students who
qualify for assistive technology.
The assistive technology helps
students meet goals and
objectives on their IEP.

Budget

A budget for
purchasing
technology with
specifications and
requirements is
explicitly stated and
explained in detail
including, but not
limited to: funds
allocated for staff
development, tech
support, computers,
printers, LCD
projectors,
tablets/iPADS,
hardware/software,
internet access, and
misc expenses.

A budget for
purchasing
technology with
specifications and
requirements is
vaguely stated
including funds
allocated for staff
development, tech
support,
computers,
printers,
projectors,
tablets/iPADS,
hardware/software
, internet access,
and misc
expenses.

A budget for
purchasing
technology is
not
nonexistent
nor does it
include any
evidence of
funds
allocated for
staff
development,
tech support,
computers,
printers,
LCD
projectors,
tablets/iPAD
S,
hardware/sof
tware,
internet
access, or
misc
expenses.

Grade: 4 points
Explanation: The Douglas
County School District
Technology Plan includes a
section within their goals,
benchmarks, and strategies that
identifies costs. Each goal,
strategy and benchmark has a
column with the funding amount
and the source. The plan does
include specifications, but they
are slightly vague.

Technology Plan Evaluation

Ongoing Evaluation

An effective
ongoing evaluation
is evident and
obliges planners to
reconsider and
adapt objectives,
priorities, and
strategies as
implementation
proceeds as well as
facilitate making
changes if certain
aspects of the plan
are not working.

An ongoing
evaluation is
evident and
obliges planners to
reconsider and
adapt objectives,
priorities, and
strategies as
implementation
proceeds but
facilitates making
very few, if any
changes if certain
aspects of the plan
are not working.

There is
little to no
evidence of
an effective
ongoing
evaluation
where
planners are
obliged to
reconsider
and adapt
objectives,
priorities,
and strategies
as
implementati
on proceeds.

Grade: 6 points
Explanation: The Douglas
County School System does a
great job of providing an
ongoing evaluation throughout
the technology plan. While there
is not a specific section labeled
Ongoing Evaluation, it is evident
as one reads through the plan. In
most sections of the plan, there
is data about the current use of
technology in the school system.

Technology Plan Recommendations

Goals

Douglas County needs to include specific

dates to help achieve the specific target
goals for the technology plan. This will
allow the goals for the plan to be thorough
and very clear for the readers and
evaluators of the plan.

Professional Development

Because this specific section of the plan is

graded low on the rubric, it is
recommended that the district collaborate
on specific needs of technology training
and implement specific professional
development in order to ensure an effective
technology plan.

An assessment of telecommunication
services, hardware, software, and other
services needed

Because Douglas Countys plan

incorporates evaluation methods along
with the terms of collecting data as well as
determines how capable the services and
hardware are in the plan, there are no

Technology Plan Evaluation

recommendations at this time. As

determined by our group, each evaluation
method is clearly aligned and intertwined
with a particular goal as stated in the plan.
Accessibility of technology resources
(Americans with Disabilities Act)

Douglas County is very specific in stating

that all students have access to the same
technology including students with
disabilities. With this being evident in the
technology plan, there are no
recommendations at this time.

Budget

Douglas County incorporates costs within

the technology plan with the funding
amount and source. However, it is not
specifically stated so it is recommended
that they include specifications in order to
ensure clarity within the budget section of
the plan.

Ongoing Evaluation

Douglass County provides an ongoing

evaluation throughout the technology plan
that is evident to anyone reading the plan.
The district provides data on the current
use of the technology in the school system
as well. There are no current
recommendations for this section of the
plan at this time.