Austin Independent School District: Partners in Education Program (APIE)

Purpose/objective of initiative:
Local businesses provide supplemental IT support to the district and campuses by:
*Assisting and training school personnel to maintain computer equipment
*Providing training for teachers to instruct them on integrating technology into the curriculum.
*Assisting school personnel with creating campus technology plans to develop the framework for addressing hardware and software needs, and setting standards for teacher technology competencies needed for achieving academic success and bridging the digital divide.

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) faces technology challenges, as do a majority of schools in our country. AISD has approximately 32,000 computers and 5,000 printers placed in 103 schools. Approximately 12 maintenance technicians support the various networks and equipment on these campuses. Thus, one network administrator is responsible for supporting 3,000 pieces of equipment, truly an impossible task. The industry norm is one support person for 60 to 100 computers.

In the summer of 2001, APIE set out to solve this daunting issue by forming the Technology Initiative to provide campus technical support for high need schools. Corporate Partners came forward to provide technical support by “lending” key personnel. This support includes loading software, troubleshooting and solving hardware and network issues. Concurrently Intel began offering faculty training through the Intel “Teach to the Future” program to train teachers to effectively integrate technology into the classroom. Participating schools are required to designate a Campus Technology Coordinator who presents the school’s priorities and serves as a liaison to the Corporate Partner. Each party’s responsibilities are outlined in a written agreement signed by the Corporate Partner, the Principal, the APIE Board Chair, and the Deputy Superintendent who is responsible for technology. Participating schools are also required to form campus technology committees charged with preparing a technology plan for their campus, which will become part of their school’s Campus Improvement Plan.

Main partners:
Private businesses and companies: Blazier, Christensen, Bigelow and Virr, P. C., Intel, On-Site Computers, Inc., InCircuit Development Corporation, Katapultz, Capital Area Training Foundation, Futureswell LLC, BMC Software, Capital Computer Solutions, Viscid Design Technologies, Inc., and Applied Materials.

Main Beneficiaries:
Students: Increased educational applications of technology in a reliable classroom setting
Teachers: Increased skill in technology application and integration in curriculum in reliable classroom or laboratory settings.
District: Three elementary schools, four middle schools and four high schools were supported by this project this first year. Seven (7) of these schools are Title I schools. Also the district’s Department of Instructional Technology and Information Systems received assistance in carrying out their responsibilities.
Community: Partners were able to see firsthand the challenges schools are facing and obtain a better understanding of how technology is being used in an educational setting.

Main contributors:
John Blazier with Blazier, Christensen, Bigelow and Virr, P. C., Fred Shannon with Intel Corporation, Edwin Mudge from Futureswell LLC, and L. J. Smith with the Capital Area Training Foundation.

Essential elements:
Buy-in from the principals and access to the school;
Clear roles and responsibilities of school personnel and partners; and
Ensuring faculty at each campus take responsibility for establishing a technology plan containing measurable outcomes involving faculty training and improvement in students skills.

Main factors of its success:
A multi-dimensional program was created to address planning, faculty staff development, maintenance of equipment and software and build a sense of community between the campus staff and local businesses.

The business community is contributing to the education of our students and better understands that education- is a business - that needs human capital and technical expertise, which luckily the Austin Community has and is willing to provide.

Intel has embraced this project and is providing Teach to the Future training for faculty.

Principals are opening their campus to business partners and being candid about the issues they are facing.

Assessment/evaluation process and evidence of its strength:
Baseline data was gathered by conducting initial technology audits and needs assessment for each of the pilot schools. Teachers who attended the Intel were asked to share that knowledge with their peers at their campuses. School principals have come forward to inform their colleagues on how their Technology Partners have provided the support they needed and the district central office staff has also verified the substantial support this project has provided. Eleven schools were assisted this year and next year it will be thirty-five, a third of the district’s schools.

Number of years the program has been in existence and growth since inception:
Program has been in existence one year and is expanding from 11 schools to 35 schools in 2002-03.

Impact:
Corporate Partners providing Campus Technical Support has had the following impact:

• Three hundred sixty teachers were trained to effectively integrate the use of computers into the curriculum.
• Fifteen technology partners made a commitment and provided technical support and time representing several hundred thousand dollars in value to AISD.
• Cost savings to the district will be at least One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) per year.
• Teachers have confidence in their hardware, increasing the likelihood technology will be integrated into their lesson plans.
• Decreased down time for campus hardware.
• Faculty, administration and the community partners are developing the Campus Technology Plans.
• Campuses are developing long-term technology plans and agreements on skill levels for teachers and having teachers set goals for computer literacy and technology integration into the core curriculum.
• A network was created to share resources across the district.
• Corporate Partners on campuses provide a sense of community responsibility for the business of education and community ownership of the outcomes.

Potential replication and scale of the initiative:
This initiative can easily be replicated in any district. The scale depends on the willingness of the business community to assist the schools, the willingness of the principals to open their schools to outside entities and the presence of a central coordinating effort.

Name and contact information for an underwriter who validates your application:
John Blazier, Austin Partners in Education Board Chair
221 W. 6th Street, Suite 1500
Austin, Texas 78701

Telephone (512) 476-2622
Email: blazier1@swbell.net

Authors:
John Blazier, APIE Board Chair
Fred Shannon, APIE Board Chair-Elect
Patricia Dabbert, APIE Director

Contact:
Patricia Dabbert
Director Partners in Education
Austin Independent School District
1111 W. 6th Street

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