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Teachers need access, training and time for implementing technology in their classrooms before they are ever required to be proficient, assessed on or held accountable for technology proficiencies. TCTA championed that message, testifying in September before the SBOE, where many state board members agreed with TCTA’s concerns and directed the committee to start over with the plan. As a result, TCTA was successful in getting many harmful provisions removed or improvedin the draft State Board of Education Long-Range Plan on Technology 2006-2020.
Long Range Technology Plan Update:
The original draft plan contained the following statement: “The Long-Range Plan for Technology recommends the development of technology proficiencies for all educators. The State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) approved educator certification standards in Technology Applications for all beginning educators. The Technology Applications standards are incorporated into the Texas Examination for Educators (TExES) for Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities and are required for all beginning teachers in all certification areas for every grade level. The Technology Applications SBEC standards are based on the Technology Applications TEKS for students in grades 6-8. These standards were recommended for current teachers.”
TCTA objected to this statement and language was added to clarify that this had been a recommendation of the previous Long-Range Plan for Technology, and not the current one.
“All professional educators (including teachers, administrators, librarians, and counselors) must master the State SBEC Technology Applications standards, which are currently mandated for all beginning teachers.”
The committee added the following underlined language to the provision after TCTA’s testimony that it was unreasonable to recommend something like this without sufficient access to, training for, or time to implement technology.
"All professional educators (including teachers, administrators, and librarians) must master the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) Technology Applications standards, which are currently mandated for all beginning teachers. Teachers must first have access to technology, quality professional development, and time to implement new strategies in their classroom. These steps are essential to reaching this goal."
“The lack of assessment of teachers’ knowledge and skills in the state standards for teachers in the area of Technology Applications has hampered the efforts of districts to emphasize their importance and ensure that all teachers have met the needed proficiencies that are critical to teaching in the 21st Century.”
After TCTA objected to the recommendation that all teachers be assessed on the Technology Applications standards, the committee changed the language to read: "Districts need strategies to measure the progress of students and teachers in meeting the needed Technology Applications proficiencies that are critical to teaching and learning in the 21st Century."
“Even so, there is no official formalized statewide process that examines the technology applications competencies of existing veteran teachers. Many districts have addressed this issue locally, and one online competency exam has been developed through a collaborative of Education Service Centers for statewide use. This online portfolio assessment is called the Texas Teacher Technology Competencies Certification (Texas TTCC), and teachers who successfully pass this assessment are certified by the Education Service Centers. A series of online training modules, Teaching with Technology (TwT), are also available to prepare teachers for the assessment. There needs to be an accountability process that allows schools to require teachers to demonstrate Technology Applications competencies based on the SBEC Technology Applications Teacher Standards.”
After TCTA's objection, the language was changed to read "Even so, there is no official formalized statewide process that measures and reports the SBEC technology applications competencies of existing veteran teachers. Many, but not all districts are addressing this issue locally using resources produced either by the districts, by ESCs or other vendors. A consistent statewide process that will assure that all students have access to teachers who are proficient in the SBEC Technology Applications competencies is needed.
Recommendations to the State Board for Educator Certification
Require mastery of the SBEC Technology Applications Standards, for all educators, including administrators, librarians and counselors. (TEC21 451) (NETP 4c) (NCLB 1, 4b, 11) Update to the Long-Range Plan, 1996-2010 #1”.
After TCTA objected, the language was changed to read: Require mastery of the SBEC Technology Applications Standards, for all educators, including campus administrators and librarians as access to technology and professional development becomes available.
Recommendations to the Texas Education Agency
“Require districts to annually report the number of educators that meet the SBEC Technology Applications standards as verified by the SBEC Technology Applications Supplemental Endorsement or other SBEC approved statewide or local assessment. Report those numbers and include them in the state accountability system.
Recommendations to the State Board for Educator Certification
“Approve statewide and local assessment programs, which are verified to measure teacher technology competencies aligned to the SBEC Technology Applications Standards.
This was deleted at TCTA’s request.
Recommendations to Local Education Agencies
“Utilize an SBEC approved assessment to assess all educators based on the SBEC Technology Applications standards and annually report to the TEA the numbers of educators that meet the state Technology Applications Standards.” (NCLB 1, 11) This was changed to say: “Develop strategies for all educators, including campus administrators and librarians, to master the Technology Applications Educator Standards I-V as access to technology and professional development becomes available. “
“Require all educators, including administrators, to master SBEC technology standards. This was changed to say: Document progress of teachers towards mastery of Technology Applications Educator Standards I-V using the Texas STaR Chart.”
“Maintain a local electronic portfolio for all educators that measures educator proficiencies based on SBEC standards”.
This was deleted at TCTA’s request.
Last updated: 11/6/06
