Needs Assessment and Results

Phillip Huffman

Introduction

This needs assessment is for my local school within the Wilson County School system, Elm City Elementary. This assessment will take into account the school’s technology status as compared to the district as a whole, along with an analysis of the emerging needs as it stands in an educational and cultural marketplace.

Goal

To ascertain technology needs across the spectrum of students teachers, staff, and administration, in order to utilize this information for improvement and integration in the curriculum.

Objectives

To maintain reliable and stable technology that will benefit and provide solutions for school staff to integrate, implement, and communicate with each other and the student body.To ensure teachers, staff, and students have access to technologies on a regular basis. To empower teachers and staff a needs template necessary on a semi-annual basis for inputting technology requirements and desires.To provide technical support and training, locally and through the district, of issues involving current technology. To adapt current technology to meet student needs, and to show how the technology is incorporated in the job marketplace. To make students accountable on an ongoing basis to demonstrate their knowledge of the curriculum through technology.

Description

Elm City Elementary is a Title 1 school in a poor community, with demographics of about 80% African American, 10% white, and 10% Hispanic. The school however, is a School of Growth, meeting AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) last year. The student body is approximately 450.

This school does contain a technology lab; however, no staffed facilitator. The Media Coordinator documents and manages most tech issues and breakdowns, escalating more serious trouble tickets to the district level.

Surveys

•Our staff meetings are normally on Wednesday afternoons. This survey was made available to staff and administration members during that time.

•Student surveys were duplicated and made available during their technology time on the computers. They were handed in at the end of their class.

•Because PTO meetings are not well attended at times, parent forms were made available to students to take home to be completed and returned.

Survey Questions (these questions were formulated, using multiple-choice and open-ended responses)

Teacher/Staff Students ParentsHow much access do you have to technology?

How much do you use the computer at school and at home?

Do you have a computer at home; if so, how much do you use it?

What do you mostly do on the computer to help you with the curriculum?

Do you use the computer to help you with homework or other school projects? How?

What do you see your child doing on the computer, or the Internet?

Do you integrate technology with your lesson plans? If so, how?

Do you see your teacher use technology, and in what ways?

Does your child’s teacher use technology a great deal?

What do you use the Internet for, and how do your students use it?

Do you have Internet at home, and if so, what do you mostly do on it?

Does your child know more about computers and software than you?

What Microsoft applications do you use the most (Word, Excel, Power Point, etc)?

Do you know how to type a letter, or create a spreadsheet?

Are you able to help your child with technology at times?

What challenges do you face with technology at Elm City Elementary?

What would you like to do more at Elm City Elementary with technology?

What more would you like Elm City Elementary to do with technology?

Interviews

Local S chool F ac ilitators(w h ere presen t)

H ow m uch do you th ink tech nologyis given a priority at you r sch ool?

D is tr ic t Techn ology F ac ilitatorsA re technology needs and troubles

handled in an ef f ic ien t m anner?

P rinc ipal(s )H ow is technology in tegrated

in to the bu dget?H ow im portan t is s taf f train ing in technology?

C urricu lum C oordinatorsH ow does technology helpor con tribu te to cu rr icu lu m

success?

D is tr ic t Techn ology M anagerH ow im portan t do you th inktech nology is in the coun ty?

(in addition to surveys)

Current DataParent Survey for Webpage Components (http://www.wilson.k12.nc.us/education/components/form/default.php?sectiondetailid=26723&sc_id=1148061244): Gives parents ownership of website content for their children.

Wilson County Schools Network Quality Survey (http://www.wilson.k12.nc.us/education/components/form/default.php?sectiondetailid=26721&sc_id=1148061187): An analysis of the district network.

Wilson County Technology Repair Services (http://www.wilson.k12.nc.us/education/components/form/default.php?sectiondetailid=26724&sc_id=1148061286): A survey requesting input on the quality of performance that the district maintains.

Focus Groups and QuestionsFindings of survey would be discussed with the Technology Committee of this school, made up of Media Coordinator, Assistant Principal, and a representative from each grade level, at early dismissal workshops.

These results may be communicated to a district level on an ongoing basis.

Does the objectives for the tech plan align with the survey results and needs?Do teachers feel that technology is helping or hindering their curriculum?Are teachers and students getting the support they need in technology?What other tech devices (smartboards, alphasmarts, laptops, projectors) are being used on a regular basis?Are students showing the skills needed for current job requirements?Is the tech plan a living document, or just a fill-out sheet of requests?

FindingsThe proposals of the survey and focus group attention will be published using the school newsletter, both printed and web-based. Also a link to this report will be provided on the school website itself, allowing parents and others to view. An online template will be built, in order for anyone to submit opinions and options. Any significant and noteworthy revisions will be documented and submitted to the principal and key members of the district technology department for approval.

Final Report73% of teachers feel that the computers they use are substandard, and need upgrading.85% teachers feel comfortable about the “basics” of computer skills (word processing, etc.), but desire more training in peripherals and other software88% of teachers use the computer in various ways with their curriculum, and to communicate with one another by email.

52% of students do not have a computer at home, nor know a friend who has one.The students who do have a computer utilize it with homework, and internet communications and research.Parents are sometimes able to assist with technology, but most express that their children are more knowledgeable.Teachers are guiding the students when they are in the tech lab, but most feel inadequate to instruct fully.

Recommendations1. Upgrade current computers (memory, processors) to cope with

meeting demands of software applications.2. Use more early dismissals and teacher workshops for

technology training.3. Make the school’s technology plan more understandable and

available. Consider ever-increasing demands of technology to update tech plan more often than every 2-3 years.

4. Find available resources to hire more full-time technology facilitators in the local schools.

5. Keep students more abreast of fast moving technology trends, and how education can bring them up to be more competitive.