NC DIgital Learning Plan

1. Region 4 Roundtable
Pembroke, North Carolina
April 16, 2015

2. Plan for this Session
• Presentation:
– Foundations for the Digital Learning Plan
– Our approach to the planning process
– Completing the Digital Learning Progress Rubric
– Initial recommendations to State policymakers
– Early town hall data
• Discussion:
– Feedback on initial recommendations, rubric, and town hall data
– Other questions and comments

3. Two Views
Digital Learning Plan
or
Digital Learning Plan

4. Our View
✔ Digital Learning Plan
✖ Digital Learning Plan

5. Consistent with NASBE
• “The real promise … is in using technology to rethink
what teachers, students and schools do, and how they
are organized to do it.”
• “The transformative potential [requires that] we employ
educational technologies to reshape teachers’ and
students’ roles, and that technology is coupled with
fundamental organizational changes that re-engineer
legacy school structures, processes, and all forms of
instructional delivery.”

6. Builds Upon Legislative Actions

7. Elements of the Digital-Age Learning Model
Advancement based on demonstrated
mastery of the content and
competency in applying what has been
learned.
Anywhere and anytime learning,
inside and outside of schools, 24/7, with
most learning blending face-to-face and
online activities.
Personalized learning and flexible
resources optimized for each student.
Student-centered instruction,
combining large group, small group and
individualized learning, with teachers
serving as facilitators and coaches.
Digital content providing interactive,
flexible and easily updated educational
resources.
Assessments integrated into
learning activities to provide ongoing
information about students’ achievement
that can be used to improve teaching and
learning.
Parent portals provide 24/7 access to
their children’s assignments, grades, and
records, as well as a means to
communicate with teachers and
administrators.
Project-based and community-based
learning activities connecting to students’
lives outside of school.

8. Plan Builds on Existing Statewide Systems…

9. …and on Lessons Learned in NC and Elsewhere
• Research on digital learning implementations
• Effective practices and lessons from
– Eighteen NC districts
– Maine statewide program
– Summit charter schools
– Texas Power On initiative
– Alberta, Canada
– … many others

10. Questions the NC DL Plan will address:
Models
1. What exemplary approaches and lessons learned from local school
districts’ digital learning initiatives should North Carolina build upon?
Instruction & Digital Content
2. How will North Carolina transition from funding for textbooks to funding
for digital materials that are aligned with curriculum, remain
current, and are effective for all learners?
3. How will existing systems, such as Home Base, the North Carolina
Virtual Public School, Public Libraries, and the K-12 Cloud support the
transition to digital resources and digital learning?
Technology Infrastructure & Devices
4. How will North Carolina ensure that all public schools and community
anchor institutions have the technology, service, and support
infrastructure needed to sustain robust digital learning?

11. Questions the NC DL Plan will address:
Human Capacity
5. How will North Carolina enhance the capacity of all its teachers,
school leaders, and district leaders to fully utilize digital resources
and meet the new digital learning standards?
6. How will North Carolina ensure that there will be a sustained pipeline
of teachers and administrators prepared to support the K-12 digital
learning transition?
Policy & Funding
7. How do State and local education policies and processes need to be
updated and revised to further digital learning?
8. How does the digital learning transition impact school budgets and
how can the digital learning transition be funded?
Recommendations
9. How can North Carolina best support current and future local digital
learning transitions in districts throughout the State?

13. Engaging Stakeholders…
• Advisory Board
• “Deep dive” district visits
• NCTIES and regional town halls
• Working sessions with NC and national experts
• Meetings with
– Educators: superintendents, principals, tech directors, teachers
– Policymakers
– University deans and faculty
– Business leaders
• Webinars and online surveys

14. …and Using Evidence-Based Approaches
• Extensive use of existing data
– Teacher working conditions
– School network analyses
– AMTR (DPI Annual Media and Technology Report)
– Race to the Top data
– School Technology Needs Assessment (STNA) surveys
– Statewide student and teacher data
• Interviews, focus groups, artifact analyses, and other new data
• Representative sample of districts
– Detailed analyses
– Model plans

15. Components of Digital-Age Learning
Note: Percentage of respondents selecting “very important” and “every school” on 2 Likert-scaled survey items (n=229).
46%
9%
22%
18%
8%
14%
13%
17%
32%
45%
48%
52%
57%
60%
69%
79%
Parent portals
Project-based learning
Digital content
Integrated assessments
Anywhere/anytime learning
Competency-based learning
Personalized learning
Student-centered instruction
Very Important Implemented throughout LEA

16. Digital Learning Challenges
Note: Data from open-coding of text-based responses (n=122).
59%
48%
45%
39%
33%
26% 25%
19%

17. Teacher Working Conditions Data
Several teachers across the
state reported having
sufficient access to
instructional technology,
including computers,
printers, software and
internet access; however…
… fewer teachers
reported having
sufficient training to
fully utilize that
available instructional
technology.

18. Current Status of Wireless Infrastructure
in NC Schools
3%
35%
40%
22%
None (70) Marginal (818) Intermediate (928) High Density (515)

19. Sample Districts

20. Changes Already Underway in Schools!

21. NC Digital Learning Progress Rubric
• Rubric serves as a roadmap to support
North Carolina’s educators and
communities in the transition to digital-
age teaching and learning
• Designed to help district and school
teams reflect on their current stage of
development in digital learning and
track their progress moving forward
• Word version for districts and charters
now available to download from
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu/
• Online version for schools now
available to administer through
https://surveys.fi.ncsu.edu/

22. NC Digital Learning Progress Rubric
• Per March SBE Meeting:
LEAs and charter schools
should complete the rubric
by May 15, 2015
• Will provide state-wide
snapshot to prioritize
resources and sequence
of steps for the NC
Digital Learning Plan
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu/

23. NC Digital Learning Progress Rubric
Instruction and
Digital Content
Technology
Infrastructure and
Devices
Leadership
1. Shared Vision
2. Personnel
3. Comm. & Collaboration
4. Community Engagement
5. Sustainability
6. Policy
7. Continuous Improvement
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu/

24. NC Digital Learning Progress Rubric
Instruction and
Digital Content
Technology
Infrastructure and
Devices
Professional Learning
8. Focus
9. Format
10. Participation
11. Professional Learning
Communities
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu/

25. NC Digital Learning Progress Rubric
Instruction and
Digital Content
Technology
Infrastructure and
Devices
Instruction & Digital
Content
12. Educator Role
13. Student-Centered
Learning
14. Digital Content
15. Online Learning
Experiences
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu/

26. NC Digital Learning Progress Rubric
Instruction and
Digital Content
Technology
Infrastructure and
Devices
Technology
Infrastructure & Devices
16. School Networks
17. End-User Devices
18. Learning Environments
19. Technical Support
20. Supporting Services
21. Outside of School
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu/

27. NC Digital Learning Progress Rubric
Instruction and
Digital Content
Technology
Infrastructure and
Devices
Data & Assessment
22. Data Systems
23. Learner Profiles
24. Authentic Assessments
25. Collaborative
Development of
Assessments
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu/

28. Rubric Components
IMPLEMENTATION CONTINUUM
KEYELEMEMTS
MAJOR AREA
QUALITYINDICATORS

29. Preliminary Recommendations to
Inform State Policy Decisions
January 2015

30. Purpose of January 2015 Policy Brief
• Inform near-term funding and policy decisions to move
digital learning forward in North Carolina.
• Provide recommendations that focus on putting in place
the foundations for long-term success.
• Outline an ambitious plan for next steps, knowing it will
be adjusted to fit within available funding.

31. Recommendations: Starting Points
1. Digital learning innovations are driven at the district level,
with different approaches across districts.
2. The State’s role is to guide and encourage innovation and to
ensure equity of digital learning opportunities for all students.
3. This role requires that the State:
• Provides the technology infrastructure for all schools
• Fosters model digital learning innovations within districts
• Develops local leadership capacity
• Ensures access to high quality digital resources
• Leverages state and regional support structures

32. Expand the School Connectivity Initiative to
support internal Wi-Fi infrastructure
$7M (Yr1) -
$12M-R
Establish a collaborative procurement service
Support a multi-agency plan for addressing
broadband access in rural communities
Technology Infrastructure

33. Establish a grants program to support the
development and dissemination of innovative
district digital learning models
$24M-R
Model Digital Learning Innovations

34. Support professional learning for educators
who will lead digital learning initiatives and
coach teachers
$5M-R
Local Educator Leadership Capacity

35. Implement Home Base curriculum and learning
management system 2.0
$6M-R
Expand access to digital education resources,
focused on resources developed within North
Carolina
$10M-R
Begin transition to digital education resources
adoption process
High Quality Digital Education Resources

36. Strengthen regional support structures $4M-R
State-level management of centralized
functions
$1M-R
Regional and State Support Structures

37. Technology Infrastructure
• Expand the School Connectivity Initiative to support internal Wi-Fi infrastructure $7M (Yr1)-$12M-R
• Establish a collaborative procurement service
• Multi-agency plan for addressing broadband access in rural communities
Model Digital Learning Innovations
• Establish a grants program for innovative district digital learning models $24M-R
Local Educator Leadership Capacity
• Support professional learning for digital learning leaders $5M-R
High Quality Digital Education Resources
• Implement Home Base curriculum and learning management system 2.0 $6M-R
• Expand access to digital education resources, focused on NC resources $10M-R
• Begin transition to digital education resource adoption process
State and Regional Support Structures
• Strengthen regional support structures $4M-R
• State-level management of centralized functions $1M-R
Total $57M (Yr1)-$62M-R
Summary Table

38. NCTIES Town Hall – 3.5.2015

39. NCTIES Town Hall Data
31%
33%
20%
4%
7% 5%
Town Hall Participants
Small LEA
Medium LEA
Large LEA
Charter School
State Government
Other

40. NCTIES Town Hall Data
Ranking Recommendations for Human Capacity
1 Provide funding for instructional support personnel (e.g., ITFs, coaches, and media
coordinators) to support digital learning transition
2 Provide funding to districts for high quality professional development for educators
and school leaders on digital learning
3 Update and align certifications/requirements for all educators to include critical
elements of digital learning
4 Share effective strategic staffing approaches to further the implementation of digital
learning
5 Provide funding to organizations (e.g., NCPAPA, NCASA, NCDPI, NCCAT, RESAs,
Colleges/Universities) for statewide or region-based high quality professional
development for educators and school leaders on digital learning
6 Work with post-secondary institutions to develop creative strategies and approaches to
build a pipeline for all positions (e.g., technicians, educators, ITFs, media coordinators,
principals)

41. NCTIES Town Hall Data
Ranking Recommendations for Digital Content
1 Manage cooperative purchasing agreements for digital content
2 Create systems that facilitate in-district and cross-district collaboration
on content and curriculum development
3 Establish a process for continuous vetting and review of
procured/purchased digital content
4 Provide a contemporary learning management system as a part of
HomeBase
5 Establish connections of digital content applications to PowerSchool and
other student data sources
6 Create systems to facilitate sharing of digital content by community
colleges, IHEs, museums and other state agencies

42. NCTIES Town Hall Data
Ranking Recommendations for Funding and Policy
1 Establish a Digital Learning Fund with private sector donations, lottery
appropriations and other sources
2 Update NC General Statutes on Textbooks to include digital resources
3 Simplify the process for districts to apply for specific policy waivers for
innovative digital learning practices
4 Update the policies for State and Local Technology Plan requirements
5 Create competitive grant program to support local innovative digital
learning models
6 Remove the online learning graduation requirement for students

43. NCTIES Town Hall Data
Ranking Recommendations for Technology and Infrastructure
1 Provide annual allotment for devices to districts
2 Expand the school connectivity initiative to include internal school
wired and WiFi networks
3 Identify and share best practices on local solutions for community and
home Internet access
4 Consider regional/multi-district approaches to ensure access to
technical support personnel (e.g., network engineers, computer systems
administrators)
5 Establish standards for devices and manage bulk procurement
6 Update the State's recommended school technology infrastructure
planning guidelines

44. Deliverables

45. Final Notes
• North Carolina is positioned to be a national leader in
digital learning.
• The Digital Learning Plan will move things in the right
direction, but the changes will be ongoing, not completed
by 2017, 2020, or any other year.
• We believe there will be a good long-term return on
investment in terms of educational outcomes, increased
graduation rates, workforce preparation, and state
budgets.
• Investments in infrastructure, digital content, and human
capacity development will be required.

46. • For all Policy Briefs, deliverables,
resources, and information:
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu
• To submit inquires and
recommendations:
ncdlplan@fi.ncsu.edu
• Digital Learning Plan Information
Gathering
Survey: http://go.ncsu.edu/n7f4nf
• Working Group Interest
Form:
http://go.ncsu.edu/ncdl.working.group

47. Roundtable Input
1. Do these findings resonate with you?
2. Which recommendations do you think should be
top priorities?
3. Is anything missing?
4. What are the critical messages about digital
learning for NCDPI, SBE, and NC General
Assembly?

48. Questions and Comments?
Thank You!
Suzanne Branon: snbranon@ncsu.edu