saralowry

Denton ISD has a Technology Plan in place that was developed to “set measurable goals and deadlines for the district’s continuing growth, to provide the resources necessary for our teachers and students and provide the necessary support to the learning process” (Braswell, 2010, 4). The first goal in the plan is that the administration, teachers, and students will integrate technology into the curriculum to create a technology-rich environment that will increase student achievement, improve instructional accountability, and be provided the resources necessary to meet the needs of a fast-growing district. Strategies include increasing technology staff on the campus level, having teachers incorporate technology through lesson resources in the online curriculum, and developing and implementing a Curriculum Technology Integration Team to align the Technology TEKS with curriculum. The second goal is for teachers and staff to attain and possess the necessary skills, through professional development, to integrate technology, to help motivate students and prepare them to enter a competitive society. Integrating more technology into the district level staff development process that can be documented through teacher evaluations is one approach to meeting this goal. Third, Denton ISD will provide appropriate access to information and resources for parents and other stakeholders to promote an environment of open communication. Strategies to meet this goal include providing parents and the community a variety of information via the Internet and increasing cooperation and communication between city, university, and Denton ISD libraries. The fourth goal states that we will provide adequate technology infrastructure to meet the needs of our students, teachers, and administration. This will be accomplished by providing sufficient equipment to meet state and district standards based on staff and student populations and providing the necessary building space and support structure to maintain and expand the Denton ISD infrastructure.
The five elements that are necessary to meet the requirements set forth by the “E-Rate” program are addressed. The goals, as discussed above, are realistic, and the strategies to implement them are appropriate. Ongoing professional development opportunities are available throughout the year on campuses throughout the district. Use of the Workshop portion of the Eduphoria online software system allows teachers, staff, and administration to view, register, and survey the professional development activities provided. Using the goals outlined above, budgets are determined based on the current assets and future necessities. Assessment is an ongoing, comprehensive process involving online teacher surveys, interviews with department chairs, campus inventories, review of technology maintenance contract and services, review of curriculum TEKS aligned with Technology Application TEKS, as well as other methods.


Braswell, R. (2010). Denton ISD technology plan: 2010-2012 [PDF document]. 1-22.