Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The district is accredited through the Middle States Association of Colleges and
Schools and provides an inclusive educational system from kindergarten through grade
twelve. County Area includes five primary buildings, K - 3, an Elementary School
(grades 4 - 5 - 6), a Middle School (grades 7 - 8) and a Senior High School (grades 9 12). The student enrollment for 2014-15 is 4584 with a student to teacher ratio of 12:1.
Looking more specifically at the schools, County Area School District is comprised of
predominantly Caucasian students. Family household income for the most part is within
the range of $50,000 to $100,000 with 21% of students receiving free or reduced lunch.
Department of Education is now using a data analysis system that County Area School
District has adopted. It provides an academic performance score for public schools in
the state and is designed to inform the public of school performance, provide a building
level score for educators, allow the public to compare schools across the state, give
schools a method to analyze their strengths and needs.
One need in particular that the district continues to build on is the integration of
technology into the educational setting. The number of devices purchased for each
school is based on enrollment of students with approximately 2750 computers district
wide. As far as computer labs, students have ample access with all 5 primary schools
having at least 1 computer lab while the elementary school provides students (grades 4,
5, and 6) with 6 labs and a robotics lab. Students at the middle school level have four
computer labs and a tech-ed lab. County Area High School has 6 computer labs, a
robotics lab, a Cad/Drafting lab, and a Mac Video Production studio. High School
students also have access to a virtual classroom that provides students with simulated
educational adventures. In the fall of 2014, 700 more iPads will be placed into students
hands. With all the technology the district has to offer, it is imperative that County Area
is able to link technological resources with the learning environment. The Maturity
Model Benchmarks from the Technology Use Plan Primer, is one such way to assess a
school's technology. This plan helped to evaluate County Area School District's
technology use.
Administrative
Policy
Behavioral: Intelligent
Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent
Comments: County Area School District has an Acceptable Use of Technology Policy
in place. The Board supports the use of computers, Internet, and other network
resources in the district's instructional and operational programs to ensure technology is
available for use in facilitating learning, teaching, and daily operations. Technology use
for staff and students allows for interpersonal communications as well as access to
information, research, and collaboration. For instructional purposes, use of technology
is varied to adapt to instructional needs, learning, styles, abilities, and developmental
levels of students. Regulations are also in place to ensure that students are educated
on network etiquette and other appropriate online behavior.
Planning
Behavioral: Integrated
Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent
Comments: A formal process for short term and long term planning is completed
annually to ensure that all projects are meeting the educational needs of the students
and sufficient funding sources are in place. A comprehensive Pennsylvania Department
of Education Technology Plan is submitted every 5 years as part of the state required
comprehensive planning process. Individuals involved in the planning process are the
Director of Curriculum and Technology, Assistant to the Superintendent, Principals and
Assistant Principals, Department Chairs, Grade Level Support Teachers, and Central
Office Technology Staff.
Budget
Behavioral: Integrated
Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated
Comments: Budgeting for technology is included in the general operating budget as
well as Construction, Repair, and Renovation (CR&R) budgets. As far as long term
budgeting County Area uses leases for equipment for long-term projects such as
Project ACE.
Administrative Information
Behavioral: Integrated
Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent
Comments: The use of technology for administrative purposes is available for all
administrators and staff. They are accessed through electronic notification and system
accounts. Technologies among the schools are used for things such as online course
management (Blackboard Learn) and a paperless system is in place for school board
meetings, report cards, and progress reports.
Connectivity
Local Area Networking
Behavioral: Islands
Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated
Comments: LAN access is available in all eight schools. Hardwired and CISCO wireless
technology is available with load balancing and network monitoring. Approved guests
have access to Wi-Fi when visiting all of the schools within the district with the High
School having 36 wireless points throughout the building. An Alcatel-Lucent VOIP
system for all district wide phones and voicemail is utilized throughout the district. Staff
and students use available networks often for things such as emailing, social
networking, downloading apps and software, etc. Students are now being introduced to
more sophisticated ways to use technology through the Mac Video Production studio
and having access to a virtual classroom that provides students with simulated
educational adventures.
District Area Networking (WAN)
Behavioral: Islands
Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated
Comments: Along with LAN access, each school has access to WAN that returns to
Central Office through a spoked network provided by CISCO controlling system. Service
is provided through the Allegheny County Wide Area Network (Allegheny Connect).
The district is one of 41 districts that is partnering with the local Intermediate Unit to
create a Regional Wide Area Network (RWAN) that will offer member districts 20mb
access to the internet and interconnectivity between districts.
Internet Access
Behavioral: Integrated
Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent
Comments: Direct LAN internet access is available at all 8 schools within the district. 1
GB fiber optic connection from building to building and building to outside. Students and
staff utilize the internet daily as part of the general instructional programs in the district.
Student use ranges from projects, class assignments, assessments, knowledge
acquisition, library research and career searches. Staff use of internet comes in various
forms from having students engage in educational apps through in class IPads to
creating project based learning opportunities.
Communication Systems
Behavioral: Intelligent
Resource/Infrastructure: Intelligent
Comments: Email accounts are provided for staff as well as students in grades 4-12.
These student are assigned log-in accounts and assigned network storage for saving
assignments, projects, etc. Beginning in 2014-2015 students at County Area Middle
School and High School will receive email addresses through Google Drive. Parents
have access to a custom designed web based interface Parent Portal provided by OnHands Schools. Teachers are required to post information on homework assignments,
test dates, grades, attendance, etc. through this portal. Teachers also frequently email
parents regarding what is going on in the classroom and the PTO sends district wide
information electronically as well. Students lunch accounts are also managed by
parents through MyPaymentsPlus which sends emails to parents and allows them to
check balance, what the student purchases, add money to the account, etc.
Innovation
New Technologies
Behavioral: Islands
Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated
Comments: New technologies are generally very welcomed at County Area School
District. Implementation is widely accepted by staff who fine tune the use of these
technologies within the classroom. Staff embraces technology use in the classroom
and take great pride in delivering a first class educational experience through
technology.
Comprehensive Technologies
Behavioral: Integrated
Resource/Infrastructure: Integrated
Comments: County Area School District offers a variety of hard and soft technologies
including iPads, Laptop carts, Promethean Boards, Document Cameras, educational
technology programs (such as Blackboard, Discovery Education, Study Island, RazKids, Alecks), computer labs, and Classroom Performance Systems (CPS). With the
variety of options for students and teachers there is still room for more advanced
techniques which the district is working towards with the additions over the past 4 years
of robotics labs, a Cad/Drafting lab, Mac Video Production studio, and the newest a
virtual classroom for simulated educational adventures.
Conclusion
With regards to County Area School Districts linking of technology resources to
their schools learning environments, I would place this institution in the Integrated
Systems Stage. Overall, County Area received an integrated or intelligent score
primarily in the resource/infrastructure area of each category. The administration is
extremely supportive and involved in the planning and implementation of technology.
Talks of technology integration continues in the district with regards to one of the long
term projects, Project ACE, which received another supportive vote by the Board of
School Directors who approved the purchase of nearly 700 more iPads for the fall 2014
school year. This is essential when continuing to use technology to educate as well as
continuing talks regarding the introduction of new technologies.
What became apparent through the evaluation was that there are definitely
needs regarding the behavioral aspects of technology use in the classroom by teachers.
This was seen in the areas of training, technical & infrastructure support, electronic
information, and assessment. All of these areas focus on staff utilization and integration
into the classrooms which relies heavily on the teachers. Though technology is
generally accepted by teachers, supports provide by highly trained educational
technology staffed teachers are regularly not utilized.
County Area School Districts overall score of integrated shows incredible
promise in the continued use of technology to educate its students. It also shows that
there is room for growth in many areas which I feel will occur for years to come. This
opinion is supported by the fact that the district follows a formal process for short term
and long term annual planning to ensure that all projects are meeting the educational
needs of the students and sufficient funding sources are in place.