THE BROWN FOUNDATION, INC.

PROPOSAL SUMMARY

1. Name of Organization (including prior names if applicable):

Office Use Only
Reynolds Elementary School – Spring Independent School District REF#

Physical address: DOR:

3975 Gladeridge Drive Ver:

Houston, TX 77068 Eligible:

Mailing address (if different): LN:

Telephone number: (281) 890 - 8240

Fax number: (281) 891 - 8241
L M R

ACK D#
E-mail address: smallett@springisd.org or aperez5@springisd.org

Web address: https://www.springisd.org/reynolds

Contact person for inquiries regarding this proposal:

 Angeles Perez – principal
 Sarah Mallette – project manager

2. Name of specific Program/Project for which funding is requested:

The Reynolds Elementary Technology Innovation Grant

3. Funds Requested (must specify amount):………………………………$ 124,695.62

4. Brief History and Mission Statement of the Organization:

Since 1973, Reynolds Elementary has been a model school for excellence and academic achievement.
Our campus is home to 729 students from Pre-K to fifth grade and our school’s mission is to “empower all
students to become active, skillful, and responsible citizens by providing engaging curriculum through a safe
P.O. Box 130646  Houston, TX 77219-0646  (713) 523-6867  FAX (713) 523-2917
E-MAIL bfi@brownfoundation.org  www.brownfoundation.org
and supportive environment.” The Reynolds staff believes that together with the community we can “achieve
excellence by leading learners, capturing hearts and awakening minds” which is why teachers constantly
attend trainings to master their craft while researching new ways to help their students grow emotionally and
academically. Last school year, Reynolds received two awards from the Texas Education Agency for high
standardized test scores in Science and for increasing student growth from the previous year. However,
Reynolds still has lots of room for improvement in the content areas of reading and writing, which we are
hoping the technology implementation can positively affect.

5. Description of the Program/Project for which funding is requested:

The proposed title of our grant is the Reynolds Technology Innovation grant, which is designed to
help redesign and revolutionize current instructional practices. This grant will service students in grades
three through five by providing them with necessary technology that will allow them to learn content in a
new, engaging way. Currently, our students have two desktop computers in each classroom that use
Windows XP, an operating system that Microsoft has not supported since 2014. These computers no longer
qualify for updates with Microsoft, which makes the need for newer technology even greater. With state and
district calculations stating that 74.3% of our school population recognized as economically disadvantaged
and 44.9% of our students labeled as English language learners, we want to differentiate learning to
positively affect both content mastery but as well as language skills and overall behavior. According to a
2016 study by Maria Carruba, the “role of teachers is central to promote well-being in the classroom for all
students…” and “technology can support teachers to teach more inclusively and is an essential tool for
students to learn in a more effective way” (Carruba, 2016). The implementation of Chromebooks in the
classroom is not only to support and personalize learning but to help students modify problem behaviors that
sometimes distract them from learning grade level concepts. This grant will also fund 8 teachers’ enrollment
to the Ron Clark Academy professional development session that is designed to help them understand how to
effectively implement technology while also modernizing instructional practice to meet their students’ needs.
This training is revolutionary in the field of education and the academy models how to successfully integrate
technology into curriculum while providing strategies for ultimate classroom engagement and creating a
new, exciting campus environment. Since our teachers have been using out-of-date technology for so long,
teachers need to attend this training in order to understand how to use the Chromebooks to their maximum
potential and research potential tools to be implemented with lessons. The goal of this project is to strengthen
student comprehension of grade-level skills by implementing effective technology into the classroom while
providing teachers the skills and resources necessary to do so. The technology will serve as a supplement for
lessons and curriculum in the classroom and will not take the place of the teacher or other instructors.
Instead, this grant is focused on how technology will not only supplement and revolutionize instructional
methods and student comprehension of content, but also how technology can positively affect other
educational components, including behavior infractions, parental engagement, and teacher observation
scores.

6. If this is a unique project, please explain why such is the case. If it is of an ongoing nature,
provide justification for its worth/value:

This project is unique because it is the first of its kind in the Spring Independent School District.
Once this grant has proven its success, district officials have expressed interest in piloting it in other schools.
Other campuses have the same amount of technology, so this grant has the opportunity to modernize not just
Reynolds Elementary but the entire Spring district. The teachers will also attend a popular, premier training
at the Ron Clark Academy which is designed to not only model technology integration into lessons but to
teach teachers how to transform learning from the traditional pencil-paper method to project based learning
with technology integrated into each lesson. For the students, this project is unique because we will focus on
using technology as an intervention method instead of relying on a program to teach them new content. For

P.O. Box 130646  Houston, TX 77219-0646  (713) 523-6867  FAX (713) 523-2917
E-MAIL bfi@brownfoundation.org  www.brownfoundation.org
 struggling learners, the technology can be used to supplement their learning and help fill in learning gaps
from previous years while for students who are gifted and talented, the technology can be used as an
extension to elaborate on a specific topic. Technology tools such as MobyMax or Imagine Math can allow
students to fill in educational gaps from previous years and provide students an opportunity to learn content
in a new way while catching up to their peers. On the other hand, applications such as the National Library
of Virtual Manipulatives allow students to use digital math manipulatives that might not be provided in the
classroom, to deepen or extend their learning of a specific concept. For behavior, teachers can use ClassDojo
to not only record negative student behaviors but also positive ones, while allowing parents access to view
their child’s behavior in the classroom. The possibilities with implementing technology in the classroom are
limitless and our students can benefit from receiving the educational support they need and deserve. By
having an endless supply of support at their fingertips, the students can deepen their understanding of
content, practice skills in engaging ways, and collaborate with other peers using applications like Google
Classroom or goFormative. Seen below, the Ron Clark Academy implements technology into lessons that
allows for students to collaborate with their peers and their teacher to enrich learning.

7. Describe plans for administration and operation of the proposed project, including dates for
implementation and conclusion:

Method Completion Date

Administrators will make a copy of the TEA submitted list of office July 30, 2018
referrals and determine what type of infractions were most common. To
determine the types of infractions, administrators will need to use eSchool
and other write up forms to identify the causes then group them by action
committed.
Reynolds Elementary administrators will price check and select August 1, 2018 –
Chromebooks and charging carts. August 6, 2018
Administrators will meet with third-fifth grade teachers individually to August 7, 2018-
discuss their previous technology score on their evaluations. Teachers, August 10, 2018
both new and veteran, will be required to bring previous evaluations to the
meeting. If new to teaching, teachers will be required to bring goals they
hope to master by the end of the year.
3rd-5th grade teachers and administrators will organize and graph all state August 7, 2018
standards (TEKS) that will be addressed in the school year and sorting by
strong/weak.

P.O. Box 130646  Houston, TX 77219-0646  (713) 523-6867  FAX (713) 523-2917
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Once the most common infractions have been identified, administrators August 8, 2018
will meet with 3rd-5th teachers to determine if any can be reduced or
eliminated in the classroom by using technological tools.
Administrators and teachers will research or share technology-based August 8, 2018-
behavior intervention tools that are developmentally appropriate for the August 15, 2018
elementary age.
Inform the administration team regarding what technology-based behavior August 15, 2018-
management system, if any, they will be implementing in their classrooms September 12,
once the Chromebooks arrive. 2018
Reynolds administrators will purchase Chromebooks and charging carts. September 3,
2018-September
5, 2018
Selected teachers and administrators will attend the Ron Clark Academy. September 26,
This training will focus on technology and lesson enhancement strategies. 2018-September
29, 2018
Administrators and teacher trainees will model strategies for remaining October 1, 2018
teachers. Lesson plan requirements and expectations will then be set for
the remainder of the year.
3rd-5th teachers and administrators will create pre- and post-assessments October 15,
that will help prove the effectiveness of technology. 2018
Technology will be modeled by administrators or teacher trainees during October 22,
weekly team planning conferences to show how a tool can be used 2018
effectively with a specific lesson. Technology will be given a ten-minute
time period to discuss integration with lessons.
Teachers will introduce students to the Chromebooks and explain their October 22,
functions and how to keep them working satisfactorily. Teachers will also 2018
provide students with their log-in information and give students an
opportunity to explore the Chromes with his/her guidance.
Teachers and administrators will come together to assess office referrals, Once every nine
the actions committed, and their frequency. Both groups will use eSchool weeks, 4 times
and the technology sources to document interventions applied to the class total.
setting. Parents will be notified if necessary.
Administrators will begin informal walkthroughs monthly to determine Monthly from
effectiveness of implementation and if it is happening. October to June
Once the students begin to use the Chromebooks independently, the December 19,
teacher will walk around and aid students as necessary. The teacher will 2018
use a weekly checklist for six weeks to keep track of error frequency and
where students are having issues.
Administrators and teachers will compare the previous years’ behavioral May 31, 2019 –
data to the current. By then, the tools chosen at the beginning were used Summer of 2019
with enough fidelity to determine their effectiveness for future years.
Administrators will use either district provided technology or the
Chromebooks to goal set for future years and make the proper
adjustments.

P.O. Box 130646  Houston, TX 77219-0646  (713) 523-6867  FAX (713) 523-2917
E-MAIL bfi@brownfoundation.org  www.brownfoundation.org
Once assessments and the nine weeks benchmarks are completed at the Once every 9
end of the year, teachers and administrators will compare previous year weeks for one
scores on each standard to what they are with the technology school year,
implementation. This will be completed once at the end of each nine ending May 31,
weeks period for one school year. Teachers will use district curriculum, 2019.
student test scores and test breakdowns, state standards, and STAAR
scores. Overall, teachers and administrators are projecting to make at
least 25% growth on the standardized test scores from the 2017-2018
school year.
Administrators and participating teachers will compare last school year May 31, 2019-
teacher evaluations to the current year evaluations to determine strengths June 1, 2019
and areas of improvement for the future. Checklists, evaluation write-ups,
and lesson plans will be reviewed.

8. Financial Support Information: Amounts only listed here.

(Detailed budgets and lists of sources should confirm these figures.)

a. Current organizational operating budget (Title 1 and General):...….$___$62,741.00____

b. Budget for specific program/project to be funded:…..……………..$ $124,695.62___

c. Sources of support/amounts already committed to project:…...……$___ N/A_________

d. Sources of support/amounts requested/pending for project:……..…$___$63,959.97____

9. Describe the proposed method by which this program/project will be evaluated:

We aim to achieve the following project outcomes:

 Reduction in teacher turnover
 Implement technology in at least 26 out of 32 instructional weeks (80% of the time)
 Higher teacher evaluation scores
 25% increase in student content mastery based on standardized test scores
 30% reduction in total office referrals
 Increase in student technological fluency

Teachers and administrators will measure student performance, behavior and technological competency
but only administrators will complete the teacher components. Teachers and administrators will work
together to create weekly pre- and post- assessments for the students in order to demonstrate mastery of
content because of technology. Behavior will be assessed through the technology tools and reduction of
office referrals once every nine weeks, while device competency will be assessed through daily direct
observation and checklists for six weeks. Teachers will be assessed on implementation and instructional
methods monthly through formal and informal walkthroughs by both administrators and mentor teachers.
Teachers and administrators will also be asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire after each monthly
walkthrough to inform project administrators of their thoughts about the project, provide feedback, and
explain their thoughts on the technology implementation success thus far. The teachers can explain what they
thought went well, what did not work, and how they engaged students using the technology. To evaluate the
project’s achievement, teachers will use previous year test scores as a baseline and compare them to the
P.O. Box 130646  Houston, TX 77219-0646  (713) 523-6867  FAX (713) 523-2917
E-MAIL bfi@brownfoundation.org  www.brownfoundation.org
current. Success will be determined by any percentage growth on each state standard as well as assessment
scores. In addition to comparing student test scores, teachers will assign students a project over a certain
content area where students have a choice on how to display their mastery using technology. This assignment
will be graded by a rubric that students will have access to when completing their work. The students’
hopeful progress will determine if the technology integrated into lessons are having a positive effect on their
learning. Desired and expected long-term outcomes include content mastery growth, reduction in office
referrals, and higher teacher retention. Results from this project will be distributed to the principals, parents,
teachers, school board, and the Brown Foundation if the funding request is approved. The evaluation
methods support the project goals and objectives because we are assessing the strength of technology
implementation, the support teachers receive, and the effect it has on student learning, which all derive from
the original need of stronger teachers and technology in the classroom to modernize and enhance learning for
all students.

Signature of Chief Administrator Signature of Board Officer

Print Name & Title Print Name & Title

Designate (*) next to name of individual responsible for receipt of official correspondence.

Sources:

Carruba, M. (2016, November). Classroom management and inclusion: pedagogical and technological

approach. Retrieved August 3, 2018.

P.O. Box 130646  Houston, TX 77219-0646  (713) 523-6867  FAX (713) 523-2917
E-MAIL bfi@brownfoundation.org  www.brownfoundation.org