The Technology Plan

As mandated by North Carolina law GS115C-102.6, each local school district is required to submit an updated technology plan that is written to support and enhance the following defined priorities:

1. high student achievement
2. safe and orderly schools
3. quality teachers, administrators and staff
4. community and business support
5. effective and efficient operations.

In 2005, Guilford County revised their long-range technology plan according to the new format.  The plan was written to address the five strategic priorities of the state and the goals of the district.

Summary of Guilford County’s 2005 Technology Plan
Guilford County’s 2005 Technology Plan
The North Carolina Educational Technology Plan
Accomplishments of the 2000 Technology Plan
Accomplishments of the 1995 Technology Plan

Summary of the 2005 Technology Plan

In 2005, Guilford County Schools revised their long-range technology plan according to the new format.  The plan was written to address the five strategic priorities of the state and the goals of the district. 

Recommendations of the 2005 Plan include:

• Implement assessment  tools aligned with the NC Standard Course of Study for reading and math
• Continue to support new district-initiatives and district-provided software that support the curriculum
• Provide instructional materials that support the new Computer Skills Test using NCDesk
• Replace computer equipment as outlined in the five-year replacement schedule
• Implement a higher-bandwidth, fiber-based wide area network solution (called Metro E) at all sites
• Update switches that do not have high-traffic and VLAN capabilities
• Continue to investigate and employ new security strategies such as installing intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and access control software
• Install wireless “hot spots” in middle and high schools
• Subdivide school networks into workgroups called Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANS) and create a “Guest Network” for Internet access only
• Continue to support the technology installations that are included in the Capital Improvement Plan (2003 Bond Referendum)
• Install networked voice (VOIP) solutions in schools designated for new telephone equipment
• Implement a new student information management system

Guilford County’s 2005 Technology Plan

To view the entire technology plan, select the following link:

Guilford County’s 2005 Technology Plan

The North Carolina Educational Technology Plan

As mandated by North Carolina law GS115C-102.6, North Carolina has developed a state educational technology plan to enhance teaching and learning within all its schools. 
Further, each local school district is required to submit an updated technology plan that is consistent with the priorities of the statewide plan.

The North Carolina Educational Technology Plan was designed to reflect North Carolina’s Strategic Plan for Excellent Schools.  It was written to support and enhance the following defined priorities:

• high student achievement
• safe and orderly schools
• quality teachers, administrators and staff
• community and business support
• effective and efficient operations

To view North Carolina’s plan, select the following link:

North Carolina Educational Technology Plan

Accomplishments of the 2000 Technology Plan

During the fall of 2000, a technology planning committee comprised of board members, principals, media specialists, teachers and technology staff revised Guilford County’s Long-Range Technology Plan. 

During the 2000 to 2005 timeframe, a consulting firm specializing in technology for education completed a strategic technology audit for the district and made several recommendations.  In addition, a business continuity planning group assisted the Technology Services Department with a Environment Assessment and a Disaster Recovery Plan.

Following are several of the major initiatives completed during the 2000 to 2005 timeframe:

• Developed online searchable lesson plans aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study
• Purchased new software that supports and enhances the curriculum such as Orchard, SuccessMaker, SAT Coach
• Provided access to additional online resources such as NC WiseOwl, Kaleidoscope, SAS inSchool, NovaNet
• Supported the instructional technology teachers in preparing students for the Computer Skills Test and continued to improve our percentage of those passing the test
• Offered basic technology training courses online in addition to the wide range of traditional staff development opportunities

• Offered in-depth team immersion-type training programs for elementary and middle school teachers such as QTL and QUEST
• Expanded the Career and Technical Education program to include specialized instruction in technical fields and opportunities to receive industry-standard certifications
• Developed a five-year replacement schedule for all computers and moved to an all-Windows environment
• Networked the remaining classrooms for high-speed access to the Internet and email
• Employed new technology strategies such as active directory, DMZ, DNS, firewalls, Internet filtering appliances, virus protection, spam filtering, locked desktops, VPN access
• Implemented remote control software to enable technicians to resolve technical issues remotely
• Purchased deployment and patch management software to enable mass distribution of virus protection updates, new applications and patches to all desktops after hours
• Installed inventory management software to collect configuration information about all computers
• Gained service provider certification for in-house computer repair and warranty work
• Wrote a Technology Policies, Procedure and Standards Manual to provide guidelines for a standard and controllable network environment for the district
• Developed a Disaster Recovery Plan, replicated major systems, purchased generators and UPS devices and created alternate paths for network access
• Improved the district web site and created an Intranet for protected applications
• Purchased SchoolCenter, software that enables schools and teachers to create web pages easily
• Supported the technology installations that were included in the Capital Improvement Plan (2000 Bond Referendum)
• Improved the management systems of the district, implementing a data warehouse for student information, web-based professional development software, telephone notification system for parents, document workflow system and web-based help desk system.

Accomplishments of the 1995 Technology Plan

In 1995, Guilford County Schools wrote its first Long-Range Technology Plan according to state standards.  Three school districts had merged in 1993 to create the new Guilford County School System.  While equity was still a major concern in the newly merged district, the 1995 Technology Plan established a standard base of equipment and equitable access to resources for all schools.  The plan outlined standardized software that would be purchased to support the curriculum and to teach the computer skills to all students.  It also included a plan to build a high-speed wide area network and to connect school-based computers to the Internet.

Although state monies were not adequate to fund the 1995 Technology Plan as outlined, the use of technology was a priority for Guilford County Schools.  With continued local support, additional monies from a federal technology grant and the new Federal Communication Commission reimbursement program (ERate), the following major projects were accomplished:

• Built a wide area network with more than 100 sites connected
• Installed up-to-date computer labs in all schools with high-speed access to the Internet and standardized software
• Implemented media automation in all schools with online circulation, cataloging and workstations that accessed the Internet and other online resources
• Networked more than one-half of all classrooms
• Installed computerized reading centers in all 1st and 2nd grade classrooms with software and integrated units designed specifically to improve the reading skills of young children
• Implemented “Project Read” for 3rd grade classrooms and “Project Math” for 5th grade classrooms in low-achieving schools using Federal Technology Challenge Grant and TLCF funding
• Compiled Activity Guides that aligned the technology curriculum with the NC Standard Course of Study and provided activities to teach skills needed by students for the Computer Skills Test
• Continued improvement in the percentage of eighth grade students passing both sections of the computer skills test
• Opened a Technology Center with computer labs for centralized staff development, a computer repair facility, a presentation room for large-group meetings and an NCIH broadcast site
• Offered an extensive after-school and summer staff development program

• Implemented an email system and provided accounts for all employees
• Developed our first district web site (www.gcsnc.com)
• Provided teacher tools including Microsoft Office, an electronic gradebook, and an instructional management system
• Continued enhancements to major business applications including implementing a Human Resource Management System, replacing the mainframe computer, implementing laser printing, adding online purchasing for remote sites, installing a document imaging system and expanding the cafeteria management system
• Created a help desk and opened a computer repair facility
• Operated a NC Information Highway (NCIH) site in all high schools for staff training, special events and to offer classes otherwise unavailable because of small enrollments