Granville Exempted Village School District
District Information
Why did the district create such a program to utilize students as technology support staff?
What technology support do students provide to the district? (e.g. software, hardware, website creation or maintenance, etc.)
How long has the project been in effect?
Did another district's student tech program influence the way you modeled your program? If so, which district.
What resources or policies were necessary to start up and maintain the program? (i.e. funding, human resources, board approval, ect.)
What are the goals of the program?
How much did it cost to create the program? Please itemize costs and expenditures in an Appendix.
How much does it cost annually to maintain the program? Please itemize costs and expenditures in an Appendix.
How many students have participated in the program to date?
How many students are participating in the program this school year?
Do students work during or outside school hours? Please detail.
Are students paid for their work? If so, how much per hour and how are they funded? If students are not paid, do they receive credit as a course?
What grade level(s) are students who participate in the program?
Is your student technical program integrated with your district curriculum? How?
How have you solved logistical problems (matching student/teacher schedules, transportation between buildings, etc) so that students can do work where it is needed?
How and by whom are students trained to be able to support district technology?
What training and reference materials are provided to the student participants?
How many technical support staff (non-student) are employed by the district? Describe the role of each.
What lessons has the district learned during the program? Include strengths, weaknesses and obstacles encountered.
What process and instruments are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program?
How is cost-effectiveness of the program determined? What information has been gathered to date showing the cost-effectiveness of the program? Include samples.
Why does your district believe that it is has a model for other districts to implement?
Describe the type of product(s) you anticipate creating to communicate to all districts your program? (e.g. website, CD Rom, video, etc.)
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District Information
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| District name: |
Granville Exempted Village School District
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| District IRN: |
45393
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| Contact Person: |
Mr. Michael Haudenschild
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| Contact Person Title: |
Technology/Education Integration Advisor
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| Contact Person Address: |
248 New Burg Street
Granville, OH 43023
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| Contact Person Phone: |
740.587.3959 Ext:
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| Contact Person Fax: |
740.587.2728
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| Contact Person email: |
mhauden@laca.org
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| Requested Funding Amount: |
$10,000.00 |
| District Size: |
1,501 to 6,000 Students |
| Grades Involved: |
9 10 11 12
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| Project Artifact: |
PDF |
| Dates of Presentation: |
| Presentation One: |
Location:
Ohio SchoolNet Technology conference
Date:
2/5/2002
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| Presentation Two: |
Location:
New Albany High School
Date:
5/7/2002 |
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Why did the district create such a program to utilize students as technology support staff?
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The District made the final decision to create and support a student-oriented technology support program after attempts to utilize support resources from several area computer agencies resulted in an unacceptable level of service. Too many different agencies were performing too many different services; therefore, no one agency or individual had knowledge of the "big picture" - how exactly the District's networks and technology resources worked in concern with one another. Student assistants were viewed as the optimal support resource: they are in-house, enthusiastic, knowledgeable (many have previous experience), and willing to contribute to the learning of their peers through technology. In August 1998, the District hired an outside consultant to aid in the creation of the Student Technology Aides and Resources (STAR).
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What technology support do students provide to the district? (e.g. software, hardware, website creation or maintenance, etc.)
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STAR students provide support in all areas of technology, at all grades levels (k-12) and the District Central Offices.
Services include:
- Software
Installing and maintaining operating system (OS) software and application software (e.g. Microsoft Office), and troubleshooting software failures.
- Hardware
Troubleshooting hardware failures and replacing damaged or defective hardware.
- Computer Construction - Building computers from scratch (i.e. component-by-component) to increase accessibility in classrooms and technology resource centers k-12.
- Security
Development of building- and classroom-specific security software protocols.
- Web Site
Creation of the structure of the District web site, maintenance of the web server software and hardware, integration of staff/student content (web pages) into the web site.
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How long has the project been in effect?
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The project was initiated in August of 1998, and is ongoing: the end of this school year will mark three (3) consecutive academic years. The program is slated to continue into the 2001-02 academic year.
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Did another district's student tech program influence the way you modeled your program? If so, which district.
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The consultant hired by the District was a graduate of New Albany High School in New Albany, Ohio, where a similar program - called the Digital Network Assistant (DNAs) - was started in 1996. Although the goals of the two programs are similar, STAR makes greater use of students during the school year, and provides greater opportunities for experience with and management of upper-level network equipment (e.g. network servers, switches, etc.).
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What resources or policies were necessary to start up and maintain the program? (i.e. funding, human resources, board approval, ect.)
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Initially, a small stipend ($1,200.00) was provided for the consultant responsible for starting the STAR program. During this experimental phase (the 1998-99 academic year), this was the only funding required. When STAR became a for-credit Independent Study (IS), the program received funding for replacement hardware, software and student stipends from the general fund, and the consultant's stipend was increased (the consultant now provides services beyond coordination of the STAR program). Permanent Improvement (PI) monies, the District's annual technology budget, and funds from bond issues supplement the program and provide dollars for large-scale projects such as computer building and Cisco switch configuration and installation.
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What are the goals of the program?
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The goals of the STAR program are to increase student awareness of technology, while providing a high level of support for students and staff.
Students will:
- Gain interpersonal skills by working as a team to develop solutions, and by working one-on-one with teachers and fellow students to integrate technology effectively into the classroom experience.
- Gain technical expertise by working hands-on with District hardware and software. Students who pursue professional certification (e.g. A+ Certification, MSCE) as a part of the STAR program will be supported financially by the District whenever possible.
- Provide professional, responsive, and complete technical support to staff and students, and provide assistance for staff in the development of technology-rich lesson plans.
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How much did it cost to create the program? Please itemize costs and expenditures in an Appendix.
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This field appears as an appendix in the PDF
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How much does it cost annually to maintain the program? Please itemize costs and expenditures in an Appendix.
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This field appears as an appendix in the PDF
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How many students have participated in the program to date?
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- 1998-99 school year: 8 student participants
- 1999-2000 school year: 12 student participants
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How many students are participating in the program this school year?
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- 2000-01 school year: 23 student participants
- Anticipated 2001-02 enrollment: 15-25 students
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Do students work during or outside school hours? Please detail.
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Most students enrolled in the STAR IS have a period of the academic day (between 55 and 90 minutes) dedicated to STAR work. This work may include web site maintenance, software/hardware maintenance, or work on an individualized technology project. Those students who do not have the time in their academic day are able to fulfill the time requirement after school hours. Students who perform "above-and-beyond" work (during spring/summer/winter break, or after school hours) are compensated with monies from the STAR class budget.
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Are students paid for their work? If so, how much per hour and how are they funded? If students are not paid, do they receive credit as a course?
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All of the above are applicable. Generally, students receive one-half (½) academic credit per semester participation in STAR. This is the same level of credit for most other courses offered at Granville High School. During the off-year (especially summer), and for "above-and-beyond" work during the school year, students are paid for their participation. The hourly rate varies from $7.50/hr to as high as $12.00/hr. Pay increases are offered every summer. Generally, students start at the $7.50 level and step up as they progress (second-year STAR students receive $9.00/hr, and so on).
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What grade level(s) are students who participate in the program?
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At present, students in grades 8-12 are participating in the STAR program. We hope to increase the number of middle school (grades 6-8) students in the coming years.
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Is your student technical program integrated with your district curriculum? How?
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STAR is offered as an Independent Study in the Business/Technology department for one-half credit per semester, and a standard grading system by a licensed teacher is used.
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How have you solved logistical problems (matching student/teacher schedules, transportation between buildings, etc) so that students can do work where it is needed?
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During the academic day, STAR students provide support at the middle/high schools, both of which are on the same schedule. At least one STAR student is available during all nine periods of the academic day. STAR may be contacted using the HelpDesk phone, or by submitting a technical report through the Intranet STAR web site (detailed reports from students and staff that include location and nature of the problem, and are converted into e-mail). We are fortunate to have the middle and high schools on the same campus; students can simply walk from the high school to the middle school during their STAR period. The elementary, however, is across town; STAR support is generally provided to the elementary by older students (who can drive) after school hours. In addition, all STAR students are involved in a weekly after-school meeting of no more than two hours, where the entire group discusses current issues and solutions. These meetings are also an opportunity to coordinate large-scale efforts during spring/summer/winter break.
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How and by whom are students trained to be able to support district technology?
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Every summer, the program performs extensive software and hardware maintenance on all District computers. Because this is a time where one can get an overall sense of the majority of the maintenance we perform, new STAR student are encouraged to be in attendance. During these times, less experienced students are paired with more experienced students, and these teams work together to perform maintenance. In addition, the STAR advisor (the District consultant) performs a "build orientation" before any large-scale computer building operation. These orientations provide students the opportunity to learn hardware and software hands-on - traditional "lecture" environments are avoided. Furthermore, students who are pursuing certifications or have interests beyond the scope of District technical support are provided with training materials (books, software, videos, etc.) as funds permit.
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What training and reference materials are provided to the student participants?
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In general, students are provided with Michael Meyers' All-in-One A+ Certification Exam Guide. This book has proven to be useful not only for test prep, but also as a general reference to computer hardware and software. Ron White's How Computers Work, which is an extremely accessible introduction to the basic principles of computer hardware, is also available. Manuals for individual software packages (e.g. Microsoft Office 2000, Macromedia Dreamweaver) are also provided to students. Other training and reference materials that are researched and recommended by STAR students are provided as funds permit, and have included books on HTML, JAVA, PERL, Linux, Microsoft Policy Editor, and WindowsNT.
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How many technical support staff (non-student) are employed by the district? Describe the role of each.
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The District employs no full-time technical support staff. The consultant hired by the District to implement the STAR program is presently a full-time college student, working part-time (20-30 hours per week), and is responsible for:
- Workstation functionality (hardware/software) at the high school.
- Coordinating the STAR program.
- Coordinating any large-scale hardware and software purchases District-wide.
- Managing software licenses.
- Administration of the District-wide WAN, and the LAN in each building (including switches, hubs, and servers).
- Assisting the District Administration with State of Ohio projects (e.g. IVDL, Raising the Bar).
- Coordinating with the District's Data Acquisition Site (Licking Area Computing Association).
The Industrial Technology teacher at the middle school has also been provided with a stipend to provide technical services one period per day, and after school hours, and is responsible for:
- Assisting in network administration (especially the addition and deletion of user accounts).
- Coordinating building needs at the middle school with the District Administration and the high school technology consultant.
- Workstation functionality (hardware/software) at the middle school.
Each building's principal is also responsible for general management of funds for technology, and for seeing that the interests of all students are met through the purchase and installation of technology. Plans are currently underway for the hiring of a full-time technical support person for the elementary school. Full-time high school and middle school support personnel are planned for 2002-03 and beyond.
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What lessons has the district learned during the program? Include strengths, weaknesses and obstacles encountered.
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The most important lesson the District has learned during the course of this project is how valuable motivated students can be in supporting the academic goals of the District through technology integration. The students have surpassed all expectations for in-house technical support: both the middle and high schools are completely independent of any technology support from any outside organization or individual. As assistants to teachers, the students have proven themselves more than worthy: the teacher has the vision, and the student has the technical knowledge. The greatest weakness of the program at this point is the lack of a full-time coordinator for the project. Overwhelmingly, STAR students report that their greatest frustration is lack of contact with the STAR coordinator. (This is also the source of great frustration for the STAR coordinator himself.) This demonstrates that a full-time position is necessary to adequately coordinate the efforts of such a large group of students (even though they are largely self-motivated), and will hopefully be remedied by the addition of a full-time technology support person at the high school. Obstacles to the program have included: low level of technology proficiency of teaching staff (especially early on, but less so now); distrust of students working on expensive technology from teachers and administrators (especially early on, but less so now); concerns with student misuse of privileges (always a concern); and, lack of funding in support of student reimbursement and replacement hardware/software (always a concern). The program generally attempts to address these concerns during the weekly two-hour STAR full-group meetings. It has proven to be most important to help students understand that any privileges provided to them shall not be misused (the "use your power for good, not evil" principle), and that no STAR student is exempt from any school regulation, including those regarding the use of technology (the "you're not above the law" principle).
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What process and instruments are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program?
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Each quarter, staff members are asked to evaluate the performance of any STAR student(s) they have worked with during that quarter. Students also submit weekly journals, outlining their progress during that week. These journals include notes from fieldwork and at least one paragraph describing that week's events. Furthermore, the Independent Study is guided by a syllabus, which outlines general requirements and expectations. The student's grade in the STAR Independent Study is derived from evaluations (by teachers, peers, and the STAR advisors), journal entries, and attendance to meetings. Supporting documents may be found in Appendix C: Evaluating STAR. The effectiveness of the program may also be evaluated by the ratio of system up time to system down time. (At all times, we attempt to maintain a .95 or 95% up time ratio for workstations, and a .99 or 99% up time ratio for servers and other network equipment.) Because STAR is the primary source of technical support in the middle and high schools, the up time ratios for these two buildings may be used to assess the effectiveness of the program.
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How is cost-effectiveness of the program determined? What information has been gathered to date showing the cost-effectiveness of the program? Include samples.
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This field appears as an appendix in the PDF
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Why does your district believe that it is has a model for other districts to implement?
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The STAR program is unique in that it provides the student the opportunity to learn independently, advance (both financially and through school-funded professional technology certification), and gain professional and interpersonal skills. Many of the articles available in education and technology journals - and, indeed, abstracts of other student/technology programs - speak to "using" students to help support technology. Other Districts have programs that are run more like business, and are therefore more concerned about a healthy bottom line and profit than actually doing good for a school. STAR recognizes that it is important for students who are tech-savvy to see something other than dollar signs in their work, and promotes the use of technology in the frame of the school and learning, rather than technology for its own sake.
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Describe the type of product(s) you anticipate creating to communicate to all districts your program? (e.g. website, CD Rom, video, etc.)
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The STAR student team would develop the following resources to communicate the program to others (see Appendix D for some printed exmples):
- Contribution to a centralized web site.
- Creation of an interactive CD-ROM, using either Macromedia Director or Macromedia Dreamweaver.
- Creation and distribution of printed resources (e.g. STAR syllabus).
- Creation of a PowerPoint presentation.
*****PLEASE CLICK ON THE *LAST* HTML FILE LISTED IN THE ARTIFACT LISTING!
*****It is the correct link to the STAR program's ASSIST files.
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