Shelton's+Plan


 * 8843 Performance Improvement Intervention (PII): Updated 2/9/11 **

**Performance Improvement Intervention for Teachers of the Third Grade**

**Varennes Academy of Communication and Technology** **Problem Summary** According to the four third grade teachers, who represent the organization of Varennes Academy of Communication and Technology, Senteos (also called SMART Response) and AirLiners (also called SMART Slates) have been purchased for the teachers to use, but for several reasons, two of the four third grade teachers and students are not using them AirLiners or Senteos at all; one teacher uses AirLiners about 25% of her school day, but never uses Senteos; the other uses AirLiners 100% of her instructional time, but she only used the Senteos 5% of the time. AirLiners allow the user to write on the Smart Board from anywhere in the room. Senteos are remote responding devices that allow the teachers to create multiple choice and true/false quizzes and assess student understanding instantaneously and anonymously; teachers are able to use them in meetings to vote on ideas and results are tallies within meetings. Every teacher has 25-30 of these devices in their classrooms. Airliners are slates that allow the teachers and students to write on the Smart Board as the walk around the room or without leaving their seats through Bluetooth software. **Background of Organization** While the school was built in the 1980s, the technology rich environment is about six years old. Located in the northwestern part of South Carolina, Varennes Academy of Communication and Technology (VACT) is part of the Anderson School District Five. The school serves about 390 students in kindergarten through grade five. According to State of South Carolina 2010 Annual School Report Card ([]), there is a stable staff with 80% of the teachers returning from the previous year. The principal, however, is new this year. State testing in South Carolina begins for students in the third grade. VACT, a Title One school, is now a Smart Showcase School. ([]) **Stakeholders and Decision-Makers.** The performance gaps identified by the four third grade teachers have to do with technology that has been purchased by the school and not used. The plan will involve the four teachers who teach the third grade: Debra Hanks, Connie Lewis, Megan Brown, and Chrystal Chappell. This focus group will be interviewed in their regular weekly meetings. The principal, Mr. Galloway, will make the decision about the implementation of the plan. Mrs. Maronni, Assistant Principal will be consulted on background information and training opportunities that are already in the planning stage. **Performance Gap: Cause Analysis** **Actual Current Performance.** In a Skype interview on January 5, 2011, with a focus group of four third grade teachers teaching at VACT, one of the teachers, Chrystal, stated that she uses the AirLiner with her Smart Board all the time as she walks around the room for all curricula. Megan indicated that she used the AirLiner during math, probably about 25% of her time in class. The other two, Deb and Connie, indicated that they never used the AirLiners. In the same interview, Chrystal mentioned that she had used the Senteos about 4 times since September; the other members of the focus group stated that they did not use the Senteos at any time currently. These hardware devices work with Smart Boards that these teachers use regularly. Specific issues exist in the environment that make the uses difficult: 1) the age of the laptops that must be connected to the Smart Boards in order to use them, 2) the lack of memory in the computers, 3) the loss of Bluetooth hardware due to a flood in one of the teacher’s rooms, and 4) the lack of reliable interface between the various pieces of software and hardware. These teachers know generally how to use the Senteos and AirLiners, but lack specific skill and understanding of how to trouble shoot problems when the equipment does not work. **Desired Performance.** Ideally, all four want to use AirLiners 100% of the time when it is appropriate to the content. They want to become so used to the device that it is a natural extension of their regular strategies for teaching. All four want to develop quizzes and tests for the Senteos to use regularly with various curricula and use them daily. While there was some confusion during the interview about whether or not Senteos allow for open-ended questions, the group seemed sure that the devices can be used in this way. If they are, the teachers want to develop this facility with their students as well. **Performance Gap.** In that one teacher uses AirLiners all the time and three seldom of never use them, the performance gap is 75% non-use vs. 25% use. The gap for Senteos is currently 98-100% non-use. The teachers want to be further trained by the end of February, 2011, to have greater comfort with and confidence in the Airliners by the end of this school year, and to be able during the summer to develop materials (quizzes and tests for the Senteos). The teachers would like to be at 100% use of both extensions of the Smart Boards by September, 2011. **Cause Analysis.** A number of factors contribute to the gaps in performance. While all of the members of the focus group clearly expect to be able to use these devices to improve their teaching and the learning of their students, they have not been given clear directions on how to reach these goals. They have been trained on the basic uses, but there is no one to help them when the devices do not work as they expect them to work. There is a lack of someone to provide relevant feedback and support. Chrystal could certainly serve as a relevant guide to the others for the AirLiners; however, for her to be the guide would require either time off for her (during which her students might suffer) or time off for the others to be in her classroom to see watch her use them (during which time their students might suffer). Furthermore, they do not have a management system in place. The devices are checked out to the teachers and remain in a closet until that time the teacher can get around to figuring out how to use them. The devices are in place: teachers have and use Smart Boards; each has a class set of Senteos check out to them; each has available an AirLiner to use daily; Bluetooth hardware and software are available to three of the members of the group. However, their laptop computers which are necessary to coordinate the various devices are old, out-of-date, and lack sufficient memory. They tend to crash when all of the needed software is activated. Time to experiment with the equipment is clearly lacking. While all of these teachers are tech savvy and they clearly work well together and support one another, there is not a clear plan for when to implement AirLiners and Senteos with adequate time and support to develop the additional skills the teachers need. Incentives are also lacking, except perhaps in the negative. Teachers do not get more financial rewards for using these devices. The frustration level evident in the implementation process has not been worth the perceived benefits. All four mentioned that there are many demands on their time from other school expectations and mandates that conflict with their desire to implement these innovations. Connie mentioned that using the Senteos would allow teachers to quickly assess student understanding and free up time for the teachers to directly work with students or to develop additional materials to guide student achievement instead of grading papers. Nonetheless, all of these teachers have positive attitudes toward the addition of these devices to their teaching strategies and the capacity to learn and do what is needed to make the devices valuable additions in their classrooms. Their motives are consistent with success in this endeavor; however, their expectations of themselves may be unrealistic. Hoping to be at 100% use of AirLiners and daily use of Senteos may only add to their frustration with themselves. (See Appendix A). **Organizational History and Background** **Goals.** According to VACT’s Title One Addendum, the school’s goals include the integration of technology throughout all grades concentrating on the core subjects of literacy, math, science, and social studies. The plan strives to insure that technology is used to promote students’ and teachers’ interaction in a collaborative environment through project-based activities that include audio-visual communication. It supports innovation in methods. The school employs an instructional coach to help teachers develop curriculum that adheres to the South Carolina State Educational Standards. Furthermore, the school seeks to provide opportunities for the staff to participate in relevant on-going staff development, both at the school site and in professional conferences and workshops. **History.** The school building is just under 30 years old. The school has had an emphasis on communications and technology for the last six years. Extensive re-wiring of the building was completed during the summer when the school changes to that emphasis. Currently the school is adding an extra wing that will house additional offices and rooms dedicated to art, computers, and laboratory science, and a new television studio as well. **Mission and Vision.** VACT’s mission statement found on their website “is to prepare students to demonstrate their highest achievement, the value of lifelong learning, self-worth, self-discipline, respect for others, the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful students and positive contributors to society by providing a quality education in a nurturing environment that challenges individuals through support of parents, guardians, teachers, students, community, and administration” (Varennes). Their vision “is to incorporate the newest technology into all aspects of the instructional program to better prepare our students to communicate and function in a global society” (Varennes). The teachers in the third grade focus group are committed to these ideas. Additionally, the school’s educational philosophy promotes Deweyian concepts of education through experience that encourages social interaction and growth of each child “intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, and morally” (Varennes) through the guidance of highly qualified teachers who recognize the importance of arousing natural curiosity in the child to help each one think critically and solve problems intelligently and compassionately (Dewey). **Three Intervention Strategies** These teachers need to have equipment that is reliable. There is evidence that the SMART Technology equipment—SMART Boards, Senteos (SMART Response), and AirLiners—work well. The devices that are not working well are the laptops. Software to make the devices reliable can be downloaded from SMART, but the minimum laptop requirements for the use of Senteos and AirLiners are “Pentium® III 750 MHz or later processor; 512 MB of RAM (1 GB recommended); 750 MB of free hard disk space for minimum installation (2150 MB for full installation with Gallery collections); Windows XP, Windows Vista® or Windows 7 operating system; Internet Explorer® Internet browser 6.0 or later; Adobe® Flash® Player 10 plugins for Internet Explorer Internet browser and Firefox® web browser (provided with SMART Response); Adobe Reader® 8.0 or later; Microsoft® DirectX® application programming interface 8.1 or later.” Network requirements are 802.11 a/g wireless network (minimum); 100 Mbps wired network or 802.11 n wireless network (recommended)” (Digital Wish). In addition to these changes in the environment, teachers need training in more than merely how to use devices. They need training on how to trouble-shoot problems with the interface between hardware devices and software. They need time to develop capacity in using the equipment. Furthermore, they need support in their classrooms by someone trained with them who has the time to focus on these four classrooms alone. These teachers need to have some incentives for the extra work and effort involved with these changes. Clear direction on the uses needs to come from the focus group; however, having a facilitator to help the group organize, chart, evaluate, and adapted direction would add to its coherent development. A management system is also needed and could also be augmented and developed by the focus group with the aid of a facilitator. A facilitator can also provide feedback and support for the group, either face-to-face or through Skype conferencing. **Low end intervention.** At minimum, teachers and the facilitator need new laptops. The recommendation at this level is the HP Pavilion dv6-3120us Entertainment Notebook PC ([]). It meets or exceeds all of SMART Technology’s requirements; the Internet connectivity, camera, and audio allow for Skype video conferencing in real time classroom observation between the teacher and the facilitator. Time to work with the new hardware, formulate plans, and create quizzes and tests is also needed; two full working days with all of the hardware and software in place and without students would provide the time needed to get started in the process. The facilitator needs to lead the two-day session. Materials, supplies and meals for the workshop should also be included as incentives. **Middle end intervention.** The recommended laptop at this level is The Dell Alienware M17x10 laptop ([]). This laptop exceeds recommendations and therefore would not need to be replaced as soon as ones with less power and memory. Training on Windows offered by Microsoft would add capacity for the teachers and facilitator to understand the interface between the laptop and SMART hardware. SMART Lesson Development, a two day workshop during the teachers’ summer vacation offered by the company in various locations around the country would provide time for the focus group and facilitator to work specifically on the uses of all of the software and hardware. Training the facilitator to become a Certified SMART Trainer would add capacity to the group in several ways. She would be able to be in the classroom with each teacher on a rotating basis for the first days of using the hardware and software during the next school year. She would also be able to observe classes at VACT through Skype and provide feedback. Fruthermore, she would be able to, possibly serve as a liaison between the teachers and SMART when problems arise. **High end intervention.** The recommended laptop at this level is The Dell Alienware M17x10 laptop ([]). This laptop exceeds recommendations and therefore would not need to be replaced as soon as ones with less power and memory; in addition, this laptop comes with state-of-the-art security: LoJack for Laptops™, a theft recovery system, and technical support for a year. Training on Windows offered by Microsoft would add capacity for the teachers and facilitator to understand the interface between the laptop and SMART hardware. Bringing one of SMART’s company trainers to VACT for the four in the focus group and their facilitator for a two-day workshop would allow the people to train in their own environment with an expert in their equipment and software. Training all four teachers and the facilitator to be Certified SMART Trainers would not only add to their capacity but would also potential benefit the school by having several trouble shooters on location to work with teachers in the lower and higher grades become more expert in their uses. They would also be able to provide workshops, training, observation, and feedback district wide and so would the facilitator who is not a teacher in the school. (See **Financial and Budget Information)** **Justification for Intervention Strategy** The intervention that seems to be the most desirable is the middle-cost one for several reasons. The computer model will be valuable for several years; it exceeds the SMART recommendations and should allow for all of the software that needs to be installed to work properly. The training, both the Windows Tutorial and the SMART Lesson Workshop, will help the focus group to gain confidence and capacity in their classroom work. This plan promotes teachers of the third grade to develop lessons to use with their students in a venue that provides minimal distractions during time away from students, as well as their families. While it does require that the teachers give up part of their vacation time and extra work for the teachers, this group has gone to conferences together before as well as spent time during vacation to augment their classes, which indicates they are willing to put in the extra effort. Debra and Connie took a three-day road trip to add to their knowledge of their state to add to social studies components of their curricula. Additionally, giving higher-level training on SMART Notebook and Response allows the facilitator to devote uninterrupted time to observing the participants because the facilitator does not have additional duties at the school. Observing classes through Skype with video calling provides the added benefit of eliminating the Hawthorne Effect. The stated goal of using AirLiners and Senteos in all curricular areas as a seamless and permanent part of classroom instruction would be best facilitated by this intervention. Additionally, this intervention provides the least amount of interruption to the lives of the teacher and students involved. The low-cost intervention solves the problems of the environment at an acceptable level. However, the lack of an outside trainer who knows well the equipment may mean that the focus group and facilitator would spend inordinate amounts of time figuring out how to make things work well. The computers are Skype video ready and the facilitator would be able to observe classes unobtrusively, but she might lack skill and knowledge on how to help participants after the observations. This solution would fix the immediate environmental issues, but it does less to guarantee reducing the performance gap. Spending time together would be beneficial to the teachers for supporting each other and sharing classroom ideas, but it lacks the structure that would be provided in the other two interventions. The high-cost intervention would provide the structure and rigor that may be needed to develop classroom activities and lesson plans, but it goes beyond the scope of the analysis of the performance gap. Furthermore, Debra pointed out that there would be addition work required of the teachers in presenting to the rest of the teachers at VACT. This intervention would also cause disruption at the school during the extended training for all teachers. Table 1: Comparison of three interventions computer || Computer, Stipend or release days (2) || Easy to do; Doesn’t require outside help; finished within 6 months || May lack rigor without SMART trainer || Superior || Windows tutorial; SMART Lesson Workshop || Stipend Computer Windows tutorial 5 days paid trainings in SMART Stipend || Computer Paid training; release time || Doable; adds value to teachers that will benefit school and exceed the life of the grant; Lesson workshop and off-site three day trip may bring greatest benefit to students || Requires some extra work on the part of teachers and facilitator; only these four teachers and their students benefit || Superior +secure || Windows tutorial; SMART Notebook and Response || Stipend; Computer; Windows tutorial; SMART Notebook and Response || Computer Paid training; release time || Adds confidence to teachers; adds capacity for future staff development || Requires more work for teachers; training of other teachers may detract from job requirements ||
 * **Intervention** || Laptop || Training/on- going dev. || Facilitator || Incentives for staff || Strengths || Limitations ||
 * **Low cost** || HP Pavilion Adequate || Two-day on site w/focus group and facilitator || Stipend,
 * **Mid cost** || Dell Alienware
 * **High cost** || Dell Alienware

**The Manager’s Many Roles** **Document project management techniques:** “Management means effectively orchestrating people, processes, physical infrastructure, and financial resources to achieve predetermined goals” (Januszewski & Molena, 2008, p. 178). Some of the people involved in this are established—the focus team of Debra, Connie, Chrystal, and Megan. When I get the grant, I will need to talk with Principal Galloway and Mrs. Maronni, Assistant Principal, to make sure that they understand the intervention. Mr. Galloway has already indicated that he is supportive of grants in general; it is expected that he will be supportive of this effort as well. Mrs. Maronni is the curriculum adviser and is also expected to be supportive (personal conversations with Debra Hanks). The processes that need managing will include ordering, delivering, and installing computers; coordinating Windows tutorial with the focus team; finding the SMART Lesson Workshop and enrolling the focus group and the facilitator in it; arraigning travel and accommodations for the workshop; and arraigning SMART Notebook and Response training, travel, and accommodations for facilitator. Physical infrastructure includes making sure that SMART technology, laptops, Bluetooth, software and Skype is working; this may mean enlisting the help and assistance of the technology coordinator at VACT. Financial resources will need to be part of the management. They will need to be managed in accordance with the policies of the school, the district, and the agency granting the funds. **Resource management techniques:** Existing resources include the aforementioned personnel, SMART hardware and software (SMART boards, AirLiners, Senteos), weekly team meetings, and training which the school has planned. Resources that will be provided by the grant are laptops, SMART Lesson Workshop (for facilitator and focus group) and SMART Notebook and Response training (for the facilitator). Once everything is in place, there will be observations and feedback for the focus group by the facilitator. Once funding sources have been established, I will build a timeline for implementation. It would look something like this: Table 2: Timeline Superior || SMART elements; Bluetooth ||  || SMART Lesson Workshop ||   ||   ||   || During the summer, the facilitator and the focus group will meet to reassess and evaluate progress. The facilitator will be accountable to the funding agency for the distribution of funds, assessment of the group, and a final report. **Delivery system management techniques:** The weekly focus group meetings after the installation of hardware and software will include Skype sessions with the facilitator. Additionally, we will all use school email to stay in communication. **Information management techniques:** The facilitator will keep a running record of purchases and enrollment in training sent to the Principal by email weekly, as well as a budget sheet showing expenditures. The facilitator will also be responsible to the funding agency based on their requirements. Focus group teachers will report on the amount of time they use the target equipment during their last two months of school after their training on SMART Lessons. **The Manager as Change Agent**
 * Month ordered or completed || Hardware || Software || Windows tutorial || Lesson workshop (Fac. & Foc.) || SMART training (Fac.) || Observations || Feedback ||
 * || Dell Alienware
 * February || X || X || X ||  || X ||   ||   ||
 * March ||  ||   ||   || X ||   ||   ||   ||
 * April ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || X || X ||
 * May ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || X || X ||

**Financial and Budget Information.** = o One substitute to relieve teachers for one and one-half hours to observe the other three teachers using the equipment after training @ $83.00. = Table 3: Budget $11,000 ||  ||   ||   || =$7500 ||   ||   ||   || = $1500 ||   ||   ||   ||
 * The Dell Alienware M17x10 laptop, 5 @ $2200.00 = $11,000.00;
 * Window 7 training**1**, 5 @$80.00=$400.00 offered by Microsoft;
 * Two-day workshop**2** for four teachers and one facilitator during summer vacation (SMART Lesson Development Workshop, $179 x 5= $895+ three days’ lodging, transportation, and meals for five, $7500.00( see [|SMART website] for software requirements on new laptops);
 * Train facilitator, Cynthia Shelton, on SMART Notebook and SMART Response training certification event during spring**3**, $2098 + three days’ lodging, transportation, and meals, $1500;
 * De-briefing meetings after training to develop materials for sharing workshops at VACT after training (including $500.00 a day stipend for facilitator), $1524.00;
 * Total $25,000.00.
 * **Hardware or Personnel** || **Software** |||||| **Training** |||| **Cost** || **Date purchased or arranged** || **Responsible party(ies)** ||
 * ^  ||^   || **1** || **2** || **3** || **Est.** || **Actual** ||^   ||^   ||
 * Dell laptops ||  ||   ||   ||   || 5 @ $2200 =
 * || Owned by VACT ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Fac. & focus ||  || 5 ||   ||   || 5 @ 80 = $400. ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Fac. & focus ||  ||   || 5 ||   || 5 @ $179 =$895. Plus LTM
 * Fac. ||  ||   ||   || 1 || $2098 plus LTM
 * Sub day ||  ||   ||   ||   || $83.00 ||   ||   ||   ||
 * De-briefings ||  ||   ||   ||   || $1524 ||   ||   ||   ||

**Project Assessment.** This project will be evaluated by tools adapted from an electronic performance support system by Tom Reeves and Fred Brackett using six different data collection methods and eight questions. Some are applicable to formative, some to summative, and some to both types of assessment. The questions correlate to three of Chevalier’s (2007) levels of evaluation (pp. 158-165). They are: a. what attitudes were formed or changed by focus group? (Level 1); b. What were focus group reactions to training? (Level 1); c. what knowledge was learned by focus group? (Level 2); d. what skills were developed by focus group? (Level 2); e. how much time did each teacher use SMART Slate a day? (Level 3); f. how much time did each teacher use SMART Response a day? (Level 3); g. how much time did each teacher use SMART Slate per curricular area? (Level 3); h. How much time did each teacher use SMART Response per curricular area? (Level 3). The data collection methods include anecdotal records, an implementation blog, observations, focus group interviews, focus group questionnaires and, school administrator reviews. (See Appendix?). Formative evaluation plans, in addition to Chevalier’s Cause Analysis Worksheet (Appendix A.1), include anecdotal records (Appendix A.2), observations of teachers in their classrooms live and through Skype, and interviews with the focus group members during their weekly grade level meetings. In addition to these evaluation tools, the facilitator will set up a blog detailing the implementation as events take place. The focus group and the facilitator will be the only participants of this blog until they all decide that the information in the blog may be made public. Summative evaluation plans include some anecdotal records, administrative reviews, focus group interviews and questionnaires. These and parts of the formative evaluation tools will be used in a final report distributed to the teachers and administrators at VACT and the funding agency.

**Resources:** Chevalier, R. D. (2007). //A manager's guide to improving workplace performance.// New York, NY: American Management Association. Dell Alienware M17x10 laptop**//.//** Retrieved from http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Dell-Alienware-M17x10/product/121E5013?one=blank&WT.mc_id= mercent&two=blank&three=blank&mr:referralID=a0907ca9-1f35-11e0-af68-001b2166becc Dewey, J. (1938/1997). //Experience and education.// New York, NY: Touchstone. Digital Wish - SMART Response PE System with Receiver and 24 ... (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/product?id=SRP-PE-24 Januszewski, A., & Molenda, M. (Eds.). (2008). //Educational technology: A definition with commentary.// New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Taylor & Frances Group. Microsoft Signature Intro to Windows 7 Training. Retrieved from http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Microsoft-Signature-Intro-to-Windows-7-Training/product/0F22A2DC Reeves, T. (n.d.). Multimedia development tools. Center for education integrating science, mathematics and computing (CEISMC). Georgia Tech's College of Sciences. Retrieved from http://www.ceismc.gatech.edu/MM_Tools/EM.html SMART showcase schools and districts (2011). SMART Technologies. Retrieved from http://smarttech.com/us/Resources/SMART+education+programs/Showcase+schools+application SMART training event programs (2011). SMART Technologies. Retrieved from http://smarttech.com/Home%20Page/Resources/Training/SMART%20Training%20Event%20Programs VACT Title I Schoolwide Program/Technical Assistance Plan Addendum To School Renewal Plan. (2011). Retrieved from http://anderson5.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/ cms/1650927/File/Title%201/Varennes/TITLE%20I%20SCHOOLWIDE%20PROGRAM%20for%20Web%20-%20Varennes.pdf?sessionid=85749f02ffb77cd0f974d186 b3183570. Varennes Academy of Communications and Technology. (VACT, 2010). [website] Retrieved from: http://varennes.anderson5.net/