GOALS 2000 FINAL REPORT
LEA:
Project Contact:
Connie Campbell Date
of Report:
Final Report
Please answer the following
questions in as much detail as possible.
You may use attachments.
1. Using specifics compare your timeline and benchmarks
in the grant to what is actually occurring in your project.
Project LA Timeline:
August-September
2001 Upon
receiving the revised budget from Mary Taylor, it was discovered that one area of
the grant was cut from the budget. The area cut included money to cover
substitute teachers providing the proposed 23 participating teachers release
time for training in the use of technology to integrate curricula to improve
student achievement in language arts. It
was determined that in order to successfully complete this project professional
development training was detrimental, so through use of some funding from the
director of technology’s budget and the use of local professional development
days already built into the 2001-2002 school calendar, the project could be carried out in a manner
that would still reach the goals established.
No payment for substitutes will be necessary for 3 Project LA training by using the following
pre-planned dates: Oct. 26, Jan. 11, and
May 3. In addition to these dates there
would be an additional need of substitute payment days which would have to be
covered through local funds. It was
decided to reduce the number of participating teachers from 23 to 16 to
accommodate the budget cuts and still successfully carry out the project. After selecting and notifying the 16
teachers, materials, including hardware were ordered. Lowering of prices created a surplus of funds
that had not been expected. It was then
decided to use these funds to offer the 16 participating teachers additional
training dates to supplement the built-in county-wide professional development
days and to also use these surplus funds to cover the additional substitute
payment days without depleting money from local funds.
The
16 teachers met on September 25, 26, and 28 to evaluate TerraNova
language arts scores for the students who would be in their 2001-2 classes and
to develop a database of targeted areas of weakness based on these scores. In addition at the September training
sessions teachers learned to utilize the student management aspects of the
Orchard software that was purchased through the project. In order to put this network software on the
4 school’s servers it became necessary to increase the server hard drive space
so new drives were ordered and installed causing a delay in the use of the
software at the participating schools.
The software has been installed at Dandridge Elementary and will be
installed at the remaining 3 schools within in the next week. When this is accomplished, the instructional
technology trainer will visit each of the 16 classrooms and introduce the use
of the program to students.
Also
at the September meeting teachers evaluated their technology skills through an
online survey. Teachers provided
responses to their uses of technology in an electronic database.
October-November
2001 Participants
utilized lesson plan resources available on the Internet to identify those that
addressed targeted language arts objective weaknesses. Teachers were trained to use the Classroom
Performance System (CPS) and CyberClass created pre-
and post-tests to evaluate student mastery of lesson plan objectives.
On October 26 Project LA teachers met to learn the
student management aspects of Orchard network software and the Classroom
Performance System. Follow-up visits and
classroom modeling was conducted by the instructional technology trainer on the
following dates:
- November
6 at
- November
13 at
- November
14 at
- November
16 at
- November
19 at
- November
20 at
January 2002 Participants created lesson
plans and language arts activities that utilize word processing (Word) to teach
a language arts objective identified by the teacher as partial or non-mastered
on the TerraNova tests. These are stored at the Project LA website (http://208.183.128.8/la/activities/index.html).
February-March
2002 Participants
developed multimedia presentations directed to address a language arts
objective previously identified as an area of weakness. The presentation
included links to related Internet sites.
These are stored at the Project LA website (http://208.183.128.8/la/activities/pptresources.html)
and can be viewed online or downloaded to the user’s computer.
April-May 2002 Project LA participants met for their final meeting on April 12, 15, and
16. At this workshop teachers used Word
to create skill worksheets aimed at addressing language arts TerraNova
objectives for their grade level. These
are posted at the Project LA website.
Participants also learned to create classroom newsletters focusing on
cross-curriculum composition and Internet resources. Participants also
completed a written evaluation of the staff development project. These evaluations will be compiled in the
final report due August 15.
August-September 2002 An assessment of teacher objective mastery
performance was completed using the TerraNova Teacher
Objective Performance Summary Reports. A
report was created comparing the 2001 and 2002 scores focusing on student
performance improvement. This report (see
Excel attachments, Project LA Target Group.xls and Project LA Control Group.xls)“compared student 2001-2002 NCE scores from participating
classes (target group) to students in the same grade levels who were not in
participating classes (control group). The
following grade level comparisons were made:
Third Grade
Target and control group
third grade scores on 2001-2002 Terra Nova language sub-test:
Locally a pattern of NCE
score loss is evident when comparing student second and third grade
scores. To assess the project’s impact,
a comparison of this drop between participating students (target group) and
non-participating students (control group) was conducted. As expected, a decrease in NCE scores was
noted for both the target and control groups.
The target group decrease was 4.8 while the decrease in score for the
control group was 3.66.
Target and control group
third grade scores on 2001-2002 Terra Nova language mechanics sub-test:
When comparing these groups
in the language mechanics sub-test it was noted that the target group had an
NCE decrease of 1.6 while the control group’s decrease was a 7 NCE score drop.
Target and control group
third grade scores on 2001-2002 Terra Nova language mechanics sub-test:
The Total Language
comparison above indicates a 3.4 NCE score loss in the target group and a 7.6
loss in the control group.
Fourth Grade
A comparison of the language
subtest from 2001 and 2002 for the fourth grade target group showed a NCE gain
of 2 while the control group had a 4.1 increase.
Again the target group
slightly out-performed the control group in the language mechanics
sub-test. The target group demonstrated
a gain of 2.8 with the control group making a 1.9 gain.
The following graphs reveal
the total language mean NCE scores for the fourth grade target and control
groups. The target group had a 1.6 gain
on the total langue NCE mean score yet the control group had an increase score
of 4.1.
Fifth Grade
The comparison of the
language subtest from 2001 and 2002 for the fifth grade target group showed a
mean NCE loss of .5. The control group
demonstrated a loss of .14.
Unlike the third and fourth
grade results, the fifth grade target group demonstrated a mean NCE score drop in
the language mechanics test which was greater than the loss shown in the
control group. The target group had an
NCE score drop of 5.81. The control
group had only a loss of 0.4.
The language mechanics
target group drop is reflected in the total language score difference making
the language total NCE mean score slightly lower than those of the control
group. The target group scores on the
2002 test NCE mean scores had a 3.7 loss while the control group’s loss was 3.3
The target group did appear
to show a slight improvement in student achievement in language mechanics for
grades 3 and 4 when comparing the NCE mean scores changes with the control and
target group. Grade 3 demonstrated the
largest difference in mechanics with a 7 NCE score improvement.
2. What progress have you made toward reaching the
objectives and goals that you set in your proposal?
Goals:
|
Classroom Performance System (CPS) |
|
Shared instant feedback |
|
Provided data reports for
parents |
|
Kept learners engaged and
on-task |
|
Provided an alternative
way to practice skills |
|
Highly motivating |
|
Provided an alternate form
of assessment |
|
Orchard Student Management Language Arts Program |
|
Provided a pre- and
post-testing |
|
Supplied an individualized
approach |
|
Focused on specific skills |
|
Enabled practice of skills
before assessments |
|
Developed reports to
teachers to analysis student performance |
|
Motivated learners |
The teacher
will explore and identify learning and teaching styles that enhance the
environment of learning for all students. (
The use of technology stimulated and addressed students’
individual learning styles as follows:
§
Addressed students’ individual learning styles
§
Provided a connection to all students through the use of the various
technologies available in my classroom
§
Generated more excitement in students about using technology than is
found when using textbooks
§
Located web
sites with online activities that have helped meet the needs of students
§
Enabled teachers to develop a teaching style that was more interactive
through the use of technology
§
Proved beneficial to the visual learners in my class
§
Allowed the teacher
to adjust evaluation activities for each student
§
Reached students
who do not generally perform well on paper
and pencil activities
§
Created active learners
§
Prevented students from feeling frustrated by either
waiting on others or being left behind
§
Motivated
students through the use of technology to learn anything as long as they are
able to incorporate it.
§
Allowed students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge more
effectively through the use of technology.
3. What progress has been made toward the National Goal
or Goals as you presented in your proposal?
Teacher education and professional development (National
Goals)
In the final evaluations, participating teachers responded as follows:
In the final evaluation 100% of the participating teachers
responded that the release time for training was invaluable, 94% stated an
increase use of technology in instruction, and 69% felt technology provided
more motivational activities for learners.
Improved
student achievement through the use of technology as a tool to enhance the
curriculum.
In the final evaluations, participating teachers stated
the additional usage of technology had a positive effect on student
achievement, motivated learners, enabled teachers to focus on the individual
student, and provided additional practice of important skills.
4. At this point, how is the Goals 2000 funding
positively affecting the education of the children in your county?
In
the final evaluations, participating teachers responded as follows:
- I have ultimately become a better trained
teacher, hence better educating my students. I have been able to apply the things
that I have learned in training into my regular classroom, which has been
beneficial to my students and me.
- My students enjoy school so much more when we
use technology in our class. Students have started making PowerPoint
presentations. They take more pride in their work when they see it on the
monitor and they know other students are going to be looking at it. The
children in my class really have a positive attitude toward learning.
- Students have been very excited about the
various computer programs they have gotten to use this year. They always enjoy going to the
computers instead of sitting at their desks. The programs are so individualized to
each student’s abilities that everyone has had the opportunity to
succeed.
- Project LA has given me the resources and
knowledge to incorporate technology in my classroom effectively. The more technology I can expose my
students to the better off they will be.
With technology I am giving my students more educational
opportunities.
- The students love it! They enjoy especially using the CPS
system and the orchard programs. I
think it greatly enhances both student achievement and student
performance because if it is something that the kids think is fun and
exciting, they are more likely to have better scores. I can see that result with my
students. They never ask to do
assignments or stay in from playtime to do homework, but they always want
to work on orchard, and some of them don’t even have the option of
playing the little racing game.
They just enjoy the computer.
It makes them feel smarter I guess, that
they can pass a test or a practice exercise on the computer. Plus, on their home work assignments, when
they get an answer correct, there’s no little message that pops up to
say, “Good Job” or “Correct” and on the computer programs that is
encouraging to them and so they try harder to get that message. It is a reward for them. The class
involvement on the power points also encourages them to work harder.
- The students really enjoy using the Orchard
system. The reward game at the
end, if the are successful, is an added incentive they really enjoy. They really get excited about working
on it. I have seen improvements on
scores from the beginning of the year.
Tasks that they did not initially perform well on have
improved. The CPS has given them
and fun alternative way to review.
They enjoy practicing using this system and it helps them learn.
- The teacher is more knowledgeable on how to
enhance learning through the use of technology. As a result, the learner has
benefited. Every student has
become increased his/her performance.
- It has helped by allowing me to take useful
tools into the classroom to help me have activities to enhance my
lessons.
- Project LA has provided me with valuable
training and new ideas that I can incorporate into my classroom. I have found these new ideas to be
extremely helpful to me as a new teacher.
The ideas have led to new ways to teach my students and in their
increased participation and success.
- I think my class has felt special this year
because we have used this equipment.
Their enthusiasm is infectious.
We have had many exciting lessons and learning experiences because
of this project. To hear them tell
their friends about all of this on the playground and in the cafeteria
has been amazing. They thoroughly
enjoyed all aspects of the project.
- In many ways Project LA has positively affected
my classroom. My students ask
repeatedly to use CPS which allows us practice for Terra Nova. Students who did not seem interested in
reading suddenly were asking if they could work on the guided reading
section on Orchard. It was
exciting to see those low readers motivated to read. One of my students in particular who is
a resource child is improving remarkably in his reading. I was thrilled one day to witness him
searching for an answer to a comprehension question!
- Every aspect of Project LA was beneficial to my
students. They had fun while they were learning and begged to use the CPS
system and the Orchard Program daily. It helped me feel more comfortable
using technology in the classroom and it increased the skills of my
students.
- Project LA has positively affected my students
by initially increasing the amount of technology used in my
classroom. Project LA has also
allowed me to come in contact with alternative uses of technology in the
classroom. I have been able to use materials constructed by the
participants of
- Project LA has equipped me with several new
teaching tools. The training, CPS,
and PowerPoint presentations have improved and enhanced my teaching. In addition, I have found many
educational websites that meet my curriculum needs. The Project LA training has increased
my skills and knowledge resulting in a positive impact on the education
of my students.
- I have seen more enthusiasm and a greater
enjoyment in practicing necessary language skills. Students demonstrate more confidence
not only with the computer skills but also with the language skills.
Students no longer dread language practice skills which are necessary,
but sometimes boring for students.
5. Describe some great happenings concerning your
project. Please send any articles or documentation to us for our
files.
In
the final evaluations, participating teachers responded as follows:
- A great happening concerning my participation
in this project is simply that I now have confidence in myself that I can
learn to use technology for the positive effects that it will have on my
students.
- We have found so many good teaching resources
in this project. I think this has made the year more excited for me. It
is good for teachers to have fresh ideas. I have encouraged parents to look at
our project. I have also found sites to share with parents. They seem to
really appreciate having access to the Presentations and projects we have
created during the project. Several of them have told me they were very
helpful. They think the results of the project have been worth the few
days I have been out of the class to work on the project.
- Students have been more excited about learning
and completing their assignments because they were using the
computer. School was not so boring
and dull when we used the programs from
- I invited parents to the room to use the new
technology with their children. I
had a wonderful turn-out and the parents got to see the technology that
we used in the classroom to learn.
- I really enjoy learning about the various ways
I can use technology with my teaching in the classroom. Having the grant money to buy soft ware
and educational programs has helped tremendously. It is a lot easier to use technology
with the soft ware and programs I have received.
- I was able through this project to purchase
software, a scanner, and a color printer for my classroom. The students have written stories and
made a adventure books and included the pictures
that were printed from the color printer.
- I have been very excited to receive more hours
of technology during the day rather than after school. The training has been more meaningful;
as a result, my teaching has been enhanced!! I am more knowledgeable of the variety
of resources available to the teacher.
- I feel more confident with the use of
technology in the classroom. My
students enjoy using the computer for more than just games. They can see their own progress.
- I have two students in my classroom who have
struggled with basic ideas since the beginning of the year. I was hesitant about starting new
material due to the fact that I knew these students needed additional
practice on these skills. Through the
use of Orchard, I was able to give
these students the opportunity to continue to practice on these skills
and at the same time be able to monitor their progress without taking
time away from my other students.
I have seen dramatic increases in these students’ performance. I have been able to allow them to get
the practice they need and deserve and monitor their progress, making
changes where needed, while continuing teaching the other students. Another help has been with a student
requiring modifications. I have
been able to let her practice skills through the use of Orchard and take
grades from her work. This
resulted in a great chance in her academic achievement.
- Participating in this project has boosted my
confidence and opened my mind as to ways I can teach and use
technology. The chance to do this
has been an honor for my classroom, my school, and my entire school
system. The technology center has
top notch instruction and equipment available to us in this county. The greatest thrill for me was when a
special education child, unable to write his name, was able to push a
button and answer a question correctly!!
The delight on his face was immeasurable. Having money to buy equipment for my
room was an added bonus.
- Many great things have come out of Project
LA! I think the greatest happening
for me though, was the day that one of my gifted student’s parents came
to visit. This particular parent had been very interested in his son
having a variety of technology experiences. The day he came to visit our classroom
we were working with CPS, my students were on task and engaged positively
in math word problems!
- Project LA has been a wonderful experience for
me. This project has given me initiative to use technology in my
classroom. I have learned how to
use alternative methods of technology within my classroom. I have also
learned about different types of on-line games and software that has been
beneficial to me and my students. The programs addressed within this
project have allowed me to come out of the classroom, during the school
day, and interact with other teachers to develop activities that match
the criteria in which the students will be tested. This program has been a definite key to
improving myself as a teacher.
- I have noticed several students have greatly
improved their computer skills this year.
In addition, I have increased my technology use this year with the
addition of the Classroom Performance System.
- Students were constantly asking to use the
technology provided by this project. They seemed to feel very comfortable
with it and expressed satisfaction with improved scores verbally to me.
One day, I exchanged classes with the other 5th grade teacher
and taught them using the CPS system. The students were so excited and
actively participated the entire class. They now
ask us to exchange again so they can use the system. Other teachers have expressed interest
in using the system and the administration of the school have attended
classes I’ve taught using the system and are looking into purchasing an
additional system for the school. A visitor from
- I am becoming more relaxed and confident using
computers with my students. Students are writing book reports, science
and social studies reports, and poems using computers. Students did the 4th and 5th
grade newspaper, Tomahawk Times, using the computer. I have been teaching for 25 years, most
of those years without any computers available to teachers or students. I
now have a better appreciation of what computer technology can do to
advance my students’ skills.