EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Educational Excellence prepares kindergartners through 5^th grades students of Springfield, Massachusetts for academic success and engaged citizenship through insistence on rigorous, challenging work, and incorporation of Dr. King’s commitment to the highest standards in scholarship, civic participation and ideal of beloved community. The mission of MLK Charter School is academic excellence. The learning goals of Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence are:

1.      Students achieve excellence in scholarship.

2.      Students understand and personify responsible and engaged citizenship

3.      Students, supported by their parents and community, share the ideal of the beloved community.

Our students receive an individualized program of instruction in classes averaging 20 students. We will open our doors in September 2006 with 180 students in grades K-2. The school is located in the Alden Baptist Church, 649 State St., Springfield, MA. The space has a gym, cafeteria, 10 classrooms and 10 offices. Each year we will add 60 students and growth to a total enrollment of 360 students in 2011.  Our instructional method is constructivist pedagogy. We believe that students learn best when knowledge is constructed from experience.

VISION 

Our vision is to create a learning community of technologically literate life-long learners able to interact successfully in a technological environment to achieve their personal, educational, and workplace goals.  Our students, faculty, and parents will use technology to access, retrieve and use information, and communicate within the school and community. By using the Internet we can gain an understanding of the worldwide resources available for communications, research and problem solving.

MISSION STATEMENT

The success of this vision is dependent upon the ability of our teachers to take advantage of educational technology in the context of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School Curriculum.  It is our intent to:

• Provide all students and staff with state of the art technology as an integral part of teaching and learning by:
• Developing a school wide system of sustained technology professional development.
• Incorporating technology competencies and their appropriate application in all curriculum areas.
• Developing a system for equitable purchase of computer equipment and other technology devices
• Use technology to enhance communication among the community, families and the schools by.
• Developing a system that provides electronic communication through the use of district-wide and school-based web pages, e-mail and voice mail.
• We plan to finance this initiative through Federal, State, and private resources

BELIEFS

Students need to be able to use a wide variety of technological tools to enhance their future success as learners and workers.

• Our school must prepare students for today's workplace and the workplace of the future.
• Our school must prepare students to be lifelong learners who are responsible for their own learning, skilled in accessing and processing information, confident in using technological tools, able to solve complex problems alone or collaboratively, capable of being creative and innovative, and able to communicate locally, nationally, and world- wide.
• It is imperative for all students to have access to information via technology as a basis for lifelong learning.
• It is essential for all learners, including educators, to process and manage information through the skillful use of technology.
• Skillful use of technology supports the development of process skills such as flexibility, adaptability, HOTS (higher order thinking skills), critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration, which are essential to success in our rapidly changing information age.
• Networked technology systems permit efficient and effective communications within and outside the school and community.
• Technology allows us to better serve the diverse learning styles of our students.
• Technology maximizes productivity and efficiency, and enables schools to better prepare students for future learning.

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

Standard 1. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of computers and applications as well as understanding of concepts underlying hardware, software.

Kindergarten- 4^th grade                     Exploratory Concepts and Skills

1.1  Develop basic skills for using hardware and applications (e.g., open/close a file, navigate using scroll bars, arrow keys, and mouse).

1.2  Use correct terminology for basic components of a computer system (e.g., monitor, keyboard, disk, printer, mouse), and develop understanding of their basic functions.

1.3  At district and teacher’s discretion explore and develop keyboarding skills. (The district determines whether students will learn touch typing or simply become familiar with keyboarding functions.)

1.4  Explore basic formatting features of a word processing program (at teacher’s discretion).

1.5  Explore and understand the basic function and purpose of a database.

1.6  Explore and understand the basic function and purpose of a spreadsheet.

1.7  Collaborate with classmates to use teachers-selected websites.

1.8  Collaborate with classmates and teacher to send email message (at the discretion of district and teacher).

1.9  Collaborate with classmates and teacher to create slide presentation with exiting template.

1.10          Explore the use of drawing and painting applications for class projects ( at teachers discretion).

 Standard 2. Demonstrate responsible use of technology and an understanding of ethics and safety issues in using electronic media.

2.1 Follow classroom rules for responsible use of computers.

2.2 Develop understanding of the school’s rules for safe and ethical Internet use. (Use of Internet in this gradespan is under close supervision and determined by district policy.)

2.3 Explore practices for evaluating Web sites (District policy determines Internet use.)

2.4 Develop an understanding of how the computer is a tool for learning.

2.5 Explore issues of ergonomics and safety in using computers.

Standard 3. Demonstrate ability to use technology to use technology for research, problem-solving, and communication. Students locate, evaluate, collect, and process information from a variety of electronic sources. Students use telecommunications and other media to interact or collaborate with peers, experts, and other audiences.

3.1  Explore an develop understanding of how to gather information from a variety of  

electronic sources, including teacher-selected Web sites, CD-ROM encyclopedias,  and automated card catalog.

3.2  Explore the use of applications programs (e.g., word processing, database, spreadsheet) for organizing information into charts, tables, and programs.

3.3  Explore the use of content-specific tools to enhance understanding of curriculum content  (e.g., environmental problems sensors, robotics, simulation software, and measuring devices).

3.4  Collaborate with classmates and teacher in creating a multimedia presentation to communicate learning with others.

3.5  Collaborate with classmates and teacher to exchange e-mail with another classroom (at discretion of district and teacher).

TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

            We have assembled a group of five school members and stakeholders to act as an advisory team to monitor the implementation of this plan as well as act as an advisory council for future technology improvements.

Duties and Responsibilities 

1. Oversea the implementation of the School Technology Plan.
2. Catch potential problems early in the program so they can be corrected before more serious problems occur.
3. Analyze and recommend assessment measures to monitor staff development progress for staff and students.
4. Act as an advisory board for purchase of new software, outside staff development, and equipment.
5. Act as a liaison between staff and the administration.
6. Set policy and procedures for the use of the tech center, policy regarding use of facilities, and new proposed programs.
7. Develop and update our Acceptable Use Policy

Establish a computer replacement cycle every five years

OUR STAFF NEEDS ASSESSMENT

• All staff members will complete a Massachusetts Technology Self-Assessment Tool annually.
• This information is used to create professional development strategies.

FORMALIZED STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT

• Offer content-specific training programs that emphasize a level of technology proficiency.
• Continue staff development programs to move from proficiency to the integration level.
• Establish lead learners for peer-to-peer mentoring of staff to assist transitioning knowledge and skills from the training lab to the classroom.
• Design and conduct training in use of technology for new teachers.
• Assess all staff development courses upon completion using participant surveys.
• Measure the number and percent of teachers requesting and receiving training by types of training.
• Observe teachers in the classroom for transfer of knowledge from staff development to practice.
• Collect and analyze lesson plans produced at professional development using rubrics.

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

• Teacher will use technology to plan lessons, research topics, and share information
• Teachers will use technology with students to conduct research, produce multimedia presentations, use email to communicate with other classrooms
• The school will employ a full time technology teacher to help with technology integration.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

• The school will contract with and outside agency for server and infrastructure support.
• The technology teacher will trouble shoot desktop support
• In 2007 the school will hire a part time technician to handle desktop and printer issues

 THREE YEAR PLAN

2006-2007

• Build a network using Cat 6  for 10/100 and gigabit connectivity to the desktop
• Install DNS, email, file and print, and  web servers
• Establish at least a T-1 Internet connection
• Install wireless access points throughout the building
• Investigate interactive video learning and delivery
• Install 24 computers in a lab with projection device.
• Install a teacher computer in every classroom
• Investigate and purchase a web based student information system

2007-2008

• Install 5 computers and a network printer in the classrooms
• Conduct technology staff development for teachers
• Deploy a wireless laptop cart of 20 computers for school use in place of classroom computers
• Create and maintain a district web site with information for parents and students
• Conduct staff development on the student information system

2008-2009

• Develop a computer replacement plan
• Investigate the use of Smart Boards for the classrooms
• Investigate the use of I Pods to deliver educational content

BUDGET