Eureka City Schools East Program

Zane and Winship Middle Schools, Eureka City Schools Unified District

Eureka, CA
 

Introduction/Overview
Organizational Change
Budget & Finance
Professional Development
Technology Infrastructure
Outcomes
Contact Information
 

Introduction/Overview

Eureka City Schools (ECS) with the qualities and infrastructure necessary for expanding an excellent Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) program, connects technology and service learning in an innovative program advancing project-based activities that connect students to their community and to the academic content standards. The program, aligning with current district efforts and adopted curriculum, provides the following:

1. Intensive, ongoing, research-based, professional development of teachers for integrating technology into the curricula and instruction, enabling students to meet or exceed the state academic content standards.
2. Increased access to technology.
3. Improved communication/collaboration among home, school, and community.
4. Methods of collecting data for accountability and evaluation, and a plan for continuous improvement is included in each component of the program.

EAST is a national initiative that has been implemented in over 200 schools, including ECS’ Eureka High School (EHS) and other partnering local districts in our area. The EAST classroom is a performance-based learning environment utilizing advanced technological applications in an interdisciplinary environment. The EAST model was chosen because of a nationwide history of success and the success of our own students at EHS. In addition to promoting academic and intellectual growth of students, real world problem solving and incorporating 21st century skills are also stressed. As part of the comprehensive program, EAST will be the model used in both Catherine L. Zane and Winship Middle Schools. Approximately 100 students and 11 teachers participate in the program in its first year, expanding to 140 students and 17 teachers in the second year.

The EAST model includes an interdisciplinary curriculum aligned to the California Content Standards. Service learning is integrated with advanced technical applications. Implementing this model in ECS allows students to excel in the California Content Standards, but also allows our sites to implement essential competencies and skills that students need to be successful in the 21st century (Partnership for 21st Century Skills [2003]). The EAST competencies have been aligned to both the California Academic Content Standards and the 21st Century Skills. Success is measured by the degree of growth the students have demonstrated in mastering and applying basic skills and concepts. It is also measured by the progress made toward the development of skills that the state’s standardized tests indicate so many students are lacking, such as creative and critical thinking skills. The emphasis on 21st century skills allows students to develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving. These skills have been identified in the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills report (SCANS, 1991) and through the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2003) as necessary for their success in the future.
Administrative support in Eureka City Schools District:

Always forward looking, the district superintendent encouraged the successful development of the ECS EAST program 3 years ago. The district director of educational technology, site principals, and ECS EAST mentor teachers drove the initiation of this project. ECS administrators support the training required for the staff and students throughout the program by allocating funds and adjusting schedules as needed. The ECS Technology Department, working with site administration, makes sure all technology equipment is installed in a timely manner, and is supported throughout the year to ensure the targeted classrooms have Internet connectivity and that all targeted students and teachers have e-mail accounts.

The student program is managed at the district level by the ECS EAST Advisory Committee, consisting of site principals, targeted teachers, the district director of educational technology, the district professional development coordinator, current ECS EAST mentor teachers and students, and a representative from community partners. This team monitors and assesses student progress toward program goals. They meet four times a year to review progress and make recommendations and adjustments as necessary to ensure program success. At the site and local level of evaluation, ECS requires all EAST classrooms to hold site EAST leadership team meetings comprised of student representatives from each class period and after-school session, to make recommendations and provide feedback to EAST teachers to ensure the program meets student achievement benchmarks.

Organizational Change

The biggest impact the ECS East Program has had on our organization involves developing school/community partnerships to support learning opportunities for students. ECS leverages university and business partners that support the efforts of this comprehensive program, as well as cultivates new partnerships with allied local business, civic, and academic parties.

Students are linked with peers, faculty, community members, and business/university partners who provide their expertise to develop students’ skills and abilities. From the students’ point of view, as evidenced in student journal writings as a part of their binder/portfolio requirements, this program does not resemble traditional school activities. Rather, it resembles the real world “work” environment: students are expected to produce real, tangible, high-quality results that have a positive impact on their community. Students have the opportunity to identify as well as solve real life problems (21st Century Skills, 2003).

Humboldt State University provides guest speakers for ECS EAST classrooms and weekend workshops for students and teachers on networking and software skill sets. Humboldt County Office of Education provides extended learning resources, access to videoconferencing, and connections to local California Technology Assistance Project efforts. Community Learning Centers provide opportunities for community collaboration after school hours. McKinleyville High School and EHS provides mentoring, professional development activities, and examples of exemplary practices.

Budget & Finance

Catherine L. Zane Middle School: Year 1 and 2 Narrative Description
Year 1: 1000-1999 Certificated Personnel Salaries EETT Funds: $24,942: $20,392 on .3334 FTE small group instruction classroom teacher with two sections of 20 students, $2,550 spent on substitutes providing 34 days release time, 22 days for small group instruction classroom the teacher and 12 days between two EHS technology mentor teachers, $2,000 spent on stipends for two EHS technology mentor teachers to deliver 30 hours of pedagogical and technology training to target teachers.In Kind LEA Funds: $18,314: $4,397 will be spent on 8.68% of Learning Director of Educational Technology time to coordinate and provide specific training with faculty from EHS and ZANE while organizing community wide collaboration and evaluation of the program. $9,440 will be spent on 5% of five Core Teacher’s planning time to involve Core classes in the comprehensive program. $2,101 will be spent on 3% of administrative time of the Assistant Principal to connect entire faculty with the EAST program. $2,376 will be spent on 3% of administrative time of the Principal to adjust schedules to accommodate common preparation periods between the small group instruction classroom teachers and Core teachers.

Year 2: 1000-1999 Certificated Personnel Salaries EETT Funds: $21,292: $20,392 on .3334 FTE small group instruction classroom teacher to teach two sections of 20 students, $900 spent on substitutes providing 12 days release time for the small group classroom teacher.In Kind LEA Funds: $26,289: $4,459 on a CLC teacher at $24.77 per hour for 180 hours with two semester long sections of 20 students, $15,104 will be spent on 5% of eight Core Teachers time to involve Core classes in the comprehensive program. $2,164 will be spent on 3% of administrative time of the Assistant Principal to connect entire faculty with the EAST program. $2,448 will be spent on 3% of administrative time of the Principal to adjust schedules to accommodate common preparation periods between small group instruction classroom teacher and eight Core teachers. $2,114 will be spent on 3% of Learning Director of Educational Technology time to coordinate and provide specific training with faculty from EHS and Zane while organizing community wide collaboration and evaluation of the entire program. 2000-2999 There are no expenditures for Classified Personnel Salaries.

Year 1: 3000-3999 Employee Benefits Benefits depend on classification. These fringe benefits include health & welfare, retirement and all state/ federal required contributions.EETT Funds: $6,223 $3,237 in statutory benefits for .3334 FTE small group instruction classroom teacher and substitutes. $2,986 in health and welfare benefits for .3334 FTE teacher and substitutes.In Kind LEA Funds: $3,819: $550 will be spent to pay 8.68% of Learning Director of Educational Technology benefits. $2,309 will be spent on 5% of Core Teacher benefits. $426 will be spent on 3% of Principal’s benefits. $534 will be spent on 3% of Assistant Principal benefits.
Year 23000-3999 Employee Benefits EETT Funds: $6,305 $3237 in statutory benefits for .3334 FTE small classroom instruction teacher and substitutes. $3068 in health and welfare benefits for .3334 FTE small classroom instruction teacher and substitutes.In Kind LEA Funds: $4,742: $3,271 will be spent on 5% of Core Teacher benefits. $435 will be spent on 3% of Assistant Principal benefits. $467 will be spent on 3% of Principal’s benefits. $569 will be spent on Learning Director of Educational Technology benefits.

Year 1: 4000-4999 Books and Supplies EETT Funds: $65,200: $61,000 will be spent on 15 student computer workstations ($51,216 will be spent on hardware: 1 ProLiant M350 Server, 11 HP Workstations XW4100, 2 HP Workstations XW8000, 1 Video Editing Workstation, 1 laptop, 1 Global Positioning System, 1 large format color printer, 1 B/W laser printer, 1 Color Laser Printer, 1 HP Procurve Switch, 1 Digital Camera, 1 Mini DV Camcorder, 2 WACOM 9X12 Serial tablet w/ 4D Pen &Painter, and $9,784 will be spent on software: Building site licenses for Computer Aided Drafting-Graphics, Architectural, Modeler and Solid Edge, 1 Geographical Information Systems, 2 Adobe Photoshop, 10 Soft Image, 2 Deep Paint, 3 Macromedia Studio MX), $2,800 on furniture for workstations, $1,400 will be spent on student and teacher binder portfolios and other classroom supplies.In Kind LEA Funds: $3,840: $700 on chairs and conference table, $150 on CAT5 wiring and RJ45 connectors, $2,990 on software: Operating Systems, Office Auto, McAffee Active Virus Scan Suite.

Year 2: 4000-4999 Books and Supplies EETT Funds: $3,375: $1,975 will be spent on replacement of stolen, broken, or worn equipment, $1,400 will be spent on student and teacher binder portfolios and other classroom supplies.
Year 1 5100 and 5300-5999 Services and Other Operating Expenditures EETT Funds: $25,989: $24,025 will be spent on contracted services with the EAST Initiatve for Phase I, II, and III pedagogical training (160 hours), $864 will be spent on duplicating, $1,100 will be spent on field trips to Humboldt State University for Saturday workshops, Humboldt County Office of Education for technical training, EHS EAST Classroom for linking with current project based learning and technical training opportunities, Community Agencies for presentations and other relevant locations determined by individual student project goals.In Kind LEA Funds: $1,019: $50 will be spent to provide a classroom phone to the EAST lab. $369 will be spent to provide Email and network access to EAST students. $600 will be spent on security system installation and maintenance.

Year 2: 5000-5999 Services and Other Operating Expenditures EETT Funds: $28,330: $25,425 will be spent on contracted services with the EAST Initiative for pedagogical training (60 hours) and technical training (40 hours), $905 will be spent on duplicating, $2,000 will be spent on field trips to Humboldt State University for Saturday workshops, Humboldt County Office of Education for technical training, EHS EAST Classroom for linking with current project based learning and technical training opportunities, Community Agencies for presentations and other relevant locations determined by individual student project goals.In Kind LEA Funds: $619: $50 will be spent to provide a classroom phone. $369 will be spent to provide Email and network access to target students. $200 will be spent on security system maintenance.

Year 1: 5200 Travel Expenditures EETT Funds: $4,750: $3,250 will be spent on staff for travel small group instruction teacher to attend required Phase I, II, III training and the West Coast Regional EAST Conference in Sacramento, $1,500 will be spent on staff for travel EHS technology mentor teachers to attend advanced pedagogical training and the West Coast Regional EAST Conference in Sacramento.
Year 25200 Travel Expenditures EETT Funds: $4,250 will be spent on staff for travel small group instruction teacher to attend required Phase I, II, III training and the West Coast Regional EAST Conference in Sacramento.
6000-6999 There are no expenditures for Capital Outlay.

Year 1 and 2: 7000-7999 Indirect Costs EETT Funds: Year 1: $7,296 will be spent based on 5.174% (estimated indirect rate).

Year 2: $3,648 will be spent based on 5.174% (estimated indirect rate).
Year 125% of funds allocated for prof. development EETT Funds: $33,625: $2,850 will be spent on substitutes providing release time for target teachers to attend professional development activities, $2,000 will be spent on stipends for two EHS technology mentor teachers to deliver 30 hours of pedagogical and technology professional development to Zane’s Core teachers, $4,750 will be spent on staff travel for target teachers to attend required professional development in Sacramento, and $24,025 will be spent on contracted services from the EAST Initiative to deliver professional development.

Year 2: 46% of funds allocated for prof. development EETT Funds: $30,875: $900 will be spent on substitutes providing release time for target teachers to attend professional development activities, $4,250 will be spent on staff travel for target teachers to attend required professional development in Sacramento, and $25,425 will be spent on contracted services from the EAST Initiative to deliver professional development.

Line Item Category Winship Middle School: Year 1 and 2 Narrative Description
Year 1: 1000-1999 Certificated Personnel Salaries EETT Funds: $19,205: $10,196 on .1667 FTE small group instruction classroom teacher with one section of 20 students and $4,459 on a CLC teacher at $24.77 per hour for 180 hours with two semester long sections of 20 students. $2,550 spent on substitutes providing 34 days release time, 22 days for small group instruction classroom the teacher and 12 days between two EHS technology mentor teachers, $2,000 spent on stipends for two EHS technology mentor teachers to deliver 30 hours of pedagogical and technology training to target teachers. In Kind LEA Funds: $18,314: $4,397 will be spent on 8.68% of Learning Director of Educational Technology time to coordinate and provide training for target teachers while organizing community collaboration and evaluation of the program. $9,440 will be spent on 5% of five Core Teacher’s planning time to involve Core classes in the comprehensive program. $2,101 will be spent on 3% of administrative time of the Assistant Principal to connect entire faculty with the EAST program. $2,376 will be spent on 3% of administrative time of the Principal to adjust schedules to accommodate common preparation periods between the classroom teacher and Core teachers.

Year 2: 1000-1999 Certificated Personnel Salaries EETT Funds: $15,555: $10,196 on .1667 FTE small group instruction classroom teacher with one section of 20 students and $4,459 on a CLC teacher at $24.77 per hour for 180 hours with one section of 20 students. $900 spent on substitutes providing 12 days release time for the small group instruction classroom teacher.In Kind LEA Funds: $21,830: $15,104 will be spent on 5% of eight Core Teachers time to involve Core classes in the comprehensive program. $2,164 will be spent on 3% of administrative time of the Assistant Principal to connect entire faculty with the EAST program. $2,448 will be spent on 3% of administrative time of the Principal to adjust schedules to accommodate common preparation periods between small group instruction classroom teacher and eight Core teachers. $2,114 will be spent on 3% of Learning Director of Educational Technology time to coordinate and provide training for target teachers while organizing community collaboration and evaluation of the program. 2000-2999 There are no expenditures for Classified Personnel Salaries.

Year 1: 3000-3999 Employee Benefits EETT Funds: $3,993: $2,500 in statutory benefits for .1667 FTE small group instruction classroom teacher, CLC teacher and substitutes, $1,493 in health and welfare benefits for .1667 FTE small group instruction classroom teacher, CLC teacher and substitutes.In Kind LEA Funds: $3,819: $550 will be spent to pay 8.68% of Learning Director of Educational Technology benefits. $2,309 will be spent on 5% of Core Teacher benefits. $426 will be spent on 3% of Principal’s benefits. $534 will be spent on 3% of Assistant Principal benefits.
Year 23000-3999 Employee Benefits EETT Funds: $3,618: $2,125 in statutory benefits for .1667 FTE small group instruction classroom teacher, CLC teacher and substitutes, $1,493 in health and welfare benefits for .1667 FTE small group instruction classroom teacher, CLC teacher and substitutes.In Kind LEA Funds: $4,742: $3,271 will be spent on 5% of Core Teacher benefits. $435 will be spent on 3% of Assistant Principal benefits. $467 will be spent on 3% of Principal’s benefits. $569 will be spent on Learning Director of Educational Technology benefits.

Year 1: 4000-4999 Books and Supplies EETT Funds: $65,200: $61,000 will be spent on 15 student computer workstations ($51,216 will be spent on hardware: 1 ProLiant M350 Server, 11 HP Workstations XW4100, 2 HP Workstations XW8000, 1 Video Editing Workstation, 1 laptop, 1 Global Positioning System, 1 large format color printer, 1 B/W laser printer, 1 Color Laser Printer, 1 HP Procurve Switch, 1 Digital Camera, 1 Mini DV Camcorder, 2 WACOM 9X12 Serial tablet w/ 4D Pen &Painter, and $9,784 will be spent on software: Building site licenses for Computer Aided Drafting-Graphics, Architectural, Modeler and Solid Edge, 1 Geographical Information Systems, 2 Adobe Photoshop, 10 Soft Image, 2 Deep Paint, 3 Macromedia Studio MX), $2,800 on furniture for workstations, $150 on CAT5 wiring and RJ45 connectors, $1,400 will be spent on student and teacher binder portfolios and other classroom supplies.In Kind LEA Funds: $3,690: $700 on chairs and conference table, $2,990 on software: Operating Systems, Office Auto, McAffee Active Virus Scan Suite.

Year 2: 4000-4999 Books and Supplies EETT Funds: $3,175: $1,775 will be spent on replacement of stolen, broken, or worn equipment, $1,400 will be spent on student and teacher binder portfolios and other classroom supplies.

Year 1: 5100 and 5300-5999 Services and Other Operating Expenditures EETT Funds: $25,093: $22,825 will be spent on contracted services with the EAST Initiatve for Phase I, II, and III pedagogical training (160 hours), $768 will be spent on duplicating, $1,500 will be spent on field trips to Humboldt State University for Saturday workshops, Humboldt County Office of Education for technical training, EHS EAST Classroom for linking with current project based learning and technical training opportunities, Community Agencies for presentations and other relevant locations determined by individual student project goals.In Kind LEA Funds: $1,019: $50 will be spent to provide a classroom phone. $369 will be spent to provide Email and network access to target students. $600 will be spent on security system installation and maintenance.

Year 2: 5000-5999 Services and Other Operating Expenditures EETT Funds: $30,625: $26,625 will be spent on contracted services with the EAST Initiative for pedagogical training (60 hours) and technical training (40 hours), $1,000 will be spent on duplicating, $3,000 will be spent on field trips to Humboldt State University for Saturday workshops, Humboldt County Office of Education for technical training, EHS EAST Classroom for linking with current project based learning and technical training, Community Agencies for presentations and other relevant locations determined by individual student project goals.In Kind LEA Funds: $619: $50 will be spent to provide a classroom phone. $369 will be spent to provide Email and network access to target students. $200 will be spent on security system maintenance.

Year 1: 5200 Travel Expenditures EETT Funds: $4,250 will be spent on staff for travel small group instruction teacher to attend required Phase I, II, III training and the West Coast Regional EAST Conference in Sacramento.

Year 2: 5200 Travel Expenditures EETT Funds: $5,473: $3,750 will be spent on staff for travel small group instruction teacher to attend required technical training and the West Coast Regional EAST Conference in Sacramento, $1,723 will be spent on staff travel for EHS technology mentor teachers to attend advanced pedagogical training and the West Coast Regional EAST Conference in Sacramento.
6000-6999 There are no expenditures for Capital Outlay.

Year 1 and 2: 7000-7999 Indirect Costs EETT Funds: Year 1: $6,710 will be spent based on 5.174% (estimated indirect rate).Year 2: $3,354 will be spent based on 5.174% (estimated indirect rate).
Year 125% of funds allocated for prof. development EETT Funds: $30,925: $2,550 will be spent on substitutes providing release time for target teachers to attend professional development activities, $2,000 will be spent on stipends for two EHS technology mentor teachers to deliver 30 hours of pedagogical and technology professional development to target teachers, $3,250 will be spent on staff travel for target teachers to attend required professional development in Sacramento, and $22,825 will be spent on contracted services from the EAST Initiative to deliver professional development.

Year 2: 46% of funds allocated for prof. development EETT Funds: $32,998: $900 will be spent on substitutes providing release time for target teachers to attend professional development activities, $5,473 will be spent on staff travel for target teachers to attend required professional development in Sacramento, and $26,625 will be spent on contracted services from the EAST Initiative to deliver professional development.

Professional Development

Implementation of this model provides professional development for teachers and administrators to support teachers’ roles as facilitators of learning. Initial training is offered in three phases, and will focus on teachers’ participation in teams that model the approach to be used in the classroom. Phases I–III are delivered in the “Just in Time” approach, as teachers are ready to move to the next level. There is continued support before and after the trainings through virtual communities hosted on the national EAST Web site and through the EHS (EAST) teachers mentoring the middle school teachers. As these teachers work together with EAST Initiative staff to prepare to teach the program at the 6–8 grade level, they develop ways of integrating the California Academic Content Standards to increase student achievement of the adopted curriculum and facilitate solving pedagogical issues associated with cooperative team learning. As part of their training, teachers assess their own teaching styles and develop plans for implementation documented in a teacher portfolio.

The target teachers and students make visits to the EHS EAST classroom and our local EAST partnership schools. Such visits allow students with strength in a particular area of expertise to share with students in partner schools and vice-versa. ECS has taken a lead and developed a forum for this sharing through the North Coast EAST Showcase that includes professional development sessions in technical and pedagogical areas (for both students and teachers), as well as showcases in best practices.

The description below details how professional development is centered on student achievement of the academic content standards and adopted curriculum:

Phase I (teachers, 35 hours)
Before their school’s targeted classroom begins operation, teachers in this 5-day summer institute are given hands-on instruction in classroom and systems management using the same equipment and systems they will use in their own programs. Workshop participants meet experienced teachers and students who have used this model, and gain insight into the creation of successful programs. They are taught how to stay focused on the intellectual development of their students (given individual learning styles), how to properly evaluate student progress, and how to set high expectations to support student academic achievement. Teachers are given preliminary instruction on how to use data (i.e., student self-assessments) to individualize assistance. Phase I develops teachers’ techniques to link all student projects to the California Academic Content Standards and adopted materials as appropriate. Because the key to success relies heavily on the educational philosophy of the individual teacher, beginning teachers are exposed to strategies that help move students from the traditional student-centered, teacher-directed educational environment to a collaborative work environment that promotes student success (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, 1991). Upon completion of Phase 1, participants present their implementation plan for review by national EAST staff.

Phase II (teachers, 14 hours)
This 2-day workshop is held after the school year is in session. The training includes discussion sessions that help teachers sharpen their understanding of their role as they begin to guide students in developing school and community service projects. The workshop provides opportunities for teachers to increase their knowledge of the application options available in the program, and to share their successes and difficulties. Teachers in Phase II work in groups to learn how to address issues of diversity, promote equity, and how to assess and measure student growth through observation and evaluation. Additional subjects include problem-solving strategies and reinforcement of Phase I professional development.

Phase III (teachers, 14 hours)
This 2-day workshop provides indepth training on the following targeted areas:

1. Utilizing data to inform decisions and make program adjustments as needed.
2. Getting the most from partnerships with higher education as well as the private and public sectors.
3. Sharing methods for dissemination of promising practices, including techniques for showcasing of exemplary projects. Mentor teachers from successful EAST sites (ECS EAST mentor teachers included), representatives from partnerships, and civic leaders often attend this session. Experienced presenters with specific knowledge of the topic areas will lead the workshop for this Phase training.
   Teachers participating in the professional development:
   
   Two teachers in the target group are trained in the extensive professional development model described above, plus, will be trained during the annual conference and the 3-day summer institute. This model consists of up to 161 hours of training in the first year. There will also be 42 hours of training in the second and third years for two selected teachers. This number grows to include 28 teachers—ECS has 10 core teachers at two sites in the first year, increasing to 16 teachers at two sites in the second year that will participate in professional development delivered by ECS’ trained EAST technology mentor teachers. A minimum of 30 hours of training is provided in the first yearand 15 hours in the second year.
   
   Additional professional development opportunities include multimedia tutorials that are classroom resources for students and teachers, and teacher “shadowing” opportunities for hands-on training in practical applications. ECS EAST mentor teachers provide 30 hours of technical and pedagogical training for core teachers at both Zane and Winship. The annual EAST Partnership Conference includes professional development sessions in technical and pedagogical areas for both students and teachers. One of the major components of this conference is the showcasing and dissemination of projects that reflect best practices.
   
   The following professional development will be offered to staff and students (56 hours):

• Technical professional development (teachers).
• An initial systems administration class is included as part of the implementation. This 2-day class will take place approximately 30 days after installation of the equipment. Teachers learn a successful method of systems administration geared toward the classroom environment.
• Specific technology training (teachers).
• Teachers are provided with a basic overview of high-end software applications. The knowledge gained from this training will be utilized to meet the technology strand for teachers as well as to assist students with real world applications.
• Specific technology training (students).
• Workshops for students are offered throughout the year to establish basic technical knowledge. Upon completion of the training, students return to their respective schools to teach and facilitate other students’ work using similar advanced applications.

Technology Infrastructure

As a result of district commitment, each school site has a fully operational ethernet local area network that supports data transmission rates of 10Mb/s, 100 Mb/s, and 1 Gb/s (1000 Mb/s). Each school site has received a local area network with all related network devices such as switches, routers, servers, Category 5 and fiber optic cabling that is connected to the district's wide area network. Each school's local area network configuration consists of connecting every classroom by Category 5 data cabling to the building's intermediate distribution frame (IDF) via a fiber backbone. Each IDF provides an individual port on a high-capacity network switch to each Category 5 data drop. A fiber optic backbone connects outlying IDF locations to the main distribution frame (MDF) that provides the interface to the district's wide area network via two T-1 (1.54 Mb/s) and DS-3 (45 Mb/s) connections.

The target bandwidth on each school site's local area network to classrooms has been 10/100 Mb/s to the desktop with a 1 Gb/s fiber optic backbone. The district's wide area network consists of a 10 Mb/s DS-3 connection from a commercially contracted Internet service provider.

Prior to receiving the EETT competitive grant, each classroom in the middle schools had a minimum of one Internet-connected computer, as well as access to a shared computer lab. The student to multimedia computer ratio for Catherine L. Zane Middle School was 9:1. The student to multimedia computer ratio for Winship Middle School was 14:1. Both middle schools have a Windows 2000 server that allows students and teachers to access their files from any computer in the school building. The EETT competitive grant created, in the two targeted classrooms, a total of 2 file servers, 26 multimedia workstations, 2 laptop computers, 2 Global Positioning Systems, 2 large-format color printers, 2 B/W laser printers, 2 color Laser printers, 2 HP procurve switches, 2 digital cameras, 2 mini DV camcorders, 2 WACOM 9X12 Serial tablets w/4D pen and painter. All of these devices have access to the Internet and give students and teachers the ability to e-mail and use a variety of tools for data-driven decisionmaking. All computers will be designed to run advanced software applications, including computer-aided drafting graphics; architectural, modeler and solid edge geographical information systems, Adobe Photoshop, Soft Image, Deep Paint, and Macromedia Studio MX. Several of the advanced software applications come with campus licenses and some with home licensing for students. The targeted classrooms will contain a 1.25 students per computer per period ratio for the first year, and 1.5 students per computer per period ratio in subsequent years of the program.

Outcomes

• Incorporating technology as a normal part of the learning environment—Technology is part of the daily routine, just as pen and paper are a part of the traditional learning environment.
• Using standards-aligned electronic learning resources that support the adopted curriculum appropriate to support student achievement—Students and teachers have a wide range of electronic learning resources provided through the national support infrastructure, e.g., the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) Geospatial Virtual Camp, the EAST technical resources Web site, the EAST forums, listservs, ESRI’s virtual campus, and many others.
• Utilizing electronic technologies to access and exchange information—The students collaborate with other EAST schools and business and university partners. EAST staff members are linked via a Web-based communication forum and teacher listserv. Students are also linked with data clearinghouses through the Internet.
• Utilizing technology tools to assist students with productivity, research, problem-solving and decisionmaking activities related to learning—Students use a variety of resources such as the Internet and advanced software applications to research, produce solutions to community problems, and make informed decisions.
• Allowing students to choose and use technology tools to help obtain information; analyze, synthesize, and assimilate the information; and then present it in an acceptable manner—Students learn to use technology tools that assist them in creating data (for example GPS). This information is then pulled into other technologies for analysis and synthesis, as with GIS. The students then use technologies to present findings to community members.
• Using technology to engage in activities that would be difficult, if not impossible, to replicate without technology—Students in this comprehensive program are using high-end technology to meet academic standards as they solve real world problems; e.g., ECS EAST students use GPS/GIS to track fires in the Eureka area. This illustrates that this would not be possible without technology. Another example includes EHS students compiling oral history interviews of local veterans who fought in the 20th century on a Web site that contains transcripts of the interviews, audio tracks, and photographs. Technology becomes essential for this project to create a seamless link among the audio, written, and photographed documentation.

Scalability

ECS has shared the accomplishments of the comprehensive program with parents and the community through open houses (EAST Fiesta and EAST Awards Night), school academic fairs, press releases, and presentations to the ECS Governing Board, Eureka City Council and Board of Supervisors, Henderson Center and Humboldt Bay Kiwanis Clubs, Lyons and Rotary Clubs, and Redwood Community Action Agency. ECS and other local EAST partnership schools host an annual North Coast EAST Showcase, open to parents and the community, to show exemplary student projects and foster community collaboration. Additionally, the EAST Initiative hosts an annual partnership conference that includes opportunities for parents and other interested persons to share in the success of the students.

ECS has been successful in using EHS’ EAST students and teachers to deliver staff development in the areas of specific software skills such as GPS/GIS, Macromedia Studio MX, and Inspiration while promoting project-based focus to the curriculum. ECS has accepted professional development delivered by EAST students under teacher direction and has credited teachers that complete the training with continuing education units allowing advancement on the salary scale. In addition, ECS EAST mentor teachers will provide 30 hours of professional development for core teachers at each site during the first year. EAST classrooms at both middle schools under the guidance of ECS EAST mentor teachers, will deliver a minimum of 15 hours of professional development to core teachers through the second year. Each targeted site will chose five core teachers in the first year and eight core teachers in the second year to compile portfolios in conjunction with the training from ECS EAST mentor teachers.

Contact Information

Michelle Hutchins
hutchinsm@eurekacityschools.org
707-476-1790