37 Alderman Street
Springfield, MA 01108
413-782-9111
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
New Leadership Charter School (NLCS) is a college preparatory school that emphasizes academic achievement, character development, leadership development and community service. NLCS was created with its partnering organization, the Urban League of Springfield, Inc. in 1998 and was established as a Horace Mann Charter School by the Massachusetts Board of Education, with the endorsement of the Springfield School Committee and the Springfield Education Association. As such, it is a Springfield Public School managed by an independent board of trustees and has the latitude to develop innovative educational programs.
In June 2004, NLCS graduated its first class of seniors. Today, the school serves approximately 500 Springfield students in grades 6 through 12.
VISION
Our vision is to create a learning community of technologically literate and lifelong learners able to interact successfully in a technological environment to achieve their personal, educational, and professional 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 mission of New Leadership Charter School is to develop young people in the 6 through 12 grades morally, mentally and physically; and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty. Graduates will be academically prepared to attend a college or university of their choice. They will embody three cardinal principles of leadership: vision, integrity, and compassion.
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 NLCS 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 related professional development.
•Incorporating technology competencies and their appropriate application in all curriculum areas.
•Using technology to enhance communication among the community, families and the school.
BELIEFS
Students need to be able to use a wide variety of technological tools to enhance their future success as learners and workers. To this end,
•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 worldwide.
•Our students will have access to information via technology as a basis for lifelong learning.
•Our students and staff will process and manage information through the skillful use of technology.
•Our school will support the development of 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.
•Our networked technology systems will permit efficient and effective communications within and outside
the school and community.
•Our use of technology will allow us to better serve the diverse learning styles of our students.
•Our use of technology will maximize productivity and efficiency, and enable us to better prepare students
for future learning.
TECHNOLOGY PERSONNEL
NLCS is committed to maintaining a core group of staff members charged with the following responsibilities:
1.Oversee the implementation of the Educational 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 technology and facilities.
7.Maintain and update our Acceptable Use Policy.
8.Update our Internet Safety Policy.
9.Establish a computer replacement cycle every five years.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
NLCS will offer content-specific training programs that emphasize technology proficiency. We will continue staff development programs to move from proficiency to the integration of technology throughout the curriculum.
In-house workshops as well as workshops provided by SPS, DESE, and outside vendors will include:
•Continued training in the use of technologies such as Grade Quick, ATI, and Rediker.
•Ongoing assessment of all staff development courses upon completion using participant surveys as well
as measuring the number and percent of teachers requesting and receiving training.
•Workshops on the use of various software and technologies (e.g., Excel, Plato)
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
1.Teachers will use technology resources to plan lessons, research topics, and share information.
2.Teachers will use computer resources with students to conduct research and produce multimedia
presentations.
3.Technology personnel will assist with technology integration.
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
NLCS will hire a full-time technician and data coordinator to support all of the schools technology needs for the 2010-2014 technology plan period.
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS: FIVE YEAR PLAN
There are two IT tasks at NLCS: a) User Support and b) Infrastructure Support
There are three broad categories of User Support at NLCS:
1.Student (Academic) use (see page 6)
2.Teacher (Academic / Administrative) use
3.Staff (Administrative) use
The following are competency criteria for teachers and staff:
•Certain fundamental computer operations competency (e.g., file management, typing ability, backup,
starting programs, emailing attachments, etc)
•Certain GENERAL Software competency (e.g., ability to deal with text formatting in Word, proper data
input in Excel, making a simple presentation in PowerPoint, etc.)
•Certain SPECIFIC software competency (e.g., graphing in Excel, making a sophisticated PowerPoint, any proprietary software – ESPED, Autodialer, etc.)
•Certain Internet competency (e.g., basic use of browsers, webmail, how to save item from the web,
how to post info in forums, etc.)
•Certain media competency (e.g., working a projector, understanding media file types, watching online
media, speakers, mp3 players, etc.)
•Certain SPECIFIC GradeQuick competency
•Certain SPECIFIC AdminPlus competency
B) Infrastructure Support
•Develop an Intranet (internal website) infrastructure, rich in teacher and administrative functions
•Implement a standardized calendaring system, with user-level secured access.
•Implement a standardized messaging (e.g., email) system.
•Develop a higher level security environment by implementing Active Directory, with finer levels of resource access
•Develop higher level, more secure backup and restore procedures
•Develop standardized data storage procedures for staff (e.g., teachers, administrators, and other staff
members)
•Implement a stricter and more secure printing policy
•Implement resource-use logging systems (e.g., toner or copier usage)
•Acquire and set up a high school computer lab (e.g., up to 25 desktops with printing support)
•Acquire and set up a portable Media Lab (e.g., music/video editing)
•Concretize policies for equipment acquisition, inventory, and disposal
•Develop a student-centered PC recycling/refurbishing program
•Develop and implement a finer level Internet Resource Access policy (e.g., multimedia access for
classroom use)
•Acquire a portable, media cart-based computer lab
•Develop a remote access policy and procedure (e.g., ability to access necessary data from remote
locations)
•Implement mobile access into a messaging system (e.g., IPhone/Android access to messaging)
•Enrich district and school website with more informative and dynamically updated content
Through classroom instruction, electives, specials, and content-specific lessons and workshops, students will develop the following technology competencies:
Grades 6-8
By the end of 8th grade students should:
Standard 1. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of computers and applications as well as an understanding of
concepts underlying hardware, software, and connectivity.
a)Identify components of a computer system, understand their functions, and use appropriate
terminology in speaking about them.
b)Identify and use basic features of a computer operating system.
c)Save a file to the desktop, the hard drive, and external storage spaces.
d)Select a printer and print a document with appropriate page setup and orientation.
e)Develop efficient keyboarding technique within the content areas.
f) Identify and use editing and formatting features of a word processing program.
g)Insert images from other files into word processed documents.
h)Describe structure and function of database and identify components.
i)Create an original database, defining field formats and adding new records.
j)Perform simple operations in a database.
k)Describe structure and function of a spreadsheet and apply formatting features.
l)Create an original spreadsheet, entering simple formulas.
m) Produce simple charts from a spreadsheet.
n)Identify and sue navigation features of a browser.
o)Using a browser, “bookmark” a Web-site for future reference.
p)Identify basic elements of a Web-site.
q)Copy an image from a Web-site into a file on the desktop; write a correct citation caption in
keeping with copyright law.
r)Using e-mail, create, send and receive messages according to the guidelines stated in the Districts Acceptable Use Policy (AUP),.
s)Use correct terminology in speaking about electronic communications.
t)Create a slide presentation using appropriate applications.
u)Identify and use drawing and painting applications as appropriate for class projects.
v)Identify appropriate applications for a classroom project.
Standard 2. Demonstrate responsible use of technology and an understanding of ethics and safety issues in
using electronic media.
a)Explain and demonstrate understanding of classroom rules regarding responsible use of
computers.
b)Explain and demonstrate ethical and legal behavior in copying files, applications, and media.
c)Explain potential problems of computer viruses and exercise caution in opening email attachment from unknown sources.
d)Explain safe practices for sharing personal information via email and the internet.
e)Describe and demonstrate knowledge of the school’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), and know the consequences of violating that policy.
f) Validate a Web-site for authenticity.
g)Explain how media and technology can be misused to distort or exaggerate information.
h)Write correct citations for text and images gathered from electronic sources. Understand that use of materials is limited by the fair use rule of copyright law.
i)Develop an awareness of the issue of ergonomics and how to use equipment safely.
Standard 3. Demonstrate ability 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.
a)In keeping with the research process outline in Standard 24 of the English Language Arts
Curriculum Framework, identify electronic sources of information.
b)Use search engines effectively to find relevant unbiased and current information on a subject.
c)Organize information that is collected using a variety of tools.
d)Communicate results of research and learning with others using the most appropriate tools.
e)Manipulate data using charting tools and graphic organizers to connect ideas and organize information.
f)Under teacher’s guidance use email to communication with others.
Grades 9-12
By the end of 12th grade students should:
(Continue to address earlier skills as needed)
Standard 1. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of computers and applications as well as an understanding of concepts underlying hardware, software, and connectivity.
a)Demonstrate file management skills
b)Run multiple applications simultaneously, alternating among them.
c)Troubleshoot simple hardware and software problems as they occur.
d)Identify and use methods for transferring, and converting graphic, sound, and video files. Use
different graphic file formats where appropriate.
e)Save (also retrieve, load, and import) a word-processed document in different file formats.
f) Use a variety of external peripherals and understand how they connect to a computer.
g)Perform efficient keyboarding technique within the content areas.
h)Import/export and link data between word-processed document and other applications.
i) Use features of a database program such as mailing labels and mail merges.
j) Import/export and link data between database and other applications.
k)Use advanced formatting features of a spreadsheet application.
l)Use formulas in a spreadsheet application.
m)Customize formatting of charts or graphs created in spreadsheet.
n)In a spreadsheet application, use various number formats as appropriate.
o)In a browser, organize bookmarks into folders for further reference.
p)Know how to select and use search engines. Understand the differences between search
engines.
q)Explain effective search strategies to locate and retrieve electronic information.
r) Using email, create an address book. (Use of email is according to the guidelines specified in the
s)Share files as attachments in an email message. (District discretion applies.)
t) Create a multimedia presentation, desktop-published report, or Web-page that incorporates data from other files.
u) Create and manipulate illustrations using a drawing or painting program.
v)Identify capabilities of technology resources and understand how they can be used for lifelong
w) Select the appropriate technology tool for a task.
Standard 2. Demonstrate responsible use of technology and an understanding of ethics and safety issues in using electronic media.
a)Identify ways in which technology is used in the workplace and in society.
b)Demonstrate an understanding of the school’s Acceptable Use Policy.
c)Explain laws restricting use of copyrighted d material on the Internet.
d)Explain how to evaluate electronic sources of information.
e)Cite electronic sources correctly.
f)Understand issues of ergonomics and practice safe use of equipment.
Standard 3. Demonstrate ability 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.
a)In conducting research use all appropriate electronic sources.
b)Integrate electronic research results into a research project.
c)Routinely evaluate Web-sites for authenticity when using them.
d)Present information, ideas, and results of work using any of a variety of communications
technologies.
e)Collect, organize, analyze, and graphically present data using the most appropriate tools.
f)Import graphics, photos, and other media into report or presentation, citing sources appropriately.
g)Create multiple links among various pieces of information residing in different applications.
h)Demonstrate how specialized technology tools can be used for problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity.
i)Demonstrate the function of electronic conferencing tools such as Internet bulletin boards,
listserv, electronic classrooms, or interactive video.
j)At the discretion of the district, exchange email independently under the guidelines specified in
the District Acceptable Use Policy.
