Van Meter School District is in the third year of implementing a 1:1 laptop initiative. The district has welcomed visitors from Iowa, the nation and the world. Iowa ASCD Director Jan Westerman-Beatty visited with Jen Sigrist, Director of Teaching and Learning, to get her thoughts on how this initiative has intersected with curriculum, instruction and assessment.

"It's interesting. When we first started the initiative, it was so new," shared Sigrist. "We thought about assessing the 1:1 project and then realized what we cared about was the change in teaching in learning, not assessing the technology. So we use many measures that other districts do:"

• Early Literacy Assessment - DIBELS Next
• Norm referenced basic skills - Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) in grades 2-11
• State requirement for second assessment - Skills Iowa in grades 3-11 in reading and math
• Criterion referenced, standards-based computer assessment
• Locally developed second assessment in science
• Locally developed writing assessment - grades K-12  

"The biggest misconception is that we measure the 1:1 initiative. We don't think it is a 'silver bullet." We've never measured the impact of overhead projectors. Why would we measure the impact of laptops? Technology is just one variable. We do measure change in the culture, since we have moved to using PLC's. Twice a year, we survey staff.     

"We do look for the characteristics of effective instruction during classroom walkthroughs. Fourteen hundred were completed last school year, and 600 have been done so far this year. We expect to see more student-centered, differentiated instruction. We don't measure the tool [laptops]. We want to know if an increased level of rigor is present.

"Using tools to differentiate instruction is important to helping our students succeed. Access to computers through the 1:1 initiative makes a difference. Teachers can assess what students know right away and adjust instruction accordingly.

"We also conduct the Instructional Practices Inventories (developed by Dr. Jerry Valentine at the University of Missouri) three times each year, to obtain snapshots of the level of student engagement in our classrooms. The research-based IPI was chosen because it aligns with our expectation of student-centered classrooms and rigor.

"Parents, students and teachers complete an annual survey regarding technology. We also use the Iowa Youth Survey to tell us about our student culture. Our 6^th graders reported less cyber bullying on the last survey, compared to our 6^th graders in earlier surveys, prior to the 1:1 initiative.

"Another source of formative data is centered on teacher professional development. This is standards-based. We personalize professional learning about standards related to our district initiatives. This helps us differentiate PD and provide the appropriate supports for the teachers. It's a process of constant improvement. We started with emails for teacher feedback and found it too cumbersome; we tried Google spreadsheets. We are now trying Blue Harvest software to offer a standards-based framework for providing teachers feedback and collecting qualitative data."

Jen went on to explain what she's observed about teaching and learning since the district has adopted the 1:1 laptop initiative

"You might be surprised to know that teachers here have been required to be proficient in only two technology tools: email and GoogleDocs. It's what they do with these tools and many others that is important; that's the focus on professional development. Putting laptops in students' hands caused teachers to take a new look at their craft and to ask, 'How engaging is my teaching?' For instance, teachers often found too much of their curriculum was 'Google-able' and needed to be more dynamic and global. The 1:1 initiative has pushed their thinking. We'd have missed this opportunity, or come to it much later, without the 1:1 project. Students and teachers now have access to an amazing amount of information, which has given rise to more conversations and experiments:

1)     What should class time with students look like? Some teachers have "flipped" classroom activities. Homework is done in class and reading/knowledge attainment outside class.

2)     What do students know or not know?

3)     What do grades mean?

"As a result of these discussions, each secondary teacher uses competency-based reporting in at least one class. Their conversations center on what students should know and be able to do and then about what curriculum fits. This quickly changed the 'game' for teachers and students. Next year, K-12 reporting will be competency-based, with the high school translating the reports to grades.

"Once again, we are not focused on measuring the tools we use. We are using the tools [laptops] to give students and teachers the opportunity to think differently about learning and teaching. Collaboration is so important, and administrators are very supportive of thinking differently and experimenting. Risk-taking is encouraged."

Finally, when asked about advice Jen Sigrist offered to school administrators, particularly curriculum leaders, "Use social media for your own learning.  Get on twitter! This tool has been crucial to developing my Personal Learning Network (PLN).  I've had so many conversations and found rich resources in people.  Twitter is the best professional development you'll find.  It's a great way to learn from colleagues.  Follow hashtag conversations and learn from about 1:1 and the Iowa Core, for example.  Ask questions about your burning issues.  Skype is great, too.  The 1:1 school network is grass works, so skyping and twittering with these leaders has been a great help."   

Be among the first to learn about the Iowa Department of Education's expectations for RTI!  Learn the relationships among the Iowa Core, RTI and Iowa's Blueprint!  Learn from school districts currently implementing RTI and seeing results!!  

All of this will happen at the 11^th Annual Iowa ASCD Curriculum Academy on April 11 and 12 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston, IA.  

Iowa ASCD, in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Education, is featuring Connie Maxson, Dave Tilly, and the State's RTI team throughout the Curriculum Academy. Jason Glass, Director of Education at the Iowa Department of Education, will present an afternoon keynote on the relationship of Iowa's Blueprint and RTI. The Cedar Rapids, Mason City, and North Polk School Districts will provide information about their use of data teams and professional learning communities in managing RTI. Lynnville-Sully Elementary will present their RTI program which includes programs for advanced learners. East Sac School District will report on their continued progress in the implementation of RTI.   

In addition, come learn with Dr. Troyce Fisher, Director of Cohesive Leadership Systems with School Administrators of Iowa, who will address leadership, change and RTI.  Mary Schmitt, Gifted Consultant with Heartland AEA, will describe programming for gifted learners in the RTI process, and the impact of instructional coaches in RTI will be the focus of a presentation by Amy Russell from the Cedar Rapids School District.

Join your colleagues from across the state in the learning on April 11 and 12.  Iowa ASCD Director Sue Wood chairs this event and works with an advisory of Iowa ASCD members to assure the conference meets the needs of our members. 

Stay current with learning! Follow Iowa ASCD on Twitter!   

http://twitter.com/#!/IowaASCD  

Iowa ASCD is the source for developing instructional leadership. Serving more than 780 educators - teachers, principals, superintendents, directors of curriculum, technology specialists, college professors, AEA staff - Iowa ASCD strives to develop the collaborative capacity to impact the learning of each and every student in Iowa.