The Ray-Pec Board of Education on Oct. 25, 2012, consideed the district’s participation in a consortium of eight school districts working together to pursue grant funds to establish a personalized learning environment for students.  The group, named the Mobile Mastery Consortium, is seeking funds from the U.S. Department of Education Race to the Top district grant competition. There is no district financial match required.

If awarded, the grant would be used for the following:

1. Creation of a personalized, student-focused learning environment through the use of technology.
2. Teacher professional development and access to a mobile device for the purpose of engaging students in their learning and to monitor student progress.
3. Student access to the personalized learning environment through the use of a technology device for every student. (Examples may include, but are not limited to, digital tablets, laptops, iPads, e-readers, student-owned devices, or any other Internet-enabled device)

Jay Harris, assistant superintendent for administrative services, explained that there are many questions to be answered that are necessary before accepting any such funds and meeting the grant requirements. At this time, the district was only asking for approval to remain a part of the grant consortium and to submit the grant application to the U.S. Department of Education. The grant application is due by Oct. 30, and approval notification is expected by Dec. 31, 2012. If the grant is approved, the board of education will then be asked to vote on whether to accept the funds and agree to the grant requirements as outlined in the application.

Board members received a copy of the lengthy application document, which may be viewed here: Application

Arla Monroe, Technology Director, presented a report about the Technology Program on March 22, 2012, to the Board of Education.

Monroe reviewed completed goals from the previous year, and listed these as ongoing goals:

• Define minimum classroom technology standards.
• Implement NETS (National Educational Technology Standards for Students) in the district's computer curriculum.
• Develop formal technology literacy tests for grades 2, 5, 8 and 12 to assess the NETS standards.
• Develop a district-wide plan for 1-to-1 computing.
• Update current policies and procedures.
• Develop a security policy for personal mobile devices.
• Provide instructions on safe and proper use of technology and the Internet at the beginning of each school year.
• Integrate the online safety program into the computer curriculum.
• Update the ePEGS system. (ePEGS is the system used by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to record progress toward Comprehensive School Improvement Plan goals).

Monroe showed how the Technology Department measures performance by tracking work orders, work order response and completion time, and stakeholder satisfaction surveys.

As part of the district's strategic planning process, a strategic goal team is focusing on the area of technology. Monroe listed these three goals:

• Maximize technology applications and resources to facilitate effective instructional delivery and student learning.
• Maximize technology applications and resources to facilitate effective and efficient operations.
• Develop a systemic approach to technology planning.

She also said that the district is investigating the areas of: 1-to-1 deployment of technology equipment (this means one device for each staff membe or student); BYOD (Bring Your Own Device); online textbooks, and document storage solutions.

You can review the entire report here: Technology Program Review

The Raymore-Peculiar School District Technology Department is committed to delivering quality and innovative information technology solutions to provide students, staff, and administrators with convenient access to appropriate information and services.

The District's technology integration will ensure each student will master specific skills and learning objectives that maximize achievement for lifelong productivity.