Good Morning, My name is Michael Holmes welcome to SPECIAL EDUCATION PAPERWORK: IT’S TIME TO GO PAPERLESS. I am representing an innovation in making all Special Education paperwork computer based and backed up on the internet through a server at another centralized location leading to paperless records. This innovation would save school systems an incredible amount of time and money. This morning I will show you data driven facts, the actual adoption process, and all of the benefits that going paperless has to offer. I want to begin with one example of Special Education students transferring schools, the new school system could easily retrieve the students Special Education records from a centralized server. Another one of the many examples is if a Special Education student is receiving Special Education services in more than one setting by more than one teacher, each teacher will have easier and quicker access to the student’s Special Education records. This innovation is going to be revolutionary in the field of Special Education. Let us continue to find out more.
Look familiar……………..this cartoon may be an illustrated exaggeration but this is how most educational professionals feel pertaining to their record keeping. Special Education specific software is an important and effective tool to assist education professionals in their management and reporting responsibilities. This software will help to aid the professional by allowing them more time for what is most important ………classroom instruction.
I am introducing an innovation that is research and data driven. Cindy Serfass and Reece Peterson are leading researchers in the field of Special Education technology. One of their articles discuss the use of IEP software applications from the perspectives of form (i.e., legally correct documents) and function (i.e., educationally appropriate individualized programs). Basic components of two fairly comprehensive IEP software programs have been researched and discussed. The general strengths far outweigh by the weaknesses of IEP software. Suggestions and strategies are offered to help educators become involved in software evaluation and purchasing decisions. Lastly, they offer some optimistic yet cautionary notes about the form versus function aspects of using software to develop IEPs.
Eutactics is the leading company in Special Education software. Eutactics software is an important and effective tool to assist education professionals in their management and reporting responsibilities.
Before we continue any further allow me to give you a brief history of Eutactics. Eutactics began developing computer-assisted IEP development systems in 1979, starting with large mini-computers, moving to the Apple IIe computers, then to MS-DOS based computers and Macintosh computers, to PC’s, and finally to state-of-the-art web-based programming. During this time software has been continually updated and enhanced based upon the recommendations of their clients and the available technology. This continual process of software updates, based upon technologies, user suggestions and constantly-evolving state and federal mandates, makes Eutactics’ SEMS Tracker an important and effective tool to assist education professionals in their management and reporting responsibilities.
In the Development of this Innovation people and organizations are making the push to go “Paperless” One of those champions of “Going Paperless” is Ed Sherretta, department chairman of the business and computer science department at Hatboro-Horsham (Pennsylvania) High School, has led the effort there to create a paperless school. "It's easy to find something on the Web and hit the print button," said Sherretta. The effort to go paperless is designed to raise awareness, he said. Sherretta admits the current technology has some limitations. "The limitations of current technology make some conceptually good ideas impractical," he said. His school district is in the midst of applying for a grant that could provide $4 million to the district in the next two years Problem: Stolen identities because of link to the internet Market: State Programs Public School Districts Private Schools Charter Schools Collaborative Programs Regional Centers State Department of Corrections Department of Juvenile Justice Are all making the push to go paperless and taking advantage of this software.
Packaging an Marketing Eutactics webpage is very user friendly and easily accessible. Eutactics offers free trail demonstrations on its website. Eutactics attends various Educational seminars and shows to promote the technology it has to offer.
Eutactics is distributed by the internet. This also allows for fast and easy phone technical support.
On the subject of Commercialization: The production has been continually updated and enhanced based upon the recommendations Eutactics clients and the available technology. This continual process of software updates, based upon technologies, user suggestions and constantly-evolving state and federal mandates, makes Eutactics’ SEMS Tracker an important and effective tool to assist education professionals in their management and reporting responsibilities. SEMS Tracker requires very little support from the Technical Staff in their client schools. Because it is web-based, all program updates, backups, and server issues are done by the Eutactics Technical department, freeing school staff for other tasks.
With the adoption of any new innovation there is a decision process. This is the process through which we as individuals pass from first knowledge of an innovation, to the formation of an attitude toward the innovation, to a decision to adopt or reject, to implementation and use of the idea, and to confirmation of this decision. Allow me to breakdown the following steps: Knowledge – Individuals tend to have a predisposition to ideas that correlate to their interests, needs and beliefs. Persuasion – formation of an attitude that is an enduring belief that an innovation predisposes his or actions or motives. This stage of development may come after the decision stage primarily due to the response to channels of communication. Decision – Activity of choice in adoption of an innovation by an individual. Implementation – when an individual actually puts the innovation to use. Confirmation – Empirical evidence supplied by several researchers indicates that a decision to adopt or reject a new idea is often not the terminal stage – the individual seeks to avoid a state of dissonance or to reduce if it occurs.
As we mentioned before the Knowledge Stage deals with: Socioeconomic Characteristics - initial investment, maintenance costs, warranties Personality Variables – Ease of Use Communication Behavior – accessibility to information
The Persuasion Stage: -Relative Advantage over time managing Special Education paperwork electronically versus managing paper files -Compatibility – this innovation would allow professionals to keep all of their existing values about the actual content of the paperwork only storing it in a more efficient manner.
Decision and Implementation Stage -Adoption – stimulated by change agents through the simulation of an innovation to allow individuals to consider the possibilities. -Rejection – discontinuance after an active trial period or never considering the usefulness of an innovation.
Confirmation – Empirical evidence supplied by several researchers indicates that a decision to adopt or reject a new idea is often not the terminal stage – the individual seeks to avoid a state of dissonance or to reduce if it occurs. Implementing a comprehensive web-based software system requires careful planning, guidance and a knowledge of 'best practices' that have proven successful. Eutactics' project management staff is available to help with every step of the implementation process.
This innovation could have a Significant Impact on Education. Three ways that going “Paperless” with Special Education paperwork are: 1- Accessibility – the Internet access is easily accessible from many different areas in the school building. 2- Cost Effectiveness – storage space of paper files will be irrelevant. Most or not all States have mandates that they must retain paper files on Special Needs students after they graduate or leave their school thus requiring more concrete and brick storage space. 3- Compatibility to present technology – Eutactics software is compatible with all computer operating systems.
This represents the Frank Bass Model that emphasized communication channels and the Marketplace that influences the adoption of new ideas of innovation. This is the early stages of innovation showing the adoption of Eutactics climaxing due to mass media channels of communication such as the Internet. We can see where Eutactics began in 1979 then grew gradually for their first 12 years then where it reached critical mass in 1991 growing tremendously to 2007 where further diffusion of Eutactics became self-sustaining.
Here we have a great visual that shows those active information seekers about new ideas left side of the graphic. In our situation they are the teachers who are using this technology to manage their Special Education caseload. They have a high degree of mass media exposure and are able to cope with higher levels of uncertainty about an innovation that are other adopter categories because they are the willing to explore new ways of doing things. The middle part of the graphic shows the Early Adopters who are the teachers of Special Education students. This group is a more integrated part of the local social system than are innovators. This group has the highest degree of opinion leadership in most systems. Potential adopters will look to this group for advice and information about an innovation. They will decrease uncertainty about a new idea by adopting it, then conveying a subjective evaluation of the innovation to near peers through interpersonal networks. For more adopters we need to demonstrate the wide degree of accessibility of this technology and the value of it in managing Special Education files
Laggards – teachers with many years of experience and from courses such as languages and humanities. They are the last in a social system to adopt an innovation. The point of reference for the laggard is the past. Strategies to help them toward adoption: 1 - Demonstration of Eutactics Software. 2 - Demonstration of the low technical knowledge the technology requires from the Special Education Professional. 3 - Technical Support from colleagues and Eutactics. 4 - Teaching the multiple services the technology offers for any individual person in and out of the school environment.
This graphic shows us the Variables to the Rate of Adoption. These variables are the relative speed with which an innovation is adopted by members of a social system. They are as follows: Compatibility – degree to which an innovation is perceived as consistent with the existing values, past experiences, and needs of potential adopters. Going “paperless” with Special Education paperwork does allow all Special Education professionals keep all of the knowledge and values about the services they are providing, this innovation only allows them to store that information in a lot more efficient way. Complexity- degree to which an innovation is perceived as relatively difficult to understand and use. Eutactics is very user friendly and offers technical support along with setting up support groups within your organization. Observability- degree to which the results of an innovation are visible to others. Professionals will be witnessed with more time for instruction as well the speed and efficiency retrieving Special Education Records.
Eutactics has used a centralized approach for the adoption of their software and this should be the same approach in school settings. The possible adopter will receive this innovation from many different technologies in a decentralized form.
The key change agents in schools are the Administrators and Faculty. The first role is that they have the role of developing a need for change which initally helps the clients become aware of the need to alter their behavior. The change agents have shown a need to be more efficient in the recording process of Special Education records by the decrease in planning time for instruction. The second role of these change agents is to establish an information exchange relationship where the they must establish a rapport with his or her clients by being perceived as credible, competent, and trustworthy, and by empathizing with the client’s needs and problems. They have sought out an answer to their inefficient means of Special Education Record Management. The third role of the change agent is to translate an intent into action by seeking to influence client’s behavior change in accordance with recommendations based on the client’s needs. The client’s have a need for an increase in planning time for classroom instruction. The most productive way is to decrease the amount of time managing paper files. The fourth role is to stabilize adoption and prevent discontinuance by effectively stabilizing new behavior through reinforcing messages to clients who have adopted, thus helping to freeze the new behavior. This assistance is given when a client is at the confirmation stage in the innovation-decision process. The fifth role is to achieve a terminal relationship by developing a self-renewing behavior on the part of clients. The change agents should seek “to put themselves out of business” by the client’s ability to be their own change agents.
As more and more individuals in a system adopt , the noninteractive innovation is perceived as increasingly beneficial to future adopters (and this encourages them to adopt). The critical mass bears on the relationship between the behavior of individuals and the larger system of which they are apart.
The critical mass occurs at the point at which enough individuals in a system have adopted an innovation so that the innovation’s further rate of adoption becomes self-sustaining.
As |I come to a close I want to leave you with this visual of what could be a classroom teacher or system administrator before adoption of this innovation.
Here is how easy it is to learn how to use this technology.
Here is the end product of adoption: less time spent on record management and more time spent on instruction.
![NEED ,[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)