Earlene Patton, ACCESS Registration Coordinator Alabama State Department of Education Technology Initiatives epatton@als

1. Alabama Connects the Dots for Distance Learning Earlene Patton, ACCESS Registration Coordinator Alabama State Department of Education Technology Initiatives epatton@alsde.edu Denise Oliver, Education and Outreach Director Alabama Supercomputer Authority doliver@asc.edu

3. What is the Web address?http://accessdl.state.al.us

4. What is ACCESS? Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and StudentsState-wide Vision: The State of Alabama will provide equal access to high quality instruction to improve student achievement through distance learning opportunities. Mission: The mission of the distance education program in Alabama is to provide an infrastructure that delivers equitable, quality learning opportunities for all citizens.

5. Task Force Partners Cooperative sponsors and other state agencies The ACCESSPlan

6. Recommended Actions of Task Force • Conduct needs assessment • Connect existing IVC labs • Establish 16 pilot sites • Complete AP course catalog • Remediation • Upgrade desktop technology • Expand and upgrade AREN • Establish a program office • Expand elective course offerings • Provide online multimedia resources

7. Rationale • Small rural schools • Low socio-economic status especially high in the Black Belt region • Lack of sufficient educational resources • Lack of Resources Impacts Students ability to: • Go on to higher education • Earn adequate wage • Compete in local, national, and global economies

8. Timeline

9. Web-Based Web Site Portal Multimedia Content Usually Asynchronous Videoconferencing (IVC)_ Real Time (Two-Way Audio/Two-Way Video) Streaming H.323 Standard Synchronous The ACCESS Blended Model Approach • Blended • Online With Face-to-Face Sessions and Virtual Field Trip • Added via Web Conferencing Software • IVC With Learning Management System (LMS) for • Assignments, Communication, and Projects

10. Implementation • Budget • Policy Development • Pilot Sites • First phase implementation • Funding for distance learning classroom

11. ACCESS Management • Alabama Department of Education • Support Centers • LEA/Schools

12. ISTE Evaluation-Lessons Learned • Students said: • Experiences in virtual courses were generally positive. • Over 75% of students reported that their virtual school experience was as good as or better than traditional courses they have taken in the past. Two-thirds reported their expectations about virtual courses were met. • More personal contact with their teacher is needed. • Teachers said: • Over 82% of personnel reported the virtual school experience was as good as or better than other, traditional courses. • Teachers usually indicated a willingness to teach virtual courses again. • Personnel wanted additional personal contact with virtual students.

13. What is the educator response? ACCESS Distance Learning will give Barbour County HS students an opportunity to get the courses, teachers, and technology that will provide them with the knowledge and skills they need to graduate from high school prepared to go to college and/or the workforce…David Hobdy, Principal My students think that they have reached heaven. One student said that he wanted to live in that lab…the other student next to him told me that this was his favorite class ever!! I told them just to wait, that we hadn’t even started the fun part yet!...Adina Stone, Latin I Teacher, teaches to her students at Sheffield High School and to students at Alma Bryant High School in Mobile County and Bob Jones High School in Madison via distance learning. Through ACCESS Distance Learning Dallas County High School has re-established AP courses and provided variety in available electives…Susan Jones, Principal

14. What is the Local Response? Isn't technology grand The words "technologically advanced" do not begin to explain what I witnessed at Boaz High School Tuesday. As you will read about today, Boaz and Douglas schools are two of 24 pilot schools participating in the ACCESS program this semester. After walking into the Boaz classroom, it was like walking into the classroom of the future. School's high-tech tools revive a dead language Thursday, January 26, 2006 Riley set to visit long-distance Latin class at Bob Jones By KEITH CLINES Times Staff Gov. Bob Riley will visit a Latin class at Bob Jones High School today, but the teacher will be in Sheffield.

15. What’s Ahead? Plan for 2006-2010 developed Expand the number of students served (10,000 to 45,000) 21st Century Classroom in every High School by 2010 Strengthen support centers Provide expanded connectivity Continue outside evaluation

16. Alabama Supercomputer Authority State Agency Academic Network (AREN) Supercomputing Center Internet Services

17. History of ASA • Begun in 1987 • Supercomputer Center in Huntsville, AL • Alabama Research and Education Network(AREN) • State agency in Montgomery, AL • Agency established to provide supercomputer resources to higher education (science and engineering) • Funded by state appropriation and client service fees • AREN provides network-high speed connectivity to K12, community colleges, universities, public libraries

18. Benefits of State Provided Network • Expand and provide network based services to state clients • Optimally leverage State resources through collaboration with other State technology organizations • Build and strengthen state-level consortia for the purpose of maximizing State’s E-Rate funding and State services to K12 • Provides Internet2 to K12 and community colleges as a state network participant

19. Huntsville State-wide Network Birmingham Montgomery Mobile

20. Infrastructure Role in ACCESS • Provide infrastructure for Governor’s ACCESS initiative • Assure Quality of Service • Expand bandwidth • Simultaneous participation • Multi-mode video transport

21. Connectivity Model • Assess technology needs in schools • Determine bandwidth upgrade (10Mbps) • Provide temporary solution with T1s • Identify schools with existing fiber • Connect existing IVC labs to AREN • Design and maintain ACCESS web portal • Prioritize connectivity upgrades with initial course offerings • Formulate synchronized timeline with SDE for connectivity • Assure quality of service

22. Connectivity Timeline • Project implementation Oct. 2005 • Temporary T1 install Dec-Jan and Jul-Aug • Spring 2006- 24 Pilot sites • Fall 2006- 20 Expansion sites (Phase I) • Spring 2007-26 Expansion sites (Phase II) • Connect all High Schools by 2010

23. Challenges • Many different ISP providers • Coordinating connectivity with vendors • Local systems don’t know what they need or already have • ASA technicians and network engineer overload • Communication with all parties involved • Compressed timeline • Helpdesk responsibilities-who does what?

24. Comments • “We appreciate the efforts of ASA. I don't think the average teacher understands just what it takes to pull all this wonderful technology together to make it so convenient in their classroom. We've come a long way, baby!” ------Rhonda Clark, Technology Integration Specialist Cherokee County Board of Education