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Educational Design & Technology

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Learning Technology Grant Program Overview: Auburn Enlarged City School District

Award Years: 2018-2021

Target population(s):

The target population includes all K-12 teachers and all K-12 students. Parents and community members represent a key secondary population.

Description of the District:

Auburn Enlarged City School District (AECSD) is located in Cayuga County in Upstate Central New York. The district serves 4,164 students through a total of 7 schools. This includes:

  • 5 elementary schools (Casey Park, Genesee, Herman, Owasco and Seward--ES; each serving grades K-6).
  • Auburn Junior High School (JHS; serving grades 7 and 8).
  • Auburn High School (HS; serving grades 9-12).

Auburn is challenged by poverty, transience, and low adult education levels. State testing results show students struggle to perform at grade level, and most are not able to do so. Significant academic achievement disparities exist between sub-groups. Teachers are in critical need of new tools and skills to more appropriately support student achievement.

Among parents, community members, students, and even many teachers, there is a widespread lack of understanding of how technology is being applied in educational and workplace settings, the rapidly changing career landscape, and the increasing reliance of all types of careers on STEM skills, career readiness skills, and digital literacy. Many still view digital literacy as “optional.”

Description of program:

ISucceed will move AECSD from a largely traditional, teacher-centered instructional model that uses technology peripherally to a student-centered instructional model that more closely reflects the changing world of college and careers. The project will propel increases in student skill development and academic achievement and change the understanding and culture of teachers, parents, and students by grounding our system in personalized and blended learning. The Auburn view of technology integration will evolve from the idea that technology use in schools is limited to optional “computer class” and teachers using SMARTBoards in place of chalk boards, to full, daily integration of a variety of technologies in all courses. The project will promote the understanding that all virtually all types of careers available when our students graduate will require digital literacy and daily technology use. Major project activities include the design of a strategic technology integration and personalized learning implementation plan, as well as engagement of all K-12 teachers in in-depth in-person and online professional development that will sufficiently prepare them to regularly integrate educational technology to support personalized, blended, and online learning. All K-12 students will engage in online learning and digital citizenship development aimed at high-quality college and career preparation. All elementary students (grades K-6) will utilize MakerSpace Innovation Centers. Students in grades 5-12 will engage in online learning for micro-credentialing through On Your Own (OYO).  

Bonus Points:

AECSD qualifies for 8 LTG bonus points. The district is a focus district with 6 schools (all 5 elementary schools plus Auburn Junior High School) designated as focus schools---worth 4 bonus points. 58% of students are economically disadvantaged, exceeding the 50% minimum requirement for 2 bonus points. Additionally, while not listed in Appendix D, based on the answer to question 65 on page 17 of the Questions and Answers for this program, the district is eligible for 2 bonus points as a rural school because NYSED’s SEDREF database shows a Set Code 6 (Rural) for each of the most recent two censuses for AECSD.

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