Joshua+Sherman

**Performance Improvement Intervention Proposal**  **By: Joshua Sherman**

__ **Module I** __

Chambersburg Area School District District web site - http://www.chambersburg.k12.pa.us
 * Name of Organization:**


 * Description of Problem(s):** After discussing potential performance improvement interventions with CASD Technology Director, Dr. Mark Long, I have identified three potential problem areas this project could pursue.


 * Option #1** - There is room to improve communication and collaboration opportunities in the Chambersburg Area School District. Communication could be improved between students, between students and staff, and between staff members. A possible solution would be to implement GoogleDocs and an Intranet for student and staff to collaborate and communicate more effectively.


 * Option #2** - The second option is based around work environment incentives for district support staff. The support staff contract currently states that individuals must complete 45 hours of training in order to receive a $0.20/hour raise. The performance gap exists in the lack of an efficient method for support staff to complete the required training hours. A possible solution would be to design an online support staff training outline that would allow support staff to take courses and apply them toward salary advancement.


 * Option #3** - Chambersburg, like many districts in Pennsylvania, is experiencing a budget crisis. We are also in the midst of two building projects at the secondary level (academic high school and vocational high school). There is currently no funding in either construction budget for the acquisition of 21st-century technologies in the classrooms. That said, option three may focus on writing a grant to acquire appropriate technologies to further district technology initiatives.

**Summary of Organization:** The Chambersburg Area School District is a large district both geographically and by student population. Total student enrollment for the 2009-2010 school year was 8,660 students spread over fourteen elementary and three secondary buildings. Chambersburg's geographic location, Franklin County (south-central Pennsylvania), is mostly rural, yet the district maintains a very diverse demographic with a burgeoning Hispanic population. An expanding population couple with aging buildings has led to the onset of several building projects within the district. Unfortunately the economic woes of the country have effected the district in the middle of said building projects. A looming budget crisis is threatening the inclusion of various technologies in the new buildings.

**CASD Mission Statement:** The Chambersburg Area School District will partner with families and community to prepare all students for success as responsible citizens and life-long learners.

**// Workforce Development Goals //**
 * CASD GOALS **
 * // Student Achievement Goals //**
 * Student knowledge and skills will improve in reading, math and science as measured by an increase on the PSSA of 2% per year.
 * Academic achievement benchmarks will be developed and implemented for grades 5,8 and 11.
 * Remediation and alternative programs will be developed and implemented for grade 5, 8 and 11 for students not achieving benchmarks.
 * Students will be required to achieve the benchmarks in order to receive a CASHS diploma.
 * Graduation requirements will be reviewed every two years and revised as needed to remain competitive.
 * The CASD will develop and implement more alternative programs to increase student achievement.
 * // Communication Goals //**
 * A school newsletter will be sent with each progress report and report card.
 * The CASD will maintain an up to date newsletter on the District web page for communication with the public.
 * Student grades will be available to students and parents electronically.
 * The CASD will develop and implement a public relations department by the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year.
 * The CASD will develop and implement K-12 career education and work standards.
 * The CASD will form a work force committee to connect school and career.

 //**Key Personnel with insights the to stated performance problems:**//

Dr. Mark Long - director of technology Dr. Joseph Padasak - CASD Superintendent Dr. Eric Michael - Assistant Superintendent in charge of curriculum and technology Dave Kirkpatrick - Network Manager (technology department) Craig Kirkpatrick - Network Specialist (technology department)

__**Module II**__

**Performance Gap at CASD** Currently the technological means for communication within the Chambersburg Area School District consists of an internal email system for staff-to-staff communication. There are no technological constructs that would facilitate student-to-student or student-to-staff communication and collaboration outside of the Blackboard classrooms. (There are currently a dozen courses at the Chambersburg High School that utilize Blackboard via Blended Schools to teach classes online for 40% of the curriculum.)

**Existing Level of Performance** - The majority of Chambersburg students rely on face-to-face instruction and discussion as a means of communication and collaboration.

**Desired Level of Performance** - Students are able to communicate and collaborate with other students and staff members in a safe and efficient manner outside of the traditional classroom as well as within the classroom.

**Cause Analysis** //**Why do I think the problem developed within the CASD?**//

Over the years face-to-face communication and collaboration was a sufficient means of interaction between students and staff. Therefore, as the district has progressed technologically over the last 15-20 years a method for online communication and collaboration has been an afterthought. There is also a stigmatic fear in public education of allowing students to communicate electronically. This fear stems from the threat of legal ramifications that could result from student misuse of electronic communications. These fears are being eased in the CASD as more and more Web 2.0 technologies and online learning opportunities are being implemented into curriculum's. Students and staff are utilizing these technologies with minimal incidents of misuse and excellent learning outcomes.

//**Why does this gap exist?**//

Most recently the CASD, as other districts around the state of Pennsylvania, has experienced budget hardships. Technological advancements have suffered as a result of the budget crisis. There would be a financial cost to implementing GoogleDocs and an intranet in the CASD. Costs would include the installation of the intranet as well as training of staff on the use of GoogleDocs and the intranet.

**CASD Background Part II** //**What information about CASD would be useful to help in the planning of an appropriate intervention?**//

The diverse population and large number of sub-groups (identified by the state of Pennsylvania) within the CASD make many of the schools at risk in terms of achieving designated scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests. Presently the district has one elementary school identified as a "turnaround" school (could result in a school closure if scores do not turnaround) and two of the three secondary buildings are on the states "school improvement" list for not reaching the designated benchmarks. This issue is reflected in the "Student Achievement Goals" established by the district. The following goal is particularly germane to the identified performance gap: "The CASD will develop and implement alternative programs to increase student achievement". Traditionally this goal has resulted in the implementation of re-mediated programs for students not achieving PSSA benchmarks. As these programs fail to move all students up in scores the door opens for alternative ideas.

//**Where would the organization like to be in a reasonable period of time? Who makes those decisions within the CASD?**//

It is a reasonable goal to train staff and implement the use of GoogleDocs within a school year. The implementation and training on the use of an intranet could reasonably be accomplished within two years. The three main individuals responsible for making decisions on this intervention are Dr. Mark Long (Director of Technology), Dr. Eric Michael (Assistant Superintendent in charge of curriculum and technology), and Dr. Joseph Padasak (Superintendent)

= **Module III - Three Intervention Strategies** =

**Low-cost Strategy: Creation of Facebook pages**

A possible low-cost solution for closing the communication/collaboration performance gap in the CASD is to employ a free social networking site. The Chambersburg High School recently created a page on Facebook. The goal of this page is to keep students, staff, parents, and alumni informed of important high school events. This could also be used to address the performance gap. I would suggest beginning with departmental pages where staff and students could collaborate and communicate within a specific content area. Eventually pages could be created by individual teachers. The cost of this strategy would be minimal and mostly lie withing staff training. Trainers would come from within the district, which would keep the total cost below $5,000. CASD technology trainers work at a rate of $150 per day. It would take ten day long sessions to train all secondary teachers. The total cost for this strategy is approximately $1,500.

**Medium-cost Strategy: Microsoft Sharepoint 2010**

A possible medium-cost solution would be the implementation of an intranet utilizing Microsoft Sharepoint 2010. Sharepoint 2010 would provide a universal platform for staff and student communication and collaboration. This software would allow for the use of Web 2.0 collaboration and web publishing tools under one server. The cost of an open license, which covers 250 laptops/desktops, is $4,695. To cover the computers in Chambersburg's secondary buildings it would be necessary to purchase five open licenses. The total cost of this strategy would be $23,475.

**High-cost Strategy: Google Apps for Education with Message Security**

A possible high-cost strategy would be the implementation and use of Google Apps for K-12 schools. This strategy could be a possible low-cost strategy also as Google Apps (including Google Docs) for K-12 schools is a free service. The cost of implementing Google Apps would originate with the addition of message security. Message Security would allow the district to filter any email communications. The added feature of Message Security costs $12/year/user. Secondary (7-12) staff and students number approximately 3,000 in the CASD. The cost to have Google Apps plus security would be $36,600. Message Security could be free as well if this service was applied for during 2010. Although this option contains the highest potential cost, it also provides the greatest flexibility and opportunity to bridge the performance gap. Google Apps for Education provides multiple tools to increase communication and collaboration including Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Sites.

**Strategy to Pursue:**

I intend to pursue the high-end strategy. I have come to this decision based on the flexibility it will provide to students and staff as well as the flexibility in price.


 * Module IV - Justification for Intervention Strategy **


 * Performance Gap** - Lack of technological means for facilitating communication and collaboration within the Chambersburg Area School District (student to student, staff to staff, student to staff).

**Intervention Strategy Justification**

**Strengths, weaknesses, and reasoning behind rejecting or accepting:**

One of the major strengths of this strategy is the low cost. Facebook is a a free online community that would facilitate communication and collaboration. The major limitation of using Facebook is the question of security and control. Opening the network filters to allow students and staff to access the potential academic ages would also allow access to the nonacademic pages created by students outside of school. Allowing totally open access to Facebook is not an option the CASD technology department and administration is willing to consider at this time. Therefore this strategy was rejected.
 * Facebook pages:**

Integration of this software would help to facilitate staff to staff and staff to student communication and collaboration. Sharepoint would provide a single platform with built in security and privacy controls that could be managed by the districts technology department. Through my discussions with Dr. Mark Long (Director of Technology) and Mr. Dave Kirkpatrick (Network Manager), it is apparent that security and manageability is a desired feature of any intervention. Microsoft Sharepoint 2010 was designed to support the needs of businesses and not educational needs per say. With this in mind, the use of Sharepoint would have limitations on student to student communication and collaboration. It is also an expensive endeavor. To properly license all secondary computers Sharepoint 2010 would cost the CASD $23,475 for the software. Therefore this strategy was also rejected.
 * Microsoft Sharepoint (intranet):**

This web based software is the best option for the CASD to bridge the communication performance gap. Google Apps for Education provides the greatest flexibility and security at little to no cost to the CASD. The addition of Message Security, which would provide internal control and filtering of email communication, would cost $36,600 to service all secondary school users. However, if Google Apps were implemented during the 2010 school year, Google will provide this service for free as well. ( Note - If Google Apps are not able to be implemented in 2010, I will be recommending that Message Security be phased in at a later date to keep costs down) The major strength of this strategy is the dynamic array of services, such a G-mail, Google Documents, and the Google Calendar available to users. Google Apps for Education is a cloud computing system (entirely web based), which makes it maintenance free for the CASD technology department. The implementation of Google Apps for education would not require the purchase of software or hardware. At the same time Google Apps will efficiently allow students to work collaboratively and communicate with each other as well as staff members inside and outside of the classroom.
 * Google Apps for Education:**

**Project Manager Responsibilities**


 * Project Manager Techniques:** "At the heart of project management is an individual who is ultimately accountable for the successful completion of the project" (Januszewski & Molenda, 2008). As project manager it will be my responsibility to oversee the successful integration of Google Apps for Education into the secondary schools within the CASD. My project manager responsibilities will include working with the technology department and key district administrators to develop "project outcomes, budget, and a time line for completion" (Januszewski & Molenda, 2008). As project manager it will also be essential to continually assess the progress of the project and make adjustments based on the successes and short comings of the project.


 * Resource Management Techniques:** The intervention strategy developed to address the communication/collaboration performance gap in the CASD will employ two major resources. First, the strategy will utilize the cloud computing Google Apps for Education to facilitate communication and collaboration between students and staff. The second resource to be utilized is district computers (desktops and laptops) in the three secondary schools. The district currently has a "walk through" observation checklist that administrators and department leaders use to track learning and teaching practices taking place in CASD classrooms. A supplemental checklist looking specifically for Google Apps usage can be created and used by administrators during "walk through" observation


 * Delivery System Management Techniques:** As previously mentioned, Google Apps for Education will be the medium utilized to increase communication and collaboration amongst students and staff in the CASD. A single day professional development workshop on usage of this tool will be offered to department supervisors. Department supervisors will then instruct the staff members within their respective departments during professional learning community (PLC) time. The secondary schools have 30 minutes of PLC time built into the beginning of each instructional day. Within PLC time, individual department members will devise best practices for integrating Google Apps into their curriculum.


 * Information Management Techniques:** A database will have to be constructed to house data collected by administrative "walk through" observations. This data will facilitate an analysis of how the resources are being used and the frequency of usage. Students and staff members will also need to be polled and or interviewed to gauge the perceived efficiency of the resource being implemented.

Reference

Januszewski, A. & Molenda, M. (Ed). (2008). Educational technology: A definition with commentary. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.


 * Module V - Project Assessment **

Financial and Budget Information

(implemented 2010 school year) || $0 || (implemented post 2010 school year) || $36,600 || Total post 2010 implementation || $0 $36,600 ||
 * __**Implemented Service**__ || __**Cost**__ ||
 * Google Apps for Education || $0 ||
 * Message Security
 * Message Security
 * Online training for Google Apps || $0 ||
 * Total (2010 implementation)
 * Note** It would be my recommendation to opt out of message security to keep the cost of this intervention at zero if implementation of Google Apps is not feasible for the 2010 school year.


 * Supporting Web documents for the Budget**


 * About Google Apps for Education - This site walks a district through how to apply for Google Apps. The site also contains information on pricing for message security per user if the program is applied for after 2010. http://google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/k12.html
 * Online Training Site - This site provides online training at no cost for administrators, staff, and users of Google Apps for Education. http://edutraining.googleapps.com/

Technical Information


 * Integration - Awareness - Training**

Google provides a step by step guide for successfully deploying Google Apps for K12 and higher education institutions. The deployment guide provided by Google is a synthesis of best practices from schools that have successfully integrated Google Apps. The CASD will not attempt to reinvent the wheel, rather it will follow the appropriate measures suggested in the Google Apps deployment pdf.


 * Google Apps Deployment pdf**

Information on the deployment strategy can also be retrieved at http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?answer=67775

[|Watershed School] [|Kenai Peninsula Borough School District]
 * Examples of K12 schools using Google Apps for Education**

Project Assessment & Evaluation

How will project objectives be evaluated?

This project will be evaluated with both formative and summative assessments.

__**Formative Assessment**__ - CASD administrators and K12 supervisors currently collect lrning data via weekly walk through observations. An appendix specific to the performance intervention project objectives will be added to the walk through checklist. Data will be reviewed within department PLC meetings on a bi-monthly basis. (I am choosing bi-monthly reviews due to the size of the three secondary buildings within the district limits the amount of classrooms that are observed on a weekly basis.)

__**Example questions:**__
 * Were Google Apps being used in the classroom?
 * Who was using the program? (students, instructor, or both)
 * If Google Apps were being used, what applications were observed?
 * Communication Tools - Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Wave
 * Collaboration Tools - Google Docs, Google Sites, Google Video, Google Groups

__**Summative Assessment**__ - For the summative assessment I will conduct a survey of instructors. The survey will be conducted and data collected using Survey Monkey. (I am debating whether this should be conducted at two points, after each semester, or just as a part of the exit interview. Advice?)

__**Example of a potential Survey Monkey Survey**__ media type="custom" key="6683485"