Harbor Science and Arts Charter School

Long Range Educational Technology Plan

2007-2008

The Harbor Science and Arts Charter School continues to strive to improve student academic achievement through technology literacy.  There are two computers in each classroom for the ultimate access and usage by all students and teachers.  In addition, an information technology staff person is available to the school staff to address any functional concerns or challenges.

The Harbor Science and Arts Charter School received a grant in July of 2005 for a wireless mobile lab which included a teacher station, twenty iMac laptop computers and supporting software.

Closing the Achievement Gap

Harbor Charter is in the process of affording students the opportunity to access critical information and learning resources to develop the skills they need to confidently use and integrate learning technologies to support their learning.

Teachers at Harbor Charter will receive staff development so that they are able to integrate technology into their instructional strategies to ensure that students become self-directed learners, and productive members of society.    Administration at Harbor Charter is committed to supporting teachers in this endeavor.    By providing teachers with access to, and the use of learning technologies along with high quality professional development; teachers will have the tools necessary to give students the quality instruction that is necessary in today’s world.

Community and Family

Harbor Charter School realizes that technology is a powerful vehicle for communication and interaction with parents.  Through the school’s new website scheduled to launch in September of 2007, electronic mail, and school and library resources, parents can increase their involvement when the knowledge is present and easily accessible.  With the school having a website and web-based information resources, Harbor Charter can promote accountability, by making information about student, school and district performance available to the community.

School Mission

It is the mission of the Harbor Science and Arts Charter School to provide students with a high quality education through a rigorous academic program that infuses character building, physical wellness and the arts.  Students will graduate with the skills necessary to succeed in higher learning institutions and have the capability to make a positive contribution to society. 

It is also the goal of Harbor Charter School to collaborate with key stakeholders to develop, implement and evaluate a technology program that provides school faculty, parents, students and members of the school community the technology resources needed to support all students in meeting technology standards.

Long Term Goals and Measurables

1. Students will have the opportunity to use learning technologies to access and analyze information so that they develop high order thinking skills; increase their ability to use technology as a tool to solve their problems, and support their confident use of the technology skills they will need for future success as a productive citizen.

• Harbor Charter has allotted two computers per classroom which serve as a resource to students on a daily basis.
• Harbor Charter students are required to complete specific assignments using technology which are evaluated by school generated rubrics aligned to NYS Learning Standards.
• Harbor Charter’s mobile wireless lab has been set up so that students have technology instruction on a regular basis to support the need of technology literacy.

2. All teachers will meet technology competency standards to ensure their ability to use learning technologies effectively in supporting student achievement of the New York State Learning Standards.

• Harbor Charter has a staff lounge for teachers that is equipped with four computers to assist teachers with teaching and instruction.
• Teachers are required to submit one detailed lesson plan each of the four quarters which integrates technology according to the standards and evaluation criteria established by the school’s technology committee.
• Harbor Charter has an Information Technology Consultant available on a consistent basis to serve the needs of teachers.
• All teachers receive an electronic mail address from Harbor Charter.
• Professional development sessions for teachers are in place so that they understand and make connections in order to integrate curriculum and technology.
• Targeted professional development will be put in place for teachers that will utilize the mobile wireless laptop computer lab.

3. Every administrator will be technology literate, will provide leadership in integrating curricula, instruction, and student learning activities, and will have access to technology resources that support them in developing management systems and in creating a school climate and culture that results in high student achievement for all population groups.

• Harbor Charter administrators will work with teachers on a regular basis to ensure that they are integrating technology with curricula, instruction and student learning activities through observations and review of lesson plans.
• Administrators will receive professional development so that they can further develop teachers in technology literacy.

4. Parents will have the opportunity to access web-based information about the school in order to support and reinforce the instruction their children receive at the school.

• Harbor Charter has created a web-site so that parents have the opportunity to access their child’s learning environment including teacher e-mail addresses, the school climate, student outcomes as well as a wide range of activities that can assist their children at home.
• Harbor Charter will create a parent e-mail contact list to inform parents of important dates or reminders of events that will occur in the school.
• Harbor Charter will utilize specific software for teacher grade books/report cards so that parents have a clear understanding of the way in which students are graded, and so that the presentation of grade books and report cards are uniform throughout the school.
• Harbor Charter will host parent technology education classes so that parents become comfortable with technology and are able to communicate with the school and their child’s teacher.

Harbor Charter understands the importance of technology within a school and looks to achieve all of these goals within the next two academic school years: 2007-2009. 

Harbor Charter has implemented the following:

• Harbor Charter has allotted two computers per classroom which serve as a resource to students on a daily basis.
• Harbor Charter students are required to complete specific assignments using technology which are evaluated by school generated rubrics aligned to NYS Learning Standards.
• Harbor Charter has a staff lounge for teachers that is equipped with four computers to assist teachers with teaching and instruction. 
• Harbor Charter has an Information Technology Consultant available on a consistent basis to serve the needs of teachers.
• Harbor Charter administrators work with teachers on a regular basis to ensure that they are integrating technology with curricula, instruction and student learning activities through observations and lesson plans.
• Harbor Charter has set up a mobile wireless lab so that students have technology instruction on a regular basis to support the need of technology literacy.
• A needs assessment was created to see how comfortable teachers are with technology applications and integrating technology with curriculum.  Teachers were asked to self-assess their comfort level with technology literacy through school generated rubrics.
• All teachers received an electronic mail address from Harbor Charter.
• Professional development sessions for teachers are based on the needs assessment administered to teachers during the school year.

Harbor Charter will implement the following in years 2007-2009:

• A school website that will be available in the fall of 2007.
• A software program that creates uniformity in grade books and report cards for all grades.
• Interim assessments will be created through question banks from specific software programs designed to monitor academic progress.
• Professional development sessions for teachers will continue to be based on the needs of teachers through classroom observations and lesson plans.
• Administrators will continue to receive professional development so that they can further develop teachers in technology literacy.
• Targeted professional development will continue for teachers that will utilize the mobile wireless laptop computer lab.
• Harbor Charter will create a parent e-mail contact list to inform parents of important dates or reminders of events that will occur in the school.
• Harbor Charter will host parent technology education classes so that parents become comfortable with technology and are able to communicate with the school and their child’s teacher.