1.3 Policies, Procedures, Programs & Funding
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Candidates research, recommend, and implement policies, procedures, programs and funding strategies to support implementation of the shared vision represented in the school, district, state, and federal technology plans and guidelines. Funding strategies may include the development, submission, and evaluation of formal grant proposals. (PSC 1.3/ISTE 1c)
The Action / Evaluation Plan (ITEC 7410) directly follows up on the previous standards SWOT Analysis. The purpose of this artifact's creation was to set goals (for the upcoming school year - at the time) that directly align with the SWOT Analysis which can be planned for and evaluated upon completion. I created and completed all of the goals, success indicators, and evaluation methods needed for this plan to get started, along with the strategies needed, the timeline of the plan, and identified budget/funding sources and persons responsible for each goal. The following sections of this Action / Evaluation Plan are:
• Skilled Teachers
• Instructional Change
• Student Focused
• Diversity Considerations
• School Related
RESEARCH AND RECOMMEND POLICIES, PROCEDURES, PROGRAMS & FUNDING STRATEGIES
Through the creation of this artifact, all of the requirements for this standard have been met. I was able to meet with my school administrator to discuss the goals that I created to determine if they were obtainable within the time-frame given. I also provided the administrator with research which supported the goals and strategies for the Action / Evaluation Plan and recommended that our school should adopt this plan. Through researching other urban and rural Georgia school districts, I was able to determine, with the assistance of my administration, not only the actual programs that were already in place, but the procedures in which they are implemented. As most of the policies were already in place, and the procedures to ensure the Action Plan is research based with obtainable goals, and the programs used within the school already focus primarily on the already created School Improvement Plan, the only thing left to discuss was the funding of this initiative. Currently, we bring in experts to provide training to teachers, and those experts are not cheap. It was my suggestion to use the experts in our building to provide the same style of professional learning opportunities. We all have skin in the game, so working together should be an easy buy-in for all faculty members. Plus, it saves the school a few thousand dollars, each year, which then can be reallocated elsewhere.
IMPLEMENT POLICIES, PROCEDURES, PROGRAMS & FUNDING STRATEGIES
The administrator asked how I would be able to implement the plan for the school, which is a fair question. I responded that as a team, and all are on board, anything can be achieved. It would be impossible for a teacher to make this type of change, but the administrative team has the power to guide the staff through changes and the overall improvement of student and teacher learning. We have so many highly qualified and highly effective people in our school, it would be wise to use them as needed.
During these administrative meetings, and with creative planning with funding in mind, the idea of funding these initiatives became diverted and the implementation plan was more about staff strengths and weaknesses and who (staff experts) could lead specific initiatives in the Action Plan. As money is in short supply, highly qualified educators are not, and we decided that using the staff, not funds per say, to implement the Action Plan, is in the best interest of the school.
Through the progression of this artifact, I learned that the creation of the Action / Evaluation Plan was just the beginning of the journey. I then deduced that the implementation of the plan is going to be a whole other challenge of its own. There has to be a balancing act between the needs of the students, teachers, and school along with how to achieve everything needed, or wanted, within a school year.
The only difference made would be to incorporate my administrative team from the beginning as there needs to be true collaboration and buy-in for this action plan to take place. As this was just an assignment, and I am currently a teacher, all I can do is make recommendations. Still, if I had brought in the administrative team from the beginning, this assignment could have been a reality.
The impact of the Action / Evaluation Plan takes place in the "Evaluation Methods" that were suggested. The evaluation methods allow both teachers and administrators the chance to seek out change and identify it throughout the year. All of the evaluation methods were discussed and some were implemented with the already setup goals in our school improvement plan. Below are all of the evaluation methods that I recommended for this Action / Evaluation Plan. Again, some evaluation methods are in place for this school year.
• Skilled Teachers - Administrators will continue walk-throughs and observe content level meetings. The TKES process is in place and will be utilized to evaluate a content team’s overall technology implementation and integration.
• Instructional Change - The administrators will check lesson plans, conduct observations through walk-throughs and the TKES process and student completion of the lessons are evident through evidence.
• Student Focused - Teacher Observation, peer rubric review and completed student products.
• Diversity Considerations - Administer the same survey to both students and teachers through Google Forms where only 1 entry per person can be counted with login.
• School Related - Administrators and teachers will review the minutes to determine if the goals were met. A rubric will be created for the evaluation process.
If I had a different job/position with the school or district, the implementation process would be a bit different than it is now, however, other challenges, like management of staff during the plan, would arise. Most of the Action / Evaluation Plan is already being implemented within the school improvement plan.
• Skilled Teachers
• Instructional Change
• Student Focused
• Diversity Considerations
• School Related
RESEARCH AND RECOMMEND POLICIES, PROCEDURES, PROGRAMS & FUNDING STRATEGIES
Through the creation of this artifact, all of the requirements for this standard have been met. I was able to meet with my school administrator to discuss the goals that I created to determine if they were obtainable within the time-frame given. I also provided the administrator with research which supported the goals and strategies for the Action / Evaluation Plan and recommended that our school should adopt this plan. Through researching other urban and rural Georgia school districts, I was able to determine, with the assistance of my administration, not only the actual programs that were already in place, but the procedures in which they are implemented. As most of the policies were already in place, and the procedures to ensure the Action Plan is research based with obtainable goals, and the programs used within the school already focus primarily on the already created School Improvement Plan, the only thing left to discuss was the funding of this initiative. Currently, we bring in experts to provide training to teachers, and those experts are not cheap. It was my suggestion to use the experts in our building to provide the same style of professional learning opportunities. We all have skin in the game, so working together should be an easy buy-in for all faculty members. Plus, it saves the school a few thousand dollars, each year, which then can be reallocated elsewhere.
IMPLEMENT POLICIES, PROCEDURES, PROGRAMS & FUNDING STRATEGIES
The administrator asked how I would be able to implement the plan for the school, which is a fair question. I responded that as a team, and all are on board, anything can be achieved. It would be impossible for a teacher to make this type of change, but the administrative team has the power to guide the staff through changes and the overall improvement of student and teacher learning. We have so many highly qualified and highly effective people in our school, it would be wise to use them as needed.
During these administrative meetings, and with creative planning with funding in mind, the idea of funding these initiatives became diverted and the implementation plan was more about staff strengths and weaknesses and who (staff experts) could lead specific initiatives in the Action Plan. As money is in short supply, highly qualified educators are not, and we decided that using the staff, not funds per say, to implement the Action Plan, is in the best interest of the school.
Through the progression of this artifact, I learned that the creation of the Action / Evaluation Plan was just the beginning of the journey. I then deduced that the implementation of the plan is going to be a whole other challenge of its own. There has to be a balancing act between the needs of the students, teachers, and school along with how to achieve everything needed, or wanted, within a school year.
The only difference made would be to incorporate my administrative team from the beginning as there needs to be true collaboration and buy-in for this action plan to take place. As this was just an assignment, and I am currently a teacher, all I can do is make recommendations. Still, if I had brought in the administrative team from the beginning, this assignment could have been a reality.
The impact of the Action / Evaluation Plan takes place in the "Evaluation Methods" that were suggested. The evaluation methods allow both teachers and administrators the chance to seek out change and identify it throughout the year. All of the evaluation methods were discussed and some were implemented with the already setup goals in our school improvement plan. Below are all of the evaluation methods that I recommended for this Action / Evaluation Plan. Again, some evaluation methods are in place for this school year.
• Skilled Teachers - Administrators will continue walk-throughs and observe content level meetings. The TKES process is in place and will be utilized to evaluate a content team’s overall technology implementation and integration.
• Instructional Change - The administrators will check lesson plans, conduct observations through walk-throughs and the TKES process and student completion of the lessons are evident through evidence.
• Student Focused - Teacher Observation, peer rubric review and completed student products.
• Diversity Considerations - Administer the same survey to both students and teachers through Google Forms where only 1 entry per person can be counted with login.
• School Related - Administrators and teachers will review the minutes to determine if the goals were met. A rubric will be created for the evaluation process.
If I had a different job/position with the school or district, the implementation process would be a bit different than it is now, however, other challenges, like management of staff during the plan, would arise. Most of the Action / Evaluation Plan is already being implemented within the school improvement plan.