Improvements and Additions to Technology
January 2010 Release of Funds

New Instructional Projects Selected by School Staff
This item makes funds available to schools to obtain educational technology schools need to meet their goals for improvement. Each school would receive an allocation to purchase hardware or software identified by staff at the school.

Server Refresh
A server is the brains of a computer network, connecting information, people, processes, computers and other devices. All communication over a network is driven by servers, including e-mail, internet access and much more. Servers are the behind-the-scenes heart of technology, facilitating learning and work for every student and staff member on a daily basis. This proposal calls replacing older models of servers in schools across the district. Replacement will bring improvements in support time required for troubleshooting and repair of networks the stability and reliability of each school’s network.

25 Laptop Computers for Each School
District schools need more computer labs but don’t have rooms in which to place them. Laptop computers turn student desks, library tables or any spot in the school into a computer lab. Learning with educational technology becomes anytime, anywhere.

Multipurpose Lab Refresh
Each high school has a large multipurpose computer lab that is available for teachers to schedule on an as-needed basis. This type of lab enables research in every area of the curriculum and doesn’t interfere with labs intended for instruction in computer applications. This item calls for replacement of outdated, low-memory and slow computers in these labs.

Middle School Computer Lab Refresh
Formal instruction in computer applications begins in district middle schools. Regular replacement of hardware and software in these labs enables middle school students to obtain basic skills in keyboarding and various other computer programs that they will need to use in high school, college and beyond.

Productivity and OS Upgrades
As operating systems and productivity software advance, collaboration improves and allows for better productivity. This means we must plan in advance to move to the next version of Windows and Microsoft Office. In an effort to better benefit students after graduation it is necessary to implement the newest software. This new software also ensures that our faculty and staff sustain a productive atmosphere.

Projectors with Carts and Speakers
Small group and whole group classroom instruction requires that every student be able to see and hear. When instruction is being conveyed through a computer, larger image size and better sound is a must. To accomplish this, teachers rely on data projectors with amplified sound. Presently, only a fraction of our classrooms have continuous access to a data projector with amplified speakers. Implementation of this proposal would increase the number of classrooms that would have this technology immediately available.

iMac/iBook Refresh
Students in each elementary school spend time at least once a week and many times more often in computer labs that hold 30 iMacs. Such heavy use physically wears on computers. By 2010, the iMacs will be five years old, making them outdated and underpowered in terms of being able to the newest versions of educational software. A handful of iBook laptop computers used by teachers will also be replaced.

Software Upgrades
This item calls for purchase of the newest versions of instructional software for iMacs in elementary schools. Want to make sure we have software that meets needs at the time

Monitoring, Analysis and Response System
The Cisco Security Monitoring, Analysis and Response System (MARS) will allow network administrators to monitor, identify, isolate, and counter security threats from hackers, denial of service attacks, and viruses. MARS will fortify the district network and identify, manage, and eliminate network attacks. If an attack is discovered, the system allows us to prevent, contain, or stop an attack in real time.