The 2008 progress report shows the progress made on the Long-Range Plan for Technology from September 2006-August 2008. The report is a lengthy document that summarizes the progress in the four main areas of teaching and learning, educator preparation and development, leadership, administration and instructional support, and infrastructure.
The section on teaching and learning find that their study showed that the strongest predictor of improvement of TAKS scores in both reading and math was the students’ use of laptops at home for learning. Total technology immersion shows that students learning time extended, showed ownership, pride, responsibility, and motivation in learning. Some of the positive effects of online learning include flexibility of schedule and pace, mentoring opportunities, professional development for educators, expanded access, and helps to prepare to students for technology.
The progress report in regards to professional developments shows that 100% of all educators meet SBEC standards and that 30% of the technology budget is allotted for professional development. However 74% of campuses were at the developing level in the 2006-2007 school year, and that number remained the same for the 2007-2008 school year. The progress report also highlights various programs for staff development such as: The STAR Grant in Action, The Intel Teach Program, and Texas Principal Excellence Program.
The progress report section of leadership, administration, and instructional support highlights the importance of strong leadership in regards to implementation. According to the star chart the majority of campuses fall into the developing or advance areas, very few are in the target or early. The report highlights importance the Educational Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC) has played. This section also summarized the STaR Chart tool.
The progress report summarizes how the state is meeting the requirements in regards to infrastructure. Over half of the campus received an advanced rating on the STaR chart. Various infrastructures summarize and budgeting issues are summarized. The importance of internet safety is also addressed in the section of the report.
