View as a pdf here - McAllen Independent School District
Transcripción
View as a pdf here - McAllen Independent School District
TLC3 Transforming Learning In The Classroom, Campus And Community Apple Distinguished Program Application TLC3 Transforming Learning in the Classroom, Campus and Community McAllen Independent School District McAllen, TX McAllen ISD’s TLC3—Transforming Learning in the Campus, Classroom, and Community—is a K–20 academic implementation across the district. This pioneering teaching and learning framework provides one-to-one access to Apple mobile devices to all students, faculty, and administrators. TLC3 demonstrates an innovative and compelling learning environment that engages students and provides tangible evidence of academic accomplishment. Apple Distinguished Program Application Visionary Leadership "Never doubt that a small Shared Leadership group of thoughtful McAllen ISD school leaders are passionate and devoted to children. They give great care and thought to every decision, but they also happen to be the type of people who are bold, inspirational, and courageous enough to take a leap and commit to a real willingness to change. committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." — Margaret Mead It is precisely this kind of thinking that has made it possible for the district to launch TLC3— Transforming Learning in the Classroom, Campus, and Community—an innovative teaching and learning framework that leverages powerful new technologies and merges it with student-centered, inquiry-based learning. It is a game changer that will forever transform our district, our community, our family life, and— most importantly—our students’ future. The board of trustees and superintendent give a huge amount of their time to vet all issues. They do not shy away from the hard work and that also means the controversial topics like finance, given recent extremely difficult economic circumstances. It all begins with a large number of methods used to communicate so that trustees thoroughly understand the Apple Distinguished Program Application McAllen ISD is named 2012 Outstanding Board of the Year – District receives top award in state, largely due to TLC3. superintendent’s perspective for all issues as they develop and as decisions are made. They truly operate as a team of eight, a frame of mind that is critical because the needs of our students are so critical. Here’s why. We are situated at an international apex, just ten miles from the Mexico-U.S. border. Our demographics tell our story – 91.9% Hispanic, 65.3% at risk, 67.3% economically disadvantaged, and 27.4% Limited English Proficient. But those stats do not tell you everything. We also house the Regional School for the Deaf, so we take in more than our share of children with special needs. Our District also began the Head Start Program with the county to give a boost to 4-year-old children with absolutely no English comprehension. Many children come to us never having experienced Internet connection, a family vacation, or even a bedtime story—things most of us would consider basic. even professional Associate’s Degrees even before they receive their high school diplomas. Our education programs surpass the norm and TLC3—our innovative teaching and learning framework—brings cultural and tactical change to the way we deliver and inspire student education. During the 2012-2013 School Year, MISD completed the unprecedented “roll out” of mobile learning devices to all 25,000 students and 1,600 teachers. Our aim is to create a learning environment that fosters creativity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness by placing into students’ hands genuinely student-centered, inquiry-based learning, coupled with cutting-edge technology and a team of professional educators to skillfully facilitate their intellectual growth. It is a culture of progressive thinking, balanced by sage classroom experience. Our students thrive on it. Eight students of all ages huddle in the breezeway of the housing project they call home, scrutinizing an electronic screen that casts a soft glow on their avid faces. They may not all yet have the economic means to access wireless fiber-optics at home but, because they now have iPads or iPod Touch devices, they eagerly search out wireless connections that many of us take for granted But those demographics do not define us. Many come from families who have never had anyone graduate from college or even high school, so they become the first in their families to earn a degree. In fact, they also earn an impressive number of college credit hours, professional licenses and/or certifications, and Our leadership cannot afford a misstep because our students' needs are so critical and the prospects so rich. Bridging the gap - Some students may come to us with little, but they walk away with so much. 3 Individual Leadership A credible and inspirational thought leader sets and articulates the vision. When James J. Ponce, Ed.D., became McAllen ISD Superintendent, he faced multiple, weighty challenges—a sparse fund balance, salaries well below market levels, policies that had not been updated in 12 years, a difficult local/state/ national economy, an unstructured facilities maintenance program, and a burgeoning wave of charter schools drawing students away. Work began with a code of ethics. A “Board of Trustees Operating Protocol” placed children’s interest first, encouraged staff and community input, and laid the groundwork for leading by example. Staff is encouraged to take leadership roles. District and campus employee-based groups explore curriculum, professional development, and other work-related issues, policy, or standards. Their recent work has led to many impactful changes. But it is our nationally renowned teaching and learning framework that is the best example of how the superintendent involves all sectors of our school community in developing, implementing, and evaluating the district’s short and long range goals. TLC3 places an iPad or iPod Touch device into the hands of our students. But it is the way he did it that really causes pause for thought. Dr. Ponce brought together a cadre of educators, students, parents, and business people and he then asked them to question the existing framework. He challenged them to dream big and he actively encouraged the fourteen teachers within the cadre to take the lead. Each teacher assembled teams of ten teachers at their own campuses. Those teachers then led the district’s technological changes in the classroom and they were given resources (equipment and professional development) to help make it successful. The changes have been phenomenal, including an all-time high fund balance— up from $12 million in 2009 to $54 million today, a Triple A bond rating, a comprehensive “The iPad has been a real game changer review/revision of all in Education” Tim Cook quotes Dr. James policies, a Ponce at an October 2012 Keynote comprehensive Address. review/analysis/ revision of salary structures, a long range facilities maintenance plan, and a “Proof of Concept” Master Design with energy efficiency and performance contracting. Today, we are recognized as a state and national leader, with a forward-thinking and innovative approach that has led to being multiple accolades, including 4 League of Innovative Schools 2012 Outstanding School Board of the Year, Top Award in Texas “Digital Promise is a bipartisan independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress ‘to support a comprehensive research and development program to harness the increasing capacity of advanced information and digital technologies to improve all levels of learning and education, formal and informal, in order to provide Americans with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy.’ The League is comprised of roughly 25 innovative districts in 20 states that represent almost 2.5 million students.” 2013 Superintendent of the Year State Finalist - Top 5 in Texas Credit: Digital Promise 2013 Magna Awards for Best Practices and Innovative Programs that Advance Student Learning, League of Innovative Schools, one of 40 superintendents comprising a national consortium that have twice been invited to in-depth discussions at The White House, and Texas High Performance Schools Consortium, one of 23 superintendents tasked with advising the Governor, Legislators, and Education Commissioner regarding technology, accountability, etc. This Program has also spurred other new advancements for the District. McAllen ISD is one of the first twenty school districts in the country to launch its own iTunesU site, posting curriculum on a site that had previously been reserved for universities. New mobile technology apps were developed that parents can utilize to communicate with their students’ schools and access grades. Ours was one of the first in the country. McAllen ISD has also forged a cutting-edge online partnership and instructional technologybased column with the local daily newspaper to target literacy. An online partnership has been developed with the local cable provider to cablecast the District’s television sports programming across the state on a high definition platform. An online partnership has been developed with a local television station to target all sports and advertising revenue. Dr. Ponce’s encouraging work environment is centered on supporting our core staff. It fosters change, making ours one of the largest deployment of digital devices in the country with incredible anytime-anywhere learning for our students. Community Engagement Broad community sponsorship supports the institution’s initiatives. McAllen ISD’s profound leap in the area of digital learning has met with wide-sweeping support from the local, state, and national community. The acknowledgement from education leaders is farreaching. Beginning in March of 2011, the district conceptualized and developed this innovative teaching and learning framework. In November of 2011, teachers who made up the cadre that began TLC3 received their own laptops and iPads. Apple provided training for them in December. In March of 2012, more than 5,000 devices were issued to students in the first phase of the rollout process. All other teachers in the district, for a total of about 1,500, received their own iPads on the last day of school, in May of 2012. In September of 2013, new students to the district also began receiving their own devices. McAllen ISD’s commitment to promoting communication is clearly evidenced in the unflinching way the superintendent, board members, and administrative staff spent large amounts of time and energy during the spring of 2011 communicating TLC3 to the entire community in an open spirit through eight separate Community Forum presentations in English and in Spanish, dedicating hours to completely vet the topic. For three months, we went out to neighborhood schools, making presentations to the community, hearing concerns, answering questions, and going out of our way to listen. Even after the audiences had run out of questions to ask, trustees would bring up concerns that had been raised at previous Forums and unabashedly poll the audience about decisions that had been made. It was a refreshingly honest and open approach to a new venture that took the community and the country by storm. These forums were well attended and the school district utilized community feedback in helping to make the rollout of iPads effective for all our students. In fact, the very first forum was presented to a group of about 300 McAllen business leaders who make up the District’s Partners in Excellence Program. Educators held their collective breath and jumped right in to explain how and why the district felt that this “game changer” merited the expenditure of district funds as it targeted what was, in effect, a tapping of unimaginable possibilities. It was met with overwhelming support that was led by the city manager, the executive director of the economic development corporation, and the president of the local chamber. This ambitious project has earned accolades from local, state and national media (including Associated Press, NBC Latino network). The local coverage has included TV, radio, newspapers and magazines in both English and Spanish. Publications with a statewide or national reach have included Texas Monthly magazine’s website, the T-M Daily Post, and the Forbes’ magazine website. It has also attracted the attention of education publications like Texas School Business, Texas 6 Lone Star (published by Texas Association of School Boards), Texas School Public Relations Association (weekly e-newsletter), Scholastic Administrator, Texas Teacher and School Administrator, and The Journal, an education technology publication. TLC3 has led to multiple presentations as well as dialog with other educational representatives on transforming learning. The School Board presented to the Texas Association of School Boards in San Antonio and the Superintendent presented at the 64th annual UT-TASA (Texas Association of School Administrators) Summer Conference on in Austin. The Board and superintendent also presented on TLC3 at the TASA/TASB Conference in Austin on September 28, 2012. This innovative work has brought state and national attention to the District and the region. It has led to an invitation for a conversation with some of the most powerful people in the country. Dr. Ponce is one of about forty superintendents from across the nation and one of only two in the state of Texas who have been invited to meet with administration officials at the White House. They are members of the League of Innovative Schools, a group of superintendents from across the nation, along with researchers and education technology providers, who are working to advance breakthroughs in education through the use of technology, a body of work dubbed the “Digital Promise.” Since we are one of a handful of districts in the nation to initiate such a massive mobile device endeavor, other school districts have sought an up-close look. In March 2012, the District organized a Transforming Learning Conference that attracted about 300 leaders in the fields of education (including higher education) and high technology. There were seminars and symposiums sharing information on how iPads fit into today’s classroom. The district also provided TLC3 Business Connections, a series of classes that invited interested members of the business community to learn about technology from our students. This is relatively new ground and many eyes are focused on McAllen ISD. The District is viewed as a leader in instructional technology. The District feels so strongly about providing 21st Century Learning that it leads the five objectives that guide the district’s long-range planning and campus improvement plans. 7 One of the most exciting developments that impact our community centers on new communications software that, in effect, creates a digital backpack for parents—their own folder on their children’s district-issued devices. In this way, the district has opened a new bigger and better door to communicating with parents that will, no doubt, result in a lifting of the entire community. Community and Family Engagement 21st Century Learning Human Capital Safe Emotional/Physical Learning Environment District Culture Dual2Career Recruit Security Audit Common Vision/Mission Joint District/City/County collaborations Virtual Schools Secure Sensitivity Training Community Partnerships Blended Learning Prepare Customer Service Expanded Social Service Collaboration Personalized Learning Induct Organizational Health Inventory Coordination of Services Technology Ecosystems Evaluate Branding Parents as Learners/partners Infrastructure Connectivity Gap Develop Digital Citizenship Compensate Mobile Learning Retain e-environment 8 9 Innovative Learning and Teaching It is a culture of progressive thinking, balanced by sage classroom experience. Our students thrive on it. Our leadership cannot afford a misstep because our students' needs are so critical and the prospects so rich. Student Learning Academic rigor is our mantra. We live it. All of MISD—elementary to high school—is at different stages of International Baccalaureate (IB) authorization, making McAllen ISD a pioneer in raising the level of rigor and relevancy to the research-supported world standard. IB is important because it represents the studentcentered, inquiry-based segment of TLC3. Since it was implemented in 2001, our model IB Diploma Programme (high school) has maintained a 98.7 percent success rate—among the highest in the world! Four years ago, Dr. Ponce led an expansion of IB into lower grades, targeting achievement in science, language arts, math and social studies. Programme curriculum is collaboratively planned, written, and based on best practices. Our stringent process for IB implementation includes thorough review by staff, application for candidacy, authorization to implement, and evaluation of 76 programme standards and practices by International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), the governing body in Switzerland. Through a grant, the District also invested in extensive training for our Advanced Placement Program staff that has led to an astounding leap in the number of students qualifying for college credit hours—555 students earning 2,185 one year alone! Our commitment to continual improvement led us to commission the Texas Association of School Administrators for a comprehensive Curriculum Management Audit to further align curriculum in all areas, Apple Distinguished Program Application with integration of CSCOPE (comprehensive, customized, user-friendly curriculum support system), technology standards, and IB instructional units. In 2010, the District approved a Five Year Strategic Plan that lay the groundwork for far-reaching improvements in curriculum design and revisions and other significant changes, including audit recommendations. The Superintendent transformed administrator meetings from managerial to Instructional Leadership Seminars where educational research and effective analysis of student data is scrutinized. Teachers and administrators are trained to utilize the INOVA Process and DMAC analysis modules to analyze student data and plan for effective instruction. School improvement goals/objectives are discussed in monthly meetings with Intra-District Educational Assembly (teachers representing campuses) and a Parent Advisory made up of representatives from each campus. Committees from these staff and community groups provide feedback on policies and regulations. Campus Instructional Leadership Teams analyze campus data, identifying "vitals" to increase academic achievement. This data becomes Campus Action Plans that are then reported to the community via Board meetings, campus meetings, and website postings. Employees and parents have voiced appreciation for the District’s specifics, candor, heightened accountability, and everyone’s clarity of purpose—all targeting school improvement and student success. McAllen ISD’s philosophy requires that learners be engaged as inquirers and thinkers, building on what students know, versus what they do not know. The criteria require that students are to become responsible for their own learning while maintaining and practicing academic honesty. The learning is to address diversity and multiple perspectives while meeting the needs of the diversity of English Language Learners and that all teachers are responsible for language development. The strategies of learning are varied, and must include information technology. Students must be able to demonstrate the learning in a variety of ways, including authentic assessments, internal and external assessments and a variety of student performances. Instructionally, Ed Options and Novanet are used for credit recovery at the secondary level. The district provides data analysis through the use of the “TAAS Analysis Project” developed by the district and generated by Information Systems. Also, the district is involved in a long term project aligning the curriculum TEKS to an in-house testing system, which should correct deficiencies in student performance. McAllen ISD utilizes many technology software resources, both to analyze data and to enhance instruction. 11 Instructional Practices Faculty are master learners who expertly guide their students through difficult and complex tasks. Early one morning, Dr. Ponce headed to the auditorium to launch the new school year. Seventeen-year-old Jonathan Arteaga walked up to him and asked if he could speak. Sensing his urgency, the superintendent stepped aside, inviting him to take the stage. He began testifying to the hushed, astonished audience. “I was a thug and a gangster. I represented the hood because I wanted to feel accepted. I surrounded myself with an environment that taught me to believe that education was impossible and that college was a fragile dream.” Tears flowed freely throughout the room as Jonathan simply and candidly told his story. He told about how the AVID Program had changed his life. He wanted all employees to know about how truly invaluable their work was. In effect, he put a face to our united, all-encompassing mission in life. class that is not part of the state graduation requirements. It acclimates students to the rigorous demands of college. The district also designed a Ninth-Grade Academy as a school within each high school. A principal, counselor and transition teachers closely monitor attendance, grades, and discipline, creating a safety net for students and a closer-knit group of adults who dedicate themselves to their cluster of freshmen. This Ninth-Grade Academy was expanded to a Sophomore Academy and then broadened to include a third level. It is important because it was intertwined with support of TLC3. A 32 percent improvement in the freshmen passing rate in one year led us to expand the concept to the sophomore year and then to the entire high school level! We engage parents in this process, holding multiple energetic and resourceful sessions throughout the year. Campus Planning Period is another district-designed structure/ process for using achievement data to guide curriculum and instruction. More improvements will come through a District Curriculum Management Audit by TASA and work with the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) Education North Star Community for Process Management to an efficient district-wide, tiered professional learning model leading to student learning. With weekly monitoring in place, we have seen significant improvement in attendance and a reduction in total student failures. McAllen ISD incorporates the use of instructional coaches to improve all aspects of classroom instruction and student learning. Aside from the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program, we have many other measures are in place to ensure that all students graduate. All 9th-graders are required to take a high school transition 12 Curriculum Design High School Initiative Goals: Address needs of students Improve Attendance Increase student achievement Increase Graduation Rate Decrease Dropout Rate Increase Number of College-Ready Students TLC3 creates digital learning environments where learning is collaborative, interactive and customized, centered on providing mobile devices for all students and integrating a student centered, inquiry based concept. Mobile devices, including student-owned mobile devices, are used for anytime/anywhere learning. Mobile learning empowers our students to extend learning from school to home and provide teachers and students with a myriad of educational resources such as dictionaries, a thesaurus, a graphing calculator, geographic maps, educational videos, eBooks, SAT/ACT reviews, tutorials, flash cards, educational programs, electronic textbooks, classroom instructional files, and audio books. Students utilize application and multimedia mobile programs to create digital content for teaching and learning such as educational podcasts, blogs & wikis, videos, digital storytelling books, and other electronic media for learning. Teachers, students, and parents videoconference with each other using the mobile device camera. Our student centered, inquiry based concept, coupled with mobile learning, creates an engaging trans-disciplinary approach to teaching and learning. It is collaborative and hands-on, asking students to work with other students, their teachers, and experts in their communities and around the world. To develop deeper knowledge of the subjects, students are studying, accepting and solving challenges, taking action, sharing their experience, and entering into global discussions about important and complex issues. As part of its continuing effort to provide students with the best digital learning resources on widespread platforms, McAllen ISD has taken another great leap forward. McAllen ISD is now among the ranks of universities and colleges by making content available via iTunes U. We continue to build our library and resources with e-books and etextbooks. As student use of mobile technology tools become ubiquitous, e-books will soon become the norm. To ensure efficiency and measurable results, the district applied for and received a grant with the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) Education North Star Community for Process Management. McAllen students have been utilizing the virtual school network for the past two years. This program has provided another option for students interested in courses that have been difficult to “make,” due to limited enrollment, students interested in acceleration, and some special circumstances. We are currently exploring the development of our own virtual school classes to be taught by MISD staff. A number of other major improvements have taken place: In 2010, the District approved a Five Year Strategic Plan that lay the groundwork for far-reaching improvements in curriculum design and revisions and other significant changes. In April of 2011, the district authorized a District Curriculum Management Audit by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Texas Curriculum Management Audit Center. The audit focused on the fundamental principles of high performing districts. With the receipt and acceptance of the audit recommendations, the district began the work of designing, developing, and implementing leadership, curriculum, instructional, and support systems improvements. To create a college going culture at the high school level, the district was awarded a Texas Guaranteed Public Benefit Grant. ENCORE Family Sessions are developed as a dynamic parental engagement and family literacy initiative to promote awareness and prepare students and parents transition from our seven middle schools. The district’s Advanced Placement Incentive Program developed a culture of academic excellence in each of our high schools that is 14 driven and measured by student participation and success in the Advanced Placement Program. interruptions to learning. Our united front ensures our students can meet this challenge with success. In 2011, the Rio Grande Valley Science Association applied for and was awarded a NASA Summer of Innovation (SoI) grant that uses NASA’s out-of-this-world missions and technology programs to boost summer learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. The program’s vision is to advance excellence in summer and extended learning for underrepresented and underserved middle school students to inspire them toward future STEM pursuits. The McAllen ISD has been collaborating with “The Children’s Learning Institute” to establish integrated school readiness partnerships which include the McAllen ISD Pre-kindergarten program, Head Start providers and child care providers. Determined to move the focus away from an enforcement mentality to a strategic attentiveness to attendance, a complete overhaul of the District's Student Support Services operations has also been cuttingedge. The district offers several programs of rigor to our high school students. To increase the number of students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the number of students earning 3’s, 4’ and 5’s in the AP exams, the District was awarded the AP Incentive Program grant. The grant provides comprehensive teacher training, advanced level, content-focused teacher training, and financial incentives to teachers and students to foster success. We are committed to—not only continually raising our rigor—but to also reinforcing our connections to families and to addressing 15 Ongoing Professional Learning Relevant and Timely Professional Development Faculty engage in a cycle of inquiry that promotes reflection, experimentation, and sharing. Relevant and Timely Professional Development McAllen ISD provides digital professional learning with face-to-face instructional technology sessions and observations during the school year through ongoing Professional Learning Communities. We train teachers in innovative educational technology learning techniques, modeling for them how to implement these methods in their classrooms. Further, the District now builds teacher capacity through job embedded professional learning. Teachers create engaging lessons that facilitate student engagement and the development of 21stcentury skills—problem solving, higher-order thinking, analysis, creativity, and collaboration. They incorporate National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) standards into lesson plans, practice new teaching techniques in live classroom situations, share ideas and support with fellow educators in an ongoing learning community, and develop the skills to meet the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). Professional development is so important to our district that teachers are provided with a Campus Apple Distinguished Program Application Planning period (aside from the state-mandated teacher conference period). Campuses use this time to provide professional growth and to analyze student data. For district improvement efforts, McAllen ISD utilizes master teachers as “instructional coaches” who support and assist colleagues in all aspects of classroom instruction and student learning. An “Instructional Coach” is a master teacher that is released on a full or part-time basis to: Work in partnership with colleagues to accelerate professional learning. Focus student learning and the instructional strategies used to enhance it. the summer, after school, and on weekends to strengthen skills in the areas in which they teach. Work specifically to improve teachers’ instructional strategies within the core areas, Implement effective instructional practices, improve student achievement, and build teacher capacity through job embedded professional learning. Additionally, staff attends inservices, workshops, conferences, and seminars. This is supported by the Board because trustees understand this will ultimately offer the children a better trained, wellinformed team of professionals. Our teachers are also part of a statewide technology professional learning program done by TASA through iTunesU. Simply put, we invest in our students by investing in our teachers. The district also offers extensive staff development programs, including the Principal’s Academy and Peer-Led Conferences. Teachers can earn time equivalency credit while they choose from an extensive listing of classes offered during McAllen ISD was invited to participate for the past four years in the National Student Clearinghouse Student Data for High Schools Pilot Project with eight other Texas school districts to assist in the development and use of actionable reports, online data tools and professional development with other districts focusing on college readiness and success. Instructional leaders are well read and knowledgeable about the latest educational research. Teachers and administrators are trained to utilize both INOVA Process and DMAC analysis modules to analyze student data and plan for effective instruction. INOVA identifies ways to add value to students in academics, while the DMAC is used for both formative and summative benchmarks. Monthly administrator meetings were transformed from managerial to Instructional Leadership Seminars that provide administrators with the tools they need to be instructional leaders on their campus. Discussion centers on defining rigor, engagement and teacher evaluations. Campus planning has changed. Campus Instructional Leadership Teams (CILT) review and analyze campus data, working to identify the “vitals” that needed to be addressed in order for the 17 school to increase academic achievement. The areas identified as needing improvement, along with the plans to address them, resulted in their Campus Action Plans. Their action plans are embedded into their campus improvement plans. Just three months after taking the helm, Dr. Ponce also had new staffing guidelines approved by the School Board. A staffing audit was conducted by the Texas Association of School Boards in spring 2011 and a compensation plan review was conducted in spring 2012. 18 Compelling Evidence of Success "The iPad has been a real game changer in Education. No technology has impacted the way teachers teach and students learn more quickly and more profoundly. With iPad, the possibilities are endless." Dr. James Ponce, Superintendent McAllen ISD, Texas Apple Distinguished Program Application Quantitative Data is routinely collected and analyzed to inform progress and measure success. McAllen ISD is proud of the academic gains we have made with all of our demographic populations. The charts given below illustrate the five year academic gains for all populations in all subject areas. We continue to increase rigor and raise our standards as we now are preparing our students for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) assessments. Qualitative Narrative, reflective, or anecdotal evidence is collected and shared. Although MISD is 92% Hispanic, 27% LEP, and 67% economically disadvantaged, MISD has consistently reached/matched and/or surpassed state averages in almost all sections (Academic Excellence Indicator System data attached). Gains made in the area of Advanced Academics have also been phenomenal, along with a new, engrossing love of reading. With full concentration evident on his fresh face, 1st grader Brandon Espinoza watches the needle on the iPod Touch device he grip tightly in his young hands. At the same time, he listens avidly as his friend, Michael Ruiz, reads a passage from a book. “I’m timing him for his fluency,” the cherub face proudly explains, eliciting excited gasps from adults who were touring the classroom. They marvel at both the act and the evidence of higher-level comprehension displayed by the six-year-olds. Evidence of higher-level comprehension - “I’m timing him for his fluency,” the six-year-old explains. Students use the iPod Touch to record themselves reading and ultimately improve their literacy skills. Hearing their own voices during the playback helps them hear their own enunciation. The exercise also helps teacher Ruth Whiddon gather objective data, enabling her to pinpoint where every student’s strengths lay and where they need more help. 20 Ms. Whiddon explains that the device might tell you a student who was reading at 50 words per minute one week is now up to 55. Use of the iPod Touch started in 10 classrooms at Jackson Elementary and impacts about 160 students. The plan is for it to become school-wide by spring 2013. This stellar moment and Movie 1.1 Chronicling the Transformation hundreds more are videotaped as the district chronicles what is happening in our classrooms. The experiences are shared with staff, parents, community members, and educators from around the country via enewsletters, presentations, YouTube, iTunesU, and through free TLC3 Demo Tours and a state conference provided by the district. 21 Flexible Learning Environment Educators held their collective breath and jumped right in to explain how and why the district felt that this “game changer” merited the expenditure of district funds as it targeted what was, in effect, a tapping of unimaginable possibilities. School Design and Facilities Having just completed a $97 million bond construction program on schedule and under budget, McAllen ISD began the innovative approach to incorporate cost saving efficiencies through an energy conservation program and the District’s Growth and Facilities Forecast Advisory Committee reviewed and inspected all school facilities to assess conditions and to implement a facilities-needs plan. Most importantly, in September of 2013, it launched a district-wide analysis of facilities to target creating a 21st century learning environment. The district brought together a group of about 150 people—parents, teachers and other educators, business and community representatives—to conduct tours of all sites. Their reports—conducted with the use of iPads and a digital survey instrument provided through the district’s new communication system—will then be merged with a professional assessment conducted by a management company. Apple Distinguished Program Application Mission of the 2013 Facilities Forecast Advisory Committee To assess the condition and needs of district facilities with the goal of providing 21st Century Learning for the children in our community. This is being done in a comprehensive, inclusive way that merges professional assessment with real-time input from stakeholders representing our community. Analysis of District needs will be completed by January of 2014. It will conclude with a report to the community. In addition, the district established Campus Planning Periods at all secondary schools, devoting to professional development about an hour each day for every employee. Additional Work A seven million expenditure targeted roofs, air conditioning, equipment needs, etc. The district also conducted an analysis of growth and zoning projections for targeted facilities planning. The program leverages Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB) at zero interest rate because of our Superior financial rating with the energy performance method of construction contracting. As a result, we stretched dollars into more than $17 million of infrastructure renewal and increased energy efficiency without bearing the burden or initial capital investment for taxpayers. Those energy savings measures have guaranteed the District $1.2 million annually in cost savings. This green conservation investment goes across the board. Along with electrical, water, and energy savings, we take the environmentally friendly green approach, like using sustainable sites, targeting indoor air quality, and improved ventilation. community input into consideration in review of facility needs. A series of other improvements were implemented, including improved lighting, painting, and other remodeling work to maintain a high-level learning environment and training programs were implemented for work crews to reinforce the standard. The transportation department has automated the transportation route service reporting system to identify student population trends. The data is used in long range facilities planning. Information Technology (IT) The result is a better learning environment that produces savings. We leveraged our dollars and used our savings to further invest in our infrastructure, including $3M in facility upgrade projects. We also implemented a new 5-year equipment replacement system that ensures more efficient long-term planning and better use of this year’s dollar. The result is a $30 million investment. We are also using a $300,000 Ready and Emergency Management for Schools Grant to consolidate all crisis resources. That plan includes improvements to our facilities to increase campus security and building access, as well as preparations for hurricane and natural disasters. Other innovative conservation measures involve consolidation of facilities. The closing of an elementary school due to an enrollment had a significant two-fold impact—consolidation of all administrative support departments with savings in energy use and creation of a one-stop center for students and parents, helping us better leverage resources and provide A+ Service to our students. The District utilized community task force recommendations in an effort to take We don’t just talk a good game. We put it into practice. When a local minister who serves on the Board of Regents for a progressive university came into the superintendent’s office in March of 2011 to propose the district get computers for a particular classroom, the superintendent asked, “Why not every classroom? Why not every student?” It was that discussion that led to our district handing out an iPad or iPod Touch device to every single student in our district and then building out the District’s technology infrastructure to support it. McAllen ISD faced a tremendous challenge in providing sufficient resources to address 25,000 devices in addition to current inventory. Providing a secure, resilient infrastructure in a limited amount of time is extremely daunting. 23 To address the challenge, MISD enlisted the services of key manufacturers. Apple, Cisco, AirWatch, Time Warner Cable, and F5 are all leaders in their respective fields. MISD and Cisco collaborated on a case study involving Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). ISE is designed to provision and poster devices onto the infrastructures wireless network. Cisco’s relationship with MISD garnered the technical resources to address the transport of data over its wired and wireless mediums. The existing infrastructure was not prepared to handle the upcoming onslaught of mobile devices. Enter managed mobility. An intelligent AirWatch, MISD’s preferred mobile device management solution, was introduced to manage the devices being issued to students and staff. AirWatch’s ability to consistently take inventory of the devices, track their location, address security and location concerns, and install/ remove applications Over The Air (OTA) melded well with MISD’s TLC3 initiative. AirWatch’s enrollment process and administrative ease of use is its greatest technical asset. Furthermore, AirWatch’s willingness to listen to its customer base allowed MISD to guide features of the MDM that it found most effective in managing the tablet inventory. Just as with Cisco, MISD collaborated with AirWatch on several case studies. MISD used a training mechanism within AirWatch. MISD has set a high level of expectations from AirWatch and continues to push the envelope in the evolution of MDM features and functionality. eco-system of application and hardware solutions that would allow MISD to systematically manage/control the mobile environment with its current manpower was introduced. Seemingly endless man-hours were consumed in the design, procurement, installation, and testing of over 150 high performing switches and routers, 1700 wireless access points, enterprise management and security applications. MISD is currently working with AirWatch and Cisco to dynamically tie both products to ensure that device enrollment is performed prior to accessing its corporate network. Doing so provides a greater level of success in insuring it’s students have the necessary resources to excel. Time Warner Communications has provided the Internet services to adequately access out of district services and applications. District Internet consumption jumped from a measly 150 megs to over 2 24 gigabits within the span of less than six months. It was phenomenal. Enlisting a powerhouse like Time Warner allowed MISD to service the needs of its users at a feasible cost, while providing best in class support and offerings. Lastly, F5 has joined the MISD family of best-in-breed companies. F5 supports Fortune 50 organizations. For MISD, F5 provides a loadbalancing solution that will facilitate the filtering of mobile devices while on and off the district’s infrastructure. The culmination of enlisting best-in-breed companies has allowed MISD to provide superior services to its students, families, and staff. Through intense collaboration, MISD has built an agnostic infrastructure that will scale up to 100,000 devices. We celebrate a community of learners that is supportive and reflective of our educational philosophy. Together, we put the theory of success for every single child into practice. In this unique way, our school district is leveling the playing field for all students, while also spurring our students forward so they can compete in the universities and the work places of the 21st Century. 25 Contribution and Credits • Ms. Norma Zamora-Guerra • Dr. James J. Ponce • Ms. Rachel Arcaute School Liaison Ms. Norma Zamora-Guerra Community Information Director Email: [email protected] • Ms. Carmen Garza • Dr. Matthew Weber In addition to the school liaison, the following people are able to address these areas. • Mr. Pat Karr Visionary Leadership Dr. James J. Ponce Superintendent Email: [email protected] Innovative Learning and Teaching Ms. Rachel Arcaute Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services Email: [email protected] Ongoing Professional Learning Ms. Carmen Garza Director for Instructional Technology Email: [email protected] Apple Distinguished Program Application Compelling Evidence of Success Dr. Matthew Weber Associate Superintendent for Instructional Services Email: [email protected] Flexible Learning Environment Mr. Pat Karr Director of Network Services and Support Email: [email protected]