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RUNNINGHEADER: FloridaSchool DistrictTechnologyPlanAssessment
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Hillsborough County, Leon County, and Miami-Dade County: Assessments of three Florida
School Districts’ Technology Plans
Chad D. Cornwell
Walden University
December 18, 2012

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Abstract
The twenty-first century brings with it the dawn of a new era in pedagogy, with
technology at the forefront of curriculum and instruction. Technology plans for three Florida
schools districts: Hillsborough County representing the Tampa Bay area, Miami-Dade County
representing metropolitan Miami and surrounding areas, and Leon County representing the
Tallahassee area are compared and contrasted. Areas considered include curriculum and
instruction, digital citizenry, and professional development.

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Part I: Use of Technology for Curriculum and Instruction
As the global marketplace evolves so too must the delivery of education via technology.
A recent article in Education Week addressed the need for schools and teachers to be prepared to
meet the needs of individual students through technology. Researchers have concluded that
“blended learning is more effective than either online or face-to-face instruction on its own”
(Ash, 2012, p. S4).
Leon County Schools provides a rich and thorough goals outline in their technology
plan. The goals, aligned with ISTE National Technology Standards include (as directly related
to instruction):
 “Use [of] a variety of multi-media materials to more effectively differentiate instruction
to reach students with diverse learning needs,
 Planning individualized learning programs based on assessment data,
 Increased student motivation to learn through the use of interactive multi-media
instructional programs that contain features and tactics designed to address factors of
engagement,
 Providing opportunities for students to work collaboratively and actively,
 Guiding student use of the Internet by creating and using curriculum pages on school
and district website,
 Guiding student investigations by engaging them in research-based activities that may
include resources of the World Wide Web, purchased online services such as BrainPOP,

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ProQuest and Electric Library, and productivity software such as Keynote, Adobe Digital
School Collection, Powerpoint, eZedia and Producer,
 Challenging students with an intriguing question which prods them, working in
collaborative groups, to seek information, display it, process it, and produce a
presentation of their solution, and
 Working with teacher teams to write the research modules to support the district-adopted
curriculum” (Leon County Schools, 2006, p. 7).
Goals tied to curriculum and instruction within the technology plan for Miami-Dade County
Schools (MDCS) are to “prepare learners of all ages to use technology appropriately to access
information, collaborate, construct knowledge, and to prepare students to lead successful
personal and professional lives” (Miami-Dade Public Schools, 2010, p. 25). The lack of
attention to specifically how technology functions in the schools in Miami-Dade County is a
oversight that prevents teachers and students from interacting with technology in rich and
rewarding ways.
Hillsborough County Schools (HCS) outlines their technological goals for curriculum and
instruction in a series of “tactics” which intertwine professional development, communication,
and instructional goals. Tactic one uses technology to enhance and improve instruction
(Hillsborough County Public Schools, 2012, p. 6). This is done through a variety of electronic
programs that support the instructional program. Some technology-based learning programs are
listed as examples, however there is no guidance provided for teachers about how to research and
select effective technology. Also lacking from Hillsborough and Miami-Dade are guidelines for
how technology can be used to enhance students’ learning as clearly cited in Leon County’s
plan.

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Tactic three “is used to improve and extend learning, increase productivity, assure fiscal
accountability, improve work processes, and provide increased access to information”
(Hillsborough County Public Schools, 2012, p. 6). The plan fails to expand on this
conglomeration of ideas that are disassociated with one another. One must guess at whether
extended learning refers to students enrolled in school programs or faculty and staff learning
opportunities. Finally, tactic six uses technology to provide learning through online courses and
specifically cites Florida’s Virtual School. Missed here is an opportunity to explain the role of
technology in Hillsborough County to deliver curriculum to students in new ways. SDHC’s
technology plan, however, fails on all counts to discuss the role of technology, explaining it
away as playing “a more prominent role in the future” (Hillsborough County Public Schools,
2012, p. 6).
Both Miami-Dade and Hillsborough Counties fail to provide any rationale for the use of
technology in curriculum and instruction. Leon County’s expectations for technological
integration are well-thought out, comprehensive, and defined in a way that every educator and
administrator can understand and is easily applicable. With the transition to Common Core State
Standards and the expansion into technological education in the form of blended learning
choices, it is imperitave that district technology plans clearly outline expectations for
technological integration into classrooms.
Part II: Ethical Use of Technology
Technological progress comes with a price. Numerous implications arise from
discussions about ethical uses of technology in public schools. Not only does an import lies in
teachers’ appropriate use of technology, but also in their modeling, and setting appropriate

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guidelines for students’ use of existing and emerging engineering. As more students are exposed
to technological opportunities and advancement through blended learning models (Ash, 2012)
school districts must clearly outline acceptable behavior both in the classroom as well as off
school property when used for and related to academic purposes.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) outlines six NETS which
include guidelines for students, teachers, administrators, coaches, and computer science
educators defines behaviors considered ethical and responsible for digital citizenship
(International Society for Technology in Education, 2007). Each of the schools districts
evaluated (Hillsborough, Leon, and Miami-Dade) have technology policies in place to varying
degrees, however Miami-Dade County School District is the only district to explicitly define the
role of the teacher in addressing digital citizenship (Miami-Dade Public Schools, 2010). ISTE
defines this as the students’ understanding of the human, societal, and cultural components of
technology and their ability to demonstrate ethical and legal behaviors with regards to
technology and the internet (International Society for Technology in Education, 2007).
Leon County Schools require that students and parents sign the Guidelines for
Telecommunications Use agreement before access is granted to school computers. While an
agreement such as this preserves the school district’s sanctity, it does little to foster digital
citizenship among the student body. Ethical and legal uses of technology must be taught and
applied in the classroom so that they become part of the lexicon of the school’s curriculum.
There are three areas of ethical digital citizenship that must specifically be addressed: cyber
bullying, copyright and correct use of citations, and technological cheating.

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School districts like the Seattle Public School District (SPSD) have begun to develop
curricula addressing issues of cyber bullying. SPSD focuses on teaching internet safety rather
than solely addressing the issues of bullying, choosing instead to focus on “debunking
misperceptions about digital behavior, building empathy and understanding, teaching online
safety skills, and equipping young people with strategies to reject digital abuse” (Holladay, 2011,
p. 7). Included in SPSD’s curriculum are standards taught by teachers, and strategies designed to
include students’ families as more than a signature on an acknowledgement agreement.
Neither Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, nor Leon counties specifically address issues of
cyber bullying in their posted technology policies. Unfortunately each districts’ policies are
vaguely written and while this ambiguity protects the school district from litigation, little is
accomplished to guide teachers in what the district considers ethical and unethical behavior.
Behaviors demonstrated by students across the US necessitate the inclusion of a bully-specific
curriculum in schools that includes a segment discussing cyber bullying practices and
consequences. Hillsborough County cites two specific safety goals under the Information and
Technology Goals and Objectives (Hillsborough County Public Schools, 2012); however, neither
refer adequately to protecting students nor employees from the effects of technological harm.
It is easy to understand how so few teachers fully understand copyright laws and that
even fewer stress the legal issues of using technology their private and academic lives. As
students are encouraged to engage with technological content in the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS) an increased number of teachers are creating assignments with technological
components, therefore the need to educate students about copyright laws should be mandated.
All three Florida school districts specifically address issues of copyright in their policies. For

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example, Leon county lists an unacceptable the “reporting personal communications, e-mail or
faxes, or using personally identifiable information or individually owned or copyrighted material
(this includes pictures, artwork, & products) without the author's (or parent/ guardian's) prior
consent” (Leon County Schools, 2006). Hillsborough County Schools provides faculty and the
public with a detailed policy governing the use of copy written materials for educational
purposes (Hillsborough County Public Schools, 2012). HCS also provides published forms for
teachers to send home with students, notifying parents of the viewing of copy written “PG” and
“R” audio video materials. However then, there is no effective, easy to read curriculum
educating students about the use of copy written materials in educational assignments and as
ethical digital citizens.
The final phase of responsible digital citizenry is to ensure that students understand how
to ethically engage with and use technology toward their education. Ribble (2011) as cited by
Jones emphasizes that “educators must be proactive and develop instructional strategies that
integrate all facets of appropriate digital citizenship, that is, digital ethics” (Jones, 2011, p. 142).
Jones also found in Landrau, Duren, and Arcuri (2002) that by educating students about issues
like plagarism helps to reduce it (Jones, 2011).
School districts like Leon, Hillsborough, and Miami-Dade must extend their
technological expectations beyond a statement of policy and imbed the standards into the
curriculum, teaching students how to behave as ethical digital citizens. The Miami-Dade school
district admits on its website that there is no filter than is perfectly accurate and students may be
exposed to some objectionable material. Statements like these protect the school district legally,
but in no way teach students how to respond in situations where objectionable material is

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unintentionally breeched. Nor do any of these policies train children in the schools to be
proactive, ethical, and responsible digital citizens.
Only when digital citizenship is included in standard curriculum will there be progress in
technological usage on public school campuses. Including digital citizenry in the curriculum
school districts guarantee that funding streams will exist and increase for teacher professional
development, appropriate evaluation of technological use in the classroom, and control over
issues like cyber bullying, copyright, and technological cheating.
Preparation for Part III: Integration of Technology into Professional Development
Speaking of professional development with regards to integration of technology within a
school district one must not only consider what technological resources are used to continually
update teachers about best practices in education, but what is also carried out to train teachers to
evaluate, select, and implement technology in the classroom.
Leon County Schools was the only district that included a detailed outline of how technology
fits into the district. LCS provides bullet points for areas including technology goals assessment,
instruction, communications, information, and productivity. The outline of expectations is easy
to understand and any administrator could turn this into an assessment document, evaluating
teachers’ implementation of the technology plan in their individual classrooms. LCS states that
“teachers will be able to demonstrate the following professional development outcomes as
appropriate to their instructional assignment and consistent with the ISTE National Technology
Standards” (Leon County Schools, 2006, p. 8). Clearly each outcome is measurable and
achievable, making the task of technology implementation in the classroom less daunting and
more effective.

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Neither Hillsborough nor Miami-Dade counties explain what technology implementation on
the part of teachers will look like in their district. Miami-Dade writes that “professional
development activities must:
 have a clear focus on learning and learners;
 target both individual and organizational change;
 make small changes guided by an overarching vision; and
 be ongoing and procedurally embedded to reinforce and promote learning” (Miami-
Dade Public Schools, 2010, p. 40).
In order for these goals to be fully realized, the professional development team must produce
specific and obtainable actions that teachers can accomplish. Without these benchmarks,
teachers will interpret each of the four bullet points in differing ways, leading to unsuccessful
and missed professional development opportunities.
As the rate of technological integration in education increases so too must the specificity
of school districts leadership be about their expectations of integration in the classroom.
Applying the Leon County Schools technology plan for professional development the following
integreation plan is proposed:
Professional
Development
Outcomes*
Standards* Timeline Process
Technology Goals
Assessment
Evaluate individual
student work and
class progress using
reporting options
available in software
programs.
Report student
achievement to
parents.
Accomplishing
Accomplishing
(1) A district-wide
assessment of
current methods
of reporting
grades,
attendance, and
other student data
will be conducted,
looking for areas
of improvement,

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Reviewportfolios of
student work and
writing saved on the
network or other files.
Prepare [printed or
electronic] assessments
of student progress
with report card
programs or
protocols.
Use resources created
on individual, district
or shared drives to
store and share
assessment data.
Begin training in
S2013. Implement
phase 1 F 2013 in HS
Accomplishing
Begin training in
S2014. Implement
phase F2014 in HS
and technological
gaps and barriers.
Students and
family members
should be able to
access all course
grades,
attendance, all
testing scores,
IEP’s and all other
student data.
(2) Technology
personnel will
work with
teachers and
administrators to
design or purchase
resources that will
allow students and
teachers to save
work on a secure
site (like the
cloud).
(3) All teachers and
administrators
will be trained on
the use of the new
technology
platform prior to
rolling it out in
HS (2014), MS
(2015) and ES
(2016).
Instruction Use a variety of multi-
media materials to
more effectively
differentiate
instruction to reach
students with diverse
learning needs.
Plan individualized
learning programs
based on assessment
data.
Increase student
Demonstrated on
lesson plans starting
F2014
Subject area leaders
(1) New professional
development
workshops during
pre-planning week
will focus on how
to write
technological
goals into lesson
plans.
(2) Starting in 2014
all teachers
expected to
account for

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motivation to learn
through the use of
interactive multi-media
instructional programs
that contain features
and tactics designed to
address factors of
engagement.
Provide opportunities
for students to work
collaboratively and
actively.
Guide student use of
the Internet by
creating and using
curriculum pages on
school and district
websites.
Guide student
investigations by
engaging them in
research-based
activities that may
include resources of
the World Wide Web,
purchased online
services such as
BrainPOP, ProQuest
and Electric Library,
and productivity
software such as
Keynote, Adobe
Digital School
Collection,
Powerpoint, eZedia
and Producer.
Challenge students
with an intriguing
question which prods
them, working in
collaborative groups,
to seek information,
display it, process it,
and produce a
research and propose
technology plan for
subjects by S2014.
Plans are approved by
district by end of
2014. Teachers use
new technology
F2014.
Each teacher
expected to have a
fully-implemented
and interactive
website by F2013.
technology plan for
subjects by S2014.
district by end of
2014. Teachers use
new technology
F2014.
technology and
differentiation on
all lesson plans.
(3) A team of subject
area leaders,
curriculum
development
personal and
technology
representatives
work to propose
new software that
aligns with current
curriculum or
stands alone that
teachers can use
toward student
motivation.
(4) Develop a policy
by which
individual
teachers can
locate, procure,
and use additional
technology
resources without
district approval.
(5) Train teachers on
website
development,
programming, and
design during pre-
planning.
(6) Implement a new
policy for
checking lesson
plans for
incorporation of
technology and
essential guiding
questions.
(7) Teachers who are
deemed needing
improvement with
lesson planning
will be assigned to

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presentation of their
solution.
Work with teacher
teams to write the
research modules to
support the district-
adopted curriculum.
a veteran teacher
for mentoring.
Veteran teachers
should be
compensated for
mentorship.
Communications Use network access to
connect with other
educators on specific
topics through online
discussion groups and
professional list serves.
Increase
communication with
parents by phone and
email exchanges,
listsrvs, posting
information on
classroom and school
websites; interactive
parent/student portals.
Collaborate with
distant learning
partners via online
global projects and
distance learning
opportunities.
Accomplishing.
Make this a
component of teacher
evaluations starting
F2013.
Accomplishing.
Make this a
component of teacher
evaluations starting
F2013. Each teacher
expected to have a
fully-implemented
and interactive
website by F2013.
technology plan for
subjects by S2014.
district by end of
2014. Teachers use
new technology
F2014.
(1) Establish a
district-wide
networking
system of list
serves in which
teachers can share
ideas, lesson
plans, challenges,
and more in a safe
environment.
Participation in
subject-area
groups can be a
condition for
“accomplished”
ranking on teacher
evaluations.
(2) Explore options
with other school
districts for
collaborative
skype-style
learning
opportunities.
(3) Review trends in
blended learning
and devise a plan
of action for
incorporation into
classrooms by
F2015.
Information Access current
information to
supplement teaching
resources with
electronic sources and
online services.
technology plan for
subjects by S2014.
district by end of
2014. Teachers use
(1) Teachers
demonstrate in
lesson plans use
of technology.
Standard on
teacher
evaluations

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Access student
progress and
assessment data.
Access professional
journals and
information online.
Provide students with
experience to guide
their evaluation and
use of information
found online.
new technology
F2014.
Accomplishing.
To Be Determined.
Do we add this to
teacher evaluations?
technology plan for
subjects by S2014.
district by end of
2014. Teachers use
new technology
F2014.
starting F2014.
(2) Include on teacher
evaluations their
use of student data
to drive best
practice in the
classroom.
(3) Host focus groups
and research how
other successful
school districts are
incorporating the
use of
professional
journals for
professional
development,
teacher
evaluations, etc.
(4) Curriculum and
Instruction will
create curriculum
guides for all
subject areas on
the incorporation
of technology in
the classroom
starting F 2015.
Productivity Increase teaching time
by using management
programs to streamline
grades, attendance,
lunch count, etc.
Use report card
programs, databases,
and spreadsheets to
manage student data.
Prepare high quality
teaching materials at
the desktop.
Accomplishing.
Make this a part of
teacher evaluations
starting in F2013.
Accomplishing.
Assess success of
these systems in
S2013 and make
proposal for systemic
improvements.
technology plan for
subjects by S2014.
(1) Evaluate teachers
based on their use
of technology
platforms for
timeliness and
accuracy of
grades,
attendance,
student data, etc.
(2) Evaluate teachers
based on their
review and use of
data to drive best
practices in lesson
planning,
differentiated
instruction, etc.

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district by end of
2014. Teachers use
new technology
F2014.
*Professional Development Outcomes and Standards were taken from Leon County School
District’s technology plan (Leon County Schools, 2006, p. 6).
References
Ash,K. (2012, October24). Blendedlearningchoices. Education Week,pp.S4-S5.
HillsboroughCountyPublicSchools.(2012,July11). Copyright. RetrievedNovember24,2012, from
LibraryMedia Services:http://lms.mysdhc.org/handbook/Copyright#b
Holladay,J.(2011). Cyberbullying. Education Digest:EssentialReadingsCondensed forQuickReview,v76
n5 , 4-9.
International SocietyforTechnologyinEducation.(2007). nets-s-standards. RetrievedNovember24,
2012, fromInternational societyfortechnologyineducation:
http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-s-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Jones,D.L. (2011). Academicdishonesty:Are more studentscheating? BusinessCommunication
Quarterly,Volume74, Number2, 141-150.
LeonCountySchools.(2006, August). Community information files. RetrievedNovember24,2012, from
LeonCountySchools’StudentInternetUse/AccessPermissionFormandGuidelinesfor
TelecommunicationsUse:
http://www.leon.k12.fl.us/newlcshomefiles/community_information_files/Media%20Release%
20Form%202006.pdf

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Miami-Dade PublicSchools.(2010, June 01). M-DCPSAcceptableUsePolicy . RetrievedNovember24,
2012, fromTechnology:http://www.dadeschools.net/technology/acceptable_use_policy.htm

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